Building a dream Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff for the 2023 season.
Pitching became a problem for the Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason. The World Series is when it reached a national level.
Those who have followed the Phillies closely know this is nothing new. Their 2022 pitching staff was much better than it had been in recent years. Many pitchers overachieved while some continued to raise questions.
Pitching will help this team sink or swim in 2023. We know they’ll have a loaded starting lineup. What about the pitching? Let’s dream big and assemble the fantasy Phillies pitching staff for next season with starting pitchers, mid-rotation arms, and back-of-the-bullpen pieces.
1) The dream Phillies starting rotation needs one more addition
The Phillies have room for one more addition to the starting rotation. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are their top two currently with a debate we can have about the current number three. Is it Ranger Suarez or newcomer Taijuan Walker? Whichever one you choose, the rotation looks much deeper and more reliable than it did at the end of last season.
To complete the dream Phillies starting rotation, we need just a single piece. Carlos Rodon would be great, but the contract demands should have fans desiring someone else. Philadelphia should be in the market for someone more durable. They have two number ones already. Save the money to assemble the bullpen.
An ideal free agent target for the front office right now would be Nathan Eovaldi. The connection between Eovaldi and Dave Dombrowski makes him a logical and realistic option. Why him, though?
Eovaldi has the kind of postseason pedigree the staff was missing in last year’s postseason. His dominance for the Boston Red Sox in 2018 remains a highlight of his career even though many of those big innings came in relief. As a fifth starter, the team couldn’t do much better.
A Phillies rotation of Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Walker, Eovaldi is incredibly strong. With Bailey Falter available as the sixth starter, things are shaping up well for better results in 2023. Eovaldi on a two-year deal would be perfect.
2) 4 Phillies relievers for the middle of the bullpen
Between the starters and the back of the bullpen, our dream Phillies pitching staff includes four arms. Returning from last year’s team is Sam Coonrod and Nick Nelson. Nelson will have a long reliever role with Coonrod fighting for a bullpen promotion in the future. Nelson’s roster spot could be swapped with Bailey Falter, the latter who showed he can find success as a starter in an emergency situation.
The other two relievers are already with the organization. Lefty Matt Strahm should be the second lefty in the bullpen, not the first. There is another better option out there the Phillies can turn to in higher leverage situations. It’s not Jose Alvarado. In the dream Phillies pitching staff, they’ve traded him. The Yordan Alvarez home run was the final straw.
The other reliever in the dream bullpen is Noah Song. A Rule 5 Draft pick by the club this offseason, his story is too awesome to ignore. He is a Navy pilot who has been out of action for a couple of seasons while training. Everyone should be rooting for him to make the Opening Day roster.
These four are all pretty good options to have ahead of the final four. These guys can handle any frames before the seventh. Those final innings should get turned over to these other four relief pitchers.
3) 4 Phillies relievers for the back of the bullpen
What the front office did last year with their bullpen was quite splendid. They loaded up on guys with closer experience at the start of the season then continued to do it with the David Robertson addition. He’s no longer available, having signed with the rival New York Mets. Fortunately, the Phillies can attack back by taking Adam Ottavino.
Ottavino had a fantastic season for the Mets last year. He’d be a great option to have as the right-handed pitcher for the eighth inning, a role he had in New York in front of Edwin Diaz. For the Phillies, he’d be pitching in front of Seranthony Dominguez. No dream Phillies pitching staff is complete without mentioning him having a successful year as the club’s closer.
The dream Phillies pitching staff has Andrew Bellatti pitching the seventh inning regularly. Someone like Coonrod can certainly compete with him. Bellatti is a veteran righty the club will put a lot of faith in, dream or otherwise.
Finally, they finish off their dream pitching staff with Andrew Chafin. The left-handed improvement over Alvarado, signing him would be a huge addition. Chafin has been incredibly consistent throughout his career. The last two seasons have shown a different side of him. Best of all, he’s a logical fit for the Mets bullpen. Taking Ottavino and Chafin away from them would be a nice way to continue their offseason battle.