The Phillies announced Wednesday that they have signed free agent right-handed reliever Corey Knebel to a one-year contract. It’s their first significant free agent signing of the offseason.
According to Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports, the deal is worth $10 million.
Knebel, 30, had a 2.45 ERA in 25 2/3 innings in the regular season with Los Angeles in 2021. A lat strain kept him out for a sizable chunk of last season. In his All-Star season in 2017, Knebel saved 39 games for the Brewers.
He’ll almost certainly serve in a back end role for the Phillies in 2022, but it remains to be seen if Knebel would be an option to close games.
Phillies general manager Sam Fuld spoke a few weeks ago on the Phillies Talk podcast about the team’s strategy for building a bullpen.
“As we look to augment that part of our club, I really do think that it can be a strength of ours next year,” Fuld said. “There’s certainly a lot of ways to skin that cat. It might not be the most recognizable group, but that’s fine. A lot of successful bullpens are comprised of names that maybe aren’t household [names] and that’s fine by us.”
If the Phillies do prefer to acquire a closer with a lengthy track record, their options on the market are dwindling by the minute. Raisel Iglesias, the top option in free agency, reportedly re-signed with the Los Angeles Angels for four-years, $58 million. Shortly after the Knebel deal was announced, the Diamondbacks reportedly signed Mark Melancon to a two-year, $14 million deal.
That leaves Kenley Jansen as the last remaining true closer option on the free agent market. The White Sox’s Craig Kimbrel, who is under team control for $16 million in 2022, could be acquired via trade.
