The Philadelphia Phillies’ offseason has been mostly quiet aside from tweaks to the pitching staff.
Dave Dombrowski came under fire last season for trade deadline half-measures, adding Austin Hays and Carlos Estevez when fans wanted Luis Robert and Tanner Scott. This winter has not featured the star upgrade fans pine for, but considering Philadelphia’s payroll situation — the second-highest in all of baseball, behind only the Dodgers — Dombrowski has done enough to merit praise. Joe Ross and Jordan Romano should contribute amply in the bullpen, while Jesus Luzardo immediately becomes one of the best “fifth starters” in the National League.
Most importantly, Dombrowski has firmly excised Taijuan Walker from the starting rotation. Philadelphia’s final rotation slot went from a glaring weakness to a shining strength with a single move, which keeps Walker pegged in the low-stakes bullpen role where he finished the 2024 campaign.
It’s hard to overstate how bad last season was for Walker, who was beset by injuries and totally ineffective when available. He made 19 appearances (15 starts) and finished with a 7.10 ERA, giving up 107 hits and 66 earned runs across 83.2 innings.
Maybe last season was a fluky dud for the 32-year-old former All-Star, but Walker has been on the decline for a while and the Phillies can’t take chances. Luzardo, when he’s at his apex, can challenge for an All-Star berth of his own. Philadelphia would love for Walker to revive his value with a proficient season in the pen, maybe even as a swingman making the occasional start. But, there cannot be a world in which Walker is relied upon for high-leverage innings on a regular basis.
Dombrowski can double down on Walker’s demotion with another big-ticket addition.
According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the Phillies were present for a recent pro day from free agent Max Scherzer. The 40-year-old, a three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champ, spent last season with the Texas Rangers.
He made nine starts and posted a 3.95 ERA across 43.1 innings.
Injuries are an obvious theme with Scherzer at this stage of his career, but the veteran was essential to Texas’ 2023 World Series run and he was an All-Star as recently as 2021. He may not be the top-line ace of yesteryear, but Scherzer can still bring significant value to a rotation — not to mention the immense wisdom and locker room presence of a future Hall of Fame member.
Are the Phillies the most likely destination for Scherzer? Probably not. To be frank, most other teams have a) more money to spend and b) a greater need for Scherzer’s skill set. Nothing is preventing the Phillies from stretching six-deep with its rotation, but Scherzer would be in line for more starts and a more prominent spotlight elsewhere. Financially, with over $300 million in salary on the books already, Philadelphia probably won’t pay Scherzer’s going rate. Charlie Morton and Justin Verlander both received one-year, $15 million contracts this offseason which is probably around where Scherzer’s next deal winds up.
That said, a six-man gauntlet of Wheeler-Sanchez-Nola-Scherzer-Suarez-Luzardo is fun to think about. It would also be nice for Philadelphia to take an obvious Braves and Mets target off the board.
