Dream Phillies rotation if they sign another ace alongside Aaron Nola

2. Zack Wheeler

Wheeler has been viewed as the ace of this rotation for some time, and he's been not only statistically solid in his four years with the Phillies (3.06 ERA/2.90 FIP/1.055 WHIP in 629.1 innings), but he has also been durable during that time as well, making 90 starts over the last three seasons.

The 33-year-old right-hander is entering the final year of a five-year, $118 million contract, so the Phillies will have a decision to make next offseason with Wheeler just as they did this year with Nola. However, if we're talking about just 2024, this is another reason why the Phillies would want to go all in with a dream rotation for the upcoming season. And, if Philadelphia wasn't interested in paying what it may take to keep Wheeler past 2024, well, having a top-of-the-line arm like Burnes (if they could sign him to an extension after the trade) or the new pitcher below as a replacement for 2025 and beyond wouldn't be so bad.

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Remember, we're talking about a dream rotation, and landing the Japanese ace while keeping teams like the Braves, Cardinals and New York Mets from obtaining him would be perfect for Philadelphia all the way around.

There have been plenty of rumors saying that Yamamoto may have a "preference" for playing on the West Coast, but Jon Heyman of The New York Post wrote that both the Yankees and Mets are not putting much weight behind those reports. If the Yankees and Mets are keeping their pursuit of Yamamoto alive, why shouldn't Dave Dombrowski push for Philadelphia to be included in the mix as well? Sure, salary constraints (Yamamoto will likely land a deal for more than $200 million), but wouldn't he look good in a Phillies throwback uniform?

Until Yamamoto is signed, let the dream rotation for the Phillies continue to be a possibility.