Phillies free agents seeking contracts with Angels, but not a good sign for the bullpen
With Robert Stephenson signing with the Angels, the Phillies may have missed an opportunity to add a top-notch arm to their bullpen this offseason.
The Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of being left in a dangerous situation when it comes to signing a top free agent relief pitcher this offseason.
First up is Jordan Hicks, the fireball player.
He resigned from the board on Thursday and signed a four-year, $44 million contract as San Francisco’s starter.
Following that, on Friday, the best of the best, Josh Hader, agreed to a five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros.
The Hader news was followed hours later by the news that Robert Stevenson had decided to join the Los Angeles Angels on a three-year, $33 million contract.
Why was the rumored signing of Stevenson so disappointing for Phillies fans?
The talented right-hander was one of the few players, let alone a backup, that teams formally expressed interest in this offseason.
On Thursday, the day before Hader and Stevenson signed, MLB Network’s John Morosi confirmed that the Phillies are one of the teams interested in Stevenson.
Other than the well-publicized and surprising draft of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, there hasn’t been much actual confirmed news from the Phillies camp regarding this winter’s moves.
Thanks to Stevenson, the Phillies had the opportunity to use one of the best relievers in the game last season.
His $11 million annual salary would have made him the highest-paid player in the Phillies’ bullpen.
Currently, Jose Alvarado is at the top of the list, with an annual salary of $9.
02 million in 2024.
But if the front office was serious about adding another late-game weapon to the relief corps, it might have been worth spending a few seasons’ worth of money during the team’s competitive period.
Stephenson put it all together in Tampa Bay last year
Stephenson is a former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds and has talent and pedigree.
But he entered the 2023 season with a 4.
90 ERA and 1.
41 WHIP after starting his career as a pitcher for seven seasons in Cincinnati and Colorado, two of the most hitter-friendly environments.
It changed the fate of his right-hand man.
The Rays, known for producing some of the best pitchers, turned Stevenson into an unstoppable machine.
Over the final four months of last season, the 30-year-old pitched 38 1/3 innings with Tampa, posting a 2.
35 ERA and 0.
68 WHIP.
He posted a career-best 14.
09 K/9, a 42.
9 percent strikeout rate, and a career-best 1.
88 BB/9.
It wasn’t just luck.
His opponents average of .
136 and his BABIP of .
194 are backed up by his xFIP of 2.
26 and his SIERA of 1.
78.
Stevenson was probably the best reliever in baseball for four months last year.
Phillies still have options, but the top tier is gone
But that doesn’t mean you can’t still get your hands on a weapon.
While many free agents are still looking for work ahead of next season, we may have just seen a top reliever leave within days in the last week.
The Phillies could add another arm as they still have names like Aroldis Chapman, Hector Neris, Matt Moore and Wandy Peralta.
But all four of his players are over 35, and that’s not a sustainable approach.
Of the top 10 relievers remaining on the board based on 2023 WAR, only one is under the age of 35, according to MLB.com.
Now, Stevenson will likely be the Angels’ save leader in 2024, and the Phillies could add depth to their bullpen, but they missed out on a highly effective late-inning relief option.
