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Was the money any smarter this offseason than it was last? That's the question Phillies management will have to answer to in 2020.

"I sure don't want to hear anything about winning the offseason, or stupid money," majority owner John Middleton said. "We don't have any illusions about what a disaster 2019 was. We may win in 2020, and we may not, but I certainly expect us to be a whole lot better than last year."

Oddly, while the front office is doing its best to lower expectations, there's a lot of optimism among the national pundits, some of whom are picking the Phillies as a contender to win the NL East after having finished 36 games out last season. Those rosy projections are likely driven by several high-profile moves in the offseason: the acquisitions of free agents Chris Sale and Xander Bogaerts.

The 30-year-old Sale is nothing short of the top pitcher in baseball, an eight-time All-Star and the reigning AL Cy Young winner after finishing 21-7 with a 2.08 ERA last season, as well as an incredible 247 strikeouts against just 16 walks. Sale inked a deal for $162 million over six years, just half of what Bryce Harper had signed for the year before.

Bogaerts, meanwhile, will shore up third base for the Phillies. He hit .302 with 19 home runs for the Red Sox last season, and will make $77 million over seven years.

Harper himself was active in the recruitment of the two free agents. "Look, I want to win, and I'm thrilled to have Chris and Xander on board with me. Those guys have had a lot of good seasons in Boston. I know we can get things turned around here."

Many fans questioned the Phillies' decision to splurge on more free agents, especially with megastar Mike Trout potentially coming on the market next offseason. But general manager Matt Klentak defended the team's approach. "You can't think too much about what might happen a year or two from now. We saw an opportunity to improve the club now, and we took it. I'd do that a hundred times out of a hundred." In addition to Sale and Bogaerts, Klentak also signed All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a six-year extension for $78 million.

There are quite a few question marks as the team opens up 2020. Jean Segura is finally back after his severe concussion last season, and there are questions about whether he'll still be able to handle shortstop. Rhys Hoskins had a down season in 2019, and he may lose time to Rowdy Tellez at first base. Dylan Cozens hit just .229 and struck out in forty percent of his at-bats last season, but he'll start the year in left field. Jake Arrieta, whose strikeout rate fell to just 6.6 per nine innings last season, remains in the rotation.

But Sale gives the Phillies a formidable one-two punch at the top of the rotation with Aaron Nola, and the lineup may be even deeper than last year with the addition of Bogaerts. "We'll see if this is our year," said Nola. "It'd be better to come to the party a year later than expected than not at all."