We're less than 50 days from Opening Day and questions still loom around what the Philadelphia Phillies will look like answering back from a disappointing end to their season in 2024. The slate is wiped clean and the new season presents an opportunity for Philadelphia to prove that their recent division title wasn't a fluke.
People have grown accustomed to the big spending of the Phillies and are somewhat confused about the limitations to further better the club. The Phillies front office, including president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, has done a great job of putting the best possible talent on the field. They've built a solid core from their minor leaguers and injected veteran leadership through trades and free agency.
However, with holes still remaining after the money has been spent, there is still hope that additional signings could take place with spring training starting soon.
Phillies insider offers fans tiny sliver of hope for another free agent signing
Most of the roster is coming back, but changes need to be made to the 40-man roster, per Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, there is a path where the Phillies could spend again before Opening Day rosters are set (subscription required).
"There are some smaller moves for them to make," Gelb said. "Their Triple-A outfield is woefully thin. They need at least one or two righty-hitting outfielders on minor-league deals. But they’re likely done handing out guaranteed money. If a decent reliever remains unsigned as camps open and falls into their lap on a one-year deal, sure. But probably not."
You can never have too much pitching, and an additional bullpen arm would be welcome insurance. There are plenty of experienced veteran relievers left on the free agent market who will eventually sign one-year deals somewhere.
The possibility of flashy moves may be over for this offseason, but the Phillies already possess impactful players in each part of the roster. Even with the addition of outfielder Max Kepler, there are still questions about the future outfield. Johan Rojas could turn a corner, but his offensive makeup has been underwhelming, to say the least. The payroll is pushing $308 million this year, but minor-league deals give the Phillies much-needed flexibility.
Dombrowski did mention that if a deal was too good, he wouldn't pass it up. That doesn't guarantee new camp invitees, but Dombrowski knows you can strike gold with the lesser names as well. They still await Justin Crawford's arrival from the minor leagues, so any addition to pair with him in the outfield for the future sounds enticing enough.