Philadelphia Phillies: Their Top 7 Relievers

The following slide show is going to show who the Phillies top seven relievers are.  Relief pitching has become an important position in the Major Leagues.

It is important to recognize who is good and can help the Phillies get back to the World Series and then win it all over again. 

While the Phillies have one of baseball’s best rotations, it will all be for nothing if the bullpen cannot nail down leads in the late innings.

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2011 MLB: Why Chase Utley Means More To the Phillies than Ryan Howard

For most teams, reaching the 2011 National League Championship Series would be considered a successful season but not for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies have won their division in four-straight seasons and appeared in two consecutive World Series, and anything but a World Series championship is a failure.

Looking back on the 2010 season, it is surprising the Phillies even made it that far. Plagued by injuries and inconsistency, the postseason in general was in doubt in Philadelphia. Two of those injuries, in particular, really crippled the Phillies’ offense.

On Jun. 29, 2010, the injury bug struck Phillies’ second baseman Chase Utley in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. While sliding headfirst into second base, Utley caught his thumb on the bag while the weight of his body pulled against it.

Though he stayed in the game, it was later revealed that Utley’s thumb had torn ligaments and that he would miss six to eight weeks after surgery.

In the Utley way, though, he returned sooner than anticipated, but his swing suffered. Though he finished with a strong September, Utley hit just .208 in the month of August. Like most of the Phillies, he struggled through the postseason and will be fully healthy come spring training.

A little over a month after Utley’s injury, first baseman Ryan Howard hit the disabled list as well.

In a game against the Washington Nationals, Howard was late rounding second base on his way to third, and in an attempt to get back to the base, rolled his ankle over the bag.

In a report from earlier this month, the ankle still has not healed entirely. Though he returned for the final month of the season and the postseason and had some success, his trademark power was noticeably absent come October.

With pitchers and catchers set to report for spring training in just over two weeks, Howard’s health is still in the air.

Even still, both Utley and Howard will report to camp ready to play baseball, and if the Phillies are going to reach their third World Series in the last four seasons, those two men are going to have to have seasons they are accustomed to having.

Still, that leaves us to wonder — if the Phillies want to win the World Series in 2011, whose resurgence is going to mean more to the team? The next few slides will explain why Utley is going to be an absolute necessity if the Phillies’ offense is going to get back on track this season.

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MLB Power Rankings: The 25 Greatest Pitchers in Philadelphia Phillies History

Pitching is a vital part of the game, and with this Phillies rotation we are expecting a few World Series championships.

With Cliff Lee going along with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, we are all expecting the greatest starting rotation of the decade, or even of our lives!

This has sparked a lot of historical comparisons, to the Braves of old and to others.  This got me thinking, “Who are the best pitchers in Phillies history?”  This slideshow is devoted to just that.  Covering three centuries (19th, 20th and 21st) of Phillies history, here are the top 25 pitchers of the franchise.

Two Things to Remember:

1. All stats are with team unless specified otherwise.

2. Some rankings had to be adjusted according to era.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Charlie Manuel Deserves a Contract Extension

Charlie Manuel‘s contract as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies is set to expire at the end of the 2011 season. With Spring Training just weeks away, the Phillies have yet to finalize an extension for their skipper.

No manager likes to enter a season with their status up in the air. It can raise questions about why a manager is not yet re-signed and can sometimes even undermine a manager’s authority in the clubhouse.

In the case of Charlie Manuel, the Phillies surely must want him back. A winning percentage of .560 over six years with the team, four division titles, two National League pennants and a World Series championship should be reasons enough for an extension.

The only feat Manuel has yet to accomplish is winning a second World Series title. If the Phillies are trying to squeeze more than that out of him, they may have to hook Manuel up to an IV.

Besides the winning record, Manuel has many intangible qualities that make him a perfect fit for this franchise. The players love him. They play hard not just for the love of the game, but for their love and respect of Manuel.

Because of his reputation as a player’s manager, other major leaguers want to come to Philadelphia.  Just ask Cliff Lee, who turned down more money and additional years to come back and play for Manuel in 2011.

The fans love him, too. They love him not only because he brought winning baseball back to Philadelphia, but also for his kind, approachable attitude. Fans can walk right up to him and engage in a conversation.

Manuel genuinely respects and appreciates the fans, treating them as equals.

The Phillies should take that to heart and give the same respect and appreciation back to Manuel. Whether it is two or three years, give the man what he wants.  He’s earned it.

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MLB Power Rankings:The 2011 Phillies and the 10 Biggest Preseason Favorites Ever

Offseason transactions through the history of baseball has often caused a hype for a team’s favor before the season even starts.

