The Offseason

1. Signed relief pitcher Jordan Romano as a free agent. According to published reports, Romano, a righthander, signed a deal for one year and $8.5 million. 
   Looking at the addition: Romano was non-tendered by the Toronto Blue Jays after an injury-plagued 2023 season that ended with him undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow.  If healthy, this is a potential low-risk, high-reward move. Prior to last year, Romano, who turns 32 in April, recorded a 2.29 ERA with 250 strikeouts and 75 walks in 200 innings in the previous four seasons. He averaged 24 saves in those four seasons. If healthy, he will certainly be a closer candidate.
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3. Signed free agent outfielder Max Kepler from the Minnesota Twins for a reported one-year $10 million deal. 
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   Looking at the addition: Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says he expects Kepler to be the starting leftfielder even though he has played mainly rightfield his entire career.  A German native, Kepler turns 32 in February. The Phillies probably would have preferred a righthanded hitter, but more importantly is if Kepler can stay healthy. Injuries limited him to 399 plate appearances last year when he hit .253/.302/.380 with eight home runs and 42 RBI. Those numbers wouldn’t be acceptable this year for the Phillies. 
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5. Phillies acquire lefthander Jesús Luzardo and catcher Paul McIntosh from the Miami Marlins for leftfielder Emaarion Boyd and shortstop Starlyn Caba. 
   Looking at the recent additions: Like the other two players acquired by the Phillies, there is a recent injury to overcome for Luzardo.  The 27-year-old lefthander looked like a strong No. 2 pitcher in 2023 when he had a 3.58 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 178 2/3 innings. He was limited to 12 starts last season due to elbow tightness and then a lumbar stress reaction. If healthy, he adds depth to the Phillies rotation that now lines up with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez in addition to Luzardo. That doesn’t count top prospect Andrew Painter who missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won’t be pitching until the second half of the season as the Phillies will monitor his innings.  In addition, righthander Taijuan Walker still has two years and $36 million left on his contract. If the Phillies trade Walker, they would likely have to pay for a large majority of his salary. If Luzardo ends up the fifth starter, he would be one of, if not the best No. 5 starter in MLB.  McIntosh is a 27-year-old career minor leaguer who hit .246/.340/.385 for Double-A Pensacola. Caba, who turned 19 on Dec. 6, was the No. 4 Phillies prospect according to MLB.com. Boyd, an 11th round draft pick in 2022, hit .239/.317/.331 for high-A Jersey Shore. If Luzardo is healthy, this will well be worth the trade.
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7. Phillies sign righthander Joe Ross to a one-year, $4 million deal. 
   Looking at the recent addition: Ross, who turns 32 in May, served as both a starter and reliever last year for Milwaukee. He made 25 appearances, including 10 starts last season and was 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA. Ross had 66 strikeouts in 75 innings. In 126 career games, he has made 86 starts. Ross adds depth in case there is an injury to the starting rotation, but barring injuries, will likely be slated to the bullpen. 

Author: Marc Narducci