Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden has made a post-MLB career out of evaluating trades and signings for The Athletic, and he recently tackled the entire league to offer an offseason report card for each club (subscription required). When it came to the NL East, he didn't give the highest of marks to the Philadelphia Phillies, but he views their acquisitions as being sufficient to help them repeat as division champions in 2025.
Jim Bowden predicts that Phillies have done enough this offseason to continue their NL East reign
Top marks in the division unsurprisingly go to the New York Mets, largely fueled by the bonkers contract they handed to Juan Soto. New York also notably re-signed Sean Manaea and brought in Clay Holmes with an eye toward converting him to a starter. It remains to be seen if they will reunite with Pete Alonso, but until that shoe drops, they still sit at an A- grade, according to Bowden.
To their credit, the Phillies have nearly kept pace with their big-spending neighbors to the north, at least in Bowden's book. He gives the Phillies a solid B as their offseason rating. Bowden is mainly impressed with the club's acquisition of Jesús Luzardo, seeing it as a coup to bolster the rotation by trading prospects that are still years away from making an impact. He also believes that the one-year "prove it" contract given to Jordan Romano was a shrewd move, particularly in light of the club losing both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez from the bullpen.
Jesus Luzardo #Phillies made 50 starts in 2022 and 2023 combined with a 3.43 FIP with 328 K's in 279 IP. Last year in 12 starts a 4.26 FIP. When healthy a solid number 3 type starter.
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) December 22, 2024
And while Bowden is less enthused about the Phillies' signing of Max Kepler and worries about how exactly he will fit with the team, it's clear that he thinks the Phillies will be returning a squad at least as good as last year's version. He believes that they will once again secure first place in the NL East, which will no doubt have Phils fans everywhere smiling, but he does wonder if they will have enough to win it all, given the current state of their outfield and bullpen. Those are valid concerns, but they are also ones that can be addressed in-season if needed.
Overall, Bowden also likes what he's seen from the Miami Marlins this offseason, giving them a B- for executing on their clear plan to rebuild. Yes, they will stink to high heaven in 2025, which will benefit the Phillies and the rest of the division, but they are amassing a cupboard for the future. The Washington Nationals are closer to competing, but Bowden gives them only a C+ for signings like Josh Bell and Mike Soroka and their trade to bring in Nathaniel Lowe. The Nationals are loaded with prospects, and they could be in a very good position to seriously compete in about two years, but Bowden doesn't believe they moved the needle very much over the past few months.
And then there are the Atlanta Braves, who lost Max Fried and Charlie Morton from their rotation and didn't bring in a whole lot of help, earning them an abysmal D-. Of course, the Braves are banking on returns from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, so maybe they didn't need to add many reinforcements after all if both can stay healthy (a big if). Atlanta figures to be biding its time, and they are also likely to adjust in-season, as well. For now, Bowden thinks they will be a runner-up to the Phillies in the division, although he curiously still has them finishing ahead of the Mets.
Clearly, the Phillies haven't had a monster offseason that is blowing away fans and experts. But Bowden for one sees them pulling a lot of the right strings, adding strategically in areas of need. Because, at the end of the day, the 2025 Phillies will succeed if players like Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler play to their capabilities, and they'll fail if their established stars fall off. Everyone has a role, and Bowden thinks that the newest Phils are well-suited for what the club needs at this point in time.
Whether 2025 ends in a World series appearance/win for the Phillies or not, repeating as NL East champions would certainly be a good start toward making that happen. Bowden believes that the team, as currently constructed, is once again at their 2024 level. The next few months will determine if all of this was merely conjecture or a solid assessment of how good they actually are.