Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking 25 Boldest Moves in Franchise History

Nothing says “off-season” quite like being bombarded by an onslaught of bizarre and seemingly impossible trade and free agent rumors, only to learn that some of them are actually much more concrete than a simple rumor: they’re real. 

The Philadelphia Phillies know a thing or two about deals that sound so absurd they must be false, but, well, aren’t. Over the last few seasons alone, they haven’t limited themselves to the winter months to strike such a deal. They’ve made big trades during the season, signed big free agents during the winter, and shocked the baseball world with their savvy negotiations.

Simply put, they’ve made some bold moves.

This trend is not new, however. Throughout the history of the Phillies’ franchise, they’ve been making some pretty bold statements. As we sit and ponder the next big transaction, let’s take a look to the past. Here are the boldest transactions in the history of the Phillies: some good, some not so much.

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Philadelphia Phillies: How Much Does Albert Pujols Signing Affect Jimmy Rollins?

The signing of Albert Pujols has come to pass. Yesterday, Pujols signed an incredible 10-year, $254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The contract, which includes a full no-trade clause throughout its duration, is also possibly rumored to be worth $280 million or so with incentives.

One of the best hitters in baseball history and arguably the best right-handed hitter of all time, Pujols has left his team of 11 years, the St. Louis Cardinals, to sign with the Angels. The biggest surprise really isn’t the team he signed with, but rather the amount he earned and the inclusion of the no-trade clause.

Pujols’ previous offers seemed to hover around the $200-220 million range, until yesterday when the Angels made themselves known and signed The Machine. In addition, the Angels signed the best starting pitcher available on the free-agent market, C.J. Wilson, to a five-year, $77.5 million deal yesterday, spending $331.5 million on two players in one day.

The signings of the two, along with the $3 million deal of reliever LaTroy Hawkins, brings the Angels’ offseason spending amount to $334.5 million, the third-highest amount of money spent in an offseason by a team all-time, and the highest by a team not named the New York Yankees.

Despite higher offers from the Miami Marlins, who have already signed Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle to contracts totaling $191 million, both Pujols and Wilson decided to sign with teams who offered a no-trade clause in Pujols’ case, and was closer to home for Wilson.

With the signings of these two players, the Angels are being hailed as the team to beat in the AL and are also considered early World Series favorites by some. With a starting rotation that consists of aces Jered Weaver and Dan Haren, along with Wilson and Ervin Santana, the Angels’ pitching staff and their newly-boosted offense should prove to be among the best in the majors next season should everything go according to plan.

So…you’re probably wondering where Jimmy Rollins fits into all this. You’re thinking that the above information has nothing to do with Rollins or the Phillies, and you’re also thinking that there’s no point in reading further. Or maybe you’re not thinking any of that. I won’t put words in your mouth, but Rollins is more significant than ever now that Pujols signed.

But you might be wondering why Pujols and Rollins have any sort of connection. The answer is two words: Dan Lozano. Lozano is the agent for both Pujols and Rollins, and now that Pujols has signed, Rollins is his best client left who has not yet signed.

Although there have been indications that the Phillies and Rollins were close to reaching an agreement, the two sides have yet to do so, meaning that Rollins is still fair game for any team who chooses to offer him a contract. However, the Milwaukee Brewers, who were thought to be the Phillies’ biggest opponent in signing Rollins, have signed shortstop Alex Gonzalez to fill their need on the left side of the diamond. Even though the Brewers are still in on third baseman Aramis Ramirez, their shortstop hole has been filled and they are out of the running for Rollins.

This would theoretically leave the Phillies as the only remaining team in the Rollins sweepstakes. Yet there is one more team who could enter the mix: the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals, who have a huge mound of money sitting around with Pujols not returning, can still afford to sign a different star player. Whether the Cards decide to do the Prince Fielder route or go after Rollins, the point is that the Cardinals have money they can spend money on a high-profile free agent if they so choose.

Due to the fact that the Cardinals also have an impending free-agent shortstop in Rafael Furcal, they could either aim to re-sign Furcal or pursue Rollins. The Cardinals have dealt quite a bit with Lozano in the past with Pujols, and as a complimentary gesture, he could arrange a Rollins-to-St. Louis deal if the years and price are right.

Either way, the Cardinals could prove to be stiff competition against the Phillies for Rollins’ services. Even if they decide not to pursue him, they could drive his price and demands up at the hands of Lozano. While it wouldn’t be the most moral thing to do, shadier dealings have occurred in the past.

