Klentak excited for Phils’ future amid rebuild

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have a little more than two weeks to play in the 2016 season and perhaps nobody is more excited than general manger Matt Klentak, who will try to advance the organization’s rebuild in the coming months.

The Phillies already can say they won more games this season (65) than last season (63), but where do they truly stand? The starting pitching has shown positive signs, but they also lost Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin to season-ending injuries. The offense remains the worst in Major League Baseball, ranking last in on-base percentage (.296) and runs per game (3.66) entering Thursday. Top prospects J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams did not perform as well as some had hoped in Triple-A, dampening preseason expectations they could be everyday contributors by early next season.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he would love to add a professional hitter or two. Martin Prado and Ian Desmond are on some folks’ wish lists. But if Klentak agrees with his manager, he did not tip his hand before Thursday’s series finale against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park.

“Organizationally that is something we’re really going to need to focus on, not only for this season but for the foreseeable future,” Klentak said about the team’s low on-base percentage. “In the same way that we talk about controlling the strike zone on the mound, we need to do so in the batter’s box as well. Improvement in that area is going to be critical for us, and whether that comes in the form of promotions from the Minor Leagues, in the form of trades, or in the form of free agents, I think we’re going to have to consider all of that in order to make our team better. Adding veterans to a rather young club, I think that more often than not that’s going to be a good idea.”

The Phillies have just …

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