2011 Philadelphia Phillies: Do They Have the Depth to Weather the Injury Storm?

We are all well aware that virtually no MLB team goes through an entire season without injury, and very few can make it through 162 games without a major one.

With that in mind, my question is: Do the Philadelphia Phillies have enough in reserve to overcome the inevitable injury bug?

Now, I’m not going to predict anywhere near the bad luck of last season. Just about every regular position player suffered at least one physical setback last year, with every major contributor being out for at least a few weeks. 

With a little luck, the Phillies can avoid major injury, and this article will be rendered completely useless. 

However, with All-Star second baseman Chase Utley already in pain at the beginning of spring training, the prospect of their bench bears some consideration and the question remains, is it enough?

Wilson Valdez had a very surprising year for the ’10 Phillies and truly was one of the unsung heroes on the club. He filled in for Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco at one time or another during the season, playing admirable defense supplemented with some timely hitting.  

He’s back this year to resume his utility infielder role, but can anyone expect him to perform as well?

Should anyone have to?

Aside from Valdez, there really is no other solid option heading into the season, unless somebody else establishes himself in spring training.

As for the outfield, with Dominic Brown’s recent injury, it looks as though Ben Francisco will be the everyday right fielder, with John Mayberry Jr. and Ross Gload (who, admittedly, can also play first base) as the fourth and fifth outfielders. 

Gload is what he is. He’ll never be a regular and will never even be mistaken for one, but he is a decent stop-gap with a bit of punch from the left side.

As for Mayberry, I believe that he has what it takes to be a decent fourth or fifth outfielder, but he has yet to prove this in MLB competition. 

When it comes to the “backstop backup,” the Phillies are very solid with veteran Brian Schneider, who still could probably start for eight to 10 teams out there. He is actually more than solid, and though he’ll never be mistaken for Johnny Bench at the dish, can still produce some important knocks when he is needed.

To sum it all up, it would seem that heading into the regular season, the Phillies’ bench is strong behind the plate, solid in the infield (albeit with only one reliable player) and, at best, questionable in the outfield. 

Is anyone starting to worry yet? Honestly, it is probably no cause for concern, as long as the regulars stay relatively healthy. 

A few injuries for a team throughout a regular season is commonplace, but with every starter except one (Francisco, 29) at 30 years of age or older—and with Charlie Manuel’s tendency to run his starters into the ground—the depth of performers on the bench could become a concern.

Think of it this way. Let’s say Utley begins the year on the DL, and Valdez, barring a last-minute pickup, begins the year as the starter. Who is the reserve infielder now? 

This team has an excellent chance to dominate this season. The starting pitching, if healthy, has a chance to go down as one of the best rotations in history. The bullpen, with a healthy and confident Brad Lidge, should be strong, and the team is poised for comeback years from its three biggest stars.

It is the sincere hope of all Phillies fans that this article will be rendered moot with healthy years from the regulars. 

Here’s hoping the bench will be needed only minimally. 

Please share your thoughts. I’d love to hear them!

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

New 2011 Philadelphia Phillies Starting Rotation Predictions

Looking at the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation is something everyone will be doing all season. Why?

Because they could be the best starting rotation ever assembled.

What makes one say that?

Well let’s take a look at each one.

Roy Halladay: good old No. 34 happens to be turning 34 years old this May, yet is still ranked as the No. 1 starting pitcher in all Major League Baseball.

And he is—the 2010 Cy Young Award in his cabinet proves it. The five consecutive seasons of 220-plus innings proves it. The 19 career shutouts and 58 career complete games prove it. At 34 years old by seasons end, this year could be Doc’s greatest masterpiece. My prediction: 24-6, 1.85 ERA, 250-plus innings pitched,

Cliff Lee: No. 33, ironically turning 33 years old this season in August. Ranked the No. 5 best starting pitcher in all baseball. Ninety-five—what’s that mean? That’s how many walks Lee has surrendered since the beginning of the 2008 season. That’s an average of just under 32 walks a season. Has a 7-2 cumulative postseason record with a 2.13 ERA. My prediction: 21-8, 2.40 ERA, 220-plus innings pitched.

