The Phillies announced this morning that outfielder Brandon Marsh underwent arthroscopic surgery after feeling discomfort in his left knee. With a 3-4 week recovery timetable, he’s still expected to be ready for Opening Day. As a result, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski downplayed the chances of going outside the organization for outfield help.
“We still think we’re the same way we were beforehand, when it comes to Opening Day,” he told reporters this afternoon (link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). “[Free agent outfielders] want guarantees, and we’re just not able to give them those guarantees. … We talk to people all the time. The reality is that we don’t have guaranteed playing time that some people want. We just don’t have that. It’s not really even a dollar issue as it is playing time.”
Assuming Marsh’s recovery proceeds as expected, he’ll slot into left field on Opening Day. Defensive stalwart Johan Rojas is set to open the year in center field while Nick Castellanos mans the corner opposite Marsh. Cristian Pache and Jake Cave project as the top depth options.
Rojas has a limited MLB track record, having appeared in only 59 career games. Paired with Philadelphia’s willingness to spend and Dombrowski’s history of pursuing star talent, that has led to loose speculation about the Phils as a possible suitor for Cody Bellinger. The front office leader has said a few times he anticipates Rojas being the starting center fielder — a sentiment he repeated earlier this week — making a Bellinger pursuit unlikely. Zolecki reports that the Phils also don’t anticipate landing either of the top two starting pitchers still available, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, barring a significant change in their respective markets.
Dombrowski also shot down the notion the Phillies are on the verge of trading for bullpen help. Unsubstantiated reports have linked them to Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen and Guardians star Emmanuel Clase in recent days. While Dombrowski didn’t address either player specifically, he said the Phils generally “do not have any ongoing conversations for bullpen guys” (via Zolecki).
While that doesn’t rule out the possibility of the Phils jumping into the mix at some point, the veteran executive pointed out that there’s not a ton of room in the season-opening bullpen. Each of José Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Gregory Soto, Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Domínguez is locked into the relief corps. The Phils have effusively praised Orion Kerkering, a 22-year-old who debuted late last season after striking out nearly 38% of opponents in the minor leagues.
If all six of those pitchers are on the Opening Day roster, the Phils would likely have two bullpen spots remaining. Dombrowski indicated one of those would go to a long reliever — quite likely out-of-options righty Dylan Covey. That leaves one job up for grabs (assuming the Phillies aren’t committed to carrying Connor Brogdon, who is also out of options). That opens the possibility for another acquisition, yet it’s not surprising Dombrowski said they’d only acquire a pitcher they consider a meaningful upgrade over their in-house candidates.
“It only leaves one other spot, and if you go get a veteran guy, he needs to be an upgrade. Because the reality is the only one there that can be optioned in that group is Kerkering. And we may not want to be optioning him,” he said. Perhaps the opportunity for a clear upgrade comes available or a Spring Training injury changes the calculus, but it doesn’t seem the Phils anticipate an imminent bullpen pickup.
MAKE A MOVE DAVE
Belli Bombs at the Bank. Cody can play all three outfield positions and Castellanos is a zero against RH pitching.
I understand the sentiment but in reality the Phillies are pretty stacked.
This team is mid and he’s praising it like it’s some loaded roster
Back to back NLCS trips while crushing the Braves 2 years in a row and they’re mid?
Braves have a way better team. Bohm and Castellanos suck and Marsh and Rojas are unproven. Also very bad bench. The bullpen is mediocre at best and the back of the rotation/depth is shaky.
“Braves have a way better team”…I would think that the logical definition of “way better” would be the Braves trouncing the Phillies when they play them head to head. And yet the Phillies have eliminated the Braves the last 2 years, head to head in the playoffs. It’s hard to consider yourself “way better”, than a team that virtually owns you come October.
The Braves being better doesn’t make the Phillies mid. On paper the Phillies are the 3rd best team in the NL.
The NL sucks Braves, dodgers, Dbacks, reds, cubs are all better as are the Yankees, orioles, rays, blue jays, twins, Astros, rangers, mariners
You’re out of your mind.
@MLB Braves clearly have more talent. Ultimately tho it’s results that matter.
In regards to Phillies/Braves tho I think it’s kind of a unique situation. Phillies are a lineup loaded with power who any spot can punish a poorly placed pitch. Whereas Braves have built a rotation of power arms who are trying to throw past bats bot pitch around, eventually every pitcher mislocates a ball though and it just seems Phillies are perfectly suited to sit on a rotation like that and put balls in the stands.
