Baseball is back.
After months of nonsensical negotiations, posturing, media leaks and general nonsense from both Major League Baseball owners and players, an agreement has been reached. We’re getting a 2022 season. Get ready for a yearly exercise in convincing ourselves that the Phillies have enough to compete.
Assuming, of course, Dave Dombrowski and Sam Fuld get to work ASAP on fixing a roster that has a ton of holes and less than a full month until Opening Day.
Here’s how the Phillies should proceed as the hot stove suddenly meets with the Grapefruit and Cactus League. Make these five moves and perhaps the postseason drought at Citizens Bank Park will soon come to an end.
1. Sign an impact left fielder: Phillies left fielders combined to hit .200/.315/.401 last year and posted a 0.2 WAR. The position became a complete waste of time other than Andrew McCutchen’s splits vs. left-handed pitching. It’s time to change that, and it’s a good year to need a left fielder.
Here’s how I'd rank the options.
Seiya Suzuki: Strikes me as a right-handed Hideki Matsui, with a chance to also play center field. I’m all in, even if there hasn’t been any Suzuki-to-Philly buzz.
Kyle Schwarber: The best blend of power and selectivity. Plus, he’s a baseball rat who can change the culture of this team with his personality and presence. If you like sluggers hitting tanks into the upper deck, Schwarber is your guy. Can hit leadoff or in the middle of the order.
Kris Bryant: Great in theory, but declining defensively and owns an OPS under .800 over the last two seasons. We know he’d be atop Bryce Harper’s rankings.
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Michael Conforto: The lefty slugger had a rough 2021 (.729 OPS, 101 OPS+), but don’t let that distract from how good he was (97 HR, 134 OPS+) from 2017-2020. Could come at a discount and shorter-term deal. Will play 2022 at age 29. Has raked (.924 OPS) at Citizens Bank Park.
Nick Castellanos: The best hitter (.309/.362/.576) on this list, but by far the worst defender. May have to be a full-time DH soon. A case could be made to have him at the top of my rankings, but defense and lack of selectivity make me question how he’ll age. Dave Dombrowski picked him in Detroit, so a connection is there.
2. Call the A’s and make a bold trade offer: Prior to the lockout, the Athletics loomed as a team that could have a major sell off and start a full rebuild. If that’s still the case, Dombrowski should jump at the chance to make an offer for third baseman Matt Chapman and/or center fielder Ramon Laureano.
3. Find bullpen help: Corey Knebel was a nice move, but far from enough. Right now, the Phillies bullpen feels (predictably) short. Even if you have hope for Connor Brogdon and Jose Alvarado, there’s still major question marks with arms like Bailey Falter, Seranthony Dominguez, Hans Crouse and Sam Coorod. Two names to watch: Daniel Norris (Dombrowski connection from Detroit) and Collin McCugh (still really good).
4. Add rotation depth: The Phillies will likely tout their rotation as a strength entering the season, but let’s not pretend there aren’t reasons for concern. Zach Eflin is coming off knee surgery, and didn’t have a normal offseason to rehab at the team facility. Ranger Suarez is currently having a visa issue, and may be delayed coming into an already delayed camp. Aaron Nola had a down year in 2021. Zach Wheeler pitched a ton of innings. Kyle Gibson (5.09 ERA) was underwhelming after being traded to a team with a poor infield defense. Help is needed, if for nothing else than depth. Two veteran arms to target: Johnny Cueto and Matthew Boyd
5. Bring in a winner: I’ve long thought the Phillies have no idea how to win. Scroll through the list of players with the most career games without a postseason trip and it’ll feel like you clicked on the Phillies roster. My idea to help get this team over the hump, bring a winners mentality into the clubhouse and help out (in center field and left field) as a platoon guy: Brett Gardner. He was one of Joe Girardi’s guys in New York, and may finally be out of a job with the Yankees. He’d come cheap, and could platoon with Matt Vierling in center field if a better option doesn’t arrive.