Phillies: Trading tomorrow’s potential for today’s shot

With decision-making in progress, the Phillies faithful have no shortage of doubts and blame for general manager Matt Klentak and the execs above him, plus the organization’s detractors believe the rotation’s shortcomings were obvious in November.

Pitfalls of perception:

While the Philadelphia Phillies are among the top four franchises in the National League hunt for two wild-card berths, some fans have little enthusiasm for the stretch drive. Why? Well, a team’s evaluations and a supporter’s impression of that process are on each side of a substantial chasm.

"IN OTHER WORDS: “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire, the size of your dream, and how you handle disappointment along the way.” – Robert Kiyosaki"

For many locals, the offense has underperformed, and Klentak had known the five-man staff was insufficient. Primarily, these fans believe the starters aren’t at fault for their disappointments, and they want to swap the minor leaguers necessary to receive a top rotation piece by sacrificing the future for the present.

Cultivating a player doesn’t end with a major league promotion because many pipeline standouts make an MLB impact in or after their third campaign. But some faithful supporters think these young stars must succeed immediately, or the club should move on to another player: a major difference.

Regarding rotation possibilities, the development-time results are after 60 to 90 starts, and most organizations use this thinking to appraise their potential for a counted-on slot. But this isn’t a getting-a-shot opportunity until the limited MiLB talent advances an entire staff of studs.

On the other hand, blaming the franchise’s lack of drafting a solid rotation is just another form of scapegoating. And the red pinstripes fans are not alone in this common practice throughout the bigs. But if the club struggles, the faithful fault the players, coaches, managers and execs, not their own expectations.

Entering camp, the Fightins had four moundmen still developing: Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez and Jerad Eickhoff. They lacked enough outings to determine their fate, and the front office didn’t know if one, none or all would succeed. Except, however, for a potential free-agent signing, the first half was to clarify that.

Barring a southpaw addition, the Phils anticipated a dominate Aaron Nola, a healthy Jake Arrieta, and a deadline trade for a game-changing lefty to bolster a playoff run. And they hoped one youngster would develop into a three-slot hurler, while two would handle the bottom two rungs of the five-man staff.