Phillies: Exciting prospects make it harder to take risks this winter
By Tim Boyle
With a roster full of exciting young talent, the Philadelphia Phillies have less room to take risks with veteran additions. Will they stay the way they are or is there a chance they bring in some experience?
For the past few seasons, the Philadelphia Phillies have not shied away from taking risks in the offseason. They’ve added guys like Aaron Harang, Clay Buchholz, Michael Saunders, and others with the hope they could flip them at the trade deadline. While many have been failures, they did manage to deal Howie Kendrick last summer. Other veterans have been traded for minor league talent after spending only a brief period with the Phillies.
This winter has been a different story. Philadelphia made only one significant signing. However, the addition of Carlos Santana is not the typical move they’ve become accustomed to making. Santana is there to help them win sooner than later — he’s not “trade bait.” Santana can safely put down a little more money on a home in the Philadelphia area rather than rent for a few months.
Along with Santana, they brought Pat Neshek back. This time, it’s not to trade him in the summer. Neshek is part of a bullpen that will also include Tommy Hunter. The Phillies are building something. Until the season begins, we won’t know exactly what it is they have.
Why the Phillies Cannot Add Veteran Position Players
It still makes sense for the Phillies to add some veteran help. In particular, it would make for an intriguing offseason if they were to begin targeting salary dump candidates such as Jacoby Ellsbury or Matt Kemp. They won’t do so this winter because they already have a full outfield with at least one guy riding the pine each game.
There are only a limited number of positions the Phillies could take on a bad contract or offer a pillow deal. Third base is one spot although I imagine they would prefer to let Maikel Franco increase his value or merely replace him with prospect Scott Kingery.
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The Phillies do not need to overspend on a free agent for the sake of adding young talent. That’s because the youth movement is already in the big leagues.
Pitching is a Different Story
The pitching staff is an entirely different story. Philadelphia has the wiggle room to add starters and relievers.
A guy like Chris Tillman is an ideal candidate for the Phillies. The former Baltimore Orioles starter has fallen on hard times and is young enough to rebound. A one-year deal with the Phillies would allow him to regain some respect. If he pitches well in the first half, the Phillies could always transform him into minor league talent via trade.
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Since the Phillies will enter the 2018 campaign with possibly the lowest payroll in the big leagues, they are a suitor for many desperate players. Look for them to get creative over the next few weeks and possibly even into the regular season.