4 amazing Phillies moves that worked out better than expected in 2023
What surprising moves did the Phillies make that helped contribute to their successful 2023 MLB season?
After clinching the first Wild Card spot in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies are set to host the Miami Marlins in the NL Wild Card Series starting tonight. With a second consecutive successful season in the books, let’s take a look back at some of the amazing moves made by the Phillies in 2023 that turned out better than expected and contributed to their winning ways.
The signing of Craig Kimbrel
One of the key offseason free agent signings by the Phillies, Craig Kimbrel has turned out to be one of the best transactions the ballclub made in 2023. Signed only to a one-year, $10 million deal, the Kimbrel investment certainly paid off big time for the Phillies, as he has been rock solid as their closer. He was so dominant during the first half of the season that he didn't register his first blown save until after the All-Star break.
After posting sub-par seasons in 2021 and 2022, Kimbrel has bounced back tremendously this season, helping the Phillies secure many important victories, leading to their postseason berth. For the year, he has posted a strong 8-6 winning record with 23 saves, along with a 3.26 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 94 strikeouts in just 69 innings pitched. He has struggled a little in the past couple of months but has turned things around just in time to regain his top-notch form heading into the playoffs.
With the usually reliable Seranthony Domínguez struggling for much of the season, it was crucial that both Kimbrel and José Alvarado solidified the back end of the bullpen in closing out games for the Phillies. The fearsome duo did exactly that en route to their successful 90-win season. Hopefully, there is a chance Kimbrel will be back in a Phillies’ uniform as he heads into free agency at the end of the season.
The signing of Matt Strahm
One of the more underrated signings made by the Phillies this past offseason was the one involving left-handed pitcher Matt Strahm. The eight-year MLB veteran was coming off a strong season with the Boston Red Sox in which he went 4-4 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, giving up just 19 earned runs, 17 walks and 52 strikeouts in 44.2 innings of work over 50 appearances. His deal has provided even greater value than Kimbrel’s, as he agreed to a two-year contract worth only $15 million.
With the ability to pitch as both a reliever and starter, it provided the Phillies with the added flexibility when deploying Strahm during the 2023 season. He began the season as part of the Phillies’ starting rotation but produced mixed results. Therefore, he was subsequently moved to the bullpen, where he became a mainstay for the rest of the season. In doing so, he actually got stronger and stronger as the year wore on as he got more comfortable in his role.
For 2023, Strahm has compiled a solid 9-5 record with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP, with a whopping 106 strikeouts in just 86.2 innings pitched. More importantly, in his last 35 games of the season prior to Sunday, he has been one of the best relievers on the Phillies roster, going 5-2 with nine holds, along with a stellar 2.31 ERA, a .203 opponents batting average and a 0.95 WHIP, with only eight walks and 46 strikeouts in 39 innings of work. He certainly has helped make up for the struggles of Domínguez and Gregory Soto and has provided a strong bridge to Alvarado and Kimbrel throughout the season.
The minor league contract signing of Jeff Hoffman
If the Strahm signing was so-called underrated, then the inking of Jeff Hoffman to a minor league contract after the start of the 2023 season feels like a lottery win for the Phillies. After all, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to bring him into the organization if the Minnesota Twins hadn’t released him in April. Nevertheless, the rest has been history now that Hoffman is a part of the Phillies.
As a former first-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays back in the 2014 MLB Draft, Hoffman failed to find his footing in the major leagues until his semi-breakout season last year with the Cincinnati Reds. In 2022, it was his first and only season in which he sported an ERA below four, but at the same time, still possessed a WHIP above the 1.4 range as he struggled with control and command at times. Nevertheless, the Phillies took a gamble on Hoffman, which has now certainly paid off tremendously for the ballclub.
After being selected to the 40-man roster at the beginning of May, Hoffman took full advantage of the opportunity and has run away with it. He is probably the Phillies’ biggest surprise of the year as he would go on to have a career year, posting a strong 5-2 record with 11 holds, along with an impressive 2.41 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, with 69 strikeouts in just 52.1 innings pitched. Together with Strahm, Kimbrel and Alvarado, they have helped anchor the Phillies’ shutdown bullpen for much of the 2023 season.
The callup of Johan Rojas
At the 2023 trade deadline for the Phillies, many expected the ballclub to add an outfield power bat to the lineup after they decided to move Bryce Harper to first base and Kyle Schwarber into the DH role long-term. However, they failed to do so, as their only trade involved the addition of Michael Lorenzen to their starting rotation. As a result, the Phillies needed to resort to one of their internal options to fill the void in the outfield.
Among the candidates, rookie Johan Rojas has certainly risen to the occasion since his call-up back in July following the All-Star break. As one of the top outfield prospects in the organization, Rojas did not disappoint as he provided valuable contributions to the ballclub both in the field and at the plate. In the field, he showed off his elite defense with numerous spectacular plays, and in just 56 games, he compiled a 13 DRS, three outfield assists and only two errors for a .986 fielding percentage. At the plate, he has put together a solid campaign, with a .303 batting average, a .765 OPS, 23 runs scored, nine doubles, two home runs, 22 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 58 games.
Rojas is perhaps still in the raw stage, as his 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio means he still needs some time to develop some good plate discipline and contact, but there’s no doubt his potential could be limitless down the road. Despite having limited playing time down the stretch in September, he still contributed enough for the Phillies over the second half of the season to help them clinch their second consecutive playoff berth in two years. Even though he may not be a starter heading into the playoffs, with his superb defense and speed, he will be the Phillies’ ideal player coming off the bench for critical pinch-running duties and defensive replacements late in games.