Philadelphia Phillies: Simplifying the off-season priorities

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify…

See, this is what is meant when people say Phillies fans are “knowledgeable” about baseball. They not only know what could happen and can put all the possibilities on a list, but they can also make those possibilities as mind-boggling as they would be for the team’s GM.

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Let’s try to simplify all this, then.

There are three basic priorities for the Phillies before Opening Day, 2020. The third of these is to assemble a decent bullpen, which will be ignored here because that is, for every team, a piecemeal matter. So, our focus can be turned to the first two priorities, which must occur in some way, shape or form.

1)      The Phillies must upgrade their starting pitching. This is paramount. Moreover, in a year when Cole, Strasburg, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Bumgarner, Wheeler, and Dallas Keuchel are all available, there is literally no reason the Phillies can’t upgrade their starters behind Aaron Nola. Assuming the worst scenario here, that either Cole or Strasburg can’t be signed – Cole’s 2019 salary was $13.5 million, Strasburg’s $39.3 million, and both could top $30 million a year for multiple years – then two of the other starters listed above need to be signed. Perhaps Wade Miley can be considered there.

2)      Third base must be occupied in a sensible way for a couple of years; stop the musical chairs the Phillies have been playing for a while. And once again, “in a year when” Rendon, Moustakas, and Donaldson are available, there’s no reason not to significantly upgrade over Maikel Franco or the wandering Scott Kingery.

If one ace (or two near-aces) and one of the third basemen immediately above can’t be added, frankly, the Phillies off-season should be considered a failure. Perhaps Ryu alone would suffice if Rendon were acquired. Perhaps Bohm could be handed third after a spectacular spring training effort.

In that case, there doesn’t seem any reason three of the potential starters among the seven suggested shouldn’t be added, probably with Miley as the third.