Philadelphia Phillies: Targeting Free Agent Pitcher Chris Tillman

The Philadelphia Phillies may look nearly ready to compete, but that doesn’t mean they should completely avoid reclamation projects. One such experiment they should consider for 2018 would involve signing free agent pitcher Chris Tillman.

Clay Buchholz, Aaron Harang, Chad Billingsley, and a few other seasoned veterans have joined the Philadelphia Phillies in recent years hoping to revitalize their career. Many have failed, including those three listed above.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Insanity is also completely tearing down a ball club and fielding multiple last place teams over a short span. It worked with the Houston Astros so why wouldn’t it with the Phillies?

Back to the point, the Phillies shouldn’t shy away from adding pitchers in need of a home. One they must look at is free agent pitcher Chris Tillman.

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After nine years with the Baltimore Orioles, Tillman enters this offseason as a baseball nomad. The timing couldn’t have been worse as he unfortunately put together a horrific 2017.

Held back by injuries, Tillman went 1-7 with a 7.84 ERA through 19 starts and five relief appearances for the Orioles. For the first time since 2012, Tillman failed to reach the 30 start mark. More disappointing, his workhorse status may have been tainted. Eating innings had always been a weapon of his. Tillman’s failure to reach 100 innings with 19 starts and a few relief appearances is not good for his free agent stock.

Not many teams will call Tillman early on this winter. His dreadful 2017 campaign is too fresh for anything more than a one-year deal. This is where the Phillies come in.

Philadelphia doesn’t have a semblance of a rotation next year. Beyond Aaron Nola, there are four spots just about anyone can win. A strong showing in Spring Training, Tillman can win an opportunity to rebound with the Phillies in his age 30 season.

Tillman is hardly an ideal American League pitcher. He doesn’t strike out many batters and tends to allow too many walks. It’s very possible his success in Baltimore was thanks to great defense behind him. When Manny Machado is your third baseman, you’re going to get bailed out often.

We won’t know for sure how much Tillman has left until someone gives him a shot. It’s also impossible to fully know why he did so well. The Phillies, while still building, are a destination for Tillman to show off his talents. Not many competitive teams will have 200 innings available to pitch. The Phillies do.

The Phillies’ rotation in 2018 doesn’t need to go strictly toward signing big names or settling for one-year deals. They can mix it up. Signing Yu Darvish or a more reasonably priced Alex Cobb and agreeing to a deal with Tillman is logical. Teams need fifth starters just as much as they need an ace. The argument that he’d steal innings from young pitchers doesn’t work well here are there are three other spots and a bullpen to give them their hours.

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Tillman, like many others before him, just needs someone to show a little faith in him. The Phillies have the funds to afford him and the opportunity to win him over if things go well. Since they’ll need at least one veteran to pitch every fifth day in some capacity, why not dedicate it to an American League East survivor with an impressive track record?