As of right now, the Phillies are still the favorites to land Rollins. But if the Cardinals decide that their need for a shortstop is important enough, then they could go after J-Roll, whether as a ploy against the Phillies or in a sincere attempt to sign him. Now that Rollins is one of the top three remaining free agents, talks should heat up between him and potential suitors within the next few days, and the answers to when and where he’ll sign a contract could become known very soon.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Winter Meetings Review, According to Total Player Rating

The Phillies had their share of issues even before the offseason officially began. Ryan Howard went down with a torn Achilles on the last day of the NLDS. He will likely miss the entire 2012 season to recuperate. So, the Phillies had an immediate hole to fill there. Then, they had Jimmy Rollins’ impending free agency to deal with.

Before the meetings, the Phillies signed Jim Thome and acquired Ty Wigginton to cover that hole. Someone like Michael Cuddyer makes sense for them, but it will difficult to pay for him and Jimmy Rollins at the same time.

 

Infield

The Jim Thome acquisition is still a head scratcher. He hasn’t even played full time as a DH the past few seasons, much less played in the field. He hasn’t played any first base since the last time he was in Philadelphia. That was two managers and two general managers ago. Some depth charts have him penciled in at first. That seems patently ridiculous, but what is the alternative?

Chase Utley and Placido Polanco seem entrenched in their spots, and they are two of the best fielders at their position in baseball. Ruben Amaro, Jr. is playing a waiting game on Rollins to get him to come down on his demands. In particular, Rollins wants a three or four year deal. Considering the decline he has had in recent seasons, that would not be a smart venture. Luckily, the waiting seems to be working.

Thome will not be the regular first baseman. The smart money would be on Wigginton or John Mayberry, Jr. for the time being. After spending a ton of money on Jonathan Papelbon and the money they will spend on Rollins, it seems unlikely that there will be enough to attract a regular first baseman.

 

Outfield

The Phillies surrendered a ton to get Hunter Pence from the Astros last season, but he may have well been worth it. He is a crowd favorite there, and for good reason. He is one of those 100 percent effort guys that always seems to have a smile on his face. Pence isn’t a star, but on this team, he doesn’t have to be. All he needs is continue to hit .280 and 20-plus home runs and play good right field defense.

Shane Victorino might be one of my favorite players in all of baseball. He was a Rule V pick years ago by the Phillies, and he has worked himself into one of the best centerfielders in baseball. You’ll look at his hitting numbers and defense and wonder what all the fuss is about. He is the perfect example of the cumulative effect of solid performance. He is above average or good at every facet of the game. Add it all up, and you get a very good player.

Left field is a hole after the Phillies let Raul Ibanez go. Mayberry could go there or Domonic Brown could fit in there. Ibanez was a defensive liability, and his hitting also slipped last season. It is likely that they will somehow get better production overall from that spot no matter who goes out there.

 

Starting Rotation

In this “what have you done for me lately” society, it will be fashionable to call the Angels top three of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and C.J. Wilson the top three-man starting group in baseball. That’s a nice group, but the combination of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels is better. Really, it isn’t even particularly close.

It would have been a foursome, but the departed Roy Oswalt struggled through with his back. Vance Worley took over midseason and put up the numbers Oswalt normally would have. It won’t last. Worley is similar to J.A. Happ (now with the Astros) in that his rookie numbers are a mirage. For a fourth or fifth starter, he will do.

The Phillies are hoping that either Joe Blanton or Kyle Kendrick step up to solidify the fifth starter’s slot. The Phillies would like Blanton to be that guy because Kendrick has shown the ability to pitch in relief. Having Kendrick in the bullpen makes it that much deeper, and Blanton also makes a pretty penny. It’s high time he earns it.

 

Bullpen

The Phillies shocked everyone when they traded up at the closer’s spot. There were false rumors out there that they had agreed to bring Ryan Madson back, but they turned those on their ear when they agreed with Papelbon. According to TPR, Papelbon was the second best closer in baseball last season. Furthermore, he is used to pressure-packed pitching coming from Boston.

Antonio Bastardo is the only other pitcher in the bullpen that was significantly above average. This is the main reason why having Kendrick in the bullpen is so important. He was also above average. Mike Sturtes was exactly average, so they have a few solid relievers. If Jose Contreras can come back healthy they will be okay in the pen. Yet, this might be an area that Amaro Jr. addresses before they break for spring training.

