3 Former Phillies players we'll be glad are gone, and 2 we'll wish stayed
The 2023 Phillies roster has a new look compared to the 2022 National League championship squad.
The Philadelphia Phillies roster is all but finalized heading into their 141st season in franchise history, with the club making several transactions on Monday that solidified their rotation and bench.
Glancing at the roster, some players are unfortunately absent due to signing elsewhere in the offseason. On the other hand, fans will be glad about other players who will no longer don red pinstripes moving forward. Among these players includes bullpen arms Sam Coonrod, Brad Hand, and Corey Knebel.
Back in February, the division-rival New York Mets claimed Coonrod off waivers after the Phillies designated the right-hander for assignment. It appears Coonrod will miss the start of the season after being diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain earlier this month.
Once acquired in exchange for one of the Phillies' few 2020 draft picks, the hard-throwing reliever never fully lived up to his potential in Philadelphia. Combined between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Coonrod went 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA, 1.364 WHIP, and a 60-22 strikeouts-to-walks ratio spanning 55 innings. He was limited to just 12 appearances and a 7.82 ERA last season.
Sam Coonrod, Filthy 3 pitch K Sequence (90mph Change, 99mph Sinker, 90mph Change). pic.twitter.com/KdU1UNHxt4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 5, 2021
Earlier this month, Hand signed a one-year, $2 million deal with a $7 million club option for 2024 with the Colorado Rockies. He will receive another $1 million if he makes the Rockies' Opening Day roster, which now seems likely.
While Hand made 55 appearances for the Phillies last season and sported a 2.80 ERA, those numbers can seem deceiving. His 1.333 WHIP and 38-23 strikeouts-to-walks ratio spanning 45 innings paint a better picture. Hand did throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the NLDS and two scoreless innings in the World Series, however. In the NLCS, the left-hander surrendered three hits, three runs, a walk, and a home run spanning just one inning and eight batters faced.
Knebel was touted as the next-best Phillies closer but ended up blowing four saves across 16 opportunities in red pinstripes last season. Similar to Hand, the veteran's 3.43 ERA was not awful, however, he also posted a 1.366 WHIP and 41-28 strikeouts-to-walks ratio across 44 2/3 innings. In late August, Knebel was diagnosed with a torn capsule in his right shoulder and did not pitch again for the remainder of the season. He remains a free agent with the season just days away.
The Phillies essentially replaced Coonrod, Hand, and Knebel with Craig Kimbrel, Gregory Soto, and Yunior Marte, among others. On paper, it seems like an upgrade.
While we won't miss the trio of former Phillies relievers, here are two players we wished still were a part of the team.
The Phillies rotation will not feature Zach Eflin for the first time since the 2015 season.
Among the Phillies' first offseason transactions following their disappointing finish to the 2022 World Series was right-handed starting pitcher-turned-postseason reliever Zach Eflin declining his $15 million mutual option.
About a month later, Eflin signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays — the largest financial commitment to a free agent in the Phillies' 2008 World Series rival's history.
Losing Eflin may have seemed disappointing yet inconsequential at the time, but now, the Phillies could have really used him — considering Ranger Suárez and Andrew Painter are injured and Bailey Falter and Matt Strahm are getting starting nods as their replacements for at least the first week of the season. The Phillies simply chose to spend elsewhere.
Rays RHP Zach Eflin talks about his second start of spring training:
— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) March 14, 2023
Final line: 4.0 IP (47 pitches), 2 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 0 BB
This is Eflin's longest outing since June 25, 2022. pic.twitter.com/urtYurngRS
It is ironic because Eflin dealt with his fair share of injuries over the years, but he did throw 659 1/3 valuable innings across seven seasons with the team from 2016 to 2022. Perhaps he was most valuable during the shortened 2020 season, recording four wins and a 70-15 strikeouts-to-walks ratio across 59 innings. Eflin also notably tossed a combined 6 1/3 scoreless innings between the NLCS and World Series — the most important outs of his career to date.
Rays manager Kevin Cash recently confirmed that Eflin will start the Rays' second game of the regular season this Saturday against the Detroit Tigers.
Once acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the deal that sent franchise hits leader Jimmy Rollins to the National League West, Eflin will surely be missed.
The Phillies will miss Jean Segura this season, even with Trea Turner added to the infield mix.
Similar to Zach Eflin, another player Phillies fans will miss and wish stayed for the coming season is second baseman Jean Segura. The 33-year-old infielder signed a two-year, $17 million contract with a $10 million club option for the 2025 season with the division-rival Miami Marlins.
Entering Tuesday, the veteran is slashing .324/.361/.382 in Grapefruit League action this spring. In other words, he could cause a lot of headaches for his former team, albeit not as much as he could have in past seasons, with fewer scheduled games between division opponents.
Not an easy play!
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) March 19, 2023
Jean Segura made it look easy 💪 pic.twitter.com/hUN12jKIDx
Once acquired as part of the trade that sent first baseman Carlos Santana and top infield prospect J.P. Crawford to the Seattle Mariners, Segura's 2019-22 Phillies tenure will be remembered fondly. His biggest hit came in the first game of the 2022 National League Wild Card Series against the St. Louis Cardinals — a two-RBI, ninth-inning single that propelled the team from an imminent Game 1 loss and possible sweep all the way to two wins shy of a championship.
Segura played 427 regular season games as a Phillie and slashed .281/.337/.418 with 78 doubles, 43 home runs, 176 RBI, 117 walks, and just 254 strikeouts. Fielding second base, third base, and shortstop, he could also be relied on to fill whatever infield role was needed.
While the Phillies essentially replaced Segura with perennial All-Star Trea Turner — which moved Bryson Stott to second base — the Dominican Republic native's clubhouse presence will be deeply missed in 2023.