Phillies tender contracts to 5 players, agree to terms with 3 more

The Philadelphia Phillies have decided which of their arbitration-eligible players to non-tender and who gets a contract offer.

MLB teams had until 8 p.m. ET on Friday to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible 40-man roster players. Players not offered a contract for 2024 head straight to free agency.

The team tendered contracts to the expected names, including Ranger Suárez, Alec Bohm,
Gregory Soto, and Jeff Hoffman, as well as Edmundo Sosa. They also agreed to terms with Jake Cave, Dylan Covey, and Garrett Stubbs.

They didn't offer a contract to lefty Josh Fleming, who they recently picked up on waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays.

MLB Trade Rumors projects the 2024 arbitration salaries for these eight players at the following amounts:

• Gregory Soto: $4.9 million
• Ranger Suárez: $4.7 million
• Alec Bohm: $4.3 million
• Jeff Hoffman: $2.1 million
• Edmundo Sosa: $1.7 million
• Jake Cave: $1.4 million
• Dylan Covey: $1 million
• Garrett Stubbs: $900 thousand

The decision to bring back Suárez, Bohm, Soto, and Hoffman was a no-brainer for the front office, as they all played integral roles for the team this past season.

Edmundo Sosa was also a possible non-tender candidate, but the Phillies obviously liked what he brought to the team in 2023. The versatile fielder covered four positions this season, with the bulk of his 104 games coming at third base, where he played 82 times. He held his own at the plate, for a utility player, hitting .251 with a .719 OPS.

Phillies agree to contracts with three players

Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs was a possible non-tender candidate, but the Phillies are keeping him around. It's not a big surprise, as Stubbs is a clubhouse favorite, and J.T. Realmuto will handle the bulk of the work behind the plate again. Plus, Stubbs will make a projected $900 thousand.

Jake Cave, a waiver pickup last offseason, started the year as a regular outfielder against right-handers for the Phillies and ended up playing in 65 games. Unfortunately, despite getting a shot, the 30-year-old couldn't put anything significant together at the big league level. He finished the year hitting .212 with a .620 OPS, five home runs, 21 RBI, and a 66 wRC+.

Dylan Covey, 32, a waiver claim from the Los Angeles Dodgers in May, had an inauspicious beginning to his Phillies tenure. He got shellacked by the Atlanta Braves for five earned runs on six hits through 2/3 of an inning in his lone start of the season. He appeared in 28 more games out of the bullpen and finished the year with a 3.77 ERA in 43 innings.

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