Philadelphia Phillies: Anthony DeSclafani is the perfect bounce-back candidate

The Philadelphia Phillies should target this pitcher as a bounce-back candidate.

I spoke about him a bit last week, but following the official announcement of pitching coach Caleb Cotham joining the Philadelphia Phillies, Anthony DeSclafani continues to be a name that creeps onto my free agency radar. With bigger names like Charlie Morton off to the Braves, and a guy like Trevor Bauer likely seeking a massive contract, the Phils targeting a bounce-back arm like DeSclafani almost makes *too* much sense.

A four year starter for the Cincinnati Reds prior to 2020, DeSclafani was one of the team’s more reliable arms. He started 31 games in 2015 with a 4.05 ERA, 20 games in 2016 with a 3.28 ERA, 21 games in 2018 with a 4.98 ERA, and 31 games in 2019 with a 3.89 ERA. His WHIP consistently hovered around the 1.200 mark, and his strikeout numbers were always respectable.

DeSclafani was never an “ace” by any stretch of the imagination, but he was very much a key piece to the Reds’ rotation between 2015 and 2019. DeSclafani’s 2016 season was cut short due to tendinitis and an UCL sprain, and it’s what led to him missing the 2017 campaign. He struggled a bit upon returning to Cincy’s rotation in 2018 (hence the near 5.00 ERA), but his return to sub-4.00 ERA status in 2019 effectively ruled out any longterm concerns about his health.

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Where the “bounce-back” label comes into play is in regards to DeSclafani’s 2020 season, as he massively struggled. He made just seven starts, repeatedly dealing with a back injury. The right-hander was eventually moved to the bullpen in hopes of salvaging some good innings out of him, but that didn’t really work out either.

DeSclafani finished the shortened season with a 7.22 ERA, failing to crack the Reds’ postseason roster.

DeSclafani really intrigues me due to his previous success as a mid-rotation starter, along with his current connections to the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He was born in New Jersey, and obviously has a relationship with Caleb Cotham. The Phillies newest pitching coach had a ton of success working with some of the Reds younger pitchers, and DeSclafani would likely benefit from continued one on one work with Cotham.

Obviously, signing a starter coming off a 7.00+ ERA season isn’t super thrilling, but the Phillies have done little to suggest that they’re interested in splashing big money on another starting pitcher. With Jake Arrieta dipping off the roster this offseason, there’s definitely room for another arm in the rotation. DeSclafani would likely come at a super cheap price, and would be a low-risk/high-reward type signing to make.

DeSclafani is set to turn just 31 years old in the spring, and probably has a couple more years left in the tank. His four-seam fastball routinely hits 95 mph, so he definitely fits the bill of a high-velocity type arm that the Phils should be targeting this winter.

Ultimately speaking, the addition of someone like DeSclafani wouldn’t vault the Phillies into that of a postseason contender, but it’s a step in the right direction. This team needs to start getting innovative with some of their roster additions, and taking a chance on a younger pitcher wth previous MLB success (who also has experience with the team’s pitching coach!!), simply makes an abundance of sense.