3 Starting Pitcher have been Targeted For Philadelphia Phillies who are Eager to Join Squad
After the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed Aaron Nola to a massive contract that likely keeps him with the team through the remainder of his career, there was little conversation about them going after other high-profile free agents left on the market.
Until the report came out that they were not only pursuing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but that they had offered him an aggressive contract
This came on the heels of Dave Dombrowski saying their starting rotation was set with five pitchers penciled in for Opening Day.
Maybe after the pursuit of Yamamoto ended with nothing, they are ready to shut down their chase of adding other players.
But maybe Dombrowski is still looking for upgrades like he has done since taking over this role with the Phillies.
If the front office wants to add another starter, here are three targets they could go after.
Framber Valdez
It was surprising when reports circulated that the Houston Astros are taking phone calls on their ace. After all, Framber Valdez has been one of their best pitchers and has had a major role during their playoff success.
If this trade package is all it would take to land the left-hander, then Philadelphia should jump at this opportunity with no hesitation.
Logan Gilbert
The Seattle Mariners might look for a massive return to trade Logan Gilbert, but they also are in desperate need of hitters to help out their roster right now and in the future. The Phillies could put together a package of prospects to land the righty that has four years of affordable club control remaining before hitting free agency.
His career ERA of 3.76 across 88 starts and back-to-back seasons of a sub-four ERA suggests that he’s continuing to get better in his young career. He could be a great back-end pitcher with Philadelphia for years to come.
Shane Bieber
This would be more of a one-year type of addition for the Phillies. Shane Bieber is hitting free agency after this year and his production has continued to decline since he won the AL Cy Young in 2020. However, he still is a top starter in the MLB, posting an ERA+ of 110 in 2023 with a season-long ERA of 3.80 in 21 starts. Bieber would improve this rotation in 2024.
