I hope you had a good weekend; the Phillies didn’t. No less than three players – two free agents and one trade target – who were mentioned as potential targets for the Phillies to add to their roster came off of the list of available players. Two of them will be on the South Side of Chicago this season as the White Sox continue to remake what was a really bad team last season.
Chicago grabbed former Phillies outfielder Austin Hays from the free agent market and acquired pitcher Jordan Hicks from Boston. Hays, who was severely ill during his time in Philadelphia put up horrendous numbers while battling with a severe kidney infection that put him on the IL for three weeks. In the time prior to that and following that, he still had lingering effects of fatigue, muscle soreness, and pain as he tried to play. The Phillies gave up reliever Seranthony Dominguez and outfielder Cristian Pache to get Hays and he hit .256 in 22 games with them.
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Hays became a free agent and signed with Cincinnati. Last season he played 103 games with the Reds with 15 home runs and 64 RBI to go with a slash line of: .262/.313/.435/.748 before hitting the free agent market again this winter. Hays got a $5-million one-year deal with a mutual option or $1-million buyout for 2027. There are also some incentives built into the deal.
The White Sox then acquired Jordan Hicks from Boston. The Red Sox have a wealth of starting pitchers, which would be of interest to the Phillies who are considering bolstering their rotation for next season. The Red Sox are in need of an infielder – preferably a second baseman – and the signing of Dylan Moore would make it easier for the Phillies to deal Edmundo Sosa, who is in the final season of his contract. Hicks has worked as both a starter and reliever which would be convenient for Philadelphia since they would have the option of moving him to the bullpen when starter Zack Wheeler returns.
The weekend also saw a big right-handed power bat come off the board. Eugenio Suarez signed with Cincinnati. Suarez got a one-year, $15-million deal with a mutual option for 2027. The option is worth $16-million according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Suarez, a third baseman, hit 49 home runs last season and the Phillies have been on the hunt for a power bat to put behind Bryce Harper in the lineup. The Phillies have also been shopping third baseman Alec Bohm again this winter, although those pursuits have slowed since the Bo Bichette deal fell through.
Phillies pitchers and catchers are set to report to Clearwater on February 11th with position players coming in for the first full squad workout on Monday February 16.
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