With Nick Castellanos And Kyle Schwarber Signings, Phillies Get Their Guys And Signal Attitude Change

The Phillies are going for it — formally.

Last week’s free-agent finalizings of sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos signified how much — really, how frantically — group management desires to end a years of flops and failures in Philadelphia.

In some methods, the finalizings sentout a louder message then when the group signed $330 million superstar Bryce Harper in March2019

The Harper finalizing stated: We got our man for the next 13 years.

The Schwarber and Castellanos offers stated: Competitive Balance Tax be damned! We desire to win now.

For years, the fanbase had heard the blowing from Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton — that no luxury-tax limit would avoid the group from finalizing the gamer that might warranty a Red October. Apparently that gamer is Castellanos.

Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski fulfilled with Middleton in a conference on Thursday earlymorning to sell the concept of finalizing Castellanos, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb — and it wasn’t a challenging sell. Castellanos, a unsafe right-handed player and clubhouse leader, would secure the lefty-hitting Harper in the middle of the Phillies’ lineup while playing left field. In 2021, Castellanos slashed .309/.362/.576 with 34 house runs, 38 doubles and 100 RBI. He leads all players in doubles (189) and is 3rd in overall bases (1,346) giventhat2017

Dombrowski and Middleton then soughtadvicefrom Jim and Pete Buck, Middleton’s ownership partners. And about an hour after the conference started, the choice was made: Let’s smash through the $230 million CBT limit and get Castellanos. The Phils will likewise surrender a 2022 second-round draft choice to the Reds after Castellanos decreased the the Reds’ 1year, $18.4 million certifying deal in November.

The Phillies will offer Castellanos $100 million over 5 years. The offer followed the statement that the group tattooed Schwarber to a four-year, $79 million agreement.

Schwarber, who’s great for 30 bombs a year, will endupbeing Philadelphia’s veryfirst full-time designated player (excluding the pandemic-shortened 202o season), after MLB will execute the universal DH this season as part of the brand-new cumulative bargaining contract.

Not to be neglected: The Phils likewise revealed last week that it signed 2 veteran reducers — right-hander Jeurys Familia and left-hander Brad Hand — to 1year, $6 million agreements. Familia and Hand will setup brand-new better Corey Knebel, whom the Phils provided a 1year, $10 million offer.

But even with this geyser of costs, all of Philly’s defects sanctuary’t been repaired. It’s a group that has had a broken bullpen for eons, and the ‘pen can’t be considered fixed upuntil it really is. And the additions of Castellanos and Schwarber haveactually done absolutelynothing to enhance one of the worst defenses in the videogame.

National MLB author Jim Bowden stated “playing in the little boundaries of Citizens Bank Park with so numerous huge bats will assistance the Phillies be amongst the league leaders in house runs.” But Bowden still ranks the Phils as the third-best group in the NL East behind protecting champs Braves and Mets, who brought in Max Scherzer and Starling Marte, amongst others, this offseason.

Now isn’t the time for unfavorable analysis of the Phillies’ huge moves — and larger costs. As Harper stated on Saturday of the Castellanos signing: “I would neverever have idea that would have tookplace.” Neither did the group’s fanbase. And time will inform if busting through the tax limit will benefit the Phillies with what they requirement most — a playoff berth.