The Philadelphia Phillies season came to a crushing end, as they watched the Houston Astros win the World Series in Game 6 after beating them by a score of 4-1. After going up 2-1 in the series, Philadelphia's lineup went ice cold, and their pitching staff was unable to completely shut down the Astros lineup, resulting in them losing three straight games to close out their season.
This is a massively disappointing result for the Phillies, as they went on an absolute tear in the playoffs to reach the World Series. Remember, this is the same Phillies squad that barely qualified for the playoffs as the number six seed in the National League. All they ended up doing was sending the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres packing, while also being the only team to hand the Astros a loss in the playoffs.
Even with the disappointing result, it's clear Philadelphia is here to stay, and will be one of the top World Series contenders again come next season. If they want to make it back, though, they will have to make some big moves, so let's take a look at three moves the Phillies will have to make if they want to make it back to the World Series next season.
3. Extend SP Aaron Nola
The first order of business the Phillies should take involves securing one of the two members of their deadly starting duo. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola were unreal for Philadelphia in the playoffs, and the team would be wise to do what they can to keep them in town moving forward.
Wheeler still has two years left on his current deal, but Nola has just a team option for the 2023 season (which Philly will obviously exercise) before he reaches free agency next offseason. But quite frankly, the Phillies shouldn't even let it get there. They should focus on handing Nola an extension this offseason to ensure they will have him and Wheeler leading the way for at least the next two seasons.
Nola had a strong bounce back campaign in 2022 (11-13, 3.25 ERA, 235 K, 0.96 WHIP) and is still just 29 years old. Extending him now before he gets a chance to hit free agency feels like a great move, especially given how effective he was throughout the playoffs. With that duo leading the way, the Phillies will always have a good shot to make it back to the World Series.
2. Sign SS Trea Turner in free agency
The Phillies biggest area of weakness entering the offseason is their middle infield, with their shortstop position being quite a big hole. Philadelphia has a $17 million team option for Jean Segura that likely won't be exercised, but regardless of their decision there, the Phillies need to make a big upgrade at shortstop, which is great, because there are tons of high profile shortstops hitting the market.
Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, and Dansby Swanson are all set for free agency, and the Phillies would be wise to sign one of these guys to a big deal this offseason. Turner feels like the best option for Philly, as he's a dynamic all-around player who could be a key part of their lineup for many future seasons.
Correa will likely charge the most expensive deal of the bunch despite the fact that his play is right in line with Turner and Bogaerts'. Bogaerts is already 30 years old, and while Turner is just a year younger than Bogaerts at 29, it feels like his ceiling is a lot higher than Bogaerts' and even Correa's right now. The Phillies have money to spend, and adding another star would help their chances of making it back to the World Series next season.
1. Have Bryce Harper get Tommy John surgery
Bryce Harper was the best player in the playoffs this season, and it wasn't particularly close. It wasn't a surprise to see that once he cooled off in the World Series, so too did the rest of his team. Harper was also doing this despite the fact he needed Tommy John surgery for pretty much the entire season. While it prevented him from playing in the field, it didn't prevent him from hitting at a historic clip.
There has been some debate whether or not it's worth it to have Harper get the surgery since he only needs it to play in the field, but it's clear the Phillies potential is much higher with Harper in the outfield over a guy like Kyle Schwarber. Harper was stuck at designated hitter for much of the season, which is ideally where the Phillies would have played Schwarber, and in order for that to change, Harper needs to get surgery so he can return to the field.
This would likely cause Harper to miss some time, but the end result would be worth it. Playing Schwarber in the field isn't the worst thing, but he's not exactly a strong outfielder, and he belongs at designated hitter moving forward. This would significantly weaken the Phillies to open the season, but in order for their World Series aspirations to come true, it feels like a move that needs to happen.
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