Phillies: Top 5 free agents to sign in 2021

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SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 22: Robbie Ray #38 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September 22, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Could the Phillies make another splash in free agency next offseason?

After a pretty eventful 2020 offseason which saw the likes of the Phillies signing Zack Wheeler and superstars such as Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, etc. all switch teams due to monster contracts, some eyes have already begun to point towards the next free agency period.

With the MLB season’s status still up in the air due to current events, the possibility that the league just jumps straight to the 2021 campaign is a possibility.

With a new season, would come a new offseason. An offseason absolutely stacked with marquee free agents yet again.

While the Phillies were busy this past year, adding notable players like Wheeler and Didi Gregorius, it’s clear there’s still a lot of work to be done in building a championship-caliber roster around Bryce Harper. While money may seem tight in Philly at the moment, $59 million dollars will be freed up at the year’s conclusion with Jake Arrieta, David Roberston, Jay Bruce, and Gregorius all coming off the books.

This puts the team in prime position to spend the big bucks yet again.

#5. Robbie Ray, SP

A name who has repeatedly come up in trade discussions for the Phillies, southpaw Robbie Ray will be hitting the open market as a free agent for the first time in his career.

For the majority of his six year career in the majors, Ray has been underwhelmingly average when it comes to some of the simpler baseball metrics. He posts a career ERA of 4.11, a WHIP of 1.351, and a win-loss percentage of just 50.5%.

However, Ray has long been a name on the radar of MLB scouts due to his absurdly high strikeout rate, and the flashes of potential that he put on display in 2017. Over the last three seasons, Ray has posted a K/9 of 12.0 or higher, a number that ranks him towards the top of the league in this regard pretty regularly.

For reference, the highest K/9 rate that Aaron Nola has posted in his career is just 10.2.

Like previously mentioned, Ray put it all together in 2017, making his only career All-Star game while going 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA. The Phillies shouldn’t necessarily be expecting that type of production going forward with Ray. However, seeing as he just turned 28 and should now be entering his prime, this type of signing screams “low risk-high reward”.

Considering guys like Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman, and Jake Odorizzi will likely receive the huge pitcher contracts next winter, it’s likely Matt Klentak could bring in Ray on a slight discount. It’s no secret the Phillies still need pitching help, and the thought of bringing in an established lefty starter could be too good to pass on.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 28: Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics plays shortstop during the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 28, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The Athletics defeated the Mariners 1-0. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

#4. Marcus Semien, SS

Coming off a career year with the Oakland Athletics in 2019, Marcus Semien offers a unique opportunity to both the Phillies, and the rest of the MLB.

For starters, Semien likely won’t command the level of contract that future free agent shortstops like Javier Baez or Francisco Lindor will. Playing his last five years in a smaller market like Oakland, Semien has yet to see his name regularly associated with the “superstars” around the league.

With the MLB offseason increasingly becoming more “business-like” with each mega payday that’s handed out, Semien’s lack of true marketability will likely bring his overall price tag down a bit.

OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 20: Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics hits a double during the game against the New York Yankees at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 20, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Yankees 6-2. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

Specifically for the Phillies, the team was entering the 2020 season in a bit of a “limbo” when it came to their infield. They had no natural third baseman, Scott Kingery was just beginning to make the permanent move to second base, and Didi Gregorius was signed to a one year deal to play shortstop. Whether the 2020 season gets played or not, it’s likely the Phillies future infield will look something like this:

1B: Rhys Hoskins, 2B: Scott Kingery, SS: ?, 3B: Alec Bohm

With Jean Segura getting moved to third over the spring, it’s clear the Phillies don’t view him as a long term option at shortstop. While recently drafted SS Bryson Stott has turned heads down in the minors, he won’t be ready to take over the starting job for at least another 2-3 years.

This is where Semien enters as a possible option for the Phillies. Assuming Gregorius doesn’t stick around, bringing in another proven shortstop to hold things down until Stott is ready makes a ton of sense.

While the Phils could ultimately get priced out on this move, don’t be surprised when they do their due diligence on Semien.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 21: Ken Giles #53 of the Philadelphia Phillies on the mound against the Miami Marlins during a game at Citizens Bank Park on April 21, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

#3. Ken Giles, RP

I mean, it’s almost criminal that Matt Klentak and the Phillies haven’t found a way to get Ken Giles back in the red and white pinstripes.

Easily considered one of the best Phillies prospects of the last decade, Giles has simply dominated the MLB since he entered in 2014. Posting a career ERA of 2.67, Giles has operated primarily as a closer in his six years of MLB service. He’s finished 204 games, earning the save in 114 of them.

Nicknamed “100 miles Giles”, the right-handed reliever utilizes a wicked fast four-seamer to overpower his opponent. After spending his first two seasons in Philly, Giles would go on to be traded to Houston where he won a World Series. Giles has now spent his last two years closing games for the Toronto Blue Jays.

#2. Marcus Stroman, SP

Marcus Stroman ticks off every single box when it comes to free agency: Production, marketability, youth, and above all else, a likely desire to get away from his current team.

Currently just 28 years old, Stroman has turned into one of the fastest rising stars around the MLB. Recording his “breakout year” in 2017 (3.09 ERA), Stroman would take a step back the following season before returning to an even better form in 2019. Playing with both the Blue Jays and the Mets, Stroman boasted an ERA in the low threes yet again as he was selected to his first career All-Star game.

Stroman was moved during the 2019 trade deadline to the New York Mets in a deal that surprised many. A very vocal athlete, Stroman had long been open about his desire to sign a long term extension to remain in Toronto. After starting just 11 games as a Met in 2019, and now facing a shortened season, it’s unlikely Stroman has built up a good enough relationship with the organization to think about re-signing.

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Stroman is really good, and appears to be trending upwards in terms of production. He boasts a wide repertoire of pitches and has some of the best timing/tempo moves in the MLB. He will likely be right at the top of the pitching market (with Trevor Bauer) when the 2021 offseason arrives.

Like previously mentioned with Robbie Ray, the Phillies will likely still be searching for starting pitching in another year. While Nola and Wheeler boast an impressive one-two punch at the top of their rotation, the rest of the staff has struggled in recent years.

*Spencer Howard will likely be with the team by this point, but he’s still an unproven commodity at this point in time*

The Phillies haven’t been shy about splashing on starting pitching in the past (see Arrieta and Wheeler), and while it would come at a hefty price tag, the addition of Stroman would surely give the Phils the best starting rotation in the National League.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 24: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning of a Cactus League spring training game at Camelback Ranch on February 24, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

#1. Mookie Betts, OF

If you thought the bidding war for Harper was crazy, just wait till you see what the one for Mookie Betts will be like.

While Betts is currently a Los Angeles Dodger, and they would no doubt like to re-sign him to a very long deal, the possibility of a canceled MLB season leaves his future with LA in some serious doubt. Betts already turned down $300 million from the Red Sox prior to his trade, it’s unlikely he has plans of taking any sort of pay cut to stay rocking the Dodger blue.

Betts is one of the few “five-tool” players left in baseball. He hits for power (61 HRs the last two seasons) and average (.346 BA in 2018), is an elite fielder (four straight Golden Gloves), is wicked fast (30 steals in 2018), and has absurd arm strength coming out of right field.

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Following his record breaking MVP season in 2018, which culminated with a World Series ring, many fans rank Betts right up there with Mike Trout as the best player in baseball.

Now, why would the Phillies even entertain the idea of shelling out another monster contract just two years after inking Harper to the largest deal in franchise history? For starters, the potential dominance which would occur from a Harper-Betts duo could very well result in multiple World Championships. Long have fans called for the addition of a “blue-chip player” to pair next to Bryce. Betts would be that guy.

Second, the logistics for another big-time contract are actually quite realistic. As mentioned previously, close to $60 million dollars in salary is projected to be freed up with current deals just simply expiring. Throw in the fact that guys like McCutchen and Segura will likely be deemed expendable by 2021, that number rises to a whopping $95 million dollars.

While a J.T. Realmuto contract extension is looming and a Betts deal would be record-breakingly large, $95 million dollars should be plenty to equate for all of this.

Competition for the former MVP will be stiff, but if the Phillies truly are “all-in” on winning a championship with Bryce Harper, adding another MVP in the outfield is a must consider.

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