Sometimes this hype over a team is created by these transactions, and sometimes this hype can come just from the team’s performance the year before. Sometime it is the combination of both these factors that lead to a mania in favor of one team winning the World Series. We have seen that beginning this year with the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies who acquired Cliff Lee this offseason.

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“PHOUR LOCO” : Power Ranking the Philadelphia Phillies Starting Staff For 2011

The Phillies free-agent signing of starting pitcher Cliff Lee sent shockwaves throughout the country.  Lee was supposed to bolt to the Yankees or stay with the Rangers.  In the biggest swerve of the offseason, Lee decided to return to the City of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia already had the Big Three of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.  Now it’s the Big Four, or whatever moniker you desire, with the addition of Lee. 

So now, the expectations are through the roof.  Many questions have been proposed.  Can each individual pitcher win 20-plus games?  Who’s better, Lee or Halladay?   

Only three pitchers in baseball had over 20 wins last year: Roy Halladay (21-10), CC Sabathia (21-7) and Adam Wainright (20-11).  In 1969, the “Year of the Pitcher,” 15 pitchers had 20-plus wins. 

It’s a different era now.  Roy Halladay led baseball with 250.2 innings pitched in the regular season.  In 1969, Gaylord Perry led baseball with 325.1 innings pitched.

Can they be one the greatest staffs of all time? Up there with the Braves trio of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz of the 90s.  The Jim Palmer lead Orioles of the late 60’s and into the 70s. Sandy Koufax and
Don Drysdale on the Dodger staffs of the 1960s. The Mets duo of Dwight Gooden and Ron Darling led the way for the Mets in the 1980s.

Another tidbit to put out there.  The top three WHIP leaders from last season are in the “Big Four”: Cliff Lee (1.00), Roy Oswalt (1.03) and Roy Halladay (1.04).  Cole Hamels, the other entity of the “Big Four,” had a 1.18 WHIP. 

It’ll be interesting to see how this staff gets recognized from a statistical standpoint in the all-time ranks as the season progresses.

Now it’s time to see what this potentially, all-time, dominant staff can do out on the field.  That’s the biggest question of them all.  Can they bring home another World Series crown?

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2011 Philadelphia Phillies: Stats and Fantasy Projections

Spring Training will be here sooner than we think. The Phillies come into the 2011 season with some lofty expectations for themselves. They have mustered up one of the best rotations in the history of baseball with the surprising signing of former Phillie Cliff Lee.

Along with the rotation, the Phillies offense looks to get back on track after having a down year for what they’ve come to expect over the past few seasons. They still have the core group of players on the team, but they are all aging.

The window of opportunity for the team is closing, and that is probably why GM Ruben Amaro Jr. went all out for the next few years with the complete re-haul of the starting rotation.

Here are some fantasy predictions and the projected lineups for the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies.

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Despicable Defense? Who Cares—Vladimir Guerrero Is a Perfect Fit for Philly

The offseason to this point has had its fair share of surprises. From Cliff Lee signing with the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees‘ decision to bring aboard Rafael Soriano to what may be the biggest blockbuster to date—t he Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim agreeing to swap Vernon Wells for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera.

At this point, many of us wouldn’t be fazed by yet another surprise. But with a quick survey of the market, there could be a few more surprises in store.

Though considered a weak free-agent market, this year’s class was absolutely jam-packed at one position—the designated hitter. With names like Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Russell Branyan, Jack Cust and Nick Johnson on the market, it was questionable, at best, that all of these players would find homes.

As the free-agent market dwindles to the bottom of the barrel and Spring Training looming around the corner, it is slowly becoming apparent that not all of these players will find full-time roles as a team’s DH.

From that list above, at least one name that remains unsigned sticks out like a sore thumb given the offensive production that the man provided in 2010, and that is Guerrero.

After signing a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers before the 2010 season, Guerrero played a majority of his games as the DH, posting a slash line of .300/.345/.496 with 29 home runs and 115 RBI. Not too shabby for a 35-year-old outfielder whose power had come into question in last year’s offseason.

With production like that, it’s hard to imagine why the slugger still doesn’t have a job.

Digging a little deeper, however, it’s not all that mind-boggling. Following one of his most productive seasons in recent memory, Guerrero wanted to be paid in that fashion. Not only was he seeking a nice chunk of change, but he also wanted more than one guaranteed year. At this point, that isn’t happening.

As one of the few remaining designated hitters on the market, he has little leverage. His suitors over the course of the offseason have included the Rangers (Adrian Beltre), Oakland Athletics (Hideki Matsui), Baltimore Orioles (Derrek Lee), Minnesota Twins (Jim Thome), Tampa Bay Rays (Many Ramirez and Johnny Damon) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Vernon Wells).

