MLB Hot Stove: What Exactly is the Phillies' Plan?

Every Major League Baseball offseason is filled with rumors, and it's important to decipher which ones to put stock into and which ones to not. That being said, Philadelphia Phillies fans are desperate for a move as two NL East teams have already capitalized on the hot market to improve ahead of the potential lockout. 

The Miami Marlins signed outfielder Avisail Garcia to a four-year deal, and rival New York Mets have surprised the league by adding three bats in Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha, and being most recently been linked to ace Max Scherzer, reportedly with a multiyear, $40 million per season offer on the table.

So, what are the Phillies doing? When will President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and the Philadelphia front office make a move as their division rivals improve? But according to most national baseball writers, today is expected to be crazy in terms of moves, since Dec. 1 is seen as an unofficial deadline.

Just this morning, the Phillies have been linked to big names such as Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber. MLB Network broadcaster Jon Morosi claimed that the Phillies are among the teams "linked to Bryant in the last several days," and "have had recent contact with reps for free agent Nick Castellanos. Of note, Dave Dombrowski was Tigers President/GM when Castellanos was Detroit’s top pick in 2010."

Schwarber has a large market, and according to MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman, the Marlins, Boston Red Sox, and Colorado Rockies are all in on Schwarber in addition to Philadelphia. However, the Phillies do have an enticing connection through Schwarber's old hitting coach Kevin Long to offer, so it's possible something like that could sway him.

Heyman also linked Chris Taylor to the Phillies, claiming that the Washington Nationals, Marlins, and others are interested in the free agent outfielder, after he declined the Los Angeles Dodgers' qualifying offer.

As Phillies Nation Editorial Director Tim Kelly noted, Taylor and Castellanos both declined their former team's qualifying offers, meaning that the Phillies would have to surrender their second-round pick in 2022 and $500,000 of international signing bonus pool money to sign either of them.

It is believed that Dombrowski and the Phillies are doing all of this waiting around because they have a plan in place. It is still incredibly early in the offseason, but since free agents are flying off the board left and right, it's easy to grow impatient. It's not merely enough to have the team linked to players in rumors, they need to get a deal done. Let's hope the Phillies make a splash ahead of the likely lockout. Stay tuned.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

• Four Fringe Players Phillies Could Sign to Fill the Gaps
• Phillies Considered "Sleeper" for Star Shortstop
• Should the Phillies Make This Huge Trade Splash?

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