One cannot say the Phillies do not spend money. Over the last few years, owner John Middleton has shown a willingness to open the wallet and dole out big money to free agents to come play in Philadelphia. It has been that willingness to spend that has opened this current World Series window for the Phils, and that willingness will likely prop that window open for the foreseeable future.
A frustrating aspect of the Phillies, however, has been their perceived lack of interest in signing Japanese players. At no point over the last 20 years have they displayed a true desire to get involved in the higher-end imports from the Far East, despite the success of players like Ichiro, Ohtani and others.