11 Free-agent deals the Philadelphia Phillies wish fell through

1 of 5

The Phillies have had their fair share of regrettable free-agent signings.

The late-night news that Carlos Correa’s free agent mega-deal with the San Francisco Giants had fallen through and he was instead headed to the New York Mets was a real eye-opener. It was also a teaching moment — don’t ever take sports media reports for granted until everything is official between the team and player. The reason for Correa’s quick pivot was understandable, as concern over a medical issue caused the Giants to drag their feet, allowing the Mets to swoop in. But it got me thinking — from a Philadelphia Phillies perspective.

What if some of the Phillies’ free-agent deals that they’ve signed players to over the past few decades could have been similarly expunged?

The “why” doesn’t matter — this is just an exercise to ask “what if?” And so, here are some free agents that we’re going to retroactively take off the Phils’ books in an attempt to rewrite some of the sad history that their fans have had to live through.

Todd Zeile/David Bell

Before Phillies ownership basically had a license to print money, and the team was still toiling away at decrepit Veterans Stadium, Todd Zeile was the best kind of player they could ever hope to get in free agency. Inked to a one-year deal before the 1996 season, Zeile ended up being the primary cleanup hitter for the squad that would eventually get Jim Fregosi fired at the season’s end.

Zeile wasn’t terrible, as he popped 20 home runs to go along with his .268 average. He started the first 106 games of the season at third base until the team decided to move him across the diamond so they could open up a spot for their top prospect — some kid named Scott Rolen. Zeile would then play 28 games over at first base before being dealt away. His contract wasn’t a mistake, but seeing as how it essentially delayed Rolen’s arrival by several months, wiping it out could only have helped the franchise in retrospect.

David Bell’s contract can get lumped in here with Zeile’s because of the similar situation in which it occurred. As the Phillies threw around money before the 2004 season, Bell’s deal got lost in the shuffle because Jim Thome came aboard. And while Bell was perfectly average at the plate and third base during his time with the team, his presence had the bigger issue of blocking Chase Utley.

The solution to the Phillies’ situation would have been to slide Placido Polanco over to third and let Utley — who was not a young player when he debuted in the majors at age 24 — settle in as the man at second base. But with big free-agent dollars at play, the Phils kept trotting Bell out there, effectively costing Utley a whole season’s worth of playing time at the onset of his MLB career.

By making fans wait for the full “Utley Experience” and robbing him of those counting stats, I still believe that Bell is indirectly responsible for Utley not being a serious Hall of Fame candidate. The fact that Bell randomly hit for the cycle one time doesn’t sway my opinion, either.

Danny Tartabull

It’s a tale that never stops being funny and sad. It looked like the Phillies had hit the jackpot when they signed Danny Tartabull during spring training in 1997 to add some “oomph” to the middle of their lineup. In retrospect, however, we should have all been leery of Tartabull saying, “Before I signed with the Phillies, my No. 1 goal was to sign on with a team that had an opportunity to go into postseason play. That didn’t happen, but there are other positives to signing with the Phillies. It’s a young team and, hopefully, I can be a part of a good thing.” (Yes, that’s a real quote from this article.)

The Phils opened the 1997 season in Los Angeles, and Tartabull fouled a ball off his foot during his first at-bat in the first inning of the season. He’d go 0-for-2 and walk twice on the day. He flew out twice to the warning track, which I vividly remember prompted Harry Kalas to comment about how Danny would be hitting a lot of home runs for the club that year.

He didn’t.

Tartabull went 0-for-7 during that series, his foot continued to bother him, and it ultimately was revealed that he had fractured it. He never played another MLB game, and people now mostly remember him for his appearances on Seinfeld more so than anything he did on a baseball field. Except for Phillies fans. They revile him.

Tartabull’s contract didn’t hurt the Phillies on the field so much as it reinforced how poorly they spent what little money they had and tended to embarrass themselves at every turn. It was a dark time.

