Philadelphia Phillies Proving Their Massive Payroll Was Money Well Spent
Long term guaranteed contracts are expected every offseason in Major League Baseball.
The salaries continue to rise.
The numbers are incomprehensible.
But the result doesn’t always translate into winning.
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen opened his checkbook and kept doling out incredible amounts of cash to free agents. Same with the San Diego Padres.
Guess what? Both teams are home watching the Philadelphia Phillies battle the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series.
How about the New York Yankees in the American League?
Like the Mets and Padres, the Yankees are home seeing how the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros fare in the ALCS.
Phillies managing partner John Middleton has never been shy about spending money. After a playoff drought from 2012-21, Philadelphia advanced to the World Series last season and fell two games short against the Astros.
The Phillies are alive and well again with a 1-0 lead over the Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
Philadelphia’s high-priced free agents are leading the way.
Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos are earning more than $900 million combined. They’re also thriving under the bright lights of the postseason.
That’s not always the case.
Just look at the three above mentioned teams that are sitting at home.
In Game 1 against Arizona, Harper, Schwarber and Castellanos each homered. Without Harper, Castellanos and Turner especially, the Phillies might not have pushed past the 104-win Atlanta Braves, who won the National League East.
Middleton’s money has been well spent.
Not only do these players earn large salaries, they’re also the right players for this franchise. The team chemistry appears to be just right.
Throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at players can sound like the right idea. Look at San Diego for instance with Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts.
Yes, the Padres reached the NLCS in 2022, but not this season. With the exception of a late-season surge, they struggled.
It’s not just spending money. It’s spending the right way.
Clearly, Philadelphia understands this as well as any team in MLB.
