The Philadelphia Phillies ended their season on a high note, and avoided finishing the season with the worst record in baseball. Even though the Phillies are still in re building mode, the future looks bright because the team has a lot of young talent and enough money to make a splash in free agency.
With four teams still battling for a chance to play in the World Series, it’s a little too early to start talking about free agency, but since the Phillies season is already over, there’s no reason not to.
Going into the offseason, the Phillies are hoping they can bring in some offense and a few players that will bring the fans out to Citizens Bank Park next season.
One of the names that is already being floated about is Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton, who led Major League Baseball with 57 homeruns last season, is expected to be one of the most sought after players this offseason.
However, Stanton, who signed a 13-year deal worth $325 million in 2014, is still under contract with the Marlins, which means whoever wants him is going to have to give up some valuable assets to acquire the slugger in a trade.
The good news for Phillies fans is that the Marlins won’t have a lot of leverage during negotiations because The Marlins, who were recently acquired by a group led by former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, have already announced that they are looking to make some changes to their roster and everyone, including Stanton is available.
With Philadelphia having gotten their big contracts off the books over the past four seasons, the Phillies will be able to take on Stanton’s big contract. The Phillies, who have been picking high in the draft the last few seasons, also have a lot of young prospects that the Marlins will find attractive.
According to Jon Heyman of FanRag sports, the Phillies have position players to make a deal with Miami, and also have a lot of depth in the infield, which will also make them an attractive team to trade with the Marlins.
Philadelphia will also have a lot of money to spend thanks to a new television deal. However, the Phillies struggled last season and likely won’t be a contender next year, even with Stanton in the lineup, so they can’t afford to give up any of their talented pitching prospects.
Another reason a deal might not work out between the two teams is the fact that team president Andy MacPhail is currently opposed to spending a lot of money on free agents. If MacPhail doesn’t want to spend on free agents, will he be willing to take on a contract as big as Stanton’s?
Even if he is, he likely won’t want to give up a lot of the team’s young prospects because he believes they are the foundation that will help Philadelphia get back into contention.
If MacPhail is unwilling to pull the trigger on a deal for Stanton, it could come back and haunt the Phillies, who haven’t had a hitter of his caliber since they had Ryan Howard in his prime.
