The Philadelphia Phillies were the lowest seed in the 2022 MLB Postseason, but they shocked everyone and advanced to the World Series, and grabbed their first NL pennant since 2009. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Rhys Hoskins were the catalysts along with the excellent pitching of Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler. As they shift their focus to free agency, they are looking to make an immense splash by signing players like Trea Turner or Carlos Correa.
Their starting pitching is terrific, and their bullpen silenced the doubters with their stellar showing in the postseason. There are some holes they can upgrade at that position, but there are also other positions on the field that could be bolstered and have a bigger impact in their hopes of continuing to become a legitimate threat in the National League. As the signings are starting to percolate, these are some names Philadelphia must avoid in free agency.
Cody Bellinger
Many MLB pundits have been slightly surprised that the Los Angeles Dodgers decided not to tender Cody Bellinger’s contract which forces him to test the waters. A former NL MVP who has struggled with injuries and inefficiencies with the bat, the Dodgers felt he was not worth the money he was going to receive if they went into arbitration.
There is no doubt Bellinger’s talent is still an All-Star caliber, but he needs to search for his rhythm and confidence before teams will be ready to sign him again to long and massive deals. His agent Scott Boras will likely aspire for a significant bag, but it seems tough for Bellinger to have many suitors. Philadelphia does need to upgrade their centerfield depth, but Cody Bellinger is not the answer for their squad.
Aroldis Chapman
It was previously mentioned that the Phillies’ bullpen was a major concern heading into the postseason. Some may argue they were lucky with some gems thrown by their relievers, but the next step is being consistent and building a culture with their bullpen. A name they must not consider in free agency despite his glaring talent is New York Yankees lefty Aroldis Chapman.
Jose Alvarado is currently the only lefty from the ‘pen who was tasked to face guys like Yordan Alvarez in the postseason. Aroldis Chapman has the high punch-out rate and arguably the fastest fastball in the MLB, but he has openly struggled with his control over the past couple of seasons. Additionally, he has been having off-field issues, which does not set a great example for the youthful bunch of Philadelphia.
Joey Gallo
The power of the Phillies was elite in the postseason as they combined for 24 homers with six each from their top three players. The front office may decide to add more power hitters and invest in those kinds of players, but adding Joey Gallo is not the brilliant way of doing so. Gallo has proven to excel in a Texas Rangers uniform, but that was from the same in his last two stints with the Yankees and Dodgers.
Joey Gallo has a high-risk, high-reward approach because he is not a contact hitter and relies a ton on pulling the ball to hit it out of the park. That approach has hindered his growth as a better and possibly also the primary reason why he has been struggling with big markets like New York and Los Angeles. Philadelphia fans are no different with their frank remarks and brutal honesty, so it seems that Gallo will fit better in another city, while the Phillies must add more contact hitters like Andrew Benintendi or AJ Pollock.
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