January 30, 2021
The Phillies were down to one final free agent option at shortstop, and they decided to pull the trigger on Didi Gregorius, reportedly signing the 31-year-old infielder to a two-year deal.
#Phillies have a 2-year agreement with Didi Gregorius, sources tell @TheAthleticMLB
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) January 30, 2021
According to multiple reports, the two-year deal will be worth $28 million and, like J.T. Realmuto, will include some deferred money.
Can confirm @jaysonst the #Phillies and Didi Gregorius agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) January 30, 2021
Philadelphia now has a full compliment of starters as they are likely done spending money on position players this offseason, as space between their payroll and the luxury tax has quickly shrunk quite a bit. Here are their projected starters on offense:
| Pos | Player |
| C | J.T. Realmuto |
| 1B | Rhys Hoskins |
| 2B | Jean Segura |
| SS | Didi Gregorius |
| 3B | Alec Bohm |
| LF | Bryce Harper |
| CF | Adam Haseley/Roman Quinn |
| RF | Andrew McCutchen |
| UTIL | Scott Kingery |
If that lineup looks super familiar to you, that's because it is almost an exact literal copy of their lineup in 2020 — before COVID and some injuries (plus a horrible bullpen) turned them into a non-playoff team come September.
Deciding to completely run things back, with a starting rotation that will employ four of the same five starters (with Spencer Howard expected to be No. 5), doesn't seem like a smart strategy on the surface. But the window of opportunity for a team that has Harper, Realmuto, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler all together in their primes is a situation that the Phillies front office decided is worth giving another try.
Playing in all 60 games last season in Philly, Gregorius looked to earn every penny of the $14 million (pro-rated of course) he was paid on a prove-it deal, hitting .284 with 10 homers and 40 RBI (the most runs batted in of any Phillie in 2020). He will serve as a stop-gap once again, as the team is hopeful Bryson Stott emerges as a shortstop for years to come, and a cheap one at that.
Philadelphia reportedly had interested in a bevy of other potentially cheaper veteran shortstops, from Marcus Semien to Freddy Galvis, but each went off the board while the Phillies were focused on bringing back J.T. Realmuto. Ironically, they wound up with the best of the bunch anyway in the former Yankee, who will once again play for World Series winning manager Joe Girardi in Philly.
The Phillies free agency and offseason plans, with spring training fast approaching, now will shift to filling out the bullpen and perhaps adding some more starting pitching depth — the already added an arm this week in former Yankees starter Ivan Nova.
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