3 pitchers the Phillies could sign not named Jordan Montgomery

Few teams can match the top of the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation. With Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola both locked up long-term, there's ample reason for confidence in the Phillies' pitching staff — especially with such a dynamic offense on the other side.

That said, Taijuan Walker is set to begin the 2024 campaign on the 15-day IL, which has inspired some hand-wringing about the Phils' depth on the mound. Michael Lorenzen is gone. Andrew Painter is out for the season, not to mention a year or two away from MLB readiness. Spencer Turnbull is coming off a season in which he posted a ghastly 7.26 ERA.

Walker was a major disappointment in the first season of a four-year, $72 million contract. Even so, he's important to the back end of Philly's rotation. Without him, Philadelphia is bound to endure some rough outings on the mound.

The injury to Walker has led to renewed hope within the fanbase that Philadelphia might throw caution to the wind and sign Jordan Montgomery, the tax be damned. Montgomery is hurling toward a short-term deal with opt-outs, the same as Scott Boras' other high-profile clients. Boras has a strong working relationship with Philadelphia and Monty could be compelled to join a contender after reaching the mountaintop in 2023.

Unfortunately, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki tossed cold water on the idea of Montgomery signing in Philly. While Philadelphia has discussed the idea internally, the luxury tax is a barrier the team could struggle to overcome. The Phillies don't want to push their spending too high, and Montgomery will cost a pretty penny even with his market in the gutter.

So, while the free agent pickings are slim beyond Montgomery, the Phillies may need to consider adding reinforcements on the cheap.

3. Phillies could kick the tires on Dallas Keuchel

Dallas Keuchel has quite the resumé. At 36 years old, he is a two-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and most impressively, he took home the Cy Young award in 2015. He happened to win the World Series in 2017, too. Despite the undeniable magnitude of Keuchel's past accomplishments, he remains a free agent without a ton of reported interest.

Injuries and age have really sapped Keuchel of his impact in recent years. He caught on with the Minnesota Twins toward the end of last season, making 10 appearances (six starts) to post a 5.97 ERA and 1.673 WHIP in 37.2 innings. Not great. Far from it.

That said, Keuchel isn't completely devoid of appeal, especially as a low-risk stopgap. The Phillies don't have much to lose, and Keuchel still (generally) keeps the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. He averaged an exceedingly low exit velocity of 86 MPH last season, with a groundball rate of 53.5 percent that ranked near the top of the league, per Baseball Savant.

So long as Keuchel can avoid crippling mistakes and let the Phillies' defense work in his favor, maybe there's still something left in the tank. He has never been reliant on velocity, instead winning with location control and dirty off-speed work. The southpaw certainly has the track record to warrant a look from Philadelphia. Again, he's not going to be very expensive, so the risk is virtually zero.

2. Behind Jordan Montgomery, the best SP the Phillies can sign is Mike Clevinger

Mike Clevinger is clearly the best non-Jordan Montgomery starter left on the board. He spent last season with the Chicago White Sox, starting 24 games and posting a 3.77 ERA across 131.1 innings pitched. Clevinger has never made the All-Star team, but he has quietly been one of the more reliable mid-tier starters of the last decade. When he's healthy, he can provide quality innings for a team in need.

Frankly, assuming the Montgomery pipe dream is truly out of reach, Clevinger is just about the ideal addition for Philadelphia. He'd probably sign a reasonably affordable one-year deal to join a real contender. He could very well emerge as the Phils' most solid option as a No. 4 pitcher, maybe even earning his way to postseason reps.

He's a flyball pitcher, but Clevinger keeps hard hits to a minimum (35.9 percent, in the 72nd percentile) with a solid four-pitch arsenal at his command. The 33-year-old isn't over the hill and he's still very much capable of everyday starting duties. Philadelphia can always demote him once Walker is healthy, if that's the best course of action. But, odds are, Clevinger is their last and best shot at a truly beneficial starter if Montgomery is off the table.

Clevinger pitched well with the White Sox offense supporting him, mind you. He'll get a much more substantial boost from the offense in Philly, where mistakes can be erased with one swing of the bat. After spending a few years bouncing around mediocre ball clubs, one has to imagine Clevinger would relish the opportunity to pitch meaningful innings.

1. Phillies can offer Zack Greinke his farewell tour

At 40 years old, Zack Greinke roamed his old stomping grounds with the Kansas City Royals last season. It wasn't pretty, as he posted a 2-15 record in 30 appearances (27 starts). Greinke saw his ERA bottom out at 5.06, the lowest mark of his career since his second MLB season all the way back in 2005.

Now he's unsigned despite a professed desire to pitch again. The Royals appear disinclined to bring the vet back, so he's looking for one team with a little faith to let him ride off into the sunset on his own terms. Maybe the Phillies can be that team.

It's an appealing thought, no? Greinke was bad last season — we don't have to pretend otherwise — but we're talking about a six-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner who deserves a proper sendoff. He wasn't playing meaningful games in Kansas City last season. He would have a powerful offense behind him in Philadelphia, not to mention a stronger support system in the bullpen.

Greinke has lost his oomph, unfortunately. His velocity is on a downward spiral and he's no longer the overwhelming punch-out threat of old. Still, he displays excellent command over his location and he doesn't cough up easy bases, with a walk rate (3.9 percent) in the 98th percentile last season. He'll get knocked around a bit, that much is inevitable. But maybe Greinke, whose ERA was below 4.00 as recently as 2022, can put in one last respectable campaign with the Phils.