Philadelphia Phillies: A free agent DH could now cost them a lot more

Before the MLB lockout, the Philadelphia Phillies had shown some interest in pursuing free agents Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos. Each could be an option for the club as their DH. The team is currently without a notable option unless you’re willing to move Rhys Hoskins there which creates a hole at first base.

The official announcement that the DH will come to the National League is great news for the health of players and teams with an extra bat on their roster. Philadelphia isn’t in this position. They’re short on talent.

Unless they plan to go with a lesser guy—like a Brad Miller reunion—whatever they pay to bring in a DH is suddenly going to cost a lot more.

Philadelphia Phillies missed a chance to sign a free agent DH and it may cost them

The free agent market changes drastically with this change. Suddenly, guys like Schwarber and Castellanos are a greater fit for far more teams. Someone like Nelson Cruz has a reason to stick around for a few more years in his quest to reach 500 career home runs.

Whichever direction the Phillies decide to go, the top-tier DHs available can hold them hostage and ask for a lot more than they could have back in November.

It’s not the end of the world for the club in their pursuit of a better lineup by means of signing a free agent DH. There should be a cap at some point to how many teams are willing to pay the best price to land the best available players. For the Phillies, the only benefit they can get is to wait around and see who’s left after the top names find homes.

This isn’t a winning strategy. The “wait and see” approach shouldn’t excite anyone nor should it. Unfortunately, it’s a very likely scenario would kind find the Phillies in once the lockout does end, free agency resumes, and the rest of the remaining available players begin to sign contracts.

Offensively, the Phillies should focus on finding at least one top-quality outfielder. They have a pair of holes: one in center field and the other in left. There are several ways to address both. Far more important than handing out a fat paycheck to one of the free agent DH-candidates would be to secure at least one of those positions with a reliable guy who can field the position but also provide them with good offense.

We shouldn’t expect the Phillies to rest comfortably with their current lineup. While the core remains in place, the holes they have are way too large to ignore.