Phillies Short-Term Deal With Freddy Galvis May Be Telling
The Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a one-year, $4.35 million deal with Freddy Galvis to avoid arbitration.
Closing a deal with Freddy Galvis seemed to be an expected priority for the Philadelphia Phillies. The middle infielder had himself a career year last season, finally finding a groove at the plate. He hit 20 home runs, matching his career total prior to this season.
Galvis proved to be a net positive for the Phillies this season, and has solidified himself as a good option at the middle infield position. The problem now was deciding how he’d fit the long-term scheme of the Phillies.
The inevitable uprise of J.P. Crawford and the stable play of Cesar Hernandez have the organization asking how it could maximize the value of its three middle infielders. It’s a question that was following Galvis all year, and even more with the acquisition of Howie Kendrick in the offseason, despite the belief he’ll be manning left field.
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The one-year extension was solely to avoid arbitration, as Galvis is now making double the money he did last season. The short term extension still shows that the Phillies aren’t ready to commit to Galvis fully for the future. It could also spell a sign that the team is looking to move him as a key piece in the trade.
Either way, this signing shows us more than just avoiding arbitration. With the Phillies staying relatively quiet, the 26-year old switch hitter can be attractive to buying teams looking for more versatile depth.
The signing could also show a willingness to be patient in terms of the upbringing of J.P. Crawford. Crawford had his fair share of ups and downs in Lehigh Valley last season, and the team may want to sit on his potential for at least one more half season. It could be a way for the Phillies to stir the pot in blockbuster trades, or it could be away for the team to assess its roster moving forward.
Either way, Freddy Galvis may have secured an extension, but that in no way means he has secured a future with the Philadelphia Phillies. Galvis, Hernandez, and Crawford will all have intertwined story lines this season. Matt Klentak has himself an impactful decision to make, but has given himself time to assess it more.
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Patience could be difficult in the trade game, but the Phillies are smartly giving themselves time to be able to maximize asset value. The danger of course comes in diminishing assets, which is why slowly bringing Crawford along takes away that risk, in his case anyways.