Phillies should skip starters, complete bullpen instead
By Koy Zdimal
The Phillies need pitching help, but they may be better off pursuing additional relievers rather than adding another starter to the rotation.
It’s never easy being a major-league general manager, especially during an offseason with as much hype as this one. Things only get harder when your owner comes out and says the team will spend “stupid money.” Yet Phillies general manager Matt Klentak has been pretty smart so far addressing his need for pitching.
After saying they wouldn’t be outbid for Patrick Corbin, Klentak wisely let division rivals Washington Nationals drastically overpay on a six-year $140 million dollar contract. More recently, the Phillies had shown serious interest in lefty J.A Happ but again did not over jump, not offering the 36-year-old anything over two years, a move that in time will prove to be the right one.
Charlie Morton’s two years, $30 million deal is another that could have been outdone but again how much do you really want to give a 35-year-old with a career 4.23 ERA?
That leaves one major starting pitching domino to fall, Dallas Keuchel. Now if you are feeling Deja Vu on this one, you have good reasoning. The 2015 AL Cy Young winner, 31 years old, clearly past their prime but good old Scott Boras still trying to sell high.
Keuchel is Jake Arrieta from the left side. I mean their career ERA’s are literally within 0.04 points of each other. After a 10-11 3.96 ERA season is Arrieta’s three-year $75 million dollar contract really looking like Klentak’s best decision?