The Philadelphia Phillies are facing a rotation puzzle this winter, and it’s not their biggest headache.
They’re almost certainly losing Ranger Suarez to free agency. He’s looking at a nine-figure deal, which puts him well outside Philadelphia’s price range for starting pitching right now.
That leaves them with Zack Wheeler – who’s still working back from thoracic outlet syndrome – plus Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, and Andrew Painter. Not terrible on paper, but the depth behind those six gets thin quickly.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows they need pitching help. He’s just not planning to break the bank for it.
“I can’t say we wouldn’t,” Dombrowski told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb about acquiring a starting pitcher. “But, again, it’s not our highest priority. … You have to be careful. You always need to look for starting pitching depth. That doesn’t necessarily mean top of the market, but where does that fit in?”
The reality is stark once you get past their top six starters. Minor leaguer Jean Cabrera represents their next option, which tells you everything about their organizational depth.
“We don’t have a lot of starting pitching depth, so that’s something we need to be cognizant of,” Dombrowski added.
Translation: they’re looking at back-end guys, not ace-level talent.
Schwarber Takes Priority
What’s really driving Philadelphia’s offseason isn’t pitching at all. It’s keeping Kyle Schwarber in the clubhouse.
The veteran outfielder has become a clubhouse leader, and that’s where the front office is putting most of it’s focus this winter. Everything else, including that rotation depth, comes second.
It makes sense from a roster construction standpoint. You address your biggest needs first, then fill gaps where you can afford to. For the Phillies, that means they’ll likely be shopping in the bargain bin for starting pitching – if they shop at all.
The question becomes whether they can find enough value in that lower tier to make a move worthwhile, or if they’re better off rolling with what they have and hoping guys like Painter stay healthy.
