2024 Phillies Winter Meetings Preview

This story is excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, Click here. And subscribe to receive it regularly in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA — Two years ago, the Phillies promised to “push the needle” after the team advanced to the 2022 World Series.

The Phils aren’t expected to go that far at next week’s Winter Meetings in Dallas. Despite the team’s shortcomings in the last two postseasons, they believe they have a talented core enough to win a World Series.

They just need to improve the supporting cast.

That’s why, according to sources, the Phillies not only didn’t meet with free-agent superstar Juan Soto, but they also didn’t make him an offer. That shouldn’t surprise anyone who has listened to the words of Phillies general manager John Middleton and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski since the end of the season.

“In my opinion we have a very good team,” Dombrowski said this week. “We won a lot of games last year. We won our division. We basically have most of our entire club back. We are not an old club. I think we will have a very good club next year. We have four starting pitchers at the top of the rotation who are as good as anyone else. We have a good offensive balance on the right and left.

“We need to fill a spot in the bullpen. But we have a really good club. We didn’t play well against the Mets. But the reality is that we have a really good club and I think we will have a really good club next year.”

Outfield
The Phillies want to improve a lineup that hasn’t produced at its worst times (i.e. most of the last five games of the 2023 NLCS and 2024 NLDS). The most obvious route is left field or center field, with Nick Castellanos expected to be the everyday right fielder again. Brandon Marsh is expected to play left or center while the new signing takes up the remaining spot. Johan Rojas could be there if he improves offensively.

Closer
Maybe it’s not a closer in the traditional sense, but the Phillies need a right-handed reliever to play in the late innings with both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez becoming free agents. The Phillies could re-sign one of them. Or they could acquire someone else in free agency or via trade, like Devin Williams or Ryan Helsley. But Dombrowski said it was unlikely the Phils would take over two Substitutes take the places of Hoffman and Estévez.

Depth of rotation
Dombrowski cited the team’s struggles for the fifth spot in the rotation as well as Ranger Suárez’s health issues in the second half as reasons for the team’s struggles late in the season. The Phillies need to find someone who is a competent No. 5 starter, at least until the club’s top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, is ready to join the team.

Potential trade candidates
Everyone has seen third baseman Alec Bohm’s name mentioned in trade rumors. Yes, the Phils have discussed the Bohm deal. But they also talked about others, including Suárez and Castellanos. Why should Bohm and Suárez be at the top of the Phillies’ roster? Because they offer the most value to other teams. Who doesn’t want an all-star third baseman with two years of team control? Who doesn’t want an all-star left-handed hitter who is often brilliant when healthy?

Prospects you should know
RHP Andrew Painter (Phillies No. 2 prospect, No. 32 overall)
We expect Painter to join the Phillies at some point next season, assuming he is healthy and productive as he rebuilds from Tommy John surgery in 2023. Due to workload concerns, there is almost no chance that Painter will open the season with the team, but there is no doubt that the Phils believe he can help them make the postseason.

CF Justin Crawford (Phillies No. 3 prospect, No. 53 overall)
Crawford is less likely to help the Phillies next year, but Dombrowski opened the door a crack in October when he said Crawford could push for a promotion.

Rule 5 Draft
The Phillies have selected only one player in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft since 2020: Boston right-hander Noah Song in 2022. They haven’t had a Rule 5 pick since outfielder Tyler Goeddel in 2015 Team. The Phillies could get a high-upside reliever next week, but they’re trying to win a World Series, so it’s hard to see them pushing a project in the bullpen or beyond on the bench all season. Pitching prospects such as Griff McGarry (No. 21), Christian McGowan (No. 22), Eiberson Castellano and Tristan Garnett could be selected by other teams.

Burning question
That’s what everyone expects from the Phillies something important this offseason, but what exactly will it be? If they trade Bohm, they will need a third baseman. If they trade Suárez, they will need another starter. If they don’t trade a player from the big league roster, do they trade prospects like Painter, Crawford or Aidan Miller (Phils’ No. 1 prospect, No. 26 overall)? There are so many paths the Phillies could take, which is why the club has talked about being as open-minded as possible this offseason. Expect the unexpected.