Those annoying dinging sounds that you hear are the push alerts from John Middleton’s online banking apps. Two more transactions have gone through. Taijuan Walker, Matt Strahm ... welcome to the club, and stay tuned.
It’s been a whirlwind few days. The Phillies have added a superstar shortstop, a sturdy but uncertain No. 4 starter, and a potential late-innings reliever. They’ve done all this for a combined $53 million in 2022 payroll space. That doesn’t matter to a lot of people, but economics often don’t until you feel their effects firsthand. Really, price is the only way to evaluate a deal. The only world where it does not matter is one where the Phillies can spend infinite dollars and will end up with their top choice at every position. Granted, they might be closer to that than we think. But let’s look for some context anyway.
The Walker move is obviously the big one between the two pitchers. Heading into the offseason, the Phillies knew that they had the need and the ability to spend significant money on one starter. They also knew that the top of the market was not going to be a wise investment. Given the construction of their current roster and payroll, the Phillies’ best approach was to look for a guy who would consistently keep them in position to win games in which they scored four-plus runs. A typical middle-rotation guy.
