3 Players Phillies should Sign if they don’t sign Harper, Machado

If the Phillies can’t sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, they have some back-up options to improve their 2019 team.

The big talk this offseason for the Phillies is if they manage to sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. Some say they could sign both. They could sign one. Or they could sign none.

Here are three potential signings that could improve the Phillies.

Patrick Corbin

Position: Starting Pitcher
Age: 28-years-old
Team in 2018: Arizona Diamondbacks
Potential Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees
Last Contract: 1yr/$7.5M

While it could be a long-shot, Patrick Corbin could definitely help bolster the rotation next season. Not only that, he’s proven to be a consistent pitcher.

The 28-year-old posted a 3.15 ERA in 33 games with Arizona this year. His 3.15 ERA is better than Nick Pivetta (4.77 ERA in 33 games), Vince Velasquez (4.85 ERA in 31 games), and Jake Arrieta (3.96 ERA in 31 games).

It’s certainly a possibility Philadelphia could choose to pursue him in free agency. More than 52% of their $104M payroll last season was for pitchers, which ranked 10th in the Major Leagues. However, it’s rumored that the New York Yankees are at the forefront to sign Corbin.

Michael Brantley

Position: Outfielder/Left Fielder
Age: 31-years-old
Team in 2018: Cleveland Indians
Potential Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants
Last Contract: 4yr/$25M

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While he’s more expensive and older than some players currently on the Phillies roster, Michael Brantley could help Philadelphia significantly when it comes to both offense and defense. Brantley, who just finished his tenth season in the big leagues, posted a .309 batting average in 570 at-bats. In those 570 at-bats, he only struck out sixty times during the regular season.

The Phils were notorious for striking out this season – with a combined 1,520 strikeouts as a team. Those 1,520 strikeouts were the second-most among National League teams. Having Brantley on the team will be beneficial to Philadelphia and lead to much success.

J.A. Happ

Position: Starting Pitcher
Age: 36-years-old
Team in 2018: New York Yankees
Potential Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees
Last Contract: 3yr/$36M

Former Phillie J.A. Happ is another potential pitcher Philadelphia could sign in this upcoming free agency. While he could be quite expensive for his age, he could be signed by Philly if nothing else works out for them.

This season, Happ went 17-6 with a 3.65 ERA for Toronto and New York, and his experience could provide help to the Phils young pitching staff.