10 Top free agents the Phillies need to pay or pass on

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:

1. The Universal DH is reimplemented
2. 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.