Philadelphia Phillies 2012: Are the Braves or Marlins the Bigger NL East Threat?

As the end of December rolls around and January 2012 approaches, we are only months away from the start of yet another MLB season. It is hard to believe that already over one month ago, the World Series was awarded and that now, teams are already preparing so that they have their shot to win it all in 2012.

With the Phillies having the National League’s highest payroll, the Marlins moving to a new stadium and bringing stars with them, the Braves keeping much of their core in tact and the Nationals slowly working their way into the playoff conversation, the National League East race has the potential to be extremely tight and one of the best in baseball to follow in the coming season.

Let’s start with the Phillies. Obviously, as the five-time defending champion of the NL East crown, they are the ones being chased in 2012. The Phillies had by most fan’s reasoning a very quiet off season. As opposed to the past two years when Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay were acquired, this year GM Ruben Amaro seemed to look more at role players to add. That being said he did bring in top closer Jonathon Papelbon for a five year, $50M deal to replace the exiting Ryan Madson. The contract made Papelbon the highest paid relief pitcher in baseball history.

Without acquiring the marquee free agents such as they did in the past, Amaro managed to on paper improve the bench and the bullpen, two areas of need. He also brought SS Jimmy Rollins back to the team on a three year deal, with a vesting option for a fourth year. Bringing back Rollins was one of the top priorities on the Phillies off season wish list and having him back in the fold is something that both fans and teammates alike hoped to happen.

Amaro also brought in Ty Wigginton, a utility player with the ability to play most infield positions and Laynce Nix to replace Raul Ibanez in right. Amaro also brought back fan favorite Jim Thome to replace Ross Gload on the bench. None of these moves are blockbuster but at the price Amaro paid for these guys, it could be something that pays off in the end.

Next up are the second place Atlanta Braves. Last year the Braves had a strong shot to challenge the Phillies for the NL East crown, but they suffered key injuries down the stretch. As the Phillies pulled away in their best season as a professional baseball team, the Braves struggled. They remained relevant, however, and if not for losing the final series of the regular season to the Phillies would have made the playoffs as the wild card.

There is no reason to suggest that the Braves won’t be competitive again this season. Their young crop of talent featuring Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward looks to continue to be effective this year and their back of the bullpen—with set-up man Jhonny Venters and ROY closer Craig Kimbrel—is one of the best in baseball.

One of the major setbacks this offseason for the Braves has been their relative inactivity. They allowed SS Alex Gonzalez to sign with Brewers, indicating that they might be adding another rookie to their already solid core. They also ate a huge portion of Derek Lowe’s contract as they traded him to Cleveland for pitching prospect Chris Jones.

Getting rid of Lowe could be huge for the Braves. He may not have been the best pitcher last season, but something Lowe has been able to do is beat the Phillies. Although last season his record was 1-4 against the team, his sinker and ground ball style of pitching has given the Phils’ strikeout prone hitters problems in the past. In a division where pitching is front and center, getting rid of Lowe may have not been in the Braves interest when it comes to being able to compete with Philly’s top arms, Miami’s talent and the young guns of Washington in Steven Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez.

The newly named and located Miami Marlins made a big splash this offseason. Not only did they display new uniforms and a new stadium, but they seemed to be overloaded with cash to spend. After bringing in former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, the Marlins were rumored to have offers out for two of the market’s biggest free agents. The buzz around the baseball world was that the offers were real and that there was a pretty big chance that Miami could have signed both Jose Reyes and Albert Pujols.

Well, luckily for the rest of the league, the Marlins would have to settle—although I think it is hardly settling—for just Jose Reyes. They also brought in Mark Buehrle to add to an already solid rotation featuring Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez. If all of these guys are healthy, Miami has their own big three to compete against the arms of Philadelphia. The Marlins also improved their bullpen by signing closer Heath Bell for a pretty reasonable price.

Just these few moves move the Marlins from pretender to contender in 2012. Their lineup is already stacked with talent in Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton and adding Jose Reyes gives the lineup more speed and swagger. It will be a new Miami offense with him at the helm and expect it to be explosive.

Right now, with all of the moves already made and not including any that might still be made, it is clear that the Marlins and not the Braves will be the bigger threat to Philly in 2012. They improved their offense and will have a formidable pitching staff, permitting Johnson will be back and healthy for 2012. If any team will challenge the Phillies for the NL East next season, it will be the Marlins. In fact if they can convince Hanley Ramirez to stay and play third, there is a good shot they will be at the top of the NL East next season.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Predicting the Top 6 Performers for 2012

The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies look strangely similar to the 2011 version. All of the biggest contributors to the team’s success will be back in the City of Brotherly Love for at least another season.

