That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

3 Mistakes the Phillies cannot repeat this offseason

By Gabrielle Starr

BOSTON, MA - JULY 5: Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski talks on the phone before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers on July 5, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 5: Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski talks on the phone before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers on July 5, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Phillies Aaron Nola
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Phillies need to sign a star free-agent pitcher for 2022

Aside from Wheeler and Suárez, the Phillies starting rotation was almost as bad as their bullpen. Aaron Nola fell off a cliff this year, and there’s no indication that he will bounce back. Matt Moore almost definitely will not be brought back, Vince Velasquez and Chase Anderson are already gone, and Zach Eflin is recovering from surgery and won’t be ready immediately in 2022.

Whether or not the Phillies should trade Nola is the first prong of the rotation problem. They could keep him and hope he bounces back, but they risk him lowering his trade value even further if he does not improve. Or, they can try to frame him as a pitcher with upside and make a trade, but they might not get much in return, and then they have another spot in the rotation to fill.

More. Should the Philadelphia Phillies trade Aaron Nola this offseason?. light

The second prong is who the Phillies can sign in free agency. Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Marcus Stroman will all be on the market, though the Astros are expected to extend a qualifying offering to Verlander, and it’s unlikely the Dodgers part with Kershaw. There’s also Michael Pineda, who was rumored to be a trade target at the 2021 trade deadline.

If the Phillies are looking for pitchers with postseason experience, Eduardo Rodriguez has plenty from his years with the Red Sox, as does Corey Kluber, who would be an affordable option with a lot of upside. They’ll be less expensive than Greinke or Scherzer, who has been astounding since the trade to Los Angeles. Robby Ray, the presumed AL Cy Young, is only making $8 million this year, but will likely command much more in free agency after his stellar season.

Wheeler and Suárez were the only pitchers on the team to post ERAs under three, and most of the other pitchers were in the 4-6 ERA range, so the Phillies need to add at least one big-time starting pitcher ahead of 2022. Luckily for them – and likely why he is here – Dombrowski is known for building star-studded starting rotations. He drafted Verlander, traded for Scherzer, and built the 2018 Boston championship rotation of David Price, Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and Rodriguez. He’ll get someone big for the Phillies, the only question is who.

Home/Phillies News