The Phillies will make these 3 audacious move during the MLB Winter Meetings
At the Winter Meetings, the Phillies have the chance to strengthen their team by adding some intriguing players.
Major League Baseball’s Hot Stove season has begun, and there are a lot of speculations circulating around well-known players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. On November 19, Aaron Nola accepted a lucrative seven-year, $172 contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Consider the possibility that the right-hander’s re-signing is the team’s largest offseason acquisition.
But it’s also possible that Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations for the Phillies, has other ideas about adding a significant player or two during the league’s Winter Meetings, which take place in Nashville, Tennessee, from December 4–7.
Let’s examine three audacious moves that the Phillies ought to undertake during the Winter Meetings.
The Phillies should sign free agent closer Josh Hader
The Phillies have been a rumored destination for one of the league’s top closers, Josh Hader. Craig Kimbrel had an inconsistent 2023 campaign that fizzled out during the postseason for Philadelphia. He will not return, and the organization has an opening for the closer role.
Hader will command a multi-year deal for up to $100 million. Closer Edwin Diaz re-signed with the New York Mets for five years and $102 million in Nov. 2022. The New York closer’s contract raises the bar for the amount of money elite closers will command moving forward.
The Phillies may be reluctant to pay a closer that kind of money, but they would have a tremendous backend of the bullpen with the addition of Hader. José Alvarado would be the setup guy, followed by the Millersville, Maryland native. Philadelphia would have the sort of advantage that resembles the dominant setup-closer pairing of Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge, who played a huge part in the organization winning the World Series in 2008.
An Alvarado-Hader combination would make manager Rob Thomson’s job a bit easier in that he knows, barring injury, who his setup pitcher and closer would be. The 29-year-old left-hander has been one of the top closer’s in baseball over the last several seasons finishing among the top five in saves from 2019 to 2022.
Philadelphia owner John Middleton has shown in previous years a willingness to spend money on top free agents to help the club be competitive. The Phillies would receive a boost as a World Series contender in 2024 with the signing of the dominant pitcher.
The Phillies should add another top starting pitcher
Following the re-signing of Nola, Dombrowski commented that he likes the Phillies starting rotation as it’s currently constructed. While the club is believed to be interested in pursuing international free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Philadelphia will not be overly persistent in trying to sign the Japanese phenom.
While Yamamoto has yet to throw a pitch in Major League Baseball, his addition would give them a pitcher who would be their third starter and who comes with the potential to be their ace. Shōta Imanaga and Naoyuki Uwasawa are other Japanese pitchers who were posted on Nov. 27. They will garner interest from clubs looking to add starting pitching.
Tyler Glasnow, Shane Bieber, and Dylan Cease are some pitchers who have been mentioned in trade rumors once the offseason began. Adding one of these starters in a trade as the Phillies’ third or fourth starter would increase their rotational depth entering 2024.
Jordan Montgomery, who is coming off of a World Series championship with the Texas Rangers, is another name looking to sign a new contract in free agency. He’s projected to have plenty of suitors in the New York Yankees, the San Francisco Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and two of the Phillies’ division rivals — the Atlanta Braves and Mets.
The Braves were reportedly interested in adding Nola to their rotation and are apparently a rumored destination for Cease. Philadelphia could benefit from adding another starter their rival wants to add to its rotation.
Just because Dombrowski may be satisfied with the Phillies’ rotation following the Nola re-signing doesn’t mean he shouldn’t add another significant addition to increase their depth. A club can never have enough starting pitching as depth is often tested, whether it be due to struggles or injuries.
The Phillies should trade for Juan Soto
The San Diego Padres are looking to shed payroll this offseason. Juan Soto will be a free agent following the 2024 season. The club would be wise to acquire some assets for him, especially if it doesn’t believe the outfielder will re-sign with them long term.
Soto is only 25 and coming off a productive 2023 season. After a down year in 2022, during which he was the subject of trade talk with the Washington Nationals, he rebounded in a big way last season. He finished with 109 RBI, the first time he has had 100 or more RBI since 2019.
He’s one of the best in the league at getting on base — he had 132 walks, which were the most last year among hitters. He also finished first among batters in walks during the 2022 (135) and 2021 (145) seasons. Soto set a new career high with 35 home runs in 2023.
If the Phillies are interested in signing Soto if he reaches free agency a year from now, shouldn’t they consider trading for him and offering him a multi-year contract this offseason? The outfielder, who previously played with Philadelphia stars Bryce Harper and Trea Turner in Washington, shares the same agent as Harper, Scott Boras. The young outfielder and Turner were members of the 2019 World Series champion Nationals team.
Trading for the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican native is worth considering this offseason for the Phillies. He is more durable and several years younger than another outfielder in trade speculation, the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout.
Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott didn’t provide the same consistency in the postseason for the Phillies offensively that they demonstrated throughout the regular season. Philadelphia ultimately suffered in October due to the inconsistent offense.
Soto would be an exceptional addition and would boost a lineup that struggled at times in the middle of the batting order. Having him follow Harper or hit before him in the batting order would be difficult for the opposition to strategize against, particularly in the playoffs. His addition could put the Phillies in position to win its first championship since 2008.
Soto would be worth the risk of making a blockbuster trade this offseason and offering a contract extension that keeps him as a member of the Phillies for the next several years. Citizens Bank Park would be even more electric if the outfielder donned red pinstripes and powder blue uniforms.
Even though it isn’t expected, Philadelphia has the chance to make the biggest impact during the Winter Meetings with another significant addition or two via trade or free agency. Signing Hader or acquiring another top-end starter to increase its rotational depth will unquestionably boost its pitching. Trading for Soto would undoubtedly make the Phillies a force to be reckoned with next season.
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