During the first half of 2017, promotion speculation began in mid-April because the first baseman and the catcher of the Philadelphia Phillies struggled offensively.

Rebuilding Reflections:

When you take a difficult path, you should expect depressing lows, exhilarating highs and a calm between extremes.

After the 1965 campaign, baseball instituted the draft and awarded the top picks to losing organizations. And several clubs built winning squads because of a handful of those selections with one leading to the 1980 Phillies. Unlike today, however, the front office didn’t have a structured plan, and luck played a bigger part in management’s success.

On the 25-man roster of the ’80 Phils, three core members arrived through the pipeline, and the ace came via a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. They had their first full campaigns between 1970 and 1973 because basically no one was blocking them. So, the key ingredients began suiting up during that three-year period.

Prior to the championship of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, the higher-ups had added free agents to some talented players, before their cornerstones completely advanced to the majors. But the effort came up short, and the general manager was the scapegoat when the red pinstripes only finished in second place and were just shy of 90 victories. That stated, fans demanded a new exec for 2006 to put on the finishing touches and sit atop the NL East.

For these Phillies, two had to split time with veterans during their first complete 162. And when you examine the timeline, the promotions for the homegrown stars to considerable playing time went from 2001 to 2006. The starting-limited stars were regulars the following summer due to a swap and an injury respectively. Moreover, the important final piece, the number one, arrived in ’06 and needed a few seasons to shine in ’08.

During the last few campaigns, terms like tanking have a connection to rebuilding franchises because they deal away their high-priced regulars for multiple prospects. Depending, of course, on the available player – like a Cole Hamels – they can receive one or two blue-chippers. But front offices have no guarantee they’ll be stars or the secondary talent will be a pleasant surprise. No way to know.