Phillies face tough decisions with 9 eligible free agents
8. Jake Arrieta
When the Phillies signed veteran right-handed starting pitcher Jake Arrieta to a three-year, $75 million contract following the 2017 season, the envisioned a better performance out of him than what he ended up producing in red pinstripes.
Spanning 64 starts and 352 2/3 innings over the past three seasons, Arrieta went 22-23 with a 4.36 ERA, 280-to-124 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.387 WHIP.
“A message I really want to send to not only the players, but Philadelphia in general and the entire Phillies nation, is that what we’re going to do here is that we’re going to promise a fight,” Arrieta said during his introductory press conference with the Phillies. “There’s no guarantee you’re going to feel good, have your best stuff or get a great night’s sleep the night before. But what we can promise is we’re going to have conviction. We’re going to fight. We’re going to win at the end of the day.”
Perhaps the thing Phillies fans will remember the most about Arrieta’s tenure in Philadelphia, other than his sub-par showing, is that he willingly pitched through injury in 2019 to try to get the team back to the postseason for the first time since 2011. Ultimately, those efforts went for naught then, as well as in 2020, with the team falling one game short of the eighth seed in the National League.
Arrieta is an 11-year veteran that has had several great moments during his career, just not with the Phillies. With the Chicago Cubs, he won the Cy Young Award, won the World Series, tossed multiple no-hitters, you name it. It will be interesting to see which teams have interest in Arrieta, who will turn 35 in March, moving forward.
7. Jay Bruce
Considering the Phillies acquired Jay Bruce from the Seattle Mariners in June 2019 for next to nothing, the deal will go down as one of the best for the team’s former general manager Matt Klentak. Had Bruce remained healthy since then the trade would be even more revered.
The 13-year veteran played a combined 83 games with the Phillies, slugging exactly 30 extra-base hits, including 18 home runs — coupled with 45 RBI. In a normal, 162-game season pace, that would equate to nearly 36 home runs and 90 RBI. Not bad numbers at all for an outfielder who arguably filled a bench role with Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen receiving most corner outfield playing time.
Bruce was on a $14 million deal in 2020, of which the Mariners were responsible for paying most of. The Phillies will likely choose to spend their money elsewhere if the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner commands anything close to that figure in free agency.
6. Didi Gregorius
Outside of catcher J.T. Realmuto, whether the Phillies bring back Didi Gregorius is perhaps the second-biggest question mark for them this offseason. Still, the Phillies might not offer their All-Star-caliber shortstop an $18.9 million qualifying offer, all due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says that the Phillies might not believe Gregorius will receive more than $18.9 million in free agency. “They could roll the dice and try to re-sign him for less,” Zolecki adds. “Every dollar counts this offseason.”
Following the 2020 season, Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton told reporters that he has “no idea” what the Phillies will be allowed to do in terms of fans attending games in 2021. “Obviously, that will determine our revenues, and revenues determine what you can do and what you can’t do,” Middleton said. A recent report revealed that the Phillies lost $186 million from not having fans attend games during the 2020 season.
On paper, it would be in the Phillies’ best interest to try to bring back Gregorius. This past season, the nine-year veteran slashed .284/.339/.488 with an even 10 doubles, 10 home runs, and 40 RBI. He played in all 60 games and started in the infield at the shortstop position in 56. In 2020, Gregorius also set Phillies franchise history, becoming the first shortstop to record two grand slams in a single season.
This combination of offense production and durability arguably has not been seen at the shortstop position for the Phillies since the playing days of franchise hits leader Jimmy Rollins.
5. Tommy Hunter
Similar to Jay Bruce, right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter was often injured during his Phillies tenure. Over the past three seasons, he posted a combined 5-5 record and 3.64 ERA across 94 appearances, 12 of which finished a game. In those outings, he had a respectable 81-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.170 WHIP. In 2020, however, Hunter posted an uncharacteristic 4.01 ERA, allowing 11 runs in 24 2/3 innings.
Hunter, 34, signed with the Phillies on a late-offseason minor-league pact prior to spring training in February. Whether the Phillies will choose to bring him back for a fourth season remains to be seen.
4. David Phelps
The now-34-year-old David Phelps joined the Phillies as an eight-year veteran that began his career under Joe Girardi with the New York Yankees from 2012-14; the right-hander then appeared for the Miami Marlins (2015-17), Seattle Mariners (2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2019), Chicago Cubs (2019), and Milwaukee Brewers (2020) — where the Phillies acquired him ahead of the August 2020 trade deadline for minor-leaguers Brandon Ramey, Juan Geraldo and Israel Puello.