I truly believe Braves are the better team and would most likely beat any team that beats the Phillies. However if they run into Phillies I don’t see much changing, just more ill timed HRs. They just match up perfect to exploit one of Braves few weaknesses.
I’ll say this, yes I am a little biased being a braves fan, but the postseason is a crapshoot. The past couple seasons have shown us that. The Phillies are a great team and will definitely push the braves to their limits, especially in a playoff environment, but the braves did beat the Phillies pretty much all season, and they have a better roster in just about every aspect minus maybe shortstop. The braves have to overcome the Phillies in the playoffs, but that’s about it. The braves are the better team through and through.
I think Braves are best team in NL but I don’t see them having changed approach to pitching enough to avoid defeat if they run into Phillies again. Like I said they match up well and especially in the Fall where unpredictable weather leads to many games where balk is exploding off bats.
As a Cubs fan, that’s crazy talk
To the Braves credit, they’re consistent, while the Phillies are incredibly streaky. The last 2 seasons the Phillies struggled out of the gate before playing at a 100 win pace. So in theory you could argue that they’re closer to the Braves later in the season, but the fact of the matter is the Braves play great all-year round. I really think the Braves are the best team in baseball. The playoffs are tough to predict. As a Phillies fan, I wouldn’t bet on the Phils beating the Braves in the playoffs 3 years in a row.
Like I said I agree Braves are better. I just see Phillies as a matchup nightmare. It happens in all sports some of the best teams just have teams with less talent perfectly assembled to exploit their weaknesses.
It’s such a myth that postseason is a crapshoot; it’s not. Teams can be built and play to win in October, or built to win 100+ games during the regular season. The Dodgers and Rays are the epitome of this…they build incredibly deep, versatile rosters that dominate a long season but can’t win it all in a real season. The Dodgers will probably win 110+ this year and then lose before reaching the World Series. Teams that win it all aren’t built FOR depth but rather are teams with dominant players. On paper, the Braves are clearly better and might win the division easily again. But in a short series, in a head to head comparison, I don’t think I’d take any of the Braves best players over the Phillies best players.
Crapshoot is perhaps the wrong word, but there’s elements of luck, timing and momentum.
I’ll take the Phillies rotation over the Braves any day
Dodgers and Rays were ravaged by injuries last season. Yes there have been some seasons past they just seemed not to be built for playoff success. That seems Tobe more of dumb luck tho.
As for 2023, it’s amazing Rays made the playoffs.they had a very hot start and then injuries decimated rotation. They absolutely limped into the playoffs.
Dodgers came into 2023 with a bit weaker of a roster than usual and then they to were hit hard with pitching injuries. They managed to keep accumulating wins especially against weaker teams. But it was obvious that they were not looking good for the playoffs. Urias’s off field issues were the nail in the coffin.
The notion that teams are built for regular season success I just don’t buy. Dodgers are built to contend, but like any team health can change that quickly.
The Rays on the other hand I believe are built where they are more susceptible to injuries. Do to their limited financial resources they spend on high high reward players at a discount. So when their injuries pull up its hard to view it as unfortunate.
I wasn’t only referring to the 2023 season; both teams have produced great regular season success over the last decade or so only to fail to win it all—the Dodgers only title came in the Covid-shortened year against those Rays. Rays will probably win 85 or so games and miss the playoffs this year; Dodgers will win 110+, then lose at some point in the postseason, likely the NCLS. Then all the excuses will start…injuries, Ohtani not able to pitch, Yamamoto (probably totally wrong on spelling) getting used to the majors, etc. as to why they failed.
It’s definitely not mid. Looking at the current FA class, who do you replace? Outside of Bellinger, Montgomery and Snell, who is an improvement over their current roster? They have a very solid 1-5 rotation. They need a closer, but no one on the market is better than their in-house options. Nothing DD said is untrue.
I would like Duvall as a bench bat. Righty with some pop.
Duvall doesn’t want to be a bench bat.
This is exactly what DD was talking about. Guys don’t want to sign as bench bats.
Phillies are third on a lot of preseason power rankings. So by mid you mean not LA or ATL?
