The easiest decisions will be to decline options on relievers Pat Neshek (hurt a lot) and Jared Hughes (not very good) and starter Jason Vargas (also not good). And bad outfielder Odubel Herrera has been reinstated after serving his suspension for domestic abuse. The Phils should just release him. Herrera hasn't been good (as a player) since 2017. He has a .632 OPS over the last calendar year.
They should also probably cut ties with relievers Blake Parker and Mike Morin, both picked off the scrap heap during the season. And it's time to say goodbye to Nick Williams, who doesn't have a place to play and is also not very good. That would bring the roster down to 36. None of these guys have any real trade value, so might as well release them and let them find their own way.
A bunch of guys who were here this season have filed for free agency. So let's say goodbye to Sean Rodriguez, Tommy Hunter, Logan Morrison, Juan Nicasio, Brad Miller, Nick Vincent, Corey Dickerson, and Drew Smyly. The only ones I'd consider bringing back are Miller and Smyly, but only on minor league deals. Dickerson will want to find a starting outfield job, and there aren't any of those in Philadelphia.
Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez should also be on the block, either by trade or release. Franco shows small samples of promise then reverts to disappointment. Hernandez is due for a raise via arbitration. He made $7.75 million last season, which isn't bad for a guy who doesn't walk and is a terrible baserunner. He'll probably get $10 million or more in arbitration. No. Freaking. Way. The Phils should use whatever was going Cesar's way and add it to the pile of cash they'll need to sign Gerrit Cole.
We'll talk more about free agency is the coming days. I don't want to use all of my off-season topics in one post.
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