Phillies Rumors: Fact or Fiction on All the Hottest Rumors in Philadelphia

True or false? Fact or fiction? 

We are not even a full month into the offseason, and already we have seen the Philadelphia Phillies linked to almost every warm body capable of playing center field or third base—and those aren’t their only holes to fill. 

With so much technology and a constant stream of information flowing about the offseason in today’s game, it is important to approach the winter with a grain of salt and a heaping helping of common sense. 

The Phillies are more than a professional sports team. They’re also a business. They operate under a budget and cannot overspend in certain areas while leaving other portions of the club bare, so keep that in mind when you hear them linked to guys like Zack Greinke, for example, whom they will not be signing. 

So who do the Phillies have interest in? Glad you asked. 

The slideshow will go through all of the popular rumors in Philadelphia and attempt to interpret which ones are “fact” and others that are “fiction. 

If a player receives the “fact” label, it does not mean that he is going to sign with the Phillies. It means that the opportunity exits and is plausible. On the other hand, if a player is labeled “fiction,” do not expect to see him with the Phillies next season.

Begin Slideshow

12 Dream Free Agent Pickups for Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies saw two free agent outfielders sign with new teams last week, leaving their list of available options a little lighter but still lengthy nonetheless.

However, with all of these options, the Phils will also be competing with multiple teams both in signing players and in setting the market at various positions.

The Phillies are also in a different situation this offseason.  Yes, they still have money to spend and have pieces already in place, but this is also their first offseason following a regular season that ended without a trip to the postseason since 2006.

Ideally, the Phillies will be able to convince their top targets that they can return to the playoffs quickly, and that salary demands are not a problem.

Of course, this won’t be the case with every free agent, but there are enough options available that give the Phils a chance to turn things around next season with the right signings.

Here are 12 dream free agent pickups for the Phillies who, although they cannot sign every player on this list, can still fill big-time needs heading into next season.

Begin Slideshow

5 Reasons Why the Phillies Must Sign B.J. Upton to Keep Him Away from Atlanta

One of the most important reasons why the Phillies should pursue B.J. Upton this offseason is to keep him away from their perennial division rival Atlanta Braves.

The Braves already have a team full of youthful stars; Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, just to name a few.

If the Phillies were to let him slip away to Atlanta, the Phillies are going to have to deal with him hitting home runs, stealing bases and preventing runs in center field against them for years to come.

Here are five reasons why the Phillies need to sign B.J Upton and keep him far away from the Atlanta Braves. 

Begin Slideshow

5 Prospects Who Could Make an Impact for the Philadelphia Phillies Next Season

Surprisingly, the Philadelphia Phillies will spend this offseason rebuilding.

A year ago, it seemed that the Phillies would be a shoe-in for the National League pennant, only to be sellers by the time the trade deadline came around.

Roy Halladay struggled, Cliff Lee could not buy himself a win and Jimmy Rollins found himself on the receiving end of criticism.

Despite keeping a potential top free agent off the market, by signing Cole Hamels midseason, the Phillies still have a number of needs.  Unfortunately, not all of them align with their prospective talent.

Trading away Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence left their outfield rather empty and the better part of the Philly infield is either injured, unproductive or aging.

In 2013, the Phillies will try to become relevant once more.  Here are five prospects that could help them make that push:

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: Why Catcher Tommy Joseph Is the Most Valuable Trade Asset

After making so many blockbuster deals in the past few years, it is to no one’s surprise that the Phillies minor league system has lost some of its depth and talent. Of these remaining prospects, it is the young pitching studs mostly located in Class-A that represent some of the team’s best future talents.

In addition to the pitching prowess, there is really just one player that stands out as a potential major league star. His name is Tommy Joseph and although the Phils would love to keep him, he is their best trade chip. Plus, with the way Amaro has been almost mesmerized into mortgaging the future to win in the present, he may very well be traded before the 2013 season even starts.

