An insider claims that the Phillies’ roster discourages free agents.
During the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively quiet by their standards. Re-signing Aaron Nola was a big move to get things started, but not much has been done since. Although Dave Dombrowski may still sign players, he has been active in the past, and the Phillies haven’t added anyone who will improve their roster beyond what it was in 2023. Given that the team was one series away from making another World Series appearance, that might not be a problem, but other teams in the league have improved this offseason. There are still alternatives available. Pro athletes are available if they want to add an arm or a bat.
Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery seem like the most sensible additions. Pitchers like Los Angeles Dodgers and others can be challenged by Philadelphia thanks to these two of the best pitchers in baseball. But free agents are reportedly considering whether or not to sign with the Phillies, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Gelb observes that they are searching for options that provide them a more defined role because of how full the roster is already.
Major-league sources claim that the Phillies have prioritized pitching depth in talks with player agents and other teams. (In January, every team prioritizes this.) However, free-agent pitchers seeking a guarantee and a better chance of making a big-league rotation will look elsewhere because they have five starters committed to their roster.”
It’s possible that the current roster will be exactly the same for Philadelphia on Opening Day as Spring Training approaches. Many may be hesitant to sign because they think they can add an arm by guaranteeing them a certain number of innings. Without a doubt, the roster is strong enough to contend with the Dodgers and other teams. Nonetheless, it is always sensible to add as much assistance as you can.
READ MORE
Teams will be able to sign players during the 2024 international signing window, which opens on Monday, January 15 and ends on December 15. The Philadelphia Phillies have $4,652,200 remaining in their signing pool after forgoing $1 million to acquire Trea Turner during the previous offseason, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Let’s review the most recent top international signings made by the Phillies and see where they stand in the system before the new signing window opens.
Yhoswar Garcia experienced injury and visa problems after signing a $2.5 million contract in 2020, which included a broken leg in 2022. He hadn’t received enough reps by the start of 2023 to gain experience at the plate. Garcia appeared lost at the plate, according to Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs prior to the season.
With tools like plus-plus speed and above-average outfield defense, the Venezuelan was one of the top signings of his class; all he needs to do is develop them and hope his bat catches up.
Garcia did something in 2023, if not much at all. He cut.235/.300/.324 in 35 Florida Complex League games, one home run, 22 RBI, and eleven stolen bases. Garcia will need to work on getting the ball off the ground a bit more despite his speed, as he only managed a 55.1 percent ground ball rate the previous season.
Yemal Flores, an outfielder, was the Phillies’ top acquisition of 2021 when he was signed for $1.3 million. Regretfully, since signing, Flores, who was born in the Dominican Republic, hasn’t been able to pull it together. His.171 average and.623 OPS in 37 games showed that he was not very good at hitting in the DSL in 2021. In 2022, he hit.160 with a.549 OPS in the Florida Complex League, not much better.
He slashed.282/.417/.513 in 14 games while playing Rookie ball again in 2023, but he was limited to that amount of action because of an injury. I don’t think Flores will hit enough to matter, according to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, at least not when he published his Phillies prospect rankings for 2023. Flores didn’t
