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The Philadelphia Phillies will do everything possible to sign ace Zack Wheeler to an extension before opening day, and likely Bryce Harper, too. Yet, they will not make an offer to free agents Blake Snell or Josh Hader, believing that neither fit into their team. They will sit relatively pat, at least until the July 30 trade deadline, and then vow to do everything to end their World Series drought.
There is also the Phillies’ farm system, which carries several top pitching prospects, including Nick Abel and Griff McGarry. But their best prospect, Andrew Painter, won’t be ready until 2025 after he had Tommy John surgery last year. That could be the reason behind the reluctance to sign a player like Snell.
i has talked about “nibbling on the edges” of free agency since his team struck out on luring Japanese pitching phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the team.
On Sunday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale provided 10 predictions for the rest of free agency. One involved the Phillies.
To be fair, the Phillies have already made their big move of free agency, signing pitcher Aaron Nola to a new seven-year $172 million contract. That deal alone makes the Phillies the second-highest spending team in free agency so far. No. 1, of course, is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Yamamoto and have spent more than $1 billion in free agency.
While the Phillies hope to work out deals with their arbitration-eligible players this week and make some lower-level deals, Nightengale believes the Phillies are looking inward as pitchers and catchers preparing to report next month
The Philadelphia Phillies will do everything possible to sign ace Zack Wheeler to an extension before opening day, and likely Bryce Harper, too. Yet, they will not make an offer to free agents Blake Snell or Josh Hader, believing that neither fit into their team. They will sit relatively pat, at least until the July 30 trade deadline, and then vow to do everything to end their World Series drought.
There is also the Phillies’ farm system, which carries several top pitching prospects, including Nick Abel and Griff McGarry. But their best prospect, Andrew Painter, won’t be ready until 2025 after he had Tommy John surgery last year. That could be the reason behind the reluctance to sign a player like Snell
