Which Philadelphia Phillies players will be free agents in 2023?
Because they haven’t had a fruitful farm system in years, the Philadelphia Phillies have gotten into a bad pattern of giving out big contracts, having high payrolls, and not contending. In 2021, they finally had their first winning season since 2011, but they also cemented a decade without clinching a postseason berth.
The Phillies are bogged down by quite a few pricey contracts in 2022, with a lot of money set to come off the books next year.
Here’s every Phillies player hitting free agency in 2023:
Didi Gregorius
After the rough 2021 Didi Gregorius had, free agency can’t come soon enough for him. The Phillies owe him a whopping $15.2M in 2022, which is going to be painful, considering he’s coming off the worst season of his career.
Kyle Gibson
The trade for Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy, and Hans Crouse looked good at the time, as Gibson and Kennedy were having strong seasons for the Texas Rangers. Unfortunately, Gibson’s ERA nearly doubled when he came to Philadelphia. The Phillies will likely just ride this one out.
Corey Knebel
Reliever Corey Knebel is only signed to a one-year deal, but it’s a pricey $10M deal for someone who hasn’t pitched a full season since 2018. If he’s pitching well and the Phillies aren’t looking like contenders, he might be wearing another uniform before he even hits free agency.
Zach Eflin
Starting pitcher Zach Eflin is set to become a first-time free agent after the 2022 season, but unlike most of his teammates on this list, his future is a puzzle. He’s shown flashes of brilliance on the mound, but his injuries and surgeries make it hard to see the Phillies committing to him long-term.
Jean Segura*
When the Phillies acquired Jean Segura from the Seattle Mariners ahead of the 2019 season, they took on his five-year, $70M contract, which goes through 2022. However, it also includes a $17M club option for 2023, or a $1M buyout.
Segura will be one of several trade chips the Phillies can deal away if they don’t look like contenders by midseason. Doing so will ensure they get something in return (like prospects for their bone-dry farm system), rather than nothing when he becomes a free agent.
Aaron Nola*
Like Segura, the Phillies have a club option on Aaron Nola for the 2023 season. They can either pick up his option for $16M or pay him a $4.25M buyout.
Nola is coming off a terrible 2021 campaign, in which he only went 7+ innings in five of his starts, posted the second-worst ERA of his career, and was overall, more detrimental than helpful to his team.