That would actually be a really good thing. The Romano of 21-23, had a 2.37 ERA from 9th-lowest in all of baseball His 95 saves were 4th in that span. If he is 90% of that he is a good signing. Just hope he is healthy. Gelb said the Phillies are not done in the bullpen so I think he is one of a couple. The question is will the others be Hoffman or Estevez or someone else. Hoffman is being looked at as a starter by some and that could change if he comes back here.
Salisbury tweeted that it was right at the $7.75 million projection though no real confirmation yet. I would welcome if part of that was for a second year option at a larger amount.
Article does not mention a figure, only that it is a one year deal. Toronto could have kept him at $8M, but declined. Perhaps the Phillies are paying him near that. It is strange the article did not state what it is.
It just takes time for the $ figure to leak usually. But I was thinking it would be lower. This is the equivalent of another team just going ahead and paying Austin Hays the same amount he would have gotten in arb (and maybe someone will, who knows).
I wonder if they're hot after Williams or still hoping for Helsley (or Pressley if the Astros pay some of the salary). I can't really see them spending $20-21 million on the bullpen in free agency, unless they trade Alvarado. Otherwise, probably another $4-8 million guy.
If I were DD, I’d be all over signing Fried. He’s as good of a pitcher as there is out there to be had. An established lefty. I’d rather dump crazy money on Fried than ditching assets on a pitcher with a history of arm injuries or a Japanese pitcher. Plus he’d be taken away from the Braves. Wheeler/Fried/Nola/Sanchez/Painter would be the best rotation in baseball.
Well, I think we are getting pretty clear indications (from reporting, speculation and action) that the Phillies do not intend to exceed the next threshold, which means they can't afford a top free agent closer or a high-end free agent SP (or outfielder for that matter). Thus the interest in guys like Crochet or the Seattle pitchers where there is more youth and cost control, or in seeing what else they can get via trade. That thinking probably also further explains their lack of interest in extending Suarez. If they can acquire a controllable pitcher or sign Sasaki then they have that person and Painter next year.
Does anyone here think the Phillies have a serious chance of winning the World Series in 2025? If not, do you think the Phillies can improve the team through trades or free-agent signings enough to put them over the top to win the World Series? If not, I believe making trades and free-agent signings doesn't make sense. I think they should be heavily invested in the future because I don't think this group of players will be able to do it.
You are asking the wrong question. Its do you think they can make the playoffs. Once the playoffs start its a crapshoot. I still dont believe the Mets were the better team this year.. they were just better in that 4 game set.
We probably have something like a 75% chance to make the playoffs next year as it stands. 5%-10% likely to win it all, but most teams will be below 10% when entering the playoffs. Even getting a bye does not get a team much more than a 10%-15% chance to win it all.
DD's strategy is to keep those chances alive and not make the team too much older. He may trade some prospects for a 27-year-old with only a year or two of control, but that is a better option than a long term deal for a free agent in their 30s.
Sure hope their Doctors know their stuff if they're paying $7.75M coming off an elbow injury.
That's not that far what he'd cost if healthy ($10-12M?).
Wonder if there's an out if he comes up lame?
Their odds will probably be low because of the division competition, but back of the napkin right now I would probably power rank teams as
Dodgers
Mets, Phillies, Braves (Braves record might be down again, but if Strider and Acuna are back late they will be dangerous)
Padres
Yankees, Orioles
So the answer is, a more serious chance than 26 other teams. They absolute could beat any of those other teams in a postseason series.
The chase issues were overstated. Mets chased more than Phillies in that series even. They are still very much a contender and it doesn't matter if they are 6th, 4th or 2nd. Though you do go bigger if you think it's important to in the division and/or the NL, even if the Dodgers were the first team of three to turn that into a ring.
Lauber's column today saying they won't go over happened after the Soto signing. I don't know that I agree with the approach, and for sure, things can change. But adding Fried (or any pitcher) still only makes you better if Ranger gets you something significant too.
It depends upon how you define "serious chance". There is nothing the Phillies can do this off-season to be as good as the Dodgers. Yet, that doesn't mean they can't get to and win the WS. The 2008 team, which won the WS, wasn't the best NL team and was also inferior to the Phillies own 2009, 2010, and 2011 teams. The 2022 Phillies reached the WS but were at best the third best NL team that year. The Phillies 2023 and 2024 teams were improved but performed progressively worse in post-season. Any team that reaches post-season, has a realistic chance of reaching and winning the WS. It seems that the WS is seldom won, in recent years, by the best team in baseball. The Phillies, in particular, have had little success in achieving a championship by loading up a team which had done well and reached the WS or League Championship the prior year More typically downhill from there. The Phillies could not upgrade this winter and still have at least as good a chance of reaching/winning the WS as the 2008 and 2022 teams did. Or, they could miss the playoffs, as the 2012 team did. Looking to give an aging team one last chance and edge seems iffy and a strong possibility to hobble the team's intermediate future.
Wheeler and Nola aren’t getting any younger. The organization will need established pitching to replace them in two or so years. Signing a guy like Fried would keep the back of the rotation strong when those two guys step aside as the leaders. Defense and pitching wins and you can never have enough pitching.
Agree, but pitching is still the strength of this club. And hitting no longer is. A better use of the $ maybe given the OF choices are underwhelming, but everything you say about Fried would be true of Crochet or Logan Gilbert or Suarez. Fried's had his own issues and he's not that much younger than Nola.
