3. The Phillies go all-in on one player and fail to address all their needs
If the Phillies intend to go all-in by sacrificing a boatload of prospects for a shot at the World Series championship, they better not do it for just one prominent player. In recent rumors, it was proposed that the Phillies would need to give up a massive haul of prospects for star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
At first look, it might seem all worthwhile because Robert could be a huge difference-maker both in the field and at the plate for the Phillies. With the ability to provide Gold Glove-calibre defense, while averaging 30+ home runs, 90+ RBI and 20+ stolen bases a season, what is there not to like?
However, if the Phillies end up emptying the farm for just one star player, they might not have enough assets left to sufficiently address some of their other significant needs, such as desperate help for their bullpen. For a relief corps that at one point in time ranked near the top of the league in the major pitching categories, they now find themselves in the middle of the pack.
As much as the bulk of their relievers were having a career year, some of them have been struggling of late. Most notable being closer José Alvarado, who in his past seven games entering Friday, had posted a dismal 9.95 ERA and 2.37 WHIP, giving up seven earned runs on 10 hits, five walks and six strikeouts in just 6 1/3 innings pitched. Even the once infallible Orion Kerkering has entered a slump, compiling an ERA of 9.00 and WHIP of 2.20 in his last seven appearances before Friday’s game.
The Phillies can definitely go all-in, but they have to make sure that they get multiple key players in return to address all their needs. The last thing they should do is put all of their marbles in one basket, in case that player turns out to be a bust or, in the case of Robert, injury-prone. That would result in a high probability of backfiring big-time on the Phillies.