PHILADELPHIA -- Before the Phillies finalized a three-year, $60 million contract for Carlos Santana late last month, they said they planned to make starting pitching their top priority the remainder of the offseason.
The search continues for that pitcher.
The Phillies are looking, because there are too many uncertainties in the rotation to make the front office and coaching staff comfortable, which is understandable considering they accelerated the timetable for their rebuild by hiring Gabe Kapler and signing Santana. The Phillies have said publicly that they believe their young pitchers will continue to improve. It might happen, too, but it always makes sense to have as much certainty as possible.