Dodgers Signing Blake Snell Now Inserts Philadelphia Phillies Into Arms Race

After the Los Angeles Dodgers went out and landed Blake Snell, the Philadelphia Phillies need to make splash signings of their own if they are going to compete.

Apr 15, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski watches batting practice before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Coming out of Thanksgiving, the Philadelphia Phillies know they have some work to do this winter.

No panic button should be getting pressed right now with star players still on the market, but it's clear they are going to need to make a major splash if they are going to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers next season and throughout the decade.

The Phillies have been entered into an arms race whether they like it or not.

That comes as a result of the Dodgers handing Blake Snell a five-year, $182 million deal that now gives them one of the best rotations in baseball with Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and some of the brightest young arms in the game.

Philadelphia is on the back foot here.

Their last megadeal addition of Trea Turner hasn't lived up to the hype, and while Bryce Harper continues to be special, the aging stars on the roster have started to decline while the young pieces haven't quite taken that next step.

It's a tough situation to be in.

The Phillies, and likely every other team around the sport, know this front office has to do something drastic after two straight playoff appearances ended in disappointment based on shockingly poor performances from the lineup.

That's one of the reasons why they have been linked to multiple high-profile free agents this offseason.

Juan Soto would certainly give Philadelphia a weapon that could compete with what Los Angeles has stockpiled, but right now, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of interest from Dave Dombrowski and his front office to bring in the superstar.

Alec Bohm is the focus of trade discussions right now, something that could bring in players at positions of need while opening up a spot for the Phillies to go after someone like Alex Bregman, who would be a huge boost to their lineup.

Then, the looming possibility of a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox that would ideally bring in Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. to solidify their starting rotation and upgrade the outfield is something that seemingly is on the horizon.

Philadelphia has options.

And considering how far away their roster seems compared to what the Dodgers will field going forward, they need about as many choices as they can get.

The Phillies were quiet last winter, thinking they were just a few bad at-bats away from back-to-back World Series appearances, but after their showing in the NLDS this past season, it's clear that's not the case.

If Philadelphia is going to win a championship with this current group, the front office has to start adding weapons of their own to enter this arms race.