Can Philadelphia Phillies Hold Their Ground as Baseball’s Top Team After Offseason?

Are the Philadelphia Phillies still among the best teams in baseball after a relatively quiet offseason?

Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second base Bryson Stott (5), first baseman Bryce Harper (3) and catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrate the National League East Division title after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies were one of the best teams in baseball throughout the 2024 regular season.

They won 95 games, second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and took home the National League East crown. Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as they had a bitter taste left in their mouth because of how they performed in the postseason.

Getting a bye into the NLDS, their stay was a short one as the New York Mets eliminated them in four games.

That led to some speculation that the team could look to shake things up in the offseason to avoid another collapse of that magnitude.

To their credit, all of the items that were on their to-do list they were able to cross off, albeit not always up to the level some fans and analysts had hoped or expected them to address the needs at.

However, regardless of the feelings of the move, this still looks like one of the best teams in baseball on paper.

“The question now is whether this roster is too similar to the one that fell flat in the postseason a year ago, but there is no shortage of star power and they should once again be one of the favorites to win the NL pennant,” wrote Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.

Their biggest move was acquiring Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in exchange for two prospects.

He will provide a massive boost to the starting rotation as the No. 5 pitcher behind Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez. Free-agent signing Joe Ross provides even more depth as a swingman and eventually, their top prospect, Andrew Painter, will factor into the mix.

Jordan Romano is a move that could pay off handsomely if he can return to the form he showed from 2021-2023 before injuries derailed him in 2024. That led to the Toronto Blue Jays non-tendering him earlier in the offseason, bringing aboard former Phillies All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman.

For their lineup, Max Kepler was signed and presents the biggest question mark of their acquisitions.

He has also battled injuries throughout his career and the team has him penciled into a starting spot in left field despite him having zero experience at the position as a professional baseball player.

That is an incredibly risky move for a team that has the championship aspirations of Philadelphia to enter the season with.

Adding another outfielder, preferably one that can handle center field, pushing Brandon Marsh back to left field and Kepler into a platoon with Nick Castellanos (hello, Luis Robert Jr.) would solidify the lineup.

Bringing back Carlos Estevez or David Robertson would be a great move as well, but if the team doesn’t add another bullpen arm, giving Orion Kerkering the chance to pitch in more high-leverage situations is the most likely outcome.