3 offseason moves the Phillies will regret not making this season
While the Phillies already have a championship-contending squad, making a few other signings this offseason could have given them a deeper roster.
By Matt Grazel
The Philadelphia Phillies have gradually put the core of their team together over the past five seasons. They have had two deep playoff runs the last two seasons, reaching the 2022 World Series and the National League Championship Series last year.
This past offseason, the club had few openings besides finding a No. 2 starting pitcher. Starter Aaron Nola elected free agency but came back on a seven-year, $172 million deal.
The front office believes the current roster can win a World Series. Accomplishing the goal of winning a championship this year or in 2025 would be ideal, considering the core players have been in the prime of their careers for quite some time.
Could the team have improved more than it did during the offseason? Other than the starting infield, Philadelphia entered the 2024 season with some depth questions at its other position groups. The backend of their starting rotation, the lack of a proven closer, and the outfield depth are areas the front office could have found better solutions for in the winter.
Will Cristopher Sánchez continue to develop into a solid option at the back of their rotation? Does he have the potential to match the consistency of a No. 3 starter if Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, or Nola miss time with an injury this year?
Can Spencer Turnbull continue to fulfill the duties of a No. 4 or No. 5 starter in the absence of Taijuan Walker? Speaking of Walker, what will his role be with the team once he returns from the IL and all five starters are healthy?
Considering Walker's salary of $18 million per year through the 2026 season, it would appear he will be used as the fifth starter once he returns from his right shoulder impingement. Despite having the second-highest payroll on Opening Day, should the Phillies have signed another free-agent starting pitcher as a better option than who is currently on the roster?
Whit Merrifield's one-year, $8 million deal and Alec Bohm's $4 million he received in arbitration means the Phillies will have to pay a tax of 62 percent, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey.
Considering the Phillies would incur a draft penalty with another significant signing, it's understandable why the president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the front office didn't make any other major additions.
Should the organization have signed another player, or two, even if it meant crossing the $277 million payroll tax threshold?
Let's take a look at three offseason moves the Phillies will regret not making this season.