Hi, Phillies blogger/fan Alec Kostival here. I know this may seem a little informal than usual, but it felt like the best route in discussing the big bad luxury tax.
Let me throw some background information at you first. So far in the offseason, the Phillies have added about $38 million in taxable payroll. While the signings of Zack Wheeler ($23.6 mill AAV), Didi Gregorius ($14 mill), and Josh Harrison ( probably league minimum about 1/2 mill) have all been solid pickups, the Phillies cannot wrap up their offseason now.
After those signings, the Phillies are sitting around $205 million for payroll.