3 Phillies Who Will Be Replaced By Free Agent Signings
By Tyler Maher
2. Gregory Soto
Similar to Cave, Soto was another addition from last offseason that didn't work out.
Philadelphia traded for Soto last winter in an effort to improve its bullpen, which made sense at the time. Soto was coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Detroit Tigers, including a 30-save campaign in 2022.
Unfortunately, Soto failed to replicate that success in his first year with the Phillies. He went 3-4, his ERA ballooned from 3.28 to 4.62 (second-worst of his career) and he was worth 0.0 wins above replacement despite making a career-high 69 appearances.
Soto had a chance to redeem himself in the playoffs, but that didn't happen. Perhaps feeling overwhelmed in his first postseason appearance, the veteran reliever finished October with a 6.00 ERA and a 2.33 WHIP in 5 appearances, proving to be unreliable in high-leverage situations.
Relievers are a dime a dozen in free agency, so Philadelphia might be better off rolling the dice on someone else this offseason. Soto's peripherals have never been encouraging (1.41 WHIP, 1.9 K/BB ratio), so betting on a rebound from him in 2024 is risky.
If the Phillies are serious about revamping their relief corps this offseason, replacing Soto is an easy call.