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Phillies: Three realistic expectations for the Phillies offseason

By George Stockburger

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Carlos Santana #41 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to General Manager Matt Klentak prior to the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park on April 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Carlos Santana #41 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to General Manager Matt Klentak prior to the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park on April 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 22: General manager Matt Klentak of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to the media before a game against of the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park on May 22, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Expectations are high for the Phillies this offseason, but what can they realistically accomplish over the next four months?

Phillies fans have circled this offseason on their calendars for two years with the expectation that the team could sign several superstar free agents.

Gaining a player like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper is high on the organization and the fan base’s wish list, but there are several players the team has their finger on. There are also several trades fans are waiting to see go across news tickers.

Here’s what a lot of fans are expecting to see this offseason from the Phillies brass:

  1. Sign a megastar
  2. Add a top of the rotation left-handed pitcher
  3. Add a lefty to the bullpen
  4. Sign a big-time closer
  5. Trade Carlos Santana
  6. Trade Cesar Hernandez
  7. Trade Maikel Franco
  8. Find another catcher
  9. Trade away a starting pitcher
  10. Upgrade the infield
  11. Improve the defense
  12. Establish world peace

That’s the general expectation of those around baseball and Philadelphia, and establishing world peace might be easier than trading Carlos Santana.

A list like that is impressive for a general manager’s tenure, let alone one offseason. However, the feeling I get from fans is that they expect the majority of those things to happen. It’s almost as if they expect the entire team, one that was among the best in the National League in the first half, to be completely erased next year.

So with that being said, what are realistic expectations for the Phillies front office from the “honey do” list set by fans?

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