The Philadelphia Phillies were reportedly in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With that decision being made, it’s possible that the Phillies could be interested in signing someone else. While they won’t have an option to sign someone of Yamamoto’s talent, there are arms out there who could make Philadelphia a better team. Jon Heyman of the NY Post says the Phillies are in play for starters Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell.
“The Phillies made a real attempt for Yamamoto — their presentation drew praise — and, with a recent history of smart free-agency plays, remain in play to sign another top free-agent starter, including Montgomery and Snell.” Snell, the Cy Young winner in the 2023 season, could be what the team’s missing heading into 2024. Philadelphia finds themselves in a great spot, but after the moves that the Dodgers made, they could try to make any possible move that makes their team better. In the 2023 season, Snell posted an ERA of 2.25, a WHIP of 1.19, and struck out 234 batter. The 99 walks, the most of his career by far, were a major concern for Snell. Allowing free bases is normally not a recipe for success.
The star lefty constantly found ways to get himself out of trouble last year. Based on his history, he likely won’t walk that many batters again, but if he does, it’s tough to imagine that he can prevent runs the way he did in 2023. Montgomery, a 2023 World Series champion, played a huge role in the Texas Rangers’ success last season. He posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and struck out 166 in 188 2/3 innings with the Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals. During the postseason, Montgomery posted a 3-1 record and an ERA of 2.90 in 31 innings. Both of these players would slot into the top-of-the-rotation alongside Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. This would give them one of the best rotations in baseball that could compete with anyone in the league.
