Phillies allowing for optimism
CLEARWATER, Fla. — After six straight seasons without a winning record, the Philadelphia Phillies see light at the end of the tunnel.
Whether it’s the cautious optimism of the general manager or a bit of bravado from a young player, there’s a sense the worst of Philadelphia’s rebuilding process may be over.
“This is my third spring training here. This is the first time, for me, where if you close your eyes and think about it, it’s no longer a pipe dream,” GM Matt Klentak said Thursday. “The young players have arrived. We’ve added some veterans to that group, and you can now close your eyes and imagine a possibility where things really start to break right.”
Philadelphia hasn’t finished above .500 since winning 102 games in 2011. Last year, the Phillies were 29-58 at the All-Star break, but they were better in the second half as players like Rhys Hoskins offered a glimpse of a potentially brighter future. The Phillies will have a tough time erasing their 31-game gap behind NL East champion Washington, but establishing themselves as the division’s second-best team seems a realistic goal. Or they could think big. “We have the talent to win the World Series in here,” shortstop J.P. Crawford said. “I think we all believe that, so I’m excited to see where the season takes us.”
Crawford made his debut in September and hit just .214, but when he reached the majors, it was another chance for fans in Philadelphia to watch a top prospect in action instead of waiting for him to arrive. Hoskins made an even bigger impact, hitting 18 home runs in 50 games.
“He understands that he’s not a finished product by any stretch. He also is very well aware of what he accomplished,” said Gabe Kapler, Philadelphia’s new manager . “He dominated for two months at the major league level — absolute, utter domination. His ability to come back to camp, humble and hungry, is incredibly impressive.”
With Hoskins, Nick Williams and Odubel Herrera, the Phillies have some young outfielders they can try to build around, and this offseason, Philadelphia signed slugging first baseman Carlos Santana to a $60 million, three-year contract . That move suggested the Phillies saw enough potential in their younger players that it was worth adding a pricy veteran to the mix in an effort to boost the win total.