Philadelphia Phillies: 3 veteran closers the team could still sign in free agency
By David Esser
Dave Dombrowski highlighted the need for a closer during his introductory press conference, so here are three free agents the Philadelphia Phillies could still add.
During his first meeting with the Philly media, newly hired President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made a statement that was well received by Philadelphia Phillies fans. The future Hall of Fame executive specifically highlighted his desire to have a stereotypical “closer” – a guy Joe Girardi can always rely on for ninth innings.
After a year of watching Hector Neris and Brandon Workman routinely blow saves, this was a position fans were desperate to see the Phillies address.
Dombrowski has long prioritized that ninth inning role, and he’s specifically targeted proven pitchers for the position. Veterans who have a track record of finishing ballgames.
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With all the in mind, here are a few free agent arms Dombrowski could be looking at:
Kirby Yates
2020 Team: San Diego Padres
2020 Salary: $7.06 million
A name that has been routinely linked to the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason, right-hander Kirby Yates very much fits the bill of what a modern day closer should look like.
He strikes out a ton of batters (12.9 K/9 rate), he throws hard, and he has the save numbers to back up his resume. Yates’ 2020 season was a bit of a disaster due to injury, as he allowed six runs in just 4.1 innings of work. However, his 2019 campaign was absolutely unbelievable, as he led the MLB with 41 saves while recording a 1.19 ERA.
According to Spotrac.com, Yates’ current projected market value is $8.65 million. I could see this number coming down a bit due to league wide revenue loss and his injury-riddled 2020 season, but he’s definitely not signing for pennies. A 1-2 year deal worth $10-12 million makes a lot of sense in theory.
Yates’ age could be of concern, as he turns 34 in March, but that’s never scared off Dave Dombrowski before. In fact, he tends to prefer established veterans when building a ball club, so Yates might end up being a guy he specifically targets to fill that vacant closer position.