"Bryce Harper's head would pop off" - Phillies insider refutes claims of a transition year in Philadelphia amid silence in offseason moves
An interesting development (or lack thereof) has been occurring with the Philadelphia Phillies. Apart from the signing of closer Jordan Romano, the front office has been eerily quiet this offseason.
In The Phillies Show podcast hosted by Todd Zolecki featuring MLB insider Jim Salisbury and former Philly general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., the trio discussed the lack of moves from the front office and how a transition year would affect star man Bryce Harper.
"Bryce Harper's head would pop off," said Salisbury. (23:35-23:37)
"You don't have transition years when you have a $300 million payroll. They want to win a trophy. They have to play well at the right time—they haven't shown that (23:30)
The triumvirate expressed their concern that the team hasn't delivered in their postseason plays. Amaro added that Philadelphia could still be seen as a top-5 team in the league despite its shortcomings.
"It's not a transitional year. They're trying to win trophies. They will do what they have to do within their budget. The Phillies have a really good team. This is still a Top 5 team in baseball as far as overall talent," Amaro said. (22:35)
Last season, Philadelphia finished with the second-best record in all of the majors, with a 95-67 tally. It claimed the NL East and was only eclipsed by the 98-win Los Angeles Dodgers, which gave the Phillies an automatic spot in the NLDS.
However, they were stunned by NL East rival New York Mets in the Division Series, losing in five games. They were outscored by the Metropolitans 23-12 in the divisional round.
Phillies sign closer Jordan Romano
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired the services of closer Jordan Romano who last played for the Toronto Blue Jays. The contract is a one-year deal worth $8.5 million.
Romano is a two-time All-Star and holds a 2.90 ERA with 105 saves. His best year came in the 2022 season, where he posted a 5-4 record with 36 saves and a 2.11 ERA.
He was primarily injured during the course of the 2024 season, which led to him appearing in 15 games and making eight saves. He also suffered his worst MLB season since his rookie year after posting a -0.3 bWAR and a 6.59 ERA.