Orioles Hays for Rojas plus an A or A+ arm. Philly gets there experienced outfielder. By the way, Hays is a CF blocked by Mullins so plays left … and kinda cheap at under 6 million. O’s get some youth. Plus it’s time to let the kids play. Stowers, Kerjstead, Cowser and on and on including Rojas.
I see Phillies as WC1.
Adds at mid-season make more sense when they better know post-season needs.
Agreed. On paper they’re an 87-90 win team. A notch below Atl and LA. Obviously this can all change based on injury and other factors.
@VonPurpleHayes
If all stays the same, Atlanta is a 100-62 team and Phillies are 89-73 team based on Fangraphs WAR projections. Philly has a slightly better rotation and an identical bullpen. Atlanta’s offense is what gives them the advantage.
Yup. This is about what I predict.
But aren’t the Braves due for some regression or at least some bad luck ??
I’ve said that every year for the majority of my life. Outside of the rebuild years, it rarely happens.
“At least some bad luck”…Good teams create their own “luck”. How much “bad luck” have the Astros, Braves and Dodgers had the last 7+ years? Good teams build out the team depth that makes them far less susceptible to the random bounces of “luck”.
Braves had a ton of injuries fwiw.
“Braves had a ton”..The Braves, Astros and Dodgers ALL had massive injuries last year and yet 2 of the 3 won 100+ games and all 3 made the playoffs. That pretty well sums up my point.
Much more well-written article than that other guy Steph Adams who mentioned Edmundo Sosa as OF depth. Here’s a name for you MLBTR writers: Weston Wilson.
How much real estate does Stephen own in your noggin?
While I 100% agree Wilson should be given a shot, unfortunately it appears that the 4 -very bad as a “combo” btw- is already spoken for outside of injury.
A c, Sosa, Pache and Cave. If Wilson hit L or was a switch hitter they’d consider him more. As a career ss, he can play 7 spots.. Story is he started fielding other spots on his own and begged his MGR to give him a looksee in CF…
But Cave has photos of someone?
If you purport to be a national writer or expert and publish something that is obviously wrong, you run the risk of being called out. Neither Adams nor Franco have mentioned Weston Wilson because he is listed as an IF, when you and I both know he is the next guy up on the LF depth chart and was kept on the postseason roster because he showed out at the plate in his short stint during the regular season. Adams went on BRef, saw Sosa played a grand total of 5 innings in the OF last season and figured he’s also capable of playing there, when you and I also know the team desperately tried him in CF in spring training last season and he couldn’t do it.
It all shows a lack of research and knowledge about one of the better teams in baseball. What’s more, Adams mentioned Cal Stevenson only because he’s the only OF listed on Lehigh Valley’s roster right now. Cal Stevenson has as much of a chance of playing LF for the Phils as you or I.
At least this article lists Dylan Covey as the long man and brings up Brogdon’s lack of options, and I’m guessing both were only mentioned because this author went through TGP’s boards to better understand the Phillies bullpen options.
ATFB
Hey, troll
This you from the other thread?
*****
“Edmundo Sosa played ZERO innings in the OF last season.”
“He played three games and five innings in the outfield”
“So, virtually zero”
*****
Maybe shut up
Muted
“We still think we’re the same way we were beforehand, when it comes to Opening Day,” sayeth Dave Dombrowski. But what after Opening Day? Even then, the Phils will be no better than they were in 2023. Will that be enough to beat the Dodgers, Braves, or Diamondbacks in 2024? Probably not. The Phils’ young outfielder, Brando Marsh, just had arthroscopic surgery. In and of itself, the news is no big deal. But it shows the Phils may be as good as they were in 2023, but 2023 was one season ago. The Phils are now an older team and, when the youngsters are requiring surgical procedures, Dave Dombrowski must ask himself where will he find comparable substitutes if one or two of his older stars wind up on the IL for any significant amount of time in 2024. Guys like Bellinger don’t come along that often, and Dombrowski may wish he obtained some spare firepower as the season progresses and his veterans start to show signs of slowing down. He may also wish he thought harder about acquiring another starter like Montgomery or Bieber and another closer like Clase. The Phils have money to spend on reinforcements. What they seem to lack is the realization that their current team is a good team, but not a championship team. Dombrowski could changed all this with just a few timely acquisitions.
All due respect to the Diamondbacks, but the Phillies are a significantly better team. They just got beat. The Braves are much better than the Phillies, and the Phils beat them in the playoffs 2 years in a row. Playoffs are often a crapshoot.
