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After falling a little short of a championship in 2022, what are some Phillies’ offseason predictions ahead of the 2023 season?
One would assume the franchise would be hungry to make some bold moves in order to get over the hump after coming so close. But what are the Phillies’ offseason plans?
Phillies offseason predictions in 2022-23
One of the easiest Phillies’ offseason predictions to make is that they won’t be passive. They know that they’re close but they also know that competing with the Braves and Mets in the NL East won’t be easy either.
Let’s put ourselves in their shoes and try to figure out the Phillies’ free agent targets and the players available via trade the Phillies could pursue this winter. Here are five somewhat bold Phillies offseason predictions.
Phillies sign Xander Bogaerts
With all due respect to Bryson Stott, the Phillies need to set their sights on a shortstop this offseason. Most of the top Phillies free agent targets are likely to be shortstops with four big-time players at that position available in free agency this offseason.
Of course, the Phillies are far from the only team that’s going to be in hot pursuit of shortstops like Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, and Carlos Correa. The offseason could turn into a game of shortstop musical chairs that the Phillies don’t want to lose.
But much like the Phillies were aggressive in going after Bryce Harper a few years ago, they won’t take no for an answer when it comes to Bogaerts, who figures to be the most likely option for Philadelphia with the Dodgers and Braves likely to focus on re-signing Turner and Swanson, respectively.
Bogaerts is unlikely to return to Boston, meaning he’ll likely be available to the highest bidder, and the Phillies will be determined to make sure they end up being the highest bidder. Bogaerts will supply steady defense at shortstop while also giving the Phillies an impact right-handed bat in the middle of the order to complement Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Multiple relief pitchers given multi-year deals
The Philadelphia bullpen was a concern throughout the 2022 season. One might say that the Phillies reached the World Series despite their bullpen rather than because of their bullpen. With so many off days during the postseason, the Phillies were able to keep their top receivers fresh.
But they must know that they’re going to need to rebuild their bullpen this offseason. Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado are set to return, but the Phillies are lacking depth beyond those two relievers.
Unfortunately, building a quality bullpen isn’t easy or cheap. To make sure they get the arms they need, the Phillies are likely going to have to offer multi-year deals to win over the quality relievers available this winter. The likes of Taylor Rogers, Carlos Estevez, Adam Ottavino, David Robertson, and swingman Ross Stripling are all relief pitchers who will be on Philadelphia’s radar.
The Phillies are likely to throw long-term, lucrative deals at a couple of those pitchers to help put together a more reliable bullpen than the one they had in 2022.
Phillies sign Tyler Anderson
The Phillies will undoubtedly need to add at least one starting pitcher this winter. While it’s fun to dream about pursuing top-flight starters like Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodon, that may not be in the cards for Philly.
Keep in mind shortstop could be a priority, as will the bullpen. Plus, with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola already leading the rotation and the emergence of Ranger Suarez, the Phillies may not need to spend big on a starting pitcher.
That should lead them right toward Tyler Anderson, who had a breakout season in 2022 but doesn’t have the track record of a starter who will cost a small fortune. The lefty will be 33 at the start of the 2023 season, which means the Phillies may not need to commit to a long-term deal.
Yet, after going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 2022, Anderson could be a strong number three starter in the Philly rotation if he can come anywhere close to replicating his performance from last season.
Phillies bring back Noah Syndergaard
In addition to adding Anderson, the Phillies will solidify their rotation by re-signing Noah Syndergaard. After acquiring him at the trade deadline, Syndergaard was 5-2 with a 4.12 ERA with the Phillies down the stretch, making two starts and two relief appearances in the postseason.
It’s hard to view Syndergaard as the same top-flight starter he was when he first got to the big leagues with the Mets. He won nine games as a rookie in 2015 before collecting 14 wins in 2016 and 13 wins in 2018.
His velocity in 2022 was down compared to those seasons, but his 3.94 ERA in 2022 is promising considering Syndergaard didn’t pitch in 2020 and made just two appearances in 2021. He’s still capable of returning to his old ways, although the Phillies will be happy to retain him if Syndergaard can continue to be a mid-rotation starter.
Phillies trade away Rhys Hoskins
In the biggest surprise of the offseason, the Phillies will trade Rhys Hoskins. With just one year left before he’s a free agent, it makes sense for the Phillies to shop Hoskins this winter. There’s no denying that Hoskins is not strong defensively, making him best suited to be the DH.
But with Harper dealing with an elbow problem and defensive liabilities like Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the Philadelphia outfield, there aren’t many at-bats in the DH spot for Hoskins.
In theory, the Phillies could trade Hoskins and move Alec Bohm to first base. That would give the Phillies the flexibility to find a cost-effective option at either first base or third base, perhaps one who can improve their woeful infield defense.
Even with just one year left on his contract, Hoskins should still have enough value on the trade market to help the Phillies acquire bullpen help or rotation depth. Meanwhile, the loss of Hoskins’ bat would be easier to handle if the Phillies indeed spend big on a shortstop this winter.
