The MLB Winter Meetings may be over, but the offseason rumor mill won't stop until Opening Day next spring. With plenty of fodder to dissect from the Philadelphia Phillies' results in Dallas this week, there were some notes that we need to shed some light on as we head into the first post-Winter Meetings weekend.
The Phillies' only move of the week was signing right-hander Jordan Romano to fill a hole in the bullpen. It was a good start, but they still need to do more to improve the roster for 2025.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke to the media on Wednesday before things wrapped up and the front office contingents scattered back to their respective cities for the remainder of the winter. Dombrowski assured everyone that there are more moves to come, according to MLB.com Todd Zolecki.
“I wish we would have maybe done a little more,” Dombrowski said, per Zolecki. “We just didn’t feel comfortable. But it’s not done either. The Meetings are done, but the conversations aren’t over. "
Phillies talked to Teoscar Hernández's camp during the Winter Meetings
One move the Phillies need to figure out is who will be playing outfield at Citizens Bank Park next season. To that end, one of the top free agent outfielders on the market is Teoscar Hernández. Phillies fans would love to see him in red pinstripes next year.
The Phillies were reportedly in touch with the 32-year-old slugger (subscription required) at the Winter Meetings, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb. That's the good news. The bad news is that it doesn't sound like the popular veteran has eyes for anywhere but Los Angeles and a return to the Dodgers.
"According to a league source, the Phillies touched base with Teoscar Hernández’s camp," Gelb reported. "Hernández is said to prefer a reunion with the Los Angeles Dodgers."
You can't blame Hernández. He just won a World Series and, on a personal level, had a career-rejuvenating season. You also can't blame the Phillies for kicking the tires. The corner outfielder will get a nice raise, thanks to Juan Soto. MLB Trade Rumors originally estimated he'd get a three-year, $60 million deal, but it looks like it could take a $27-28 million annual salary for three years. Even if he was open to Philadelphia, that might be too rich for the Phillies.
Juan Soto and Steve Cohen talk Mets dynasty
Speaking of Soto, in case you somehow forgot, he agreed to a massive record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets on Sunday. Well, now it's signed, sealed and delivered. He had his introductory press conference on Thursday. Unfortunately for the Phillies, he's now officially back in the NL East — and talking dynasty.
"The Mets is a great organization," Soto said during his introductory press conference. "They have all of the ability to keep winning, to try to grow a dynasty. What you were seeing from the other side was unbelievable."
Juan Soto is asked why he chose to join the Mets:
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 12, 2024
"The Mets is a great organization. They have all of the ability to keep winning, to try to grow a dynasty. What you were seeing from the other side was unbelievable." pic.twitter.com/RwZiqFQkKc
Mets owner Steve Cohen also wasn't shy about talking about a Mets dynasty. Apparently during the interview process, he told Soto that he wants to win 2-4 World Series in the next decade, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.
With Soto in the fold, it's hard to see the Mets not in the postseason for the foreseeable future. As for the Phillies, by the time Soto can opt out of his contract and leave the NL East after the 2029 season (if the Mets even allow it to happen), the veteran core in Philadelphia will be well past its best-before date and the team will look much different than it does right now.
Astros' asking price for Kyle Tucker is steep
There are four teams known to have contacted the Houston Astros and show interest in trading for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. The Phillies are one of those teams, along with the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
It's unknown what names Dombrowski floated to Astros general manager Dana Brown, or what he asked for in return. However, we do know some of the names the Astros are interested in from a couple of the other teams.
According to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, the Astros want AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil to anchor a Yankees trade package for the 28-year-old Tucker. As for the Cubs, the Astros are targeting outfielder Seiya Suzuki and corner infielder Isaac Paredes as the start of a package (subscription required), per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The price for Tucker will be steep, and the team that trades for him will only have him for one season before he goes to free agency for a big payday. How far are the Phillies willing to go for one big bat next year?