While the Aaron Nola deal was certainly important, there seems to be some other areas on this roster that could be upgraded prior to the start of the 2024 season.

Rob Thomson certainly has his preference on what those additions might be and it seems like the front office is in lockstep with his thought process.

According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Phillies are continuing to show interest in reliever Robert Stephenson, who many consider to be the best right-handed bullpen piece available on the market.

The 30-year-old was a revelation after he joined the Tampa Bay Rays, adding a cut fastball to his arsenal which produced an ERA of 2.35 across 42 appearances. He also had the highest strikeouts per nine innings ratio of his career (14.2), as well as his best FIP (2.45) and WHIP (0.678).

This points to that new pitch being a game changer for him as a reliever.

Prior to being traded to the Rays, he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was having a down season in 2023 compared to what he had done for them in 2022.

In 18 appearances with the Pirates last year, Stephenson had a 5.14 ERA after posting a 3.38 ERA in 13 games with them the season prior.

The worry about projecting what the right-hander can do moving forward is his short stint with Tampa Bay was the best stretch of his career.

He had a 5.15 ERA during his five years with the Cincinnati Reds, a 4.57 ERA over two years with the Colorado Rockies and 4.28 ERA in Pittsburgh.

Everything changed when he was acquired by the Rays.

It looks like Philadelphia thinks he can continue being an elite bullpen option for them as they continue pursuing the star righty on the open market this offseason.