Roy Oswalt: No. 44 turns 34 years old this August. Two 20-win campaigns under his belt and a 5-1 cumulative record in the playoffs with a 3.39 lifetime playoff ERA. Oswalt still seems to have plenty left in the tank, and he could have one of his finest seasons this year although I doubt he will duplicate his 20-win campaigns. He is perfect to pitch after Halladay and Lee. My prediction: 18-12, 2.85 ERA, 220-plus innings pitched.

Cole Hamels: No. 35 turns 28 this December. This is the guy in the rotation to watch. The youngest of the bunch, entering his sixth season, Hamels has really learned to pitch. He’s also learned how to go about his business from watching Halladay last year and Lee in 2009.

I pity teams facing these four in row in a four-game set. My prediction: Hamels will be the best left-hander in baseball this season, going 22-5 with a 2.30 ERA, and 220-plus innings pitched.

Joe Blanton: No. 36 will be 31 years old this December. Blanton has yet to record 200 innings a season while in a Philadelphia uniform. He’s done it twice in his career with Oakland and look for him to do it this season. Pitching behind the four aces make predicting what type of season he will have the most difficult.

His over-the-top arm angle and pitching style make him the perfect contrast to hitters from each of the four aces. The biggest obstacle for Blanton will be the first inning. Once through that, if he’s got a lead he’s likely to hold it. My prediction: 15-10, 4.10 Era, 200-plus innings pitched.

Yup, if you kept count, that’s 100 wins and 41 losses I’m predicting for this starting rotation alone. I don’t believe the bullpen will have too many decisions to figure in this year—precisely 21 if my predictions come true. Say the bullpen goes 10-11 this season, that would give the Phillies a 110-win season.

The offense will heavily affect this. It doesn’t matter how good the starting pitching is; if you don’t score a run you can’t win the game. The Phillies should have no problem with that. But that’s another story.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Why Domonic Brown’s Injury Is a Blessing in Disguise

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ prospect Domonic Brown recorded his first hit of spring training today against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The at-bat was bittersweet, however, because Brown fractured his wrist, an injury that will most likely require surgery.

Brown saw some action up in the Majors in the second half of the 2010 season, batting .210 and recording three doubles and two home runs in only 62 at-bats.  Brown was in a fight for the right field spot in the Phillies‘ outfield this season, and it looked as though Brown would platoon with Ben Francisco, but with the injury Francisco should win the position outright.

With this recent injury, the Phillies and their fans are all disappointed, since Brown is the No. 4 prospect in the MLB according to ESPN.

Although many people believe it a tragedy, Brown’s injury is actually a good thing for the Phillies.

Brown is an underdeveloped player at this point, and he is not ready to come into the MLB.  Brown struggles mightily against left-handed pitchers, hitting a pathetic .077 against them.  Brown was absolutely terrible against lefties, and he did not have enough time to work against them last season.

If Brown and Francisco were to platoon as planned, Brown would have only batted against right-handed pitching.  While he may have done better against those righties, he would not have had any time to develop against lefties, and there would be no way that he could develop further like that. 

If that situation were to occur, Brown would not be able to become a better player.  Brown would have been talent wasted.

Because Brown broke his wrist, he will have to recover, and then rehab in the minor leagues.  It will be his time in the minors that will be the blessing.

The Phillies will not rush Brown back, and he will learn to hit those pesky lefties while in the minors again.  When Brown can hit both types of pitchers, he will have the potential to become a great player…the type of player everyone expects him to be.

In the meantime, Ben Francisco will take over the position.

Francisco has the potential to bat .275 and hit 20 home runs if he plays every game of a season, and he is a good right-handed bat…something that the Phillies are missing since Jayson Werth left.

Overall, from Domonic Brown’s injury, Brown will get more time to develop, Francisco will get the chance to be an everyday starter, and the Phillies will gain a powerful right-handed hitter.

While Brown’s injury seemed devastating, it helps the Phillies more than it hurts them.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies’ Domonic Brown Breaks Hand

Let’s just say these past two weeks won’t be the “Best of times” section in Domonic Brown‘s autobiography.

On Friday, I wrote about Brown’s recent struggles at the plate. At the time he was 0-for-15 with 9 whiffs. Now in a span of 24 hours, it’s gone from bad to worse for the Philadelphia Phillies’ OF.

