The team was looking for a starter. Their pitching staff wasn’t working out too well and they knew they had some openings in the rotation.
They also knew that it couldn’t be just a pitcher, one that ate innings and was league average across the board. No, they needed a pitcher to front a rotation, to start a postseason series, to be the one that ends losing streaks.
They needed an ace.
Luckily for the Phillies, there was one available for the taking that offseason. Gerrit Cole reached free agency as the premier target among starting pitchers.