The Phillies have several areas they need to address this offseason.
After spending stupid money last offseason the Phillies will surely approach 2020 with a similar “win now” mindset. They have several key pieces already in place with Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, Rhys Hoskins, Scott Kingery, Jean Segura, and J.T. Realmuto under contract.
Beyond those six players there are a lot of question marks on both sides of the ball.
Which areas must the Phillies address this offseason to avoid a ninth-consecutive year without making the playoffs?
Honorable Mention: Manager
The hot seat is burning for second year manager Gabe Kapler after failing to bring the team into a new era of winning. Pressure from the fan base will likely sway owner John Middleton to make the final say on the future of a manager many failed to ever embrace.
Kapler is 159-161 as the Phillies manager, which is exactly what this team has been for two years: average at best. There have been hot and cold streaks during his tenure, but the team has never reached the level of excellence expected from them.
Should the Phillies fire Kapler, they will likely have several high-profile options to replace him with, such as Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon, Joe Girardi, and Mike Scioscia, among others.
Members of the front office have connections to Showalter and Scioscia, and Maddon could be the best available manager in years. The time is now for the Phillies to turn the page on Kapler.