PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 22: Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies high fives Bryson Stott #5 after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on August 22, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies should make these three moves after the Gregory Soto trade.
The Philadelphia Phillies went out and got one of the better available relief pitchers on the trade market. All-Star closer Gregory Soto is coming to Philadelphia. It shouldn’t be the last move they make either.
The Phillies have other areas of need and shouldn’t rest after adding Soto to an already improved bullpen. Before Opening Day arrives, they need to remain on their toes and be aggressive at getting better.
Following the Soto trade, these are the next three moves the Phillies should make.
1) The Phillies need to make themselves frontrunners to sign Michael Wacha
Bailey Falter is a fine fallback option for the fifth starter spot. He pitched well enough for the Phillies last season to earn a chance to compete for big innings. He would, however, serve them much better as a sixth starter/emergency arm to turn to when someone is hurt or needs a little more rest.
Falter has one minor-league option left. The Phillies should take advantage of it and consider moving him to the minors to start the year. How do they fill the last spot in the rotation? They do it with free agent Michael Wacha.
Arguably the best free agent starter left, Wacha costs them nothing but money. He gives them a complete rotation. The 31-year-old is coming off of a productive year with the Boston Red Sox featuring an 11-2 record and 3.32 ERA in 127.1 innings of work. Health has been a problem with him for several seasons, but with much of the free agent market drying up, he’s the best they can do.
It’s not a bad buy on Wacha at this stage of his career. He seemed to find himself again with a somewhat chaotic Red Sox club in 2022. He could be the finishing touch to an already stable rotation.