Brown fractured the hamate bone in his right hand on Saturday while taking a swing. This sounds very familiar to what happened to David Ortiz a couple of years ago. Brown will most likely need surgery and will be out a minimum of three to six weeks.

To be honest, this might not be the worst thing in the world for Brown. The Phillies had him so messed up with his stance and swing, this might give him some time to clear his head.

Brown will still be a big part of what the Phillies do in 2011, but it might not be until May or even June now that he makes an impact.

Ben Francisco is the biggest beneficiary of Brown’s injury. He should see the majority of the playing time in right for the Phillies. John Mayberry Jr. and Ross Gload could also see some playing time as well.

Francisco hit .268/.327/.441 with with six HRs in 197 plate appearances for the Phillies in 2010.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies Prospect Domonic Brown Breaks Wrist After First Hit

Philadelphia Phillies OF Domonic Brown has a fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right hand and may need surgery after he had to leave today’s ballgame against the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Jim Salisbury.

Salisbury tweeted that Brown had to exit after his first at-bat. Brown fouled off a pitch and then looked down at his hand, apparently in pain. He finished the at-bat with a hit, but then departed for X-rays.

Brown, the Phillies’ top prospect, was battling Ben Francisco for the starting RF spot this spring and had been held hitless in his first 15 at-bats.

Interestingly enough, he got his first hit with a broken hand.

Domonic Brown is one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and the injury is very unfortunate for him. He’s a young kid who was expected to fill in for the departed Jayson Werth this season.

With Brown out, it looks like Francisco will win the RF spot. In fact, he was probably going to win the job anyway; he’s having a great spring, batting .421 with 2 HR and 6 RBI.

Francisco also is a right-handed hitter who will help balance a very lefty-heavy Philadelphia lineup. 

Todd Zolecki is reporting that if surgery is needed it will sideline Brown for three to six weeks.

Expect Brown to be in AAA to start the regular season. Hopefully, he’ll work his way back up to the Major Leagues by the All-Star break.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Cortisone Injection for Chase Utley Is Bad News for the Philadelphia Phillies

About a week ago, a MRI revealed that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley had patellar tendinitis in his right knee.  He was prescribed rest and expected to show improvement quickly.

But after a full week of rest, Utley reported that he did not feel any better.  So today, he was given a cortisone injection in an attempt to reduce the swelling.

The quiet and reserved Utley normally says very little in regards to his physical condition.  But in an interview today with Phillies beat-writer, Todd Zolecki, Utley said, ” There is a little bit of concern.”

Knowing Utley’s usual demeanor, to hear him utter the words “a little bit of concern,” is akin to a normal person shouting, “Fire! Fire!” and sounding a very loud alarm.  This is not good news.

Worse than Utley’s own words is the fact that a cortisone injection was needed.  If a week of rest did nothing to alleviate the pain, one could speculate that the condition is more serious than originally diagnosed.

Patellar tendinitis can lead to small tears in the tendons over time and weakening or tears of the knee cartilage.  If that occurs, surgery may be needed.  The minimum recovery time of such a surgery is usually at least six months.

While that may be jumping ahead a just a tad, the reality is that a cortisone injection to the knee is very bad news.  Any swelling that cannot be reduced by rest indicates a real problem.

Should the Phillies sound the alarm and start looking for help at second base?  It may be too early for that, however, it also could not hurt to have a back-up plan.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Say It Ain’t So: J.D. Drew May Be Done After 2011 Season

It’s hard to believe J.D. Drew is entering the final year of the five-year deal he signed with the Boston Red Sox, and that he’s 35.

At Florida State University in the mid-1990s, the lefty with an effortless swing crushed the cover off the ball, becoming the first player in collegiate history to mash 30 homers and swipe 30 bases in the same season.

He was so good that he drew comparisons to the great Mickey Mantle. He would be the second-coming, they said.

He hasn’t been. And, 13 years after scouts and analysts uttered his and Mantle’s name in the same sentence, Drew may hang up his spikes following the 2011 season.

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted him second overall in 1997 but did not meet the demands of Drew and his agent, one Scott Boras.

Being Boras, he desired an exorbitant amount for his client. He thought Drew was worth a $10 million contract out of the gate. This was an astounding sum, stunning many around baseball.

