The Phillies have accomplished something extraordinary this offseason, with likely one of the best in franchise history. Baseball fans knew they were in for a big splash this winter, like last season, after finishing with an 80-82 record in 2018. They were in play for big names, namely Harper, Machado, Keuchel, and Kimbrel. They did go after some of these names, but they also went after more under-the-radar players. In this article, I’ll breakdown their offseason and why it was the best they could’ve done for a fruitful future.
The Offseason
“I don’t think anybody could have predicted that it would be as extraordinary as it is. I’ve got to tell you, when you think of major moments in Phillies history, bringing in someone from the outside — getting Pete Rose in ’79, trading for Cliff Lee in ’09, Doc (Halladay) in 2010, re-signing Cliff in ’11 — this is even bigger than that.” –Phillies owner John Middleton on the Harper signing
After 2018, the Phillies seemed somewhat lost. After an impressive offseason, including acquiring Santana and Arrieta, and an even more impressive first half, their direction seemed to be unclear. With a depth chart that had one consistent name in Hoskins, the worry developed more. There were holes at shortstop, the outfield, and catcher, with names that never hit a consistent stride. After analyzing all the holes, the Phillies’ front office went out and fixed them.
For the catcher spot, they were in on one huge name for the whole offseason, Realmuto. A decent defender with an even more impressive hitting résumé, he seemed like the perfect fit behind the dish for the young pitching staff. Seeing Realmuto as the clear number 1 option, they decided to trade prospect righty Sixto Sánchez and young catcher Alfaro for the veteran all-star.
In the infield, they saw one preeminent goal. Fixing the shortstop position with a consistent hitter. Fortunately for them, lady luck was on their side in the form of a Mariners rebuild. Wanting to re-tool by trading their veterans, they were enthusiastic regarding a Segura trade. This allowed the Phillies to kill two birds with one stone. They got rid of the massive Santana deal and got a better one with Segura, despite acquiring more total money. They also got a consistent, all-star level shortstop to permanently fix that hole.
The outfield for the Phillies wasn’t a large problem. Hoskins and Herrera emitted a threatening tone to rival teams, yet right field remained inconsistent. Wanting to over-prepare, they decided to sign two large names in the free agency market, Cutch and Harper. Cutch provided the primary on-base threat, giving the Phillies a nice, consistent 2 hitter, with some sneaky pop. While his stats have dropped, his on-base capabilities have remained relatively the same.
Harper has established himself as a large threat in the league. While consistency isn’t his forte, he has a tremendous amount of power and is a threat to any team in the league for now. This helps the Phillies get a primary threat in the lineup. While Hoskins is a decent hitter, he never had the statistic résumé of a guy like Harper. One NL MVP, six all-star appearances, and one silver slugger. Clearly, he will bring the needed slugging bat to a team that has been lacking one for years.
For the bullpen, the biggest addition was Yankees reliever David Robertson. A versatile reliever, he could gain holds while at the same time being available to close. Not to mention he has posted near all-star numbers for the last few years. Along with him are Juan Nicasio and James Pazos, two pitchers looking to show a bigger market what they’re capable of. Acquired with Jean Segura, they improve the bullpen behind Robertson, adding more depth to names like Ramos, Dominguez, and Neshek.
It’s no secret the Phillies just got a lot better for their future this offseason. They did what few teams have done the last few years, and went all in on a lot of pieces. Due to this, they have fixed most of the needs in their roster. Sure, there are some inconsistent areas, but the roster is definitely ready to fight for a playoff spot on Opening Day. The outfield is as loaded as possible, the infield has been nicely improved, and the catcher spot has seen a large upgrade.
The large thing they need to establish fixing is the rotation. While it has some good names, there isn’t much behind the front three of Arrieta, Nola, and Pivetta. The amazing thing is that the Phillies are still interested in large free agent names. Like I previously mentioned, this includes players such as Keuchel and Kimbrel. The former would greatly improve the rotation, being able to be a workhorse throughout the season. The latter would provide a role as the consistent closer for the Phillies, allowing the roles to be cemented early on.
While the Phillies may not have the best roster in their division and may not make the playoffs, no one can deny the attempt the front office has made after it. They have established needs and a very good 1-5 in the lineup, allowing a consistent flow to the season early on. This will allow them to grow with the roster, and make further moves at the deadline. A cemented roster early on always helps the confidence of the players, rather than role changing many times. While the impact may not be huge, it certainly will be noticeable, and this Phillies roster now has depth to grow around for years to come.
The MLB Enthusiast 