Yesterday, it was finally announced that Didi Gregorius will be re-signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. While there is still plenty of work to be done in terms of signing additional bullpen arms, the Phillies decision to bring back Didi Gregorius was a fantastic move.

Didi came with a price tag of a reported $28 million for two years. The market for Didi to return to Philadelphia steadily swayed in the Phillies direction all offseason and the ball club was able to secure him on for under $30 million over two years, which will prove to be a great move now and for the future.

Gregorius was one of the squads most consistent hitters in the middle of the lineup last season, slashing .284 with 10 home runs and a solid 1.2 WAR.  He’s a left-handed bat which fits perfectly in the center of the Phillies’ batting order. Expect Didi to pick up from where he left off last year defensively as well. His experience in the field and solid offense will allow him to be one of the most consistent shortstops in the NL East. 

• Harper (L)
• Realmuto (R)
• Gregorius (L)
• Hoskins (R)
• Bohm (R)

While signing back Gregorius for the heart of the lineup and the field is fantastic, Phillies top prospect, Bryson Stott now has a seasoned mentor to learn and grow from. Stott was drafted by the Phillies 14th overall in 2019 out of UNLV.  He was a reliable glove for the Rebels and produced a .340 BA across his college career.  Stott has everyone’s eyebrows raised in the organization and is thought to be brought up to the show within the next year or two. 

Who better than Didi Gregorius to show him the ropes?  Gregorius has played for two of the toughest fan bases in the country, the New York Yankees and now the Phillies.  He surely can give the young Bryson Stott some encouraging tips and tricks on the mental aspect of playing in a big market city like Philadelphia.  

As if having one mentor wasn’t sufficient enough, Stott and Bryce Harper are both Las Vegas natives and certified best friends already.  The two are constantly communicating via social media for everyone to see and, of course, livestreaming Fortnite as well.  

Dave Dombrowski has taken the price and length of Didi’s contract into account when thinking about the future of the Philadelphia Phillies. History tells us this process works. Assuming Bryson Stott progresses as expected this year in the minors, he is going to slide into the Phillies lineup very nicely with his skillset and Didi Gregorius and Bryce Harper as mentors.  The question is: How soon will the Phillies bring Stott up to the bigs to prep him for being their starting shortstop? 

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Mandatory Credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer