Phillies rumors: Four left-handed starters to target this offseason
Robbie Ray – Trade
The Phillies were first connected to Robbie Ray at the general manager meetings by NBCS Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury. He noted both James Paxton and Ray in his original report, but since then there’s been very little chatter regarding Ray.
Arizona appears to be primarily focused on trading the face of their franchise, Paul Goldschmidt, and begin to rebuild despite winning 82 games last year. Philadelphia was linked to Goldschmidt before the Segura deal, so it’s apparent the two teams have been in discussion regarding trades.
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Ray has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, which is an advantage for both Philadelphia and Arizona. The Diamondbacks can raise Ray’s price tag significantly given his controllability and the Phillies can secure a young lefty in their rotation for two years at a reasonable price.
After Ray’s All-Star 2017 season that included a 2.89 ERA and 15 wins, the lefty suffered an oblique strain that set him out more than a month early in the season. He started just 24 games and had a 3.93 ERA, but his K/9 was nearly identical to last year when he led the league averaging 12.1 K/9.
Ray’s price tag won’t be as hefty as others both in terms of finances and prospects going back to Arizona. While the chatter hasn’t been as hot regarding Ray, keep an eye on him if the Phillies miss out on another free agent.