Charlie Manuel or Ryne Sandberg: Who Would Get the Most out of the Phillies?

It’s no secret that I’ve been hard on Charlie Manuel.  

I don’t think that he is a great manager.  I understand that he will go down as the winningest manager in Philadelphia Phillies history.  I’m well aware that he was the manager of the 2008 World Series champions, the second championship team in Phillies history and the first since 1980.  I also know that Manuel has been to the playoffs five times since 2005, accounting for five of the Phillies’ 13 playoff appearances since the team was founded in 1883.

But, as I’ve written about many times before, Manuel has his flaws as a manager, one of which is his questionable management of the pitching staff.  In many cases, Manuel leaves his starters (especially Roy Halladay) in the game too long and before you know it, they’ve given up a few runs in the seventh inning and the bullpen needs to scramble to get ready.  

Another managerial flaw that Manuel has is his inability to play small ball.  Without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the lineup, Manuel was unable to adjust to not having power bats in the middle of his lineup.  Instead of moving runners over on the base paths, Manuel would allow players to swing away, hoping that they’d be able to drive the ball out of the park.  More often than not the result wasn’t runs, but rather, at least one out.  

Finally, Manuel has a loyalty to his players that on one hand is respectable and admirable, but on the other hand, is interfering with the team’s best interests.  As previously mentioned, Manuel often leaves his starters in games for too long, which is a sign of loyalty.  Manuel also has a prototypical leadoff man in Juan Pierre who is still hitting behind Jimmy “First Pitch Pop up” Rollins.

 

 

 

I’ve been leading the charge for the beginning of the Ryne Sandberg era in Philadelphia.  But, as for who would get the most out of the Phillies in 2013, I’d actually go with Manuel over Sandberg.

Manuel’s last year under contract with the Phillies is 2013.  After 2013, there may very well be a different manager in Philadelphia; and the players know that.  

The players also know that they let the Phillies’ gigantic fan base down in 2012.  These two things, along with some fresh new faces, could create a very hungry team in 2013.

The Phillies players like Charlie Manuel.  Heck, I like Charlie Manuel.  Manuel is a classy guy who genuinely cares about his players and tries his best to protect them; I respect that.  I’ve been hard on the man, but I do respect him and it is clear that the players do too.  If the players feel that 2013 could be Manuel’s last year with the team, then they could take on a “win one for Charlie” attitude.

The other option is to bring in Ryne Sandberg for 2013.

As the Boston Red Sox showed this year, if you bring in the wrong manager, things can fall apart quickly.  If the players don’t respond well to Sandberg, then 2013 could be even worse than 2012.

But, as the Chicago White Sox showed this year, if you bring in the right manager, the team can take on a whole new attitude and become contenders.

2013 will no doubt be an interesting year for the Philadelphia Phillies and Charlie Manuel.  It could very well be the end of the career of the most successful manager in franchise history.  And although I have made my disapproval for some of Manuel’s tactics very clear, I still believe that he can and will get the most out of this team next year.  

The players love the gum-chewing, seed-spitting man who gently rests his cap on the top of his white hair.  Maybe next year they can send him out on top. 

 

Follow @TimStoeckle on Twitter

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B.J. Upton, Nick Swisher Head Class of Free Agents Who Make Sense for Phillies

Ruben Amaro Jr. had best already be thinking about how to improve the Phillies through free agency.

Despite what was an entertaining September flurry of wins, the Phillies are about to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  The trades of Shane Victorino (soon to be a free agent) and Hunter Pence (arbitration eligible this offseason) brought the Phillies modest returns in terms of prospects and bench depth at the major league level.

What those trades really did, though, was save the Phillies from committing another eight figures to Pence and from a possible fan push to re-sign Victorino for too many years and too much money.

Make no mistake: the Phillies cannot dive head-first into the free agent pool this offseason.  Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay are on the books for nearly $100 million in 2013.  Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Jonathan Papelbon will get just shy of $38 million more among them.

The Phillies will pay more to those seven players than all but four clubs this season (New York Yankees, Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) paid to their entire teams.

Still, the Phillies’ payroll was $174 million entering 2012.  There should be room for at least one marquee signing.

