Philadelphia Phillies not doing ‘enough’ to keep free agents – MLB Update
The Philadelphia Phillies, shockingly, crashed out of the postseason as early as the National League Division Series and had nothing much to say in defence. To their misery, they lost to NL Wild Card entrants St. Louis Cardinals, who later went on to win
the Fall Classic against Texas Rangers.
The Phillies dominated the circuit throughout the regular season and were undoubtedly the favourites to win the World Series, or at least the pennant. Nevertheless, unrelenting hard-work by the Cardinals and a bit of complacency by the Phillies led to their
ouster from the postseason, leaving fans and players mum.
Talent was never in shortage at the ballclub and their results throughout the season are a worthy proof of it. Their ouster may be apportioned to Cardinals’ brilliance, but this is an excuse which might not be acceptable to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.
With the free agent market now officially open, the Phillies will vie to keep their stars at home and bid so as to avoid any other lucrative offers that might be in the offing. Amaro is hopeful of keeping free agents Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Madson at the
ballclub; however, a lot will depend on how both parties approach the deal.
Expressing his desire to keep both players at bay, Amaro hinted that the offer might not be that attractive. This, nevertheless, will mean pushing it to the extent where players might ask to leave themselves. To keep players motivated, a monetary incentive
is necessary and Amaro should consider this assertion before making any final offer.
Furthermore, a lot will depend on the duration of the contracts. Both players will want a contract that is valid for at least five-years and there are serious doubts if Amaro has anything of this sort to offer. The most that Amaro might offer will be a three-year
contract, leaving no room for further negotiations.
To make matters worse, Amaro has announced that should Rollins and Madson leave, the club has other options in mind. The general manager added that Cardinals’ Rafael Furcal may prove to be a good replacement for Rollins and that one of the young relievers
from the bull-pen can be asked to close for the Phillies.
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