7 Phillies players who won't be back next season
With changes on the horizon, expect a slightly new look for the 2024 Phillies.
The run that felt like destiny has officially come to an end for the Philadelphia Phillies. Throughout most of these playoffs it felt like the Phillies were on their way back to the World Series and at certain times it didn't even feel like any team would come close to knocking them off. Well, the Arizona Diamondbacks stormed back and shocked the world, ending Philadelphia's season prematurely.
There were a lot of good moments this season but it is ultimately a failure. The Phillies were huge favorites in the NLCS and had a commanding 2-0 series lead. They even went home up 3-2, needing one win to close it out. Unfortunately, the stars came up small, and the Phillies will watch the World Series from their couches.
As Philadelphia prepares for another run at their first World Series championship since 2008, they'll have several tough decisions to make. They'll be saying goodbye to plenty of contributors from this season and seasons past.
Aaron Nola
It didn't end the way anyone had envisioned. Aaron Nola looked untouchable through his first three postseason starts. He allowed just two runs in 18 2/3 innings pitched in those starts, earning victories at home against the Marlins, Braves and Diamondbacks. It looked like Nola was on his way toward pitching another gem in Game 6 when he struck out three batters in the first inning. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there.
Nola wound up allowing four runs in just 4 1/3 innings of work, giving the Diamondbacks some much-needed momentum. It's not only Nola's fault that the Phillies lost Game 6, as the offense managed just one run, but the Phillies did expect more from their number two starter.
After his first three postseason starts it looked like the Phillies would have no choice but to pay the impending free agent whatever it'd take for him to come back, but Nola's clunker in Game 6 reminded the Phillies of his poor regular season. Nola's 4.46 regular season ERA was not what the Phillies had envisioned, and with Nola set to earn a ton of money in free agency, letting him go feels more and more likely.
It was reported earlier this postseason by Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the Phillies and Aaron Nola were nowhere near a potential extension. Nola was looking for an eight-year deal worth around $200 million, while the Phillies were in the four to five-year range. The Phillies might not feel comfortable going that high, but Nola is going to get an offer much better than Philadelphia's in free agency.
Nola being paid to be an ace elsewhere is the likely outcome here.
Rhys Hoskins
The Phillies were dealt a big blow heading into this season when Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL in Spring Training. The Phillies were set with Hoskins as their first baseman heading into the year, and the injury forced them to waste time playing guys like Kody Clemens, Jake Cave and Darick Hall at first base until Bryce Harper got acclimated to the position.
With Harper proving he's able to play first base, the Phillies bringing Hoskins back doesn't feel very likely. They have Brandon Marsh pencilled in as the team's left fielder with Nick Castellanos in right and Johan Rojas between them in center field. The Phillies could move Harper back to the outfield, but then that leaves Castellanos without a position. Both Marsh and Rojas have earned regular roles.
While Hoskins did miss the entirety of the 2023 season, he's still going to get a ton of interest on the free agent market. Several teams in search of a power-hitting first baseman or DH can offer Hoskins a substantial amount of money for a year or two for him to reestablish himself as one of the game's best power-hitting first basemen.
The Phillies showed they had more than enough firepower without him, so the team spending the money it would take to bring him back just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Fans would've loved his tenure in Philadelphia to end another way and would've loved to see him in the postseason one more time, but you can't always get what you want.
Craig Kimbrel
The Craig Kimbrel signing really wasn't bad. In 71 regular season appearances, the right-hander had a 3.23 ERA in 69 innings pitched, converting 23 saves in 28 tries and adding seven holds. Kimbrel was an All-Star for the Phillies and was one of Rob Thomson's most trustworthy relievers all year.
Yes, there were outings in which he was quite shaky, but Kimbrel, for the most part, got the job done. His fine year continued in the postseason in his first four outings when he threw four scoreless innings and converted three saves. His only appearance of those four that didn't result in a save saw him record three of the biggest outs in the clincher against the Braves.
Things really unraveled for Kimbrel in Arizona as he blew back-to-back games to help the Diamondbacks get right back in the series. He absolutely deserves a ton of blame for this series even returning to Philadelphia. The signing wasn't a total disaster, but it sure ended poorly.
The way his season ended makes it very hard to see the Phillies showing much interest in bringing him back. His good regular season featured many shaky outings, and his implosion late was the final nail in the coffin. I'd expect them to go bigger as they search for a right-handed compliment late in games to pair with José Alvarado.
Michael Lorenzen
After Michael Lorenzen's first two starts with the Phillies, Dave Dombrowski looked like an absolute genius. He had allowed two runs in eight innings in his Phillies debut in Miami and then followed that up with a no-hitter in his home debut. Lorenzen's world came crashing down after that no-hitter as he pitched to a 7.96 ERA in his next five starts, bumping him from the rotation entirely.
