The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a wild offseason period. Much of that time was focused on striking deals with Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto to keep them in Philly.
They were able to do that, but that was not all the front office focused on. They also bolstered the bullpen by signing Brad Keller, Jonathan Bowlan, Kyle Backhus, and Zach Pop while acquiring OF Adolis Garcia.
However, they were not able to re-sign Ranger Suiarez. He signed a deal with the Boston Red Sox, and the club still has yet to sign a starting pitcher.
Phillies are a perfect landing spot for one of the top remaining free agent pitchers
It is not just Suarez that the club will be without. To start the season, they will also be without Zack Wheeler as he continues to recover from the surgery he had in September to fix venous thoracic outlet syndrome and a related blood clot, and is not expected to be ready to go until late April or early May.
Needing someone to bridge the gap between the start of the season and until Wheeler can return, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter suggests they could be a perfect match for Lucas Giolito, who still sits on the open market.
“As the roster currently stands, the Phillies have essentially put all their eggs in the Andrew Painter basket to fill the No. 5 starter job, unless non-roster invitees Bryse Wilson and Tucker Davidson make a surprise roster push. That makes them one of the few logical fits for Lucas Giolito, who is still searching for a new home in free agency after posting a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings for the Red Sox last year.”
There are only a few choices left sitting on the open market, and Giolito is arguably the best arm available. He is coming off a season where he returned to form, posting a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA across 145 innings of work.
