Phillies Have Four Players They Should Target In Free Agency Come 2018
A lot of noise has already been made about the 2019 free agency class, but the 2018 class could provide a few options for the Phillies as well.
As I previously noted in an earlier article this week, 2017 will be an integral year in the process of rebuilding the Philadelphia Phillies.
It will be a year in which each player will need to prove their worth and show that they are capable of being part of the long-term future of the franchise.
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Best Case Scenario
The Phillies young studs show that they are ready to handle to bright lights of the show. Michael Saunders, Howie Kendrick and Jeremy Hellickson prove that they still have the talent to be heavy contributors on a daily basis. The team improves over last season’s 71-91 record and begins the steady march back to playing late October baseball.
Worst Case Scenario
The veteran signings and young prospects struggle while the Phillies find themselves back in the basement trying to piece together where the rebuild went wrong.
Luckily for the latter, the Phillies have the money to turn to free agency to fill any question marks.
With that, let’s take a look at possible free agent targets for Philadelphia come next offseason.
Starting Pitcher Jake Arrieta
The 2016 Cy Young award winner has made it known that he is looking to pitch for quite some time after this season and Philadelphia makes sense.
After three incredibly impressive seasons in Chicago (stats shown below), Arrieta will likely command a good chunk of change for his services and the Phillies have the funds to oblige him.
| Year | Age | W | L | W-L% | ERA | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 28 | 10 | 5 | .667 | 2.53 | 156.2 | 114 | 46 | 44 | 41 | 167 |
| 2015 | 29 | 22 | 6 | .786 | 1.77 | 229.0 | 150 | 52 | 45 | 48 | 236 |
| 2016 | 30 | 18 | 8 | .692 | 3.10 | 197.1 | 138 | 72 | 68 | 76 | 190 |
With Jeremy Hellickson serving as Philadelphia’s ace for the second straight season, the Phillies could be looking to upgrade for the long haul…that is unless one of many prospects can earn the nod.
Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez
Carlos Gonzalez will turn 32 this October but is still as much of a menace at the plate as he’s ever been. The Rockies right fielder carried a .298 batting average in 2016 while slugging 25 home runs and 100 RBI.
The three-time All Star would make an excellent addition to the Phillies in 2018 if Howie Kendrick struggles. Kendrick, acquired in a trade with the Dodgers this offseason, is on the last year of his deal and will serve as Philadelphia’s primary left fielder for the time being.
With CarGo’s sweet left handed swing and a short right field porch at Citizen’s Bank Park, this could be a match made in home run heaven.
First Baseman Eric Hosmer
This is an absolute pipe dream but it would make for a sweet reality. Hosmer, just 27, would make sense for Philadelphia. The Phillies starting first baseman is Tommy Joseph, who is entering his first full season in the majors in 2017.
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Joseph, coming off of a 21 home run campaign in just 107 games, will have to prove that the spot is his. If he struggles, however, the 25 year old may find himself on the wrong end of a short leash while the Phillies look elsewhere to fill the void.
In addition to Joseph, the Phillies also have prospects Brock Stassi and Rhys Hoskins waiting in the wings. Although both Stassi and Hoskins have the talent to play at the big league level, there is no denying the excitement Hosmer would bring to the city of Philadelphia.
Starting Pitcher Jaime Garcia
Unlike Hosmer, signing Jaime Garcia is about filling a necessity, not just adding a luxurious upgrade to the lineup. Philadelphia’s current depth chart tells the story, as every one of the Phillies starting pitchers listed is right-handed.
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Garcia wouldn’t be a glamorous signing by any means. His production is inconsistent at best but with the only lefty starters on the 40-man roster being Adam Morgan and Elniery Garcia, the Phillies will need to look elsewhere to fill in the gap come 2018.