Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Among Favorites to Land Cy Young Pitcher

The Philadelphia Phillies are among some of the betting favorites to land Justin Verlander in this winter's MLB free agency.

Kade Kistner

Philadelphia Phillies Among Favorites to Land Cy Young Pitcher
Philadelphia Phillies Among Favorites to Land Cy Young Pitcher /
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The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to add to their roster this winter through free agency. They are already betting favorites to land one of the big four shortstops available on the market.

One area they could address is their rotation. Yesterday, in his end of season press conference, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did not rule out the possibility of pursuing a front line starter, if it makes sense. 

One name who could be of interest is Justin Verlander. We at Inside the Phillies have already discussed how Verlander could fit with the team, especially as they continue their push to another World Series appearance. He could have a tremendous impact on the younger pitchers in Philadelphia’s organization. 

That possibility has been backed up by OddsChecker who has put Philadelphia square in the race for the righty who just won his second American League Cy Young award on Wednesday night. 

The betting service has the Phillies at +500 odds, or a 16.7-percent chance to land the services of Verlander. That gives them the fourth best odds after the New York Mets, Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Again, it is a long shot for Philadelphia to actually ink Verlander, but on the surface it makes some sense. They are a team that could use another impact arm in the rotation and they have the money available to offer a contract in the ballpark Verlander is reportedly searching for. 

Whether or not the Phillies decide to prioritize pitching over an elite middle infielder will be a storyline to follow as we move deeper into the winter.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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