Looking at the team, they may need to dig even deeper than that.  Here are five players the Phillies should consider signing this winter.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Possible Changes for the 2013 Season

Recent buzz around the Philadelphia Phillies has shifted from the playoffs to the 2013 starting lineup.

Manager Charlie Manuel and GM Ruben Amaro have hinted (via CSN Philly) that Chase Utley will play third, which means someone new—possibly Michael Bourn—will patrol centerfield.  In addition, the Phils may be looking for a quality reliever.

Do they really think that Utley can play third base?  Since their championship year in 2008, the Phillies have been a premier defensive club. The middle with Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino was awesome. It was obvious this year, with Gold Glover Placido Polanco shelved and Gold Glover Victorino traded, that the defense would struggle. It certainly contributed to their down year.

Utley at third will be more than a work in progress. Seeing him charging a slow grounder and throwing off of his right foot could be scary to watch and not just because of his bad wheels. Granted, he is unmatched in grit and determination, but he has never really been a Russian ballet dancer in the field.  As a minor leaguer in 2002, he committed 28 errors at the hot corner.  His defense at second the last few years has been good, not great.

Utley’s smooth compact swing is a thing of beauty, but has anyone ever watched him go sliding into a base?  It is amazing that, with his troubled legs, he is still able to play at all.  Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez once called Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer “The Mechanical Man.”  That label could easily be applied to Utley: a great all-around player but far from the Mikhail Baryshnikov of baseball.

The Phils plan to use Freddy Galvis at second, who is a superb second baseman but also a convicted “roider,” which may affect his already suspect .226 average.  However, his 24 RBI in 58 games was impressive.

 

The outfield has been less than mediocre on offense and defense. Dom Brown and John Mayberry look physically impressive as corner outfielders, but looks can be deceiving.

Brown brings back memories of former Mets outfielder George Theodore on defense, but we are still waiting to see the power numbers.  His batting average is currently at .241 with four home runs in 158 at-bats.  Mayberry, who struggles going back on balls on defense, is hitting .255 with 14 home runs in 415 at-bats.

Putting Michael Bourn in center won’t really do much to counter that mediocrity.  Josh Hamilton would be a better free agent to pursue, but the Phillies do not want another Howard-like contract.  Hamilton, a true student of the game and someone who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, would end up pulling his hair out after watching Charlie Manuel’s decision making on a daily basis.  Besides, Hamilton will have more alluring offers from some other baseball denizens of the Northeast.

A quality reliever may also be on the wish list, but the bullpen has actually rebounded nicely.  Jeremy Horst, Phillippe Aumont, and Justin De Fratus have shown excellent potential.  They all throw hard and have been impressive in their brief tenure. If Josh Lindblom and Antonio Bastardo can re-find their groove, they will accompany Jonathan Papelbon nicely.  Papelbon has had a nice year with 36 saves, a 2.30 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The bullpen should be fine.

Add in Roy Halladay’s health concern and 2013 is bound to be an interesting year.  With the aforementioned changes, there won’t be any real change at all.  Let’s hope that there is more to the rumor mill than what we have heard so far.

With Ruben Amaro, one never knows.  The former major leaguer and Stanford grad has proven this before.  Maybe Josh Hamilton will come to the City of Brotherly Love.

Yeah, right.

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How B.J. Upton Would Give Phillies’ Offense the Missing Element It Badly Needs

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has been rather public about his intention to upgrade the team’s outfield next season.

Amaro is placing a premium on getting a center fielder. Fortunately for him and the Phillies, the 2013 free-agent market has some big-ticket players who can provide some help. 

Michael Bourn will probably be the most popular target for teams needing a center fielder with speed who can bat leadoff. Those skills would certainly help the Phillies, but it appears that Amaro is looking for a player who can be more of a run-producer—and supply a right-handed bat. 

That would seem to make B.J. Upton the best fit. Upton hits right-handed, has 20-home-run power and is capable of stealing 40 bases. At 28 years old, any team that signs Upton will still get some prime seasons from him. 

As ESPN.com’s Jason Churchill points out, plenty of clubs will be in line for Upton’s services this winter.

The Phillies’ NL East rivals, the Washington Nationals, could also be in pursuit (though speculation is that they’re eying Bourn as their top target). Other teams chasing Upton could be the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves.

Even the New York Mets, Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds could join the bidding (according to the Miami Herald, however, the Marlins are planning to cut payroll, so going after Upton seems unlikely).

