These free agents could be the KEY to the Phillies' off-season.

Free agency in baseball is officially underway, setting the stage for a busy offseason before the December deadline.

With qualifying offers now on the table, the Phillies are preparing for a critical stretch in the hot stove league. We are tracking the early moves and analyzing how the looming collective bargaining agreement deadline could force teams to finalize rosters sooner than expected.

John Stolnis from SB Nation's The Good Phight and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh break down the potential for a league-wide lockout and why the current market conditions suggest a flurry of activity is imminent. We evaluate the roster implications for Philadelphia as the front office looks to position the club before the winter freeze.

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Chapters:

00:00 - Free agency begins with a possible lockout looming
01:51 - Don Mattingly’s award finalist case and the call for change
08:04 - Phillies award finalists and Alec Bohm’s qualifying-offer status
13:09 - Qualifying offers, draft-pick costs and top targets
17:10 - Why Morejon could anchor the bullpen
22:52 - Suzuki, Arozarena and the case for a Japanese bat
30:30 - Other free agents and the Phillies’ catcher search
39:11 - Luis Arraez, Peter Fatse and changing the offense
53:04 - Why Philadelphia can’t simply become the Brewers
59:03 - Aidan Miller’s walk rate and potential third-base path
01:00:29 - Phillies anniversaries, Stubbs and the offseason ahead