Since the Ruben Amaro era began in Philadelphia, fans of the team as well as media personnel in the city have been accustomed not only to a winning tradition but also to a big-time deal that typically happens right around this time of year. What fans haven’t really considered though is that in order to make some of these deals, Amaro had to trade away some of the players that could soon be major league talents and that represent the future of the franchise.

Every year, the organization’s top prospect seems to be in danger of being traded. This year that prospect is Joseph and the situation is no different. Not only does he give the team great leverage in making a trade but also, his path to the majors could right now be blocked by the Phils former number one catching prospect, Sebastian Valle.

Valle, who last year played at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and is now on the Phillies 40-Man Roster, could be in place to serve as the Phillies back-up catcher next season. Although his plate discipline still needs some work, major league experience will show the Phillies if they have a future talent in Valle. If that turns out to be the case, Joseph, who would yield a better trade return, will likely find himself elsewhere next season.

Before getting into why Joseph is so valuable to the team as a trade piece, let’s briefly look at Amaro‘s big trades/free agent signings over the past three years and how these moves left the Phillies with not much to offer when it comes to making trades. Looking at the other available trade pieces (or the lack thereof) is important in understanding just why the young catcher is likely to be the starter for any trade talks the Phils engage in. 

 

Three Years and Three Monster Deals Later…

Late November signings brought All-Star and likely future Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay to the Phillies. It was also around the holiday season, the year after the Halladay deal, that fans were granted the ultimate Christmas present. In a shocking move that no one really saw coming, Amaro returned fellow All-Star and Cy Young award-winning pitcher Cliff Lee to Philadelphia.

With two of the top starting pitchers in baseball, Amaro pulled the trigger on yet another big offseason signing after the 2012 Winter Meetings. In what many consider to be a generous contract, Amaro paid closer Jonathon Papelbon to occupy that same role with the Phillies.

Three years and three big deals later, the most important number in all of this is zero. As in, no more World Championship trophies to add to the Phillies’ collection.

Needless to say, the Phillies have really lived and died on this propensity to pull the trigger on the big deals at opportune times. As a result of these deals, Amaro has brought big names—and with them, big wins—to the team. But all of the acquisitions have failed to accomplish and many have failed to even reach the ultimate pinnacle of baseball.

On paper, the team the Phillies boasted with Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in the rotation, and Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Hunter Pence in the field, should have put together the production to win several World Series Championships.

But they didn’t.

They didn’t even come close.

Trading the Future for the Present

 

So with the high-paid players failing to bring back that championship glory, you have to look more at what the Phillies have lost as opposed to what they have gained as a result of these trades.

Kyle Drabek, Travis D’Arnaud, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Michael Taylor, Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart.

You probably remember at least some of these names. These are just a handful of what at the time were considered the best prospects Philly had to offer. All of them were traded away in efforts to acquire either Lee (the first time), Pence or Halladay. 

Essentially, the Phillies went from having one of the best farm systems with some of the strongest depth in all of the majors to one of the worst in just three years. In return for the trades, they received stellar players,

But after 2013, Philly could see a roster that includes none of them.

Their philosophy was to mortgage the future in order to win in the present. Unfortunately, the Phillies have pretty badly mortgaged that future, and yet have nothing more than a franchise record in wins and a few more NL East titles to show for it. 

Rebuilding and Regrouping

Having made so many big deals, the Phillies found that their farm system had become something it hadn’t been in years: barren.

So in an effort to rebuild their developmental program for future prospects, the Phillies, which fell out of the playoff race in 2012, traded both Pence and Shane Victorino. They also focused on the player draft and acquired a handful of stellar pitching prospects over the past few years.

The Pence and Victorino deals brought some pretty solid prospects. Nate Schierholtz and Josh Lindblom landed almost immediately in the majors, while Ethan Martin and Joseph joined the Reading Phillies team that reached the playoffs in 2012.

Martin, a pitching prospect who came over from the Los Angeles Dodgers, supplants a very strong core of pitching talent in the Phillies’ farm system. The pitching depth, by far, is the strongest of any position this team has in the developmental stages.

The Importance of Tommy Joseph

Trade Value

And then there is Joseph. Other than the pitching stars and possibly third baseman Cody Asche, Joseph is a player that the Phillies can afford to trade away.