But if Amaro is serious about making the outfield a priority for the Phillies in the offseason, the guess here is that they’ll go after Upton the hardest, as they need a right-handed run producer to mix in with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. 

Upton has batted second the most over his career, so that’s where Charlie Manuel could stick him next season. A top of the order with Jimmy Rollins (if he stays at leadoff), and Upton would provide plenty of RBI opportunities for Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Howard.

Manuel could also bat Upton in the No. 4 spot between Utley and Howard. The presumption is the Phillies want a right-handed outfield bat to prevent Utley and Howard from batting back-to-back and providing a trickier matchup for opposing teams in later innings. 

Phillies center fielders have batted .269/.333/.418 this season with 16 home runs and 65 RBI. That includes the production that Shane Victorino provided before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the July 31 trade deadline.

Upton has averaged 19 home runs a season since becoming a full-time player in 2007. But over the past two seasons, his power has increased and he’s averaged 25 homers per year. With nine games remaining in the 2012 season, Upton has an outside shot at 30 home runs, though that doesn’t seem likely. 

A career triple-slash average of .256/.337/.422 doesn’t look terribly impressive for Upton, but the Phillies might be willing to bet that those numbers go up with a batter like Utley or Howard hitting behind him. Amaro and company might want to note that Upton has had Evan Longoria batting him in Tampa Bay, however. 

Defensively, FanGraphs‘ Ultimate Zone Rating says Upton is slightly below average this season (ranking seventh among qualifying center fielders).

But he has typically played better in center field during his eight-year career. Even with this year’s showing, he still plays better defense than the Phillies have been getting at that position (among the bottom third in MLB) this year. 

Amaro and Manuel surely don’t want a butcher out there playing center field, but Upton’s defense will surely be sufficient. It’s more important that Upton gives the Phillies some badly needed offense from the outfield. 

Bourn is a better defensive center fielder and a prototypical leadoff hitter. Josh Hamilton is obviously a superstar hitter who can add 35 homers and 120 RBI to any lineup.

But neither player fits what the Phillies apparently seek for their lineup. Both of them will also be too expensive for a team that’s hoping to avoid the $178 million luxury tax in 2013 (and $189 threshold in 2014). 

Of course, Upton isn’t going to be cheap—especially if seven teams bid for his services this winter. But I don’t think that many teams will be in the hunt. This really could be a battle between the Phillies and Braves for Upton. And Atlanta hasn’t made big free-agent signings under its Liberty Media ownership. 

All signs seem to be pointing toward Upton being the centerpiece of the Phillies’ offseason renewal plan. It would be the right decision for Amaro. 

 

Follow @iancass on Twitter

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Playing ‘A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words’ with All 25 Phillies Players

An endless numbers of words have been written about the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies because, let’s be honest, there has been plenty to write about. 

A team with World Series expectations that falls flat on its face early in the season only to recover enough to make a run at the brand-new second NL Wild Card at the end of the season? Come on. It’s a writer’s dream story. 

But there’s only so much you can actually write about each player. You can give the most accurate description in the world, but a picture is worth a thousand words. 

It’s one of life’s inevitable truths: We love words, but we relate to pictures. We can look at a player’s picture and feel his emotion in a way that words can’t describe, and some pictures just do a better job at describing a player’s season. 

So lets have a look. Here’s one picture to describe each player’s season.

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Why Did It Take so Long for the Philadelphia Phillies to Take off This Year?

The Philadelphia Phillies are by no means out of the playoff picture but for the team that waited until the second half of the season to really heat up, time is certainly not on their side.

Sure the team may finally be on the winning side of things posting 40 wins in 68 games during the second half of the season. Sure the bullpen has found some semblance as of late. Sure the offense has begun to click beyond just the stellar performances all season from Carlos Ruiz and Juan Pierre.

It looks like the 2012 Phillies season will come down to a simple saying: too little, too late.

With the exception of the Houston Astros debacle earlier in the month of September and the recent series loss to the Atlanta Braves, everything really was working for the Phillies in the second half of the season. Pitching, hitting, defense all came together in a winning formula that assured the Phils at least a shot to fight for a wildcard spot.

