Well. Well. Well.
Look who’s in Philadelphia.
Free-agent lefty Patrick Corbin is in town.
And he’s not here for soft pretzels or to run the Rocky steps or to weigh in on which way the transitioning Flyers should go.
Corbin, according to multiple sources, made a recruiting visit to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday. He toured stadium facilities and met with team officials.
It is well known that the Phillies are looking to add a top-end left-handed starting pitcher and Corbin is at the top of their wish list. Will the Phillies end up signing him? That is not known at the moment. But having him in town to hear a sales pitch is certainly a good sign for the club.
Corbin, 29, has blossomed into one of the top left-handers in the game in recent seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished fifth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2018. He recorded a 3.15 ERA and had a 1.05 WHIP in 200 innings. He struck out 246 and walked just 48. Since the All-Star break of 2017, he has a 3.18 ERA and 329 strikeouts in 288⅓ innings.
Corbin would look good slotted in behind Aaron Nola in the Phillies' rotation. He is expected to command a multi-year contract well in excess of $100 million and the deep-pocketed Phillies, who have been waiting for this offseason and this free-agent class, could swing that and still sign a big bat like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper.
MLB
There is competition for Corbin. The pitcher was raised as a Yankees fan in upstate New York. The Yankees have made it no secret that they are looking for top-end pitching this winter and Corbin has long been rumored to be a slam dunk Yankee.
But the Phillies are clearly in the running for Corbin as evidenced by his visit Tuesday.
Hat tip to alert Phillies fan Chris Jones for first pointing out that Corbin was in town.
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