Acquiring Starting Pitching Help
The biggest hole on the Phillies became evident by the end of the season as the rotation limped to the finish line with Aaron Nola and anyone who wasn’t injured. It became clear that Klentak would have to go out in the offseason and add some much-needed help to the rotation.
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The most obvious avenue to acquire this help is free agency. While the team isn’t expected to pursue the top arms (Yu Darvish, Masahrio Tanaka, and Jake Arrieta), they could make a serious push at those in the second tier of free agent starting pitching. Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn are the two most obvious names and are expected to sign three or four-year contracts.
If Klentak doesn’t want to commit to that long of a contract for a starter, he could pursue guys like Andrew Cashner and Tyler Chatwood. They are more likely to accept a one or two-year contract, which is more friendly to the team.
Help could also be acquired through trade, perhaps by trading one of Galvis or Hernandez. That way, the club could add a team-controlled starter for a fairly low salary as opposed to a veteran free agent on a more expensive contract.