Phillies rumor roundup: Shohei Ohtani updates, Aaron Nola suitors emerge, Blake Snell
The MLB offseason is in full swing, with rumors and predictions coming at us on a daily basis. Although nothing substantial has actually happened yet, it's only a matter of time before the dominos start falling.
As for right now, while the Philadelphia Phillies haven't made any significant moves yet, you can be sure that discussions are happening.
Here's a roundup of what we've heard that might affect the Phillies in their pursuit of roster improvements for 2024.
Shohei Ohtani landing spot updates
It feels like everyone is waiting for Shohei Ohtani to decide where to play for probably the next decade. The biggest fish in the sea of free agents is obviously every team's top choice, although only a few have a realistic shot at landing him.
If you feel like you haven't heard as much as you thought you might, considering the stature of the most important free agent in MLB history, you would be correct. As reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN earlier this week, things are being kept hush-hush by Ohtani's camp on purpose.
"If there is one thing to know about Shohei Ohtani's free agency, it's that you are unlikely to know much about it until he signs somewhere," Passan says. "If visits between Ohtani and a team are reported publicly, it will be held against the team, so the circles will be tiny and tight."
Passan has also let everyone know that "The expectation among teams involved is that Ohtani could move relatively quickly — perhaps even before the Dec. 4-7 winter meetings... "
So, where does that leave the Phillies? There have been no murmurs out of the front office about pursuing Ohtani, but based on Passan's report, that doesn't mean they're not in contact with the Japanese phenom.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that Ohtani is "probably less concerned about geography and more concerned about the quality of the team that he is going to."
"He (Shohei Ohtani) is probably less concerned about geography and more concerned about the quality of the team he is going to."@jonmorosi shares what the GM meetings revealed about Ohtani's approach to free agency. pic.twitter.com/h1xioxMPos
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 13, 2023
That's good news for the Phillies if they are indeed attempting to ink the two-way star. With a trip to the World Series in 2022 and a close call in the NLCS this past season, Ohtani could do worse than don the red pinstripes.
Don't hold your breath, though.
More Aaron Nola suitors emerging
Starting pitcher Aaron Nola remains the Philadelphia Phillies' top offseason priority, as professed by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski soon after their season ended. Even with a deep pitching free agent pool, Nola remains a top target for every team looking for pitching.
Good for Nola, bad for the Phillies, who couldn't get an extension done last winter.
One of the first teams to emerge as a destination for Nola was the Texas Rangers, as USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggested last week — an idea he heard directly from GMs.
"Bringing Jordan Montgomery back makes the most sense," Nightengale writes. "But certainly Nola and his durability is quite attractive to the Rangers’ rotation, with several GMs predicting Nola will end up in Texas."
The next teams to emerge as legitimate suitors were the St. Louis Cardinals, who had a horrendous time with starting pitching in 2023, and division rival Atlanta Braves, per Morosi.
Sources: Braves and Cardinals among teams showing early interest in free agent RHP Aaron Nola. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 13, 2023
The last thing Phillies fans will want to see is their beloved homegrown ace show up in a Braves uniform next season, but as The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal surmised a few days ago, Atlanta could be a good fit for Nola (subscription required).
"Of the pitchers available, righty Aaron Nola is perhaps the most intriguing fit," Rosenthal says. "Nola is close with Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz, who was with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2016 to ‘18. And as a native of Baton Rouge, La., who attended LSU, he might prefer to sign with a team in the south."
Say it ain't so!
Rest assured, it's not a done deal by any means, as more suitors have come out of the woodwork, including the New York Yankees, as recently reported by Morosi.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, the more teams involved means an escalating bidding war. The Athletic's Jayson Stark says that he has heard that rival teams are convinced that the Phillies won't go all out in a bidding war (subscription required) for Nola.
Blake Snell not the Phillies' first choice
Recently crowned NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell was first thought to be one of the Philadelphia Phillies' top targets this winter as a backup plan after Aaron Nola. But recent reports suggest that the team may have cooled off on their pursuit of Snell.
The Athletic's Jayson Stark recently unveiled the about-face from the Phillies (subscription required) regarding their offseason trajectory.
"But here’s one often-rumored name they [the Phillies] appear to be just lukewarm on. That’s the likely NL Cy Young, Blake Snell, whose walk rate, inconsistency and lack of year-in, year-out volume make him almost the diametric opposite of Nola," Stark reports. "However, if Nola hits the exit ramp and Yamamoto goes to a team with a richer history with Japanese players, Snell could still be in play."
It's not as if the Phillies have completely given up on pursuing Snell, but they seem to have made it clear he's not their first choice.
So, who are Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld kicking the tires on if they're not all-in on Snell?
Stark makes the obvious connection to the Rangers' Jordan Montgomery, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Minnesota's Sonny Gray.
He also posits that the Phillies will certainly be in play for top trade candidates. He suggests the Milwaukee Brewers' Corbin Burnes, the Tampa Bay Rays' Tyler Glasnow, and the Cleveland Guardians' Shane Bieber as likely targets, all three of whom we examined earlier in the offseason as potential trade candidates for the Phillies.
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