3 positions the Phillies need to invest in during free agency
The Philadelphia Phillies must once again be big spenders this offseason if they have plans on competing in 2024.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of, if not the league's biggest spender in the recent past. Some of the team's best players including Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner have all been added via free agency. While the Phillies haven't achieved their goal quite yet, they got very close last season and have a shot this season as well.
For the Phillies to remain competitive, we know that owner John Middleton is going to have to keep spending. The Phillies have a lengthy list of free agents including some players who will be really hard to replace. The Phillies will either have to spend a ton to retain those players or will have to spend a ton to acquire comparable players.
Certain spots on this Phillies roster we know the team won't have to improve. Trea Turner will be the team's shortstop and Bryson Stott will be the second baseman. Zack Wheeler will be the ace, and Taijuan Walker will be in the rotation as well. With that being said, there're plenty of other spots on the roster that we are unsure about, and the Phillies are going to have to spend to make sure those spots are filled appropriately.
1) The Philadelphia Phillies need to invest in starting pitching in free agency
Starting pitching is obviously the team's biggest concern heading into free agency. The Phillies do have Zack Wheeler for another year, but both Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen are set to hit free agency. Cristopher Sanchez's emergence helps the future outlook of the rotation as a whole, but the Phillies very clearly need another front-end starter to pair with Wheeler. Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker simply aren't good enough to be frontline starters.
What the Phillies end up doing with Aaron Nola remains a mystery. He hasn't been close to the pitcher Phillies fans had come to expect him to be, and that makes it a lot tougher to give him the nine-figure contract he's destined to get on the open market. Whether it's Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, or Sonny Gray, the Phillies need to get someone to be their number-two starter.
Michael Lorenzen is also an impending free agent, but the Phillies are fine with Suarez, Walker, and Sanchez rounding out the staff. Adding another starting pitcher for depth purposes wouldn't be a bad idea, but the Phillies do have a full rotation outside of that bonafide number two starter that Dave Dombrowski absolutely has to acquire.
2) The Philadelphia Phillies need to invest in their bullpen in free agency
He's had his ups and downs, but Craig Kimbrel has operated as the Phillies closer for much of the year and has been mostly successful in that role. The veteran right-hander has converted 23 of his 26 save opportunities and has tacked on five holds as well. Kimbrel is going to be a free agent this offseason.
Outside of Kimbrel, most of the bullpen will remain intact. All of Jose Alvarado, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez, Matt Strahm, and Jeff Hoffman have at least one more year of control which is a good thing, but the Phillies still lack the closer that some say they lack right now.
None of those five relievers have proven over a full 162-game season that they're trustworthy enough to be a dominant closer, and Kimbrel is the closest thing. I'm not saying the Phillies need to splurge on Josh Hader, and I'm not even saying Kimbrel has to return. What I am saying is there has to be some veteran out there that the Phillies bring in to pitch late in close games.
It won't cost nearly as much money as a frontline starter will, but adding a quality reliever isn't cheap. It is another must for Dave Dombrowski
3) The Philadelphia Phillies need to improve their bench in free agency
From top to bottom, the Phillies lineup should be among the best in baseball next season. Nobody outside of Rhys Hoskins who is already out for this season is going to be hitting free agency, meaning the Phillies have the ability to just run things back. With Bryce Harper healthy and Trea Turner now beloved, there's every reason to believe this lineup will be at or among the league leaders in runs scored in 2024.
With that being said, depth has been an issue for Philadelphia for years now, and that's been made very apparent when guys like Harper and Hoskins have missed substantial time.
Johan Rojas is a quality fourth outfielder, Garrett Stubbs is a decent backup catcher, and Edmundo Sosa is a strong backup infielder, especially against lefties. What the Phillies are missing is just that bench masher to come off the bench and pop a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth. Where are Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs when you need them?
The Phillies will preferably sign someone who can play first base in a pinch while adding a bit of thump to what is overall a pretty weak bench offensively. The lineup is full, but the bench could use a bit of improvement.