According to a recent report by Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies have made it clear that they don't expect to get into a bidding war for left-hander Ranger Suarez.
Suarez has been one of the best starters in Major League Baseball over the past few years, and while it might be a bit questionable to allow him to walk, Philadelphia could have some other plans.
“No one has said it aloud, but the Phillies have made it clear they do not expect to be bidding on Ranger Suárez, who should score a nine-figure deal this winter. As of now, they are not in the rotation market,” he wrote.
When speaking about what the plan is for the Phillies' rotation, Dave Dombrowski understands that Philadelphia isn't exactly in the best spot right now.
With Zack Wheeler injured, Aaron Nola not throwing the baseball at a high level, Taijuan Walker still on the roster, and some other factors, it isn't exactly like the Phillies are star-studded in a rotation that's typically one of the better in baseball.
However, Dombrowski also said that he can't count out the fact that he could go on the open market and try to find a one-year deal for a starter in the future.
"I can't say we wouldn't," Dombrowski told The Athletic. "But, again, it's not our highest priority. … You have to be careful. You always need to look for starting pitching depth. That doesn't necessarily mean top of the market, but where does that fit in? Because you never have enough starting pitching, and really for us, after you get past (the top six starters) … now you're talking about (minor leaguer Jean) Cabrera, he would be one of those guys. But we don't have a lot of starting pitching depth, so that's something we need to be cognizant of."
There are going to be plenty of options for the Phillies to pursue, and if there's one name in particular I'd like to see them try to land, it’s Michael King.
I don't know if King is going to get just a one-year deal, but if his value isn't there, I could see him taking a deal for one season with opt-outs.