Stark: Phillies’ offseason taking shape — What I’m hearing about their roster revamp

The Phillies’ front office faces a tough challenge after the team’s National League Championship Series loss to Arizona. Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies president of baseball operations, acknowledged the difficulty of building a World Series-winning roster. It is extremely challenging, only 23 years since the last repeat champion. The pressure is even greater for the 2024 Phillies, as only one team has done what they aim to achieve.

Aaron Nola’s status is the main priority for the Phillies in the upcoming offseason. Dombrowski has made re-signing him a priority, but the team must move quickly to secure his future. Signing Nola may be difficult, as it is rumored that the Phillies are not willing to go all out to secure him. The team’s decision not to extend Nola last spring indicates that they may not be willing to meet Nola’s high asking price.

If the Phillies can’t secure Nola, they have been reaching out to other teams and agents for other potential rotations, showing interest in Jordan Montgomery, a young Japanese pitcher, and Sonny Gray. They also have highly-touted prospect, Andrew Painter, expected to make his MLB debut in 2025.

Regarding the closer position, the Phillies are setting themselves for a non-traditional approach, allowing their manager to mix it up with their bullpen arms instead of a traditional closer. However, they remain open to adding live bullpen arms for support. They are not getting caught up in signing a traditional closer, given their belief in a young prospect’s ability to contribute in the bullpen.

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David Rodriguez

David Rodriguez brings the excitement of Major League Baseball to readers. With a deep appreciation for America’s pastime, he covers the latest MLB news, scores, and player achievements, keeping fans up to date with their favorite teams and players.