Philadelphia Phillies: Mix of Stars and Scrubs Are an Optical Illusion

Most nights, for an inning or so, it all still makes sense—the Philadelphia Phillies still look like the Phillies.

Friday night’s game, for example, saw Roy Halladay take the ball.  He gave up a solo home run to Carlos Beltran in the first inning, but after that he was really excellent and never in any serious trouble.

Just how you remember it. 

The Phillies’ first four batters in the game were Jimmy Rollins, Juan Pierre, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  Four legitimate major league baseball players, two former National League Most Valuable Players. 

Or to put it another way, an aggregate of over $47 million in salary to four hitters.

Save for the occasions when Jonathan Papelbon ($11 million) comes in at the end of the game (as he did Friday night), that is where the similarities to the Phillies you remember ends.

After Howard on Friday night, the next four hitters in the Phillies’ lineup—the team that led the National League in run differential going away in 2011—were Domonic Brown, Nate Schierholtz, Erik Kratz and Kevin Frandsen.

Or to put it another way, an aggregate of far, far less than $47 million in salary to four hitters.  Actually, far less than $4.7 million, as only Schierholtz is making more than $1 million this season.

Three games out of five, you still get to watch Halladay, Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels pitch.  You are no doubt well aware of their significant contracts.  Hamels is getting by on $15 million this season before his lucrative extension kicks in.  Halladay and Lee are being paid $20 million and $21.5 million, respectively, this season.

Trouble is, once they stop pitching and before (if) Papelbon pitches, the pitching staff, like the back half of the lineup, gets tough to recognize.

Antonio Bastardo is still there, but after him, so many of the names and faces are so hard to place.  Could you pick Josh Lindblom, B.J. Rosenberg or Jeremy Horst out of a lineup?  You might be the only one.

Going back to Friday night, the last four position players in the lineup combined to go 3-for-12, all of the hits singles, with one run batted in (Brown) and no runs scored.

Utley bailed the offense out with a mammoth home run to deep right center field in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Rollins, standing on third base when Utley struck it, simply smiled and pointed skyward.  And again, it felt like old times, if only for a moment.

All the while, an announced crowd of 43,122 (98.8 percent capacity, if you care) did what it has done for the past five successful seasons.  It sat idly when things were going poorly, it roused when the Phillies threatened, it willed some big outs from Halladay.  Then it erupted when Utley played the hero.

This, then, is how the remainder of your 2012 Phillies season is likely to play out.

Even though the team’s playoff hopes are all but dead, the park is going to be plenty full for many of the remaining home dates…because the money is already spent on the tickets.  That money is not coming back, either, at least not on StubHub or eBay.  The tickets have been devalued by the team’s poor play.

In the past, the choice was often just to stay home and eat the tickets.  But when the cheapest seat in the stadium costs $20 (and with so many seats already bought for so much more) it is much harder to justify watching the game on television or, for that matter, going out and doing something else. 

That would mean burning entertainment dollars twice on the same night.

So on the surface, then, the 2012 Phillies continue to look sort of like the Phillies teams of the recent past: plenty of people in the seats, big names in the lineup and for most games, big names on the mound.

Looking closer, though, it does not take long to notice that these Phillies are not the genuine article.

You usually know by the middle of the second inning.

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Why Michael Bourn Is Not a Good Option for the Phillies

In order to contend in the future, the Philadelphia Phillies have a few critical weaknesses they need to address. ESPN’s Buster Olney states that the Phillies are interested in Michael Bourn as the answer to many of the team’s questions about the future. But, bringing him to Philadelphia would be counterproductive to any effort Ruben Amaro, Jr. could make in getting the Phillies back into contention.

For starters, Michael Bourn is going to be 30 years old next year. He’s also represented by Scott Boras, who will undoubtedly make Bourn appear to be worth much more than he actually is, and that will probably be somewhere in the $15 million to $20 million range. The Phillies need to get younger in a fiscally responsible way.

If the Phils are to make a comeback in 2013, they need to produce more runs. In a perfect world, they would sign Melky Carbrera to a reasonable contract, and he would bat third. But, that’s probably not in the cards.

Instead, the Phillies need to consider other options that would plug the holes in their batting order and enable more runners to cross home plate. A good way to do this would be through the acquisition of a solid leadoff man, which is what Michael Bourn is billed to be.

