5 Signs the Philadelphia Phillies Are the New New York Yankees
November 23, 2011 by Alec Snyder
Filed under Fan News
Despite what may be said about the Philadelphia Phillies‘ performance in the postseason the last few seasons, it is difficult to dispute that the Phillies have been one of baseball’s hottest teams over the last five seasons or so. Since they made the playoffs in 2007 for the first time since 1993, they have been to two World Series, winning one in 2008. They’ve proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the National League, if not the entire majors, and they continue to make the necessary moves to remain at the top.
On the other hand, one could argue that the Phillies have become successful primarily because they, behind GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., have brought in a slew of All Star-caliber players through trades and free agency, namely Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Hunter Pence and most recently, Jonathan Papelbon. Although their infield and bullpen have, for the most part, remained intact with farm-raised players, their outfield and starting rotation are almost solely comprised of acquired players.
The Phillies have, in recent years, traded their top prospects for fantastic players. And while it’s helped them maintain a perennially contending team, they have failed to win it all since 2008, when their team mainly consisted of players they drafted.
Because of their recent success due to their high-profile acquisitions, the Phillies have drawn comparisons to the New York Yankees. The Yankees, considered the top American League power, have been able to sign and trade for practically any player they desire throughout their franchise’s history. Since the NL has not had a team like that before, the Phillies have been called “the Yankees of the NL” because of their Yankee-like tendencies—signing top-tier free agents to long-term, lucrative contracts, and trading top prospects for top names available on the trade block.
Whether the Phillies are the new Yankees is a debatable topic—one that I heavily disagree with—but it is a topic worth thinking about, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this slideshow.