Philadelphia Phillies: Reunion with former SS Freddy Galvis in the works?

Philadelphia Phillies have been in contact with Freddy Galvis.

Heading into the 2021 offseason, shortstop was set to be a major position of need for the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite having a spectacular 2020 campaign, the Phils opted against extending a qualifying offer to Didi Gregorius, allowing him to test the waters as an unrestricted free agent. Jean Segura also struggled with his defense at shortstop in 2019 (career-high 20 errors), signaling a need at the position moving forward into the 2021 season.

With all of that in mind, it appears Dave Dombrowski isn’t oblivious to the fact that his baseball team has a glaring need on the left side of the infield. According to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies are expressing some level of interest in former shortstop Freddy Galvis:

"“As they [the Phillies] monitor the situation [Didi Gregorius situation], they are also eyeing alternatives, including Semien and a possible reunion with Freddy Galvis, according to a major-league source.More from Section 2154 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster SpotsBest Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn SipossCowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak PrescottDevon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on EaglesGalvis, the Phillies’ opening-day shortstop for three years (2015-17), has batted .250 with a .707 OPS in three seasons since getting traded, including .220 with a .712 OPS last season for the Reds. He would represent a considerable drop-off from Gregorius, arguably the Phillies’ most consistent — and clutch — hitter last season.”"

Like Lauber mentioned, Galvis would be a pretty sizable drop-off from the likes of Gregorius – who posted an outstanding .827 OPS last year for the Phillies. However, Galvis would assumingely come at a fairly cheap price, and he did get some Gold Glove consideration for his above average defense last season. Despite their overall impressive offensive ability, the Phillies genuinely had one of the worst defensive infields in baseball last year. Adding Galvis’ glove to the mix at shortstop would definitely aid in improving that aspect of the ball club.

Outside of Galvis, the Phillies have also been recently linked to former MVP candidate Marcus Semien, and reportedly “remain engaged” with the likes of Gregorius. My guess is that Galvis is more of a “backup plan” should the team fail to sign a big-name middle infielder this offseason. Not only could Galvis be signed for cheap, but his familiar with the organization would make him an easy player to sign.

Based on all of these reports and rumors, it appears that Dombrowski has pinned shortstop/middle infield as a serious position of need this offseason, which makes sense considering Didi’s departure and the overall uncertainty that hangs around the likes of Scott Kingery.

Most fans would ideally prefer the team land someone of Gregorius’ or Semien’s caliber, but Freddy Galvis isn’t the worst of “Plan Bs.” He’s definitely an overall upgrade to the team’s defense, and the one-year deal that he would likely sign allows the team to reevaluate their SS position in 2021, potentially targeting a massive free agent shortstop like Corey Seager or Javier Baez.