Which Phillies could be on the outside looking in next offseason?
The Phillies were relatively active this past offseason, handing out big pay days to the likes of Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius. While these moves were clearly a step in the right direction for the Phillies as they continue to try and build around Bryce Harper, fans were left feeling less than thrilled about the lack of any actual trades.
With a lot of names remaining on the roster that many feel don’t belong, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Phillies started pushing for some trades sooner rather than later. While it’s unlikely anything major happens this summer, next year’s offseason may be the time the Phillies finally go “all in” on building a playoff-caliber roster around Harper.
Andrew McCutchen
The inclusion of Andrew “Larry” McCutchen may surprise some of you, but it’s a harsh reality. Set to earn $20 million dollars during 2021, McCutchen would account for the third highest salary on the roster. Coming off an ACL injury, and set to turn 34 in October, it’s unlikely the veteran outfielder will be worth said amount.
McCutchen looked like an absolute gem of a signing early on in his Phillies career. Setting the tone both offensively and defensively, while providing some much appreciated leadership, “Cutch” was the picture perfect image of what a free agent signing should look like. Despite tearing his ACL early in the season, fans and Phillies employees still felt overall optimistic about him retiring the following year.
While it appears McCutchen will be ready to go whenever the new season kicks off, there’s a chance it’ll already be his last in the city of brotherly love. The upcoming free agency class is full of superstar caliber players (i.e. Mookie Betts), and the Phillies would surely like to be involved in the bidding. Clearing $20 million off their payroll by trading away McCutchen seems all but inevitable at this point in time.