He almost has to. Without him all you've got is Steele. Smyly and Taillon are huge question marks, Stroman is likely gone. Assad has a great ERA but horrible peripherals. Wesneski has no ability at all to get lefties out and Thompson is still broken. You'd be going into FA with Steele as your #1 and Wicks as your #2. Horton will likely be on the team in 2024, but not right away and will certainly be on an innings limit.