3 remaining free agents the Phillies should sign and 2 they should avoid

After the Philadelphia Phillies made their first biggest free agency move by re-signing team ace Aaron Nola to a long-term, seven-year contract in mid-November, things have been surprisingly quiet for a team that will be looking to be back stronger than ever for 2024.

To ensure they remain competitive with many of their rivals who have been upgrading their rosters in recent weeks, the Phillies need to stay active in the free agent market for some big-impact players to keep pace with their counterparts.

Here, we take a look at three potential free agents the Phillies should seriously pursue and two they should avoid at all costs.

3 free agents the Phillies should sign

Josh Hader, RP

After experiencing the inconsistencies of Craig Kimbrel this past season, which ultimately included a significant playoff meltdown, the Phillies painfully learned the importance of having a reliable shutdown closer who doesn’t cast doubt every time they take the mound.

This makes the signing of perhaps the best closer in the league right now, Josh Hader, a no-brainer. Despite the Phillies having shown little interest in pursuing the five-time All-Star to date, he could be the missing link that cements the ballclub as a serious World Series contender in 2024.

Hader has been an overpowering, dominant reliever since making his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2017. With a career 2.50 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a whopping 648 strikeouts in just 388 2/3 innings pitched, there isn’t much more that needs to be said about the game-changing pitcher. Although he did have one awful season back in 2022 when he pitched to a gaudy 5.22 ERA.

However, he quickly bounced back in a big way to his usual form last season with 33 saves and a spectacular 1.28 ERA, showing that his 2022 season was more attributed to just an outlier to his successful career thus far.

With recent rumors suggesting that Hader is looking for a projected five-year contract of over $100 million, he's worth every penny of it, even if there are valid arguments against signing him. More importantly, unlike some other contending teams, the Phillies don’t have that many desperate needs to be addressed this offseason other than the backend of their bullpen and perhaps tinkering with their outfield mix and the middle of their rotation.

Added to the fact they also have the money to spend after failing to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it makes too much sense that pursuing Hader should be their number one remaining target in free agency.

Blake Snell, SP

The other bonafide starter the Phillies are interested in going after, as mentioned by Heyman, is none other than reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

After winning his first Cy Young Award back in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays, Snell had struggled to replicate his numbers from that season up until last year with the San Diego Padres. For the 2023 season, Snell rediscovered his Cy Young magic by going 14-9 with a 1.19 WHIP and a strikeout rate close to 12 batters per nine innings.

More impressively, Snell led the NL in ERA (2.25), ERA+ (182) and hits allowed per nine innings (5.8). He also limited hard contact by only allowing 15 home runs all season in 180 innings of work. However, he did have one eyesore. He walked a league-leading 99 batters, but fortunately, it was offset well enough by his low hits allowed rate and high strikeout rate. He has also had past success in the postseason with a 4-3 winning record with a 3.33 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, with 61 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings pitched in 12 career playoff games.

Adding a high-end talent like Snell to the already dominant Phillies starting pitching staff would create a three-headed monster of Snell, Nola, and Wheeler at the front end of the rotation that could compete against any team in the league. And yes, even including the recently revamped Los Angeles Dodgers group of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. The Phillies haven’t had such a luxury since the Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee era. Snell would make the Phillies a force to be reckoned with when playoff season rolls around in the coming years.

2 free agents the Phillies should avoid

David Robertson, RP

Wouldn’t it be great if the Phillies brought back an old friend to address their need in the bullpen? After all, the last time veteran David Robertson was in town in 2022, he helped the Phillies reach the postseason and all the way to the World Series as their dependable shutdown reliever down the stretch.

Following the acquisition of Robertson from the Chicago Cubs at the 2022 trade deadline, he registered six saves and pitched to a solid 2.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings of work in 22 appearances. He followed that up with a strong playoff showing in which he gave up only one earned run with 11 strikeouts over eight appearances.

However, following his trade to the Miami Marlins for the playoff push, Robertson regressed mightily in his final two months of the season by going 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA and 1.59 WHIP while going only 4-for-7 in save opportunities. He even ended up losing his closer role for the final month of the season, as he could no longer be trusted to finish off games with consistency.

With Robertson turning 39 at the start of the 2024 MLB season, Father Time may finally be catching up to him. Added to the fact that the Phillies had already experienced the same wildness and inconsistency with Kimbrel this past season, they certainly don’t want to go down that path again with Robertson in a year where they aim to capture the World Series title that eluded them the past two seasons.

Joc Pederson, OF

With the Phillies still left with the uncertainty of whether or not they should give both Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas a full workload for the 2024 season, it would be wise for the team to keep their options open on the free agent front to see if there could be a potential outfield upgrade. One of the prominent remaining free agent outfielders available includes two-time All-Star Joc Pederson.

Known to be a low-average, but potent power hitter over much of his MLB career, Pederson would be an ideal target for the Phillies if they were mainly looking for a boost in offensive output from their outfield. After all, Pederson would be good for 25 to 30 home runs and 60 to 70 RBI. Entering his age-32 season in 2024, he should be able to maintain that production at least for a couple more years.

However, Pederson represents a huge liability on the defensive side of the ball, registering a miserable -20 DRS combined over the past two seasons, along with committing five errors in just 179 chances for a .961 fielding percentage.

With the Phillies focus on improving their outfield defense this past season by taking Kyle Schwarber out of the field and putting him into a DH role, the last thing they need is to add another defensively deficient player into their outfield mix.

Add the fact that with a lifetime batting average of just .237, if Pederson ends up struggling at the plate as well, he would be a disastrous addition who would set the Phillies back. They should steer clear of him at all costs.

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