It’s late February, the weather finally looks like it’s starting to turn the corner, and Phillies baseball is back. 

After an extremely disappointing postseason exit in the NLDS, questions were raised in the air about what the team could do in the offseason. What moves did the team make? Will it be sufficient to get them back to the World Series and finally capture the championship with this core?

Is Max Kepler going to be the everyday starter in LF?

In late December, Kepler signed a one-year contract worth $10 million. 

This is different for Kepler, who before signing with the Phillies, spent his entire career with the Minnesota Twins.

For a few days last month, Kepler worked with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long to work on his swing. 

“It felt good,” Kepler said. “I think, with more repetition, the ball will get bigger. Just having good quality at-bats is the key to the whole progression of things.” (Via MLB). 

Kepler can easily be a 20-home run player, as he has already been three times in his career, one being just two seasons ago. His best season consisted of 36 home runs, and 90 RBIs as he hit for .252, which he believes he can recreate again. 

Last season, Kepler’s home run numbers were down as he only hit eight, and batted .253 with an OPS of .302. 

The Phillies believe he can be the everyday starter in left field this upcoming season. 

Jordan Romano bolsters the bullpen 

After the bullpen crumbled in the playoffs, the Phillies looked to add someone they believe can bounce back to his old form. 

Like Kepler, Romano also signed a cheap one-year deal with the Phillies for $8.5 million. 

Last year, Romano struggled heavily with injuries, as he only got to pitch a total of 13 innings and appeared in 15 games. 

Ultimately, Romano had to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow which took him out for the rest of the season. 

Before the injury-riddled season, Romano was one of the best closers in the major leagues. In 2023 and 2022, he was named an all-star, and in both years he had a 2.11 and 2.90 ERA with 64 and 59 innings pitched. 

Romano is one of the names that look to be the Phillies bonafide closer this season.

Lefty Jesus Luzardo 

Not only did the Phillies continue to bolster the bullpen, but they also continued to strengthen their rotation. 

All things considered, the Phillies can be looked at as having one of the best rotations in the league with Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Sanchez, and now Luzardo, as well as the potential to add Andrew Painter further down the line. 

The Phillies acquired Luzardo in a trade with the Marlins that sent their No. 4 prospect shortstop Starlyn Caba, and outfielder Emaarion Boyd, their No. 23 prospect. 

In June of last year, Luzardo was scratched on his June 22nd start due to a season-ending lumbar stress reaction. 

However, similar to Romano, 2022 and 2023 were some of Luzardo’s best years in the majors. 

In those two years, Luzardo had a 3.32 and 3.58 ERA with 100 and 178.2 innings pitched in those years. In the 2023 season, Luzardo finished 12th in the league with the most strikeouts at 208.

The Phillies’ window for winning it all is closing now more than ever. Even with the little moves that the team made, they are still very well-favored to bring the World Series back home. 

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