Since winning the World Series in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies went on a straight decline that hit all the possible season-ending outcomes: lost World Series, lost NLCS, lost NLDS, missed playoffs, all the way down to earning the top draft pick with nearly 100 losses in 2015.





Now, after the team has been gutted of veterans like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and Carlos Ruiz, the team is ready to move forward with a fresh slate. And they've jumpstarted the process in a big way, signing former Cleveland Indians slugger Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal.





The former catcher instantly becomes one of the most dangerous threats in the Phillies lineup. In 154 games last season, the first baseman/designated hitter hit .259 with 23 home runs and 79 runs batted in.





Comparing that to the Phillies lineup last season, he would've been 2nd in home runs, just one behind Maikel Franco, led the team in RBI's, and had the third highest batting average on the team among qualified hitters.





Simply put: Santana instantly becomes the best or second best hitter on the Phillies. And since they didn't give up any players to get him, they only become as a team.





With no DH in the National League, Santana should be Philadelphia's everyday first baseman, replacing Rhys Hoskins who was pretty darn good in his first 50 career games (.259, 18 home runs, 48 RBI). The signing will shift Hoskins into the outfield in 2017.





The rise of Rhys Hoskins, who hit home runs at a 54 per year rate over 50 games, will also help the Phillies climb back into contention (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

With Hoskins, Santana, and Franco, the Phillies have three dangerous hitters that can smack it out of the park as well as get on base. Throw in Odubel Herrera, a contact outfielder, and 22 year old shortstop J.P. Crawford, and the Phillies offense might be the best its been in years.





The Phillies will be further bolstered in 2018 by added pitching depth: so far they've added Pat Neshek and Tommy Hunter.



On paper, the Phillies are already trending upwards and should be able to climb out of the NL East cellar this year. It's not unrealistic to think they'll finish better than the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves in 2018, and the New York Mets could go either way. The Phillies could finish anywhere from 4th to 2nd in the NL East.





Signing Santana won't propel the Phillies immediately to the postseason, but it's a good step moving forward. Ideally, I think Philadelphia could make the playoffs in 2019 or 2020 for the first time since 2011.







