Just a few short months ago, things were going absolutely swimmingly
for the fightin’ Phils. Under GM Matt Klentak, they executed one of the most
masterful offseasons in recent baseball history, not only nabbing all-star
batters Jean Segura and J.T Realmuto, but landing the crown jewel of free
agency in superstar slugger Bryce Harper as well. Smiles and celebrations
abound as the Phillies flexed their muscle financially and set the table for
what seemed destined for a championship year.
Their good fortunes continued to begin the regular season as well, as
they stormed the gates with surprisingly stellar pitching and an expected
abundance of offense to begin the year. The Philly-based franchise was
everything they were expected to be, boasting a record well over .500 whilst
pacing the competitive NL East. But as a leery consumer questioning the
authenticity of a sketchy sales pitch would say, if it seems too good to be
true, it probably is.
Injuries began to mount for the once-dominant Phils- Andrew
McCutchen, David Robertson, Scott Kingery, Tommy Hunter, Pat Neshek,
and Seranthony Dominguez have all spent extensive time and/or are
currently on the injured list- and before long the almighty Phillies started to
look human again. With a return to normalcy came a fall in the standings
and now the Phillies find themselves third in the division- trailing the rival
Braves and Nationals.
Although there is still plenty of baseball to be played and the fat lady
hasn’t quite tuned her voice yet, it's fair to wonder if the Phillies will even
make the playoffs at this point. The red-hot Braves are practically running
away with the division and if the Phils don’t turn it around soon they may
well force themselves out of the wild card hunt as well.
The one saving grace is that the trade deadline is still a couple of
weeks away and the Phils could still try to load up for a second-half run.
While I’m a fan of both spirited comebacks and never-say-die-attitudes, I
don’t think the Phils should be buyers at the deadline. In fact, I think they
should punt at the deadline and let the chips fall where they may. Let me
explain why.
For starters, I don’t think there is a player on the trading block that is talented enough to not only quell the Phillies issues but catapult them back amongst the upper echelon of the MLB. Are there players to be had that could improve the team? Sure. Help them win a few more games? Of course. But I don’t think the 2019 season savior is just floating around waiting to be had- which leads me to my next point.
Let’s assume there was a season savior out there. Maybe you’re of the
belief that someone like Marcus Stroman, Madison Bumgarner, or Robbie
Ray could serve that role. That’s all fine and well, but that doesn’t negate
the fact that the Phillies simply don’t have the quality or quantity of
prospects it would take to land one of the premier trade options after
depleting their farm system in similar endeavors for the better part of a
decade.
While landing Stroman, MadBum, or Ray would certainly give the
fightin’ Phils a boost and improve their playoff odds, it would still, in my
opinion at least, be a short-sighted move made to actualize unrealistic
expectations set in the winter. Adding one of these players (or someone else
in the same talent bracket) would undoubtedly make the Phils more
competitive, but it wouldn’t improve them into World Series contenders
again. After suffering through a slew of injuries, the Phillies have too many
areas of need and simply don’t have the prospects to flip to fill one hole, let
alone multiple.
Instead of foolishly making a big splash at the trade deadline in hopes
of fulfilling outlandish expectations- depleting the farm system in the
process- the Phils should just try to get healthy and make as deep a run as
they can with the current group. It likely won’t result in a parade on Broad
Street, unfortunately, but neither will acquiring anything less than a
bonafide superstar, which they can’t afford to do.
The season hasn’t gone the way the team expected, but there’s no
reason to go all-in this year with their title window still wide open with Bryce
Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and Aaron Nola in town for the foreseeable future.
Here’s to a successful second half of the season in Philly, one that will hopefully not include a splashy move at the deadline.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
