The Marsh of Time

A poet once wrote, “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these: ‘it might have been!’”. As a baseball enthusiast I would quibble — “needs Tommy John” seems like a stronger candidate — but the general sentiment remains. At all times, but especially after the trade deadline, we think about what our teams could have done, and what they could have been, if they had only made this move or not made that one. And as we think nervously or excitedly about the potential outcomes of the deals that have just been made, we turn our thoughts to the deals that came in deadlines past.

Though the general unhappiness about the Phillies’ recent struggles up and down the lineup have obscured it…