What does the Phillies’ Winter Meetings wish list look like?
What, or who, will the Phillies' front office be shopping for at the annual gathering next week in Nashville?
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The Winter Meetings are fast approaching, and with the annual event comes the anticipation of the possibilities of all the moves that can be made, free agents who could be signed, and trades that might be wheeled.
It's a tradition that adds early excitement to the long Major League Baseball offseason.
When team owners, executives, agents, players, and everyone else in the MLB orbit meet in Nashville next week, what can Philadelphia Phillies fans expect to see from their front office? What moves will president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld be looking to make in Music City?
Even though Dombrowski has publicly stated a couple of times that they feel good with their group, he can't be done shopping to improve the roster.
"We’re in a position where we can just evaluate a lot of different things that make our club better,” Dombrowski said at Aaron Nola's press conference. “We don’t have really a glaring spot that we need to fill ... we needed a starting pitcher, but we’re pretty deep in our bullpen. Of course you can always be better ... We don’t really have a glaring need, but we’ll continue to look to see how we can get better."
There it is. The tiny sliver of an opening that we, as fans, needed to hear to be sure that Dombrowski and Fuld are still looking for upgrades for their team.
So in what categories will the Phillies be browsing at the shopping frenzy of the Winter Meetings?
NEXT: Outfield and bench depth are on the wish list.
The Phillies' outfield isn't set in stone, neither is the bench
While the infield is pretty well set, with a pair of superstars and a couple of youngsters, the outfield remains more of an enigma. Dombrowski has already said that Johan Rojas doesn't have a job solidified for next season, and he repeated that sentiment at Nola's presser last week.
"Our positional players, our infield is basically set," he said. "Outfield, we have a little bit of a question just because of a young player [Rojas] that was trying to create some playing time."
So who can the Phillies possibly bring back from Nashville that would help improve the outfield, or deepen the bench?
Some names mentioned recently (subscription required) by The Athletic's Jim Bowden as Phillies' free agent targets for a right-handed bench bat include Whit Merrifield, Nick Senzel, and Brian Anderson. All three players can play outfield or infield, but none are exceptional defensively.
If these three are the Phillies' Winter Meetings targets, it would be about the team adding versatility to the bench. Merrifield's bat is the only one worth a gamble if they're looking for fewer strikeouts and more contact from a right-handed bat. He hit .272 with a 17.1 strikeout rate and contributed 26 stolen bases to the Toronto Blue Jays' feeble offense this past season.
If they're looking to trade for another outfielder, Bowden suggests TJ Friedl as an option. He can hold his own in the field, with one DRS and five OAA in 2023. He hit .279 with one of the lowest strikeout rates (16.2 percent), has some pop (18 home runs), and can run the bases (27 steals). The only catch is that he's another left-handed bat, of which the Phillies have more than enough.
NEXT: Bullpen reinforcements will, hopefully, be on the way.
The Phillies will definitely continue shopping for bullpen help
We've all heard the drum-banging this offseason for an improved bullpen. Heck, some of us have been banging the drum since the trade deadline.
The Phillies have already been linked, rumored, or even loosely tied to free agents like Josh Hader and Jordan Hicks. Although this time of year, which teams haven't been?
Bowden suggests bullpen options like Hector Neris, Matt Moore, Nick Martinez, Phil Maton, and Emilio Pagán are, or should be, on the Phillies' shopping list. Neris, who spent eight seasons in red pinstripes, would be a great re-addition to the relief corps after spending two seasons in Houston. He's coming off a successful year with a 1.71 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 90.5 percent strand rate.
Another former Phillie, Moore, would be a help, even if fans still have a bad taste in their mouths after his 6.29 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 2021. He has had a couple of incredible seasons since then, with a combined 2.20 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while pitching for Texas, the Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland and Miami.
Matt Moore's 3Ks in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/qSx9ebtztN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2023
Martinez isn't as flashy but got the job done with a 30.3 percent CSW and a 53.8 percent ground ball rate out of the San Diego Padres bullpen last season. He might be a good option if the Phillies want to add a long relief or swingman arm. The other possible targets, Maton (3.00 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) and Pagán (2.99 ERA, 0.95 WHIP), had strong seasons for Houston and Minnesota, respectively.
On the trade front, Matt Brash, Justin Topa, Griffin Jax, and Julian Merryweather remain options, according to Bowden.
The Seattle Mariners' Brash has filthy stuff and a 13.63 K/9 to match. Another Mariner, Justin Topa, doesn't have the same kind of strikeout stuff but ran a 2.61 ERA on a 56.7 percent ground ball rate.
LOOK at what Matt Brash just made José Ramírez do. pic.twitter.com/butehGvIxP
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) March 31, 2023
The Minnesota Twins' Griffin Jax also runs a high ground ball rate (55.6 percent) and pairs that with a 9.37 K/9. Julian Merryweather finally stayed healthy this past season and put it all together with a 12.25 K/9 and 3.38 ERA for the Chicago Cubs.
Julian Merryweather, K'ing the Side. pic.twitter.com/GuxqqC56RP
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 8, 2023
Adding any of these bullpen names would be a good get for Fuld and Dombrowski.
NEXT: Starting pitching shouldn't be off the table at the Winter Meetings.
Starting pitching is still on the Phillies' wish list
Starting pitching is still on the Phillies' wish list, even if it's no longer the top priority with Nola back in the fold.
Despite Dombrowski's insistence that the rotation is set for 2024, there's no way the Phillies are finished tinkering. Sure, they could go into next season with the same five with whom they finished the year. But don't think for a second that the Phillies' dynamic front office duo wouldn't jump at the chance to upgrade the starting five if such an opportunity were to present itself.
We've already written about the main players in the free agent starting pitcher sweepstakes. There's the highly-coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his less expensive fellow countryman Shōta Imanaga. There are the obvious options like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, although those now seem unlikely. And there are the sleeper options, like Eduardo Rodriguez, Lucas Giolito, and Marcus Stroman.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Disappearing 90mph Splitter. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/4P1Nm56ixe
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2023
If the Phillies can improve their rotation via trade, the primary names that have been bandied about include the Guardians' Shane Bieber, the Rays' Tyler Glasnow, and Dylan Cease of the White Sox. The payroll-shedding Milwaukee Brewers may move Corbin Burnes, but that seems out of the Phillies' stratosphere for one year of the ace's services.
It doesn't seem like the Phillies will make a big splash like they did a year ago when they inked Trea Turner to his 11-year deal, but you never can be quite sure what will happen at the Winter Meetings. You can guarantee, however, that there will be plenty more speculation and rumors until we get actual news about the deals going down in Nashville next week.
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