But, there are areas of concern when evaluating Bourn’s potential role with the Phillies.

A leadoff man is supposed to get on base. Michael Bourn’s .347 OBP thus far is 58th in the majors. He also strikes out fairly often. This year, he has been called out on strikes 110 times. That’s the fourth most among major league outfielders. With two more, he’d be tied for second.

The Phillies are already one of baseball’s most undisciplined teams at the plate, which has been detrimental to their offense this year. Signing Michael Bourn could potentially exacerbate this situation.

Some may say that Bourn makes up for these flaws in his game with his ability to steal bases. But, he won’t be as effective in this regard for much longer. He is, after all, about to be 30. Players slow down with age. In fact, Bourn isn’t even among the top three leaders in base stealing. So, even though that may be a big part of his game, he’s not the best, and it’s not a part worth $20 million.

At best, Michael Bourn is a good, solid, everyday outfielder on any ballclub. But, there are far too many problems that would make it very difficult to justify bringing him to Philadelphia, especially for the kind of money he’s going to want. Even if he was to make himself affordable, would he be a good fit? Would he be one of the missing pieces of the Phillies’ puzzle?

Probably not.

Michael Bourn doesn’t get on base enough, hardly has any power, is only batting .289, isn’t the game’s best base stealer and he’s getting older. If he comes to Philadelphia, by 2014 or 2015, the Phillies are going to have far too much money wrapped up in far too many old players.

So, seeing Michael Bourn in red pinstripes is a nightmarish offseason scenario. 

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Phillies Continued Use of Kyle Kendrick over Tyler Cloyd in Rotation Is Baffling

It wasn’t a question they wanted to be asking themselves early in the month of August. The Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to contend for a World Series this season. It just doesn’t feel right that they’re in this position, but it’s time to finally address that dreaded question.

What do they have left to lose?

For the team with the highest payroll in the National League, being nearly 20 games out of first place and double digits out of a Wild Card position can be classified as a “lost season.” Now, it’s time to figure out where they stand moving forward.

That’s why it is baffling (and bordering on idiotic) that the Phillies have continued to make a commitment to Kyle Kendrick in their starting rotation while right-handed pitcher Tyler Cloyd has been arguably the best starting pitcher in Triple-A this season.

The Phillies’ commitment to Kendrick is certainly understandable. After agreeing to a one-year deal that would allow the sides to avoid arbitration last winter, Ruben Amaro Jr. and company signed off on a new, two-year deal worth $7.5 million that would also buy out a couple of his arbitration years, leaving him eligible for one final time before the 2014 season.

For the Phillies, it was all about cost-certainty. They didn’t want to move into Kendrick’s last (and most expensive) year of arbitration completely in the dark, especially after bringing Jonathan Papelbon aboard and pushing their payroll over the luxury tax limit.

But the point is much more simple than that: Kendrick is being paid like a back of the rotation starter. He’ll earn $3 million in 2012 and $4.5 million in 2013.

Now, you can see the real problem beginning to take shape. Kendrick hasn’t been good as a starting pitcher this year. In fact, he’s been pretty bad. As a starter, Kendrick has posted a record of 2-8 with an ERA of 5.01. He has allowed 12 home runs and the opposition has tagged him to the tune of a .293 batting average and .832 OPS.

Of course, that poor showing in the starting rotation forced him back to the bullpen upon the return of Roy Halladay, but that’s where the story gets interesting. Kendrick was actually much better in the bullpen than in the starting rotation.

Kendrick has made 12 appearances out of the bullpen this season totaling 13.2 innings. He has posted a record of 2-1 to go along with a 3.95 ERA and the opposition isn’t hitting him as well. They’ve posted a batting average of .231 and an OPS of .692, and they’ve yet to take Kendrick deep.

So now we have the first piece of the puzzle. Kendrick has undoubtedly been much better out of the bullpen than he has been in the starting rotation. Now, take a look at what Cloyd has done with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and compare the results.

Cloyd is 11-1 with an ERA of 2.25 this season. He is striking out 6.15 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.27. The opposition is hitting just .204 against him and his WHIP is less than one.

Of course, it isn’t all sunshine and roses for Cloyd. His BABip of .231 indicates that he’s due for a major regression. Talent evaluators aren’t fond of him because he is a right-handed pitcher with “average stuff.” He has a below average fastball and barely average secondary offerings. His best tool is his control.

