Philadelphia Phillies

Holiday wish list: Philadelphia Phillies

Published Dec. 23, 2015 9:42 p.m. ET

foxsports

There's no dancing around it: The Philadelphia Phillies were brutal in 2015.

They're now in full rebuild mode, having traded Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Chase Utley and Ben Revere last season and Ken Giles this offseason.

However, since it's the holidays, let's get a little festive. What is atop the Phillies' wish list this offseason for the 2016 season? Obviously, "winning the World Series" could be on there, just as "a billion dollars" could be on yours. But let's be a little realistic, shall we?

Unload Ryan Howard

Prior to the 2009 season, the Phillies gave Howard a three-year, $54 million extension, buying out his arbitration years. That season, he hit 45 home runs and logged 141 RBI, leading to a five-year, $125 million extension in April of 2010. The 2006 NL MVP never repeated that kind of performance, hitting .245/.321/.452, averaging 22 home runs and 82 RBI from 2010-2015. He's owed $25 million in 2016 with a $10 million buyout at the end of the season (if the team doesn't want to pick up his $23 million option for 2017). That's a ton of money for a team that won't be competing in that time frame. Unloading Howard would free up some money to put toward other long-term acquisitions.

Draft a stud

It's not every year (hopefully) that the Phillies have a first overall pick. It's a unique opportunity to immediately place a top prospect into the system at a relatively small cost. It will be interesting to see whether they go with a fast-track college player or a long-term high school project. Alternatively, the prospect could be traded in later seasons (see: Mark Appel, Dansby Swanson) for a more win-now type of player.

Have some leadership

New GM Matt Klentak will more heavily scrutinized by others -- not for his acquisitions but for his leadership and ability to keep things together in a rebuilding period. Ruben Amaro Jr. made some questionable decisions during his time at the helm of the Philadelphia Phillies. It's not unreasonable for fans to wish for some stronger decision-making and leadership skills -- Klentak should provide those.

Win more than 63 games

The last time the Phillies won just 63 games in a non-strike-shortened season was in 1969. Although the first overall pick in the draft is nice, back-to-back last-place finishes will be unacceptable among Phillies fans. If the team can show improvement, even getting back to its 73-win season from 2014 would be a marked improvement.