The 2022 Philadelphia Phillies made it to the World Series, where they lost to the Houston Astros. The 2023 team reached the National League Championship Series, where they were stunned by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games. The 2024 squad might have been the best of them all, dominating for the entire regular season before dropping the NL Division Series to the New York Mets.
For three years now, the Phillies have been right in the thick of things. That’s why their higher-ups have discussed the possibility of increasing the payroll this off-season, as they are determined to bring in someone who can move the needle.
According to ESPN senior reporter Buster Olney, rival executives have identified the Phillies as operating under a “World Series or bust” approach and they are convinced they will land at least one star in the off-season.
The Phillies are going for a superstar this offseason
“They’re going to get a star. I have no doubt—One general manager put it as, ‘World Series tilt.'”They’re in that vain. The Yankees are in that vain. The Padres are in that vain,” Sportsradio 94WIP posted on X, with Olney’s thoughts.
Despite being underdogs in that race, the Phillies are more than doing their due diligence on Juan Soto. They are pursuing him, trying to convince him that they have a winning project going on and that he is the missing piece. And the player is impressed by the organization and its drive to win.
The Phillies may or may not get Soto, but even if they fail, they are expected to try and sign another star for their lineup. They are expected to try and lure a bullpen ace or two, whether it is via free agency or trade. They are trying, maybe harder than everybody else. And that counts for something.
One of these years, things are going to work out for the Phillies because they continue to add talent to their roster. The team has a purpose and a clear goal.