Phillies: Top 10 free agent signings in the last 10 years

The Phillies made some savvy moves in the last ten years in free agency to help them win games (or at least win enough to be respectable).

Free agent signings are one way for team to build a winning clubhouse and the Phillies are no stranger to this.  They seem to always make some type of splash in the offseason.  Since 2008, they have had two different approaches: win a World Series or rebuild. The talent level will fluctuate from the bottom to the top of this list because of the different approaches.

10. Jim Thome (2012)   One-year $1.25 million

Thome was signed by the Phils to bring some veteran leadership and to bring some fans back to the stadium.  Well past his prime, Thome hit 5 homers and drove in 15 runs while mainly playing as a pinch hitter.  He was eventually traded to Baltimore for two minor leaguers.  The future Hall of Famer makes this list solely on the fact that he did exactly what he was supposed to do for the rebuilding Phils.

9. Marlon Byrd (2014)   Two-year $16 million

Byrd was coming off a career year while playing for the Mets and Pirates in 2013.  The hope was for Byrd to come and be a middle of the lineup run producer.  He came in and drove in 85 runs for a team that lost 89 games.  He was a very good signing for a team that really had no business signing him.  Another plus we got from Byrd was the fact that he became trade bait.  After the 2014 season, we shipped him to Cincinnati for Ben Lively who has a chance to pitch in the 2018 rotation.

8. Juan Pierre (2012)    $800,000 minor league deal

Pierre is one of my favorite signings the Phillies have made in recent years.  Pierre is exactly the player he is advertised as.  He has limited power but will hit .300 and steal loads of bases.  That’s what he did for the Phillies and he did it for a cheap price.  For the Phillies, he hit .307 and swiped 37 bases over 130 games played.  He was a very fun player to watch despite not hitting the long ball.

7. Pedro Martinez (2009)    One-year $1 million

Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez is remembered mostly for his stints in Boston and New York but, we remember him for his short stint with the Phillies.  He impressed the front office during the World Baseball Classic enough to come in on a cheap one year deal.  He made his debut in August and pitched to a 5-1 record with a 3.63 ERA.  Absolutely a shell of his former self , Martinez pitched well enough to earn two World Series starts, going 0-2 against the Yankees.

6. J.C.Romero (2008-2011)    Three-year $12 million

Romero is the second most underrated player on the 2008 World Series team.  He came over after being released by Boston and solidified the Phillies bullpen.  He was a pivotal part in the “Bridge to Lidge” along with Ryan Madson.  In the 2008 postseason, he didn’t give up a single run and throw in the fact he won Games 3 and 5 in the World Series.  He was an elite reliever for the four years he was with the Phils.

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4. Jonathan Papelbon (2012-2015)    Four-year $50 million

Papelbon went from being loved from the second he signed to being hated after the Phillies traded him to the Nationals.  However, the few years he wore a Phillies jersey he was awesome.  He was exactly what the Phillies wanted when they signed the closer.  He ended up saving 123 games over 4 years which broke the record held by Jose Mesa.

The Phillies ended up not needing a closer at all because they just weren’t competitive so, they shipped him to the Nationals for Nick Pivetta.

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3. Pedro Feliz (2008-2009)    Two-year $8.5 million

If J.C. Romero was the second most underrated player in 2008 then Feliz was number one. Feliz replaced Abraham Nunez, Wes Halems, and Greg Dobbs as our  everyday third baseman.  Coming from San Fransisco, Feliz had hit 20 or more homers in the previous 4 season.  The biggest part of Feliz’s game was his glove because it really solidified the left side of the diamond.  He drove in 2 runs against the Rays in the World Series but one drove in Eric Bruntlett to give the Phils their last lead in the Fall Classic.

2. Raul Ibanez (2009-2011)    Three-year $31.5 million

Ibanez came into a tough situation when he signed with Philadelphia.  He had to replace Pat Burrell in left field and we all know how much we loved Burrell.  Ibanez did nothing to disappoint the National League Champions when he rode 34 homers, 93 RBIs, and a .272 average to his only All-Star appearance.  He became a pivotal piece for a team who was constantly in the playoff race during his tenure as he batted 5th, behind Ryan Howard.

1. Cliff Lee (2011-2014)    Five-year $120 million

Cliff Lee dominated for the Phillies when we traded for him in 2009 and he won two games in the World Series.  Even with the late Roy Halladay coming over, Philadelphia fans were still mad that we traded Lee to the Mariners.  Lee turned down a much larger contract from New York to return to Philadelphia and formed the Phantastic Phour with Halladay, Roy Oswalt , and Cole Hamels.  Over his last four years in Philly, Lee went 41-30 with his best year coming in 2011 when he went 17-8.

Next: Phillies unlikely to sign Shohei Otani, Kevin Maitan

Lee was one of several signings that helped the team win early on in the last decade.