|
Offseason Update, Coaching changes, Owner goals, New faces
A 90 win season and a division title, followed by an exit from the playoffs that was so rapid there are rumors it caused a sonic boom, have Phillies management divided. Is this team a contender or is it time to move some folks while they still have value.
Coaching Changes
The first issue the Phillies could address after the Dodgers brought an end to the 2024 season was the coaching staff. Last season the Phillies brought in many new faces. The front office went all in on finding the best individual coaches they could find. One thing that was missing was how would these "great minds" mesh as a team. Turns out not so good, personal issues between coaches were obvious and broke down team cohesion.
This season the front office adjusted and embraced great coaches and great culture. Gone are familiar faces like Rob Thomson and Sam Fuld. The team has also brought in a new scouting director. Phillies new Asst GM Dayton Moore said, "we wanted fresh eyes on all of our players, we want a total re-evaluation of every player, and for that matter coach in the organization, Kris Kline has the experience and knowledge to get this done."
Another "new face" in the organization is the return of Brett Myers. The former Phillies pitcher has taken the managers job at AAA Lehigh Valley.
As mentioned earlier there is some dissention in the Front Office. Phillies owner John Middleton has publicly stated that he is not happy the team did not get an extension for Zach Wheeler.
Off the record comments from front office personnel point out that Wheeler was asking for over 20 million per year for 5 years. The team only has 22 million available for the upcoming season. Signing Zach Wheeler means there won't be any significant free agent signings this season. There was hope that following a few down seasons once Wheeler became a free agent the market would bring the price down to a more acceptable number for the team, so far that has not happened.
Another "new face" fans will see this spring training is Sixto Sanchez. The former Phillies top pitching prospect has returned to the team in a trade with the Marlins. Sixto returns to give the Phillies a young but MLB ready starter. In return the Marlin's get Alex Mcfarlane. Mcfarlane is a 23 year old pitcher with an outstanding fastball and slider. He can play both corner outfield positions and hits with some power (2 home runs in 2022).
In our next update we will look at who is on the radar in free agency and could there be a trade, perhaps a big trade in the future? What's the plan, is 2025 a playoff season or is the start of a rebuild?
|