IMAGINE: Philadelphia Phillies Get Surprising Grade For Offseason Target of…

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to be done in free agency, but if they add more, maybe that could impact his surprising grade.  It was clear the winner of the early offseason portion was the Philadelphia Phillies after securing their ace, Aaron Nola, to a seven-year contract that likely keeps him with the team for the rest of his career.  President of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, stated this was their No. 1 goal and they were able to achieve it very early on.  Because that happened so long ago, and there have been splashy moves made by multiple teams since, it’s easy to forget the Phillies when thinking about best offseasons.  That’s why the grade they received from CBS Sports was so surprising after getting a “B” for what has been accomplished so far.  “The Phillies kicked off the offseason by retaining rotation mainstay Aaron Nola — a necessary move that carries them into good grade territory. Beyond that? Their most notable move has been … inking upside play reliever José Ruiz to a minor-league deal? Grabbing Josh Fleming and Michael Mercado from the Rays? There’s only so much a team with a largely fleshed out roster can do. We suppose that’s why titles are won in the fall and not the winter,” R.J. Anderson writes.  With a stacked roster already and a massive payroll, it was unlikely Philadelphia was going to be one of the most active teams chasing star players during the winter.  They got their guy in Nola and took a swing for Yoshinobu Yamamoto that would have certainly given them an offseason hard to forget.  But, Anderson is right.  Beyond Nola, what have the Phillies really done?  Adding bullpen arms for depth is definitely needed, considering how they looked during the late part of the year when it mattered most, but it’s not like Philadelphia added any of the elite arms out there.  The “B” grade could be looked at as surprising from many angles.  After only making one major signing, it’s surprising their offseason has been viewed so favorably. And also, after doing something so early on during the winter, it’s surprising the Phillies weren’t forgotten about and given a lower grade.  Either way, like Anderson says, championships are truly won in the fall and not winter.  Philadelphia knows it and they have a team who can execute.