With Didi Gregorius being on the open market since November, the Phillies need at shortstop has been evident. A reunion with Gregorius was seemingly on the back burner while they negotiated with their other big name free agent, but it seemed unlikely that the team would be going into 2021 with either Jean Segura or Scott Kingery lining up there defensively.
Dave Dombrowski acknowledged that the Phillies would be more active the rest of free agency with the current state of the market, so it was only a matter of time before they addressed the middle of the diamond. A resolution could be coming as soon as this week.
Pitchers and catchers report in almost exactly a month, so the market freeze that existed in the beginning of the offseason will rapidly begin to thaw. The Phillies, as mentioned before, have much of there focus on resigning J.T. Realmuto and much of the rest of their moves are dependent on whether that deal gets done or not. However, each of the three options that Heyman mentioned would be nice fits to the Phillies team.
Our very own Mike Bednarek discussed why a Freddy Galvis return makes sense for the Phillies, and he’s not alone, as many fans would have been clamoring for a return of the fan favorite Galvis. He’s third on my wishlist behind the other two, but Galvis would make this team better than lining up Segura/Kingery would.
Didi showed last year that he fit in this lineup perfectly. His lefthanded swing would help even out what has become an increasingly righthanded heavy hitting lineup. He has already shown that he has unbelievable chemistry with the guys in the clubhouse, so the Phillies already know what they are getting. While it may be hard to squeeze both Realmuto’s and Gregorius’ expected contracts in the payroll plans for this upcoming year, bringing them both back would be the most ideal way to attack this offseason.
That being said, Simmons would be a wonderful addition to the Phillies lineup, as well. Arguably the most gifted defensive shortstop currently playing in the Majors, Simmons would undoubtedly help the Phillies pitching staff. With both Zach Elfin and Zack Wheeler relying on groundballs to get people out, having an elite defender up the middle would be extremely useful. Many people will focus on his defensive, and rightfully so, but the native of Curacao is no slouch with the bat either. Simmons has a career slash line of .269/.317/.379 with 67 HRs and 406 RBIs. While he is not going to ever be a real power threat, he hardly strikeouts and makes plenty of contact.
Any of the three would be solid additions to the Phillies lineup, and pairing one of them with Realmuto makes the Phillies contenders in what may be the most competitive division in MLB.
The time between the now and the start of the season is almost two months, and the Phillies still have plenty of moves to make. Expect them to be made sooner rather than later.