The Phillies were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, as the Phillies fell to the Braves 5-3 in Atlanta. But the high-stakes nature of the game meant that there was regional coverage from Fox and that big time baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal would be on the scene. While covering the game, Rosenthal had some interesting inside knowledge of how the Phillies will approach the offseason.
In a video filed to FoxSports.com (remember: Fox does not have written articles anymore), Rosenthal cited a source who said that the Phillies would be open to trading any of their players with the exception of pitcher Aaron Nola and outfielder/first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Calling the offseason "fascinating" for the Phillies, Rosenthal notes that any combination of players could be moved this offseason as the Phillies chase the likes of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
Rosenthal also said it was "unlikely" the Phillies would move first baseman Carlos Santana because it would mean admitting the move was a mistake. Of course, keeping the wrong collection of players over a front office's personal pride would not be the right baseball move. But there are teams out there who could use Santana's high on base percentage and leadership.
Going as far as the ninth-to-last game in contention, the Phillies will be looking to keep moving forward with a rebuild that was not expected to be ready in time for 2018. The Phillies went much further than expected, but in the end revealed a number of flaws on the team that could be addressed this offseason.
In short, the Phillies seem to have plenty of major league talent, though the ceiling on many of those players is not as high as a superstar player. That is why, Rosenthal notes, signing Machado could mean the Phillies move one of their younger infielders for another piece they need. Rosenthal suggests a left-handed veteran starter could be one such position they are looking to fill.
And, Rosenthal notes, overbooking the starting rotation could mean that the Phillies move one of the younger starters into the bullpen.
This offseason should indeed be a fascinating one. The Phillies appear to have moved the rebuild as far as it can go with the talent inside the organization. Now the Phillies must see what they can do to round it out. With plenty of money to spend, this will be a key offseason for Phillies general manager Matt Klentak.
