I would also suggest this is where Middleton's impatience and love of shiny objects interfere. The Rays win with a $70 million payroll because they mold, sign, develop and uncover players who work for their system. We - Klentak included obviously - didn't seem to consider any other approach besides signing or trading for All-Stars. I guess we'll get to see the other method next year if they really cut payroll!
But we still haven't seen the Phillies' attempts to do things like Tampa or LA or Houston does (multi-position players, unorthodox bullpen utilization, not always emphasizing talented defenders, overhauling starting pitcher approaches) pay off. Quite the opposite really, as moving Hoskins, trying to change Eflin (plus believing they had unlocked Pivetta) and, at this point, Kingery, are three of the biggest failures of Klentak's tenure.