Grading the Contracts of All Philadelphia Phillies Players
October 15, 2012 by Greg Pinto
Filed under Fan News
The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing for a busy offseason.
After heading into the 2011 season with the highest payroll in the National League, the Phillies got off to a lousy start—thanks in large part to injuries—and found themselves shedding salary at the trade deadline.
The club couldn’t finish off an impressive comeback late in the season and instead faded into obscurity in the campaign’s final weeks, leaving fans calling for changes this winter.
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. will be making some changes this winter, but maybe not as many as people would like. He just doesn’t have room under the luxury tax threshold for that.
Sure, he could upgrade in center field by landing a big-ticket free agent. Maybe he could spend big bucks on a power bat. The bullpen was an area that crumbled last season, and the relievers that are out there could probably benefit from an experienced arm. And don’t forget about the third base situation.
But if the Phillies make any of those moves, we are looking at an “either-or” type of deal. The Phillies could make a bunch of small changes or they could make one big change. They probably don’t have much money to spend.
A quick look at the contracts already on the books for 2013 could shed some light on the reason why.