Could Phillies Re-Sign Their Star Closer in Free Agency?
The Philadelphia Phillies are focused on nothing besides winning the World Series right now.
Up 2-0 in the NLCS, they are six wins away from bringing home their first championship since 2008.
A big reason why is because of the strength of their pitching staff.
Aaron Nola has gotten a lot of attention about if the Phillies will bring him back on a long-term contract after they weren't able to agree on a deal before the year started.
After struggling during the regular season, Nola has proven his value to Philadelphia during the playoffs and could have increased his asking price based on those performances.
Other teams sitting at home could see what he's doing and give him the large contract he's looking for as well.
But, there's another player who has been an instrumental part of the Phillies' success this season and throughout the playoffs.
Philadelphia brought in Craig Kimbrel to be their closer for 2023 on a one-year, $10 million deal.
He went 23-28 on save opportunities during the regular season and is a perfect 3-3 in the playoffs with a 0.00 ERA across four innings, allowing only one hit.
So, will the Phillies look to bring back the 35-year-old once the season is over?
There hasn't been much chatter about what the front office has in store for Kimbrel.
He's been one of the best closers of this generation, racking up over 400 saves, being selected to nine All-Star games and winning a World Series championship in 2018.
Ultimately, it will likely come down to price.
If Philadelphia elects to bring back Nola, they will have one of, if not the highest, payrolls in baseball heading into the 2024 season.
Owner John Middleton has made it clear he doesn't mind spending money if that puts a contending team on the field.
But, how much becomes too much, especially considering the age of Kimbrel?
There's still important games for the Phillies to play in 2023 and the star closer will play a huge role down the stretch.
Ideally, Philadelphia will be figuring out what to do with Kimbrel as they're sipping champagne after a World Series celebration.