With just nine games remaining and the Phillies currently sitting back five behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wildcard spot, anything short of a miracle will have this team missing October baseball for the first time since 2006.

Their fight will likely come up short as this season didn’t particularly go as planned.

Why?

That is the question that fans have been puzzled with, scratching their heads, agonizing over all season.

Why was the bullpen completely deplorable?

 

Why did Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence have to get traded?

Why did the Phillies sign Chad Qualls?

Why did the team take a chance on Laynce Nix and Ty Wigginton?

Why did Chase Utley have to get injured?

Why did Freddy Galvis use steroids?

Why was the team forced to sell at the trade deadline?

Why did the sellout streak end?

Why did it take the Phillies so long to finally start putting together wins?

That is really the question that will stick with most fans, people in the media and personnel in the front office. How and why did the team fail so badly so early in the season? Just four short seasons ago, the Phillies were raising the second World Series trophy ever won in franchise history. This year they likely won’t even make the playoffs.

There is no doubt that everyone is questioning the whys and hows of how the Phillies went from postseason giants to once again National League East doormats. In a way, there is no real answer to this while at the same time, there are possible explanations.

Bitten by the Injury Bug

I’m probably not the only Phillies fan that found it slightly amusing when the NY Mets went through a time a few seasons ago that saw nearly all of their regular starters spend time on the DL. The media even got in on this frenzy as everyone watched the NY Mets be replaced by their Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Mets. 

 

While the Phillies didn’t endure such a harsh injury riddle season, the team did see their two most important contributors miss nearly the entire first half of the season and their star pitcher suffer a shoulder injury that left him but a shell of himself for most of the year.

Losing Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay dealt the Phillies a pretty big blow. Not only did they lose a significant source of power and all-star pitching from their line-up, but they were also forced to attempt to replace these players. For the most part, the replacement efforts didn’t pan out as hoped.

Enter Ty Wigginton, Laynce Nix, Michael Martinez and Jim Thome.

These four guys were brought in, or re-signed in the case of Martinez, with hopes that they could account for some of the missing power and pop Howard and Utley provided.

Wigginton never really panned out. He provided a nice ability to be a utility player, but his numbers didn’t exactly fill the need the Phils were hoping for at first. Laynce Nix and John Mayberry also spent time at first base, but Nix too was on the DL and Mayberry didn’t start to heat up until the second half of the season.

Martinez missed time on the DL and really didn’t do much for the Phils on offense hitting just .172 with seven RBI in 99 at-bats.

And then there was Thome. At first, he provided a nice story—former Phil, one of the original big names to sign with this team reunites with his first manager back in Philly. It was nice and I don’t think there was anyone out there that didn’t want Thome to succeed. The problem was it was the National League and at 42 years old, Thome can’t play the field anymore.

 

Give the team and Thome credit because they tried the experiment. It failed, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise and I don’t think I’d be going out on a limb to say the back injuries Thome suffered from trying the field again may have put a soon-to-be expired expiration date on his career.

Essentially, the Phillies offense struggled in the first half of the season. They were missing two of their best run producers and the various different line-ups they put in place to replace the missing production never worked out. For this reason, the first half of the season really was lost in mediocrity and bad decision making on the part of Ruben Amaro and Charlie Manuel.

Finding the Missing Spark

With Howard and Utley gone, the team really was missing a huge part of why it’s been successful over the years. Besides that though, they were missing spark, energy and a sense of urgency.

In the past, each game used to matter for this team but this season, the year just didn’t seem to have that same feeling to it. Shane Victorino struggled mightily early on, and he and Jimmy Rollins really seemed to miss that swagger they possessed back in 2008. 

Those two weren’t the only ones that seemed down on their luck. The entire team just didn’t appear to realize what they were playing for. It was as if they expected to win the division again and to do so with relative ease. They underestimated the Washington Nationals for sure and overestimated what they could do without Howard and Utley.

The passion wasn’t there, the desire to win wasn’t there. In a way, I think it hurt this team that so many of their players were left over from the 2008 team. Having already won one, the drive to get the ring wasn’t as present as it was in the past.

 

Now when Howard and Utley came back, a little bit of the spark and style of Phillies baseball fans became accustomed to returned. After all, Utley hit a HR in his first at-bat back and even though the Phils lost this game, it seemed to energize the fans and the players.

