Phillies Begin Spring Training with Higher Expectations

Yesterday, pitchers and catchers reported for the Phillies, opening Spring Training and the 2017 campaign. The Phillies are coming into 2017 with somewhat higher expectations than last year. While few expect the Phillies to contend for a play-off spot, many see .500 as a reachable goal.

Why so many feel that an appropriate measure of success for this year's team is the number of wins is beyond me. The fact remains that the Phillies are a young team, with a number of promising prospects still developing in the minor leagues. To be sure, the Phillies appear to have improved by addressing offensive weakness in the outfield. They did so by signing veterans Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders to one year deals, with the team having the option to extend Saunders for another year. But the Phillies have young outfield talent in the organization. Aaron Altherr is expected to be available off the bench in the majors. Roman Quinn, Nick Williams and Dylan Cozens are expected to hone their craft in the minors. The reality is that if Kendrick and Saunders perform well, they won't likely be on the team in August, after the non-waiver trade deadline, let alone next year. Indeed, arguably, the presence of Kendrick and Saunders is preventing Altherr from showing what he can do with a full, healthy major league season.

The Phillies' long-term strategy is to continue to develop their young talent while looking for quality free agents to fill in the gaps. In the last two years, the free agent market has been light, with few real superstars within the Phillies' grasp. But that changes in the next two years, as more talented players become available. Indeed, Phillies management have been saving their money for the 2017 and 2018 free agent markets.

So what does it matter if the Phillies reach .500 this year if the players brought aboard to do that are not likely to be on the team next year? Isn't the real measure of the Phillies' success how well the team develops its young talent? To be fair, the outfield talent still needs time to develop; especially Quinn who needs to stay healthy for an entire season. But make no mistake. The corner outfielders are just gap fillers. How they perform this year has no bearing on whether the Phillies are on target to be a contender.

The Phillies are poised to be a powerhouse in Major League Baseball. Just not this year.

By: William J. Kovatch, Jr.

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