While the Phillies faithful imagine an ace to head the rotation and start on Opening Day, general manager Matt Klentak is working the phone with his contemporaries and mentioning the talent on his roster of possible interest.

Spitballing:

During the offseason, the front office of the Philadelphia Phillies identifies players on other clubs they could envision in red pinstripes. However, getting to that point requires being familiar with the talent of all 29 other organizations.

IN OTHER WORDS: “I sometimes compare my brainstorming on paper to the drilling of oil wells. The only way to strike oil is to drill a lot of wells.” – Tom Monaghan

Considering franchises with available rotation arms, Klentak looked firstly to rebuilding teams or those headed in that direction. His most significant need is a left-handed starter in his late 20s with three years of cost certainty.

Since winning the American League pennant in 2014 and the 2015 World Series, the Kansas City Royals have dropped in the standings and are on a downward trajectory. Sound familiar? The roar of the crowd and the exhilaration of victory are in the rearview mirror, and restructuring is dead ahead.

Because of parity, Kansas City had their day in the sunshine, but baseball has made it difficult for any organization to sustain championship-caliber play. For instance, the MLB Draft is in reverse order of finish, the luxury tax discourages excessive spending, and the playoffs can stop any club.

Basically, teams grow old and drop in the standings by design. Or stars become free agents and too expensive. Eventually, rebuilding becomes the only remaining option.

In 2016, the Royals had finished 81-81 and last summer they were 80-82. But four of their everyday eight are free agents. The main three are the first baseman Eric Hosmer, third sacker Mike Moustakas, and center fielder Lorenzo Cain.

On a Royals site, some posters concluded the club with all of their regulars still isn’t a contender. And re-signing Moustakas and Cain will not change anything. However, Kansas City wants Hosmer to re-up.

Notice the difference between the fans mentioning two players, but the franchise’s primary interest is Hosmer, the youngest of the three. Have these supporters given up on Hosmer returning or are they hoping he will?