Catcher JT Realmuto’s deal is closed. The deals for shortstop Didi Gregorius and left-handed starter Matt Moore are being finalized and will be announced shortly.
So, what’s next for the Phillies?
“Pitching remains something that is a focus not only for the guys in the big league, but also for the guests who are not on the list that we like, that we think may have a chance to help us, especially in the bullpen”, Dave Dombrowski, of the president’s baseball operations team, said Monday. “And we also continue to look at our bench.”
Dombrowski did not wait long to add some candidates to the list. On Tuesday, the club announced agreements in the minor leagues with three right-handers, Bryan Mitchell, Hector Rondon and David Paulino. Everyone will see spring training for the big league, which is scheduled to start in two weeks at Clearwater.
Mitchell, Rondon and Paulino have already launched in the majors. Of the trio, Rondon may be the most interesting. He launched for the Cubs, Astros and Diamondbacks in an eight-year career and boasts an ERA of 3.49 in 444 games. Rondon struggled with Arizona last season, giving up 25 strokes and 18 runs over 20 entries, but hit 10.4 strokes for every nine entries.
As for the bank, an interesting name emerged as a possibility. According to major league sources, the Phils have shown some interest in utility veteran Marwin Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who turns 32 in March, served in all positions in the diamond, except catcher and pitcher, over a nine-year career. From 2015 to 2019, he reached 0.269 with a 0.765 OPS, averaging 484 plate appearances, 24 doubles, 16 home runs and 60 RBIs for Houston and Minnesota.
The Phillies have two unstable points in their eight-second daily base and central field. When it all happens, Jean Segura, unless he changes, can be the regular second baseman with Scott Kingery sliding into a superuser role or buying time in the center field. The Phils also have Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn, able to play in the center of the field and there is a possibility that Odubel Herrera could be invited to the big league camp and compete for the job. All of this could impact the composition of the Phils bench.
However, Gonzalez remains an interesting possibility because he can switch strokes and played extensively on first base, a position in which the Phils do not have legitimate support for Rhys Hoskins. Realmuto and Alec Bohm can play in position, but, of course, they are needed elsewhere.
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