Philadelphia thought they might back away from that after Drew was drafted, and that a deal could be hashed out. None was, as Drew and Boras wouldn’t budge.

Drew played for the St. Paul Saints of the Independent Northern League that season and part of the next before entering the 1998 draft.

After hitting 25 homers, batting over .360, and getting on base at a 47 percent clip for the Saints, he was selected fifth overall by St. Louis, and signed for $6,785,000. Phillies fans have booed him ever since.

The 22-year-old spent all of 45 games in the minors, then, upon being called up by the Cardinals, smacked five homers in his first 14 games in the majors. He was the real deal. But then he wasn’t.

As his career with St. Louis progressed, he showcased his incredible talent, impeccable stride, home-run power, and speed.

But the Cardinals would have to relish the time he was on the field, doing the many things he did so well, because he seemingly spent more time at the doctor’s office.

He quickly became Mr. Disabled List, also nicknamed Nancy Drew by disgruntled Cardinals fans and, of course, Phillies fans.

Every season with the Cardinals he was on the disabled list at least once, spanning six years. During his tenure he never played more than 135 games, and he appeared in over 109 only twice.

He batted fairly well, got on base at a respectable clip, but soon Drew was 27, without a 30-plus homer season, an MVP, or an All-Star game appearance. All that talent, all that potential, unable to live up to his college and minor league name.

Drew was traded in late 2003 to the Atlanta Braves for a package that included future ace Adam Wainwright, who is now sadly on the shelf after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Georgia native produced there, staying extraordinarily healthy given his reputation, playing in all but 17 games and hitting 30-plus homers for the first time. But, as a free-agent at season’s end, his stay was short. The Los Angeles Dodgers were his next stop.

He signed a five-year, $55 million deal, but made $152,177 per game, more than the Dodgers would have liked, as that sum amounted to just 72 appearances in 2004.

An injured wrist was the latest injury, joining the back, hip, hand, oblique, shoulder and hamstring. The wrist is one of the worst body parts a hitter can injure, given the rotation and power that is needed to contribute.

He recovered, plating 100 runs in 2005, and wisely took the out-clause in his contract. More money could be had, even given his lack of durability.

He was still in his prime, at 30, and there was still a hope out there that he could still be a milder version of Mantle. It was a fool’s hope, but Boras made sure Drew received star money.

Boston signed him to a five-year, $70 million deal, but on the condition an all-important clause be included.

The team could opt out of the deal after the third or fourth year if injuries (particularly those previously sustained to his shoulder) recurred and kept him on the shelf for an extended period of time.

He hasn’t appeared in more than 140 games with the Red Sox, nor driven in more than 68 runs, but he’s still there, manning right field as he always has, providing a respectable bat and a solid glove…albeit not what they paid $14 million annually for.

He did manage to earn it in 2007 with one swing of the bat, however. The $14 million Grand Slam, it was called by ESPN’s Bill Simmons, a blast to center-field off Cleveland Indians ace Fausto Carmona (who, at 23, had won 19 games that season) in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, helping Boston stave off elimination in a series they would eventually win.

It was incredible and came completely out of the blue. Read the reactions from Simmons readers in that article to really get a feel for what kind of player Drew was in the eyes of many.

There’s no beating around the bush: he was an overpaid, oft-injured outfielder unable to live up to exceedingly high expectation. But that sad truth was set aside that night in Boston. He was a hero.

He was celebrated as he was supposed to be throughout his career. They were supposed to say, ‘And Drew does it again! They were right, he is the 21st century version of Mantle.’ Instead, utter bewilderment took its place.

Since, Drew has been the player he’s been throughout his career: 20 homers, 60-plus RBI, a .280 batting average, while missing 30 games or so. To that, the question ‘What could have been?’ is often followed by a shake of the head.

His baseball life hasn’t turned out the way he would have liked, nor how scouts, coaches, fans, teammates, and front-office personnel envisioned. But it is what it is.

And now 2011 might be his last go-around, manning right-field for the fifth straight year in Boston, dealing with the tricky corner in Fenway Park.

After all the ups and downs: back injuries, wrist injuries, hamstring injuries; you name it, he’s had it. He will go out there as many times as his body allows, playing for the Thrill of the Grass and the cool $14 million, still with the buttery-smooth swing and graceful strides that will produce their fair share of cheers.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Just How Much Will a Cole Hamels Extension Cost?