The Phillies are close, and any fan who is angry at them for not making acquisitions is being silly. Most fans would kill for owners who spend like this. Do I agree with all the moves? Not at all, but the effort from ownership is there. They spent a ton resigning Nola. I’m okay with the relatively quiet offseason. This team is close. I personally would have liked them to have signed Hader, Neris or Stephenson. Part of me still foolishly hopes they’re adding Montgomery, but at the end of the day this is a 90 win team poised for another run.
Diamondbacks were a hot team at right team. Braves are clearly the better team talent wise, but Phillies are a matchup nightmare for their pitching. I don’t see that changing if they run into Phillies again in Postseason. If so they ll have to outslug them.
von, The Diamondbacks won the season series against the Phils last year and beat them in the playoffs. So, how does that make the Phillies a significantly better team? Isn’t the team that wins the better team at the end of the day? You are right that the Braves are a much better team than the Phils. They lost to the Phils in the playoffs the past two seasons because the Phils were healthier and took a great deal of momentum into their series with the Braves. So, as we speak, the 2024 Phillies, who are the same team they were in 2023, are possibly the fourth best team in the NL, behind the Dodgers, Braves, and Diamondbacks, and certainly a weaker team than the Rangers and Astros in the AL. They are currently projected to win 85 games in 2024. So, don’t confuse different opinions by fans with fan anger, and don’t confuse what you wish for with what really is. The Phillies are a good team, a popular team, and usually a fun team to watch and follow. I’ve been a Phillies fan since the days of Connie Mack Stadium. So, I’ve seen this team at their best and also at their absolute worst. Like the other professional sports teams in Philly, the Phillies are usually hyped by the Philadelphia sports media as being better than they really are. Not that long ago, the Eagles were a shoe-in to win the Super Bowl and the 76ers were a shoe-in to win the NBA championship, according to most of the Philly sports gurus. Now that those teams have once again failed to live up to the unrealistic expectations of the Philly sports media, the Phils are the hot item and now projected to do in 2024 what they were unable to do in 2023, even though their team is the same and the teams of their major opponents have all improved. I’m a Phillies fan, but a realistic fan who has been around the game of baseball for many years. I root for the Phils every season and wish them well, but my expectations are tempered by the reality of the game they play. A team isn’t better just because their GM or field manager says they are, and not better because sports writers are in charge of the pulpit. And at the end of the day, the team that wins is the better of two teams. That’s why the game is played on the field and not in the press box.
Because head to head matchups don’t tell you who the better baseball team is. There are many other teams to play. Arizona is a bad matcup for Philly, especially in Arizona where homers don’t fly. Also games were played when Harper was out. If you want to say the Diamondbacks have the Phillies number, I think that’s a stretch, but I wouldn’t necessarily argue. The D-backs won 84 games last year. the Phillies won 90, with more significant injuries. So sure, the DBacks can absolutely beat the Phillies, but I still consider the Phillies a better overall team. The Phillies are a tough matchup for Atlanta, but the Braves are a much better team.
Von, The Phils may have been a better team on paper in 2023, but the Diamondbacks beat them to win the NL pennant. That made the Diamondbacks the best team in the NL in 2023, and the Phils the second best. No further analysis is necessary, germane, or applicable. What’s more, 2023 is history. The real questions are what will the Phils be able to do against the Dodgers, Braves, Diamondbacks, and surprise teams in 2024? How will the Phils handle the AL teams? Will a new contract make Nola a better pitcher? Will Thomson learn how to use his players to the team’s greatest advantage? Will the Phils be able to stay healthy and injury free? As the Zen Master says, “we’ll see.” Regardless of the outcome, I’ll probably still be a Phillies fan at the end of this season – even if the Phils don’t make it to the world series.
