Philadelphia Phillies offseason simulation: Spending money a little bit stupid
The Phillies want to be a little bit stupid in free agency, and we took that to heart
Phillies owner John Middleton threw out a comment to USA Today Sports that could potentially haunt the franchise by saying the team could “be a little bit stupid” when it comes to spending money this offseason.
It’s no secret that’s what the organization plans to do, and the man who Forbes listed as the 241st richest person in the world plans to put that money to use.
In the FanSided MLB offseason simulation, we had a couple of days to go against our sister sites in free agent bidding wars, and oh did we bid.
In what was essentially throwing monopoly money around a virtual game table we secured four free agents, some big and some small, to deals worth a combined $662 million!
Here’s how our free agency spending spree was splurged:
Bryce Harper – 12 years, $485 million
The biggest bucks in the offseason simulation went to none other than Bryce Harper. The St. Louis Cardinals opened the bidding up at 10 years $350 million and after a couple of other teams placed bids we made our opening bid of 12 years $425 million.
The Nationals and White Sox outbid us by a substantial margin, but we came back with a late bid that no one could outmatch. Yes, we got a little bit stupid spending that kind of money, but it’s for a generational player who finally fills a corner outfield spot, a place the Phillies have struggled to plug.
Patrick Corbin – 5 years, $150 million
After the Yankees made the initial bid of five years $100 million we came in with a $25 million increase. That number was quickly outmatched by the White Sox, but we came back with a number we felt comfortable with to give the Phillies a legitimate top-three for their rotation.
Corbin is the top starting pitcher on the free agent market coming off a season with a 3.15 ERA. He finished fifth in the Cy Young face after striking out 248 batters in 200 innings, and when healthy he can be among the best pitchers in baseball.
While we weren’t able to mention options and opt-outs in our deals, any deal for Harper and Corbin will likely have all kinds of twists and turns to benefit both the team and player. Expect their real life deals to have plently of them.
Wilson Ramos – 3 years, $32 million
Jorge Alfaro is the future for the Phillies, but they need a veteran to mentor him and also carry the offense when needed. That’s what Wilson Ramos did for the Phillies when they picked him up from Tampa Bay this year.
More from Phillies News
- How will Rob Thomson manage the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen in 2023?
- How Phillies’ Ranger Suárez is set to build on 2022 postseason dominance
- What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
- 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
- Phillies-Mets owners’ rivalry grows after shocking Carlos Correa deal
If the Phillies can split playing time between Ramos and Alfaro like they did last year they can continue to develop Alfaro while winning games.
Surprisingly, no one else placed a bid for Ramos, who projects to be one of the best catchers available this offseason. Within the division, Atlanta signed Yasmani Grandal to a similar deal. Several other veteran catches were signed for cheap, but the Phillies are being anything but that this offseason.
Daniel Descalso – 1 year, $2 million
The Phillies need to fill out their bench, and one of the best options on the table in free agency this year is Daniel Descalso. The former Diamondback brings a left-handed bat and versatility to the bench after Pedro Florimon was designated to Lehigh Valley.
Right now the only infielder on the 40-man roster who could fill a bench role is Mitch Walding, a rookie who struck out 12 times in 13 games last year. Descalso has nine seasons under his belt and just turned 32. He’s played seven of nine positions in his career with the only exceptions being center field and catcher.
Who we missed on
There were a ton of free agents we placed bids on, but we were focused on making sure we got at least one superstar bat and one starting pitcher.
Had we not secured Harper, we had a 10 year $335 million offer on the table to Manny Machado. Once we locked in Harper we pulled that offer and the White Sox took home Machado at that same price.
We were also outbid in the Zach Britton market after submitting a three year $32 million offer for the former Orioles closer. Philadelphia nearly landed him after the Yankees pulled their deal, but the Nationals took home Britton for $36 million.
After missing out on Britton we offered up the same deal to Kelvin Herrera, but the White Sox nabbed him for $35 million. The Phillies will have to add a veteran arm to the back of the bullpen, but there wasn’t a deal to be made in our simulation’s short signing and trade window.
Close tabs were kept on veterans Adam Warren, J.A. Happ, Jeurys Familia, Adam Jones, and Curtis Granderson, but none of which were brought to Philadelphia.
Next. Mock Trade: Maikel Franco to the Royals. dark
We’ll have a full breakdown of how we went through the offseason simulation, including what trades we almost made.