By: Tim Kelly, Managing Editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies are going to enter the 2016 All-Star break with one of the worst records in the National League, though the belief in league circles appears to be that the team has one of the league's brightest futures.
Both MLB.com's Todd Zolecki and Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury made a point of saying yesterday something along the lines of the Phillies are expected by a good portion of the league to become one of the league's elite powers in the next few ways, perhaps like they were from 2007 to 2011. Club president Andy MacPhail hinted to a group of reporters, which included the two previously mentioned, that he is aware that some feel that way about the Phillies and though nothing is a given, the Phillies ownership group will allow the front-office to do what they need to be successful:
"We hope so," MacPhail said. "But you've been around long enough to know how things look now and what people's perception of the system is now and what ultimately happens. They can be two different things. But I'm aware of that, and I certainly hope that's the case. We're going to do everything we can to try to make it be the case.
"The baseball operations group is very thoughtful. They are not going to shy away from opportunities today if they think it's going to make sense for the future. In other words, there's no lying low on purpose for a year and not doing anything. If something comes up that we think, 'Boy this fits in our window,' let's go." [MLB.com]
So when are the Phillies front-office and ownership group likely to recognize that it is their "window" and make moves to help turn the team into a World Series contender? Probably after the 2018 season, when Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Clayton Kershaw highlight what could be the greatest free-agent class in league history. The Phillies currently have zero dollars on the books after the 2018 season, something no other club in the league can say.
After 2018 would also be an interesting time for the Phillies to attempt to becomes World Series contenders because players like Maikel Franco, Vince Velasquez and J.P. Crawford presumably will be entering their primes, while more recent top picks Cornelius Randolph and Mickey Moniak could be closer to contributing, whether that's at the major league level or as trade chips.
