The Philadelphia Phillies have a payroll bordering on the obscene: They owe tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed contracts to players who are unlikely to ever live up to them, have a rapidly aging roster and a rabid fanbase thirsty for another parade.
With all that going on—and a front office determined to continue filling seats at Citizens Bank Park—will the Phillies be able to significantly overhaul their roster while not missing a beat on the field?
The odds say no, but if the events of the 2012 baseball season are any indication, nothing is impossible. Would anyone have believed the Red Sox could have moved as much payroll as they did?
In this piece, I will examine a few outside-the-box trade ideas that will probably never occur, but that could dramatically reshape the Phillies’ roster for years to come.