Build your perfect 2021-22 Phillies offseason

Earlier this offseason, I wrote my plan for the perfect offseason that I’d believe put the Phillies in a position to win the offseason and get ready for a playoff run. Some of you were okay with it, some of you scoffed (I took notes). Now, we give you the reins.

What would you do?

We want you to create a FanPost where you share with us your ideal offseason for the Phillies. What free agents are you targeting? Are there trade partners you see the Phillies matching up with? What prospects are you dangling to get a return that’ll boost the champsionship odds in Philadelphia?

However, we want to make this realistic. While it would be great to see the team sign Corey Seager and Marcus Stroman and maybe Raisel Iglesias, they aren’t doing that. John Middleton hasn’t indicated he will go over the luxury tax line, so why start now? What we do have are some ground rules:

1. Decisions need to be made on players with options. We can probably logically think which ones will get picked up (none), but maybe you really, really like Andrew McCutchen’s leadership.
2. I don’t think anyone is getting a qualifying offer, but feel free to give one to Travis Jankowski.
3. You have to stay under, or even with, the given budget. Not a penny more.
4. Make your trades realistic. The Dodgers aren’t giving you Gavin Lux for Jean Segura, so don’t bother.

So what should your FanPost look like? Go with this:

[insert your name]’s 2021-22 Phillies offseason plan

Your budget

$195 million

Last year when we did this exercise, the budget was set at $180 million. I firmly believe that Dave Dombrowski will be allowed to spend a little bit more, so I’m upping the budget number a little bit.

Arbitration

MLBTR provides the arbitration estimates that we’ll need. Since we won’t know for a while what the figures will turn out to be, use these numbers:

• Odubel Herrera – $11.6MM
• Travis Jankowski – $900K
• Zach Eflin – $6.0MM
• Andrew Knapp – $1.2MM
• Jose Alvarado – $1.9MM
• Rhys Hoskins – $7.6MM
• Ronald Torreyes – $1.6MM
• Seranthony Dominguez – $800K
• Roman Quinn – $700K

Who are you keeping? Who gets nontendered?

Options

The team has several. Which are you keeping? Which are you buying out and setting free to become a free agent?

• Andrew McCutchen - $15 million team option ($3 million buyout)
• Odubel Herrera - $11.5 million team option ($2.5 million buyout; can be offered arbitration)

Remember: these numbers, whether you choose to exercise the option or give the buyout, factor into your final budget. Don’t be trying to pull a fast one, or the virtual MLBPA will come knocking on your door.

Free Agents

Again, MLBTR has provided you with a list of all the free agents you can possibly think of. If you want to go searching for them elsewhere, go right ahead.

Trades

This is the fun part, I know.

Make your offers realisitic though. Teams aren’t trading their star for your dreck. As much as you might want to pry away someone like Shane Bieber or Jose Ramirez from the Guardians, if you aren’t offering at least two of Mick Abel, Andrew Painters and Bryson Stott, you aren’t even getting your call returned.

The roster

The team is going to have 26 players next year and if 2021 is any indication, Joe Girardi likes to have a 13 man bullpen at his disposal. So build your roster the same way. Give the players you would put on the Opening Day roster and their salaries for 2022 only, assuming that pre-arb players are going to make $563,500 next year.

SP1:
SP2:
SP3:
SP4:
SP5:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
C:
1B:
2B:
SS:
3B:
LF:
CF:
RF:
Bench:
Bench:
Bench:
Bench:
Bench:

Since there is no indication that an agreement about a National League DH is going to come to fruition as of right now, we’re going to operate this exercise as if there is none.

Summary

Give a summary of your team. How do you think it would fare? Are there strengths? Weaknesses? Sell us on your plan and why it’s the best one for the Phillies moving forward.

One more thing - make it a FanPost. The comments are turned off here.