Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies were thrilled to learn earlier that the team was connected to some of the top relievers on the market.
Robert Stephenson and Jordan Hicks would be ready-to-play additions to their bullpen, which is in need of additional quality arms after losing Craig Kimbrel in the summer.
The Phillies haven’t made a move since re-signing Aaron Nola early on.
They simply need a few more players to complete their roster, so adding Hicks or Stephenson would be a fantastic complement.
But with Jeff Passan of ESPN reporting that Hicks and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract, it appears like Philadelphia will have to focus elsewhere.
That seems like the Phillies would have been interested in $11 million in AAV. They could get a bullpen upgrade without going bankrupt, unlike what might happen if they signed Josh Hader.
The intriguing thing to take away from Passan’s report, though, is that the Giants want to move him from reliever to starter when he joins the organization.
“Hicks, 27, is expected to work as a starter after spending the majority of his career in the bullpen,” according to him.
His career total of only eight starts occurred in the 2022 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he pitched 26 1/3 innings with an ERA of 5.52. He seldom lasted longer than three innings, with his longest career outing being five.
Hicks’ decision to not sign with the Phillies may have been due to his desire to pursue this with his next team.
Philadelphia would probably only make changes for a proven starter like Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery because they are happy with their current lineup.
To get their reliever this summer, they’ll need to either go all in on Stephenson or keep searching for another bullpen piece.
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