The sudden and unexpected return of the Phillies to the NL East race is not the best possible scenario for a team in serious decline. In fact, it might end up being the worst-case scenario.
After all of the strong pennant contenders the Phillies have fielded in the past decade, does the current group show any of the qualities of those winning teams? Chase Utley has been better than expected and Ryan Howard is knocking in runs again, but who else is outperforming expectations?
With so many mediocre teams still in the baseball races, the Phillies could score a major return for their veterans – especially Utley and Jimmy Rollins. They should also be able to shed a big chunk of Jonathan Papelbon’s ridiculous contract. Even lesser names like Kyle Kendrick and John Mayberry Jr. will have some value in a competitive trade market.
In his six futile years as GM, Ruben Amaro Jr. has never been a seller, and now he has a reason to hold onto his aging core for one more run. This Phillies team – locked into a losing record all season – has no chance to win anything this year. Zero. And president Dave Montgomery’s vote of confidence for Amaro last week only advanced the perception that the front office has lost its grasp of reality.
The Phils need to forget about their successes and concentrate on the one thing that actually holds some promise – the future. They need to sell. They need to start the next era of winning as soon as possible.
Idle thoughts
SAN DIEGO - After a rough 2023 campaign that saw him post a 4.18 ERA…
The Phillies left Cincinnati with a series split and headed to the West Coast to…
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Philadelphia Eagles are signing OT Mehki Becton to…
Philadelphia’s inspector general has found that the city’s homeless services office “knowingly” overspent in the…
Authorities have announced new charges against four juveniles arrested following an exchange of gunfire earlier…
Four people were wounded in separate shootings and stabbings Saturday across Philadelphia. On Saturday night,…
This website uses cookies.