Although it seems unlikely, Philadelphia Phillies fans are still holding out hope Dave Dombrowski and his front office can make one last major move to upgrade this roster.
After signing super utilityman Whit Merrifield to fill their fourth outfielder role, any remaining addition would likely be to the pitching staff.
Bullpen seems like it still has the most questions, but without elite relievers remaining on the market, the Phillies might not view this as an area of need.
Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still out there. Either one would boost the rotation, giving them top-end talent and necessary depth for the long season.
However, unless their asking price craters, Philadelphia doesn't seem overly interested in signing these two.
Once the upcoming year begins, the next time the Phillies can improve their roster will likely come at the trade deadline.
To get impact players, they'll need a plethora of assets.
Philadelphia was able to recuperate some by trading reliever Kaleb Ort to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations according to their own social media account.
It's not revealed how much cash is being sent to the Phillies, but after claiming Ort off waivers earlier in February, getting anything in return after they designated him for assignment is a win.
Despite some of the questions that persist about Philadelphia's bullpen, the 32-year-old likely wouldn't have factored into their plans much this year as he has a career ERA of 6.26 across 47 games and 51 2/3 innings pitched.
They'll probably let this newfound cash sit until they can use it at the trade deadline, but maybe they add this to a pool set aside to finally land that last major move that's been rumored throughout the winter.
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