It may seem curious that I am talking about the team trading Joseph, especially after they are just starting to rebuild. But Valle is ahead of Joseph in terms of experience and although Joseph has a higher ceiling, Valle is a little more polished and closer to being major league ready. As a result, if or more likely when Ruiz departs, Valle is the guy who will likely fill the spot. For that reason, Joseph and his path to the majors seems to be blocked.

Meanwhile, other teams, such as the New York Mets, have a need for a catcher. They also have players that the Phillies would really like to have.

In speaking of a potential trade of David Wright to the Phillies, it is important to note that Joseph fills one of the Mets’ needs. Without the inclusion of Joseph in a trade, the Phils would likely not stand a chance to acquire Wright, even though he is a third baseman—and a perfect solution for the team’s needs.

Other than Joseph and the aforementioned pitching prospects, the Phillies really don’t have much that other teams would likely be interested in. It is for that reason that Joseph is the most important trade asset the Phillies have that’s not currently in the majors.

Upside

I hate using the word upside. Any player can, and likely does, have an upside. They wouldn’t have been drafted if they didn’t.

That said, Joseph has upside and has shown this by gradual improvement at each level of the minors.

When Joseph first played in the Giants‘ minor league system, there was a question.  It wasn’t about his bat, but instead about his durability. Joseph had below average skills as a defensive catcher behind the plate, giving some worry to scouts in terms of a possible major league career. According to Baseball Prospectus, who ranked Joseph as the Giants 4th best prospect, the biggest factor determining Joseph’s progression was going to be his defense behind the plate. Since reaching the Double-A level however, Joseph has performed much better defensively posting a career best 99 fielding percentage with just four errors. Joseph also saw his raw power develop a little more at Double-A and that adds to his value as a top prospect. 

Having the ability to play well and play for a long time is something that really plays on the mind of a general manager when he considers trading for a prospect. With Joseph now looking like he can be that everyday guy, his trade value goes up.

Catchers Are at a Premium

With the exception of pitchers, good major league catchers are really at a premium. 

This plays perfectly into the hands of the Phillies, which have a top 15 catching prospect in Joseph and leverage when it comes to trading with a good number of teams in the National League. Also, with Valle already being listed as “untouchable,” the Phillies get to keep their top catching prospect and at the same time are able to make a trade to make their major league club better.

When the Phillies traded for Halladay, the Blue Jays would not have made the trade if Travis D’Arnaud had not been included in the deal. The same was true for the Cleveland Indians, which insisted on getting Double-A catcher Lou Marson as the centerpiece of the Cliff Lee trade in 2009. Ultimately, the Phillies parted with their then-best catchers as well as a pretty good pitching prospect in each deal.

A similar situation could work in the Phillies favor as they now have a top catching and top pitching prospect that affords them the freedom to be in the driver’s seat. If they want Wright of the Mets or a player such as Peter Bourjos of the Los Angeles Angels or Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Joseph and one of the “baby aces” are no doubt going to be front and center in a deal.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Why They Should Pursue Angel Pagan over BJ Upton

While all of the talk in Philadelphia has been centered around how the Phillies can get BJ Upton into the outfield, the team might be better off looking at Angel Pagan at a more predictable, and consequently better, option for 2013.

It seems as if the San Francisco Giants want to bring Pagan back, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, so this might be a hard fight to win. He just won the World Series, and that is a difficult situation to leave.

However, Pagan himself has never come out on the record as far as I know as to his intentions for next season. Perhaps he wants to try somewhere different. If that is the case, the Philadelphia Phillies need to seriously consider adding Pagan to the lineup.

First, he will serve a purpose similar to what Shane Victorino did when he was in Philadelphia. He hit for a high average, got on base, was always a threat to steal second and had decent power. Of course, if you look at his stat line from last season, this is rather obvious.

