The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the sport’s best one-two punches at the top of their starting rotation in Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. However, it increasingly appears that adding a mid-rotation starter might have to be the No. 1 priority for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in advance of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
It remains unclear when Zach Eflin will return to the mound for the Phillies, as he continues to deal with right knee soreness. Interim Rob Thomson said Friday that the Phillies do expect Eflin to return at some point this season, but with no clear timetable, it wouldn’t be wise for the team to bet on the oft-injured 28-year-old.
In his absence, the Phillies have relied on some combination of Bailey Falter, Cristopher Sánchez and bullpen games. Falter got the latest crack in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs, allowing five hits and four runs over five innings. Across 10 games, six of which have been starts, Falter has a 5.18 ERA in 2022.
On top of a hole currently at Eflin’s spot in the rotation, Kyle Gibson’s ERA has ballooned to 4.69. After a magical 2021 season, Ranger Suárez has a 4.07 ERA and 4.11 FIP over 16 starts.
Between the possibility of another injury in the starting rotation and the inconsistent performance of those behind Nola and Wheeler, it’s pretty clear that the Phillies need another starting pitcher.
With other needs on the roster, the Phillies may not be in the market for some of the top-tier pitchers available, such Luis Catillo, Frankie Montas and Tyler Mahle. But the Phillies need to add more than just a No. 5 starter, which is going to be difficult since it’s a weak trade market and some potential options like Martín Pérez and Zack Greinke seem unlikely to be moved.
Given what we’ve acknowledged, here’s four seemingly realistic targets for the Phillies as they look to bolster their starting rotation:
Noah Syndergaard, Los Angeles Angels
Of course, the narrative of Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler — two former New York Mets teammates — reuniting in Philadelphia would be great. But the 29-year-old really is a fit from a baseball sense. In 14 starts this season, Syndergaard has a 4.00 ERA and 4.06 FIP across 74 1/3 innings. At a minimum, he’d be an upgrade over internal options. And as Syndergaard moves further and further away from the Tommy John surgery that he had in March of 2020, it wouldn’t be surprising if his results continue to improve.
If the Phillies are willing to absorb a decent amount of money, they might get a leg up in trade talks with the Angels. Syndergaard signed a one-year/$21 million deal this offseason, so he still has a decent amount of money remaining. But he offers probably the highest ceiling of anyone on this list, and should he catch fire in the second half, the Phillies would have the chance to negotiate with the 6-foot-6 righty before he reaches free agency.
Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks
By all accounts, the Diamondbacks aren’t interested in trading Zac Gallen, and Madison Bumgarner is owed $37 million over the next two seasons, which reduces any trade value that the former World Series MVP may have.
Kelly, 33, is probably the most attainable starter that the Snakes have. He’s having the finest season of his career, with a 3.26 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 19 starts. Kelly is owed just $16 million between 2023 and 2024, with an affordable $7 million club option for 2025. Not only would he be a nice addition for the 2022 Phillies, but a rotation piece for a few seasons.
José Quintana, Pittsburgh Pirates
Once seen as one of the sport’s most promising young pitchers while a member of the Chicago White Sox, Quintana has revived his career with the Pirates in 2022. Signed to just a one-year/$2 million deal this past offseason, Quintana has a 3.70 ERA and 3.26 FIP across 19 starts for the Buccos. Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported earlier this month that the 33-year-old lefty was “among the most popular pitchers on the trade market.”
Paul Blackburn, Oakland Athletics
The aforementioned Montas is one of the prizes of this summer’s trade market, and former Phillie Cole Irvin is having a very nice season and could draw trade interest as well.
For the Phillies’ purposes, Blackburn might be the best fit. The 28-year-old righty was an All-Star for the first time in 2022, as he’s 6-5 with with a 3.62 ERA and 3.66 FIP in 18 starts. The most attractive part about Blackburn is that he won’t even become arbitration-eligible until 2023, meaning he couldn’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season.
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