The Philadelphia Phillies are “all in” on winning this year, but many would not know it based on their offseason.
Instead of rebuilding this roster, as many expected after a second consecutive frustrating playoff elimination, the Phillies are sticking with their core group of stars while upgrading the roster’s edges to provide whatever assistance is needed to win the World Series.
However, there are some risks to this.
After making it to the Fall Classic in 2022, Philadelphia has been eliminated from the postseason in an earlier round each year, with significant shortcomings serving as the primary reason.
Making no changes to this group’s DNA may be a bet that fails.
However, there is no doubt that this squad is more than capable of making a deep run and competing with any team in baseball, including the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But, aside from wanting to win the World Series, the Phillies are “all in” this year since some of their great players are set to reach the open market
This includes Kyle Schwarber, a slugger who quickly became a fan favorite.
Seeing him leave would be a difficult pill for anyone to take, especially when Philadelphia has the resources to keep him around indefinitely if that is what they want to do.
Schwarber appears to want to stay with the franchise, and as a result, it’s now a no-brainer for Dave Dombrowski and the front office to negotiate an extension to keep the star with the team for the foreseeable future.
For starters, he’s a popular and respected leader in the clubhouse.
Not only has he been a great mentor for the younger players who have come up the ranks, but he also has helped cultivate a winning mindset for phillies.
That can be difficult to find from a player of his caliber, especially when mixed with what he’s done in Philadelphia: slashing.221/.344/.488 with 131 home runs, 302 RBI, and an OPS+ of 129 increases his value even higher.
Of course, finances will be a major determining factor here.
Schwarber may be a veteran, but he is only 31 years old and has plenty of top baseball ahead of him because he is still a designated hitter at this point in his career, which extends his shelf life.
His willingness to re-sign with the Phillies should have been heard by the front office, allowing the two parties to begin negotiations on an extension.
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