As we sit here and wait ... and wait ... and wait for something meaningful in MLB free agency to happen, the rumor mill continues to churn. On nearly every player in free agency and on the trading block, we keep seeing one team pop up: the Philadelphia Phillies. We've previously discussed why this makes sense, particularly when the owner said they're ready to get "a little bit stupid" in terms of spending.
Atop the list here are obviously shortstop Manny Machado and outfielder Bryce Harper, but there's more. Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports Monday that the Phillies are ready to sign multiple free agents before Harper and/or Machado make a decision. He mentions starters Patrick Corbin, Nathan Eovaldi and J.A. Happ along with outfielders A.J. Pollock and Michael Brantley and relievers Craig Kimbrel and Zach Britton.
Perhaps the thought process would be that adding, say, Eovaldi and Kimbrel would make the destination more desirable for Harper and Machado.
And then there's this:
You can add the #Phillies to the list of teams that spoke with the #Diamondbacks about Paul Goldschmidt.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) November 26, 2018
A source says the teams discussed a package that would have included Zach Eflin & several young players. But the deal fell apart when the Phillies tried to add Carlos Santana
Santana has played one year of his three-year contract that is worth $60 million. The Phillies have very little money on the books moving forward, so shedding him is more about roster flexibility than payroll flexibility, but if they could move him it would surely help on both fronts. He hit .229/.352/.414 (105 OPS+) with 24 homers and 86 RBI last season. He really needs to be a DH and if he's only gonna OPS+ 105 -- given that all he's good for is hitting -- he's not a very good overall player to have on the roster, much less the starting lineup.
Paul Goldschmidt only has one year left on his current deal before hitting free agency, so pursuing him is yet another sign that the Phillies are ready to push all their chips to the middle of the table for 2019. He's certainly a game-changer in the middle of a batting order, but it also feels like Rhys Hoskins needs to move to first base sooner rather than later. Remember, the Phillies defense was historically awful last season.
Still, the big takeaway from the rumor mill Monday should be that the Phillies are the biggest player for nearly everyone this offseason. Time will tell if it bears fruit, but it's reality right now.
