Phillies News: 4 offseason decisions Dave Dombrowski wishes he had back
By Tim Boyle
2) The Phillies will regret not upgrading the fifth starter spot
The Phillies let a lot of starting pitchers go this offseason. Nobody is crying over the loss of Zach Eflin, Noah Syndergaard, and especially Kyle Gibson. All they did to replace them was sign Taijuan Walker. While a nice move, the Phillies are now lining up to have Bailey Falter as their fifth starter to begin the year.
The logic behind this is that Philadelphia is anticipating the arrival of Andrew Painter or one of the other promising young pitching prospects. Elbow concerns for Painter this spring are already proving the Phillies might have been a little ahead of themselves to believe Painter was ready for the long haul of the 2023 season. The team barely budgeted at making an upgrade over Falter. Signing Michael Wacha would have been something to consider, even on a shorter and pricier contract than he eventually got from the San Diego Padres.
A lot of money has already been poured into building this rotation. Walker and Zack Wheeler are making a ton. Aaron Nola should get his payday soon, too. The team is hoping to get a healthier and more productive season out of Ranger Suarez on his affordable deal. They’ve gone cheap by not upgrading the other spot.
Dombrowski should already have eyes on a potential trade deadline deal to upgrade Falter’s roster spot. It is undoubtedly the most important roster spot we should have doubts about.