Five free agents Phillies should consider this offseason

Five rising star free-agents who the Phillies should consider signing this offseason

There is plenty of baseball left on the table this season, with the ALDS and NLDS set to kick off this week. Yet, some teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, are already looking ahead to free agency to improve their team.

The 60-game sprint is over, and the sample size was enough to give front offices a look at what they can expect production-wise from some key names as free agency looms.

Some big free-agent names still have a chance to further improve their contract negotiation chips during the postseason.

Here are five free agents who notably improved their value in 2020 that the Phillies should consider.

1. J.T. Realmuto

It’s not often that you find a catcher atop the free agency big boards, but J.T. Realmuto seems to have rested his case as one of the premier backstops in the last five years.

At 31, Realmuto is beginning to near the age where positional transition may be needed, but he’s just so good defensively that he could remain there, much as Yadier Molina has. At the plate he’s consistent, and in 2020 with the Phillies, Realmuto hit 11 homers (on pace for 30), batting .266 with a .349 OBP. In his last three seasons, Realmuto’s WAR is over 10 combined, and the production has seemingly only gotten better.

The Phillies allowed Realmuto to test the market, but there’s a more than likely chance that he ends up back in red pinstripes. However, there’s a shortage of top-tier backstops in this league, so don’t be surprised if Realmuto commands more than Yasmani Grandal’s recent $73 million deal with the White Sox.

2. Trevor Bauer

Baseball traditionalists may hate him, he may frustrate coaches, and plenty know what a “friend” he’s made with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, but Trevor Bauer is an elite rotation arm.

Bauer will command ace money this offseason, and rightfully so. The stuff was always there, the command not so much, but Bauer seems to have figured out the balance this season. He’s a player that always tinkered with delivery, stuff, arm action, pitch selection, etc. with various sports science institutes such as Driveline, but this season we saw confidence and maturity, as well as a showcasing of dominant pitching.

A 1.73 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 73 innings of work is incredible, but what’s more impressive is the 17 walks allowed the entire season. He’ll want to join a contender, and after this season, he has the negotiating leverage to do so.

The Phillies could use a starting pitcher in their rotation like Bauer to complement Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler.

3. DJ LeMahieu

Once known as a slapstick hitter with an excellent defensive tool, DJ LeMahieu has become a serious problem with the New York Yankees.

Hitting .364 is insane in its own right, but to tally double-digit homers while playing an excellent second base is unfathomable these days, in the era of swing and miss. His 2019 campaign was no fluke, and given a full 2020 season DJ could have put together a historical campaign.

He’s 32, and the market is weak, so along with the fact that Anthony Rendon just got over $200 million, the getting will be good for LeMahieu. The other facet to this is that he can play anywhere in the infield, so realistically he’s a fit for any team that suits him.

The Yankees will try and hold on to him, but there’s a lot of mouths to feed in New York, so a new destination could be on the horizon.