2022-23 MLB Offseason Recap: Philadelphia Phillies

The 2022 season was a whirlwind for the Phillies. Philadelphia struggled throughout the early part of the season, which ultimately led to the firing of Joe Girardi. With Rob Thompson at the helm, the Phillies road a heat wave in October to march to the World Series for the first time in 13 years. This year, the Phillies will look to make it back once more with a revamped core.

Related: 2022-23 MLB Offseason Recap: Pittsburgh Pirates

Notable Additions

The Phillies added numerous pieces to its group for 2023, but the most notable addition was of Trea Turner. The Dodgers shortstop is an elite hitter, one that has above-average power and plus hitting ability. Last season in Los Angeles, Turner hit .298 with 21 home runs, 27 stolen bases, 100 RBIs and 101 runs scored. Philadelphia was rumored to be after one of the big shortstops in free agency, and Phillies grabbed the one that possesses the best power/speed combo of the bunch.

Philadelphia boosted its rotation with another former Met, in RHP Taijuan Walker. Despite a rough second half of 2021, Walker was a steady arm for the New York Mets.

For the bullpen, Philadelphia signed LHP Matt Strahm, who struck out 52 over 44.2 innings with the Red Sox last season. The Phillies also signed longtime closer Craig Kimbrel, who showed good stuff at times with the Dodgers last season. Yet, Kimbrel’s command and inability to beat hitters in certain situations caused the righty to lose his grip on the closer’s job in Los Angeles.

Philadelphia also acquired infielder Kody Clemens and two-time AL All-Star reliver Gregory Soto in a deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Notable Subtractions

Philadelphia lost a number of notable pieces from its 2022 team this winter. Philadelphia lost starters Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard, as the two head to Baltimore and the Dodgers, respectively. Starter Zach Eflin — who dominated in a relief role in the postseason — signed a multi-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Phillies also lost infielder Jean Segura in free agency. Segura performed relatively well in his tenure with Philadelphia, but the Phillies upgraded the middle infield with the addition of Turner. In a sense, those two moves were a microcosm of the Phillies’ offseason — the group lost some notable pieces, but were able to find upgrades to those lost players.

A Recap

Dave Dombrowski has never been shy to make bold moves throughout his front office career, and that has continued in Philadelphia. A year after a spending spree that brought in two key pieces of the 2022 NL Champions in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, Dombrowski brings in an elite shortstop in Turner, an upgrade for the middle-of-the-rotation in Taijuan Walker, and three new relievers to bolster a bullpen that came through in October.

With two heavy-hitters in Atlanta and the Mets in the NL East, the road back to the World Series won’t be easy. While Philadelphia will return virtually all of its nucleus from 2022, the Phillies will be without star outfielder Bryce Harper for approximately half of this season. Philadelphia will need the likes of Turner, Castellanos, Schwarber, and first baseman Rhys Hoskins to pick up the slack, but the latter three did when Harper missed time last season.

Much like with the Padres, this offseason indicates all-in approach for a core that is ready to win now. Not to mention, the Phillies may not have a better chance with this core outside of 2023. Two key pieces of the Phillies, Aaron Nola and the aforementioned Hoskins, are set to hit the free agent market after this season.

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