With Jake Arrieta signed, what comes next for the 2018 Phillies?

Adding ace Jake Arrieta built upon an already impressive offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies. So what is next for the team as they enter the 2018 season?

Exactly four months ago I wrote an article similar to this one. It was called “Phillies: What will come of the rest of the offseason.” It followed the signings of relievers Tommy Hunter and Pat Neshek and was basically a rant on how the club should sign Jake Arrieta. It compared the potential move to when the Chicago Cubs, Arrieta’s former team, made when they acquired Jon Lester, a comparison that has picked up amongst fans and reporters.

But while back then I believed they should pursue Arrieta I, like many others, doubted they would and figured it was just wishful thinking.

Now here we are.

The Phillies made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when they signed 2015 Cy Young Winner Jake Arrieta to a three-year, $75 million contract. It is an incredibly complex and creative contract as it features several opt-outs and ways the Phillies could reject an opt-out from Arrieta. Now the Phillies have added an ace to the rotation and have slid into the Wild Card contenders conversation.

So what’s next.

This was a great move and a great offseason but if the Phillies truly believe they can settle. They must continue to build from now to the end of their 2018 season.