Phillies: Extra-pen-arm ripples

Adding a reliever to the Phillies’ 25-man squad and subtracting a position player will not be the minor detail it was at first blush, and general manager Matt Klentak will have powwows with his skipper and coaches near camp’s end for this particular decision.

Roster wrinkles:

After the Philadelphia Phillies signed three free agents during the offseason, questions regarding most spots ended. But the new manager didn’t take long to toss a complex statement into the mix and open the door for other competitive opportunities.

"IN OTHER WORDS: “But once you throw a stone, there are ripples in the pond, even if you remove the rock.” – Jodi Picoult"

Over the winter, Klentak and Kapler had meetings to address spring training, and they reviewed many players competing in Clearwater who are on the bubble of the active 25. But carrying a long man to save the bullpen from a poor starting performance means a four-man bench.

If an injury occurs to the hometown nine, the dynamic would barely change. However, the loss of a catcher with another organization could lead to a trade of either backup receiver. One problem solved!

On the Internet, fans absorb the belief of many national writers: The main thing making sense to them is buying free agents. And the faithful on Phillies sites take this as gospel, but a writer covering 30 franchises instead of one produces surface-level articles.

If you look, you’ll find discrepancies. For instance, one recent piece had the Miami Marlins as a possible destination for Bryce Harper in 2019. But having room to spend up to the competitive-balance threshold of $197 million doesn’t guarantee big dollar signings. Baseball is a business, not a fantasy league.

Unfortunately, fans want to believe. To illustrate, one local is expecting disappointment if the Phils don’t ink one of those starting pitchers. Then, he’ll conclude the GM’s a failure, the team is cheap, and the scribe like him is without a doubt 100 percent correct.

For the Phils, paying more for a free-agent rotation piece is not a problem if the contract is for three summers with a mutual option for 2021. They are only willing to overpay or outbid dollarwise. So, while clients of the Boras Corporation remain available, the odds for the red pinstripes improve.