3 Moves Phillies Should Make Next After Aaron Nola Extension
By Tyler Maher
2. Add Another Top-End Starting Pitcher
With Nola back in tow, Philadelphia has a potent 1-2 punch at the top of its rotation between Nola and Zack Wheeler. However, the Phillies shouldn't stop there.
With so many big-name arms on the market this winter, Philadelphia should be aggressive and sign another top-tier starting pitcher to join the rotation. The Phillies saved some money on Nola (who took a hometown discount), so reinvesting some of that money in Jordan Montgomery or Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be a wise decision.
Having a three-headed monster at the top of its rotation would make Philadelphia extremely tough to beat in a short postseason series. Dave Dombrowski certainly knows that after assembling amazing starting rotations with both the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
The Rangers also showed how aggressively pursuing starting pitching can pay off. After signing Jacob deGrom and Nate Eovaldi last offseason, they continued to add to their rotation by trading for Montgomery and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline. Texas would not have made the playoffs had it not acquired all of those guys, let alone won the World Series.
Just because Nola is back doesn't mean the Phillies should take their foot off the gas. This is the winter to invest in starting pitching, and the front office should keep spending.