20 All-Time Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Moves the Team Most Regrets

Teams make offseason moves that they regret all of the time, especially in today’s game. With millions of dollars on the line, some of these transactions can be described as a “necessary evil.” 

Poor offensive season the year before? Let’s throw a ridiculous, exorbitant amount of money at the best free agent available and hope that he fixes all of our offensive problems. 

It happens ever winter. The Philadelphia Phillies are no stranger to this scenario because they did it in their bullpen before the 2011 season. Trouble in the ninth inning? Throw a stupid amount of money at Jonathan Papelbon and hope he solves the problem. 

The fact of the matter here is that it is easy to regret an offseason move. While this slideshow will take a look at some of the most regrettable offseason moves in Phillies history, it will only analyze the moves that have a reason to be regrettable. 

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25 Greatest Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Moves of All Time

Every offseason move is made with the intention of helping a club win a World Series title.

That’s a wide spectrum, and things don’t always seem to work out that way, but it is certainly the intention. Whether teams add a home run hitter, an ace starting pitcher or depth to their bench, the goal is to win a World Series. 

So, when teams actually win the World Series, those moves are looked back on with favor. And when they come up short, the general manager made a mistake. That’s just the way the game works. 

But the Philadelphia Phillies have had at least one of those moves on each end of the spectrum and everywhere in between. This slideshow will take a look back at offseasons of Phillies past and determine the best transactions. 

Remember, these transactions had to have taken place in the offseason. Once the regular season begins, those transactions are off limits. In an attempt to keep the discussion relevant, I focused on every offseason since the dawn of free agency as we know it. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Chances of Each Top 5 Target Signing

We are now a couple of weeks into the offseason, and all of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ top targets are still on the board, so what better time to take another look at their odds of landing one of those big fish. 

As has been the case since the trade deadline, the Phillies have a quite a few holes to fill. They’ll be in the market for a centerfielder, setup man, third baseman and possibly a starting pitcher, likely in that order. 

If you’re following Bleacher Report’s offseason tracker for the Phillies, you would know that they have already set aside a few targets that are likely to hover above the rest this winter. What are the odds of landing them? 

Only one way to find out. 

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25 Philadelphia Phillies Rumors You’ll Hear This Winter but Shouldn’t Believe

Regardless of what actually happens this winter, you will hear plenty of Philadelphia Phillies rumors. Some of them may come true, but most of them will be too far-fetched to even be a realistic possibility.

Multiply that by the fact that they could potentially have four major holes (center field, third base, setup man and starting pitcher) to fill this winter and you know we’re in for a long offseason in the rumor mill. 

So how do you know what to believe and what not to believe? Well, the answer is a bit more simple than you think—Read this slideshow. 

The best way to sort through most of these rumors is to find out what is feasible and what is completely asinine. Take a look at the Phillies’ payroll and state of the farm system and figure out what is completely out of the realm of possibility. 

Sounds like too much work? No problem. I’ll do it for you. Here are 25 rumors that you will hear about the Phillies this winter that you shouldn’t believe. 

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25 Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies Offseason

‘Tis the season to be jolly. 

Well, it’s not quite the Christmas season just yet and with the World Series now in the rear view mirror, not many baseball fans enjoy the thought of having to watch a different sport for a few months, but to some, this is the most wonderful time of the year—the offseason. 

It’s a time filled with suspense, anticipation and the occasional shocker as great baseball talents hit the open market in search of a new team or contract. I’m not going to lie—I find the offseason to be incredibly exciting. 

So in that spirit, let’s focus on the Philadelphia Phillies for a moment. It’s going to be a busy winter for Ruben Amaro Jr. and company as he attempts to fill various holes on his roster as well as manage the names already on it. 

You know what that means. It’s prediction time. 

In this slideshow, I’ll give my take on how I see a number of Phillies related topics shaking out this winter. Who plays third base? Who plays center field? Any other drama to keep an eye on? 

Time to dust off the good ole crystal ball and find out. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Tracker: Latest Trade Rumors, Free-Agency News

Winter is coming. 

It will be an offseason of retooling for the Philadelphia Phillies. Following a third-place finish to the 2012 season and trades of two All-Star-caliber outfielders at last July’s trade deadline, this is a team and a front office with work to do this winter. 

They’ve made no bones about their needs. The Phillies need to add a third baseman with more offensive upside than Freddy Galvis, a center fielder to replace Shane Victorino, a corner outfielder to replace Hunter Pence, a veteran bullpen arm and maybe even a starting pitcher. 

The Phillies have a lot of holes to fill and may not have enough plugs to stop the ship from sinking, but they are sure as hell going to try. 

You will hear the Phillies linked to a number of rumors this winter, and that is why it is important to keep tuning in right here for the latest information. 

We will be updating this very slideshow with the latest news, rumors, free-agent signings, trades and more. The Phillies have a lot of work to do. Make sure you don’t miss any of it. 

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25 Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Targets to Take Back Power in the NL East

For the first time since the end of the 2006 season, the Philadelphia Phillies will head into the offseason looking up at other teams in their own division. 

They had their reasons. The Phillies dealt with injuries to some of their top players, but also performed inconsistently all season long. 

Leave the excuses where they belong and you’re left with a simple fact: The Phillies finished 2012 as a third-place team. Even if they are completely healthy in 2013, the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves aren’t going anywhere. 

