What each Phillies player has at the top of their holiday wish list

Relievers, Part 2

Gregory Soto: His due credit

Left-hander Gregory Soto took a lot of flak for his performance in 2023. And while his 4.62 ERA wasn't great, according to Baseball Savant, he had the 15th-best xERA in the league at 2.79. He logged a .265 BABIP, held batters to a .208 average, had a 3.59 FIP, recorded a 1.14 WHIP, had a 26 percent strikeout percentage and put up a career-best 8.8 walk percentage.

Orion Kerkering: A short memory

The hard-throwing right-hander started the 2023 season in Single-A Clearwater and finished it in the big leagues, racking up a 1.51 ERA in four minor league stops. After giving up one earned run in three regular-season innings, Orion Kerkering lost his control a bit with his fastball and signature slider in Games 3 and 4 of the National League Championship Series, the first time in his career he had pitched back-to-back days.

Matt Strahm: Baseball cards

While Matt Strahm logged 87 2/3 innings with a 3.29 ERA and 108 strikeouts in both starting and bullpen action, the right-hander shined in the postseason with 5 1/3 postseason innings in 2023. On the field, he can't hope for much more, but off the field, he has a baseball card collection that is nearing one million. And while his most prized part of the collection is the one fans don't want to see increase, there's no reason that collection can't grow with cards from players who haven't homered off him.

Seranthony Domínguez: A fully healthy season

After dealing with injuries early in the year, Seranthony Domínguez never appeared to fully settle into his role in 2023. While the right-hander logged 50 innings and a 3.78 ERA, his velocity, whiff percentage and putaway percentage for his four-seamer, sinker, slider and changeup were all down this year compared to last. His previous performances likely mean he's due for a bounce-back year in the back of the bullpen.

Jeff Hoffman: More high-leverage opportunities

Jeff Hoffman, the unexpected hero of the bullpen, held opponents to a .158 average to go along with a 2.41 ERA, 11.9 strikeouts per nine, a 2.57 FIP and a 0.917 WHIP in 52 1/3 innings. He drastically increased the usage of his slider in 2023 compared to 2022 (23.7 to 47.9) to the tune of a 44.6 whiff percentage and 29.3 putaway percentage, according to Baseball Savant. In 23 games in high-leverage opportunities last season, according to Baseball Reference, Hoffman held opponents to a .167 average.

José Alvarado: Necklace-making supplies

The 28-year-old hard-throwing lefty has a lot left in the tank on the baseball field, but after José Alvarado's handmade necklaces for teammates and their families became a local and national phenomenon, it's never a bad idea to have a side business set up and ready to go.

Oh, yeah, and let's add the closing role to Alvarado's wish list. The back-of-the-bullpen arm recorded 10 saves and posted a career-best 1.74 ERA in 41 1/3 innings last season and is a prime in-house candidate to fill the vacant closer's role.