Philadelphia Phillies: Who should stay and who should go?
Stay or go: Starting pitchers
Zach Eflin
Zach Eflin is another Phillies player who missed significant time in 2022, starting only 13 games and appearing in 20. in those games; he posted an ERA of 4.04, a FIP of 3.56, a WHIP of 1.123, a SO/9 of 7.7 and an ERA+ of 101.
Eflin’s days as a starter might be behind him as he has yet to be able to put together a full season since the 2020s 60-game season, but his value is not as a starter but as a reliever. Eflin has always had nasty stuff; that was never the question. If he were able to stay healthy and toss 160 innings a year, he would probably be one of the more sought-after starters on the market, but it seems now that Eflin’s value is coming out of the bullpen like he did to end the season last year.
Eflin could be an elite setup man, closer or long reliever in a lot of bullpens and resigning him would be huge for the Phillies as they try to once again solidify their bullpen.
Decision? Stay
Noah Syndergaard
The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Syndergaard at the 2022 trade deadline, and with the Phillies posted an ERA of 4.12, a FIP of 3.66, a WHIP of 1.317, a SO/9 of 5.1, and an ERA+ of 99.
Syndergaard was a decent pickup when the Phillies needed depth in the rotation. He surprisingly gave the Phillies some strong appearances in the postseason. Still, if the Phillies want to stay competitive and win a title, they need to move off of guys like Syndergaard and go after guys that they can rely on to give them innings and be dependable in the postseason. It was a decent enough run with the Phillies, but Syndergaard is not someone the Phillies should be looking to bring back.
Decision? Go
Kyle Gibson
Kyle Gibson is the most straightforward answer on this list. He’s going to be 35 and is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. In 31 games with the Phillies in 2022, Gibson posted an ERA of 5.05, a FIP of 4.28, a WHIP of 1.336, a SO/9 of 7.7, and an ERA+ of 81.
The Phillies can’t afford to bring Gibson back, as he’d provide no value to the team. You can’t start him, and he doesn’t have the stuff to come out of the pen; plus, at his age, it’s more than likely that his best days are behind him. This is an easy one.