He'd finish the season as a reliever and pitch well in three of his final four outings, but that wasn't even enough for the Phillies to include him in their Wild Card series roster. Lorenzen was added for the NLDS and NLCS but made just two appearances, both in games that were just about out of reach.
Lorenzen's struggles down the stretch and the team's lack of faith to give him meaningful work in the postseason sort of tells you all you need to know when it comes to his future with the team. It's non-existent.
Lorenzen is going to get a decent deal out there somewhere, as he was an All-Star in the first half with the Tigers and should still be a decent mid-rotation arm. Lorenzen clearly wasn't the best fit in Philadelphia, and the team will want to search for an upgrade as they attempt to fortify their rotation around Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez and Taijuan Walker.
Jake Cave
Jake Cave went from an offseason waiver addition to the starting left fielder on Opening Day. He earned a roster spot thanks to a torrid Spring Training and did enough in the eyes of Rob Thomson to earn a start for the season opener.
Cave would struggle as the team's primary left fielder against right-handed pitching for the first month of the season before they sent him down to the minors. He tore the cover off the ball in Triple-A and earned a call-up to return to Philadelphia in July. He played a decent amount in the second half but never really hit much. He slashed .212/.272/.348 with five home runs and 21 RBI in 203 plate appearances.
The unfortunate reality for Cave is that kind of lackluster production really has been the norm for him throughout his six-year MLB career, as he boasts a career OPS of .694. He was able to crack the Phillies postseason roster and did have three at-bats as a pinch hitter. He was their last chance in Game 7 as they attempted to save the season, but he flew out to win the pennant for Arizona.
The Phillies should look to fortify their bench to ensure Jake Cave is not batting with the season on the line and will attempt to do so without the journeyman outfielder who is set to hit arbitration while also being out of options. It makes no sense to keep him around on anything but a minor league deal.
Dylan Covey
In dire need of arms that could give length, the Phillies claimed Dylan Covey off of waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers in May. Covey got on the bad side of Phillies fans very early when he imploded in a Sunday night game against the Braves, allowing seven runs (five earned) while only recording two outs. This would be his only start of the season. He'd pitch exclusively in low-leverage the rest of the way and looked quite good.
Covey made 28 appearances for the Phillies, posting a 3.69 ERA in 39 innings of work. If you look at his body of work after the Atlanta game, Covey had a 2.70 ERA in 26 appearances. There really wasn't anything wrong with him, but there are a couple of reasons why Philadelphia might want to part ways.
First, he's arbitration-eligible, meaning he's going to make more than just the league minimum. He won't make a lot, but he'll make more than the minimum. Second, and most importantly, he's out of options. This really hampers Philadelphia's flexibility when it comes to bullpen management, as he can't be sent down without going through waivers. That's why he remained with the team from the moment they signed him until the moment he landed on the IL in September.
Covey pitched well for the Phillies but still has a 6.18 career ERA in 100 appearances (48 starts). He's been given countless opportunities and for the most part, has done nothing with them. The Phillies expecting a repeat of the year he just had would probably be foolish.
The Phillies can easily find someone with Covey's track record that they can bring in with options on a minimum deal. He didn't perform as poorly as a guy like Jake Cave, but the lack of options really is a killer here.
Rodolfo Castro
The Michael Lorenzen deal was Dave Dombrowski's big splash at the deadline, but he also made a strange under-the-radar deal, sending the struggling Bailey Falter to Pittsburgh in exchange for Rodolfo Castro.
The fit never made much sense, and Castro really struggled in his short time with the Phillies. He rarely saw the field, and when he did, he was not productive, recording three hits in 30 at-bats with the club. He began his Phillies career hitless in his first 12 at-bats with six strikeouts.
Castro's numbers overall this season were not good as he put up a .619 OPS in 227 at-bats with the Pirates and Phillies, and he was unable to crack the postseason roster.
The reason the Castro trade was a strange one was because of the kind of hitter he's always been. He might be a switch-hitter, but Castro is much better against lefties than he is against righties. When facing a left-handed pitcher Castro has an .858 OPS in his career. Against righties, that falls to .557. Yes, a 300-point gap. The Phillies already had Edmundo Sosa on the roster who is very capable against left-handed pitching, and they also had Cristian Pache filling in against lefties in the outfield.
Castro can be optioned and isn't in arbitration yet, making it more likely that he'll be kept around than the others, but there's not much of a role for him on this team really ever unless they're just completely decimated with injuries.
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