With the 2023 World Series reaching an exciting conclusion, free agency is officially set to begin November 6th. That means it’s time to build a big board of free agents the Phillies should make an effort to sign.
First on the board was Jordan Montgomery, who is now World Series champion. Montgomery is someone who could interest the Phillies this off-season.
This next addition is someone who Phillies fans might be quite familiar with.
Blake Snell
Blake Snell is a 30-year-old left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres and the probable 2023 National League Cy Young winner. Snell is also one of the top pitchers on the free agent market.
Snell’s statistics for 2023 were unusual, to say the least.
The former first-round draft pick’s 99 walks and 2.25 ERA led all of Major League Baseball. No pitcher in the history of the MLB has ever won the ERA title while walking batters at a rate surpassing five per nine innings. Blake Snell could be the first to accomplish this feat.
With JT Realmuto being behind the plate for the Phillies, one could make an argument that walks will not be as big of an issue for Blake Snell, as it was while pitching for San Diego.
Cause for Concern
There are two main concerns with Blake Snell. Those concerns are that the veteran lefty is fairly inconsistent and he also doesn’t pitch a ton of innings.
He pitched 180 innings this year, which is second most in his career (180.2). Every other season has seen him pitch around 128 innings. The only Phillies starter to pitch less than 128 innings in the regular season is Ranger Suarez, everyone else saw at least 172.2 IP.
With the Phillies having starters pitch so many innings, does Snell make a lot of sense?
I still think so. Assuming Aaron Nola re-signs, he would be the day three or four starter. A rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, Ranger Suarez, and Taijuan Walker will win you a ton of games.
Are the Phillies a Likely Landing Spot?
The 2022 NL champs are sure to put in an offer for the veteran starter, and I believe he is a realistic option. Like Jordan Montgomery, there will be several teams looking to acquire his services. Snell will command a strong market and look to cash in on his 2023 success.
With the Phillies potentially playing in the starting pitcher market this off-season, there is a chance that Blake Snell finds himself in Philadelphia pinstripes. It will be interesting to see how the Phillies end up approaching such an important off-season.
