When the Philadelphia Phillies arrived at Clearwater for Spring Training in 2023, the possibility that their two longest-tenured players — RHP Aaron Nola and first baseman Rhys Hoskins — were entering their final seasons with the team was one of the major storylines.
As it turned out, Nola wasn’t. Despite a tumultuous 2023 campaign that saw him surrender a career-high 32 home runs, Nola was largely excellent in the postseason, reminding anyone who needed it just how valuable he is. While Nola reached free agency, he and the Phillies quickly reached a seven-year/$172 million deal that will allow the 30-year-old to spend the overwhelming majority of his career in red pinstripes.
Unfortunately for Hoskins, Game 6 of the 2022 World Series will likely turn out to be his final game as a Phillie. Hoskins tore his left ACL late in Spring Training, and despite a valiant effort, wasn’t able to make it back for the team’s second consecutive postseason run. While Hoskins remains a free agent at the time of publication, the decision in November to move Bryce Harper to first base on a full-time basis — with Kyle Schwarber fairly entrenched at DH — all-but closed the door on a return to Philadelphia.
While Nola, Harper, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos are all signed for the foreseeable future, the Phillies once again will arrive to Clearwater with some notable players entering contract years in 2024. Here’s a look at five players set to become free agents after this upcoming campaign.
RHP Zack Wheeler
By now, you’re likely well aware that Wheeler is entering the final season of a five-year/$118 million pact that will go down as one of the greatest deals in franchise history. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski called Wheeler a “stalwart” in his 2023 end-of-season press conference, adding that the Phillies hope to employ him for “a long time.” MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki wrote in late December that re-signing Wheeler is “the No. 1 priority” for the rest of the offseason, so perhaps a deal could get done before Opening Day. If not, the 33-year-old would be one of the most coveted free agents available next offseason.
1B/OF Jake Cave
Cave was dominant for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2023, homering 16 times and posting a 1.113 OPS in 237 at-bats. However, he hit .212 with a .620 OPS in 184 at-bats at the Major League level. Cave can play all three outfield positions, and is excellent in the corners defensively. He even added first base to his repertoire late in the 2023 season. The question is whether the 31-year-old is an MLB-caliber hitter. If he doesn’t prove to be that, it’s possible that Cave — who is out of minor-league options — won’t last the entire 2024 season with the Phillies. In fact, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that only $500,000 of Cave’s $1 million salary for 2024 is guaranteed.
Reliever Jeff Hoffman
The Phillies struck gold with Hoffman last season, signing the former first-round pick to a minor-league deal after he failed to make the Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster. Hoffman’s slider proved to be a nasty weapon out of the bullpen for manager Rob Thomson in 2023, with the righty displaying an ability to come into dirty innings and find his way out of them. Bryce Harper even nicknamed Hoffman “The Garbage Man.” Hoffman posted a 2.41 ERA and 2.57 FIP across 54 games a year ago. If he’s able to replicate that production in 2023, he’ll be looking at a lucrative multi-year deal, whether it’s from the Phillies or someone else.
Reliever Matt Strahm
Strahm was a valuable weapon for the Phillies in 2023, taking down important innings in just about every role, from making 10 starts to closing out an NLDS victory over the Atlanta Braves. In total, Strahm went 9-5 with a 3.29 ERA and 3.24 FIP across 87 2/3 innings after signing a two-year/$15 million deal with the Phillies in free agency. If the Phillies don’t need him to pitch out of the starting rotation at some point in 2024, he could take down more multi-inning relief appearances in his second season with the team, setting him up to cash in again after this upcoming campaign.
Reliever Seranthony DomÃnguez *
We’ve put an asterisk here with DomÃnguez, because the Phillies hold an $8 million club option on him for 2025, which comes with a $500,000 buyout if not exercised. DomÃnguez seemed frustrated at times late in the 2023 season as he lost some high-leverage opportunities to other relievers. But he just never seemed right in 2023, posting a 3.78 ERA and 4.84 FIP in 57 games. It’s possible that his body struggled to bounce back from a heavy workload between the regular season and playoff run in 2022, which came after Tommy John surgery cost him parts of three seasons. If he has anything resembling a bounce-back in 2024, picking up his option for 2025 will be automatic. Even if 2024 is uneven, DomÃnguez is such a talent that the Phillies might be inclined to exercise the option for next season anyway. But given his health history, he is someone that’s a bit difficult to bank on as being your best reliever from year to year, even if he has that type of stuff.
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