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1 Free agent the Philadelphia Phillies can steal from each division rival

By Gabrielle Starr

FORT MYERS, - MARCH 14: Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski watches the pregame warms ups prior to the start of the game Spring Training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 14, 2016 during the Spring Training Game at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South, Florida. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, - MARCH 14: Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski watches the pregame warms ups prior to the start of the game Spring Training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 14, 2016 during the Spring Training Game at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South, Florida. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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The Phillies should poach stellar free agent talent from their NL East rivals

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer should be the mantra of the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason.

After all, the New York Mets spent months in first place and the Atlanta Braves won the World Series. Even the Washington Nationals, who had a terrible season, made strides in their rebuild by trading Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a bumper crop of a return. The Miami Marlins had an unremarkable season, but they’ve been in the postseason more recently than the Phillies, which counts for something.

There is an abundance of free-agent talent available this offseason, but if the Phillies want to take an especially petty route, here’s one player they can sign from each of their division rivals that would add a bit of spice to divisional play next season…

Joc Pederson, Atlanta Braves

Signing Joc Pederson makes so much sense for the Phillies. He’s got a great bat, can fill their outfield needs, and he could bring fire and personality to a team that is seriously lacking both.

Pederson hasn’t hit for average throughout his career, but he does slug; he’s had four 25+ home run seasons in his eight-year career. He’s also got the outfield chops to play any of the three spots, with hundreds of games played in both left and center.

Thanks to the fact that he spent the first seven years of his career with the Dodgers and was then traded from the Cubs to the 2021 World Champion Braves, Pederson has an abundance of postseason experience. Over 79 career postseason games, the man nicknamed JOCTOBER has a .256/.332/.482 line and .814 OPS.

Signing players with October experience and firsthand knowledge of how it feels to win would make a huge difference for the Phillies, who haven’t even been to the postseason since 2011, and only have two championships in their extensive franchise history.

If they’re looking for a more affordable option, fellow Braves outfielder Eddie Rosario is also available.

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