3 Moves the Phillies need to make immediately when the lockout ends

What roster moves do the Phillies need to make when MLB lockout ends?

We’ve been talking about Major League Baseball’s lockout since November (at least), and it’s now almost the middle of February, and little has changed.

The Philadelphia Phillies and other MLB teams have been unable to make any major-league trades, free-agent signings, or even contact players for over two months, which means that whenever the lockout ends and Spring Training begins (pitchers and catchers usually report mid-February), chaos will reign.

More than most teams, the Phillies need to be ready to pounce when the lockout is lifted. Here are three moves that should come first, as soon as possible…

1. The Phillies need to sign or trade for outfielders

The term ‘Depth Chart’ has gone from descriptive to ironic for this team, as depth is exactly what they’re missing.

The outfield section of the Phillies’ depth chart currently looks like this:

Whether it’s Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Kris Bryant, Cedric Mullins, or someone else, the Phillies need to sign or trade for outfielders immediately. Hopefully, they’ve spent the lockout working on a plan of attack for this exact reason.

2. The Phillies need more bullpen arms

Whether they re-sign someone like Archie Bradley or pursue a trade for Lou Trivino, the Phillies won’t be able to get by with their current bullpen, which includes José Alvarado, Sam Coonrod, Connor Brogdon, Bailey Falter, and Hans Crouse, to name a few.

They signed Corey Knebel to a pricy one-year deal and claimed Kent Emanuel off waivers from the Houston Astros, but after last year’s season-long bullpen debacle it feels like they still need more.

3. The Phillies need to revamp several players on the current roster

One of the worst parts of the lockout from a health and performance standpoint is that players on the 40-man roster are not allowed to have any contact with their franchise, including coaches and trainers.

For players like Zach Eflin, rehabbing from knee surgery, and just the regular struggling teammates like Alec Bohm and Didi Gregorius, the lockout has been time wasted. The Phillies hired hitting coach extraordinaire Kevin Long, to work with players like Bohm, and they need him to be able to do so.