With Jake Arrieta signed, what comes next for the 2018 Phillies?
Adding ace Jake Arrieta built upon an already impressive offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies. So what is next for the team as they enter the 2018 season?
Exactly four months ago I wrote an article similar to this one. It was called “Phillies: What will come of the rest of the offseason.” It followed the signings of relievers Tommy Hunter and Pat Neshek and was basically a rant on how the club should sign Jake Arrieta. It compared the potential move to when the Chicago Cubs, Arrieta’s former team, made when they acquired Jon Lester, a comparison that has picked up amongst fans and reporters.
But while back then I believed they should pursue Arrieta I, like many others, doubted they would and figured it was just wishful thinking.
Now here we are.
The Phillies made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when they signed 2015 Cy Young Winner Jake Arrieta to a three-year, $75 million contract. It is an incredibly complex and creative contract as it features several opt-outs and ways the Phillies could reject an opt-out from Arrieta. Now the Phillies have added an ace to the rotation and have slid into the Wild Card contenders conversation.
So what’s next.
This was a great move and a great offseason but if the Phillies truly believe they can settle. They must continue to build from now to the end of their 2018 season.
Pre-Opening Day
There is not exactly a whole lot of time before Opening Day is upon us. We are just 16 days away from the beginning of the 2018 season. Yet there are still moves the Phillies could make.
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There were reports that they could possibly sign two free agent pitchers. I would have loved to see the Phillies match or add more to the Twins offer and eventual signing of Lance Lynn. One year for 12 million is undoubtedly in Philadelphia’s price range. But it might not be the last opportunity they have to make an offer similar to that.
Alex Cobb is the final big-time free agent starting pitcher to fall. He reportedly turned down a two-year, $42 million deal from the Cubs and will now likely have to settle for a deal similar to Lynns. While he will most likely end up on the Brewers teams like the Yankees, Orioles, Rangers, Twins and the Phillies are still possible fits for Cobb.
Besides Cobb and possibly a return of Jeremy Hellickson there are not any other free agent possibilities. The rest of work will be working out the roster. The team has already DFA’d Tommy Joseph and will continue its wave of cuts. Scott Kingery will begin his season in the minors so the team has an extra year of control over the star prospect but he will be in the show by at least September.
During The 2018 Season
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Next up will be any moves during the season. Let’s start with players within the organization. Scott Kingery will be called up this season and personally, I would like to see Sixto Sanchez come during September call-ups as well. He is still only 19 and while the Phillies are known to keep prospects in the minors for a while, depending on the state of the Phillies season I don’t see how it could hurt to have him get four or five starts before he becomes a MLB starter in 2019 or 2020.
I am also curious how playing time will be spread out amongst the outfield, specifically Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams. Nick Williams to be is a highly underrated young player in the league. He has speed, can hit for average and power, and has a solid glove. I do also like Aaron Altherr but believe it is possible he has reached his ceiling while Williams has more potential.
Trade Deadline
Now here is the trade deadline deal I can see happening. Many people are comparing the Phillies to the 2017 Minnesota Twins. They are young, coming off a very poor year, and might be done with their rebuild. I can see them more like the 2017 Arizona Diamondbacks or 2015 New York Mets. Teams on the outside looking in as the deadline approached until they received a superstar, J.D Martinez for the D-Backs and Yoenis Cespedes for the Mets, who pushed them into October.
The player I think the Phillies could get is Manny Machado. Jon Heyman brought up Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak’s connection to Arrieta through the Orioles and linked them to Machado:
the arrieta-to-phillies deal isn't surprising in one sense. phils execs andy macphail, matt klentak, scott proefrock & joe jordan were all in baltimore when the orioles drafted arrieta. another player those 4 execs know from draft/development in baltimore: manny machado
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 12, 2018
Machado will be a free agent in 2019. The Orioles listened to deals for him this offseason. The Phillies will need a third baseman with power. Some time in Philadelphia could lure him back for an extension. Everything about the deal makes sense. Why take a draft pick Baltimore when you could get Cesar Hernandez, Dylan Cozens or another established minor/major league player.
Next: Was Jake Arrieta or Cliff Lee a bigger signing?
The Phillies have won the offseason. They strengthened the bullpen, added an on-base-percentage stud, and signed a top 15 pitcher in baseball all for under 200 million. So are the Phillies finally ready to contend? Trust the process.