NL East: 10 Questions for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011
March 12, 2011 by Andrew J. Kearney
Filed under Fan News
The Philadelphia Phillies have proved to be the class of the National League in recent years. Their successes have included two World Series appearances (one title) and four straight NL East crowns.
As of late, they’ve done everything possible to keep the proverbial “window” open for as long as possible. With winning comes more money—money that the Phillies have spent more and more freely.
Last winter, the Phillies rid themselves of Cliff Lee to acquire Roy Halladay. Turn one calendar year and both Halladay and Lee are members of the same rotation. Not to mention Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are also members of the rotation known as “R2C2.”
The only potential negative to these outcomes is the money that’s tied into these big-name pitchers for the next handful of seasons. In addition, the Phillies have virtually given up every prospect not named Domonic Brown over the past few seasons.
Currently, the Phillies have all of the ingredients needed to make another run at the title except for one glaring issue: health. The Phillies’ health could be a major problem this season if Chase Utley is indeed on the shelf for an extended period of time. Otherwise, they have the most coveted asset in the league in their lethal rotation. That’s something that every team in the majors wishes that they could build.
Ruben Amaro Jr.’s free spending has kept the Phillies relevant and will continue to as Philadelphians enjoy the most fruitful time in team history. The Phillies are near the top of the mountain that is the MLB and don’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. The window of opportunity remains wide open.
However, so many questions surround this team as age becomes an issue. Here are 10 questions for the Phillies heading into 2011.