What is your perfect offseason for the Phillies?

You’ve discussed it numerous times.

We all have the ideas about how the Phillies should construct a roster that will not only successfully defend the National League pennant, but also get revenge for the loss in the World Series. As they showed last year, it’ll take a lot of creativity (and an expanded payroll) to do what is necessary to get back to the promised land, but there is a path here that can get them to where they want to be.

So now, it’s your turn to do so. Show us how you would conduct the Phillies’ offseason were you to be the one making the calls. What we’re looking for are FanPosts that will get people talking about it. Go over to the FanPost section, use this template I have down here as a guide and create the perfect Phillies’ offseason plan. The best ones will be shared to the main page.

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

Your budget

$250 million

Last year when we did this exercise, the budget was set at $195 million. We saw them blow past this easily, so let’s set the budget higher than what they finished the season with, but just below that second tax threshold. You must stay under that number.

If you were ever wondering, I myself defer to the Fangraphs Roster Resource page, which I have linked here, as I prefer the way they set theirs up. Let’s be uniform and use that for salary calculations.

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:

• Jose Alvarado: $3.2 million
• Rhys Hoskins: $12.6 million
• Seranthony Dominguez: $2 million
• Ranger Suarez: $3.5 million
• Sam Coonrod: $800,000
• Yairo Munoz: $1 million
• Edmundo Sosa: $1 million

Who are you keeping? Who gets nontendered?

Options

Luckily for you, these have already been decided. The benefits of a deep postseason run, right?

Free Agents

Again, let’s go to MLB Trade Rumors for a comprehensive list of free agents for every position.

Some of agree on what the team’s biggest needs are, some of us disagree. While I might say that shortstop is their biggest need, someone else may say “No, they need a better starting rotation option. That’s the priority!” Fine, show us who you would sign.

Let’s make sure the numbers are realistic too. While you may believe Trea Turner to be worth a lot of money, there is likely no team offering him $60 million annually.

Trades

This is the fun part, I know.

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

The roster

The team is going to have 26 players next year and if 2022 is any indication, Rob Thomson will be using 13 pitchers in the bullpen. So build your roster the same way. Give the players you would put on the Opening Day roster and their salaries for 2023 only, assuming that pre-arb players are going to make $700,000 next year.

SP1:
SP2:
SP3:
SP4:
SP5:

RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:
RP:

C:
1B:
2B:
SS:
3B:
LF:
CF:
RF:
DH:

Bench:
Bench:
Bench:
Bench:

Don’t forget: someone has to be the backup catcher. Better have one.

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.

I’ll remind you again: go to the FanPosts section of the page if you wish to have your ideas posted to our front page. Only plans written there will be considered. If you simply want to talk about what you’d do, feel free to leave some comments.