The Phillies may look for something “big” at the Winter Meetings
The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off of two massive offseason windows where they signed Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to deals. Last winter also saw a high-profile trade for relief pitcher Gregory Soto and a few other additions to the pitching staff such as Taijuan Walker and Craig Kimbrel. This offseason, the Phillies made the first big splash in free agency by re-signing Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract, effectively locking him up and making him a Phillie for life.
With the core they have and a potential Bryce Harper extension on the horizon, it would be reasonable to think the Phillies are done playing in the high-end portion of free agency this winter. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and owner John Middleton have proven over the last few winters that they are all in for another World Series. As such, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com thinks that Philadelphia could be looking for something “big” at next week’s MLB Winter Meetings.
“If Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is to be believed, then the Phils finished their heavy lifting this offseason the moment they signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract,” writes Zolecki. “So, maybe they add a reliever or two to replace free agent Craig Kimbrel before Spring Training.
Maybe they find a bench bat. Or, maybe Dombrowski and Co. see if there is a trade (i.e. Corbin Burnes) to be made or a free agent to be signed (i.e. Yoshinobu Yamamoto) that sends a jolt through the NL.” One should never count the Phillies, and Dombrowski in particular, out of making a massive splash if it helps the club get better and gives them another shot at winning a World Series.
After two heart-breaking exits from the postseason in consecutive seasons, this very well may be the winter where the front office pushes all of their chips to the middle of the table.
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Phillies news and rumors 12/2: Diego Ettedgui leaving role as Phillies Spanish language interpreter
Phillies Spanish-speaking interpreter Diego Ettedgui will be moving on from the team before the 2024 season, according to a report from Crossing Broad‘s Anthony SanFilippo.
Ettedgui had been the Phillies’ Spanish interpreter since January 2016, when MLB instituted a league-wide mandate requiring every team to hire one. As of August 2023, Ettedgui was one of just four such interpreters hired under that mandate still working in MLB, as covered by SanFilippo in his wide-ranging feature on Ettedgui’s journey to the big leagues.
Ettedgui had taken on a role with the team that encompassed far more than translating. He developed close relationships with the Phillies’ Latino players and assisted them with various tasks outside of baseball, spending significant time around the club and becoming a fan favorite of sorts as well.
He’s moving on from the Phillies to take a job with Rawlings as a regional representative, according to SanFilippo — who also noted that the position was moved from communications to baseball operations and, as such, will be filled by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi.
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