The Phillies wasted little time in making a splash a year ago at baseball’s Winter Meetings, agreeing to a $300 million contract with Trea Turner on the first full day in San Diego.
A year later, the hub of activity is in Nashville, and any splash made by the Phillies would qualify as at least a mild surprise.
The Phillies got their heaviest lift out of the way before Thanksgiving, signing free agent Aaron Nola to a seven-year contract worth $172 million. Nola was their top offseason priority because of the void his departure would have created in the rotation. Filling 200 quality innings isn’t easy or cheap.
While re-signing a player who’s been in the organization for a decade doesn’t typically conjure the same sort of buzz as bringing in an All-Star from out of town, Nola could very well be the Phillies’ “big move” this offseason. If that’s the case, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said twice since the season ended that he feels the Phillies as currently constructed can contend for the World Series again in 2024.
It doesn’t mean they won’t listen. It doesn’t mean they won’t explore opportunities. Dombrowski is often proactive in trying to fill holes before they fully present themselves.
He also gave a straightforward analysis after the Phillies’ stunning NLCS collapse to the Diamondbacks that the team needs to chase fewer pitches, and exhibit better plate selection.
It doesn’t mean they won’t listen. It doesn’t mean they won’t explore opportunities. Dombrowski is often proactive in trying to fill holes before they fully present themselves. He also gave a straightforward analysis after the Phillies’ stunning NLCS collapse to the Diamondbacks that the team needs to chase fewer pitches, and exhibit better plate selection.
It just so happens that the player who controls plate appearances as well as anyone in the game, Juan Soto, is on the trade market.
Soto has drawn plenty of interest. The Yankees and Blue Jays have already been connected to him, though the reporting to this point has indicated a gap in negotiations with the Padres. Soto is a free agent after the season and is likely to earn a 2024 salary north of $30 million as he goes through the arbitration process for the final time
