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Report: Phillies Interested in Starling Marte and Aaron Loup

MLB Network's John Heyman believes the Philadelphia Phillies have interest in two top talent free agents. Who might be the first to sign?

Author:
Ben Silver
Nov 11, 2021 2:11 PM EST

According to recent comments by Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, owner John Middleton has set a budget for 2022 that the Phillies president doesn’t find “restrictive.” That bodes well for a winter in which the Phillies seem poised to make multiple big moves, the first of which may be for outfielder Starling Marte or reliever Aaron Loup.

According to John Heyman of MLB Network the “Phillies are interested in Starling Marte.” Heyman called the fit one of the best on the market and it’s easy to see why.

The Phillies have struggled at the leadoff spot since Andrew McCutchen’s injury early in the 2019 season, and Marte could fill both the center field hole as well as the leadoff spot. His .383 OBP in 2021 on top of a league leading 47 stolen bases makes him a major threat at the top of the order.

However, the 33-year-old could be restrictive on future free agent signings for the Phillies. In the free agent classes of 2020 and 2021, no player aged 33 or older signed a deal longer than four years. Thus, Marte must be wooed on a short-term, high AAV deal.

Fangraphs’ Ben Clemens predicts a two-year, $50 million deal which could put the Phillies precariously close to the luxury tax if they intend on signing a second high-ticket free agent.

However, the Phillies haven’t just set their sights on Marte early in free agency. Heyman also reports that the Phillies, along with the New York Mets, are among many teams talking with lefty reliever Aaron Loup.

Loup, as fans may remember, was a Phillies trade deadline acquisition from Toronto in 2018 where he allowed two runs in nine games. Since then, he’s gone on to great success with 2020 pennant winner in the Tampa Bay Rays, and more so with the Mets in 2021.

Last season, Loup threw 56.2 IP out of the bullpen for an elite ERA of 0.95, backed up by a FIP of 2.45 and xERA of 3.12. Obviously, Loup is due for some regression, but he could still be a valuable lefty piece out of the bullpen, helping Girardi rely less on the unpredictable Jose Alvarado.

Heyman believes Loup could be “one of the better players to go quick,” possibly even before the potential lockout slated for Dec. 2. Perhaps fans should be ready for a treat to hold them through a potential winter-long lockout.