7 Phillies become free agents

Just two days after the Philadelphia Phillies were defeated by the Houston Astros in the World Series, seven players from the 2022 team became free agents.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported that Zach Eflin declined his half of a $15 million option for 2023, becoming a free agent. The Phillies have yet to confirm, but Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed the report, so there’s no reason to believe Eflin isn’t headed to the free-agent market.

Six other players were announced as free agents by the Major League Baseball Players Association:

• RHP Kyle Gibson: The 35-year-old was relatively productive as a back-end starter for much of the season, but cost himself a good chunk of money by posting an unsightly 9.53 ERA in five September starts.
• LHP Brad Hand: Once one of the better relievers in the sport, Hand signed a one-year/$6 million deal with the Phillies after playing for three teams in 2021. The 32-year-old posted a 2.80 ERA and 3.94 FIP in 55 games, but the veteran lefty struggled to keep inherited runners from scoring.
• RHP Noah Syndergaard: Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, Syndergaard went 5-2 with a 4.12 ERA and 3.66 FIP in 10 games, nine of which were starts, for the Phillies. The former All-Star is still only 30, but his velocity has dipped drastically since he underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2020.
• RHP Corey Knebel: The 30-year-old signed a one-year/$10 million deal with the Phillies last offseason, betting on himself instead of considering signing a two-year deal with the team. Knebel proved to be a disappointing addition, opening the year as the closer but struggling with control and posting a 3.43 ERA and 4.46 FIP over 46 appearances. A tear in Knebel’s right shoulder capsule ended his season in August.
• RHP David Robertson: The Phillies reacquired Robertson in a trade with the Chicago Cubs in early August. The 37-year-old posted a 2.70 ERA and 3.71 FIP in 22 regular season games for the Phillies, also closing out Game 1 of the World Series. For the right price, perhaps Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies will have interest in retaining the veteran.
• RHP Chris Devenski: After being traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Phillies in September, the 31-year-old gave up five earned runs in just three appearances in red pinstripes.

At the time of publication, a decision has not yet been made on Jean Segura’s $17 million option for 2023. The most likely scenario is that it will be declined by the Phillies, triggering a $1 million buyout. The Phillies could still try to re-sign Segura, who told Phillies Nation before the World Series that he “would love” to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.

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