If the Phillies want to reclaim the National League East, they’ll have their work cut out for them this offseason. The front office needs to fill big holes in center field and at third base, and manager Charlie Manuel has expressed his desire for a top-notch setup man. 

So how can the Phillies fill all of those needs and get back to the top of the NL East? Glad you asked. Let’s take a look.

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2012 MLB Offseason: Why the Phillies Need to Pursue Kevin Youkilis

The Philadelphia Phillies need a third baseman like a man stranded in the desert needs water. 

The club turned down its contract option on Placido Polanco during the last week, allowing him to become a free agent and once again opening a void at third base that could more accurately be classified as a black hole.

To make matters worse, the market for third basemen is going to be thin this winter both in terms of free agents and potential targets in a trade. That market is even thinner when you consider the fact that the Phillies seem to want to go in one of two directions—a long-term fix or a short-term stopgap. 

A long-term fix isn’t going to happen this winter unless the Phils sign over the entire deed to their farm system for San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley, a foolish decision for a team who’s decaying MLB roster is going to need some youth—and soon. 

As far as a stopgap is concerned, one name seems to fit the Phillies’ needs rather well: Kevin Youkilis. The longtime Boston Red Sox third baseman hits the free agent market this winter following a midseason trade to the Chicago White Sox, who turned down his contract option following the season. 

Youkilis will be 34 years old during the 2013 season and certainly isn’t going to help this aging Phillies club get any younger, but he’s also not in a position to demand a long-term contract—something that the Phillies should value given their future commitments. 

The “Greek God of Walks” may not be the same player that he once was, but he could still help out a heavily left-handed Phillies lineup. Youkilis hit .235 / .336 / .409, with 19 home runs. 

The numbers don’t leap off of the page, but when you consider the fact that the Phillies’ third basemen hit .272 / .315 / .357 with five home runs as a unit last season and that Youkilis’ low, .268 BABip (against a .322 career BABip), there is some obvious room for improvement. 

The Phillies have a few needs this offseason that Youkilis would help address, particularly offensively, where they are in desperate need of a right-handed bat with some power. Youkilis managed left-handed pitching well last season, posting a line of .275 / .386 / .492 with eight home runs against it. 

Common sense suggests that he would slot nicely into the Phillies’ lineup behind Ryan Howard and in front of Domonic Brown, balancing out the left-handed hitters quite a bit. 

Defensively, Youkilis leaves something to be desired. He posted a UZR/150 of -6.2 at third base last season, which is obviously bad, but not horrendous. Youkilis posted a DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) mark of -1, which means that he cost his team(s) a run with his defense. 

But the Phillies can sacrifice a bit of defense at third base to add a bit of right-handed pop to their lineup. With Freddy Galvis on the bench to provide a little defense in the later innings, having a guy who could throw runs on the board early in the game could be a big help. 

As with any deal nowadays, all of that information is a moot point if the Phillies find that Youkilis is out of their price range. Given all of the variables, one would assume that Youkilis is in line for a deal somewhere in the two years and $16-20 million range. 

But the law of supply and demand is not working with the Phillies this offseason, at least at third base. Youkilis is actually one of the better options available this winter and plenty of teams could use a third baseman. 

The Phillies seem confident that Cody Asche can take over in the near future (he played at Double-A Reading in 2012) and probably don’t want to pay a future 36-year-old Youkilis anything, let alone as a third baseman. 

The Phillies are also still squirming under the luxury tax and probably don’t have the ability to throw a ton of money at Youkilis in order to get him signed to a two-year contract. 

But we’ll assume for a moment that the Phillies and Youkilis can agree to financial terms. If they were to get him signed, it would be a solid deal. 

As the roster currently stands, the Phillies will open the season with their third baseman as one or some combination of Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen. Those are solid players, but neither has the bat to play third base every day. 

Youkilis just makes more sense. He isn’t of the same caliber defensively, but could be leaps and bounds better offensively, which the Phillies will need. 

If the price is right, Youkilis could be a no-brainer for the Phils.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Ranking the 20 Biggest Controversies in Philadelphia Phillies History

Baseball is a business. 

As much as we would like to think that baseball is truly “America’s pastime” and a game that we can know and love, it is important to understand that at the professional level, the game of baseball is considered “professional” for a reason. It’s a business. 

There are millions of dollars on the line and reputations to be made and lost every day. As is the case with any business like the sport of baseball, there are bound to be a few controversies that pop up and the Philadelphia Phillies have seen quite a few. 

So what’s the best way to avoid a baseball controversy? 

Well, you’re not going to be. But the one thing that you can do to prepare yourself is to look back over the franchise history and learn to avoid the mistakes.

Here, let me give you a hand. These are the top 20 controversies in the history of the Phillies. 

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25 MLB Free Agents Who Would Be Interested in Joining the Philadelphia Phillies

Free agents will still be interested in coming to play for the Philadelphia Phillies for this offseason and many more in the years to come. 

It’s important that we understand that fact after the way the 2012 season went for those Phils because on the surface, this is a team in decline. They’re a wily group of veterans on the wrong side of 30 with a long history of injury concerns. 

But free agents are still going to want to come here. 

That’s because, and especially when this team is going well, Philadelphia is a prime town for baseball. There is a certain energy and atmosphere that the fan base creates here and players love it. Of course, having money to spend and a slew of All-Stars already on your roster won’t hurt either. 

So with the offseason just about ready to get under way, let’s take a look at 25 free agents who should have some level of interest in joining the Phillies this winter.

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