Given the expectation around Major League Baseball that the Philadelphia Phillies will lose Ranger Suarez, there seems to be a massive need for a starting pitcher in Philadelphia.
While David Dombrowski doesn’t seem too worried about it, it’s also fair to point out that Zack Wheeler is coming back from a significant health concern, Aaron Nola was brutal last year, and Jesus Luzardo has some history with injuries.
There are a few options out there for the Phillies to consider, so this ultimately might not be the worst plan, as Suarez should get a big deal.
If they can walk away with a one-year deal for someone like Michael King of the San Diego Padres, it could honestly work out in their favor.
However, Curt Bishop of Sports Illustrated questions if that’ll happen, and recently linked the team to Framber Valdez as Suarez’s replacement.
“The Phillies may ultimately be losing Ranger Suarez, so it would be smart for them to try and replace him. This is where Valdez comes in. The veteran left-hander has pitched in the postseason before, and the Phillies will certainly be trying to get back to October after they lost the National League Division Series in excruciating fashion.
“Valdez brings swing-and-miss capability to a starting rotation and could very easily slot into the Phillies starting five. This could give them a better chance to remain on top in the NL East despite all the changes that could be happening for them this winter,” he wrote.
Suarez is probably a bit worse than Valdez, although there seem to be some questions about Valdez and his attitude.
He intensely crossed up his catcher, didn’t seem too engaged in Houston in his final season, and is coming off arguably his worst campaign in the past six years.
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