The 2024 Philadelphia Phillies will look much different than the 2023 team, as our own Cody Williams noted in the aftermath of their Game 7 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks. No, the Phils are not World Series bound this October, and will instead be dancing on their own, ideally preparing for the GM and Winter Meetings in the months to come.
As Williams mentioned in his piece, there's a good chance Aaron Nola, Michael Lorenzen, Craig Kimbrel and Rhys Hoskins could leave the organization this offseason. Here's a brief case for each:
Hoskins: "Hoskins figures to be a coveted bat this offseason given that there, frankly, aren't a ton of options set to hit the market, at least not at the level that he can provide, particularly with Hoskins' pop. Moreover, with Philadelphia successfully transitioning Bryce Harper to first base, perhaps they're even less willing to commit heavily to Hoskins financially, which make it even more likely he's gone this offseason."
Lorenzen: "Lorenzen's start to the season with Detroit looks more like an outlier than the norm for the right-hander in his career to this point. Though he could be a cheap-ish arm on the free agent market, the Phillies have seen what he has to offer and likely should believe that there is more value elsewhere to be found this offseason to bolster the rotation."
Kimbrel: "Now 35 years old, the clock is likely to strike midnight on Kimbrel with the Phillies as he's set to hit free agency. Despite how valuable he was for much of the regular season, his inconsistency had been a problem in recent years and it reared its head at the worst time for this team."
Nola: "Given widespread reports coming into the season that Nola and the Philadelphia front office weren't close on an extension last offseason, it seems most likely that a truly desperate team like the St. Louis Cardinals might make a play to simply outbid the Phillies for the right-hander."
Which other Philadelphia Phillies won't be back next season?
Drew Ellis will not be back with the Phillies next season
The Phillies don't have many other free agents this offseason, but Ellis is one of them. Ellis was relegated to Triple-A late in the year, as he's hit just .157/295/.269 in his major league career, in just 129 plate appearances. Ellis has played far better at Triple-A, and at this point in his career, that may be his ceiling.
The Phils selected the contract of Orion Kerkering and let Ellis walk, though they did bring him back to play for LeHigh Valley. It remains to be seen if he is in their long-term plans, but either way it will not be on the MLB roster, which is the entire purpose of this article.
Scott Kingery could be let go by the Phillies this offseason
Scott Kingery was once one of the most exciting prospects in the Phillies system. Yet, he's never lived up to his potential, in part due to injury. With a $13 million club option potentially due his way, why in the world would Dave Dombrowski not let him loose?
Unfortunately, this is the tough part of the business. Dombrowski and the Phillies need every dime they can get to improve via free agency or trade -- let alone $13 million. That money could turn into two high-profile relief pitchers, or a middle of the rotation starter. For a team that lacks pitching, or could be losing Aaron Nola, it's worth asking whether holding onto Kingery is worth it.
Kingery has long been overlooked in the Phillies system, and played just one game this season. Sometimes a fresh start can do a former top prospect some good, and that would appear to be the case here. Kingery ought to take his talents elsewhere and get a real chance to compete in spring training.
Jake Cave doesn't have a role with the Phillies in 2023
Jake Cave made the Phillies MLB roster in a corner outfield spot, which was a surprise given he wasn't really in the conversation until late March. Yet, Cave played quite well when no one was watching. But that's part of the problem. When Cave gets regular at-bats for a winning MLB team, it doesn't tend to go as well. Cave slashed just .212/.272/.348. and struck out in over a quarter of his at bats. He just wasn't good enough for the Phils this year, and was relegated to the bench for a reason.
Perhaps it's ironic, then, that Cave made the last out of the Phillies Game 7 NLCS defeat to the Diamondbacks. Cave has just one arbitration year left on his deal, and it's unclear how much he'll make. If there's one thing I've learned about players in arbitration, it's to expect the unexpected. That's doubly true when that player is over 30 years old.
Unless Cave is willing to accept an assignment to the minors or an outright minor-league deal, it'd be surprising to see him at Citizens Bank Park again next season.
