The Philadelphia Phillies again ended their season with a whimper, struggling to score against the Braves in Game 3 in Atlanta.\u00a0The team went 0-6 with runners in scoring position in the Game 3 finale, with their\u00a05-through-9 hitters combining to go 2-17.<\/p>\n
Another Postseason Fizzle Highlights Core Flaws<\/p>\n
Phillies star Bryce Harper said after the game that he thinks there will be a lot of changes to the team next season, but that will be difficult to make happen.<\/p>\n
“I imagine this team is going to look a lot different next year,” Harper told reporters in the locker room after the Game 3 loss.<\/p>\n
The first change needs to start at the top with President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski.<\/p>\n
Following the Sixers\u2019 Blueprint for Bold Leadership<\/p>\n
The Phillies can look no further than across the street at the Sixers, who had an improbable Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics, but were swept at the hands of the New York Knicks in Round 2, which prompted Daryl Morey to be fired and Mike Gansey to be hired.<\/p>\n
The Sixers were in a similar spot, with bloated contracts that were perceived to be immovable, but Gansey, along with President of Sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE)\u00a0Bob Myers, found a taker for Paul George, landing All-Star Jaylen Brown, which allowed them to make a play for LeBron James.<\/p>\n
They made a tough decision to move on from Morey, who has had success, but had the Sixers stuck in neutral.<\/p>\n
The Phillies need to do the same.\u00a0 It’s time to get new ideas and a new pulse into the Phillies organization.<\/p>\n
Dombrowski’s teams have always spent the money and done their best to compete in the free agent market, but at the expense of developing their own homegrown talent.<\/p>\n
The Breakdown of Homegrown Talent and Prospects<\/p>\n
Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh have all been nice players, but none have made a consistent impact.\u00a0 Bohm has been miscast as a cleanup hitter; Stott hasn’t developed into anything more than a bottom-of-the-order bat that’s been asked to hit in the middle of the lineup; and Marsh, a 2026 All-Star, hasn’t graduated past platoon status.<\/p>\n
Decisions Loom on Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh<\/p>\n
Of this group, Bohm is a free agent, and while he said he’d like to return, it would be hard to sell the Phillies fan base on a reunion.<\/p>\n
Stott and Marsh are both arbitration-eligible and will be tricky. What value would they have in a trade?\u00a0 Likely not much.\u00a0 The Phillies could\u00a0non-tender both of them and let them walk, but would get nothing in return.<\/p>\n