Eflin declined his $15 million mutual option to return to Philadelphia in 2023 and became a free agent Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Eflin was an effective back-end starter for the first half of the 2022 season, logging a 4.37 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 56:15 K:BB in 68 innings through his first 13 starts. He would go on to miss two and a half months in the middle of the campaign due to right patellar issue, prompting the Phillies to bring him back as a reliever when he was finally ready to return in mid-September. He excelled in that role down the stretch and even emerged as Philadelphia's preferred closing option during the postseason, but the 28-year-old right-hander will presumably explore a move back to the rotation in 2023. After handing out big contracts to outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos last winter, it's unclear if the Phillies will have room in their budget to retain Eflin, who could be in store for a multi-year deal with an annual average value north of $10 million in free agency.