John Middleton Committed To Winning, No Matter the Cost

The Phillies had quite a busy offseason. Owner John Middleton was not shy when it came to spending money. They brought in Trea Turner, several bullpen arms, and Taijuan Walker, just to start. Then they signed both SerAnthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado to extensions. And now the word is that their next move is an extension for Aaron Nola. The Phillies got a taste last year when they made it all the way to the World Series, just to lose to the Astros. But now John Middleton wants the full course. And he is willing to pay whatever price it takes.

Of course, this is nothing new for John. A few years back he brought in Bryce Harper, the year after that he acquired Zack Wheeler, and then he committed long-term to JT Realmuto. Middleton has proven time and time again he is willing to put his money where his mouth is. When he said stupid money, he meant it. It has not always worked out. There have been bad deals like Carlos Santana and Jake Arrietta. But those mistakes never discouraged him from continuing to write checks.

But now we can see that commitment to winning paying off. The Phillies have one of the best rosters they have had since 2011. A lineup that will have seemingly no holes once Bryce Harper returns mid-season. A rotation that may be good enough to go 5 deep if Andrew Painter can break through in Spring Training. And a bullpen featuring multiple high-powered arms who have closer experience. It is a very tough division to play in, with the Mets and Braves having similarly talented rosters. But Middleton and Dave Dombrowski have done their jobs to put the necessary talent in the Phillies Clubhouse.

John Middleton recently sat down with Scott Lauber from the Philly Inquirer to discuss his commitment to building a winning team. This is what he told Scott.

That is something every Philly fan is going to like to hear. And it is not just bluster. Middleton has backed up that talk. Whether or not they win, he has more than proven he is committed to trying to win. As Philly fans, we have been lucky to mostly have owners like that. Josh Harris, for all his issues, is in the same boat. Jeffrey Lurie has been in that boat too. The Flyers... well we can't have everything we want I guess.

The Phillies unfortunately have a long history of losing. Just two World Series and a handful more of appearances in their long history is hard to stomach. But with an owner like John Middleton, maybe the modern Phillies will change that history. Spending money doesn't guarantee wins. But it at least shows that he is sick of losing. And if he is going to keep investing in his team like this, we can at least be sure the Phillies will continue to be in that mix to get back to the promised land.

Today’s finally the day! Well, maybe you can remove “finally” from that statement. It feels like it was only a matter of weeks, not months, since the Philadelphia Phillies were playing in the World Series. The offseason has flown by, and since it was an incredibly busy one for the Phils, we haven’t really had a chance to catch our collective breath and prepare for the 2023 season. Well, we better get geared up, because as of today, February 16th, pitchers and catchers have reported to Clearwater, Florida to start their prep for the 2023 campaign. This team is going to dominate the summer sports news cycle in this city, and has numerous interesting storylines, but, for now, here are some of the early spring training story lines for pitchers and catchers that you should be aware of.

This is question number one. The most exciting position battle on the entire roster, and one of the most interesting in all of baseball. Can 19-year-old, best pitching prospect in baseball Andrew Painter actually make the opening day roster as the Phillies 5th starter?? Well, it’s certainly a possibility. Phillies President of Baseball Ops Dave Dombrowski has said as much. Now, to do so, he’ll have to beat out Bailey Falter, who made 16 starts for the Phillies last season, as well as Cristopher Sanchez, who made 3 spot starts with the Major League team. Andrew Painter has never made an appearance higher than AA ball, but by most accounts he’s ready for MLB level competition. It will be very interesting to see how the Phils handle their young stud.

At the end of last year’s regular season, Zack Wheeler was absolutely worn down. In fairness, it was the most innings any of the Phillies’ starters had thrown in a season (that were on the opening day roster). That, though, means this has been the shortest offseason for all of these guys as well, and Zack Wheeler was clearly dealing with some type of dead-arm ailment throughout the final month of the season and the playoffs. Have the 3 months off been enough recovery time for the Phillies’ ace? Is the shoulder that ailed him during last year’s spring training still a concern? The Phillies have a great roster, but Wheeler is one of the most important pieces for this team to reach their true potential. 

All of the talk this offseason has been about Rhys Hoskins’ future with the Phillies, considering the 1st baseman is set for a monster pay day when he hits free agency for the first time next winter. Lost in that shuffle, though, is the fact that Aaron Nola is also looking at free agency after this season. He’s hugely important to this rotation, and still one of the most underrated pitchers in all of baseball. He’s homegrown, he’s now had deep playoff experience, and he’s deserving of a contract extension with Philly. If they’re unwilling to give it in season, though, how much does an impending pay day motivate him to have another Cy Young caliber year like he turned in back in 2018?