The 2023 Philadelphia Phillies fell just short of reaching their second straight World Series in as many years after dropping games 6 and 7 of the NLCS at "The Bank" in stunning fashion. The hottest bats in the league turned ice cold and the Arizona Diamondbacks shocked the world, celebrating on the field, leaving the Philly faithful in shock.
As disappointing of an ending last year was, the Phills still find themselves in a great spot to return to the postseason in 2024 with a roster that now has lost in disappointing fashion two years in a row.
Bryce Harper will return as the everyday first baseman as Rhys Hoskins will hit the free agency market, looking for a new home to return after a lost 2023 due to a torn ACL. Aaron Nola is already reported to return after agreeing to a 7-year deal earlier this month. The roster is already shaping out to be a nice blend of young talent and veteran presence that usually formulates into October baseball.
Objectively, there is not much free agency and/or the trade market could do to improve what is here to stay through at least 2024. Granted, if Shohei Ohtani magically falls into the breadbasket, you'll do what is necessary to make that happen. But other than that, the key focus for the front office is going to be focused on veteran depth at a couple key roster spots.
Specifically, there are three former Phillies that are free agents this year and can play a nice role in 2024.
David Robertson Could Help Fill Out the Bullpen
David Robertson has had two separate stints with the Phillies as a relief pitcher. After a successful start to his career with the New York Yankees and a couple of seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Robertson signed in Philly as a free agent in 2019 and was traded by the Cubs to the Phills near the deadline in 2022.
He appeared 22 times for Philly and had a 2.70 ERA in that run to the World Series. R
obertson split time with the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins in 2023. He'll be in his age 39 season in 2024, so a cheap and short-term contract should do the trick for a veteran arm that is still reliable in key spots looking to end his career on a high note.
We saw in the postseason how important it is to not only have depth in the bullpen, but also confidence in the guy you are giving the ball to. I do not have to remind Phillies fans of the feeling they had seeing the ball be handed to Craig Kimbrel with the game on the line in the playoffs.
Win or lose, it felt like the last 1-2 innings lasted longer than the rest of the game.
Robertson can provide the quick innings and the assurance that more times than not, the job will be done efficiently and effectively.
Jean Segura Could Be a Veteran Utility Bat
Jean Segura was traded to Philadelphia in 2018 in a trade that sent JP Crawford and Carlos Santana to Seattle.
While he did bat .281 in his time with the Phillies, adding 43 homers, his .214 average in the 2022 playoffs stung, and he headed to free agency after losing the World Series.
2023 was a disappointing year for Segura, who was traded by the Miami Marlins to the Cleveland Guardians, who immediately dropped him for financial purposes. In 85 games, he batted just .219.
The two-time all-star is undoubtedly not at the top of anyone's wish list when it comes to the free agent market. We are seemingly so far removed from the 2016 Segura that had 203 hits for the Diamondbacks.
Depending on what Jean Segura is looking for entering his age 34 season, he could fill out the Phillies depth quite nicely as a guy with versatility and a streaky bat.
Remember, the Phillies are objectively set on their starting lineup.
They need to stay healthy, they need to be more consistent, and they need to stop striking out. If Segura enters a situation where expectations are high but the help is there and the environment is set to make a run, who's to say he could not come off the bench in crucial moments to revert back to the 2016 that had some talking MVP? Plus, if you're worries about the cost, Cleveland is responsible for $8.5 million in 2024 and $2 million in 2025. This means the Phillies can sign him for the league minimum while the Guardians continue to pay the rest.
Noah Syndergaard Could be 5th Starter/Long Reliever.
I talked about depth in the pitching department earlier in the bullpen. Equally as important is having at least 3-4 starters you feel great about giving the ball to. Luckily, that is solidified for the Phillies with Nola coming back, Zack Wheeler, the emergence of Ranger Suarez, and veteran Taijuan Walker.
The 5th starter in the rotation could be seeing its way out of normalcy with managers opting to have "bullpen games" more and more frequently. Whether you are starting the game with a two inning reliever or going for a 5th starter, Noah Syndergaard could be a versitile piece for either situation.
It has not been pretty as of late for Syndergaard.
He was traded to Philadelphia from the Angels at the deadline to provide the kind of depth I mentioned above. While it did not got great here, or thereafter with the Dodgers or Guardians, this is another veteran who needs to prove he can do something to stay in the league and be relied upon.
Bringing him back on a short-term low-value deal could go one of two ways. He could either turn out to be worth way more than he is being paid for and help the Phillies obtain the championship that has painfully eluded them the last two seasons, or he'll be a mid-season cut as you look towards the postseason another way. This has the potential to be low-risk high-reward.
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