The Philadelphia Phillies will take the field Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park against the defending National League East Champion Atlanta Braves. But after one of the most successful on-paper offseasons in baseball history, there will be significantly more pressure on the Phillies than the Braves in 2019.
Of course, the Phillies added Bryce Harper earlier this month on a 13-year/$330 million contract. Adding the face of the sport is enough to put a national spotlight on you. But in waiting out Harper – and his agent, Scott Boras – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak didn’t sit on his hands.