The Philadelphia Phillies focused on retaining their rotation last offseason, but did that leave enough attention for the rest of the roster?
Now that the season has concluded, the decisions that took place before the year began can now be looked at in a new light.
Aaron Nola’s New Contract
Nola was signed to a new deal that keeps him in town until 2031. The Phillies can immediately feel good about their deal given that the veteran had his best season in a while.
He looks to be a great No. 2 pitcher for years to come and potentially an even better No. 3 guy with some of the emerging stars below him.
Grade: B+
Zack Wheeler’s Extension
Wheeler was the other guy that they gave a lot of new money to. The decision to give a three-year, $126 million deal to a guy that was entering his age 34 season was met with a lot of pushback.
That pushback has since ceased, however, as Wheeler had a campaign that would win him a Cy Young most years. His 2.57 ERA over 200 innings of work was one of the best years in baseball.
Grade: A
Whit Merrifield
Merrifield was added to give a little bit of depth with a solid utility guy. He was coming off of an All-Star campaign, so it looked like a good move.
He then went on to post a .199/.277/.295 slashing line over his first 31 games so they decided to cut ties early.
Grade: F
Spencer Turnbull
Turnbull was actually almost the opposite situation to Merrifield.
He was brought in with hope of him finding a way to stay healthy and finally reach his true potential after a couple of rocky years with the Detroit Tigers.
The second part was completed, as he started the season as perfect starting depth to supplement some injuries.
The 32-year-old ended up posting a 2.65 ERA over 54.1 innings of work, but did end up getting hurt and having his campaign cut short. Now, he heads back to free agency.
Grade: B
Kolby Allard
Allard was a once-promising first round draft selection that Philadelphia ended up taking a chance on with a deal.
He spent most of the season in the minors and had a 5.00 ERA over the 27 innings he pitched in the MLB.
Grade: D