Phillies Target Seems Unlikely to Re-Sign With Rangers

usatsi_21762555

There hasn’t been a whole lot done by the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason as they continue to chase a World Series title.

Already on the hook for their highest payroll in team history, they are $5 million away from entering into the second threshold. They’ll be a third-time payor so a 50% tax will be spent on their next $5 million and then 62% on the next $20 million after that, meaning signing a high-priced free agent is going to have expensive ramifications.

Of course, fans don’t care.

Owners are worth tons of money and should do everything in their power to build a contender.

At least that’s the idea.

John Middleton has done that with this iteration of the Phillies.

Signing one of their rumored targets like Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery or others would certainly add to this championship caliber roster.

For a while, it seemed like the left-handed starter Montgomery would re-sign with the Texas Rangers, who he just won a World Series with after being dealt there at the trade deadline.

But MLB Trade Rumors reports there is widespread speculation that the Rangers might be stepping away from those negotiations based on the price tag he’s looking for this offseason.

This will certainly reignite the connections to Philadelphia. The two had already been linked earlier in the winter.

Insiders keep hinting that the Phillies aren’t done trying to add free agents before Spring Training. All signs have indicated they are waiting until the prices of these available players drop.

Maybe it’s a little counterintuitive to link Philadelphia with Montgomery if his asking price does lower, since that means the Rangers would probably regain their interest.

Don’t rule out Middleton giving Dave Dombrowski and the front office the green light to hand out another megadeal either.

Montgomery would be a great addition to the team.

He’s coming off the best year of his career when he posted an ERA of 3.20 over 32 starts with an ERA+ of 138. The 31-year-old also has playoff experience, boosting this veteran unit.

It will certainly be interesting to see if the Phillies view Montgomery as the pitcher they should pay a lot of tax dollars for, but one thing is certain, they’ll continue to be connected with him until he decides his next team.