After a second straight disappointing finish, the Philadelphia Phillies head into the offseason with a couple obvious needs. First and foremost, Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez are both free agents. The backend bullpen tandem combined for a 2.30 ERA in 121.1IP in 2024. If the Phillies want to pursue their first World Series title since 2008, they’re going to have to find a way to replace/ bring back that duo.
Secondly, the lineup came up short again in the playoffs. They could use an offensive upgrade in left field to lengthen the lineup. The problem with that is there’s no clear-cut answer to solve that problem. However the Phillies address it, the solution will be far from perfect (unless a Juan Soto-sized puzzle piece is bought).
With offensive pieces in short supply, perhaps the Phillies should try another strategy.
Phillies pivoting to pitching
One of the Phillies biggest strengths heading into 2025 is their starting rotation. With Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Sanchez, and Andrew Painter, the Phillies could be poised to have their best pitching season since 2011.
In 2024, the Phillies’ starters posted a 3.81 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP, 3rd and 2nd best, respectfully, in the National League. They had 2 more complete games thrown than any other team in baseball (5-3).
Most of the starters looked fantastic. Most. The Phillies ran into a problem with finding a 5th starter in the 2nd half of the season. Taijuan Walker, Tyler Phillips, Kolby Allard, and Michael Mercado combined to start 28 game for the Phillies. None of them had an ERA under 5. Walker was so bad that he finished the season with a 7.10 ERA and a -1.6 bWAR.
With the Dodgers dominating this season en-route to another World Series, it’s interesting that they too decided to double down on pitching, giving Blake Snell a whopping 5-year deal worth $182M. The Phillies might not have the same financial flexibility as the Dodgers, but there are plenty of appealing options to target.
Recently, Philadelphia has been reconnected to Chicago’s emerging young starter, Garrett Crochet. The Phillies reportedly had interest in Crochet at the trade deadline. Starting for the worst team in modern baseball history, Crochet had a 3.58 ERA with 204 strikeouts in 146 IP. It was his first full season as a starter since before college.
Outside of the trade market, free agency includes familiar names like Max Fried, Shane Bieber, and Corbin Burnes, among others. Perhaps the Phils could check in on guaranteed future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to see if they want to try for 1 more ring. Both have prior connections to Dave Dombrowski. Perhaps one could be interested in doing their best John Smoltz impression and move to the bullpen.
A pivot to pitching could open up more options for the Phillies in their pursuit of a better team in 2025. The opposing team can’t win if they can’t score.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
