MLB UPDATE: Phillies Get Surprising Update from MLB Offseason

The Philadelphia Phillies won the early offseason segment after signing their ace, Aaron Nola, to a seven-year contract that will likely keep him with the team for the rest of his career. Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, claimed that this was their top priority, which they were able to do fairly early on. Because that happened so long ago, and multiple clubs have made splashy moves since, it’s easy to overlook the Phillies when considering the best offseasons.

That’s why the grade they received from CBS Sports was so surprising after receiving a “B” for their efforts thus far. “The Phillies began the offseason by re-signing rotation staple Aaron Nola, a vital move that propels them into the good grade range. What comes after that? Their most prominent move has been… signing minor-league reliever José Ruiz to a contract? Taking over for the Rays Josh Fleming and Michael Mercado? A club with a mostly complete roster can only do so much. “We suppose that’s why championships are won in the fall rather than the winter,” R.J. Anderson writes. With a deep roster and a big salary, it was unlikely that Philadelphia would be one of the most aggressive clubs pursuing star players this winter. They got their man in Nola and took a shot at Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who would have given them an offseason to remember.

But Anderson is correct. What else have the Phillies done besides Nola? Adding bullpen arms for depth is absolutely required, considering how they looked late in the season when it meant the most, but Philadelphia didn’t add any of the premier arms out there. From many perspectives, the “B” rating is shocking. It’s remarkable that their summer has been received so positively after only making one key addition. Also, after accomplishing anything so early in the season, it’s surprising the Phillies weren’t overlooked and given a lesser score. In any case, as Anderson points out, championships are genuinely won in the fall, not the winter. Philadelphia is aware of this, and they have a crew capable of carrying it out.