They all had interest in Guerrero, but have since moved in a different direction.

What could be left for the veteran slugger? Late Friday night, Jim Bowden of MLB Network radio suggested that Guerrero and the Orioles were close to an agreement (via Twitter). But Orioles president Andy MacPhail has since shot that rumor down, saying that Bowden’s statement was “just not accurate,” according to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.

That forces us to question exactly what kind of role Guerrero is willing to accept heading into the 2011 season. When he became a free agent after the 2009 season, one of the most important aspects of his next contract was that he signed with a contender and, of course, he helped lead the Rangers to the World Series.

According to Baseball Reference, the slugger has already made more than $117 million in his career, so you wonder whether money is his motive; that probably isn’t the case. Though shot down, Bowden’s Guerrero-to-the-Orioles rumor suggested that the money he received would be “humbling.”

So, what’s next for Guerrero?

At some point in the next week, he will likely have to review his options. With Ramirez—a Scott Boras client, for that matter—having signed with the Rays for just $2 million, Guerrero is in a sticky situation. There are teams that would love to have the slugger, but not at his price. They hold all the cards now.

At some point, one has to wonder whether or not Guerrero will open up his options to play with a National League team, and whether or not said National League teams would consider having him.

As made apparent in the World Series, there isn’t much left in Guerrero’s outfield tank. With questionable health in his knees, teams are afraid to lose his offense thanks to his defense. In essence, that’s what has forced him into the DH role. Regardless of the health of his knees, the man still has a cannon for a right arm and, in the right situation, will be a bit less of a butcher than everyone expects him to be.

So let’s survey the market again. With the American League’s DH quota seemingly filled, is there a National League team that would love to have Guerrero at their price? Is there a team that has a hole to fill in right field and could use a powerful right-handed bat in their lineup? It’s almost too easy.

The Phillies are a perfect fit for Guerrero.

After having lost incumbent right fielder Jayson Werth to free agency and maxing their payroll with the addition of Lee, the Phillies have held steady that they are comfortable with in-house options like Ben Francisco, Ross Gload, John Mayberry and, of course, young stud Domonic Brown. With that being said, for the right price the Phillies would benefit from having Guerrero’s right-handed bat in the lineup.

An overall better hitter than Werth, Guerrero provides power, average and the ability to get on base with a bat that would transition flawlessly into the confines of Citizens Bank Park.

However, it wouldn’t be Guerrero’s offense that scares the Phillies away. Like the rest of the National League has evaluated, watching him play in the outfield would be intriguing, to say the least. He appeared in the outfield just 18 times for the Rangers in 2010, logging 125.2 innings.

Over the course of an entire season, it’s impossible to determine how Guerrero’s legs would hold up, but one thing is certain—he’s going to bring his “boomstick” to the yard every day.

After all, the Phillies aren’t entirely unfamiliar with bad defense in the outfield. From 2003-08, Pat Burrell, one of the league’s worst defensive outfielders, roamed left field for the Phillies. They could use the same approach with Guerrero that the team used with Burrell—benefit from his bat early in games and replace his defense later on.

The one difference is that while the Phillies were paying Burrell $14 million to be a part-time player in ’08, Guerrero would not be nearly as expensive.

Playing alongside an excellent defensive center fielder—Shane Victorino—would certainly be beneficial as well. With Victorino’s speed, he could cut Guerrero’s ground nearly in half and still field a fly ball. The only real consideration the Phillies would have to make is, in essence, who is worse in right field: Guerrero or current left fielder Raul Ibanez?

While the outfield of Citizens Bank Park is generally not considered hard to field in, left field looks considerably easier to play. While the right field wall has a slant to it that sees balls ricochet in all directions, the left field wall is pretty straightforward—literally. While Ibanez is no great fielder in his own right (-8.4 UZR), he appears to be in better health than Guerrero and has a strong enough arm to make those tough throws from right field.

So while it would be questionable to commit Guerrero to the outfield with his terrible defense, the benefits he brings to the Phillies lineup are many. For starters, the protection that he would bring to the likes of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard would be an enormous lift for the Phillies. As stated before, he also swings his “boomstick” (can’t get enough of that word!) from the right side of the plate.

Replacing Werth’s production and adding Lee to the rotation would make the Phillies a fearsome contender.

At this point, a Phillies-Guerrero union is an unrealistic speculation, but you have to admit that a deal between the two sides seems to make a ton of sense.

After being linked to the likes of Jermaine Dye in the past, you have to wonder if the Phillies would overlook Guerrero’s terrible defense to add his incredible offense to the lineup, and whether Guerrero himself would prefer to play for a contender in a National League outfield than be relegated to a non-contender’s bench in the American League.

