How the Phillies Used ‘Stupid Money’ to Rebuild Their Roster
In the end, the Phillies are the most successful team not named the New York Yankees. They went from 98 losses to the 2005 World Series to making the playoffs four consecutive years. So you would expect that they would continue to do that. But the last move that changed the team was one that no one thought could work out.
What they did was sign Cliff Lee and bring him on board to help them compete next season. The decision to make Lee their number one starter, instead of Joe Blanton or Roy Halladay, was something that was considered insane.
But the result of the move was the most successful season a Phillies franchise has ever had. For that reason, they deserve this spot on our list of the dumbest baseball moves of the past decade.
10. The Free Agents That The Phillies Never Traded
If you ever need a good example of why trades are a bad idea, look no further than the Phillies. When the team was searching for a replacement for the injured Chase Utley, they reached out to Cliff Lee, who is just a great pitcher.
That is what you do when you have a guy like Cliff Lee. You try to trade him, but he would not go. After the trade went through, and Lee signed with the Phillies, we expected that all the Phillies would use this move to build their rebuild. They just didn’t need to.
So instead, they gave Lee six years of contract and a bonus of six million dollars.
They didn’t give him a contract like someone with no money. They gave him cash.
Instead of using the money to rebuild a team, they used it to keep the team from rebuilding. Instead of signing a top free agent, they traded for a guy like Shane Victorino.
If you ever need a good example of how stupid money is, look no further than the Phillies.
9. The Signing of Mike Adams Jr to a Contract That He Couldn’t Afford
Adams has a Hall of Fame case, but he is not a star player. He would have never become a star when he was a rookie because he plays on a team that has little talent.
Mike Adams Jr.
It was a horrible move to trade for a guy like him. He was supposed to be the team’s best player,
