The circus has rolled into Clearwater, Florida.

As the Philadelphia Phillies begin spring training, the focus is currently on anything but what will be a dismal season on the field. Instead, after an offseason that was spent laying the ground work for a long rebuilding effort, the team is dealing with leftover cargo.

After moving shortstop Jimmy Rollins and outfielder Marlon Byrd in December trades, the Phillies couldn't unload veterans like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon—despite publicly talking about the desire to turn the page since last season ended.

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On the first day of camp, fallout commenced in the form of Hamel's not-so-subtle trade request through the pen of USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Cole Hamels opens up: He has loved his time with #Phillies but now is ready for a trade, badly wanting to win again. http://t.co/kIHTdON3SB — Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 18, 2015

"I just want to win,'' Hamels said. "That's all. That's all any competitor wants. And I know it's not going to happen here. This isn't what I expected. It's not what the Phillies expected, either. But it's reality.''

Watch the video above for my thoughts on the circus the Phillies created for themselves and how this spring training will be awkward for an organization caught between the past and future.

Leave your thoughts below in the comments section!

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.