He hit .288, led the National League with 15 triples, hit eight home runs, drove in 56 runs and stole 29 bases. He is the type of hitter that the Phillies could use at the top of their lineup to help set the table for the run producing bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Beyond the obvious on-field benefits, it’s safe to assume that his contract will be less than BJ Upton. The Philadelphia Phillies have put far too much money into far too few contracts. Making another large investment in a high-risk player like Upton doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Normally, I am a huge advocate of taking on risks to reap huge potential rewards. Upton does provide that, but it is not the right time for the Phillies. If the risk for Upton doesn’t pay off, the Phillies will be saddled with yet another deal that costs a lot more than it is worth.

Except for the power, Pagan provides virtually every benefit that Upton does and he has been more consistent throughout his career. The Phillies need someone who they can count on to produce, and if he comes at a discount compared to Upton (which he absolutely should), the deal looks even better.

 

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers

 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

4 Reasons Darin Ruf Could Be Philadelphia Phillies’ 2013 Everyday Left Fielder

Going into 2013, as it stands right now, the Phillies do not have one legitimate outfielder that is guaranteed a starting job next season.

MLB.com reports that the Phillies are making a strong push for center fielder B.J. Upton, but beyond that, the Phillies have a lot of questions regarding who will make up their outfield in 2013. Upton is being pursued heavily by other clubs, including the Atlanta Braves—which I did an article on yesterday.

Darin Ruf really made a name for himself in 2012, bashing home runs left and right in Double-A Reading as well as with his brief stint with the Phillies, and he has added even more homers playing fall ball in Venezuela.

The type of power numbers that he put up simply cannot be ignored, and I believe that Ruf is going to get his shot in 2013 to become an everyday player.

Here are five reasons why Darin Ruf could get the opportunity to become the everyday left fielder in 2013 for the Philadelphia Phillies.  

Begin Slideshow

Comparing the ’93 and ’08 Philadelphia Phillies: Who’s Better?

The Philadelphia Phillies broke their city’s heart in 1993 and years later won it over in 2008. 

During their respective seasons, these two distinct Philadelphia teams and fans took an emotional ride from spring training straight through to the World Series. 

The 1993 Phillies were known for being “loose-cannons” or “wise-guys”—where the 2008 Phillies were a more disciplined and focused team. 

Their results may have ended differently, but there is no denying both Phillies teams were incredibly talented and left us with High Hopes.

Using the Phillies’ Game 1 World Series lineup from their respective season—here’s a position by position comparison of the two legendary teams.

Begin Slideshow

20 All-Time Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Moves the Team Most Regrets

Teams make offseason moves that they regret all of the time, especially in today’s game. With millions of dollars on the line, some of these transactions can be described as a “necessary evil.” 

Poor offensive season the year before? Let’s throw a ridiculous, exorbitant amount of money at the best free agent available and hope that he fixes all of our offensive problems. 

It happens ever winter. The Philadelphia Phillies are no stranger to this scenario because they did it in their bullpen before the 2011 season. Trouble in the ninth inning? Throw a stupid amount of money at Jonathan Papelbon and hope he solves the problem. 

The fact of the matter here is that it is easy to regret an offseason move. While this slideshow will take a look at some of the most regrettable offseason moves in Phillies history, it will only analyze the moves that have a reason to be regrettable. 

Begin Slideshow

Josh Hamilton Phillies Rumors: Why Philly Is the Worst Possible Place to Sign

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has been outspoken about his offseason priority. He wants outfielders. Preferably a center fielder. A right-handed bat would be nice too. 

Fortunately for the Phillies, the best free agent available can play center field. Josh Hamilton started 84 games in center for the Texas Rangers this season. He also happened to hit a career-high 43 home runs with 128 RBI, which would provide a major boost to the middle of the Philadelphia lineup.

Hamilton’s best days in center field are probably behind him, unfortunately. According to FanGraphs‘ Ultimate Zone Rating, he allowed nearly 13 more runs than an average center fielder this season. He also cost his team 11 defensive runs saved. 

So the Phillies are better off sticking Hamilton in left field either right away or after a year or two, depending on how long of a contract he received from Philadelphia. Even if Amaro acquired Hamilton, he’d still need to get a center fielder.

