BOCA RATON, Fla. - The list of ways to acquire talent has dwindled in recent years as teams lock up their star position players to long-term deals earlier in their careers.
Free agency, as new Phillies general manager Matt Klentak has said, is not the best place to invest when looking to acquire surplus value. Drafting effectively on a consistent basis is crucial to sustained success.
But so is funneling talent into your farm system through the international market.
"I think it's critical to any operation," Klentak said on Wednesday, the final full day of the GM meetings.