The Phillies have finally done what Phans have been waiting for all season. They have finally made it back to .500. The Philadelphia Phillies are 44-44 for the first half of the season and will hopefully carry some of this momentum in the second half. Phillies Phans can only hope…
Finishing up the first half of the season by winning two of three from the first-place Red Sox is especially impressive given that four players were recently placed on the COVID-19 list before the break. Luckily the Phillies came out with the series win and they will not miss too much time being on the IL because of the All-Star Break in Denver. The Phillies’ bench has really stepped up to fill the roles of their inconsistent and battered starters.
Incredible performances by Travis Jankowski, Brad Miller, Ronald Torreyes, and Luke Williams have given the Phillies a bountiful resurgence in runs scored. Even the bullpen has managed to get restructured into something more effective against their opponents. Ranger Suarez has been leading the charge in holding down the fort for the Phillies’ late-game relief. Overall, the Phillies have made real in-house efforts to prove they are a contender and challenge the Mets for first place.
The Phillies’ lack of player development has significantly halted this team from progressing further than a .500 team the past few seasons. A .500 first half is by no means a godsend, but there needs to be something positive to think about for the time being. The Phillies have an exorbitant payroll with plenty of stars to win a World Series, but things need to keep changing for the better.
This change can come in many different forms whether it be in-house or out-of-house, Dombrowski and Fuld have to make some moves for the betterment of this ball club. Trades are going to be the solution to fixing an inconsistent bullpen and an injured cast of players.
Dombrowski and Fuld need to make tough decisions especially with some of their prospects if they cannot train them well enough. If they cannot train them to be MLB-ready then they should trade them for MLB-ready players to win now.
Interestingly, the Phillies just drafted 18-year-old Andrew Painter out of Calvary Christian in Florida. He was the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft and who knows what he will do. He could very well commit to Florida instead of joining the Phillies farm system. However, there is a Phillies connection between Painter and Joe Girardi’s son according to Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Phillies cannot trudge along forever and it will be up to the front office to get something done for this fanbase and this city, which craves a World Series championship.
Photo: Steven Senne/AP
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