3 free agent relievers the Phillies need to sign, and 1 to avoid at all costs

As the Philadelphia Phillies work to revamp their pitching staff ahead of the 2024 MLB season, one area they will be looking to upgrade via free agency will be their relief corps.

During the 2023 season, José Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Jeff Hoffman, Craig Kimbrel, and Seranthony Domínguez (to some degree) helped form the main effective bullpen core for the ballclub, with other members having varying degrees of success throughout the year. As Kimbrel heads into free agency and will not likely be back, the Phillies will have a bit of work to do in re-establishing their strong core for the upcoming season.

Here, we look at three big-time relievers who the Phillies should do all they can to sign, and one they should avoid at all costs.

Josh Hader

There's no question who the grand prize of this year’s crop of relievers in the free agent market is. Josh Hader has been one of the best relievers in the game ever since his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2017.

Aside from the past season, the five-time All-Star has helped lead his team successfully into the postseason every single year since 2018. Over the course of his seven-year MLB career, Hader has posted a stellar 2.50 ERA, 169 ERA+, 0.94 WHIP, with 165 saves and 648 strikeouts in just 388 2/3 innings pitched over 349 games.

Hader would more than make up for the loss of Kimbrel with an absolute dominance and consistency unmatched by others. The left-hander would form a strong one-two punch with Alvarado at the back end of the bullpen for the Phillies.

Rumors had already linked the Phillies to the bonafide closer even before the start of free agency. Most likely, the majority of teams will be competing for his services, but the Phillies definitely have the determination and money to get the job done in getting him to sign the papers.

Matt Moore

Matt Moore began his MLB career as a starter for the Tampa Bay Rays way back in 2011. The former All-Star was considered a key part of the Rays’ rotation during his first few seasons in the big leagues.

Unfortunately, he regressed quite considerably between 2015 and 2021, including a failed starting stint with the Phillies in 2021, and showed he was no longer an effective option in the starting role. As a result, he reinvented himself as a reliever for the 2022 season with the Texas Rangers and hasn't looked back since.

Even though he'll be turning 35 next year, Moore has become one of the top relievers in the game the past two seasons. In his career year in 2022, he pitched to a 5-2 record with 14 holds and five saves, along with a 1.95 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, giving up only 16 earned runs, including just three home runs, and 83 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. He followed that up with a solid 2023 season in which he posted a 5-1 winning record with 22 holds, a 2.56 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings of work across three teams.

Moore would be the ideal setup man to pair with Alvarado in setting the table for the team’s closer. More importantly, it probably won’t cost the Phillies a lot to obtain his services as he was waived twice during the 2023 season despite his dominance, including being designated for assignment at the end of the season by the Miami Marlins. So surely, the former Phillie will be happy to come back to Philadelphia and play for a contender again before he hits the twilight of his career.

Jordan Hicks

If the Phillies want to include some younger blood in their relief corps, look no further than flamethrowing Jordan Hicks. Among one of the younger relief pitchers available in free agency, Hicks possesses a devastating fastball that constantly hits 100 mph on the radar gun, which he uses to blow hitters away. The 27-year-old also has the versatility to be extremely effective as both a setup man and a closer for any team he plays on.

Despite playing on a struggling St. Louis Cardinals team in 2023, Hicks still managed to save eight games for the ballclub while registering a respectable 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings pitched. However, his true dominance was on full display following his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline. Down the stretch with the Blue Jays, Hicks picked up four saves and seven holds while pitching to a career-best 2.63 ERA, with a 1.08 WHIP, giving up only seven earned runs while striking out 22 in 24 innings of work.

Being a right-handed pitcher, Hicks would complement Alvarado perfectly, with the two paired together for lefty-righty matchups near the end of tight ball games. Unlike Hader, who would exclusively close games, and Moore, who would pitch more in the middle to late innings, Hicks could give the Phillies some situational advantages as he could be used interchangeably between the setup and closer role. He would give the Phillies an added dimension they didn't have before and could ultimately be the difference in putting the team over the top.