November 04, 2026
Brett Davis/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Will the Phillies sit out the biggest free agent sweepstakes this offseason?
Amid all of the question marks and unknowns heading into the 2027 baseball season — among them a completely ambiguous financial structure, an outfield in need of help, a bullpen totally in need of an overhaul and no one currently slated to man third base — there is one sure thing ahead for the Phillies: the rotation.
All five of their starters are coming back next season. Cris Sánchez is an NL Cy Young finalist, while Zack Wheeler (with one year left on his deal) and Jesús Luzardo should finish inside the top 10 in voting as well. Rising sophomore Andrew Painter will be back too, fresh off a solid second half of the year, along with veteran Aaron Nola.
It's one spot where the roster does not need an upgrade. But that doesn't necessarily mean they shouldn't do it anyway.
The biggest prize in free agency this fall and winter is lefty ace Tarik Skubal, and there is no team in the majors, including the Phillies, that would not benefit from signing him.
At 29 years old, Skubal has already won two (back-to-back in 2024 and 2025) Cy Young awards. He's close to the top of anyone's list of the best pitchers in baseball, and even though he had a "down year" in 2026 and dealt with injury issues, he still had a 4.6 WAR between his time with the Tigers and Dodgers, with a 2.72 ERA over 26 starts.
The competition for his services will be fierce. All of the big market teams, like the Cubs, Dodgers, Mets and others, will be in the mix. He'll cost an arm and a leg. Would the Phillies really throw stupid money around to add a starting pitcher? He'll likely fetch upwards of $40 million per year (at least in the salary cap-free MLB).
Whether there's some kind of implemented cap, or luxury tax next season, the Phillies are going to be on the high end of payrolls again. They have other bigger needs. They also have a quintet of starters they really like. Is there some circumstance where they can add Skubal and trade away one of their starters to add an elite bat to a lineup in need of a boost? Would they move Painter to the bullpen?
Mark Feinsand included the Phillies on his list of teams to keep an eye on in the Skubal sweepstakes last month. Here's what he had to say:
Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about spending in free agency, so the Phillies are at least a dark horse candidate to make a play for Skubal. Zack Wheeler has one year remaining on his contract, and given the depth of Philadelphia’s rotation, the club could trade either Cristopher Sánchez or Jesús Luzardo to fill other holes if it added Skubal to the top of the rotation.
Scott Boras, who represents Skubal, has worked deals with Philly for Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker, while Jhoan Duran and Bryson Stott are also repped by Boras. The Phillies seem like a long shot to sign Skubal, but it’s not impossible. [MLB.com]
The Phillies' championship-relevant window is closing fast. They barely made the postseason in 2026 and if they run it back for 2027 without bringing in new blood, they're in danger of missing it completely. If there's one player out there who could help them buck the trend, it's Skubal.
It's a pipe dream to be sure, but until the ink dries on a Skubal contract elsewhere... probably with the Dodgers... it remains a possibility Dombrowski and company need to explore.
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