However, even in light of all of the roadblocks in front of him, Cloyd’s FIP of 3.72 still suggests that he can, at the very least, be a solid fifth starter. So again, it’s time to ask why he’s not getting that opportunity.

The Phillies are not in a position to climb back into the postseason race. That ship sailed quite a long time ago, when they made the decision to move Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino at the trade deadline after being swept by the Atlanta Braves.

Now, the club’s focus should be on the 2013 season. The Phillies have obvious holes. Who plays center field? Who plays third base? Who hits lead-off? However, Joe Blanton’s departure and Kendrick’s struggles should have opened a spot in the rotation for a fifth starter.

If the Phillies are too stubborn to give Cloyd a chance to come up and show that he can compete at the MLB level, it would be one of the biggest mistakes in a season where you can’t even count the mistakes on your fingers.

Are the Phillies really naive enough not to give Cloyd a chance because they don’t believe, through their own talent evaluators, that he can retire Major League hitters?

Or is it something else? Are the Phillies too stubborn to move Kendrick back into the bullpen because of his salary for the 2013 season, which would suggest that he is being paid like a starting pitcher? Is this another case of Charlie Manuel “sticking to his veteran players?”

The bottom line is this: The Phillies should have called up Tyler Cloyd yesterday, because it is time to face the music. This is a lost season. The Phillies are playing to stay healthy and evaluate talent for 2013. 

Who knows? Maybe Cloyd comes up and shows that he can be a legitimate option as the club’s fifth starter next season—for the minimum salary, at that. At worst, he gets shelled in the MLB and the club knows it needs to find a fifth starter for 2013, be it Kendrick or someone else.

But at least they would be able to say that they tried.

For now, Kendrick’s days in the starting rotation should be over. As much as he would hate to hear it, “what you’ve done for me lately” actually matters in this league, and Cloyd has been doing this whole “winning” thing for a lot longer this season.

Again, it wasn’t a question that the Phillies wanted to be asking themselves at this stage, but a question that must be asked nonetheless.

What do they have to lose?

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

How Should the Phillies Manage Kyle Kendrick’s Persecution Complex?

Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick seems to think he hasn’t been given a fair shake as a starter.

Kendrick, after getting shelled for six earned runs in 3.1 innings against the Atlanta Braves earlier this week, was asked by Phillies’ beat reporters about the prospect of being demoted to the bullpen after his latest disappointing start.

“I guess that’s how it is with me,'” Kendrick said after the Phillies were pounded 12-6 by the Braves, as reported by David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. “It’s, ‘What have you done for me lately?'”

Kendrick was obviously frustrated, but this is a stunningly irrational comment for a pitcher who is now 2-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 15 starts, and has given up 12 homers and a .293 batting average against in those games.

What’s alarming is that this wasn’t the first time Kendrick gave an inflated self-assessment of a dismal performance. “I felt like I pitched a lot better than my numbers show,” Kendrick said after giving up five earned runs in 6.1 innings in a 6-2 loss to Toronto in June, as reported by The Inquirer’s Matt Gelb.

Sorry Kyle, but you are delusional. Your maddening tendency to nibble, and your fear of throwing strikes makes watching your starts as enjoyable as getting a root canal. You needed 50 pitches to get through the second inning against the Braves and gave up a two-run double to Braves pitcher Tim Hudson, and you’re grumbling about being under-appreciated?

Even Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is getting tired of Kendrick’s act. “Yeah, he’s had that kind of game before,” Manuel said after the game, as reported by John Finger of CSNPhilly.com.

With Kendrick slated to make $4 million in 2013, the odds of the Phillies cutting him loose are remote. The good news is that Kendrick’s numbers out of the bullpen are far better, so perhaps the Phillies will be able to extract some value from him next year.

Still, Kendrick’s comments sound ungrateful and raise the ugly specter of a bad attitude. And that’s exactly what the Phillies don’t need as they play out the string this season and hopefully set themselves up for a better performance in 2013.

Kendrick’s future looked much brighter back in 2008 when Phillies team members pulled one of the most memorable pranks in team history on the then-promising young pitcher, duping him into believing he’d been traded to the Japanese league.

