For Philadelphia Phillies fans hoping for some kind of Christmas miracle in terms of a boost to their team’s roster, Friday’s news provided a lump of coal for their stockings.
According to Bob Nightengale, MLB insider for USA Today, the Phillies may be in for a quiet winter ahead.
The news comes after an offseason where the National League East division rival New York Mets have dominated the news, signing Juan Soto to an MLB-record deal and signing pitchers Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning in an effort to boost the rotation.
The Phillies, by the way, lost to the Mets in the NL Division Series to end their 2024 campaign, just days after winning their first division title since 2011.
Another potential option for the Phillies to add to their roster was joining in the league-wide pursuit of Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who is expected to sign with an MLB team after being posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball. However, Dave Dombrowski, Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations, also mentioned that the Phillies have not made an in-person presentation to Sasaki yet. The news comes as the 23-year-old right-hander reportedly met with the Chicago Cubs on Friday in Los Angeles.
While the Phillies may not sign one of the top free agents still left on the market, Philadelphia could still shake up its roster via trade. Third baseman Alec Bohm has been the centerpiece of several trade rumors this offseason. Nightengale has also said earlier this offseason that the Phillies “are listening” if a team were to inquire about Bohm or outfielders Nick Castellanos or Brandon Marsh.
Adding a back-end starter may not be the gift Phillies fans are hoping to get this holiday season, but that may be the biggest present they find under the tree unless Dombrowski changes course.
