Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Must Pivot After Losing Out on Superstar Free Agents

The Philadelphia Phillies must respond after Juan Soto and Max Fried signed elsewhere.

Tyler Maher

Feb 25, 2024; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld talk in the dugout.
Feb 25, 2024; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld talk in the dugout. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Hot Stove is heating up, but it hasn't been a great offseason so far for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Several top free agents have already come off the board, including Juan Soto, Max Fried, Willy Adames and Blake Snell.

All would have been great additions for the Phillies, but they ultimately signed elsewhere.

By comparison, Philadelphia hasn't done much.

Its biggest move thus far was signing former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million deal.

Romano is a two-time All-Star, but he also had a 6.59 ERA last year. He's a gamble. Even if he works out, he's unlikely to move the needle much.

There's an arms race underway in the National League, and the Phillies are falling behind more aggressive teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

If they don't swing a big trade or sign a big-ticket free agent soon, it will be too late.

Look no further than last winter when Philadelphia failed to meaningfully improve its roster after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

They paid the price in October, winning just one playoff game before bowing out to the Mets in the NLDS.

The Phillies can't afford to make the same mistake this offseason.

Their championship window is closing, and they need to add another big piece to keep pace.

Fortunately, Philadelphia still has options.

They can sign Roki Sasaki or Corbin Burnes to bolster their rotation or trade for Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker to improve the outfield.

Dave Dombrowski is no stranger to making bold moves, and that's exactly what the Phillies need this offseason.

Their aging, veteran roster could use a boost after falling short in three consecutive playoff runs and slumping in the second half of last year.

Philadelphia must respond, because another quiet winter isn't going to cut it.

Published
Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

Home/News