Why B.J. Upton, Cody Ross Are Not the Answer for the Phillies’ Outfield

Everybody has an opinion about how to fix the Phillies. Many of those views involve the outfield, which features John Mayberry Jr., Domonic Brown, Nate Schierholtz, Laynce Nix and Juan Pierre, who is a free agent this offseason.  

Phillies fans and the front office know that this is not an acceptable outfield for a team that expects to compete for the World Series.  

There is a fairly strong group of talented free-agent outfielders that the Phillies should target. However, two of those names, B.J. Upton and Cody Ross, would not be the answer that the Phillies so desperately need.

The Phillies would like a strong right-handed bat in their lineup, and Ross could be viewed that way. But instead of settling for an average right-handed hitter, the Phillies should pursue switch-hitting outfielder Nick Swisher.

Swisher and Ross are both 31 years old, so age isn’t a factor. Statistically, they are fairly similar, with Swisher driving in more runs due to the Yankees‘ loaded lineup.

Ross is hitting .267 with 22 home runs and 79 RBI, while Swisher is hitting .268 with 24 home runs and 92 RBI. But the number that stands out is on-base percentage, where Ross is at .328 and Swisher at .358. 

By acquiring Swisher, the Phillies would be adding a guy who can get on base and drive in runs.

 

Although there are reports that Swisher will be seeking a Jayson Werth-type contract, it seems more likely that Swisher would sign a three-year, $45 million deal or a four-year, $60 million deal, both of which are manageable for the Phillies.  

Swisher and his free-spirited personality could be a great fit in Philadelphia. Bringing in a personality like his can breathe life into a team that needs it.

Ross would be a bargain, but Swisher would be more of a valuable asset.

As mentioned before, Upton has been a popular name thrown around by people who are trying to fix the Philadelphia outfield.

People have been waiting for years for him to have a breakout season. But instead, he puts up average to below-average numbers year after year.

Since hitting .300 in 474 at-bats in 2007, Upton’s average hasn’t topped .273. He’s hitting .247 this season, and his on-base percentage is .299, the lowest of his career.

Upton will be getting a big contract this offseason based purely on potential. The 28-year-old has tremendous upside, but his performance has not been even close to what is expected of him.  On top of that, there are questions about his work ethic.

 

So, if not Upton in center field, then who?

The answer is prototypical leadoff hitter Michael Bourn.

He enters free agency reportedly looking for a five- or six-year deal at $15 million per year.  If the Phillies could get him for around $13.5 million per year, he could be worth pursuing.

If you compare Bourn to Upton, there isn’t much of a comparison.  Bourn is far superior in just about every category except age. Although Bourn isn’t old (he’ll be 30 at the start of next season), he’s a lot less appetizing from an age perspective than a 28-year-old.

Acquiring Bourn would give the Phillies a proper leadoff hitter.  Bourn has an on-base percentage of .349 this year and has stolen 40 bases. The Phillies’ current leadoff man, Jimmy Rollins, has an OBP of .316. A leadoff hitter like Bourn would change the Phillies’ lineup for the better.

If the Phillies are going to go big this offseason, they need to do it right.  Don’t settle for Ross and Upton when you can go after Swisher and Bourn.

 

Follow @TimStoeckle on Twitter 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies’ Free Agency: Updated Targets & Rumors

With the Philadelphia Phillies officially eliminated from playoff contention, the team must now fully turn their attention to the upcoming offseason and creating a game plan that gets them back atop the National League East standings as soon as possible.

That’s easier said than done.

The Phillies entered this season with the highest payroll in the NL, and were able to shed what was left of the salaries of Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton through non-waiver and waiver wire deals.

The team will also gain back flexibility if players such as Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras are bought out.

How will the team’s roster look next season?  Which current players are being included in long-term plans?  Which positions will the team focus on through free agency, trades or both?

Here are the latest targets and rumors for the Phillies as they head into the offseason.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Philly WILL Target Free Agent BJ Upton

While Ruben Amaro has been coy about his offseason plans, even telling Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that he has no clear “number one priority” for the offseason, the Phillies GM has made no secret about his desire to upgrade the club.

After trading away several veteran players—most prominently Hunter Pence—the Phillies have both avoided paying the luxury tax this season and freed up salary space for 2013. With a payroll already slated to approach (and perhaps exceed) $160 million to begin the offseason, the Phillies have under $20 million to spend before crossing the luxury tax threshold.

With several holes on the team—the outfield, the bullpen, third-base and someone to fill in for Chase Utley for a month or two—they obviously will be unable to fix everything through free agency. Both their budget and the scarcity of available players at those positions make that impossible.  With a number of cheap(er) options for relief help, and the lack of any free agent third-baseman of value on the market, the odds are that the majority of free-agent dollars the Phillies spend this offseason will be spent to address the outfield situation.  

However, that does not mean, nor should it mean, that the Phillies will exhaust their entire budget to land the biggest target on the market.  Even though their recent history shows they tend to go after the biggest and boldest name on the market—Roy Halladay in 2009, Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee in 2010, Pence in 2011—it’s doubtful they will be going after Josh Hamilton.

It may not make perfect sense, and probably will end up causing more issues than it solves, but the player the Phillies will target this offseason is BJ Upton.

Here’s why.

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The Most Disappointing Moment of Each Phillies Player’s 2012 Season

There are plenty of people disappointed with the Philadelphia Phillies right now. 

Sure, the team and its fans are obvious choices. Neither group wants to be in third place right about now, especially since they had the highest payroll in the National League for most of the season. 

How about Roy Halladay’s fans, who want nothing more than to see him get that World Series ring? The same goes for Cliff Lee and his supporters. How about those who expected Jonathan Papelbon’s first season with the Phillies to result in his first ring with a new team? 

How about all of the experts that staked their reputation on picking the Phillies to win the World Series this year—or even to come close? 

It’s been a disappointing year for the Phillies without a doubt, and the effects are far reaching. Here’s the most disappointing moment from every player’s perspective. 

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