Busy Phillies looking to improve at Meetings

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have been relatively busy in the early weeks of the 2016-17 offseason. So much so that they could be quiet at next week’s Winter Meetings in Washington.

They already acquired left fielder Howie Kendrick and relief pitcher Pat Neshek in trades with the Dodgers and Astros, respectively. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson accepted a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer, meaning the Phillies have all the personnel they can accommodate for the rotation. The team pushed the 40-man roster to capacity by adding 11 prospects to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.

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“We still have the ability and go out and make acquisitions to improve our 2017 club,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said recently. “Obviously the complication now is with our roster at 40, each addition is going to require a corresponding reduction on the roster. It makes some of the future moves a little trickier. But we still feel like we have some areas on the Major League club that we can improve for next year, and we’re committed to exploring those options.”

The Phillies are not afraid to make room. They have removed 17 players that held spots on the 40-man at the end of the 2016 season. The group includes Ryan Howard, David Hernandez, Charlie Morton, Elvis Araujo, David Buchanan, Jimmy …

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