Phillies’ Boss Reportedly Eyeing Multiple Additions
As everyone gets ready to flip their calendars over to February, the Philadelphia Phillies have had a surprisingly quiet offseason this year. After falling short of back-to-back World Series appearances, there was some thought that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and owner John Middleton might be ultra-aggressive with some big-time star players hitting the open market. Of course, the Phillies already are on the books for their highest payroll in team history so some measure of self-control was needed after getting Aaron Nola back on a megadeal.
But still, since Dombrowski took over in the front office it’s uncharacteristic for this organization to be so dormant. However, one prominent radio host in Philadelphia said that the Phillies’ boss is not done trying to add to this roster. “No, absolutely N-O. They are not done. They will get, I believe, another starter and I think they will get another pitcher for the bullpen. And they need another bat,” 94WIP’s Howard Eskin said when joining WIP Middays with Hugh Douglas and Joe Giglio.
That is quite the prediction. They can still play the waiting game and see if Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery’s asking price comes down to a level where Dombrowski and Middleton would feel comfortable pursuing. It also should be noted that Philadelphia didn’t sign Bryce Harper until March of 2019. Bullpen seems like the most likely addition out of what Eskin said. It’s a position they’ve been most closely linked to during this stage of the offseason. They had major interest in Robert Stephenson and Jordan Hicks before they agreed to deals with other teams.
At this point, there aren’t that many team-changing pieces out there that would be worth the Phillies dipping into the next level of the luxury tax to acquire. Snell and Montgomery would likely be worth it as Philadelphia chases another World Series title. Maybe those are the players Dombrowski is eyeing before the new season begins.
Either way, there could be some more moves coming for the Phillies with the potential they make another splash.