@Onthebucks
There are a lot of assumptions on your part. Why do you think the Phillies have tones of money to spend? Every team that relies on its revenue for funds has limits. As for Bellinger, he’s not a youngster, has his own injury history, and you act like he is the answer as the most expensive FA left to having a healthy roster. If the Phillies are Smart, they can move Soto back to closer, where he was a two time All-Star. He gets up for the role. Sometimes things can get better by moving the parts around.
stymee, The Phils have money to spend and also money to recoup in potential trades. For a long time, I’ve felt a Schwarber trade would be very practical for the Phils. I understand he’s a very popular guy but, at the end of the day, he’s a .197 hitter who has led the NL in strikeouts for the past two seasons. Additionally he’s the worst defensive outfielder in major league baseball, so he can only be used as a DH. Even there, he can hit tape-measure home runs, but not off good pitching and usually not in clutch situations. In games in which he hits homers, the rest of the team is usually also hitting up a storm. My move would be trading Schwarber and an additional piece or two to the Guardians for starter Bieber and closer Clase. Then, I would sign Bellinger to be used at first base or in the outfield as needed. I’m against using Harper at first base because of his potential for injury at that position. He was signed to the most lucrative contract in MLB history at the time to play the outfield, and that’s where I feel he belongs. I also feel the Phils should have a rotating DH which would allow the older players like Bellinger, Harper, Castellanos, Turner, and especially Realmuto to get days off defensively but still get to hit every day. Any one of these guys is a better hitter than Schwarber, so the rotating DH would be more productive than Schwarber alone. Also, ask yourself who would help the Phils more – Schwarber, a .197 hitter with 104 RBIs, 0 SBs and 215 Ks last season or Bellinger a gold glover with a .307 BA, 97 RBIs, 20 SBs and 87 Ks last season? Bellinger is looking for the same salary the Phils are currently paying Schwarber. Bieber and Clase have very reasonable contracts, and have been on the trade block the entire off-season. The Guardians are looking for a power hitter. Ergo, the Phils don’t need a lot of extra money to spend if they make the right trades.
I still have faith and Dave Dombrowski but if he says he’s comfortable with a team that finished 14 games out and probably got further away from the Braves I think I should start losing my faith. This team was susceptible to lefty pitching last year and they are just susceptible this year. They need another right handed bat. And they need another right handed reliever. Give me a break if they’re gonna put their eggs in Conner Brogdon’s basket again. Maybe Dombrowski thinks they’ll make a big move at the deadline but when you’re eight games out at that point then what’s the point? They’re not gonna keep getting lucky every single year by beating the Braves in the first round.
if he says he’s comfortable with a team that finished 14 games out
=============================
Probably the worst thing he could do is to try to catch a team 14 games in front. You could trade Painter and Abel, and cut that lead to 5-6 games, but what does that gain you?
JB
“what does that gain you?”
Well, more chance to win the division, for one
For two, a better team
Note: this is me answering your question. This is not me making a statement about what the Phillies should or should not do
I never said, trade painter, or Abel. But you can still trade Griff and get a very solid reliever. I think Griff needs a change of scenery.
I don’t think the Phillies necessarily need a reliever. They have a pretty solid pen. Extra depth would be nice, but it’s solid. What they do need is young pitching for when Nola and Wheeler age out.
They will get the extra guy or two at the deadline.
I’m sure Detroit will have a player or two, so look for a deal with Detroit.
I never thought the Phillies were a fit for Bellinger. However, I did think they might go after an Adam Duvall or Tommy Pham as an upgrade over what they have in Pache & Cave.
Right, but as DD states here, guys want playing time. They don’t want to be bench depth. Duvall and Pham can start on other teams. Phillies can’t offer them that.
I know there is said no be no need for an outfielder but would an Alec burleson get the talks started for griff McGarry ??
I doubt McGarry gets STL to the table for Burleson.
There will be a lot of PO’d fans if he doesn’t do anything
Relax!
Dombrowski is speaking the truth.
He has a World Series Team in the current Phillies roster already.
Dave is too crafty to telegraph his moves.
But Dave, and all the top executives in MLB, is always looking to improve even though the Phillies do not have to make a move and could win it all with their present roster.
But if the right player or players become available for the right price that does not diminish short and long term competitiveness, then Dave is open to discussing and even doing those kinds of deals.
Phillies better than the Braves? I don’t think so.
On an even keel, which means playing each other on the same rest Braves won 8 games out of 13 in 2023, and also clinched the division in Phillies home yard, in 2022 it was also the same, the Braves won 9 out of 16 v the Phillies, again all on equal rest.
The play off format is flawed, anyone that has played baseball at any level will tell you that sitting on your bum for 5 days aids no hitter, furthermore, you have no momentum going into a winner take all, you’ve been sitting around twiddling your thumbs, players want to play, not sit down at the most important time of the year when it means the most.
