There sure has been a lot of banter about the Philadelphia Phillies over the past week, and why not?
The Phillies made a splash in the free agent market by netting it's top prize - left handed starter and former Phillie, Cliff Lee. While Phillies fans have basked in the glory of pairing him with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels and enjoying their chances for a repeat as baseball's team with the best record, Lee and others have firmly stated that they won't settle for finishing second best. Anything other than a World Series title will be a disappointment for the Phillies and their fans alike.
With high expectations from your own fan base comes a lot of negative feedback from those teams that a signing like this will effect. It's not the perfect situation for the Phillies. As those teams and fans have pointed out, this elite Phillies core is aging quickly. Injuries ravaged the team in 2010, and though they hope for a healthier 2011, they certainly aren't getting any younger. Add that to the largest payroll in the history of the franchise, and a lot of people believe that the Phillies have a limited window to be successful.
Is that the case?
There are no reinforcements on the way in the Phillies' immediate future. The organization's best prospects are all located in the lower levels of the minor league system. The bullpen could possibly benefit from some minor league talent like Scott Mathieson, BJ Rosenberg, Mike Zagurski, Michael Schwimmer and Justin DeFratus in the near future, but that's about it.
An aging core, payroll that is reaching new heights, and lack of upper level prospects have a lot of fans and foes alike calling for the end of the Phillies in the near future. These factors are somewhat misleading, as many of the Phillies' lower level minor league talent projects to be quality major league starters over the next few seasons. As the Phillies' core ages now, an influx of young talent should give the team a nice shot in the arm, and a television contract that expires in 2015 should give the Phillies all the payroll they need. According to one professional scout, the Phillies could go on a "Braves-like" streak of divisional titles.
While the Phillies enjoy their glory days now, the future is always on our minds. So with that, here is a look at Baseball America's projected roster for the Phillies in 2014.
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