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Ranking the top contenders to sign Stephen Strasburg

By Joshua Sadlock

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 14: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) laughs after not getting a called strike three in the seventh inning of Game Three of the NLCS between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park. (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 14: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) laughs after not getting a called strike three in the seventh inning of Game Three of the NLCS between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park. (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies in action against the Miami Marlins during a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 29, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies in action against the Miami Marlins during a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 29, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

4. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies made the first big move on the starting pitching front this winter by signing Zack Wheeler to a five-year deal worth $118 million. They took a gamble that the health the oft-injured 29-year-old showed the last two years with the New York Mets is for real. Wheeler still has upside for days and the advanced metrics love him, but he isn’t enough to push the Phillies over the hump and make them a legitimate threat to win the World Series.

In the last two offseasons, the Phillies have made multiple big moves. Two years ago, they signed Jake Arrieta and Carlos Santana. Last year, they traded for J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura and signed Bryce Harper to a massive contract. If the trend holds, the Phillies won’t be done opening their checkbook this year, and what choice do they actually have? They committed to a lengthy rebuild and still find themselves outgunned in the NL East even after declaring themselves ready to win.

Related Story. Five more free agents the Phillies need to target. light

Signing Strasburg to a deal that will pay him over $30 million per year might be a stretch for the Phillies’ budget. Such a deal would push them past the luxury-tax threshold this year. If ownership is willing to take the hit for 2020, enough payroll comes off the books the following year to get back below the line.

All of the wheeling and dealing shows the Phillies are committed to winning, but will that be enough to sell Strasburg if they come with a competitive offer? He is familiar with the team from all his time in the division and would have a familiar face in Harper. The Phillies probably don’t have another nine-figure deal in the chamber, but can’t be ruled out, as they’ve pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the past.

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