We can’t say we weren’t warned. The Phillies, having made one significant upgrade, can now no longer make another needle-moving rotation addition through free agency this winter. The language in the stories published in the wake of Zack Wheeler’s signing intimated as much, but it felt hard to resist feeling like something else could still be done.
Well, that’s a little easier now. Over the weekend, Dallas Keuchel and Hyun-Jin Ryu — the last two upper-tier starting pitchers available on the free agent market — signed with the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively.