Phillies Rotation Plans Revealed: 1 Rookie, 1 Veteran

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Quietly, while fireworks were going off in south Philadelphia throughout the summer and the Phillies put together one of the most improbable and inspiring championship runs in city history, the organization's depth was starting to materialize.

And some of those star youngsters the franchise has developed could play a starring role in 2023, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told the media during a briefing at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday morning. He said the team is designating one starting rotation for one of the team's young homegrown pitchers.

"We are keeping a spot open for a youngster," Dombrowski said.

The team returns its top three from the pennant run: co-aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, and crafy sinkerballer and playoff hero Ranger Suarez. But free agency took its toll: they lost regular number four pitcher Zach Eflin, trade deadline pickup Noah Syndergaard, and Kyle Gibson, their number five man for most of the year.

That leaves two open slots. Dombrowski said they would prefer to fill the other open slot with a veteran free agent, but nothing it set in stone.

It's also far from determined exactly which Phillies youngster will take a rotation spot in 2023. There's Bailey Falter, who turned in a very strong 3.86 ERA across 16 starts during the Phils playoff run. There's a strong argument that he deserves another shot. And then there's Cristopher Sanchez, who struggled to a 5.63 ERA between the rotation and bullpen, but was electric in the minors, throwing 15 starts worth of 3.14 ERA ball.

Falter and Sanchez are 25. They're the older options, and as they have major league experience, they'll doubtlessly start games for the Phillies in 2022 whether as depth pieces or as the rotation's primary arms.

There are a bevy of younger options, but fans and scouts are most excited about a trio of high powered, high ceiling arms that could transform Philadelphia's pitching from very good to elite.

They're headlined by a pair of first round draft picks the Phillies took out of high school. Andrew Painter, the 13th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Painter was nearly unhittable in 2022, skyrocketing from low A ball in Clearwater to AA in Reading and holding opponents to a 1.56 ERA across three levels. He struck out an almost unthinkable 155 hitters through 103 innings. He's arguably the top pitching prospect in all of baseball heading into 2023.

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Meanwhile, Mick Abel, the Phillies 15th overall pick in 2020, also jumped from A ball to Reading. He had a very strong 3.52 ERA in 5 starts there, striking out 27 in 23 innings.

Then there's Griff McGarry, a University of Virginia graduate who has flown under the radar until recently. Some scouts believe has the best raw stuff in all of baseball. McGarry reached AAA Lehigh Valley at the end of the year, but also started in A ball. He put up a 3.92 ERA across three levels, with more stunning strikeout numbers: 130 through just 87 innings.

McGarry is still just 23. Abel is 20.

Painter is 19.

It's likely all three will be on top 100 prospect lists heading into 2023. All three could pitch in Philadelphia next year, and it's possible one could start games for the team in April. Could two?

"Could two?" Dombrowski mused. "Perhaps two could. But we're really only looking at one."

He was quick to add: "Not that two at some point won't be pitching in the rotation at some point."

As for the fifth slot, which they'd like to fill with a veteran, a superstar signing in the rotation feels very unlikely. That's both due to the team's organizational pitching depth and the middle infield market, where they're expected to spend. So while fans shouldn't expect Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Carlos Rodon, or Luis Severino to become Phillies there are a bevy of other options. Former Red Sox ace Nate Eovaldi is one. A reunion with Noah Syndergaard is another possibility. But the most likely may be Eflin, who quietly put up another sterling year and would be a very solid fifth starter. Dombrowksi said the team still likes him. And he could always move back to the pen, where he served as a high leverage piece during the playoff run.

So a rotation of Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Painter, and Eflin is possible to start next year. But it shouldn't be a surprise if Abel and McGarry force their way into the picture, either.

"We wanna be good for years to come," Dombrowksi added. "One of the reasons we were able to win in (2022) was the young players playing good for us."

If Painter or Abel contributes next year, it'd continue a Phillie tradition of recent high draft picks finding major league success. The left side of the Phillies infield, Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott, were drafted in the first round of the 2018 and 2019 drafts, respectively.

As for the Phils' plans in free agency, where they're expected to spend big in a shortstop market that contains names already connected to Philly like Trea Turner and Xander Boegarts (and probably move Stott to second base), money will not be a barrier.

"We're gonna push the needle to try and win," Dombrowski said plainly.