By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Prior to Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper launching a first inning home run yesterday, Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak suggested that the team is inching closer to potentially making investments on superstar talents like Harper.
Klentak spoke to the collective media, which included Jim Salisbury of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, and said that the team is approaching a time when it will make major financial commitments:
"That time is coming," Klentak said. "I have no question whatsoever that our ownership group will make the necessary investments. It's up to us as management to identify when the right time for that is. That time is coming. 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.
This, of course, isn't a new thought process from Klentak. He didn't balk at the idea of eventually giving a record contract when he spoke at the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings, and again suggested that he will have support from the team's ownership group. Him suggesting that those investments will come within the next two offseasons may be a sign for fans that there's light at the end of the tunnel for a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2011.
While Yu Darvish, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Jake Arrieta highlight what could potentially be a strong free-agent class this offseason, the Phillies seem more likely to spend in two offseasons. That would give them two more seasons to evaluate the internal talent they have, much of which won't see extended playing time at the major league level until the 2018 season, and spend accordingly.
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The 2018-19 free-agent class also has a chance to be the best in the history of the sport, with the aforementioned Harper and Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado set to hit the open market at age 26. In addition to those two, Clayton Kershaw, Adam Jones, Zach Britton, Dallas Keuchel, Josh Donaldson, David Price, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances all could become free-agents during that class.
Many Phillies fans hope the team ends up with Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, a Philadelphia Eagles season ticket holder and two-time MVP. Trout can't become a free-agent until after 2020, though, and it's unlikely the Angels will allow him to leave without trading him. If we assume that they trade him and don't re-sign him, the Phillies would have to give up a historic return and sign Trout to a record extension. Trout is a generational talent, but it's fair to wonder if obtaining him would take too much for the Phillies to still be a contending team after landing him.
