First to Worst: The Phillies’ Free Fall And How It Could Have Been Avoided

Imagine the frustration of Philadelphia Phillies fans who tuned in the fifth and deciding game of the 2015 American League Division Series between Texas and Toronto.

Lifting a bat in the Texas lineup was slugger Adrian Beltre. Toeing the rubber for the Rangers was ace hurler Cole Hamels. It was a painful reminder of what might have been, since but for a missed opportunity Beltre and Hamels would have been teammates on a Phillies’ juggernaut enjoying one of the two great runs in team history.

Just weeks after losing to the Yankees in the 2009 World Series, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledged he was targeting Beltre after declining the option on the contract of resident third basemen Pedro Feliz. Beltre was an upgrade over Feliz in every way, and while his 2009 season had been rough – he posted career lows to that point in every offensive category – his problems at the plate could be attributed to shoulder surgery that June. Beltre seemed poised for a bounce-back season and was a good fit for a Phillies’ squad built to win in the short term.

An online poll in November 2009 revealed 68 percent of Phillies fans believed signing Beltre to be the right move. Two weeks later it was reported that Amaro was shopping for someone to handle the hot corner and wanted Beltre. The holdup was that Beltre’s agent, Scott Boras, was said to be seeking a four-year deal for his 30-year-old free agent slugger.

The Phils balked and instead signed Placido Polanco, who would miss 70 games over the next two seasons. Beltre signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox and proceeded to bat .321 with 28 homers, 102 RBIs and career-best 49 doubles. It was enough to earn him the first of four All-Star honors and second of four Silver Slugger Awards.

Imagine Beltre’s impact on a Phillies’ lineup that included Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, et al.  Beltre would have joined Werth in providing much-needed right-handed power to complement the portside pop of Howard, Utley and Ibanez.

A Gold Glove winner, Beltre’s defense at third would have solidified an infield that already boasted three of the franchise’s all-time top players in first baseman Howard, second baseman Utley and shortstop Rollins.

Following his comeback campaign in 2010 Beltre signed with Texas for five years and $80 million. Beginning in 2011, his numbers read .293/32/105; .321/36/102; .315/30/92; 324/19/77; .287/18/83. During those years Beltre became the most valuable third baseman outside of Detroit superstar Miguel Cabrera.

Had Beltre been posting similar numbers in Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, Phillies fans would likely have celebrated another parade on Broad Street.

Dynasties are built as much on moves clubs don’t make as they are on moves made. The Beltre non-signing was the move the Phils’ brass didn’t make that they should have. Compounding their problem was the move Amaro did make at that time that he shouldn’t have – dealing Cliff Lee.

Lee in the fall of 2009 was one of the most valuable hurlers in the game. He was the winning pitcher in the only two games the Phillies beat the Yankees in the Fall Classic and was just one year removed from his 22-3 Cy Young season with Cleveland in 2008.

Lee was 4-0 in the postseason for the Phils in 2009, surrendered just 7 earned runs in 40.1 innings and owned a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 33-6 while compiling a 1.56 ERA. He had posted one of the great postseason performances and would run his playoff record to 7-0.

Unfortunately for the Phillies and their fans, Lee wouldn’t produce that mark in red pinstripes. In what many saw as a panic move, Amaro dealt Lee to Seattle on the same December day he acquired Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

The Phillies had pursued Halladay at the 2009 trade deadline and could have made a trade with Toronto that would have allowed them to keep Lee to form a formidable 1-2 Cy Young punch at the top of the rotation with 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels their No. 3 starter.

Amaro said then that the Phils didn’t keep Lee because he felt the lefty ace wanted to test the free-agent market the following winter and the Phils couldn’t afford to lose him for nothing. The statement stunned Lee, who was negotiating with the Phils when the deal went down.

Rather than a 2010 rotation fronted by Halladay, Lee and Hamels the Phils went with Halladay, Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick. They won 97 games but likely would have set a franchise record for victories in 2010 with Lee, who instead hurled Texas to the World Series.

The franchise mark for victories came in 2011 but only after Amaro showered Lee with a $120 million contract. The Phillies finally had their Four Aces and they set a franchise record with 102 wins. They lost to the Cardinals in the fifth and deciding game of the NLDS, but the outcome might have been different had Beltre been in their lineup.

Put Lee and Beltre on the 2010-11 Phillies and there’s a chance they become the first NL squad since 1942-44 St. Louis to win three straight pennant. And with Lee and Beltre on board perhaps Amaro and Co. pull the trigger on signing free agent All-Star Michael Cuddyer, as they showed interest in doing. The 33-year old Cuddyer wouldn’t have made the Phils any younger but he would have provided them another offensive force in CBP.

Instead, the domino effect of missing out on Lee and Beltre in 2010 caused the Phils to regress every year. They lost the LCS in 2010, the LDS in 2011, finished .500 in 2012 and went from owning baseball’s best record in 2011 to its worst in 2015.

Still, the Phillies’ free fall could have been avoided. Just imagine the 2010-11 Phillies with Beltre and Lee, and the 2012 team with Cuddyer joining Lee and Beltre in red pinstripes.

Imagine. As John Lennon said once, it’s easy if you try.