5 free agents the Philadelphia Phillies can sign to win 2024 World Series
By Luke Norris
4. Sonny Gray, RHP
A cheaper option for the Phillies could be veteran Sonny Gray.
Yes, he's a little older, as he'll be 34 when the 2024 season begins. But the right-hander seemingly still has plenty left in the tank.
While Gray went just 8-8 with the Minnesota Twins this past season, he earned the third All-Star nod of his career and posted a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts, his lowest since the year he finished third in the AL Cy Young vote in 2015 with the Oakland A's (2.73).
Actually, his ERA has been relatively steady over the past five years with the Reds and Twins despite playing in hitter-friendly ballparks. The highest it reached in that stretch was 4.19 in 2021, his final season in Cincinnati. Again, that's still lower than what Aaron Nola posted this past year.
Compared to Nola, the strikeout numbers are pretty close as well. While Nola averaged 1.046 per inning in 2023, Gray was just a little behind, as he put down 183 batters in 184.0 innings. Gray also allowed just eight home runs this past year compared to Nola's 32.
In addition, he would have zero issues playing in front of the hostile Philly faithful. And let's be honest. Not everyone can handle it. But Gray played two seasons with the Yankees. Give him a two-year deal and get the best of what he's got left.