One must wonder how eg. 3 of the better hitters in MLB in Betts, Freeman, Martinez went a combined 3/35, but again, tell me how sitting for 5 days helps them with timing and mechanics, when they just played nearly every day for 162 days and then they are forced to sit down, go take bp, or create whatever other pretend situations they can to mimic a real game type situation-it’s ridiculous.. Those that ‘think’ this is an ‘advantage’ in a hand eye co-ordination sport have no idea.
The Braves should not have been playing the ‘best’ wildcard team in the NL, on the contrary, the Braves should have been playing the lottery wildcard team with the least wins-Arizona. If the argument is that the Phillies are better, then tell me why they don’t beat the Braves when they’re on equal rest. The Phillies had the benefit of playing and gaining momentum coming into a winner take all.
The play off format is a farce and a joke, but it’s not about the best team anymore, it’s just about revenue and $$$, hence Manfred and owners created more wildcards.
I see no need to play 162 games anymore, as in the past this rubbish of sitting down for 5 days would not have been an issue. The Braves saw no benefit in sitting for 5 days, and as far as I’m concerned neither did the Orioles or the Dodgers, Houston were an outlier as they played the Twins who hadn’t been to the play offs in quite some time, nor are they considered one of the ‘stronger’ rosters in baseball.
Baseball play offs are not what they used to be, and they’re like everything else everywhere in society, you reward 40% of the 30 teams by allowing 12 of them into the play offs, when some of them should not be there, 8/30 is enough for the play offs-if you’re good enough you make the play offs, simple as that, all sides then play on equal rest, 1 wildcard from each league as it was before.
No team should be made to sit down for 5 days when there is so much on the line, anyone that ‘thinks’ that is fair, hasn’t got any idea what the word fair means.
.
Baseball has always had the lowest percentage of top ranked teams who make it through to the final round of playoffs of all US professional sports. It’s been that way for 100 years. I think you’ll find it’s less than 50% of top seeds have historically made it through. This is not new playoff format problem.
No one in the article or in the comment section has proclaimed the Phillies to be better than the Braves. Quite the opposite actually. Who are you responding to?
For the RS FO, this is how you are supposed to interview. You can be honest without giving away state secrets. You can address the fans like they are not idiots.
Past that, there is some good stuff in there for all fans to listen to.
1-You don’t always get what you want. Sometimes players prefer different cities or different roles.
2-If you acquire a player, it should be a clear upgrade.
Sure, in the same way Houston wasn’t looking to add a reliever right up until they signed Hader
The fanbase needs to grasp that, as the team has evolved under DD, the approach each winter will also be altered to suit current conditions.
As much as we would all love them to simply step up every Hot Stove and poach the top free agents available, that is unsustainable. Overall, they have done a terrific job with their big swings – Bryce / JTR / Zack / Schwarbs / Trea etc, and even when they have missed (Castellanos) it has not been a disaster. Nola was a very solid and necessary risk that should be a good thing for at least a lot of the deal.
In the meantime, as they have patched and upgraded via the MiddleBucks checkbook, they have been completely revamping the farm and player development. and we can hope to see that starting to replace the costlier players over time so that they can afford to stay in business while they compete.
Two years ago…even last year…they would have probably been forced to do an overpay for a Bellinger, a Snell or a Jordan Montgomery. Today, they can wait to see if the price falls enough to justify it. The Schwarber / Castellanos signings were more a function of need and the willingness to overpay for a less than sensible roster construction because that was available in their time of need. Trea was a huge deal, but for an MVP capable player that truly filled a real gap and allowed the roster to make more sense as well (move Stott to 2nd and allow Segura to move on).
This year they are looking to have some of the youth to take another step (Rojas / Marsh / Sanchez / Stott plus incoming), as well as see some more production from Bryce (health), Trea (rebound) and maybe even Castle. This is not a stupid decision to be more opportunistic, even if it isn’t sexy.
I am going to be happy if they add some solid depth as the musical chairs of FA start to hit the homestretch. A better ute….starting pitching depth and some bullpen upside plays. Would I love it if one of the top pitchers had to settle for a much saner deal and ended up here? Of course, but I am not going to whine about the “slow-moving” winter this time around. After two consecutive NLCS appearances and a WS the past two years, they already HAVE a very competitive roster. I am far more interested to see how the farm pays off moving forward.
Phillies just aren’t a championship caliber team, just face it. They’re chumps.