The Phillies Have Holes to Address in the Off Season
With the 2018 season behind us and the Winter Meetings about to open, it seems like a perfect time for some hot stove discussion on the Phillies. Watching this team contend for most of the season, and remain in first place until August, was certainly a thrill. But the late season collapse laid bare the Phils’ inadequacies. Young pitching, led by Aaron Nola, kept the team competitive. Poor hitting and defense, however, doomed the Phillies’ early success. Indeed, I felt less confident at the end of this season than I did at the end of last season, where an August and September surge led by the young players gave me hope. What is clear is that this team needs more than just one player. While I may be pleased should the Phillies acquire Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, that would simply not be enough to address the most serious of holes in this roster. Starting with the biggest concern, the Phillies’ defense was just horrible. Much of that has been blamed on players playing ou