Kevin Millwood

Just as David Bell had his cycle, Kevin Millwood carved out his place in Phillies history with the no-hitter that he threw in just his sixth start with the team in 2003. The other 59 starts that he made during his two years with the team, however, were just agony. The fact that the Atlanta Braves let Millwood walk should have been the first red flag. He was only turning 28 and had several excellent seasons under his belt, but an organization known for their astute evaluation of pitching had deemed him unworthy of the new paycheck he was seeking. The Phillies, however, jumped at the chance.

Millwood’s 4.34 ERA during his Phillies career was not ace material, and things were worsened by the fact that he appeared to be the most out-of-shape athlete the city had seen in recent years. He was a big dude who wasn’t built for speed, but his huffing and puffing after gingerly jogging out a ground ball seemed odd for someone who hadn’t even hit the age of 30.

The Phillies finished five games and six games, respectively, out of a playoff spot during Millwood’s two years with the team — which can’t be laid entirely at his feet — but is pretty typical of a good team that just didn’t get what it needed from its supposed best pitcher. Maybe he was some sort of robot that the Braves had sent to sabotage the Phillies.

Adam Eaton of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Michael Zagaris/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

A Slew of Right-Handed Pitchers

Some quick hits from a 12-year period that saw the Phillies make mistake after mistake in this category …

Adam Eaton — All you need to know is that the guy was booed at a World Series parade and ring ceremony. These things happen when you pay someone $24 million for three years of service and then watch him produce a 6.10 ERA over two seasons before you’re forced to release him.

Jonathan Papelbon — While acknowledging that he is the club’s all-time saves leader and put up good stats during his three and a half years, Papelbon is the kind of headache that the franchise never needed. Everyone said at the time that committing more than $50 million to a closer was not an efficient use of resources, and they weren’t wrong.

A.J. Burnett — Probably still enamored by the way that he beat them in the 2009 World Series, the Phillies gave Burnett $15 million so that he could put up a 4.59 ERA and lead the National League with 18 losses in 2014.

Aaron Harang — A bargain at only $5 million, Harang at least ate up a bunch of innings for a putrid Phillies squad in 2015. But he was as washed up as it gets, and maybe the team would have been better served to let the young guys get some work.

Chad Billingsley — He was worth a shot at a low salary, but coming off multiple arm surgeries and after a two-year layoff between starts, Billingsley’s 5.84 ERA in seven starts as a Phillie in 2015 should have come as a surprise to no one. Neither should the fact that he suffered two new arm injuries and then never pitched again.

Tommy Hunter — Hunter wasn’t bad in 2018 after signing a two-year contract, but he went down with an injury after just five appearances in 2019, and that should have been the end of it. But the Phillies threw him another cheap contract for 2020. He was fine during the bogus 60-game, COVID-shortened season, but was not any kind of difference-maker.

Jake Arrieta

Finally — the most expensive mistake on this list. When Jake Arrieta signed with the Phillies during spring training of 2018, it was immediately evident that they had obscenely overpaid.

There was, however, a path to Arrieta being worth it if he could pitch reasonably close to the form he had displayed in Chicago for the previous four years — stay healthy and act as a mentor and positive influence for the younger pitchers on the staff.

As it turns out, it was foolish to think this way.

In Arrieta’s first season with the team, he reverted to his pre-Chicago form, although he at least stayed healthy. He was not as fortunate in 2019, developing a bone spur in his pitching elbow that affected him. Arrieta soldiered on but was ultimately shut down for the season in mid-August.

Making matters worse, Arrieta had a third-year option at $20 million that he could trigger at his discretion. As an old, injured pitcher at this point, he of course exercised it, because he wouldn’t be able to fetch nearly that much on the open market. During that 60-game, COVID-shortened campaign, Arrieta posted a 5.08 ERA in nine starts, then hurt his hamstring and missed the last two weeks of the season. He was finally done with the Phils. Good riddance.

Now, to get in my time machine and make all of these Phillies free-agent signings magically disappear like Carlos Correa’s just did.

Phillies-Mets owners’ rivalry grows after shocking Carlos Correa deal. light. More

Home / Phillies History