MLB Rumors: 3 free agents Phillies can realistically sign to become World Series favorites

2) The Phillies should sign Jordan Montgomery to give them an edge in the starting rotation

Bringing Aaron Nola back was huge for the Phillies, as they keep their dynamic duo at the top of their rotation with Zack Wheeler and Nola who have worked so well together in each of the last two seasons, particularly in the postseason. As good as those two are, the rest of the rotation can be upgraded.

Ranger Suarez is a solid mid-rotation arm, but is far from the best third starter among National League contenders. Taijuan Walker had his ups and downs in his first season with the Phillies and was not used once in the postseason. Cristopher Sanchez impressed this past season, but has made just 22 starts in his MLB career and is another guy the Phillies did not trust much in the postseason.

Adding Montgomery, a legitimate frontline starter who has proven himself in the playoffs, to be their third starter, could be what pushes the Phillies into the conversation or ahead of teams like the Braves and Dodgers. He's the kind of pitcher they should have pursued at the trade deadline last season, and is the player they should be targeting heavily now.

Murray believes Montgomery on a short-term deal makes sense, and that's something that's really hard to disagree with. Whether he actually has to settle for a short-term deal when he finally does sign remains to be seen, but the longer he stays out in the open market, the more likely it is that Montgomery's hopes of landing a massive five or six-year deal just won't come into fruition.