With the 2022 season coming to a heartbreaking end in game seven of the NLCS, it is time to look to the offseason and pick free agents that Dave Dombrowski & the Phillies should target. There are several options for each position of need, so it should be another fun offseason for the Phils.
Jordan Montgomery
Traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Texas Rangers at this year’s deadline, Jordan Montgomery is having a career-best stretch of baseball in both the regular season and postseason. His 2.79 ERA in the regular season for the Rangers played a big part in their postseason push, and his 2.90 playoff ERA in 37.2 innings helped spur them to the World Series. He has simply been dominant for them.
At 30 years old, he still has a lot to give to the game. Since 2020, Montgomery has shown great improvement in every major statistical category while pitching more innings each year.
It’s hard to assess how much he’ll get and for how long, however. Players have been signing big long-term deals over the past few years and the lefty will likely be looking to find a long-term home after having to move teams just a few months ago.
Are the Phillies a likely landing spot?
He will be a tough player to acquire. The team that traded for him is in the World Series and there are many other teams that will be making a concerted effort to fortify their rotation. However, a Phillies rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola (assuming he re-signs), Jordan Montgomery, Ranger Suarez, and Taijuan Walker will get you back to where you want to go.
The saying goes “You can never have enough pitching” and I think we should be the embodiment of that saying by adding another dominant arm to the rotation.
AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez
