The Phillies have been in rebuild mode for some time, but the tide might begin to turn soon, with the team perhaps spending bigger in the free-agent market, GM Matt Klentak tells MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “That time is coming,” says Klentak. “I have no question whatsoever that our ownership group will make the necessary investments. … It’s a matter of whether it’s this coming offseason or the following year. It’s not limited to free agency. We could just as easily make an investment in the form of a trade acquiring a big contract.” The Phillies were active this winter, signing Michael Saunders and Joaquin Benoit, trading for Clay Buchholz, Howie Kendrick and Pat Neshek, and extending Jeremy Hellickson a qualifying offer that the righty ended up accepting. It sounds, though, like the team’s additions of talent could get more significant in the near future. Klentak adds that the Phillies could soon begin to see top prospects arrive in the Majors. He doesn’t name them, but top prospects the Phillies currently have at the Triple-A level include J.P. Crawford, Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Dylan Cozens. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The Yankees are alarmed by righty prospect James Kaprielian’s recent elbow troubles, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. Kaprielian had an MRI this week and will head to Los Angeles to visit Dr. Neil ElAttrache Tuesday. Kaprielian, the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2015, also missed much of last season with a right flexor tendon injury. He has pitched just 29 pro innings thus far in his career, plus 27 in last year’s Arizona Fall League. MLB.com currently ranks him the sixth-best prospect in a very good Yankees system.
- The Orioles’ recent minor-league signing of Edwin Jackson and acquisitions of Miguel Castro and Andrew Faulkner are part of a broad pattern of the team acquiring inexpensive pitching depth, Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes. Three pitchers the O’s acquired in minor deals — Gabriel Ynoa (acquired for cash in February), Jayson Aquino (acquired for cash last year) and Chris Lee (acquired for international bonus slots two years ago) — are candidates to start for the team next week. “I know when we first acquired (Jesus) Liranzo or Aquino or Chris (Lee), OK, minor league deal. But guess what? Here we sit. We’ll see,” says manager Buck Showalter. “There’s a long way from where they are now to contributing consistently, but where else are you gonna get them from? We haven’t been fortunate yet in some of the other programs that people are.” Connolly notes that the Orioles haven’t had much recent success with players acquired in the international market, which is one reason they’re supplementing their roster with players acquired in other ways.
It’s a shame about Kap. But you can’t go from throwing 92-93 mph the last 6 years of your life…… then start throwing 100-102mph and think your elbow will hold up. Hopefully he comes back and he can be the ACE he is projected to be.
It’s an exciting time to be a Phillies fan
I would typically agree it is an exciting time to be a Phillies fan, but I wouldn’t get overly excited yet. Just because you have a lot of money to spend doesn’t guarantee anything. You just have to pray that the front office makes the right moves to bring in a superstar at market level or around market level. You don’t want what happened last time to happen again.
Lol last time? You don’t want them to win a world series again at the cost of several bad years? I think most franchises would take that.
Except the Howard, Lee, Halladay, Papelbon, Ruiz, Rollins, Utley, Byrd, Burnett and Michael Young contracts all came post-World Series
I was more talking about the contracts that came after the World Series. I get it although. I’m a KC fan and trust me I know about winning a world series then having to wait awhile just to get back into contention,
Don’t forget about Hamel’s extention. I mean it did come 4 years after, but they still gave him a pretty big chunk of money.
Except immediately after the Howard contract, the Phillies had the best record in baseball for two seasons, the only two years in 135 seasons of Phillies baseball. Winning the WS sometimes takes a lot of luck. See 2008-Lidge perfect postseason, Brumlett, Feliz and Blanton key hits.
Harper to the Phillies confirmed.
If i was the phillies , I wouldn’t go after Harper. I would try to get Machado and move Franco to first, trade tommy joseph.
If you were the Phillies you’d be overwhelmed with joy to have either player.
In pinstripes when Bombers come to town!
Herrera CF
Hernandez 2B
Machado 3B
Franco 1B
Alfaro C
Williams LF
Quinn RF
Crawford SS
P: Arrieta, VV, Nola, Eickhoff and another FA (Richards,Harvey.. Kershaw?) let me dream.
Even after that, the Phillies have a ton of talent in the bottom of the farm system.
I’ll let you dream, but you also have to remember some of those prospects MIGHT not plan out. I sure hope they do because the Phillies would be a very fun team to watch very soon if they do.
Thats fair, but even if Alfaro doesn’t pan, you have Knapp.. and Rupp, who can be atleast a 2 WARish catcher, and if one of Williams/Quinn doesn’t pan, you have a big check book, and Dylan Cozens
I think the NL East is going to get dangerous very quickly. The Braves are on the up, the Mets could have one of the greatest starting pitching staff in the history of the game and well the Phillies have some fun names and a really deep pocket.
And then there’s Miami…
After you sign Machado, your free agent spending is over.
Not really. After this year the Phillies don’t have any money tied up into long term contracts. Everybody is either a FA or still in their arbitration years. The Phillies have the ability to go up to $200 million a year in payroll if they choose to.
I stand corrected.
TINSTAAP.
Lots of .200 hitters in that lineup with a ton of strikeouts.
Many many teams can put out a dreamy future lineup like that. Most of them in fact. It’s not whether you have minor league talent, it’s whether they perform in the majors.
Ya but not many teams have as deep of pockets that the Phillies do. They aren’t going to be afraid of spending it either. They have already shown some signs of spending it already.
the phillies should be smart to use their money, I thought of something today for them, maybe they trade for bradon belt from the giants, they make posey the full time first basemen , Then the phillies start spending
Uh, unless a player wants to sign with a last place team, the Phils may have a difficult time spending that money.
Phils all in with 2018 FA class. Watch out MLB……….