Insightful: What are the Winter Meetings, and the Trades the Phillies Explore there?

The Philadelphia Phillies are in a wonderful position this summer, with a 2024 lineup and a rotation that are projected to appear extremely similar, if not identical, to their tried and true 2023 configurations. They’ve already answered some preliminary questions: With Rhys Hoskins out for the season, will Bryce Harper be their daily first baseman? Yes! Will they be able to find a suitable alternative for Aaron Nola in their starting rotation? There is no need! Nola was re-signed. There is always space for improvement, which the Phillies will undoubtedly seek at the upcoming Winter Meetings, but they have the advantage of simply needing to look for little tweaks rather than significant overhauls. Here are the essentials of the Phillies’ December trip to Nashville.

What exactly are the Winter Meetings?

The Winter Meetings are a four-day conference conducted each December that gathers representatives from all 30 MLB teams together. As the highlight of the offseason, owners, executives, agents, and others gather to discuss trades and prepare their rosters for the upcoming season. The Phillies were at the heart of the activity during the 2022 meetings, signing Taijuan Walker and Matt Strahm and winning the Trea Turner sweepstakes. The Winter Meetings will be place in Nashville, Tennessee, from December 3 to 6.

What could the Phillies accomplish during the Winter Meetings?

The Phillies, like many other teams, will be primarily concerned with pitching this season. Following the surprise re-signing of Aaron Nola, who was widely expected to go in free agency, their rotation appears to be in fine shape. Despite the loss of Michael Lorenzen, lefty Cristopher Sanchez is projected to join a regular rotation that includes Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, and Taijuan Walker. The Phillies have been linked to Sonny Gray and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at various points this offseason, and they’ve stated that they’re still interested in Yamamoto even after signing Nola.

Given Craig Kimbrel’s departure in free agency, the Phillies are also anticipated to look for a new closer. There have been conflicting reports; Jon Morosi linked Hader to Philadelphia, but Jayson Stark stated the contrary. Nonetheless, Hader is the best closer available in this year’s free agent class. Given the Phillies’ history of large deals, it would be surprising if they didn’t at least consider pursuing him.

Draft of Rule 5

During the Winter Meetings, a Rule 5 draft of minor leaguers with 4-5 years of service time is also held. Only teams with less than 40 players participate; as of this writing, the Phillies had three free spots after opting not to protect Nos. 6 and 28 prospects Carlos de la Cruz and Samuel Aldegheri from the draft.

MLB Draft lottery

During the Winter Meetings, the second MLB Draft lottery will be held, in which the 18 non-playoff teams will be drawn to decide draft order in 2024. As a playoff team, the Phillies are already ranked 27th, the same as in this year’s draft.