Few teams understand exactly where they are in their contention cycle more than the Philadelphia Phillies. They proved as much Monday, reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal with free-agent outfielder Michael Saunders. While Saunders isn’t the best player remaining on the market, he’s the perfect fit for the Phillies.
It’s tough to criticize any one-year deal, and Saunders’ contract with Philadelphia is no exception. The 30-year-old will make just nine million in 2017, and has an $11 million club option for 2018. That option can increase to $14 million depending on whether Saunders can reach certain incentives.
Last season, Saunders hit .253/.338/.478, with 24 home runs, over 558 plate appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays. His excellent first half, in which he hit .298/.372/.551, with 16 homers, earned him his first-ever trip to the All-Star game. He couldn’t keep up that hot streak. Saunders slumped badly in the second half, hitting just .178/.282/.357 to finish the year.
Despite that, the Phillies aren’t risking much by bringing in Saunders for just one season. If Saunders repeats his second half numbers, his nine million salary will hardly sink the club, and they can cut ties with him after just one year. If he performs anywhere near his first half numbers, he’ll be an incredible bargain, and picking up his 2018 option will become an easy call.
The other benefit of Saunders returning to form is that he’ll make for an intriguing trade chip come July. While the Phillies could capitalize on that performance by picking up his option, they are probably better served turning around and dealing Saunders for more pieces at the deadline.
That strategy seems to be in line with every move Philadelphia has made this winter. The team has been careful to add players whose contracts are set to expire following the 2017 season. Nearly all of the club’s major acquisitions fit this approach. Clay Buchholz, Jeremy Hellickson, Howie Kendrick and Joaquin Benoit will all become free agents in November.
The Phillies know they aren’t going to contend in 2017, so all of those players should be dealt for more parts at the trade deadline. Any player in that group who performs well during the first half is as good as gone. They won’t help Philly win in 2017, but they can be used to bring in pieces that might help them contend in 2018.
While the notion of Philadelphia contending so soon might seem silly, they are closer than you think. Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera emerged as building blocks in 2016, and Tommy Joseph showed off enough skills to get an extended look in 2017.
He should be joined soon by uber-prospect J.P. Crawford, who could be the next young shortstop to emerge in 2017. Catcher Jorge Alfaro should also get an extended look after a brief major-league debut last year, and Nick Williams could make an impact if he’s able to recover from a down year in 2016. Outfielder Roman Quinn also remains in the mix.
And those are just the position players. Aaron Nola flashed top-of-the-rotation type stuff before an injury put him on the shelf. While that was disappointing, Phillies fans were able to watch both Vince Velazquez and Jerad Eickhoff emerge as mid-rotation arms. Some combination of Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson and Mark Appel could join that trio in 2017.
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Aaron Nola showed flashes during an injury-shortened 2016. (Getty Images/Hunter Martin)
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If the Phillies can hit on enough of those guys, 2018 suddenly becomes an interesting year for them. Given how the club has structured itself, they are well-aware that might be the case. Aside from Saunders’ option, the only monetary commitment the Phillies have past 2017 is Herrera’s five-year, $30.5 million extension. If things go right this year, the Phillies will enter the offseason with a bevy of talented youngsters and a lot of money to spend.
Saunders only helps as far as that’s concerned. Either he is used to bring in future pieces, or he performs so well that he works his way into the team’s future plans. Considering the low cost, and short length of Saunders’ deal, it’s tough to find a downside here.
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