5 free agents who would significantly improve 2021 Phillies

Five free agents who could significantly improve the Phillies in 2021

A World Series champion for the shortened 2020 season will soon be named. Then, the offseason frenzy will get underway, and the Philadelphia Phillies have many vacancies to fill, including general manager and pitching coach.

Ultimately, though, what will get the team into the postseason next year — for the first time in 10 years — will be the players they add to their club through free agency and trades. We recently featured five free agents that the team should consider signing. The list was highlighted by J.T. Realmuto, along with Trevor Bauer, DJ LeMahieu, Jurickson Profar, and Marcell Ozuna.

All five of these players are available, and all five would significantly improve the Phillies in 2021. Now, we feature five more free agents that would do the same. First up? Shortstop Didi Gregorius.

5. Didi Gregorius

While the fanbase has gotten caught up in a “sign JT” frenzy, the Phillies have another impending free agent they should consider re-signing. Didi Gregorius was consistently excellent for the Phillies in 2020, although his stellar play sometimes went unnoticed since he was never as good as Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins or Alec Bohm were during their respective hot streaks.

However, Didi deserves credit for his consistency. He was the only player on the team to play all 60 games of the season, and he was good at everything he did. He was above average offensively, defensively, and on the base paths. He hit for power and a solid OBP, and he even led the team in RBI.

Gregorius also adds a lot of intangible value. By all accounts, he’s a wonderful presence in the clubhouse and he’s already endeared himself to the fans.

The only problem with signing Gregorius would be the logjam in the middle infield, since Jean Segura and Scott Kingery are also still on the roster. However, if the National League keeps the designated hitter next season, the Phillies could play Didi at shortstop, Kingery at second base, Segura at third base, and Bohm at designated hitter (assuming it carries over in the National League from the 2020 season).

4. Marcus Stroman

The Phillies need a starting pitcher to replace Jake Arrietta, and Marcus Stroman is probably the second-best starting pitcher available, right after Trevor Bauer. However, Stroman might be the better fit for the Phils. Not only will he come at a cheaper price, but he also comes without Bauer’s reputation as a difficult teammate.

Stroman opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns about the pandemic, so he hasn’t pitched in Major League Baseball since 2019. However, in 2019 he was phenomenal for the Blue Jays and the Mets, pitching to a 3.22 ERA and 3.9 fWAR in 32 starts, and earning his first trip to the All-Star Game.

While Stroman struggled with injury and didn’t play nearly as well in 2018, his underlying statistics suggest that he pitched better than you might think. While his ERA was a shocking 5.54, his FIP was 3.91 and his xFIP was 3.84.

In 2016 and 2017 he was also a top of the rotation starter, pitching to a 3.3 and a 3.4 fWAR, respectively. Stroman will only be 29 years old going into 2021, so there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to pitch like a top of the rotation starter for the next three or four years.

A pitching staff headlined by Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Marcus Stroman would certainly strike fear into opposing team’s hitters. Furthermore, a great starting rotation will also indirectly improve the Phillies’ bullpen.

No matter how many relievers the Phillies acquire this offseason, the bullpen will still be a huge question mark going into 2021. But if the Phillies’ starting rotation is consistently able to pitch deep into games, the bullpen will be less of a concern.

The Phillies should absolutely be in the running for Stroman.

3. George Springer

George Springer is an excellent hitter who would fit very nicely into the middle of the Phillies lineup. However, there are some big “ifs” when it comes to signing Springer.

For starters, if Springer can handle center field defensively for one more season, then the Phillies should absolutely pursue him. The Phillies desperately need to improve at center field, and Springer would undoubtedly represent an improvement. Last season, Phillies center fielders hit .237/.294/.325 with two home runs. Springer hit .269/.359/.540 with 14 home runs.

While Springer is not as strong a defender as any of Roman Quinn, Adam Haseley, or Scott Kingery, he is so much better at the plate that his declining defense would not really matter. Plus, he would only need to play center for one year.  After Andrew McCutchen‘s contract expires at the end of the 2021 season, the Phillies could move Springer over to left.

However, Springer is already 31, which counts as old for a centerfielder. If the Phillies decide that Springer’s defense in center field is too much of a liability and he can only play a corner outfield spot, then they don’t have a position to offer him. Unless…

If the National League decides to adopt the DH in 2021, then McCutchen could play DH full time and Springer could take over in left field. Andrew McCutchen could certainly benefit from the extra rest. Ever since his knee injury in mid-2019, McCutchen hasn’t really looked like his old self.

Springer likely won’t have a place on the 2021 Phillies, but if everything breaks right, he could be a big difference-maker for the team.

2. Blake Treinen

The Phillies need to improve their bullpen this offseason. That much is obvious. However, building a bullpen on the free-agent market can be tough.

It doesn’t help that the Phillies have a pretty bad history when it comes to giving big contracts to free-agent relievers. In 2018, the Phillies spent a combined $34 million on Tommy Hunter and Pat Neshek. In 2019, they spent $23 million on David Robertson. And don’t even get me started on the Jonathan Papelbon contract from the 2012 offseason. While these moves weren’t all disastrous, none of them turned out particularly well for the Phillies.

However, with very few internal options, the Phillies will have to pay good money to some free-agent relievers this offseason, and Blake Treinen is as good an option as any.

For one thing, he’ll likely be a buy-low candidate. While he was lights-out from 2014 to 2018, he struggled mightily in 2019 which absolutely tanked his value.

However, he was much better in 2020. His underlying numbers from this past season look much closer to his 2014-2018 stats than his 2019 figures. His 3.15 FIP was the best it’s been since his rookie season, which is particularly promising.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, the Dodgers might be inclined to keep Treinen, especially if he pitches well for them in the rest of the World Series. The Dodgers have a clear financial advantage over the Phillies, and Treinen seems to have positive feelings towards his current organization. 

If the Phillies do miss out on Treinen, there are plenty of other free-agent relievers the team should consider instead. Liam Hendriks, Shane Greene, and Alex Colome are all talented pitchers who will be available this offseason. A reunion with Ken Giles could also be in the Phillies future.