Upon Phelps joining the Phillies, Girardi called him a “fantastic competitor.” Phelps had been in the midst of one of his best seasons to date, posting a 2.77 ERA through 12 appearances, including three games finished, as a Brewer. Also, the St. Louis, Missouri, native struck out 20 of his 48 batters faced, while walking just two, and had the lowest average exit velocity allowed among all qualified pitchers at the time.
Phelps’ 2020 success did not carry over in red pinstripes, as he posted a 12.91 ERA in 10 appearances. Of his 37 batters faced while donning a Phillies uniform, Phelps yielded 12 hits, 11 runs (all earned runs), five home runs, and three walks spanning 7 2/3 innings pitched.
The Phillies have a $4.5 million club option on Phelps, with a $250,000 buyout); MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki suggests that the Phillies “probably should” take the buyout. Phelps only commanded $2.5 million and $1.5 million deals previously in free agency, and Zolecki says it is “hard to imagine” that he will receive $4.5 million from another team in this market.
3. J.T. Realmuto
Catcher J.T. Realmuto will likely receive the one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer from the Phillies, after the World Series concludes later this month. Once they do, Realmuto has 10 days to either accept or decline their offer.
Should Realmuto decide to accept the qualifying offer, he would be signed for the 2021 season for $18.9 million. However, if Realmuto declines the offer, he will be free to test the free-agent market. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports that Realmuto would likely reject the offer, as he seeks a “record-shattering contract for a catcher, perhaps in the $200 million range.”
Realmuto once again proved his worth during the 2020 season; in 47 games, he slugged 11 home runs and 32 RBI, while producing a career-best .840 OPS. And, behind the plate, Realmuto committed only two errors spanning 306 chances.
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Overall, in two seasons donning red pinstripes, Realmuto slashed .273/.333/.492 with 42 doubles, 36 home runs, and 115 RBI across 192 games — but, along the way, has dealt with knee and hip injuries, which could prove worrisome for teams considering to sign the soon-to-be 30-year-old. Realmuto earned a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award following the 2019 season and surely will be considered for 2020.
If Realmuto were to sign elsewhere following the Phillies offering him a qualifying offer, the club would receive a compensatory draft pick. Therefore, that pick would be their last remaining asset from the February 2019 trade that included sending Sixto Sanchez and Jorge Alfaro to the Miami Marlins.
2. David Robertson
The Phillies signed one-time All-Star and World Series-winning reliever David Robertson following the 2018 season to a two-year deal worth $23 million. Over the course of that contract, Robertson pitched just seven relief appearances, equating to nearly $3.3 million per outing.
The right-hander aimed to return at some point during the shortened 2020 season, but ultimately suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery, experiencing additional elbow discomfort. Robertson had been at the Phillies’ alternate training site in Lehigh Valley; he was cleared to face live hitters prior to his setback.
“My arm feels pretty much brand new, I just got to get that feeling for all my breaking stuff and where I can make that jump and be ready for some live action,” Robertson told WFAN back in June. “I’m itching to play. I haven’t had to sit this long and not play in a game ever in my life, so I’m kind of going nuts a little bit. I’m ready to get back out there and let it rip a few times.”
For the 2021 season, the Phillies have a $12 million club option on Robertson, or can buy him out for $2 million. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports that the Phillies will likely do the latter scenario. Even then, Robertson could be brought back on a deal fewer than $10 million and the Phillies would save money.
Robertson has pitched in parts of nine seasons with the New York Yankees during his career, most of which came under current Phillies manager Joe Girardi. As a Yankee, the right-hander went 38-22 with a 2.75 ERA and 1.157 WHIP spanning 501 relief appearances.
In the 2009 World Series against the Charlie Manuel-led Phillies, Robertson tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
1. Brandon Workman
Brandon Workman was one of the several relievers the Phillies acquired prior to the August 31, 2020, trade deadline to try to improve their historically worst bullpen. The Phillies acquired the former World Series champion from the Boston Red Sox, along with fellow reliever Heath Hembree, in exchange for promising prospect Connor Seabold and Nick Pivetta.
As of now, it appears the Red Sox won the trade by a convincing margin. Hembree had a 12.54 ERA in 11 appearances with the Phillies, while Workman had a 6.92 ERA in 14 appearances. The Phillies may choose to bring back Workman on a veteran minimum deal simply for the fact that they gave up a lot to acquire him. Perhaps, with a full spring training slate to get acclimated, Workman could have a bounce-back year in 2021.