The Phillies have shown great patience with Kendrick over the years, in spite of his inconsistent performance. But the boos with which Philadelphia fans serenaded Kendrick as he walked off the mound in his last start are only going to get louder if he is permitted to stay in the rotation. They will get even more intense if he continues with the snarky comments.

Will Kendrick be able to handle the heat? That remains to be seen, but if his thin-skinned demeanor continues, the Phillies might end up trading him to Japan for real this time.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

The Philadelphia Phillies’ All-Speedster Team

Speed thrills.

Sure, it’s usually the massive home run hitters or elite starting pitchers that make the most money, but I think that most baseball fans would agree that the speedsters are the most exciting.

It’s watching guys swipe two bags in a single inning, or bust it around second heading for a triple, or to take that even further, watching them attempt the so-called “most exciting play in baseball”—the inside-the-park home run—that forces our hearts to skip a beat.

The Philadelphia Phillies have had their fair share of speedsters throughout their history.

Observers of today’s team have watched Jimmy Rollins set the table at the top of the Phillies’ lineup for years. Shane Victorino was recently traded, but does the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” have a spot on this list?

If speedsters truly are the most exciting players in the game, then you can consider this the most exciting all-time Phillies’ roster of, well, all-time. It is dedicated to the base thieves, those with a proficiency for the triple, and some of the most explosive defenders of all-time.

Of course, there isn’t always a place for a speedy player on an MLB roster, so this one will certainly be unique in its on way, and deserving of a special note:

*Note: While starting pitchers have certainly made a name for themselves on the base paths in the past and present, members of the bullpen have not. Obviously, there won’t be a bullpen on this team. Well, not for pitchers anyway.

This club’s “bullpen” will be more like a list of honorable mentions. A “bullpen” of pinch-runners, if you will, listed in order and noted.

So with that in mind, check out this unique, all-time, all-speed roster. If nothing else, they’d be fun to watch.

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The Philadelphia Phillies’ Biggest Disappointments Since the 2008 World Series

The Philadelphia Phillies have doubtlessly been the most successful franchise in the City of Brotherly Love since they won the World Series in 2008.

Until this year, the Phils have been one of baseball’s most dominant forces, beginning each season with World Series aspirations, but ending each season in the most heartbreaking ways.

Today, the Phillies are NL East bottom dwellers. Along the road to the basement of the division, the Phillies have had some moments that have been outright devastating. Some have come on the field, and others have happened off the field. This slideshow will highlight the most gut-wrenching of these disappointments.

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Predicting What the 2013 Philadelphia Phillies’ Starting Lineup Will Look Like

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to look a little different in 2013.

Their pitching staff will be largely unchanged, mind you, as the Phillies locked up Cole Hamels for the foreseeable future just before the trade deadline and Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Lee could have gone somewhere, but Ruben Amaro, Jr. has vowed that Lee is going to stay put.

It’s the Phillies’ offense that’s going to look different. Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence were both traded before the deadline, putting the club’s plans for its outfield in flux. Given Placido Polanco’s declining health and skills, it’s a good bet that the Phillies will start 2013 with a new starting third baseman.

Sadly, I don’t own a crystal ball. I can’t gaze into the future and tell you who the Phillies are going to be running out there on a regular basis in 2013.

I do, however, have some educated guesses as to what their everyday lineup is going to look like.

 

The Locks

 

Ryan Howard, 1B

Is Ryan Howard the hitter he once was?

Not even close. He’s probably better than a .213 hitter with a .738 OPS, but not by much. He hit .253/.346/.488 in 2011 when he was healthy, and that’s where the bar should be set for him from now on.

But is Howard going anywhere?

There’s no chance of that happening. The Phillies are on the hook to pay him $20 million in 2013, and $25 million in 2014, 2015 and 2016, according to Baseball-Reference.com. In the realm of players with immovable contracts, Howard is right up there with the likes of Alex Rodriguez and John Lackey.

This is not to suggest that the Phillies actually want to move Howard. They probably know as well as anyone that Howard isn’t going to provide good value for the money he’s being paid, but the Phillies will be happy if they get 140 games and 30 home runs out of him in 2013. 

If Howard doesn’t open 2013 as Philly’s starting first baseman, it will be because the Mayans were right about the end of the world.

 

Chase Utley, 2B

It crossed my mind that Chase Utley might decide to hang ’em up after this season. His knees are shot, and the idea of playing a full season on them in 2013 has to make him squirm.

