Pitching Market Heating Up with Phillies Tied to Two Names

The Phillies agreed to one-year contracts and avoided arbitration with pitchers Jeff Hoffman, Gregory Soto and Ranger Suárez and infielder Edmundo Sosa on Thursday, and could have their sights set on adding a few more players before pitches and catchers report to Clearwater in about a month.

According to John Heyman of the MLB Network and the New York Post, the market on Jordan Hicks is 'heating up' and the Phillies are among the teams that could make sense for the relief pitcher.

Jordan Hicks’ market is heating up. The Phillies, Cubs, Rangers, Astros and Yankees all could make sense. Some have considered Hicks as a starter. The Phillies, looking for a hard-throwing right-hander, are thought in on Robert Stephenson as well as Hicks.

Hicks had a 3.29 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and an 81 strikeouts in 65.2 innings with the Cardinals and the Blue Jays in 2023.

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One other name that Heyman ties to the Phillies is another bullpen arm, Robert Stephenson. The right-hander was very good in 2023 with the Pirates and Rays, posting a 2.35 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 60 strikeouts and just eight walks across 38.1 innings in 42 appearances.

Neither pitcher has a lot of experience closing games, with Hicks totaling just 32 saves in 212 career games, while Stephenson has just three career saves.

With Craig Kimbrel no longer here, the Phillies will need someone to close out games in 2024 with Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez, Jeff Hoffman and Orion Kerkering as in house candidates to close games.

UPDATE: The Giants and free agent right-hander Jordan Hicks are in agreement on a four-year, $44 million contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan.