Why Aren't Phillies Spending Like Dodgers, Who Have a World Series Formula Down?
For years, Los Angeles has been the standard-bearer when it comes to big league spending. The Dodgers have proven time and again that throwing tens of millions at top players can lead to championships. Meanwhile, Philly's home team is stuck in neutral, despite having more than enough resources to compete with L.A.
Last season, the Dodgers' payroll dwarfed the Phillies', with three other teams combined making up for half the $103 million difference between the two teams. The result? A World Series title that showcased the financial might of the Blue Crew.
The 2026 season looms on the horizon, and with the current CBA set to expire, it's likely we'll see another round of collective bargaining that could potentially lead to a player strike. That just so happens to be the perfect storm for Phillies manager John Middleton to unleash his spending fury.
Middleton has shown no qualms about shelling out nine-figure deals in the past – Harper, Turner, Schwarber, and Nola are just a few examples of big-ticket signings under his watch. Yet when it comes to competing with the Dodgers, he seems content to take things at a more measured pace.
"I want to win," Middleton said recently. "If you win a World Series, does it really matter how much you had to spend? Does anyone know whether the '27 Yankees made money? Did they lose money? Nobody knows. Nobody cares. All anyone remembers is that they were great."
That's easy enough to get behind – but what happens when the dollars start rolling in and the winning starts piling up? The Phillies have a proven track record of making smart, savvy moves, but sometimes it feels like they're playing defense rather than offense.
For instance, Bichette, Tucker, Realmuto, and Suarez are all still out there, waiting for the right team to come along and offer them what they want. Meanwhile, other teams – like the Dodgers – are throwing millions at top free agents in an effort to stay ahead of the curve.
It's not that the Phillies don't have the resources to do the same; it's just a matter of when. The question is, will Middleton be willing to loosen the purse strings enough to bring in some elite talent? Right now, it seems like they're playing it smart – but maybe too smart.
The numbers say one thing: if you want to win, you need to spend big. And yet, despite having more than enough riches at their disposal, Philly's not quite hitting the button on its spending spree just yet.
For years, Los Angeles has been the standard-bearer when it comes to big league spending. The Dodgers have proven time and again that throwing tens of millions at top players can lead to championships. Meanwhile, Philly's home team is stuck in neutral, despite having more than enough resources to compete with L.A.
Last season, the Dodgers' payroll dwarfed the Phillies', with three other teams combined making up for half the $103 million difference between the two teams. The result? A World Series title that showcased the financial might of the Blue Crew.
The 2026 season looms on the horizon, and with the current CBA set to expire, it's likely we'll see another round of collective bargaining that could potentially lead to a player strike. That just so happens to be the perfect storm for Phillies manager John Middleton to unleash his spending fury.
Middleton has shown no qualms about shelling out nine-figure deals in the past – Harper, Turner, Schwarber, and Nola are just a few examples of big-ticket signings under his watch. Yet when it comes to competing with the Dodgers, he seems content to take things at a more measured pace.
"I want to win," Middleton said recently. "If you win a World Series, does it really matter how much you had to spend? Does anyone know whether the '27 Yankees made money? Did they lose money? Nobody knows. Nobody cares. All anyone remembers is that they were great."
That's easy enough to get behind – but what happens when the dollars start rolling in and the winning starts piling up? The Phillies have a proven track record of making smart, savvy moves, but sometimes it feels like they're playing defense rather than offense.
For instance, Bichette, Tucker, Realmuto, and Suarez are all still out there, waiting for the right team to come along and offer them what they want. Meanwhile, other teams – like the Dodgers – are throwing millions at top free agents in an effort to stay ahead of the curve.
It's not that the Phillies don't have the resources to do the same; it's just a matter of when. The question is, will Middleton be willing to loosen the purse strings enough to bring in some elite talent? Right now, it seems like they're playing it smart – but maybe too smart.
The numbers say one thing: if you want to win, you need to spend big. And yet, despite having more than enough riches at their disposal, Philly's not quite hitting the button on its spending spree just yet.
! They're like, "we can play smart and wait for the right players to come along" but it feels like they're just not willing to make a big enough splash to compete with the Dodgers. I mean, Harper, Turner, Schwarber, Nola - those are some serious big-ticket signings. When is Middleton going to break out the checkbook and sign someone like Bichette or Tucker? The numbers don't lie, you need to spend big to win. But instead of matching the Dodgers' spending, they're just playing it safe. And you know what that means... another year without a World Series title 
so i think phillies are being super cautious with their budget 
they dont wanna break the bank and overspend like dodgers do 
but on the other hand, having elite players like Realmuto or Suarez would be game changing 
what if middleton just opens up the wallet a bit more? 
i feel like its all about finding that sweet spot between spending big and making smart moves 
also, what if they try to outmaneuver dodgers in the free agent market instead of matching their offer 
. They're basically playing it safe, hoping that their "smart moves" will magically lead to a World Series title... meanwhile, teams like the Dodgers are just throwing caution to the wind and going all-in 
. But what happened? Nothing significant changed. The other guy who took the risk ended up succeeding.
. It's time for them to stop playing defense and start taking risks!
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. They have all the resources to make some huge moves and attract top talent, but Middleton seems kinda chill about it 
. Like, Harper, Turner, Schwarber, and Nola are all great signings, but if they wanna be a real contender, they gotta start throwing around that $103 million 
️. It's just frustrating seeing the Phillies sit back while other teams like L.A. get all the attention for being aggressive in their spending 
. Come on Philly, step up your game! 
. Maybe they can find those guys without breaking the bank 
maybe john middleton is trying to be smart about it all, but at the end of the day, if you wanna win a world series, you gotta shell out some serious cash 
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. It's like Middleton is playing a game of poker, but he's folding all the time 
. Maybe they'll make some bold moves in the offseason and shake things up 
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. He's got the means, but what's driving him? Is it just about winning or is there something more to it? I've seen teams like the Dodgers thrive when they're willing to break the bank, and the Phillies have a proven track record of making smart moves... but now it feels like they're stuck in neutral 
. They need to take some calculated risks if they want to compete with the best of them. All this talk about "winning" and "resource allocation"... what's really at play here? Is Middleton afraid of blowing his budget or is he genuinely unsure how to spend it? 
. Would love to see some elite talent come in and shake things up around Citizens Bank Park 
. If they want to catch up with LA, they need to be willing to splurge on their own superstars. Middleton says winning is what matters, but what happens when the money rolls in and so do the wins?