10 Top free agents the Phillies need to pay or pass on
2. Corey Seager SS
Like Correa, Corey Seager is a free agent shortstop looking for the biggest contract of his career. MLBTR thinks he’s also likely to get a decade-long deal valued at over $300M.
The problem with Seager is that he has trouble staying healthy. He only played in 95 regular-season games this year, and has only exceeded 100 games three times in his seven-year career. He hits for average pretty much every year, but he’s never homered more than 26 times in a season, and that was way back in 2016. He’s too expensive of a risk for the Phillies. Besides, they have a top prospect shortstop in Bryson Stott, and he’s expected to debut in 2022. Pass.
3. Kris Bryant INF/OF
Kris Bryant would be a great addition to the Phillies, and his anticipated deal is something they could totally handle; MLBTR predicts he’ll get six years for $160M.
Bryant’s versatility would be beneficial to a Phillies team that seems to need help everywhere. He plays third base, every outfield position, and first base. With Andrew McCutchen and Odúbel Herrera gone, Rhys Hoskins coming back from injury, and Alec Bohm having a terrible sophomore season, it’s too bad the Phillies can’t sign Bryant and then just make three clones of him.
As a Las Vegas native, Bryant and Bryce Harper also go way back. They played baseball with and against each other growing up, and are good friends. Harper even used Bryant’s bat during the 2021 season. Pay.
4. Trevor Story SS
As with Correa and Seager, Trevor Story is someone the Phillies have been linked to, simply because Gregorius was so terrible in 2021. However, I’ll reiterate that Bryson Stott is set to debut in 2022.
You can also attribute a lot of Story’s success to the fact that he’s called Coors Field home for his entire six-year career. Statistically, it’s one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the game. And yet Story still had a down year in 2021, matching his career-low 24 home runs (not terrible, but not what we’ve come to expect from him) and hitting for the second-lowest average, on-base and slugging percentages, and OPS of his career.
Story’s projected six-year $126M is far more affordable than the other shortstops on the market, but still money that would be better spent fortifying the Phillies bullpen. Pass.
5. Starling Marte CF
Aside from a brief stint with the Oakland A’s this season, Starling Marte is a National League lifer, and one of the only real centerfielder options the Phillies should be focused on.
In addition to being a Gold Glove defender, Marte’s speed on the basepaths makes him elite and sets him apart from every free agent on the market. He led MLB with 47 stolen bases this season, matching his career-high from 2016. Whit Merrifield was the only other player to hit the 40 threshold, and no other player swiped more than 32 bags. Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto led the Phillies with 13 apiece, and none of their teammates hit double-digits.
MLBTR thinks Marte can get four years at $80M, which is more than reasonable for the Phillies. Whip out the checkbook, Dave Dombrowski. Pay.
6. Chris Taylor INF/OF
In terms of defensive versatility, Chris Taylor would be the affordable alternative to Kris Bryant. Taylor plays center and left field, two positions currently at the top of the Phillies’ offseason shopping list, as well as shortstop, and both second and third base.
If the Phillies don’t want to spend big on a superstar shortstop, they could sign CT3 to platoon with Didi Gregorius and Bryson Stott, when he debuts. He can also play third if Alec Bohm’s struggles continue, or hit the outfield.
For the four years and $64M he’s projected to command this offseason, Taylor would be a great upgrade for the Phillies because he brings so much to the table. Pay.
7. Raisel Iglesias P
Raisel Iglesias got salary-dumped in December 2020, when the Reds sent him to the Angels to lighten their payroll. The 2021 Angels went 77-85, but Iglesias continued to be one of the best bullpen arms, leading the American League in games finished for the second full season (162 games) in a row. He closed a career-high 59 games, his fourth straight full season with 55+ games finished and tied his personal best 34 saves for the second straight full year.
The difference between Iglesias and a lot of other pitchers on the market this year is that his 2021 showing wasn’t a flash in the pan. He’s posted ERAs under 2.75 in five of his seven seasons, and is a clear upgrade from longtime Phillies closer Hector Neris, whose effectiveness this year came and went faster than flash floods. Dave Dombrowski made it clear he’s in the market for a closer, and Iglesias is likely at the top of his list, as he should be.
Iglesias won’t come cheap, but if there’s one thing Dombrowski knows how to do, it’s pick pitching. He’s the man who drafted Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, traded for Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel, and signed David Price to what was the richest pitching contract in MLB history at the time. Pay.
8. Seiya Suzuki OF
27-year-old Seiya Suzuki is reportedly going to be posted by the Hiroshima Carp in the coming months. According to various scouting reports, he’s the “best player in Japan,” but does that mean the Phillies are the best fit for him?
Suzuki has played for the Carp since his age-18 season in 2013, and has been compared to Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. According to MLBTR, Suzuki has a .319/.435/.592 line dating back to 2018. That’s a grand total of 2,167 plate appearances.
Team USA also got a good look at Suzuki and vice versa in this year’s Olympics, when he helped Japan take the gold medal over the U.S.
Spending big on players from other leagues is always risky, as the adjustment is often far from seamless. However, Suzuki’s numbers are astounding enough that the Phillies should probably throw caution out the window. Pay.
9. Kenley Jansen P
After a few less-than-stellar seasons, Kenley Jansen came back with a vengeance in 2021, just in time to hit free agency. MLBTR gives him a very affordable two-year, $26M estimation.
The longtime Dodgers closer posted a 2.22 ERA over 69 appearances, including finishing 52 games and striking out 86 batters over 69 innings. His ERA was his best since 2017, and he put up some of his best numbers in years.
If the Phillies can’t nab Raisel Iglesias, Jansen is a solid addition. And let’s be honest, almost anyone would be an upgrade after the 2021 Phillies bullpen. Pay.
10. Kyle Seager 3B
After 11 years in Seattle, Kyle Seager is a free agent. Despite hitting for the worst average of his entire career, he also hit a new career-high 35 home runs.
However, Seager really only makes sense for the Phillies if two things happen:
- The Universal DH is reimplemented
- Alec Bohm continues to struggle
Bohm is making the minimum, and there’s no way of really knowing how he’ll do next year. At MLBTR‘s projected two years, $24M, Seager isn’t a bad guy to have on your roster. Pay.
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