That’s one reason why Philadelphia shouldn’t sign Hamilton. But here’s why it would be a bad idea for Josh to choose the Phillies as his next team. 

 

Those Philly Fans

Philadelphia sports fans get a terrible rap for throwing batteries at J.D Drew, cheering when Michael Irvin suffered a neck injury and booing Santa Claus. It’s a lazy shortcut to defining the fanbase of an entire city, much like those who make cracks about Detroit fans setting cars on fire.

Extreme incidents aside, however, Philadelphia is far tougher on its sports stars than Arlington, Texas. But Rangers fans booed Hamilton for his poor performance at the end of the season and he noticed it.

“Personally, myself, it never would matter how high I was — if I went to a sporting event, I would never boo somebody or I would never yell obscenities at somebody,” Hamilton said to ESPN Dallas’ Tim McMahon. “That’s just me.”

If he was bothered by home fans giving it to him, wait until he encounters the horde at Citizens Bank Park.

 

Home-Field Disadvantage

Hamilton might not find the fans friendly at the Phillies’ home ballpark, but the playing conditions may not agree with him either. 

Despite Citizens Bank Park’s reputation as a bandbox, it was actually more of a pitchers’ park in 2012, according to ESPN.com’s park factors. Compare that to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, which was the fourth-best stadium for hitters in MLB this season. 

But Hamilton would still be able to hit some home runs in Philadelphia. Citizens Bank Park was in the upper-third of homer-friendly parks this year. That probably doesn’t matter to Hamilton, however. His home-road splits for home runs were virtually even, as were all of his statistics across the board. 

The Phillies’ home park isn’t terribly suitable for doubles, however, playing fairly neutral. That could cut down on the number of extra-base hits Hamilton could accumulate. 

Perhaps it should be noted that Hamilton wouldn’t be facing Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels if he joined the Phillies. Those three pitchers surely have something to do with offense staying down at Citizens Bank Park.

 

The Wrong Side

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Phillies need a right-handed bat to complement lefties Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the middle of their lineup. 

In a previous piece, I wrote that the fear of having three consecutive left-handers in the middle of the order is probably overblown. Hamilton hits left-handed pitching well enough to make sure that the Phillies wouldn’t have three automatic outs against southpaws. 

But perhaps it’s worth asking if Hamilton benefits from having a strong right-handed bat hitting behind him, a luxury he’s enjoyed throughout his career.

In 2008, when Hamilton hit 32 homers with 130 RBI, he had Milton Bradley following him in the Rangers lineup. That season, Bradley had a slash average of .321/.436/.563 with 22 home runs and 77 RBI. He also led the league in on-base percentage and OPS. 

During his MVP season of 2010, Vladimir Guerrero had an excellent season batting cleanup behind Hamilton. He hit .300 with an .841 OPS, 29 homers and 115 RBI. 

For the past two seasons, Hamilton has had Adrian Beltre hitting behind him. Beltre’s averaged 34 homers and 104 RBI with the Rangers, and this year, he’s had one of the best seasons of his career, batting .321 with a .921 OPS, 36 home runs and 102 RBI. 

If there’s something to that—and it really could just be a coincidence or benefit of playing for a good team that knows how to put together a lineup—Hamilton should perhaps look elsewhere for a lineup that fits him better.

With the Milwaukee Brewers for instance, Hamilton could have Ryan Braun or Aramis Ramirez hitting behind him. Adam Jones or former teammate Chris Davis could protect him with the Baltimore Orioles. Even the Seattle Mariners could provide Jesus Montero or Justin Smoak, though those two aren’t the caliber of the other hitters mentioned.

Signing with the Phillies wouldn’t be the worst decision Hamilton has ever made. (After typing that sentence, I realize what an understatement it is.) He would play for one of the most enthusiastic fanbases in MLB, live in a great city, play in a nice ballpark and join a team that expects to compete for the playoffs every season. 

But would it be the best decision Hamilton ever made? It doesn’t look that way. 

 

Follow @iancass on Twitter

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »