Phillies add even more depth to starting rotation
By Matt Rappa
To say the Philadelphia Phillies offseason has been backloaded with moves would be an understatement. From recent signings of star players J.T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorius, to notable bullpen additions of Archie Bradley and Jose Alvarado, the past few weeks have brought much change to the Phillies 40-man roster.
Not to mention, the Phillies recently added veteran starting pitcher Matt Moore to the mix, a lefty who pitched with success this past season overseas in Japan.
On Wednesday, the club added even more depth to the rotation. According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Phillies have signed seven-year veteran right-hander Chase Anderson, pending a physical. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports the agreement is a one-year major-league deal.
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Chase Anderson will compete for a spot in the 2021 Phillies starting rotation.
Anderson, 33, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2009 draft. He went on to debut five years later with the Arizona Diamondbacks. That year, 2014, the Texas native finished 10th in the Rookie of the Year Award race, going 9-7 with a 4.01 ERA and 105-40 strikeouts-to-walks ratio spanning 21 starts and 114 1/3 innings. After his final season with the Diamondbacks in 2015, Anderson has also pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers (2016-19) and Toronto Blue Jays (2020).
Phillies have a one-year, $4 million deal with Chase Anderson, a source confirms @ByRobertMurray. He had career-best strikeout and walk rates last season. He also was pummeled by opposing hitters. pic.twitter.com/XRdDCsh0fW
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) February 3, 2021
Through 10 appearances and seven starts this past season, Anderson went 1-2 with a career-high 7.22 ERA and 1.634 WHIP. His best season came in 2017, going 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.090 WHIP. Overall, the right-hander has gone 54-42 with a 4.06 ERA in his career.
Moore and Anderson will compete this spring for a spot in the back end of the rotation with Spencer Howard, Vince Velasquez, Ranger Suarez, and others. Minor-league, non-roster invitee Ivan Nova will also get a look.
Ideally, Howard bounces back in 2021 from a disappointing rookie season and becomes a fixture in the rotation for years to come, complementing Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin. Therefore, that would leave many arms vying for just one spot, unless the Phillies decide to have a six-man rotation to try to limit innings — as pitchers adjust from a 60-game sprint to a potential 162-game marathon.
Anderson and the rest of Phillies pitchers and catchers are set to have their first workout in a couple of weeks in Clearwater, Florida.
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