The bottom line remains the same. Though Guerrero’s defense would not be pretty, neither was Burrell’s in 2008, and Phillies fans will remember that year forever. Adding a bat (“boomstick” reference avoided) like Guerrero’s to a Phillies offense that is already on the rebound would be a nightmare to National League competition.

After all, with a rotation like the one in Philadelphia, how much defense are they going to need out of a guy like Guerrero anyway?

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

2011 Fantasy Projections No. 13: Why Phillies’ Ryan Howard Remains a Top-5 1B

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Ryan Howard missed three weeks last August with a sprained ankle, effectively ending his four-year streak of at least 45 HRs and 136 RBI per season.  That ankle is now 90 to 95 percent according to the Phillies’ website.

“It feels good,” Howard said. “It’s a lot better than it was. I got a lot of work done to it. I got a lot of the swelling out. Like I said, every once in a while, I get a little bit of stiffness or soreness, but I’ve been working out, and so far, so good.”

Howard averaged a home run every 12.1 at-bats from 2005 to 2009, before dropping to 17.7 at-bats per HR last season.  Given a clean bill of health, his ridonkulous at-bat per HR rates are impossible to ignore when projecting his 2011 season.

Although Howard isn’t likely to post the 30.0 percent-plus HR/FB rates that supported his near-50 long ball totals from 2005 to 2008, the 31-year-old remains fully capable of blasting 40 bombs in 2011.

While Howard’s power may be declining slightly, his strikeout and contact rates have been trending in the right direction for the last few seasons:

K percentage

• 2007: 37.6 percent
• 2008: 32.6 percent
• 2009: 30.2 percent
• 2010: 28.5 percent

Contact Rate

• 2007: 64.7 percent
• 2008: 66.5 percent
• 2009: 67.3 percent
• 2010: 68.2 percent

Although both his strikeout and contact rates remain on the wrong side of the league average, it’s important to note that Howard’s plate discipline is—slowly but surely—improving.

Further, his career batting average (.279) is probably higher than most realize, and is identical to that of Prince Fielder, who has been wildly inconsistent over the last four seasons. Expect the more predictable Howard to blast 40 HRs and be among the league-leaders in RBI in 2011.

	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
2010 stats	626	87	31	108	1	.276
3-year average	674	99	41	132	3	.269
2011 FBI Forecast	680	100	39	130	1	.277

 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Nos. 1-10: Is Pujols Still The Top Pick?
• No. 11: Joey Votto
• No. 12: Robinson Cano

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• 2011 Projections: Adrian Beltre
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options

Follow Fantasy Baseball Insiders on Facebook & Twitter

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Philadelphia Phillies: Looking Inside the Club for Right-Handed Pitching

Philadelphia’s assistant general manager, Scott Proefrock, said Tuesday through Twitter that moving Joe Blanton is not a necessity for the team at this point in time.  The Phillies have announced that they do in fact have enough salary room to keep the right hander for this season, going against many reports since the signing of Cliff Lee in December.  

Along with this announcement, Proefrock also said that the team is going to look within the organization for right-handed pitching help not only for this season but also for when Blanton does leave.  So what young guys could help them out?

One young guy that can give the rotation an extra boost if needed is Scott Mathieson. Mathieson is 28-years-old and has suffered a few elbow injuries that have set him back in his career thus far.  Even after two successful Tommy John surgeries, Mathieson still throws in the high 90s with good location and command.  He pitched in the Futures All-Star game in 2005 and has been with Philadelphia twice in his career.  While Mathieson has been featured more as a long-relief pitcher recently, he has been a starter throughout most of his time in the minor leagues.  

Another prospect that could make a difference is Vance Worley.  Worley made two starts for the Phillies in 2010 and finished with a record of 1-1 with an impressive 1.38 ERA.  At just 23 years of age Worley has a very promising career ahead of him and he could continue to make a difference as a fill-in spot in the rotation this year and could become a part of the rotation when one of the five leave the team.  

Andrew Carpenter has made three appearances with the Phillies since 2008. Carpenter has great control and features a fastball in the low 90s, a good slider and a split-finger fastball to go with a change-up he’s developed since making his big league debut.  The only downfall for Carpenter is that he has a tendency to record many fly-ball outs which could hurt him in Citizens Bank Park.  

Phillippe Aumount is another pitcher who has been recognized in the Phillies farm system.  Aumount was acquired in the 2009 Roy Halladay trade.  Aumont comes in at 6’7″ and features a hard sinking fastball that tops out around 96 MPH.  He also has a good slider. He attempted to develop a change-up in 2010 but could never get a real feel for it. He has struggled with control, averaging over five walks per nine innings pitched.  If he can regain control over his pitches he could make an impact in the near future.  

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