Philadelphia Phillies: A bad contract to help land Matt Chapman

Matt Chapman is the biggest prize the Philadelphia Phillies can try to pry away from the Oakland Athletics this offseason. The Gold Glove third baseman with pop is something the team could use to improve their defense and make their offense even more potent. I’d give up the years and ceiling of Alec Bohm to have him right away.

Landing Chapman won’t be easy. As much as the Athletics are looking to sell, he has a lot of suitors. The Phillies farm system isn’t in the best spot to acquire much but taking on a bad contract to help intrigue Oakland a little more could get the conversation going.

That’s where Stephen Piscotty comes into the picture.

Stephen Piscotty could be a decent bat off the Philadelphia Phillies bench.

The Phillies need outfielders. More than anything, they need starters.

This might not be exactly where Piscotty fits in. Two straight seasons of batting under .230 put him into a position where a bench spot is more suitable for where he is at in his career.

Primarily a right fielder, Piscotty could also give the Phillies an option in left or even at first base. Depth is something the team is lacking. And while he doesn’t sell tickets, he’s someone who has hit in the past and could always become a situational player off the bench for the Phillies.

Piscotty’s contract, a rather modest $7.5 million this year with a $1 million buyout for 2023 (or an outrageous $15 million price tag), won’t burden the Phillies too much. The team cannot expect to win with multiple $100+ million players and a team of rookies trying to find their way. Piscotty’s experience and professionalism aren’t such a bad match for a club in need of any outfield help they can get—even from a fourth or fifth outfielder role.

Piscotty isn’t a guy you add to the club because of what he brings you. You do it because of what it means for the Athletics. They want to shed salary and his is one of the most burdensome on the club. While simply taking on his deal won’t lead to the Athletics handing over Chapman, it helps alleviate their current problem. The Athletics aren’t trading players away because they want to lose. They’re going to do it because they have a tight budget.

The Phillies haven’t been shy about paying free agents. Taking on bad contracts signed by other teams, though, that’s a strategy we haven’t seen them undertake.

Given their current situation, it’s one to highly consider.