When you’re a rebuilding team, it’s not unusual to end a season with more questions than answers. As a team slogs through a bunch of losing seasons in an effort to develop players and break in new managers and/or coaches, they must learn who is good, who isn’t, and who might develop into something that can be counted on when the team is finally ready to compete for the playoffs.
The Phils improved one game over last year. An 81-81 record is not what the framers of the team envisioned when they signed Bryce Harper, David Robertson and Andrew McCutchen to big free agent contracts and traded for Jean Segura and J.