Besides the Phillies acquiring setup relievers, the offense received a significant upgrade because general manager Matt Klentak moved a defensive wizard and signed a slugging first baseman to shore up the left-side weakness in the batting order.

Risk versus reward:

While the old baseball ways are disappearing under a sea of numbers, the Philadelphia Phillies took a major step into uncharted waters by hiring an analytically oriented manager. Basically, Klentak is transitioning away from the regular with only a handful of days off over a grueling 162 and incorporating a 13-player system for the best results possible.

IN OTHER WORDS: “Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it’s about deliberately choosing to be different.” – Michael Porter

If you look at a mall directory to get your bearings, the biggest help is the “you are here” indicator. And, hitting-wise, the Phils are at January’s crossroads regarding their roster.

Concerning offensive changes to the active 25 during the offseason, Klentak has primarily replaced Freddy Galvis with Carlos Santana. Defensively, J.P. Crawford allowed the exec the luxury of dealing the shortstop a year before his free agency. On the other hand, the most prominent shortcoming was a left-hand bat with power. Ergo, Santana.

Otherwise, the same players are still with the organization, and no rumors are sprouting up from below the surface either. So, Tommy Joseph and Cameron Rupp will be heading to Clearwater in roughly five weeks.

When it comes to first sackers limited only to that position who have 20-homer pop, many are available. But catchers are in limited supply and receiving is a difficult spot to fill.

With an eye for a bargain, general managers are keenly aware of clubs with an extra player, whether it’s a starting pitcher, an infielder, an outfielder or a catcher. They know Klentak would be better-off with just two backstops, and these decision-makers want to capitalize on the situation.

From the armchair GMs on the Internet, one suggested Maikel Franco, Andrew Knapp, Joseph, and Rupp were swapping possibilities for an unspecified package deal. Well, Franco is getting another summer to rebound with the motivation of playing time until and after Scott Kingery‘s promotion.

Regarding trades, others were either offering too much or relatively nothing for something. One wanted to swap Joseph for a starter atop the free agent list. Of course, the usual suspects showed up too: the “take whatever you can get” fan and the “pay him whatever he wants” guy.