Spring training has arrived for the Philadelphia Phillies, as pitchers and catchers had their first official workout on Wednesday. The offseason has quickly come and gone, with fans left with a few months without baseball.
The Phillies' offseason in terms of free agents, saw a handful of minor moves in which it seems the organization might be saving for a year when the team has money coming off the books. A year removed from a National League East division title, the Phillies are showing trust in the talent that is here in the organization.
The question marks heading into the offseason were the corner outfield positions, the fifth starter and the back end of the bullpen.
While the Phillies made signings and a trade to address these areas they might not have been the biggest moves to make fans happy or match the competition in the National League, like MLB saw from the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.
How do Phillies' offseason additions grade out?
Additions: Max Kepler (one-year, $10 million), Jordan Romano (one-year, $8.5 million), Joe Ross (one-year, $4 million), Jesús Luzardo (trade with Miami Marlins), Koyo Aoyagi (minor league deal)
Losses: Jeff Hoffman (signed with Toronto Blue Jays), Carlos Estévez (signed with Kansas City Royals), Austin Hays (signed with Cincinnati Reds), Spencer Turnbull (free agent)
In an offseason in which many fans wanted a big splash another year into Bryce Harper's contract, the fans did not get what they wished for. Two of the three signings are prove-it deals that the Phillies are taking a chance on. The Romano signing is solid if he can stay healthy after being hurt for the majority of the 2024 season. He is going to be a key piece in the back end of the bullpen that the Phillies desperately need after losing two huge pieces, especially the All-Star Hoffman.
The Kepler deal is a move that the team hopes the outfielder can get back to his power that was seen in 2019 with 36 home runs. He has not hit over 20 since the 2018 season. Even though the Phillies say they believe he can be a full-time left fielder, this move seems more like a platoon role that creates a similar look to a season ago, but now it's Kepler instead of Hays.
Luzardo was the most important move the team made. The trade for the left-handed pitcher creates one of the best rotations in all of baseball. He will provide a solid fifth arm after watching the team shuffle through arms like Tyler Phillips, Kolby Allard, Michael Mercado, Seth Johnson and Taijuan Walker last year. Having a fifth arm who will give consistency will go a long way for this Phillies team and give them a good chance to win these games.
Ross will provide depth for the bullpen and rotation as he has seen time as both a starter and reliever in his career, making 123 appearances, with 86 of those being starts. He is coming off his lowest ERA season since 2016 but has missed three years since then. He's another addition who the Phillies hope can stay healthy and provide meaningful innings.
All these moves added together to feature the Phillies addressing the team's "needs" rather than bringing in the most talented players out there to fill certain spots.
The Phillies deserve a grade of B for the offseason as they get set for the 2025 season. They made moves to address needs heading into the year but still left the potential to get better at the trade deadline as everything was not fixed. While it was close for a C+ or B- after losing both Hoffman and Estévez, the roster heading into the year is slightly better if it stays healthy.
Phillies' final offseason grade: B
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