Phillies' best-laid plans at risk of becoming a casualty of a Dodgers dynasty

The Phillies are trying to build sustained success and a dynasty of their own, but seemingly will always be forced to contend with the Dodgers.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper | Luke Hales/GettyImages

The sport of baseball is complex and it proves unique in its own way every season. You could make the argument that it's the most difficult game to win consistently. The last back-to-back World Series winner was the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. Winning comes at a premium and is well earned for the team that can make it through the grind of a summer and push through October.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been leaps and bounds better than they were in the 2010s. Phillies managing partner John Middleton has since resurrected his team into the top of the NL. They were on the cusp of a World Series title in 2022 and look to make that same trip in 2025, but with a much happier ending. The problem is the Los Angeles Dodgers have that same approach and sport an imposing roster that could very well stifle what the Phillies have going for them.

Phillies' best-laid plans at risk of becoming a casualty of a Dodgers dynasty

The Dodgers captured the 2024 World Series in just five games and are reloading for more to come. The Phillies have built one of the best rosters in the sport, but the Dodgers' unlimited spending may be too much to overcome with the threat of an emerging dynasty.

They brought in two-way star Shohei Ohtani and international free-agent starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason, and now left-hander Blake Snell and amateur free agent Roki Sasaki this winter. The Dodgers have broken the sport. That's not even including the additions to the lineup of Teoscar Hernández, Michael Conforto and dominant bullpen arms Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates.

Philadelphia has been starved for a championship since 2008, and the front office has supported that effort by seemingly maxing out their efforts to the payroll. Many would have guessed that a projected $308 million payroll per FanGraphs, would be enough to get the job done, but the current outlook is more uncertain than that. The Phillies feel they have spent the money to prove their commitment to winning.

The team also has the future to look upon for hopes that the window for a championship can stay open. Top prospects like right-hander Andrew Painter and shortstop Aidan Miller will be staples for the future to take over the reins of leadership in the clubhouse. Thoughts of a dynasty of their own have permeated the locker room with a renewed expectation of running the team to win now and in the coming years. The biggest hurdle will still be getting over the powerhouse out West.

Since the beginning of the Bryce Harper era, the club has brought aboard proven veterans to lead and to produce in more complementary roles for when the younger stars are ready. Harper is signed through 2031, shortstop Trea Turner is in Philadelphia through 2033, and right-hander Zack Wheeler could go down as an all-time Phillies star with just a few seasons left. The growing talent around the core speaks volumes of how deep this club really is and how important winning for the future is to them.

The Phillies are doing all the little things that winning organizations do to get their teams to the finish line. They've drafted well, they’ve developed their young guys and they’ve spent money on outside talent to inject a winning culture into the clubhouse.

The Dodgers will be the ultimate juggernaut to take down in future years. Every team has flaws, but Los Angeles, little by little, has addressed them with millions of dollars including deferred money, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. No team is guaranteed the World Series before the start of a season and there is no true definition of a perfect team. The Dodgers may have broken baseball with their absurd spending, but let's hope they never break the spirit of Philadelphia in their quest for the coveted World Series championship.

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