By CJ Carlson
The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t had the most eventful offseason despite signing Whit Merrifield to a deal this week. Still, there is optimism for this team to compete at the highest level. When talking to their star Bryce Harper about the offseason that the team had, he made sure to speak his mind.
Reporters asked Harper about the lack of moves that the team made throughout this entire offseason. He said, “You can’t really keep going for every single year, right? You got to kind of rely on the guys that are in your clubhouse to get things done.” While this might not make much sense on the surface, he’s correct. Harper is talking about how the team has been going all in the last few years, and now it’s time for all those aggressive moves to pay off.
A good example of their aggressive moves came when they signed Trae Turner to an 11-year contract. In his first season with the team, Turner had one of the worst seasons of his career. Harper hasn’t shied away from putting the pressure on himself and his teammates, because they have to prove that their management have made the right decisions. After all, they’re the ones heading out and playing the game.
Philadelphia Phillies Believe Continuity Is A Good Thing
Plus, they believe that continuity has been a good thing. Their manager Rob Thomson briefly spoke about how there isn’t much competition at camp so far, but that he thinks it’s a good thing. Aaron Nola said, “It’s definitely weird not having to introduce yourself to that many new guys.” And Jeff Hoffman said, “It’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like this. Obviously, it shows belief in the guys we have in this room.”
Harper is just one of the many familiar faces on the Phillies that want to show the world that they have what it takes to win it all in 2024. The roster appears to be set, and management doesn’t see many holes in how they’re constructed. Let’s see if it pays off.
