It’s almost over. There are three games left against the
Atlanta Braves and then the Philadelphia Phillies can hit the golf course even
though it seems like they already have. It was widely believed for the majority
of the season that these three games may well decide the National League East.
Instead, the Braves clinched the division last weekend against the Phillies in
Atlanta.
The free fall started in August, but the Braves cooperated
enough to keep the Phillies around. The deficit was just two games back on
September 1. But, it sure felt like the Phillies were baseball’s version of Old
Yeller this month. As the losses against bad teams continued to pile up and
Atlanta’s lead in the division grew, the optimism surrounding the Phillies that
came with the first 100 games of the season was gone. There was no reason to
cling to it anyway. For two full months now, the Phillies have been one of the
worst teams in baseball and those two months happened to fall at the end of the
season.
If anything, this Phillies season has proved that narratives
and public perceptions of baseball teams are often short-sighted. Most handicappers
had the Phillies winning somewhere between 75 and 80 games this season. They’re
at 78 heading into this weekend. It’s their highest win total since 2012. It’s
also the first time they’ll finish higher than fourth place in the NL East since
2012. None of this matters and no one in their right mind should feel this way
about the 2018 season. The team was in first place in early August and let an
opportunity slip away, and then completely gave up even when things weren’t
looking good.
But what if the first half of the Phillies season was the
abomination and the second half was where reasons for optimism lied? For
argument’s sake, say the New York Mets were able to maintain their hot start
for most of the first half and then cratered as the Phillies ascended in the
second half? In time, the Phillies surpass the Mets and finish in third place.
Imagine how much different the narrative surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies
is. In this alternate universe, the Phillies are a young team that bought into new
manager Gabe Kapler as the season progressed, and saw several players take the
next steps in their development. There’s a lot to include in recruiting pitches
to a loaded free agent class as an organization in a major media market waiting
to make a splash. Both seasons ended with similar win totals and the same
position in the standings, yet one is a much easier sell than the other.
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| Associated Press Images Klentak announced this week Kapler will return in 2019. |
The truth is, there’s
a little bit of both of these scenarios existing within the organization at the
moment. The season that’s about to conclude was a disappointment. Any time
there’s an opportunity play into October, especially when you’re holding a
playoff spot into August, losing that playoff spot is going to be
disappointing. It’s very difficult to qualify for the postseason in Major
League Baseball and even the best teams aren’t always assured of a return to
the playoffs in the future. Just look at how quickly the New York Mets have
fallen since winning the National League in 2015. Capitalizing on the chances
you do have is imperative and the Phillies botched this one in historic
fashion.
With that said, that does not change the fact that the Phillies
are a big-market franchise with tons of payroll flexibility and are closer to
contention than they have been in over half a decade. It’s entirely possible
that this season is the worst the Phillies will be under Gabe Kapler in quite
some time. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that it ended the way it did. Ken
Rosenthal recently reported that everyone besides ace Aaron Nola and power bat
Rhys Hoskins is available for trade this winter. Had the final two months gone
differently and the team played into October, might the front office have been
more likely to lock themselves into a bigger chunk of the 2018 core? Perhaps.
Ultimately, your view of where the Phillies sit right now depends if you’re a
glass half full or glass half empty kind of person. But one thing’s for sure,
2018 is going to be remembered as a year that got away by Phillies fans who were
emotionally invested all season.
That brings us to what lies ahead. Most people who follow
the Phillies would probably agree that Nola and Hoskins are the only two
players that deserve to stick around beyond any doubt. After that, there’s a
slew of young players behind them whose major league futures are still very
much unknown. General Manager Matt Klentak has been with the Phillies for three
years now and important decisions are coming. He made his managerial hire of
Kapler last winter, and now we’ll really find out how he views a roster composed
of several players he did not acquire. Signing Jake Arrieta and Carlos Santana
last offseason was an indicator that Klentak was ready to move past the point
of stockpiling prospects and start winning more games at the big league level.
But, neither Arrieta or Santana was viewed as a serious needle-moving
acquisition. With players like Bryce
Harper and Manny Machado available in free agency this winter, the Phillies
will have an opportunity to flex a little bit. Since there’s enough youth on
the roster, it’s likely that there will be some trade opportunities that
present themselves.
The 2019 Phillies could look very different than this year’s
group. If they don’t, it’s because Klentak had enough faith in the young group
he churned out this year to improve. Regardless, the Phillies are past the
point of rebuilding. It’s obvious to all that Atlanta rebuilt more efficiently
than the Phillies with its young players making more immediate impacts in the
majors. For that reason, the Braves will still be playing baseball after this
weekend. Now, it’s time for the Phillies to catch them.
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