 

Rest of the Offseason

The Phillies have a few questions they need to answer, but many of the answers are already in house. They will need to decide on a first baseman and left fielder. They also must answer the Jimmy Rollins question fairly soon. If he returns, they should easily hold off the Marlins for another division title. Once they get to the playoffs, it is anyone’s ball game, as Phillies fans learned this October.

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Albert Pujols to Angels: Why the Cardinals Should Now Target Jimmy Rollins

If the whole world hasn’t already discovered, Albert Pujols signed a contract with the Los Angeles Angels this morning, apparently worth around $250 million over the span of 10 years.

As Cardinal fans nationwide continue to blow up social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, comparing Pujols’ character to that of LeBron James, Cardinals‘ General Manager John Mozeliak has more pressing matters to attend to.

The loss of “El Hombre” frees up a lot of cap room for the team this season, and the team’s front office needs to decide how to spend that money.

St. Louis now has the funding to pick up multiple talented role players to bolster its lineup. It could also spend it one one of this offseason’s marquee free agents.

After Pujols, Derek Lee and Prince Fielder highlight the rest this year’s class of free-agent first basemen. However, the Cardinals are most likely address their vacancy at first by moving Lance Berkman from the outfield back to his natural position.

Berkman was the surprise hero of last year’s regular season, and with him now at first the Cards now have more options on what they would like to do during free agency.

St. Louis already has a deep, talented roster. Those who followed the World Series recall that Pujols really only contributed offensively in one game during the series against the Texas Rangers and that most of his team mates picked up most of the slack.

With the Cardinals roster already loaded with role players, St. Louis should go after another potential All-Star, somebody who can share the spotlight with Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday and David Freese.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins is on the market and would provide St. Louis a definite upgrade over Rafael Furcal.

Rollins, who batted .268 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI last season, made $8.5 million with Philadelphia in 2011, so the Cardinals could definitely pay him enough to come to St. Louis.

Rollins won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2007 along with three All-Star appearances and Gold Glove awards as well. 

According to ESPN’s Jim Bowden, new Cardinals manager Mike Matheny went on the radio Tuesday, saying that Rollins is, in fact, on St. Louis’ radar at the shortstop position

Known for his base-stealing ability, Rollins would gobble up bases for the Redbirds. He also brings veteran leadership to the ball club, along with his excellent defensive skill set.

He’s 33 years old now, but Rollins still has a few years of of great baseball left in him.

He, like the rest of the St. Louis Cardinals, has championship experience. If the two sides were to ever come to an agreement, Rollins would be able to compete for another World Series crown right away, and the Cardinals would have another outstanding veteran to help them get past the recent departure of a St. Louis legend. 

Jimmy Rollins is no Albert Pujols, but that wouldn’t really matter if he wins a World Series before “El Hombre” and the new-look Angels.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 4 Reasons Not to Fret the Free-Agent Signing Frenzy

The Philadelphia Phillies made a splash when free agency began by signing the best closer on the market in Jonathan Papelbon to a lucrative deal that is the highest in league history. Since that signing, Ruben Amaro Jr. has quietly gone about his business and improved this team with the acquisitions of Jim Thome, Ty Wigginton, Laynce Nix and possibly the re-signing of Jimmy Rollins.

The Phillies have been the talk of MLB the past three seasons with the acquisitions of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence and Roy Oswalt, but teams like the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels have stolen their thunder during the MLB Winter Meetings.

Don’t worry, Philadelphia, because there is nothing to fear. Let those teams spend ridiculous wads of cash on a few players, because they still have a long way to go before being a blip on the Phillies NL East champion radar. 

Here are four reasons why Phillies fans should not worry about the free-agent frenzy in MLB.

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10 Philadelphia Phillies Doomed to Regress in 2012

With the Winter Meetings set to conclude today following the Rule 5 Draft, baseball fans are seeing more and more of what their teams’ rosters will look like for next season. Many teams have or will soon fill the remaining holes in their rosters, looking to bolster their offense, defense, pitching or more.

The Philadelphia Phillies, whose current primary target is Jimmy Rollins, will have most of their holes filled for next season on paper once either he or another shortstop signs with the team.

I emphasize—on paper.

As with every other team in baseball, unexpected things will happen to some of the Phillies players throughout spring training and the season that will take a toll on the team. Some players get hurt, others don’t hit or pitch as well as they once did, while others may lose the skills they had with the glove.

Regardless of why, it’s inevitable that some players regress each season. Being one of the oldest teams in baseball, the Phillies understand this well. Many of their MVP and All-Star-caliber players three years ago have since become mediocre. Players like Chase Utley and Rollins, who were considered to be among the best in the league at their positions, have since been downgraded to the middle of the pack with stars throughout the rest of the majors rising up.

Having said that, there are numerous players on the Phillies’ roster whose performance could take a turn for the worse next season. Whether it’s a gradual decline that’s about to hit rock bottom or a sudden free fall, some players just may not do as well as they had in years past.

Not all players listed in this slideshow will necessarily regress next season, but they have a chance of doing so, and we’ll discuss the reasons why each player mentioned could deteriorate.

Let’s get crackin’.

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MLB Free Agents 2012: 7 Contract Clauses to Convince Jimmy Rollins to Stay

Despite reports that meetings between the Philadelphia Phillies and Jimmy Rollins’ agent have not gone well, I believe it is only a matter of time before Jimmy Rollins is back in the fold. Even though there are not many serious competitors for his services, Rollins has significant leverage. His agent undoubtedly will use the Phillies’ lack of reliable replacements in landing a good deal for his client.

While I still doubt he’ll get five years guaranteed, I would not be surprised to see his agent out-negotiate Ruben Amaro. Seeing the deals Amaro’s given out over the last few years, he’s closer to Chumlee from Pawn Stars than Rick at the negotiating table. 

Even though Rollins has leverage, Amaro can and should be creative in signing a deal that doesn’t hurt his club in the future. Whether or not he will use such devices is an entirely different question. 

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2011 MLB Free Agents: Determining Jimmy Rollins’ Value on the Market

Determining the open market for a baseball player can be difficult and very ambiguous. It is even more so for a shortstop with more tools than most because of the scarcity of the position.

In the following presentation, we look at a breakdown of each aspect of Rollins’ game and assign a monetary value to it, as dictated by the market.

We will cover everything from hitting, base running, fielding, intangibles, signing him away from the Phillies and contract length.

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MLB Free Agency: Phillies No Longer Chasing Aramis Ramirez

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies are no longer actively going after Aramis Ramirez and are no longer shopping Placido Polanco as potential trade bait. I think that this was honestly the correct move.

Ramirez would be an upgrade over Polanco in terms of offensive production. He has quite a bit more power but does not have to sacrifice his average to hit the ball hard. However, I am not exactly sure how much his contract could have been worth in Philadelphia, but I think that there are other ways that they could spend their money that would make a bigger impact.

Polanco is a solid option at third base providing he is able to overcome his injury for quite a bit less money.

How do I propose they spend this money? I would definitely finish this contract with Jimmy Rollins even though it is “unrelated” according to Rosenthal. As I have written many times this winter, the Phillies are committed to winning right now. They have an aging roster that is all going to potentially decline at roughly the same time. Unfortunately, that does come with age.

However, that time is not now. Granted, all of the Phillies will be one year older, but they do not appear to be declining yet. Because of this, it is very important that they try to win right now before they hit that hypothetical downhill slide.

Freddy Galvis would definitely be the better long-term answer at shortstop. He is young, and he seems to have a lot of potential. However, by the time that he realizes his full potential and produces perhaps as much as Rollins does, the rest of the Phillies will be older and the team might be rebuilding.

This next season, Rollins would most likely be more productive simply because he has quite a bit more experience and success in the major leagues.

Like I said before, with the roster the Phillies have right now, they are still in that window of time where they are most likely to win another World Series. That time may be slipping away though. Because of that, they obviously need maximum production right now to win another trophy.

I agree that in the long term, it would definitely be better to introduce Galvis as the starting shortstop right now, but I think that given the Phillies commitment to winning right now, Rollins would be the choice that is most consistent with what appears to be the front office’s mission.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Power Ranking 20 Oddest Moments in Franchise History

Baseball can be a strange game.

Not the kind of strange that forces the casual fan to turn their head away from the action, but the kind of strange that forces the avid fan to lean back, raise an eyebrow and say, “That is something I may never see again in my lifetime.”

Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies are well aware of the meaning of “strange baseball.” Their team has helped to give those simple words a definition over the course of its history. From position players taking the mound, to waiting for an opponent to answer nature’s call, to watching their beloved mascot and a rival’s beloved manager resort to fisticuffs.

In the City of Brotherly Love, you could say that normal situations are strange, and that strange situations, are the norm.

Photo Credit: www.housethatglanvillebuilt.blogspot.com 

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