If the Phillies are going to make a leap in 2018, two things must happen: Improvements by young position players and the addition of at least one impact arm in the rotation.
Thanks to promising bats like Rhys Hoskins, J.P. Crawford, Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez and Nick Williams, there's a good chance the Phillies will hit enough to be competitive this coming season. Add in Carlos Santana, a potential bounceback from Maikel Franco and the arrival of second base prospect Scott Kingery and the picture of a good offensive team could emerge.
As for the pitching? Let's call that a work in progress that could be altered at any moment by a surprise trade or free-agent signing.
One possibility: Landing Jake Arrieta off the open market. Williams, a toolsy outfielder that showed flashes last season during a summer cameo in the Phillies outfield, has been working out with Arrieta in Texas.
According to the left-handed hitting slugger, Arrieta has a favorable outlook on Philadelphia.
"I don't even need to recruit him," Williams said, per Philly.com. "He loves this place. He said, 'I like working with young guys.'"
If Arrieta's price tag falls, the Phillies would probably love to add a starter that's been one of baseball's best for years. Since the start of 2014, Arrieta has been one of the best starters in baseball. In that span, the ex-Cubs ace owns a 2.67 ERA and 3.04 FIP.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.