Phillies: Which free agent starters can fill the rotation

Alex Wood

Former Brave, Dodger, and Reds starter Alex Wood is a back of the rotation stater we highlighted earlier in the offseason as someone the Phillies could sign.

The soon-to-be 29-year-old lefty was the Braves second round pick in 2012 out of the University of Georgia. He arrived in the big leagues less than a year after being drafted and pitched very well in 31 games (mostly in relief) with a 3.13 ERA. Atlanta mixed him in and out of the rotation for a bit, but he made 24 starts the following year with a 2.78 ERA in 35 games.

Philadelphia Phillies

Wood was traded to Los Angeles in a three-team, 13 player trade during the 2015 season. He fought through elbow injuries in 2016 but broke out the following season, winning a league-high 84 percent of his starts. Striking out 152 batters in 151.1 innings, Wood received Cy Young votes and made his first All-Star team with the Dodgers with a 2.72 ERA.

The following year Wood saw his ERA go up almost a full point and won only nine games for Los Angeles. He’d be traded once again in a seven-player deal (which included Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp) to Cincinnati.

While with the Reds last year Wood battled back stiffness for most of the season, appearing in only seven big league games with a 5.80 ERA. All of his seven starts came in late July and August before he was shut down with the nagging injury.

If healthy Wood is another potential bounce-back candidate for the Phillies to explore. While the Phillies have said they aren’t desperately looking to add a left handed pitcher this offseason, Wood would give them some flexibility and a different look in the rotation.

Honorable Mentions/Minor League Deal Candidates: Ivan Nova, Jerad Eickhoff, Chad Bettis, Jason Vargas, Drew Smyly, Tyson Ross