The rest of the energy came back in force when the Phillies rid themselves of dead weight. After the Pence/Victorino trades, Rollins began to heat up and eventually Howard began to get some of his power numbers back.

On top of this, new players had come in including Kevin Frandsen, Erik Kratz, Domonic Brown, Steven Lerud, Philippe Aumont and Nate Schierholtz. Bringing youth and enthusiasm to the Phillies, these players appeared to energize the rest of the squad. They brought a new feeling of hope to this team similar to the way Utley, Howard, Rollins, Victorino and Cole Hamels did in 2008.

The Pitching Got Better

Probably the simplest explanation as to why the Phils got hot in the second half of the season is the fact that their pitching drastically improved.

When the season began, the Phils boasted three pitchers that finished in the top five of the 2011 NL Cy Young voting. After about the first month however, only one of these three was able to remain worthy to be in the Cy Young conservation in 2012.

Cole Hamels led the team when Halladay went down with an injury and when Cliff Lee struggled to get run support and wins. He blazed out to a strong start and never really had a period of prolonged struggle during the season.

Even though Hamels and closer Jonathan Papelbon were good all season, they were really the only two pitchers that could say that.

 

When the second half began however, some of this started to change.

Even though Halladay continued to struggle with his mysterious and only recently revealed shoulder injury, Lee began to pitch better. He lowered his ERA and brought his win total from two to six. It still isn’t what you expect from a former Cy Young winner but it was an improvement.

The bullpen got some help when September call-ups promoted Philippe Aumont and Justin DeFratus to the team. Both have pitched well in their roles and the bullpen as a whole, even though it still isn’t perfectly, certainly improved in the second half of the season.

The most notable improvement however came in Kyle Kendrick.

At times this season, Phillies fans and media were clamoring for the trade of Kendrick. It wasn’t unwarranted though. Kendrick once again was struggling.

Having bounced from bullpen to spot starter to full time starter, Kendrick was unable to handle the pressure and the uncertainty of his situation. He didn’t get his first win until a masterful seven hit shutout at the end of the May. He limped his way to the All Star break with a record of 4-8.

After two bad back-to-back starts to begin the month of August, Manuel sat down with Kendrick to hammer out his struggles in the season. He assured him the starting job was his and with the help of pitching coach Rich Dubee, stressed confidence.

It clicked for Kendrick because in the second half of the season and while the Phillies were on this improbable playoff run, the young righty was their best pitcher. He won four in a row in August and is currently 2-2 in September. He has gotten his record to 10-11 and has lowered his ERA to 3.89.

The Final Verdict

While there really is no concrete way to explain just how the Phillies were so slow in April, May and June, the above explanations provide part of the picture that summed up the Phillies season. Although they put forth the effort late in the season, their bad start will probably end up costing them that shot at the playoffs.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Will Ryan Howard and Chase Utley Reemerge in 2013?

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley’s best days are behind them. That much we know for certain.

Age and injury have turned the pair of former MVP candidates into players who are good, but no longer great.

Their absence from the lineup for nearly half of the 2012 season and subsequent subpar production is as good an excuse as any for the Phillies‘ disappointing 77-74 record.

The first and second basemen have anchored the lineup for years. Can we expect them to bounce back in 2013? Will Utley’s knees hold up over the long haul? Can Howard cut down on the strikeouts and reestablish himself as a feared cleanup hitter?

The trends for both players don’t look great. Even before Howard ruptured his Achilles tendon on the final play of the Phillies’ 2011 season, he was headed in the wrong direction.

Howard hasn’t hit more than 33 home runs in a season since 2009. His average has dropped each year as well. While he’s still working himself back from the Achilles injury, he’s struck out nearly one out of every three plate appearances this season. His career OPS against left-handed pitching is .740, and he’s hit .176 against lefties this year.

And that’s just his offense. Defensively, Howard is a well-below-average first baseman who lacks range, a quick glove and even an adequate throwing arm.

He’s on the books for $95 million through 2016, so he’s certainly not going anywhere.

I’d expect Howard to work hard in the offseason and come back on a mission. Unfortunately, he simply doesn’t have the physical tools he once possessed. There’s no way all of that bat speed is coming back.

