Since winning the World Series in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies went on a straight decline that hit all the possible season-ending outcomes: lost World Series, lost NLCS, lost NLDS, missed playoffs, all the way down to earning the top draft pick with nearly 100 losses in 2015. Now, after the team has been gutted of veterans like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and Carlos Ruiz, the team is ready to move forward with a fresh slate. And they've jumpstarted the process in a big way, signing former Cleveland Indians slugger Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal. The former catcher instantly becomes one of the most dangerous threats in the Phillies lineup. In 154 games last season, the first baseman/designated hitter hit .259 with 23 home runs and 79 runs batted in. Comparing that to the Phillies lineup last season, he would've been 2nd in home runs, just one behind Maikel Franco, led the team in RBI's, and had the third highest batting average on the te...
by Billy Sakmann, B.S. Sports Management '17