It certainly will be an interesting test case. There was luck involved in that Midas touch to some extent, but at root, I think much of this is down to the quality of the baseball people (GM, scouting director and scouts, MLB scout, analytical people, MLB manager and coaches, minor league managers, coaches and roving instructors, and the medical and training staffs). We should be able to pay a top-5 organization of baseball people top to bottom across the organization. I think the Phillies greatest problem over the past decade is that our baseball people are far from top-5 level. From the draft, to international, to FA signings, to the erratic progression of minor leaguers, to the regression of major leaguers, to the injuries -- it just seems that our baseball people have not been up to snuff. Looking back, Wade and his crew were under-rated, although either Wade or the ownership, lacked the ability to make the mid-season deals to push the team over the top. Also, in eretrospect, Gillick and RAJ were plus win-now guys who handled the MLB-level well, but let the larger organization atrophy.. Has Klentak demonstrated that he/his organization can do anything particularly well? Recent first-round selections have improved, international has not, mixed at best on trades and FA signings, lots and lots of churn among the baseball people.