Look for Howard to hit 35 home runs next year and drive in 100 runs. If he can improve his plate discipline and figure out a way to deal with lefties, he could exceed expectations.

The analysis of Utley is trickier, as the production is still there. But can he stay on the field? Will he be ready for the start of 2013?

Despite knee issues that have sapped some of his pop, he is still a premier second baseman. He is far ahead of last year’s offensive pace and is back to hitting the ball with authority. He’s reaching base with regularity as well, and his .382 OBP is right in line with his career .377 mark.

While the Phillies have kicked around the idea of moving Utley to third base next year to make room for Freddy Galvis, the defensive metrics show he is still covering plenty of ground at second.

Utley will earn $15 million in 2013, the final year of his contract. It will be interesting to see whether the Phillies try to extend him soon or wait until after next season and they are assured of his health. 

Utley has stolen nine bases this year, which is an excellent sign after some thought his career could be over. Gone are the days of 30 home runs and 40 doubles, but I have a feeling he could bounce back big in 2013 based on his play of late. Whether he does that next to Howard or at the opposite corner will be the question.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Playoff Chances with 11 Games Left

Twelve days ago I wrote about what it would take for the Phillies to make the playoffs.  Since writing that article, here is how the NL Wild Card contenders have fared:

1. St Louis Cardinals: 5-6

2. Los Angeles Dodgers: 4-6

3. Milwaukee Brewers: 9-1

4. Philadelphia Phillies: 8-3

5. Arizona Diamondbacks: 6-3

6. Pittsburgh Pirates: 2-9

For the purpose of this exercise, I am eliminating the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are 5.5 games back with just 12 games to play and leapfrogging five teams with so few games left to play is not going to happen. Nor have they shown any sort of hint that they have a 11-1 or 10-2 run in them to even make it close.

So, for the Phillies to make the playoffs, the above teams would have to finish like this from here on out:

1. Philadelphia Phillies: 9-2 to finish 86-76

2. St Louis Cardinals: 5-6 to finish 85-77

3. Los Angeles Dodgers: 6-5 to finish 84-78

3. Milwaukee Brewers: 6-6)to finish 84-78

5. Arizona Diamondbacks: 7-5 to finish 82-80

It is a tall order for Philadelphia. If the Phillies go 9-2 to close out the season, that means they will have gone 17-5 since my original article and 32-11 in their last 43 games.

Their record since the All-Star break would be 49-26. The 49 wins since the All-Star break would not be unprecedented for this core. In the magical five-year run before this season, this is how the Phillies performed post-All Star break:

2007: 45-29 (.608)

2008: 40-26 (.606)

2009: 45-31 (.592)

2010: 50-25 (.667)

2011: 45-26 (.634)

So a 49-26 mark this year would basically be right in line with the previous five years.

Here is a breakdown of how the contending teams need to fare in order for the Phils to make the playoffs:

 

Cardinals

 at Chicago (1-1), at Houston (2-1), vs Washington (1-2), vs Cincinnati (1-2)

 

Dodgers

 at Cincinnati (1-1), at San Diego (2-1), vs Colorado (2-1), at San Francisco (1-2)

 

Brewers

 at Washington (1-2), at Cincinnati (1-2), vs Houston (2-1), vs San Diego (2-1)

 

Phillies

 vs Atlanta (2-0), vs Washington (2-1), at Miami (3-0), at Washington (2-1)

 

Diamondbacks

 at Colorado (2-1), at San Francisco (1-2), vs Chicago (2-1), vs Colorado (2-1)

 

Realistically, the most difficult scenario to imagine is the Phillies going 9-2.  Sweeping Atlanta and Miami is a lot to ask.

Washington still has the No. 1 seed to play for, so they probably will not be mailing in any games. But they have not been playing great baseball recently, winning just six of their last 13 games. It kind of feels like the Stephen Strasburg situation let some wind out of their sails.

This is not an article saying the Phillies will make the playoffs or will win nine of their last 11 games.  It is merely a snap shot of what must happen in order for the Phillies to travel to Atlanta for the wild-card game.

With how wacky this 2012 season has been for the Phillies, at least it is fun to still be able to talk about the slim possibility of a playoff berth with just 11 games to play.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Is It Time to Make Drastic Changes for Phils in 2013?

The 2012 Phillies haven’t lived up to their recent lofty standards.