But 2013 is the final year of Utley’s contract with the Phillies, and it’s doubtful that he’s going to want to go out on the bitter disappointment of the 2012 season. I fully expect him to give it one more go.

Utley has been surprisingly good since he was activated off the disabled list in late June. His .475 slugging percentage is his best since the 2009 season, and he could easily end up hitting more home runs in half a season this year than he did in 103 games in 2011.

The Phillies will no doubt have a plan in place to keep Utley’s legs fresh in 2013. My best guess is that Freddy Galvis is going to be used to spell Utley on occasion. Galvis is a weak hitter, but he makes up for that by being an above-average defensive player.

Not a bad platoon situation.

 

Jimmy Rollins, SS

It’s not out of the question that Amaro will try to trade Jimmy Rollins this offseason. Rollins was the subject of many trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the deadline, and the $22 million (potentially $33 million if his vesting option for 2015 kicks in) remaining on his contract after this season isn’t such a big hurdle.

Or the Phillies could just keep Rollins and hope for the best, which wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. 

Rollins is getting up there in years, but he’s shown this season that he can still play. According to FanGraphs, he still rates as an above-average defensive shortstop with a UZR of 5.6. Since the start of June, Rollins has upped his OPS from .602 to .721. Of his 13 home runs, 11 have come since June 1.

He can also still steal an occasional base, as he has 17 this season and is on pace to finish with around 25 steals.

Rollins is making $11 million this season, and the verdict from BaseballPlayerSalaries.com is that he’s worth it. Expect him to stick around and start at short for the Phillies in 2013.

 

Carlos Ruiz, C

There haven’t been many bright spots for the Phillies in 2012, but Carlos Ruiz has without a doubt been the club’s biggest bright spot.

Ruiz is going to be out for a few weeks with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, which is just the latest in a series of injuries that he’s had to deal with this season. But when he’s been healthy, Ruiz has been a monster at the plate.

Per FanGraphs, Ruiz leads all major league catchers in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, weighted on-base average and WAR. He’s also shattered his previous career high with 14 home runs.

Ruiz’s bat has come alive this season, but he’s always been a valuable member of the team because of how he handles the club’s pitching staff. It’s the most underrated part of his game, and it’s what makes him the most under-appreciated of the Phillies’ recent run of success.

He has a $5 million team option for 2013. It’s safe to say the Phillies will be picking that up.

 

The Good Bets

 

Domonic Brown, LF

In a span of a year, Domonic Brown has gone from being one of the top prospects in all of baseball to being a bust in the eyes of some fans.

Such is life when you hit just .236/.314/.382 in your first two stints in the majors.

But it’s way too early to give up on Brown, and the bright side of the Phillies’ disappointing showing this season is that it’s put them in a position to give Brown some on-the-job training in the final few weeks of the regular season.

So far, so good.

Brown has only been an everyday player for the Phillies since the start of August, but what he’s shown thus far is encouraging. He’s hitting .333/.417/.476 over his last six games, and Charlie Manuel recently told CSNPhilly.com that he’s liking what he’s seeing.

“He’s been pretty good. I like the way he works the count and swings the bat,” said Manuel of Brown. “… Right now, he’s hitting the ball more to left field, left-center, especially up the middle, and that’s how you learn how to hit. You usually go the other way and work your way around.”

Brown is capable of playing all three outfield spots, but his profile is that of a corner outfielder. Manuel has used Brown exclusively in left field since he returned to the big leagues, and he’s looked pretty comfortable out there.

So if the Phillies are finally going to commit to Brown in 2013, expect him to be in left field on Opening Day.

 

Nate Schierholtz, RF

Nate Schierholtz is not a star player by any stretch of the imagination. He’s more like a fourth outfielder, and indeed that’s the role he’s played for much of his career to this point.

He’s better than you probably think, though.

Schierholtz is not an elite hitter, but he has a career OPS of .730 and he’s managed an OPS of .761 in his brief time with the Phillies. He got semi-regular playing time in 2011, and posted an OPS of .756.

Schierholtz is perfectly capable of posting an OPS in the mid-.700s if he were to start every day for the Phillies in right field. Seeing as how Pence posted a mere .784 OPS in his time with the Phillies in 2012, going from him to Schierholtz in right field wouldn’t be a massive downgrade.

