Tony Cutillo
As the Sixers have decided to light a fire within the Philly sports sector, the Phillies have slid their way into the dark Dungeon of Doom with no signs of revitalization.
Coming into this baseball season, there seemed to be a multitude of things with which to be excited. However, it now seems the growth we seen last year has diminished while the hopeful youth saviors are looking more like the extras on a clearance rack at Sports Authority. All things considered, there are still a few sparks at the minor-league level and a large amount of cap room just waiting to be assigned to the right checks.
So … let the speculation begin.
In the ever evolving saga of, Who will the Phillies sign first?, the first shot fired could be in the direction of mighty Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton’s stature and raw power make him an obvious target for any MLB team. He has shown the ability to carry a team with his bat, but health concerns continue to plague his name. Stanton has averaged a paltry 111.7 games per year during his eight-year career and has only eclipsed the 130 mark twice – in 2001 (150) and 2014 (145). Freak injuries and unpredictable plays happen, but missing 402 games in eight years has to be a real concern.
Either way, looking at his bat in such an offensively inept offense would surely be a treat to a franchise who desperately needs it.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe decided to share his own speculation piece about Stanton based on his monster contract and the uncertainty of the Miami Marlins going forward. In an unprecedented deal, Stanton is owed at least $25 million each year between 2018 and 2027. Between 2023 and 2025, Stanton will earn $32 million. If you consider that Miami is one of the least profitable teams in baseball and the Phillies may have the deepest pockets, a trade scenario could make sense for both sides.
Below is the case Cafardo made for why Philadelphia makes sense for Stanton:
General manager Matt Klentak has tried to give his young players room to develop. Some are developing on time, while others have struggled. At some point the fan base will get impatient because it’s a big market where there were glory days not long ago. The Phillies won one championship in Ruben Amaro Jr.’s tenure as assistant GM, but at the time they were an entertaining team with stars such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, and Shane Victorino to keep fans interested.
The Phillies have two things going in their favor now: money and prospects. So there’s a way to get better fast. They could adopt the Red Sox’ model of having a core of good young players while surrounding them with free agents, or veterans via trade.
Diving into this scenario even further, Cafardo speculates that Philadelphia would also want to add Christian Yelich, another strong-hitting Miami outfielder who has a more team-friendly cap number and could provide another top-tier hitter in a weak Phillies lineup.
Now before we all get to dreaming or turning down the notion of a deal of this magnitude actually happening, we have to look at how this could be an option. The Phillies have long stood by the idea that their farm system could transform into an above average outfield. Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak, Dylan Cozens, Nick Williams, Roman Quinn, and Cornelius Randolph are all names you hear, but still haven’t faced Major League level talent.
The question I pose: Would you be willing to part with any of these guys for a package to attract one of the games pure power hitter?
Meanwhile … let’s watch in awe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQW0zeNaRRw
As always you can stop by my Facebook page (FantasySportsAddiction) or tweet me (@TCutillo23) for questions or some nice fantasy debates. I can also be heard weekly via the internet stream live at WengRadio every Monday at 4:00pm EST for a weekend sports wrap. But most importantly, you can catch me here at Pi!
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