At four games back with just twelve remaining, the Phils must leapfrog three teams to secure a wild-card spot and a sixth straight trip to the postseason.

The odds are stacked against them.

So let’s take a look ahead at the game plan for 2013. What needs to change? And, more importantly, can the Phillies change?

It’s easy to say the Phillies must get younger, that they must add a power bat or two, and that they must add reliable late-inning relievers. 

But this offseason will be anything but easy for Amaro.

For one, some of the pieces on his team simply can’t be moved. Ryan Howard will return at first base next year. Chase Utley will play second base, or potentially third, if he proves he can handle the hot corner.

Jimmy Rollins, who has enjoyed a renaissance of late, just signed a contract extension this past offseason and will be back at shortstop. Carlos Ruiz will catch, and Domonic Brown will be given the opportunity to start in one of the outfield corners.

That leaves three everyday spots up for grabs—third base, center field and either left or right field.

If Utley successfully converts to third base—and I have my doubts that will happen—Freddy Galvis would presumably take over at second, filling out the infield.

The rotation is set, as long as Amaro decides to hang on to Cliff Lee, though the potential for a trade that would free up additional money remains.

Expect Lee to stay, particularly after the left-hander has returned to dominant form of late. Ace starting pitchers don’t grow on trees.

Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick should also start every five days.

The Phillies boast considerable depth in their untested bullpen, though that’s a story for another day.

For better or worse, the Phillies 2012 core will remain the same in 2013. So, how do they add punch with limited flexibility?

Amaro has moves to make and they have to be the right moves. He can’t afford to make a big mistake this offseason. 

A free agent outfield group that includes Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and B.J. Upton will be the general manager’s focus. 

If the Phillies swing and miss on those big names, look for them to pursue players like Cody Ross, Angel Pagan or Melky Cabrera—who could come at a steep discount after his breakout year was interrupted by a failed drug test.

Current Phillies John Mayberry, Nate Schierholtz, Juan Pierre and Laynce Nix aren’t everyday outfielders. Each one has their limitations, and while a platoon of Mayberry and one of the three left-handed bats could work, the Phillies must add an impact outfielder.

Mayberry has done a serviceable job in center field, but the Phillies could use an upgrade, which leaves Bourn and Upton as the prime candidates.

An interesting under-the-radar move could be to bring Shane Victorino back in the mix, but this would necessitate adding a big bat like Hamilton or Swisher. 

The third base market is extremely weak, and Amaro has said as much. If the Utley Experiment doesn’t come to fruition, a trade may be the only way to bring in a third baseman.

Expect the Phillies to ask about Mike Olt and Chase Headley, though both players would cost the Phillies valuable prospects from a shallow farm system.

Kevin Youkilis could be a cheap boom-or-bust option, but his rapid decline and consistent injury concerns will give the Phillies reason to pause.

With over $133 million locked in for next season’s roster, Amaro must carefully balance how he uses the team’s money.

It won’t be easy, and Amaro won’t have the means to overhaul his roster, but a few carefully calculated moves, the Phillies should be back in contention in 2013.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Ranking the 25 Most Famous Philadelphia Phillies Players of All-Time

What’s it take to be famous in this game? 

That almost seems like a rhetorical question when you first hear it; but the more you think about it, the more difficult the response becomes. 

Well, we can narrow it down through process of elimination. You obviously have to be pretty good to be famous. The utility infielder on a specific club or the lowest guy on the depth chart in the bullpen isn’t going to be the first player that comes to mind 20 years from now. 

No. We like to remember the All-Stars and the Cy Young and MVP winners. Those guys are the most memorable—the most famous—because they were too good not to be popular. 

But when you live in the city of Philadelphia, you don’t always grow up listening to stories about the obvious guys. You listen to stories about players who played the game “the right way.” You grow up listening to stories of the slick fielding Larry Bowa, the approach of Johhny Callison, the mammoth home run power of Dick Allen and the unforgettable hustle of Pete Rose. 

So, maybe I should rephrase the question: What does it take to be famous in the city of Philadelphia? When you play sports, anyone who succeeds and plays the game hard has a great chance. 

But before we get into the rankings of the most “famous” players in Phillies‘ history, keep this in mind: We’re not looking for the best. We’re looking for the most famous. 

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