Following a disappointing season, the Phillies still have no direction, while the Braves and other teams in the division continue to improve.
So far, the Philadelphia Phillies have done seemingly nothing so far this offseason, outside of hiring Caleb Cotham as pitching coach. Although Cotham looks like a good hire, there are far more important things on the organization’s offseason checklist. For the good part of the past month, they have been wandered aimlessly.
This especially seems apparent, as the division-rival Atlanta Braves continue to improve their starting rotation. After signing LHP Drew Smyly to a one-year, $11 million contract, the club inked fellow former Phillie, right-hander Charlie Morton, to a one-year, $15 million deal on Tuesday.
At first, it seemed former general manager Matt Klentak would keep his job through 2021. He would ultimately resign in October, but the Phillies have not yet named a true replacement — only marking Ned Rice as the interim.
Then, team president Andy MacPhail told reporters that he would remain in his current role, but only through this coming season the latest — adding he would step down sooner if the right replacement was identified.
What is the sense in keeping MacPhail around for another day, let alone an entire season, when you know he will not be here long-term? None. That’s the answer. This falls on Managing Partner John Middleton and no one else. Manager Joe Girardi even recently made another push for J.T. Realmuto, but personally revealed no insight regarding the negotiation process.
The team needs legitimate direction.
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki recently reported that the Phils would be moving forward with general manager interviews. Few candidates have been made known since; one notably being Jeff Kingston — the current assistant general manager of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Owner John Middleton of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
Phillies managing partner John Middleton has several things to address
This might just be the Phillies doing a great job at keeping their candidates under the radar; but, something tells me it just falls within the common theme of the Phillies offseason: uncertainty and aimlessness. For this team to have a chance to contend next season, Middleton needs to address several questions:
For one, they need a new GM/president of baseball operations sooner than later. A fresh set of eyes is crucial.
Realmuto must return and remain a Phillie for the next 4-6 seasons. One of Bryce Harper’s closest friends, Realmuto is an important piece in the lineup that protects both the outfielder and Hoskins. His skills behind the plate are game-changing, and he is highly praised by the pitching staff. The team only gets worse if you lose him.
There has to be an established sense of direction for this team. If Middleton truly believes the Phillies need two or three more years to truly compete, then so be it. If he thinks they can compete for a title next year, then so be it. But, Middleton needs to make it clear.
Right now, the Braves are definitely a better team than the Phillies. The Marlins are their kryptonite. The Nationals are only a year removed from a World Series title. The Mets, which may be the scariest of the bunch because of a fearless new owner in Steve Cohen, only had two fewer wins than the Phillies in 2020.
While I love the Phillies’ core, they cannot continue to waste the primes of Harper and Aaron Nola. Middleton must step in and set things straight; luckily, there is a plenty of time to do so.
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