Out of the Cold- the Phillies Begin to Build

At this week's Winter Meetings, the Phillies appear to finally be active again. They signed two relievers who will help them hold considerably more leads in 2018. They were linked to Manny Machado, Jake Arrieta, and even Zack Greinke. The Phillies were in the news, finally.

The 2018 Phillies don't yet resemble a winning team. Their division is terrible, which does help the outlook, and the offense looks very good. The bullpen appears to be better now too, so they shouldn't lose as many games they lead. Even with those things, it all comes down to pitching, and the Phillies starting rotation has questions. Aaron Nola had a very good 2017, but he needs to show he can stay healthy for a full season. Jerad Eickhoff had an outstanding 2016, but did not stay healthy or consistent in 2017. Vince Velasquez has yet to meet his potential. Ben Lively, Nick Pivetta, Zach Eflin, and all the other guys who got a chance last year did not definitively prove they belong in the rotation for the long haul. Unless the Phillies improve the rotation, they will not reach the post-season for the first time since 2011.

It's clear though that the front office and ownership seem to see what fans saw over the last six weeks of the season- the prospects arriving in Philadelphia are very good. Rhys Hoskins can transform this offense by providing the first real big time power threat in Philadelphia since Ryan Howard's achilles gave out. Nick Williams surprised us all with his steady improvement. J.P. Crawford and Jorge Alfaro finished the season on high notes. If Aaron Altherr stays healthy, Odubel Herrera continues to be a pure hitter, and Cesar Hernandez is back, the Phillies line-up can hit with anyone in the division. The team gets that, and seems to understand that they may not be able to treat 2018 as another rebuilding year- it's hard to do that with the Marlins tanking and the Braves being a complete and total mess right now.

It feels like the Phillies are about to start being the Phillies of the turn of the decade- a team with financial ability and desire to spend. That may mean Manny Machado, though that is probably a year away. It may mean an Alex Cobb type starter- which is also a considerable upgrade for this squad. While that may not mean we should put a down-payment on playoff tickets for 2018, it does mean things are about to get fun again.

God Isn't a Philly Fan

This is mostly a blog about the Phillies, but it's about all of Philadelphia sports too- and today is an ugly day. No, I'm not upset about the Phillies signing 37 year-old Pat Neshek for two years and $16-17 million. I think it's a good signing actually, and I'd like to see them add another late-inning relief option and bring in a starting pitcher to top off this Winter meetings, in addition to moving Tommy Joseph, Cameron Rupp, and at least one more infielder off the roster.

Obviously today is an ugly day because Carson Wentz season is over. He tore his ACL and will not be back this season. It feels like the 11-2 Eagles are done. I don't think the season is toast, or that the team can't possibly win a title still, but it sure doesn't feel good. The Birds finally had the guy, an MVP caliber Quarterback who looked like he could lead them past anyone. Now we're putting the season on Nick Foles shoulder- not the actual end of the world, but not something to feel confident about.

And so here we are- the Eagles are 11-2 and feel dead, the Sixers haven't won in over a week, the Flyers are terrible, and my beloved Phillies aren't looking like players for any of this Winter's major free agent or trade candidates. I'll never forget 2008 for obvious reasons, but when will the next parade down Broad Street finally arrive?