The Philadelphia Phillies have three clear building blocks in their starting rotation, and will look to add a veteran presence this offseason as they continue their rebuild.
After a remarkably solid start to the season saw them in contention in mid-June, the Philadelphia Phillies front office seems committed to shaping the outline of a contender this offseason.
With Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez and Jake Thompson all showing flashes of their immense potential this season, the Phillies rotation figures to be set. Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported that general manager Matt Klentak and manager Pete Mackanin are both in agreement on the Phillies’ needs this offseason.
While Mackanin discussed the need to add a bat to the Phillies lineup, which currently ranks last in runs scored in MLB, Klentak reaffirmed the organization’s stance to building around starting pitching.
"“Starting pitching is the name of the game. We saw it for the first month or two of the year. Every night we were pitching. Our starters were performing. The back of our bullpen was performing. We were competitive almost every night,” Klentak said via Salisbury. “At times, throughout the rest of the season, we’ve sputtered along. We’ve had our good stretches and we’ve had some not-so-good stretches. But if you can dictate the pace of the game on the mound, you always have a chance to win. We’re never going to ignore that.”"
However, that doesn’t mean the team will target big name free agents. Instead, the Phillies will likely opt to sign players like Jeremy Hellickson – who had lost value with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season but has pitching admirably this season. With Hellickson likely to sign elsewhere, Philadelphia would be well served to make a similar signing.
“How strongly we invest in it is going to depend, No. 1, on the types of players that are available and, No. 2., on where the organization is at that moment,” Klentak said.
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Having a veteran option would benefit the team’s young starters as they look to build up consistency. Nola started the season on a hot streak, but cooled down soon after and ended his year with a 4.78 ERA – although his 9.85 K/9 and 3.08 FIP were much more telling of his effectiveness. Velasquez, who was shut down in early September on an innings limit, experienced a similar decline – and finished the year with a 4.12 ERA, 10.44 K/9 and 3.09 BB/9.
Meanwhile, top prospect Jake Thompson owns an unsightly 5.70 ERA and 6.06 FIP in 10 major league starts. With Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher pitching well, the Phillies at the very least have five in-house options for the rotation next season.
But if they hope to develop their young pitchers, a veteran arm may be essential. A lackluster free agent class this year may be disappointing for some seasons, but many of the players are prime candidates to sign with the Phillies and jump-start their careers.
Arguably the three most logical candidates for the Phillies to sign are Mat Latos, Andrew Cashner and Jhoylis Chacin. While they’re far from studs, each have the potential to provide some sort of value to Philadelphia.
If Latos were to sign with Philadelphia, it would signal a dramatic turning point in his rocky career. The 28-year-old has pitched for five teams in the past two seasons, and has been a near disaster at every stop along the way. This season while pitching for the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals, the righty has compiled a 4.96 ERA and a 5.40 FIP in 69 innings. Signing to a low pressure role in Philadelphia could be exactly the spark Latos needs to get his confidence back.
Whereas Latos is a very realistic candidate, Cashner is a bit of a dream. The 30-year-old hasn’t been horrible with the San Diego Padres or Miami Marlins this season, but he has yet to flash the skills he displayed so consistently in 2014. If Cashner signed with Philadelphia, he’d have a chance to take control of a staff for the first time in his career – and regain value in his name.
The same goes for Chacin, who is in the midst of pitching his first full season since 2013. Chacin was at one point a borderline ace for the Colorado Rockies, and pitching in another low-pressure environment could be beneficial to his confidence.
However, if the Phils can’t find a perfect fit, they’ll likely target a relief pitcher. Drew Storen is an option, as he was a disaster with the Toronto Blue Jays but has slowly regained value with the Seattle Mariners.
Next: Phils' Eickhoff Has Strong 2016 Season
The Phillies are in an envious position with the strength of their farm system, and adding a veteran this offseason will only boost their stock entering 2017.