Phillies make decisions on several players

Last night was the deadline to make some decisions on players for the 2021 season and whether or not they would be donning the red pinstripes. The Phillies did their part, tendering contracts to everyone who needed a decision.

Here is what has been reported so far as far as salaries:

• Zach Eflin is getting $4.45 million

• David Hale is getting $850,000

• Andrew Knapp ($1.1 million) and Hector Neris ($5 million) are also getting some cheddah’, as did the previously reported Seranthon Dominguez.

That leaves Rhys Hoskins and Vince Velasquez as the two players headed for arbitration with the team. Hoskins was projected to get $3.4 million and Velasquez was projected at around $4 million.

Most of these salaries are alright, nothing to get too worked up over. The decision to tender a contract to Hale might raise some eyebrows, deservedly so. He wasn’t very good with the team when he did get a chance to pitch, but still, the team needs arms. Would it have been smarter to roll the dice with someone else than commit money to Hale? There is a good argument to be made that it would have, but in the end, the team went with the devil they knew.

Tendering a contract to Velasquez was the hot button issue around the team lately. We could go on and on about all the different ways that Velasquez has come up short of expectations, how frustrating he has been to see pitch, etc. The team, though, felt that taking the risk on what might be his relatively low salary was worth taking with the way the pitching market is shaping up. Remember, it’s not like free agents haven’t been out looking for work for a short time. There have been some signings already and if the salaries that they commanded are any indication, the starting pitching market is robust. I mean, Mike Minor got two years and $18 million.

Hoskins was always going to be given a deal and his projected total isn’t exorbitant at all. Even as frustrating as he can be, that is still not bad money to be paying someone who has averaged a 127 wRC+ in his time in Philadelphia. Will be remain with the Phillies the entire offseason? That’s a different question. He’s one of those young players with enough upside to entice a team to acquire him that the Phillies still have left. All in all, a pretty uneventful night with the organization. A few mild surprises, but as previously mentioned, arguments can be made for all of the decisions.

Now, to round out the rest of the team...