The Phillies entered the 2019 season with lofty expectations, the kind of expectations that come when you spend stupid money. With the additions of J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper, Philadelphia had its sights set on their first playoff run, let alone their first winning season, since 2011.
Blame can be assigned to whoever or whatever you want when analyzing what happened this season. Did the front office not acquire enough pitching, did injuries lead to the team’s downfall, did the manager not hold players accountable? All of those arguments are credible when it comes to assigning blame for what happened in 2019.