Some comments:
Got rid of older, high paid talent -- Utley, Hamels, Revere, Papelbon
Papelbon was the best move of the ones you presented. The Phils overpaid him, and as the Nationals have discovered, the rumors about his clubhouse persona were accurate.
Revere was probably the 2nd best move of the list. The Phils probably gave up more than they should have for Revere. They traded Vance Worley and Trevor May to the Twins to get Revere. Worley was their #4 or #5 pitcher. May was their #2 prospect at the time (a right hand pitcher in the minors). Worley has never done nearly as well as he did in 2011 (with that team, and a little luck, almost any pitcher could have done well). May has not been an elite pitcher for the Twins. Revere was thought to be a younger and cheaper version of Michael Bourne. He was fast, and had a good glove. He stole a lot of bases, and he did cover a lot of ground in the OF. He was a pretty good hitter, average wise, this year. Alas, he had a terrible OBP because he basically never walked, and his arm was so poor that pretty much everyone ran on him unless he was just outside the infield. When the Phils traded Revere during the season to the Blue Jays, they received 2 minor league relief pitchers: Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado. Cordero. Cordero has been clocked at 103 mph, which isn't bad. He was in AA this year, so there are still some questions about him. Tirado throws in the mid-90s, and also has a slider and a changeup. He was in high A ball with Toronto, and that's where he pitched for the Phils. The Phils definitely gave up more than they received for Revere.
Utley was an icon on the Phils. It's kind of sad that he wasn't able to end his career with the Phils, but with all the changes being made on the roster, it did make sense for the Phils to trade him.
Hamels is a tough one for me. The Phils received some excellent prospects in return for him, and the prospects really boosted the number of elite prospects in the Phils' system. The trade may turn out to be a positive one for the Phils. At the same time, Hamels was clearly the best pitcher the Phils had, so unless the prospects the Phils received really become good major leagues for the Phils, the Phils would have given away too much talent for a bunch of hopes. Only time will tell whether this was a good trade or a bad trade for the Phils.
Possible young stars in IF Maikel Franco and OF Odubel Hererra
Franco does look to be a star. Hererra is more more of a stretch to project him as a star. An everyday player? Probably. A solid player? Possibly. An elite player, or one that really makes a difference? I really have a tough time projecting Hererra as that.
salary cap situation improved
That's true. Then again, the Phils had to pay sizable amounts of $$ (toward this year's contract) for several of the players that they traded. They also have to pay Cliff Lee his buyout. Lastly, they've pretty much said that they don't see themselves getting into the bidding for any of the elite FAs this offseason. The Phils were almost printing money back when they were good, and selling out each night. Their attendance is down substantially this season, and until they show signs of being a serious contender I don't see their attendance being all that great. However, their new Comcast contract has kicked in, so they are getting a lot more for their TV rights. They are probably a year away from really having their cap situation improved (when Howard's contract is up), though they appear to be in better shape in this regard at the end of this season than they were at the end of last season.
