After missing out of the playoffs for the past three seasons, the Philadelphia Phillies have decided to go into full rebuilding mode, which is why online betting predictions have them finishing with one of the worst records in MLB this season.
Most of the players from the team that won five division titles and the World Series from 2007-2011 are no longer with the team. Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz are the only two players left from the championship team, and both are in the final years of their contracts, which means they likely won’t be with the team next season.
Two things that usually happen when a team decides to embark on the rebuilding process are: The team will have a very young roster as well as lower payrolls, meaning they will be able to spend some money in free agency to speed up the rebuilding process if they want.
Last season was the official start of the rebuilding process, with the team getting rid of a lot of their veteran players with big contracts like Jonathan Papelbon. The team finished with a 63-99 record, and will likely be worse this season.
With an $85 million opening day roster payroll, the Phillies still have a high payroll compared to other teams in the same situation. The reason their payroll is still so high is because the team is still paying a couple of players whose contracts they bought out. The $85 million payroll is still significantly lower than the $135 million payroll they had on opening day last year.
While some might complain that the team’s $85 payroll signifies the team is being cheap, you have to understand that the Phillies have had a top 4 payroll for the last five seasons yet still missed the playoffs in the last three. Instead of throwing money at players that are close to passing or past their primes, the team decided to go with youth and rebuild the old fashioned way.
The Phillies front office also admitted that the reduced payroll was a direct result of the rebuilding the team is doing this year. The team’s long term goal is to build a core of players that they believe will help them contend. Once they have their core together, they will start spending on free agents they believe will be able to complement their core players.
Team President Andy MacPhail that by reducing their spending this season, the team has an opportunity to reinvest in their system. MacPhail said the money saved can be used to improve their scouting department by adding more members, the team could afford to expand their use of analytics, and add other members to their staff that will benefit the players.
While McPhail said he was happy with the payroll as it is right now, he also said fans should not expect the team’s payroll to stay that low for too long.
The Phillies currently have four starters making a combined $20 million. Josh Howard accounts for 30 percent of the team’s payroll with $25 million, on a deal that expires after the season. With Howard and Matt Harrison’s combined $38.2 million coming off the books next season, the Phillies will be in great financial shape to successfully complete their rebuild.
