The Philadelphia Phillies are in a bit of a predicament right now. They’ve lost Ranger Suarez to free agency, and missed out on getting Bo Bichette to upgrade their offense.
Fansided’s Christopher Kline offers a solution, at least to the Suarez front. He believes the Phillies will go out and get the last true ace left in free agency, in Framber Valdez.
“Ranger Suárez's departure does leave a notable hole in the rotation. Andrew Painter figures to get every opportunity to win a rotation spot in spring training, but as things currently stand, the Phillies would be starting both Painter, an unproven rookie, and Taijuan Walker, an over-the-hill vet, every week to start the year. With Valdez, the Phillies would have a four-man gauntlet of Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Valdez in October, with Aaron Nola as the low-pressure fifth starter. Painter might benefit from some patience in the end. If Valdez wants to compete and if the Phillies want to offset their rivals' offensive upgrades, why not double down on an elite rotation? Both sides could do worse,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Valdez struggled at the end, posting a record of 13-11, an ERA of 3.66, 187 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.245 over 192 innings pitched. He did great in the first two-thirds of the season however, where he posted a record of 11-4, a 2.62 ERA, and 141 Ks.
Currently, Valdez is projected to receive a six-year, $199 million deal. However, with the offseason winding down and since he doesn’t really have a market, the Phillies could probably get him for less, which would be perfect.
Hopefully, Valdez stays on the market just a bit longer, giving the Phillies the edge in negotiations. Then, they better get him on their team.
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