The Phillies seem to think Bryson Stott is their long-term shortstop.
In a matter of days, the Philadelphia Phillies made two blockbuster outfield free agent signings — Nick Castellanos (five years, $100 million) and Kyle Schwarber (four years, $79 million).
The approximate $180 million spent has Phillies fans ecstatic, as Managing Partner John Middleton will now pay Major League Baseball’s luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, changing the club’s tune from just last week, when it was reported that President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, did not have permission to exceed the $230M threshold.
Some wonder, however, why the Phillies did not instead try to address one of their biggest position question marks and outbid the Minnesota Twins for shortstop Carlos Correa. Early Saturday morning, the American League Central club signed the two-time All-Star and 2017 World Series champion, to a three-year, $105 million contract.
Bryce Harper woke up to the news of the Nick Castellanos signing this morning. He said he told Bryson Stott that it’s a “good day to be a Phillie.” pic.twitter.com/QmIxtVQ04P
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) March 19, 2022
The Phillies chose to “roll the dice” with the struggling Didi Gregorius and high-ranked prospect Bryson Stott, which shows trust in the latter going into the 2022 season and beyond, when Gregorius’ contract is up at the end of this year. The 24-year-old Stott had a strong Arizona Fall League showing earlier in the offseason, slashing .318/.445/.489 with 10 extra-base hits and 31 RBI spanning 26 games.
While signings like Schwarber and Castellanos are franchise-altering, it is likewise important that the Phillies continue to prioritize building from within. Stott and fellow former first-round pick Alec Bohm are two young players who could make a noticeable impact on the 2022 big-league roster.
A seven-year veteran, Correa is a .277/.356/.481 career hitter with 133 home runs and 489 RBI. He immediately would have become one of the top shortstops in recent Phils history, especially since the Puerto Rico native is coming off of one of his best seasons — slugging 26 home runs and 92 RBI across 148 games for the American League champion Houston Astros.
Barring a complete shattering of the luxury tax by signing or trading for another star infielder, the shortstop position from a long-term perspective is ultimately Stott’s to lose.
Bryce Harper raves over newest Phillies teammate Kyle Schwarber
After the Philadelphia Phillies finally gave out a lucrative contract to Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper raved about his new teammate.