7 Phillies become free agents
Seven players that appeared in games for the 2021 Philadelphia Phillies have been declared free agents.
The 2021 season concluded Tuesday evening when the Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros to capture the World Series title. The MLB Player’s Association subsequently announced Wednesday that 160 players have become free agents; including Freddy Galvis, Archie Bradley, Brad Miller, Matt Moore, Cam Bedrosian, Héctor Neris and Ian Kennedy.
This is simply a procedural announcement, not an indication that any of these players can’t or won’t return to the Phillies. From here, it would be pretty surprising if Neris, the longest-tenured Phillie, doesn’t ultimately return. Miller, Bradley and Galvis could also be candidates for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to fill out the 2022 roster.
The Phillies still have to decide on Andrew McCutchen’s $15 million contract option, and as Mike Axisa of CBS Sports notes, most contract options have to either be picked up or declined within five days of the World Series concluding. It’s likely that the Phillies will decline McCutchen’s option, triggering a $3 million buyout.
In addition to McCutchen’s option, the Phillies will also need to decide whether to pick up or decline Odúbel Herrera’s $11.5 million club option for 2022. It’s all but a lock that Herrera’s option will be declined, but that wouldn’t necessarily end the former All-Star’s time with the Phillies. Herrera, who will turn 30 in December, would return to the arbitration system rather than becoming a free agent. The Phillies would then have to decide whether to tender him a contract for 2022. Matt Swartz of MLB Trade Rumors has projected that Herrera will earn $11.6 million in arbitration. If the Phillies are unable to reach a pact with Herrera for 2022 at a much cheaper price, he’ll probably be non-tendered.
Phillies Nation‘s Jonny Heller has estimated that the Phillies have roughly $28.6 million to work with under the luxury tax threshold this offseason.
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