Phillies will regret not signing Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery
After agreeing to the contract with Aaron Nola, the Phillies felt their starting rotation was primarily set with him, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez, and Taijuan Walker. With Walker starting the season on the IL, Spencer Turnbull, who signed with the club in February, has already been forced into rotation duty.
While it takes mutual interest for a deal to get done, the Phillies will regret not landing one of the big-name free agent starters who sat around on the market much longer than anyone had originally expected.
Blake Snell remained available well into spring training. The 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner agreed to a two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants on March 19. The contract includes a player opt-out following the 2024 season.
According to Melanie Martinez-Lopez and Brent Maguire of MLB.com, the Seattle, Washington native will earn $15 million this year with a $17 million signing bonus due in January 2026. Half the $30 million he will earn will be deferred and paid in July 2027. He previously spent time with the Padres before signing with the Giants and remains on the same coast as his hometown.
Jordan Montgomery and the Diamondbacks are in agreement on a one-year, $25M deal, sources confirm. @JeffPassan had it first. With 10 starts, he will trigger another $20M guarantee for 2025 that can increase to $25M with more starts, but Montgomery can opt out.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) March 27, 2024
Jordan Montgomery also remained unsigned until the end of spring training. He agreed to a one-year, $25 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 29. If he makes 10 regular season starts this year, he will gain a $20 million player option for 2025. The left-hander's salary will increase to $22.5 million if he makes 18 starts and to $25 million with 23 starts, according to Mike Axisa of CBS Sports.
Marcus Stroman was another free agent starter who signed a short-term deal. He agreed to a two-year, $37 million deal with the New York Yankees back in January. According to Brian Murphy and Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the contract vests $18 million for 2026 if Stroman throws 140 innings next season. It seems that the right-hander had a strong preference to play for the club, considering he is from a town not far from the Bronx.
The Phillies are off to an average 7-7 start through the first two weeks of the regular season. While it's too late for the team to add players such as Hader, Snell, or Montgomery, Pham is still available to add more depth to their outfield. Philadelphia could also make a big addition at the trade deadline, depending on their roster needs and which players may be available.