It was a banner year for Philadelphia Phillies starting pitchers, and that includes one veteran who flew under the radar.
Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, and Cristopher Sánchez were All-Stars. Aaron Nola was consistent and threw a ton of innings, as Aaron Nola always does. But the fifth spot in the rotation was more of a question mark, save for one brief cameo from a surprise star.
Spencer Turnbull was barely an afterthought for the Phillies coming into the season, but he took over fifth-starter duties for much of the spring while Taijuan Walker struggled to pitch well or stay healthy. Turnbull succumbed to injuries himself at times, but the overall results were still a big plus for Philadelphia.
Now a free agent, there’s a chance Turnbull could take things to a new level in another big-league city. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently named Turnbull as one of a select few free agents who “could become superstars” with new teams in 2025.
“Turnbull’s stuff got significantly better this season. This had much to do with his new sweeper, though he also boasts a pretty good curveball and changeup. Clearly, the 1.67 ERA that Turnbull posted in six starts out of the gate in April didn’t come out of nowhere,” Rymer said.
“A team should sign him in hopes that there will be more where that came from if he can stay healthy. Ideally, that team will have a home park that is less punishing to pitchers than Citizens Bank Park.”
Turnbull was 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 17 games for Philadelphia this season, including seven starts. It’s not that he couldn’t be successful in Philly again–in fact, it’s the only place in the big leagues that he’s proven he can be good so far. It’s more that his services are probably needed more elsewhere.
After signing for just $2 million last winter, Turnbull should be seeking a salary at least double that amount due to his strong performance. Had he not been injured for much of the season, he could have even been a candidate for a multi-year deal somewhere.
Getting a pay raise and moving to a better pitcher’s park could equally be huge lifestyle upgrades for Turnbull. Entering his age-32 season, we’ll likely see if the short-term Phillies star can breathe more life into his career somewhere new.
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