One thing that’s for sure is that going from Pence to Schierholtz would be an upgrade defensively. He posted a negative UZR and a negative DRS in 2011, according to FanGraphs, but he can generally be counted on for above-average defense. Pence, on the other hand, has rated as a below-average defensive player each of the last two years.

But you know what the best thing about Schierholtz is?

He’s cheap. Pence could make as much as $15 million in arbitration this winter, whereas the Phillies could probably get away with signing Schierholtz for around $2 million in arbitration. Possibly less.

This will free them up to spend money elsewhere.

And that leads us to the most complicated part of this discussion…

 

Problem Areas

If you add up the 2013 salaries of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Ruiz, you get a total of $51 million.

Let’s assume that Brown is going to make about $500,000 in 2013 (the equivalent of what John Mayberry is making in 2012), and that Schierholtz is going to sign for at most $2 million.

This will mean the Phillies are going to have six starters locked up for less than $55 million. That’s an average of less than $10 million per starter, which isn’t bad at all.

But they’re still not going to have a lot of money to play with in free agency, and they have their high-priced pitchers to thank for that. Lee, Halladay, Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon will combine to make about $78 million in 2013.

In all, Baseball-Reference.com calculates that the Phillies have about $132 million invested in just nine different players in 2013. Once things like options and salary arbitration figures are mixed in, they could be tied up for as much as $150 million.

Per USA Today, the Phillies are operating with a payroll of about $175 million this season. That’s where the bar will be set in 2013.

This puts their free-agency budget at probably somewhere between $20-25 million. That kind of money can buy some pretty good players.

As far as their lineup is concerned, the Phillies’ two most pressing needs will be in center field and at third base. To fill those needs, they’ll hit the free-agent market.

 

Center Field

Safe, Low-Budget Option: Cody Ross

Phillies fans well remember what Cody Ross did to the club in the 2010 NLCS. They should also realize that his left field power stroke is absolutely perfect for Citizens Bank Park.

Granted, Ross is not the kind of guy the Phillies or any other team should want playing in center field every day. He’s not a bad center fielder, but he projects better as a corner outfielder. If the Phillies were to sign him, some sort of rotation involving Ross, Brown, Schierholtz and Mayberry would be necessary.

But that would be worth it because Ross could be had fairly cheaply. He’s only being paid $3 million by the Red Sox this season. His .879 OPS and 17 home runs put him in line for a raise, and he’ll undoubtedly be looking for a multi-year deal.

A three-year offer worth $7-8 million annually could get the job done.

 

Bold, Expensive Option: Michael Bourn

Michael Bourn is going to be the top center fielder on the market this offseason, and the word from ESPN’s Buster Olney is that the Phillies are very much interested in signing him.

He won’t come cheap. Bourn is having the best season of his career, hitting .289/.347/.424 with nine home runs and 29 stolen bases, all while playing excellent defense.

The Phillies would love to have Bourn’s defense in center field, and Bourn is also appealing because he could hit leadoff, thus allowing Rollins to hit elsewhere in the order.

Olney says that Bourn is going to get a multi-year deal worth between $16 and $22 million annually. My best guess is that Bourn will be signed for a figure towards the lower end of that estimate. Something right around $16 or $17 million per year.

A deal like that would stretch the Phillies’ free-agent budget to the limit, but it’s a deal they can afford to make.

And knowing Amaro, he won’t shy away from making such a deal.

 

Prediction: Bourn signs

 

Third Base

Safe, Low-Budget Option: Maicer Izturis

If the Phillies sign Bourn, they’ll have no choice but to go after the cheapest third baseman they can find.

This is, of course, assuming they don’t pick up Polanco’s $5.5 million option. If the Phillies do choose to let him go (and they should), they’ll likely look to land a player with a similar skill set: a contact hitter who can hold his own in the field.

The free-agent market won’t be rich with options this offseason, but Maicer Izturis comes to mind. He’s very much an NL-style player, as he’s a switch hitter who specializes in doing all the little things. He’d be a perfect No. 8 hitter in an NL lineup.

He’s also a solid defensive player at the hot corner, and he has the ability to play all over the infield if need be.

He’s making just under $4 million this season. My guess is that he could be signed for right around $5 million per year, at most. 

