The Phillies Could take a Shot with the Market’s Top Free Agent.

The Philadelphia Phillies had a standout who used his ruptured UCL to have a successful season. Could the Phillies repeat their success with the league’s top free agent? Shohei Ohtani turned down the Los Angeles Angels’ one-year qualifying offer of $20.325 million on Tuesday, ensuring that he will hit the market as the No. 1 free agent.

Of course, Ohtani enters the market recovering from his torn UCL, which he suffered earlier this season and has had surgery to correct.

If that sounds familiar, the same thing happened to Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper last season, and he’s a template for what Ohtani could provide for the Phillies, if they decide to pursue him.

Harper had the same operation in November 2022 and achieved the quickest recovery of any position player in MLB history, returning to the batter’s box in late May. As a designated hitter, he went on to win a Silver Slugger.

Ohtani and his agents have stated unequivocally that he plans to contribute solely as a designated hitter in 2024, but will return to being a two-way player in 2025, once he has fully recovered from the UCL.

Despite a serious injury that will prevent him from pitching in 2024, Ohtani is expected to sign a contract for more than $500 million. And Philadelphia might be a contender.

According to a CBS Sports story on Monday, Ohtani is less worried with location and more interested with joining a team that can compete and give him a shot to make the playoffs, something he has not done in his Major League career.

The Phillies advanced to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS in 2023. The Phillies might present Ohtani with a path to the playoffs, which he has never done.

He is a three-time All-Star, the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year, and the 2021 American League MVP. He’ll find out if he’s the AL MVP for the second time later this week.

Ohtani completed 2023 with a slash line of.304/.412/.654/1.066, 44 home runs, and 95 RBI, leading the American League in home runs. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 167 strikeouts, and 55 walks as a pitcher.

It’s not surprising that Ohtani declined the offer. This offseason, only seven players received the qualifying offer, and only 13 of the 124 players who have received it since 2012 have accepted it. The majority of MLB teams do this in order to earn draft pick compensation if the player joins elsewhere.

This year, Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola turned down his qualifying offer.