3 Free Agents the Phillies Must Avoid This Offseason

The Philadelphia Phillies should expect to make the playoffs next season now that Joe Girardi is the manager, and anything else would be a serious disappointment. GM Matt Klentak has plenty of work to do this offseason in terms of plugging up the gaping holes that sunk their ship last season. If he looks to free agency to do so, these three players should be major red flags for the team to bring in:

3. Nationals INF Asdrubal Cabrera

World Series - Washington Nationals v Houston Astros - Game Seven / Elsa/Getty Images

The Phillies thought that Maikel Franco was their future at third base, but that seems increasingly unlikely after they demoted him to Triple-A last season. The Phillies could look to Cabrera, who emerged as a key member of the Washington Nationals' championship push, to fill the void. Cabrera might have caught lightning in the bottle this postseason, but he's a 34-year-old vet who largely underperformed for the majority of the season, only really getting hot for the last two months. Cabrera's days as a full-time starter at third are likely spent, but we still don't know if Klentak has come to that realization.

2. Cubs SP Cole Hamels

San Francisco Giants v Chicago Cubs / Stacy Revere/Getty Images

A Hamels signing would be a prime example of nostalgia goggles preventing a playoff-caliber team from getting over the hump. Hamels' numbers don't look terrible (3.81 ERA in 27 starts for the Chicago Cubs last season), but he is a 36-year-old pitcher with declining velocity and has seen his ERA increase in recent years. Hamels might have had 10 amazing seasons in Philadelphia, but the rotation needs some youth, not another aging veteran.

1. Yankees RP Dellin Betances

New York Yankees v Toronto Blue Jays / Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

The Phillies already have one severely damaged former Yankee reliever on their roster, they don't need two. When he's healthy and he can locate the strike zone, Betances is as lethal as they come out of the pen. However, injuries limited him to just 0.2 innings last year, with a torn Achilles putting his immediate future in doubt. Girardi might want to bring a couple of his former Yankees on board in Philly, but they should stay away from Betances until the medical situation is cleared up.