 

Bold, Expensive Option: Mark Reynolds

Mark Reynolds has been one of the least valuable players in baseball this season. Per FanGraphs, Reynolds’ -0.4 WAR rates as the 10th-lowest figure in MLB among players with at least 300 plate appearances.

This is what happens when one’s power disappears, yet the strikeouts remain. Reynolds has made matters worse by struggling defensively at both third base and first base.

If Reynolds was having a typical Reynolds season, the Orioles wouldn’t be calling up Manny Machado right now to play third base down the stretch. Since they are doing just that, it doesn’t seem at all likely that they’ll pick up Reynolds’ $11 million option for 2013.

If they don’t, Reynolds will hit the open market. He won’t be in line to make a killing in free agency, but it will likely take a one-year deal worth $7 or $8 million to sign him.

 

Prediction: Izturis signs

 

So the Phillies’ 2013 Lineup Could End Up Looking Like…

I’ll spare you any further chatter and just get to the point. Here’s my prediction for Philly’s everyday lineup in 2013:

 

1. Michael Bourn, CF

2. Jimmy Rollins, SS

3. Chase Utley, 2B

4. Ryan Howard, 1B

5. Carlos Ruiz, C

6. Domonic Brown, LF

7. Nate Schierholtz, RF

8. Maicer Izturis, 3B

 

Combined with the pitching the Phillies are going to have, I’d say they’d have a shot at getting back on top in 2013.

 

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

8 Phillies Players Fighting for a Regular Spot in the 2013 Lineup or Rotation

The Philadelphia Phillies have already lost more games this season than they did all of last season, which has led to the team having openings for any player who wants to make sure that a season like this doesn’t become an annual occurrence.

Well, trading away two-thirds of their starting outfield and a member of their starting rotation inside of a week may also have had something to do with these openings being created.

So, who fills them in 2013?

Barring a trade of Cliff Lee, the starting rotation has one opening.  With the right side of the infield locked in, and Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz (if his option is exercised) penciled in at shortstop and catcher, respectively, just one potential opening at third base remains.

As for the outfield, all three positions, as of now, could be had if players step up their performances between now and the end of the season.

Players such as Ty Wigginton, Kevin Frandsen, Michael Martinez and Laynce Nix can provide depth off the bench and make a spot-start if needed, but are unlikely to be in contention to become regular starters next season.

The Phils can always sign free agents to fill needs in the lineup and rotation, but until then, players currently on the roster and in Triple-A have an opportunity to have their say in the decision.

Here are eight players who are fighting for a regular spot in the 2013 lineup or rotation.

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10 Most Exciting Prospects the Philadelphia Phillies Will Promote in September

After trading both Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino at the July 31 trade deadline—and Joe Blanton shortly thereafter—the Philadelphia Phillies are undoubtedly an organization that’s re-tooling and building for the future. In recent years, the team traded away many of its top prospects—last year it was RHP Jarred Cosart and 1B Jonathan Singleton to the Astros for Pence. So, with the team seemingly out of playoff contention, the Phillies decided to trim the payroll while replenishing their depleted system.

When rosters expand at the beginning of September, the Phillies are one of several teams in a position to promote some of their more advanced prospects. In their case, primarily right-handed pitchers.

Here is a look at 10 Phillies prospects who could receive a September call-up.

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Ruben Amaro’s 25 Biggest Fails as GM of the Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are having the kind of season that puts the word “failure” in perspective.

To be out of the postseason race in the month of August after having the expectations of a World Series contender in spring training is simply inexcusable for the team with the highest payroll in the National League.

Of course, when you devote that kind of money to build a winner and it doesn’t win, the blame falls on the general manager, tasked with putting that team together. For the Phillies, that man has been Ruben Amaro Jr. since November 1, 2008.

It has been an interesting ride for Amaro thus far. He took over the organization’s front office at the peak of its success—the day after the Phillies paraded down Broad Street to celebrate just their second championship.

The four seasons that followed could be described as a “fall from grace.” The Phillies made it back to the World Series in 2009, but lost. In 2010, they were expelled from the National League Championship Series. The next season, they made an even earlier exit.

In 2012, making the postseason would be nothing short of a miracle.

While you shouldn’t put too much stock in that decline, it is symbolic of Amaro’s tenure as the general manager. Although he has had his share of successes, he has had his share of failures as well, and that’s how the Phillies wound up in this position.

Let’s take a look at the 25 biggest failures of Amaro’s tenure.

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