When Opening Day rolls around for the Philadelphia Phillies on April 1, one of the most anticipated teams in the lengthy history of Philadelphia sports will begin its 162-game crusade for postseason greatness, anchored by a starting rotation for the history books, including left-handed starter Cole Hamels.

However, when the regular season has ended and whatever it is that October has to offer baseball has faded, the Phillies and their fans will have to face the music. With a payroll already north of $160 million, the front office may have to make some roster decisions not favored by all. Two players likely to get the ax are Raul Ibanez, whose contract is expiring, and Brad Lidge, who has a hefty option for the 2012 season.

On the other hand, with the way that pitching has equated to titles the last few seasons, the Phillies would likely make decisions to retain players like Roy Oswalt and Ryan Madson, who have a club option and expiring contract, respectively. All of those decisions will likely hinge on what the Phillies do with their youngest ace, Hamels.

After agreeing to a three year, $20.5 million deal after a monster 2008 season, both the Phillies and Hamels knew that this day was coming. The deal bought out a couple of arbitration years, but not all of them. Hyped as one of the Phillies’ “four aces,” Hamels could make a pretty penny in his final year of arbitration, which may be the simple route for the Phillies.

The Phillies will have a pretty good idea of what Hamels can earn in arbitration, depending on the results of his 2011 season. If they feel as though they can offer him arbitration for the final time and build other parts of the roster, this is the route they’ll go, but it isn’t likely. Already earning $9.5 million in 2011, Hamels will surely eclipse an eight-digit salary for the 2012 season.

So with that in mind, avoiding that final year of arbitration with Hamels seems like a good idea. In order to do that, however, the sides would need to agree to an extension. Where do they even begin? Looking around baseball, there are not many pitchers in situations that compare to Hamels. I took the liberty of gathering a few samples, but as I’ll explain below, there may not be a single one that is a good structure for a Cole Hamels extension with the Phillies.

NAME	AGE	WON	LOST	ERA	FIP	SO	BB	AAV	YEARS
Cole Hamels	27	60	45	3.53	3.77	897	248	TBD	TBD
Jon Lester	27	61	25	3.55	3.60	712	287	$6MM	5
Justin Verlander	28	83	52	3.81	3.61	965	353	$16MM	5
Josh Johnson	27	45	22	3.10	3.20	611	223	$9.75MM	4
Wandy Rodriguez	31	62	64	4.18	4.05	838	353	$11.3MM	3

As you can see in the table above, I listed a few pitchers with comparable numbers to Hamels who have signed extensions over the course of the last few seasons. As I stated above, however, some of those extensions do little in the way of structuring a blueprint for an extension between Hamels and the Phillies.

Though they have similar career numbers, Hamels and the Boston Red Sox’s Jon Lester are hardly comparable. Despite having similar win totals and ERAs, Hamels has nearly 200 more innings pitched than Lester. That’s roughly a full season of results that Hamels has to his advantage (or disadvantage, depending on which stance you’re taking). Aside from that, the five-year, $30 million deal Lester signed with the Red Sox is widely regarded as one of the most team-friendly in baseball.

Josh Johnson, who shares a division with Hamels, has been on the fast track to super-stardom. He and Hamels also share a wide gap in innings pitched and some people argue that Johnson is one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball and is on the cusp of being a truly “elite” pitcher. I, of course, am within those ranks. The Phillies would be doing themselves justice by modeling a deal after the one Johnson signed with Florida, which bought out several arbitration seasons.

The Houston Astros signed one of their more successful starters, Wandy Rodriguez, to a contract extension this offseason. The deal, which buys out his final arbitration years, will pay him a cap of $13 million in what would have been a free-agent season. In terms of innings pitched, Rodriguez (985 IP) is Hamels’ closest comparison (945.1 IP). The only problem is that the rest of Hamels’ statistics pretty much blow Rodriguez out of the water. With that in mind, Hamels’ camp will look to surpass the $13 million a year that Rodriguez is making, and should do so with ease.

Perhaps the best comparison to Cole Hamels is Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers. In fact, the two are similar in many ways, including their pitch repertoire. They have a similar amount of innings pitched but Verlander has a better career record, which could hurt Hamels’ chances of earning an equal amount as him. That said, as they’ve shown with Ryan Howard’s contract extension, the Phillies aren’t too worried about overpaying for their homegrown talent.

Looking around baseball, Verlander’s deal, which also bought out his final arbitration seasons, makes probably the best comparison for both the Phillies and Hamels. The deal, which eventually pays Verlander $20 million per season, should be a good frame for what the Phillies are able to do with Hamels.

The first thing that we’ll break down is the length of a possible extension. In the past, the Phillies have shown that they’re unwilling to give pitchers lengthy deals. They only offered Roy Halladay three guaranteed years, and if they didn’t have such fierce competition for Cliff Lee, they surely wouldn’t have gone five years with his deal either.

Hamels, on the other hand, is an interesting case. He’ll be just 28 next season as the team begins discussing an extension, and over the last few seasons we’ve heard nothing but positive feedback on Hamels’ health and conditioning. In a nutshell, if the Phillies’ were okay with offering Howard a five-year deal, you can imagine they’ll do the same for Hamels—the youngest of the “four aces.”

When you begin discussing dollar amounts, you enter a bit of a grey area. Using the above contracts as a comparison, we know that Hamels will look to at least surpass Rodriguez’s $13 million annual salary, but probably won’t eclipse the $20 million that Verlander is set to make at the peak of his contract. If we split the difference, it seems more than likely that Hamels will earn somewhere in the $16-18 million range per season. This season could make all the difference.

With those two elements agreed upon, the Phillies will structure a contract. First, they’d have to agree to a 2012 salary, which would have been Hamels’ final arbitration season. For argument’s sake, we’ll say that $12.5 million is fair for Hamels’ final arbitration season. Over the course of the final four seasons, the Phillies will have to pay Hamels accordingly. In my personal opinion, I believe they’ll go with an escalating salary. For example, they could agree to a contract that pays Hamels $16 million in 2013, $17 million in 2014 and $18 million in each of 2015-16.

For those of you keeping count, that would see the Phillies and Hamels agreeing to a five year, $81.5 million deal, which at first seems a bit excessive. While Hamels’ camp will argue that he deserves to be paid the $20 million per season that Verlander is making, the Phillies’ camp will bid hard to lower that number by adding years. If he shows that he can be an elite starter this season, the Phillies will happily sign that contract.

So, what do you think? Let’s see some contract predictions for Cole Hamels in the comments section!

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Domonic Brown on Borrowed Time with the Philadelphia Phillies

If Domonic Brown is going to win the starting right fielder job for the Philadelphia Phillies out of spring training, he is going to need to start figuring things out at the plate.

After another 0-for-3 performance against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, Brown is now 0-for-15 this spring training with a whopping nine strikeouts. He looks completely lost at the plate.

I would say the main reason for his struggles is the fact that he is screwing around with his batting stance. Throughout his career, Brown has always held his hands above his head. Now, Phillies’ hitting coach Greg Gross has convinced Brown to lower his hands in the batter’s box, and the results obviously haven’t been pretty so far.

There is no point in panicking just five games into spring training if you are a Phillies fan, but Brown’s new stance is just not working. I had the opportunity to watch Brown against the Detroit Tigers as well as the New York Yankees and he couldn’t even catch up to average fastballs right down the middle.

He looked tentative and uncomfortable.

I understand Rome was not built in a day, but if Brown doesn’t start showing that his new stance is working, I would imagine that the Phillies will have him go back to his old stance and take their chances.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

NFL News and Rumors: 10 Players the Philadelphia Eagles Should Target in FA

With the hope of a new CBA on the horizon, we can only hope that there will be a 2011 NFL season.

Teams are releasing players and are hesitant to sign new ones because of the prospects of a new deal not being in place.

Putting the CBA aside, teams build their foundations for success the next season by signing key players during the offseason in free agency.

The draft is the foundation of the future, but free agency is the foundation of the upcoming season.

The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a very successful and overachieving season. With a new franchise QB in place, they are primed to make another run at the Super Bowl in 2011.

They do have some needs to fill and some problem areas.

With that said, here are guys from each position that they should look at in free agency.

Begin Slideshow

« Previous Page — Next Page »