MLB: NL East Preseason Division Predictions
By Matt Meffe
Last Place: Philadelphia Phillies
Projected Record: 75-87
Last season marked the end of an era. The last two members of the 2008 World Series champion Phillies parted ways with the team. Ryan Howard is now a free agent, while the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz to the Dodgers late last year (he is currently a member of the Seattle Mariners). Now, the Phillies continue to turn their attention to the future. Over the past few seasons, several young stars broke out, with one of them (Odubel Herrera) even earning an All-Star selection in the process. With the crop of young talent growing, the future of the Phillies looks bright. The present, however, still looks bleak.
The Phillies made some acquisitions during the offseason, acquiring Howie Kendrick, Michael Saunders, Clay Buchholz, Joaquin Benoit and Pat Neshek. Kendrick provides depth at multiple positions, while Saunders provides the lineup with the left-handed power bat Ryan Howard left unfilled. Benoit and Neshek could tremendously help the young, inconsistent Phillies bullpen, while Buchholz provides more veteran presence to balance the starting rotation. These moves are not insignificant, but any improvement for the Phillies would be accepted.