From the official website of the Phillies.
For the right price, I could see bringing either or both back. I expect they non-tender Herrera, so both would be free agent signings if brought back. Don't know what to expect this off season and what salary range either of them might be able to get on the open market.
I imagine those are both guys that will remain unsigned if it is a slow market/lockout. Cutch needs the DH to become official too. Honestly I want nothing to do with him if he still sees himself as an everyday player (let alone wants to be paid like one) but if he finds nobody is offering that I'm sure he'd be interested (but might also have better options).
Cutch seems like a great guy in a lot of ways. I'm glad he's on the team. I didn't know anything about him before he joined the Phils, and I've enjoyed what I've seen of him. He crushed lefties in 2021 but otherwise didn't put up very good numbers. His defense is just OK. How much should the Phils pay for a RH power bat in a reserve role, and can they afford to use a roster spot on a player like that?
I'm sure Cutch would enjoy going home, but he's also probably ring-chasing. Unless a team does offer him eight figures and a starting role, which seems unlikely.
The question then is, are the Phillies a team he can ring-chase with?
Depends if the Phillies have a contract with cracker jack and if cracker jack still puts rings in the boxes
The buyout shouldn't enter into the discussion. It is a sunk cost, whatever direction the team takes. The only real questions are 1)does his value match or exceed the likely arb salary and 2) what are the odds they can re-sign him for significantly less than arb amount
Well sure it's a sunk cost but his projected arbitration award is a tick higher than his option (11.6 million to $11.5 million), and that's without the buyout. I think if they really wanted him on the team they would have exercised it. Now their only shot is to say, "listen, we've stuck by you, you don't want to deal with the drama of going to a new market and we've already paid you $2.5 million. Sign this $6 million deal with incentives or we're going to non-tender you, and good luck beating that in free agency."
Keith Law Top 50 free agents:
No predictions or team specifics. He loves Correa more than Seager for the defense. Things Marte (13) is a $20 million player. Schwarber 20th and Conforto right behind him as we look at LF bats. Iglesias the top closer (31) in a thin field of closers. Jansen (35), Kimbrel (39). Cutch at 43 and no Hector on the list.
I realize there is no shot and a first baseman is the last thing they need, but Freddie Freeman might be just as impactful on the Phillies as anyone else they could go after for his ability and presence to make some clubhouse culture improvements.
For whatever reason it feels like the narrative has turned towards the possibility that he won't though. Maybe that's because of the World Series win - if he left now nobody would really begrudge. And in the modern game nobody would also blame the Braves if they didn't want overpay.
Would you really want the Phillies to, even? A 32 year-old, $22-25 million AAV player, would you go four years?
If Freeman doesn't get 140 million+ I'd be shocked. I know he'll go back to the Braves, but I wouldn't mind running up the price on them.
Remains to be seen if we are even players at the top of the market, the way DD is talking. But if so, it's surely for other players/positions.
I suppose the MLBTR free agent predictions will be coming shortly. Always a good read, more for the $ than the teams.
The issue with Freeman to the phils (besides the money) is the fact that both Harper and Freeman are left handers. I assume you trade Rhys if you sign Freeman. Is JT an impactful enough RH bat to put between them? Especially if hes only in there 130 games?
If you could move Rhys to DH and keep him.. a lineup of Segura, JT, Freeman, Hoskins, Harper, Bohm, Didi, LF, CF would be pretty good.. but you really need that DH spot to rotate Harper, Realmuto etc
The Phillies have hired Anthony Contreras as their new triple A manager, farm director Preston Mattingly said. Contreras has managed since 2014 in San Diego's minor-league system and Mattingly was hired in Sept. from the Padres.
— Matt Breen ( @matt_breen ) November 5, 2021
Source confirms: Superstar outfielder Seiya Suzuki will be available to @MLB teams through the posting process. The 27-year-old will immediately become one of the top outfielders available this winter. Here's my story. @MLBNetwork 6https://t.co/Fb1QWVdokO6
— Jon Morosi ( @jonmorosi ) November 5, 2021
Phillies announce they have picked up LHP Ryan Sherriff off waivers from Tampa Bay.
— Jim Salisbury ( @JSalisburyNBCS ) November 5, 2021
There is a lot to like in his profile. We could do worse replacing Cutch. I just wonder if $15 million a year is enough (plus posting fees). More walks than strikeouts in recent years and will only be 27 next year, so we would really be depending on scouts to tell us if he can handle the higher velocity in the U.S.
I still think we should get a bat for LF and cut/paste in CF with inexpensive defensive players.
