John Middleton Goes From ‘Stupid Money’ To ‘Stupid Broke’

When hearing the name John Middleton, who is the managing partner and principal owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, the first thought that pops into the minds of most is his famous “stupid money” comment during the 2018 offseason. 

“We’re going into this expecting to spend money … and maybe even be a little bit stupid about it,” Middleton told USA Today Sports.

Middleton made it known to the baseball universe that he wanted to be a Steinbrenner-esque owner. Looking back at that sentiment, Middleton sort of reminds me of myself, a guy that’s in over his head and doesn’t have a clue about anything he’s doing. Let’s quickly review how we got to this point before I dive into the recent acts of Mr. Eugene Krabs.

The “Stupid Money” Era

Middleton was determined to flex his wealth. He initially followed through with his comments in the 2018 offseason by throwing $330 million at the man with the best hair in baseball, OF Bryce Harper. Yes, you heard me right, $330 million. Harper can be found using the majority of this cash to satisfy his Philly Phanatic obsession, which seems to suit him well. 

That’s beside the point though. Trading for SS Jean Segura and Harper’s crush, C J.T. Realmuto, added an additional $92 million of contracts combined between the two players for the Phillies to handle. Middleton also flung a three-year, $50 million contract at OF Andrew McCutchen to come act as a veteran for the young Phillie whippersnappers. The Phillies owner even donated $23 million to a RHP David Robertson, who had a whopping 6.2 innings pitched and a 5.40 ERA over his two-year span in Philly. With over $400 million in new contracts on the books, the first off-season of the “Stupid Money” era would come to a close.

Middleton would continue his spending spree the following offseason in 2019, giving SP Zack Wheeler a five-year, $118 million contract. Another notable acquisition was giving a $14 million one-year deal to SS Didi Gregorious. The Phillies spent $132.85 million total in player signings, handing out a nine-figure contract for the second consecutive year. This marked the end of the “stupid money” era and any happiness that fans in Philadelphia may have found in it.

The “Stupid Broke” Era

After an underachieving two seasons that both ended in missing the playoffs, the fanbase and those covering the franchise expected the Phillies to patch up their weak spots. The back half of their starting rotation certainly needed some help but their bullpen was putrid. With a team ERA over 7.00 and an opponent’s batting average of .317, this bullpen clocked in on a daily basis just to get hit harder than Nate Robinson did when he got knocked out by Jake Paul.

The only addition the Phillies made this entire 2020-2021 offseason has been trading for LHP Jose Alvarado from the Tampa Bay Rays — a pitcher that hasn’t had an ERA under 3.00 since 2018 and only pitched six innings last season due to injury. The lack of moves point to the owner’s desire to save cash. Middleton’s failed attempt to trade Wheeler, arguably his best player, along with penny-pinching his star catcher shows his true intentions as an owner.

The Wheeler And Realmuto Debacle 

ESPN columnist Buster Olney, one of the most connected reporters in MLB, released news on Dec. 6, 2020, that he caught wind of the Phillies trying to trade Wheeler.
“The Philadelphia Phillies have communicated to other teams that they are facing a financial crunch and are open to offers for their second-highest-paid player, starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, sources told ESPN.” Olney stated.

After the best statistical season of his career, the only reason to subtract Wheeler from the shaky Philadelphia rotation would be to extinguish the $96.5 million that he is owed over the next four seasons. 

When Olney asked Middleton on a call to give clarity on the shady situation, Middleton’s response made the baseball universe cringe.

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“If they offered me Babe Ruth, I wouldn’t trade [Wheeler].”

This jawing response only drove spectators of the situation to believe Middleton is trying to keep the situation quiet to avoid further backlash from the fanbase. He seems to be getting an abundance of that for the Realmuto contract dispute already.

Realmuto is looking for a seven-year deal around the $25 million average annual value mark, per Forbes. Since the Phillies were not an advocate of these terms, they let him hit the free-agent market rather than extend him during the season—hoping that the lack of competition in the pandemic-driven market would save them a few million dollars to get their catcher back.

“Anybody that’s the best at their position — hitting and fielding — needs to be signed and that is J.T. Realmuto. I don’t think that should even be a question,” Harper ensued in an interview with NBC Sports. “There’s going to be two teams or three teams in the NL East who are going to go after that guy and if that happens, I mean, that’s going to be tough to swallow for us.”

Ending the Harper-Realmuto love affair could be deadly for the franchise. Realmuto received Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards in 2019 (the last full season of baseball), making the argument for him as the best catcher in baseball very convincing. Losing Realmuto would put the assets Philadelphia traded to get him, which included then-Phillies No. 1 prospect SP Sixto Sánchez, to waste. Additional negatives of the catcher walking could include receiving backlash from the chaotic Philadelphia fan base, being forced to downgrade at the position and the Phillies’ most influential player losing trust in the front office. The possibility of all of this occurring wouldn’t be worth the risk for most, but every penny matters to Middleton.

Cover photo courtesy of Rich Schultz/Getty Images