The Hot Stove season is underway in Major League Baseball, with rumors abounding around popular players such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Aaron Nola agreed to a lucrative contract with the Philadelphia Phillies — a seven-year, $172 contract on Nov. 19. It's possible that the re-signing of the right-hander is the club's biggest acquisition of the offseason.
However, it's also possible Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, has other plans to make an impactful addition or two to the roster during the league's Winter Meetings from Dec. 4-7 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Let's take a look at three bold moves the Phillies should make at the Winter Meetings.
The Phillies should sign free agent closer Josh Hader
The Phillies have been a rumored destination for one of the league's top closers, Josh Hader. Craig Kimbrel had an inconsistent 2023 campaign that fizzled out during the postseason for Philadelphia. He will not return, and the organization has an opening for the closer role.
Hader will command a multi-year deal for up to $100 million. Closer Edwin Diaz re-signed with the New York Mets for five years and $102 million in Nov. 2022. The New York closer's contract raises the bar for the amount of money elite closers will command moving forward.
Haders will say pitchers are not athletes. pic.twitter.com/bshb3V4xmD
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 20, 2023
The Phillies may be reluctant to pay a closer that kind of money, but they would have a tremendous backend of the bullpen with the addition of Hader. José Alvarado would be the setup guy, followed by the Millersville, Maryland native. Philadelphia would have the sort of advantage that resembles the dominant setup-closer pairing of Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge, who played a huge part in the organization winning the World Series in 2008.
An Alvarado-Hader combination would make manager Rob Thomson's job a bit easier in that he knows, barring injury, who his setup pitcher and closer would be. The 29-year-old left-hander has been one of the top closer's in baseball over the last several seasons finishing among the top five in saves from 2019 to 2022.
Philadelphia owner John Middleton has shown in previous years a willingness to spend money on top free agents to help the club be competitive. The Phillies would receive a boost as a World Series contender in 2024 with the signing of the dominant pitcher.