With Ohtani Free, Phillies Could Shoot Their Shot in Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies had a star that turned his torn UCL into a great season. Could the Phillies do it again with the league’s top free agent?

Philadelphia will get its chance to find out, as Shohei Ohtani turned down the Los Angeles Angels’ one-year qualifying offer of $20.325 million on Tuesday, ensuring he’ll enter 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 surgery in November of 2022 and made the fastest return from the surgery of any position player in MLB history, as he was back in the batter’s box in late May. He went on to win a Silver Slugger as a designated hitter.

Ohtani and his representatives have made it clear that he intends to contribute only as a designated hitter in 2024 but will want to resume being a two-way player in 2025, once he is fully recovered from the UCL.

The belief is that despite a major injury that won’t allow him to pitch in 2024 is that Ohtani could land a contract in excess of $500 million. And Philadelphia could be in the running.

On Monday, a report from CBS Sports said that Ohtani was less concerned about geography and more concerned about going to a team that can be competitive and give him a chance to go to the playoffs, something he has not done in his Major League career.

The Phillies went to the World Series in 2022 and the NL Championship Series in 2023. The Phillies could provide Ohtani a pathway to making the playoffs, something he has never done.

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

Ohtani finished 2023 with a slash line of .304/.412/.654/1.066 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI, with his homers leading the American League. As a pitcher he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts and 55 walks.

It wasn’t a surprise that Ohtani turned down the offer. Only seven players received the qualifying offer this offseason, and only 13 of the 124 players that have received it since 2012 have accepted it. Most MLB teams make the move in order to receive draft pick compensation if the player signs elsewhere.

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