The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be big spenders this winter and the team’s owner confirmed as much in a recent interview.
John Middleton told Bob Nightengale of USA Today the team “is expecting to spend money” and “maybe even be a little bit stupid about it.”
The Phillies finished 80-82 this past season and haven’t finished above .500 or made the playoffs since 2011. Middleton said Phillies general manager Matt Klentak “is going to be a busy boy this winter.”
The team currently has approximately $69 million committed to the 2019 payroll, according to Spotrac, but that figure significantly drops off in the years following.
The 2019 free agent class is headlined by outfielder Bryce Harper and infielder Manny Machado, both of whom are expected to fetch nine-figure deals. The Phillies are considered contenders to land one of them.
On the mound, the top starters available are Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Nathan Eovaldi, while relievers Craig Kimbrel, Adam Ottavino and Andrew Miller should earn plenty of attention and also ink lucrative contracts.
“It’s not like we need a left-handed relief pitcher in the eighth inning,” Middleton said of his team’s needs. “We got lots of ways to go to improve this ballclub. Starting pitching. Bullpen. In the field. At the plate.
“It’s good because it gives you the opportunity to explore a lot of different ways, but it’s difficult because it creates a lot of options. So, you’re talking to a lot of people, and do a lot of evaluations.’’
The Phillies had the eighth-least expensive payroll in 2018. That will change in 2019 and Middleton hopes the results on the field change as well.
“It’s exciting to contemplate what we may be able to do this off-season,” Middleton added. “We know the free agent class this year is really, really good. … We’re looking at it like if things break the right way, we could be a really good team next year.”
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