Philadelphia Phillies Will Get Their Players but Don’t Expect the World Series

The Philadelphia Phillies have just signed free agent closer Jonathan Papelbon to a four-year deal worth $50 million.

This signing proves two things to Phillies “Phans.” It proves that pitchers Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge will not be back with the Phillies in 2012. They will both surely look elsewhere to close. It also proves, once again, the Phillies will get their guys.

At the end of the day, the Phillies will enter spring training in Clearwater, Fla. with five or six star-free agents on board. However, because of recent postseason history, do not expect the Phillies to win the 2010 World Series.

The Phillies won the ’08 World Series and have been improving personnel ever since. They won the World Series in 2008 with just Cole Hamels. They lost the World Series the next year with Hamels and Cliff Lee.

They failed to make it back in 2010 with Hamels, Roy Hallady and Roy Oswalt. Then they were bounced in the NLDS last season with Hamels, Lee, Halladay and Oswalt.

One would think if the Phillies get a fifth ace, they’ll just miss the playoffs altogether.

There is still much work to be done with the Phillies this offseason. Roy Oswalt, Raul Ibanez and Jimmy Rollins are free agents and might not be back in 2012. Raul Ibanez hit 20 home runs and had 84 runs batted in, making him a serviceable option as a designated hitter. Unfortunately for Ibanez, the Phillies are not in the American League.

What you see is what you get with Jimmy Rollins. Outside of his MVP season in 2007, he’s been the same since his rookie year. He wants to come back and if the Phillies cannot get Jose Reyes, they might as well bring back Rollins.

Roy Oswalt went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA and got spanked in the playoffs. Knowing the Phillies, they’ll go for C.J. Wilson first before turning to Oswalt for a reunion.

They’ll get their players and make the playoffs once again in 2012, but don’t expect them to win the World Series until they actually get there. It’s not to say that they will not win the World Series next year, they certainly will contend for it. Baseball fans outside of the cheesesteak capitol of the world just have that “fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me” type mindset with the Phillies.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com