Are the Phillies about to sign an elite shortstop?
This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
Jacob deGrom did the Phillies a few favors Friday evening.
First, he agreed to a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers, placing a blow to the Mets’ rotation (though, we wager Mets proprietor Steve Cohen responds in a significant manner). Second, he kickstarted a sleepy Hot Stove season, simply two days earlier than the Winter Meetings open Sunday in San Diego. The offseason has been manner too quiet for Phillies followers, who’re impatiently ready to order their Trea Turner jerseys.
Internally and externally, the Phillies are anticipated to achieve an settlement with certainly one of baseball’s 4 elite free-agent shortstops (Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson or Turner) as early as this week. The Athletic reported round dinnertime Friday that the Phillies are assembly this weekend with Bogaerts and Correa.
They might need already met with Turner and Swanson.
Clearly, as they need to, the Phillies are retaining their choices open.
The Phillies completely need to make one thing occur earlier than they go away San Diego on Wednesday. Because as soon as they land a shortstop, they are going to understand how a lot cash they will spend on the rotation and bullpen.
Here is a take a look at the Phillies’ offseason want record earlier than issues get going:
1. Shortstop: Turner is believed to be the Phillies’ best choice, though they won’t be caught flatfooted. A fast primer on the 4 free-agent shortstops:
Trea Turner
bWAR: 29.7
fWAR: 31.6
Career:.302/.355/.487 (122 OPS+), 124 HR in 849 video games
2022: .298/.343/.466 (121 OPS+), 21 HR in 160 video games
Carlos Correa
bWAR: 39.5
fWAR: 31.3
Career: .279/.357/.479 (129 OPS+), 155 HR in 888 video games
2022: .291/.366/.467 (140 OPS+), 22 HR in 136 video games
Xander Bogaerts
bWAR: 34.9
fWAR: 34.2
Career: .292/.356/.458 (117 OPS+), 156 HR in 1,264 video games
2022: .307/.377/.456 (131 OPS+), 15 HR in 150 video games
Dansby Swanson
bWAR: 14.5
fWAR: 16.2
Career: .255/.321/.417 (95 OPS+), 102 HR in 827 video games
2022: .277/.329/.447 (115 OPS+), 25 HR in 162 video games
2. Rotation: The Phillies started the offseason with three free-agent starters: Zach Eflin, Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard. They threw a mixed 288 1/3 innings within the rotation, which is an enormous quantity to interchange. Don’t count on the Phillies to pursue prime free-agent starters like Carlos Rodón and Justin Verlander.
Why? They like what they’ve atop the rotation with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez. The fourth rotation spot will go to Bailey Falter, Cristopher Sánchez or a prime prospect like Andrew Painter. The fifth job will go to anyone else. The Phillies are trying on the subsequent tier of starters that features Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, José Quintana, Ross Stripling, Jameson Taillon, Michael Wacha and Taijuan Walker. Or maybe Syndergaard re-signs on a club-friendly deal. You by no means know.
3. Bullpen: Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson blended and matched his bullpen to close perfection within the postseason. Besides Seranthony Domínguez and José Alvarado, he had David Robertson, Brad Hand and Eflin to pitch within the eighth and ninth innings. Eflin is gone now. Robertson and Hand are free brokers. So whereas Connor Brogdon and Andrew Bellatti may see elevated roles subsequent season, it behooves the Phillies to seek out no less than a few high quality late-inning relievers.
