Baseball Primer Newsblog— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Mookie Betts should still be playing RF. Bogaerts should have been locked up solid a while ago. The Phillies have “real interest” in free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts, reports the New York Post. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows Bogaerts from his time with the Red Sox and it was Dombrowski who signed Bogaerts to a six-year, $120 million extension in April 2019. Bogaerts opted out of the final three years of that contract this offseason.
Rookie shortstop Bryson Stott finished the regular season strong for the Phillies and he took impressive at-bats in the postseason. That said, there’s some thought Stott is a second baseman long-term. After declining Jean Segura’s $17 million club option, the Phillies could shift Stott to second and sign a top free agent shortstop, Bogaerts or otherwise. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Bogaerts the fifth-best free agent available.
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1. Textbook Editor Posted: November 13, 2022 at 02:26 PM (#6105378)Boo-hoo also!
Were I the Phillies, I'd be focusing on the best combination of offense + defense you can get for the $25-$30 million you're likely having to spend to get a top-tier SS, and I'm not sure Xander (or Correa) is the one I'd be focusing on.
All that said, the Phillies basically punted defense at like 6 positions this season and were 2 wins away from a WS win. Maybe defense is overrated in this environment. (Though I do wonder if in a non-shift environment defense will be more valued/valuable.)
I mean, nothing wrong with getting both if Xander will play 2B and the owners in Philly decide to keep up with the Cohen on spending. Then you can trade Stott for a RP or something.
The greater needs are CF and 3B. I'm not sold on Marsh on either O or D, and Bohm has been pretty bad at both for 2 years running. He's soon to be arb eligible, and 1B/DH are blocked, not that it really matters for a replacement-level bat-only guy (and they could open up a spot for 2024 by letting Hoskins walk, which they should).
If I'm the Phillies, I keep tabs on all the high-end shortstops, in case anyone is open to a short-term punt a la Correa last year. But my only target FA bats of real substance would be Justin Turner (starting 3B this year, 1B next) and maybe Brandon Nimmo (add to the OF mix). Wouldn't mind Segura back on a reasonable deal (e.g. 2/$15-18m like Schoop and Wong signed last year). There's room for another SP too, to beef up the rotation for 2023 and hedge against losing Nola after the season, or Wheeler after next season.
Segura 2/$16m
Turner 2/$32m + vesting 3rd year player option
Nimmo 5/$110m
Rodon 5/$140m
Stripling 2/$20m + vesting 3rd year player option
Bohm optioned to AAA to try to earn his way back into the 2024 plan
Man that guy really IS playing four-dimensional chess.
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