Grading every Philadelphia Phillies offseason roster addition
Corey Knebel: B
Corey Knebel is a big risk with an even bigger price tag. The Phillies are paying him $10M for one season, even though he hasn’t pitched a full season since 2018 and missed the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Dating back to 2020, Knebel has made 42 appearances, including four starts, five games finished, and he’s earned three saves. This stands in stark contrast to his pre-TJ pitching, when he finished 77 games and earned 55 saves for the Milwaukee Brewers between 2017-18.
It’s also unclear how effective he’ll be as a closer – his expected role – as he spent most of 2021 as Kenley Jansen’s backup in Los Angeles. I would’ve preferred signing Jansen, who joined the Atlanta Braves for $16M, instead. It’s unfortunate that the Knebel signing happened before the lockout; since the Phillies decided last week to finally exceed the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, going a bit pricier for World Series champion closer like Jansen would have been the optimal move, but they had already committed quite a bit of money to several other relievers.
Kent Emanuel: B+
I actually really like the Kent Emanuel addition. The Phillies claimed Emanuel off waivers from the Houston Astros, and the team change added to the already significant chip on the rookie pitcher’s shoulder.
Emanuel tested positive for an extremely small amount of a performance-enhancing substance in 2020, and received a hefty suspension for it, though he made a strong case that he was innocent. The suspension delayed his MLB debut; when it finally happened in 2021, he wore the number zero, saying it represents the number of games he should have been suspended.
When the Phillies claimed him last fall, he said he’s ready to prove his former organization made a “mistake.” We love a fired-up pitcher with something to prove. Hopefully, he really brings that energy to the Phillies, whose bullpen was seriously lacking in that kind of energy last season.
Garrett Stubbs: B
Another former Astro, the Phillies acquired catcher Garrett Stubbs via trade with Houston before the MLB lockout began in December.
There was no upward mobility for Stubbs in Houston, as they have Martin Maldonado under contract. As such, Stubbs’ playing time and stats don’t paint a full picture, which will likely be the case again in Philadelphia, as the Phillies have J.T. Realmuto under contract through 2025. However, every catcher needs a backup, and with the implementation of the Universal DH, Stubbs will probably at least see a bit more playing time with his new team.
Brad Hand: B-
Brad Hand had a dominant stretch from 2016-to 18, but now he’s just another veteran pitcher the Phillies are hoping will be workable. Tale as old as time for this club.
Hand spent the 2021 season with the Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets. He’s
Like Familia, Hand will make $6M on a one-year deal. He’s certainly a better gamble than last year’s ragtag crew, which included Chase Anderson, Matt Moore, Vince Velasquez, Neftali Feliz, and countless others, many of whom did not last the season.
Obviously, a baseball roster needs quantity and quality, but the Phillies are paying Knebel and Hand when they could’ve gotten Jansen for the same total price and likely better results.
Hopefully, I’m wrong about this one, but I’m not optimistic.
Jeurys Familia: B-
A familiar face in the division, Jeurys Familia spent 10 seasons with the New York Mets. Aside from a brief trade to Oakland in 2018, he’s been with them for his entire big-league career.
This signing just doesn’t move the needle for me. Maybe it would in 2015 or 2016, when he led MLB in games finished two years in a row, and led all pitchers in saves in the latter year. But since re-signing with the Mets in 2019, he has a 4.62 ERA over 156 appearances, and only one save. He’s durable, at least; averaging 68 appearances per 162 games.
Familia also is one of two players the Phillies signed this month who have spent time suspended for violating the league’s Joint Policy for domestic violence, which is two too many.
Odúbel Herrera: F
The Phillies get a failing grade for re-signing Odúbel Herrera, whom fans thought they were finally rid of last fall, when the team bought out his option and sent him to free agency. But alas, he’s back on a $1.75M deal with performance bonuses, because in baseball, it doesn’t matter if you attack a woman, so long as you occasionally make contact between the bat and ball. That the Phillies rendered him a free agent to avoid paying him $11M, only to re-sign him for a fraction of the cost, only makes this situation more unpalatable.
While the front office claims he’s going to be splitting time in centerfield with promising rookie Matt Vierling, it’s pretty baffling that the Phillies spent big on some huge free-agent signings and then brought Herrera back at all. There are billions of men on the planet, so it’s pretty hard to believe the Phillies couldn’t find a single affordable outfielder who doesn’t hurt people to replace him.
Oh, and he’s already hurt with an oblique injury that will sideline him 4-6 weeks.
Kyle Schwarber: A
Finally, the good stuff.
Fans were concerned when the big names started coming off the board after the free-agency restarted earlier this month, as none of those big names were heading to the City of Brotherly Love. Finally, towards the end of last week, the Phillies and Kyle Schwarber finally came to agreement on the deal that had been brewing before the lockout.
Bryce Harper is thrilled and Shane Victorino gave his endorsement, what more could you want?
In Schwarber, the Phillies get a down-to-earth, humble guy who just absolutely loves to destroy baseballs. He’s also got extensive postseason experience with the Cubs and Red Sox, and has only missed the postseason once in his career. He’s a heck of a way to kick off a new era of designated hitters in the National League.
Nick Castellanos: A-
The Phillies shocked the baseball world when they hit the luxury tax threshold and kept spending. For the first time since the CBT’s implementation in 1997, the Phillies are overspending, and it’s a welcome change, especially because of who they’re spending on.
Nick Castellanos was Dombrowski’s first-round draft pick when he was Detroit Tigers GM years ago, and rumors swirled before the lockout that the longtime exec was interested in a reunion. Dombrowski has made it a habit to bring talented players with him from club to club: JD Martinez, David Price, and Rick Porcello were all former Tigers whom the exec brought to Boston to build his 2018 championship team.
In Castellanos, the Phillies get a superbly talented hitter to add to their growing collection of power bats. Between Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, Schwarber, and now Castellanos, the Phillies lineup projects to be one of the most fearsome in the game.
The only reason the Castellanos signing gets an A- instead of an A is that his defense is, pun intended, hard to defend.
