Phillies: Five free agents to reunite with Joe Girardi

Todd Frazier

The Phillies are projected to move on from Maikel Franco this offseason after years of his rollercoaster play after coming up as the organization’s top prospect.

The Phillies’ current top prospect Alec Bohm is cruising through the minor leagues and playing well in the Arizona Fall League, prompting many to wonder if he’s ready to start for the Phillies on opening day in 2020.

Bohm is likely not ready to start in the big leagues on opening day, having not played just 63 games in Double-A Reading. He is expected to start 2020 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley with the chance of coming up sometime next season.

Until he’s ready, the Phillies need a bridge to Bohm, someone who can handle the third base job for a couple of months until Bohm proves he’s ready to take over.

Former Yankees third baseman and Toms River native Todd Frazier might fit the bill as a fill-in third baseman for Philadelphia. Since moving to New York to play for the Yankees and Mets, Frazier has underwhelmed to a degree, but he hit 21 home runs with a .251 average for the Mets last season.

Frazier hit four home runs in seven games at Citizens Bank Park last season and hit all but 3 of his 21 home runs to left field. The short porch in left field at The Bank could be a blessing for Frazier as he holds a spot for Bohm.

If Bohm does come up, then Frazier takes over as the primary right-handed bat off the bench who can play the corner infield spots.

Dellin Betances

The Yankees expected Delin Betances to play a major role in their bullpen before injuries caught up to him in 2019. A lingering shoulder injury benched him in March and limited him to one appearances, where he partially tore his left Achilles tendon.

Betances won’t undergo surgery and is expected to return for spring training, but his market will likely be diminished considering the time he missed and the severity of his injuries.

When healthy, Betances has been one of the best relievers in baseball since 2014 with a 2.22 ERA in 349 games in New York. Betances has primarily been a set-up man, though he has saved 36 games during that five-year span.

The righty turns 32 this winter and made four consecutive All-Star teams prior to the 2018 season. Would it be worth it for the Phillies to roll the dice on him as a low-risk/high-reward option?

The upside is certainly there with Betances, who played for Girardi for parts of six seasons in New York. Philadelphia has been unlucky with free agent relievers, most recently with former Yankee David Robertson, who they could get nothing out of after he underwent Tommy John surgery.

If the Phillies can get Betances on a short-term deal with a lucrative option based on his availability, they should absolutely make the move for him. When healthy, which he’s been most of his career, Betances is the best set-up man in baseball. He’s still relatively young with just five seasons of stress on his arm and almost a full year of rest coming off the shoulder injury.

Martin Prado

I’ve been a long-time advocate for the Phillies signing Martin Prado, who has played every position except catcher, pitcher, and center field in his 14-year career with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Braves.

Throughout his career Prado has been a consistent hitter who can handle himself across the diamond and provide leadership in the locker room. When Jose Fernandez tragically died in a boating accident, Prado was one of the players who led the Marlins organization forward.

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Prado was traded to Girardi’s Yankees at the July 31 trade deadline in 2014 and hit .316 in 37 games for the pinstripes. He’s hit at least .280 in nine seasons and hit over .300 five times, most recently in 2016.

Prado could fill a role similar to Frazier as the short-term bridge to Bohm in 2020 and as a utility player down the stretch. He’s a career .282 hitter at Citizens Bank Park with nine home runs and 17 doubles in his career in Philadelphia.

This wouldn’t be the biggest splash made by the Phillies or any other this offseason, but Prado would at the very least replace Sean Rodriguez as the utility man and reunite him with Girardi.

Aroldis Chapman

One of the biggest fish who could be in the free agent pond this offseason is the electric closer Aroldis Chapman.

The Yankees closer could opt-out of the final two years of his contract worth $34.2 million as he approaches his 32nd birthday. The free agent market hasn’t been kind to pitchers over the age of 30, but Chapman hasn’t shown signs of slowing down.

Chapman burst onto the scene with the Reds sporting a triple-digit fastball that blew hitters and radar guns away. He quickly became not just one of the best closers in baseball, but one of the game’s brightest young stars.

Girardi and Chapman first crossed paths in 2016 when the Yankees traded four players to Cincinnati. Chapman only appeared in 31 games for the Yankees, saving 20 of them, before being dealt in a blockbuster with the Cubs that included Gleyber Torres.

Chapman would go onto to help the Cubs break their World Series curse and return to the Yankees as a free agent after the 2016 season, reuniting him with Girardi.

Philadelphia Phillies

While the triple-digit fastball, 273 career saves, and career 2.23 ERA are extremely enticing, there is a major red flag with Chapman.

Chapman was suspended for 30 games after an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend during which he allegedly choked her and fired eight shots in his garage.

After Odubel Herrera’s domestic violence suspension this year, will the Phillies be warry of signing a player like Chapman? They rid the ballpark and most of the team store of Herrera’s likeness, but he’s still under contract through 2021 with more than $20 million guaranteed.

Philadelphia has been strong in their stance on domestic violence, and signing Chapman while moving on from Herrera would send the wrong message to players and the fans. Will the far superior talent of Chapman outweigh his checkered past?

If he opts out of his contract, it will be something discussed by a coaching staff that knows him well and Phillies majority owner John Middleton.