CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Phillies camp has been quieter this spring. A year ago, they pursued Bryce Harper throughout February. He joined them in March, creating excitement not seen since Cliff Lee joined Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt in the rotation in 2011.

But Harper alone could not lead the Phils back to the postseason in 2019. They finished fourth in the National League East with an 81-81 record.

They made some changes because they are past the point of claiming a rebuild. Philadelphia dismissed manager Gabe Kapler, hitting coach John Mallee and pitching coach Chris Young. The organization replaced them with new skipper Joe Girardi, hitting coach Joe Dillon and pitching coach Bryan Price. The Phillies made a couple of offseason moves, but they mostly will be entering the 2020 season needing their existing core to play better.

What’s the goal?
It is postseason or bust for the Phillies. They will have one of the highest payrolls in baseball and the highest payroll in franchise history, and with a record-setting payroll comes expectations -- even for a team that finished fourth in the division.

The Phillies are projected to finish fourth once again in a division that claims the reigning World Series champions (Nationals), the defending division champions (Braves) and one of the best rotations in baseball (Mets). But it does not mean the Phils are without a path to the postseason. They have talent up and down the roster. They just need a few things to break their way.

How do they get there?
The Phillies made only two significant offseason acquisitions: right-hander Zack Wheeler and shortstop Didi Gregorius. From the outside, it does not look like enough to push them past the Nationals, Braves or Mets. But J.T. Realmuto expressed an internal reason for optimism in January, when he said, “I feel like a sneaky way the Phillies have helped us this offseason is the coaches they've brought in. The manager they brought in. I feel like we have a lot of experience to work with now. I think it'll help us a lot behind the scenes.”

Phillies pitchers are excited to work with Girardi and Price. Can a manager and a pitching coach really make that much of a difference? It can't hurt. If they can squeeze a little more out of this pitching staff, they stand a better chance of competing in the division. And if Andrew McCutchen returns to form sometime in April, the Phillies should have enough firepower, too.

What could go wrong?
Even though the pitchers and catchers are excited about Girardi and Price, there are plenty of questions surrounding the pitching staff. Can Jake Arrieta return to form after pitching with injuries the past two seasons? Can Zach Eflin and either Nick Pivetta or Vince Velasquez pitch well enough in the No. 4 and 5 spots?

The Phillies' bullpen is a mixed bag. Everything is better if Seranthony Domínguez bounces back following a season-ending right elbow injury. But Tommy Hunter is expected to open the season on the injured list. Vìctor Arano could open on the IL, too. The Phillies brought a bunch of veterans to camp as non-roster invitees. They hope to hit on more than one.

Still, that's a lot of questions about the pitching.

If McCutchen takes longer than expected to return, or if he returns and is not as effective as he was the first two months of last season, it would hurt. He really made the offense go before he tore the ACL in his left knee in June. If Rhys Hoskins does not rebound from a rough second half, it would be a drag on the middle of the lineup. Jean Segura needs to hit better, too.

Who might surprise?
Let’s go back to the bottom of the rotation with Eflin and whoever wins the No. 5 job (Pivetta or Velasquez). Each pitcher has talent. That has not changed. If Price can work some magic and get one of them to really reach his potential, it would be a godsend for the Phillies. Of course, the most intriguing names are prospects Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard. Bohm has impressed players in camp and he could make a push for a promotion sometime this summer. Howard could provide reinforcements for the rotation, if somebody should suffer an injury or struggle.