Of course, this logically leads to the question as to whether or not the same top performers will have equally productive seasons. That’s what I’m trying to address today.

Here are my statistical projections for each of the top-six players on the Philadelphia Phillies. This is kind of a power ranking because the top five are in order, but I am also predicting each of their individual stat lines.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Every Spring Training Invitee’s Odds of Making the Roster

With less than two months until Spring Training begins and after re-signing shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2012 roster has begun to take shape.

After rebuilding the team’s bench and adding two relief pitchers to the bullpen, the Phillies appear ready to make a run at their sixth-consecutive National League East title.

However, not every player who begins Spring Training with the Phils will make the team’s opening day roster.

Only 25 players will make the trip from Clearwater to face the Pittsburgh Pirates when the team opens the 2012 season; with some players having better chances than others to make the trip.

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J-Roll and the Most Fraught Contract Sagas in Phillies History

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of baseball’s oldest franchises, and with age comes more and more experience. For the Fightins, this involves many things: lore and milestones during the season, and contract talks/disputes following the season’s conclusion.

There have been many instances in Phillies history of botched, problematic contracts. Some have come to pass, others are still in effect, and others are just getting started. These contracts have often led to moderate to high success, often at a discount rate. But in other cases, these deals have failed miserably, causing fan hatred and/or a premature cut from the team for the player involved.

Because in Philly, you don’t get off easy. You play to win, or you go home.

Jimmy Rollins most recently signed a new contract with the Phillies. Many, including myself, believe that it’s a steal for the Phillies—at least on paper. But what if it turns out to be a total bust, and Jimmy’s hurt all three (or four) years? Or what if he hits below the Mendoza line each season of the contract?

These are all risks the Phillies have had to take, and since contracts have escalated in monetary amounts in recent years, the risk has never been higher. Since contract data is difficult to find before the mid-to-late 1980s, we’ll take a look at the last 20 to 25 years or so of fraught, terrible contracts that the Phillies have signed. In fact, many, of these contracts have come in the 2000s, mainly because the Phillies were never aggressive spenders until Ed Wade became the Phillies’ new general manager in 1998.

Please note that not all of these contracts were poorly signed deals, but they interfered with the Phillies’ plans, whether in terms of payroll flexibility, an inability to trade the player, or that the player was an obstacle to bringing another player into the major leagues.

Let’s get to it.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Making Sense of the Curious Dontrelle Willis Signing

It’s been over a week now since the Dontrelle Willis signing was announced, and it’s still rather curious. Since then, the Philadelphia Phillies have brought back a franchise icon, and this is the move that is still one that still has some buzz and intrigue to it.

The buzz and intrigue is in large part due to the curiosity associated with the move. Every angle you look at the signing, you identify a new wrinkle that makes it even more of a curious move.

To start, why did they need to guarantee him a major league contract?

Willis’ last two deals had been minor league contracts, one with San Francisco in the middle of the 2010 season, and one with Cincinnati last offseason for the 2011 season. He went 1-6 for Cincinnati last season as a starting pitcher, making 13 starts, with an ERA of 5.00. Why did he need to be signed to a guaranteed major league contract? This represents a “promotion” in a sense.

If he is getting a “promotion,” or a salary increase, is he having a more demanding role?

The early indication is that Willis will be a left-handed reliever.

“Dontrelle, I believe, is at a point in his career where he is ready to make the transition to being an effective reliever,” General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Willis has never been in that role, so why would you guarantee a contract to someone for a role you are only predicting they can thrive in based on split stats. You don’t know how they can handle it.

LOOGYs, as they’re called, typically don’t pitch much more than 50 innings, and those are typically the primary left-handers in teams’ bullpens. Antonio Bastardo will be the premier left-handed option, and will be the one used late in games. 

The last true LOOGY and second left-handed option out of the Phillies bullpen was Scott Eyre in 2009. Eyre pitched 30 innings that year, and that was on a team whose rotation does not pitch deep into games as frequently as this rotation does.

So does the role warrant the increased salary?

Willis threw 75.2 innings last year in his 13 starts from the rotation. That’s about as many innings as you could expect from one of the better relief pitchers in the game, something Willis is not. In fact, it’s actually more than each league’s Rolaids relief pitcher, Jose Valverde from the American League and John Axford from the National League.

It’s safe to say that if Willis truly is signed to be a second LOOGY this season, he won’t pitch half the amount of innings he did last year, which raises doubts as to whether he will actually be a LOOGY this season.

That being the case, what are the Phillies paying for with the additional salary?

The Jimmy Rollins connection has been made, but it’s hard to believe the Phillies brought in Willis to court his friend and former schoolmate in high school. You would have to think that the Phillies were going to sign Rollins anyway. If anything, Willis benefits from Rollins more than Rollins would ever benefit from Willis.

The smooth shortstop could take a step forward and calm Willis, who suffers from an anxiety disorder when innings start to slip away from him. What benefit could Rollins possibly have with Willis on the team, other than a friend to hand out with after the game? 

With that ruled out, we’ll keep looking, and look at Willis’ contract. An incentive that was included in it adds an interesting twist and suggestion to what his role could be:

If Willis reaches 30 plate appearances during the season, he will receive an additional $25,000.

That is an unusual clause to be included in a reliever’s contract. J.C. Romero had a clause in his contract that he signed last year that would allow him to receive a bonus—if he won a Silver Slugger. But Willis’ clause is interesting because it is for a counting stat that is achieved just by literally being in games, and not so much one for an achievement that is as unlikely as a situational left-hander whose last at-bat was in the 2008 World Series (which wouldn’t even count for consideration) getting national attention as the best hitter at his position in the league.

What could make them and Willis agree to this clause? 30 plate appearances really is not that high for a pitcher. Willis made 34 trips to the plate in a partial season last year.

One way he could accumulate plate appearances is by pitching for more than one inning and staying in the game when the lineup runs through him. He hit .387 last year, so it is reasonable that they could do that. Even so, that would be troubling because it suggests the Phillies are trailing early and need to heavily rely on their bullpen for that game, as they would seemingly be needing to save Bastardo.

Do you really think the organization saw Halladay, Lee and Hamels blowing early leads often, and enough to make them want to sign Dontrelle Willis and ensure him coming here with that clause?

That can’t be the reason why. 

Another obvious way to accumulate plate appearances is if Willis is called on to pinch-hit. How many times do you see a relief pitcher pinch hit? It’s not like he can pinch-hit and then stay in the game to pitch—he needs to warm up; he needs some extra time to do so being a former starter.

Willis likely realizes this, and wouldn’t settle on 30 as the magic number to kick the clause into place.

That leaves only one way: Willis being a starting pitcher. This is obviously the most likely way to get steady plate appearances so could Willis possibly being a starting pitcher be in the back of their minds?

Thirty plate appearances as a starting pitcher is not as much as it seems, it could be achieved in maybe 12 starts, or two months in the rotation. Maybe even getting seven to eight starts could get him in position to flirt with reaching 30 through the other previously discussed methods.

Could the Phillies be planning to audition Willis for a starting spot in Spring Training?

They have a history of doing this, and sometimes even letting them take a spot should they put up a spring performance that warrants one.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee gave Jose Contreras a look for a starting gig before 2010. You’ll remember the ill-advised promise Amaro made to Chan Ho Park before the 2009 season to lure him to Philadelphia. Park was promised that he would have every chance to get a spot in the rotation, should he earn one.

Park had no business starting but competed with J.A. Happ, among others, for the final spot. Going into the offseason, it had appeared that Happ had the spot was Happ’s to lose. You could draw a parallel to that year’s situation to this upcoming year’s with Vance Worley. The only difference is Worley will have much more experience going into the upcoming year than Happ did in 2009.

But if the Phillies do make it a competition, things could get dicey. spring training games and performances are often hard to gauge because of the lack of steady, major league lineups pitchers will have to face. A pitcher could have a solid spring due to facing several poor teams who the Phillies caught while they were in split-squad action.

It creates skewed numbers, and if a pitcher has solid numbers, it is hard to justify any other determinant for that rotation spot.  

The 30 plate appearances clause would make more sense and have more significance, because it could be used as a method of increasing Willis’ salary for good play. If he’s making enough starts to get those PAs, meaning they keep running him through the rotation, chances are he’s being adequate enough.

Given his recent pitching history, that’s unlikely. So if there is more to this move and they really are looking at Willis in the rotation, this could become ugly.

Remember, the thought was the Reds would audition him exclusively as a third or even fourth left-handed option out of the bullpen when they signed him last season. He ended up making 13 starts and appearing in the batter’s box 34 times.

It’s an intriguing and curious move any angle you look at it. It’s also very worrisome.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 25 Reasons to Raise Your Kids a Phillies Fan

Becoming a fan of the game of baseball isn’t hard. Whether it’s the competition, the players, or the excitement of the game that catches your eye, there is something about the sport that everyone can love. From mammoth home runs to perfect games, baseball is a sport that draws people in and connects generations of families.

Loving the game isn’t a challenge, and neither is having a favorite team. A lot of those reasons listed above stay true here. Whether you became a fan of the New York Yankees during their dynasty years or love the New York Mets because your grandfather was in attendance when they won it all in 1969, every person is born with an inbred allegiance to a single team.

Loving the Philadelphia Phillies? Well, that’s easy nowadays.

The Phillies are a winning team, and fans love a winning team. Once upon a time, however, these fans endured a long drought of winning teams. The Phillies’ fan base is built upon passion and loyalty. Sure, you’ll hear your fair share of horror stories, but it’s time to be honest.

Phillies’ fans aren’t some of the worst in baseball. They’re some of the best.

Phillies’ fans are just as committed to winning as the players on the field. If you aren’t giving it 100% effort, they’re going to let you know, but if you play the game the right way, baseball immortality is within your grasp.

But passion is just one of a number of reasons to raise your children fans of those Fightin’ Phils. After this slideshow, you’ll realize that raising Phillies’ fans is a no-brainer.

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2012 MLB Free Agents: Roy Oswalt Is Perfect Fit for Red Sox Rotation

You know that it is a strange offseason when the two superpowers in the American League East—New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox—sit on the sidelines while other teams make all the noise. But there are a few small moves that could put either one of those teams over the top, like adding Roy Oswalt. 

The Red Sox have a deeper rotation than the Yankees as presently constructed, so they don’t have a burning need for Oswalt right now, but he is making it hard for any team to completely ignore him. 

The reason for that is because according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, Oswalt is no longer looking for a multi-year contract. 

According to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox are not pushing hard for Oswalt, but they could get involved in the negotiations. 

The Red Sox problems in 2011 stemmed from injuries and no depth in the rotation. They have three starting pitchers who, when healthy, give them exactly what they need: Quality innings and bullpen relief. 

Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are good enough to lead the Red Sox to a championship, but you have to have good depth. And right now the Red Sox don’t have any depth. John Lackey is a disaster and moving Daniel Bard to the rotation is not going to end well. 

Oswalt does have injury concerns of his own. He missed most of last season due to a back problem, but he is looking for a cheap deal to re-establish his value. The Red Sox can afford to take that risk because they have the money and don’t need him to be a pillar of the rotation. 

They need him to be a No. 4 starter that can make 25 starts and throw 175 innings. That would be quite a feat for him since he only threw 139 innings last season, but considering where he is in his career, that would be the perfect scenario for him. 

Plus, the Red Sox are going to contend for a division title and possibly a World Series. Oswalt can prove his value in the middle of a pennant race. 

So while the Red Sox may not be aggressively pursuing him right now, Oswalt should become an object of their desire because he fills a huge need for them. 

 

Follow @adamwells1985

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Ways To Replace Roy Oswalt in the Rotation

The Phillies declined to offer arbitration to Roy Oswalt earlier this month, an indication that they do not see him as part of their plans for future seasons. Oswalt is coming off back injuries and had a mediocre season last year as one of the Phillies’ “four aces”.

A veteran of 11 seasons, Oswalt is a three-time All-Star and was a big reason why the Phillies were able to turn their 2010 season around and reach the postseason.

Oswalt finished 2011 with a record of 9-10 and a 3.69 ERA after making 23 starts. With him, the Phillies won a franchise record 102 games.

It is even possible they could upgrade the position and get more than nine wins in 23 starts, but at the very least they should be able to have a successful 2012 season, regardless of the replacement.

Here are 10 options they have to fill the slot, as well as what potential impact each one could have.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Phillies Who Could Play Their Way onto the Trade Block

Every season the Philadelphia Phillies make some key acquisitions to their roster when the trade deadline nears. 

However, with these additions comes subtractions. The Phillies have a ton of talent in their minor league system, but if they kept trading away young prospects, they will be in big trouble in the future.

Therefore, if they want to make any moves this year, they will need to move some of their big leaguers.  

The following are players that could be great possibilities, for one reason or another, to trade away as the 2012 season commences. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Jimmy Rollins’ 7 Greatest Philly Moments

Ruben Amaro of the Philadelphia Phillies was able to lock up the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia for another three years at a price that seems fair for all parties. Jimmy Rollins may not be the MVP-caliber player from the plate and on the base-paths that he once was, but he still has a slick glove and pop in his bat that will be needed with Ryan Howard on the mend and Chase Utley in decline.

Rollins will now have the opportunity to climb the Phillies record books and establish himself not only as the best SS in team history, but as one of the all-time greats to ever lace up the cleats for the Phightin’s.

The voice and swagger of the greatest era of Phillies baseball ever has had some pretty remarkable moments. Here are just seven of J-Roll’s most memorable moments.

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