25 Philadelphia Phillies Rumors You’ll Hear This Winter but Shouldn’t Believe

Regardless of what actually happens this winter, you will hear plenty of Philadelphia Phillies rumors. Some of them may come true, but most of them will be too far-fetched to even be a realistic possibility.

Multiply that by the fact that they could potentially have four major holes (center field, third base, setup man and starting pitcher) to fill this winter and you know we’re in for a long offseason in the rumor mill. 

So how do you know what to believe and what not to believe? Well, the answer is a bit more simple than you think—Read this slideshow. 

The best way to sort through most of these rumors is to find out what is feasible and what is completely asinine. Take a look at the Phillies’ payroll and state of the farm system and figure out what is completely out of the realm of possibility. 

Sounds like too much work? No problem. I’ll do it for you. Here are 25 rumors that you will hear about the Phillies this winter that you shouldn’t believe. 

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Phillies’ Third Base Prospect Cody Asche Having Success in Arizona Fall League

Phillies fans have been hoping a third base prospect would come up through the farm system and contribute ever since Scott Rolen arranged a first-class ticket out of town.

The organization may have finally found something in 22-year-old Cody Asche who is coming off a 2012 season where he skipped Low-A Lakewood, had tremendous success in High-A Clearwater and was promoted to Double-A Reading where he finished the final 68 games of the season.

Asche batted .349, with two home runs, 31 R, 25 RBI, .378 OBP and an OPS of .825 in the first half of the season for Clearwater. Phillies’ officials saw enough out of Asche to promote him to Double-A at the midway point in the season.  

In Reading, Asche hit just as well, increasing his power number significantly. He hit 10 home runs, scored 42 runs and drove in 47 while maintaining a .300 average and an OPS of .873.

Currently in the Arizona Fall League, Asche is hitting .299 with two home runs, nine runs, 10 RBI, .351 OBP and an OPS of .829. The biggest thing we can take from these numbers is consistency, something Phillies’ third baseman have struggled to do for quite sometime now.  

So what does this all mean for the major league club?

Not much right now, Asche will most likely start the season in Triple-A, maybe even Double-A. He is still at least a year, maybe two away from contributing at the major league level. He still needs some seasoning at third base and the Phillies are hoping he will grow even more into his power stroke.

The Phillies are very, very, thin at third base and will most likely be making some sort of acquisition this winter. Kevin Youkilis and Eric Chavez are two names that may intrigue Ruben Amaro.

Keep an eye on Cody Asche, because he is one more solid season away from getting serious consideration for a shot to play in the major leagues. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

5 Ways to Fix the Philadelphia Phillies

Major League Baseball teams are like ocean liners.

They are big and powerful but not especially nimble. It takes a long time to get them going in the right direction; it usually takes just as long to correct diversions from course.

And so here are your Philadelphia Phillies, trying to bounce back from a .500 season after ripping off five straight division titles. Things in motion tend to stay in motion, and the Phillies momentum is decidedly downward. But throwing his hands in the air and saying, “Well, it was quite a run” is not going to save Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s job or keep people buying tickets to see games at Citizens Bank Park.

Were I him, here is what I would do.

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25 Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies Offseason

‘Tis the season to be jolly. 

Well, it’s not quite the Christmas season just yet and with the World Series now in the rear view mirror, not many baseball fans enjoy the thought of having to watch a different sport for a few months, but to some, this is the most wonderful time of the year—the offseason. 

It’s a time filled with suspense, anticipation and the occasional shocker as great baseball talents hit the open market in search of a new team or contract. I’m not going to lie—I find the offseason to be incredibly exciting. 

So in that spirit, let’s focus on the Philadelphia Phillies for a moment. It’s going to be a busy winter for Ruben Amaro Jr. and company as he attempts to fill various holes on his roster as well as manage the names already on it. 

You know what that means. It’s prediction time. 

In this slideshow, I’ll give my take on how I see a number of Phillies related topics shaking out this winter. Who plays third base? Who plays center field? Any other drama to keep an eye on? 

Time to dust off the good ole crystal ball and find out. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Early Potential Opening Day Starters

The Philadelphia Phillies’ main focus is to put the best lineup on the field Opening Day and reclaim Word Series contender status through the season.

In order to achieve this goal, management must make tough decisions to sign top free agents or build from within. 

Either way, fans will demand a winning lineup on Friday April 5, 2013—it’s right around the corner.

Here are the predicted starters.

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5 Reasons the Philadelphia Phillies Would Be Wise to Go After BJ Upton

After a long and disappointing season, the Philadelphia Phillies, are anxious to start 2013 off on a different note. In order to do so, however, a lot will be said of what the Phillies are able to accomplish in the free agent market this off season.

According to Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com, three of the top 50 free agents are projected to land with the Phillies. Included in this list is a player that Dierkes ranks as the fifth best available free agent in BJ Upton. 

“Upton’s best offensive season was 2007, when the Rays employed Steve Henderson as their hitting coach. Henderson now fills that role for the Phillies, which has to be a plus for the center fielder.Playing on the East Coast might also appeal to Upton, who hails from Norfolk.

From the Phillies’ point of view, Upton could add some balance and power to their lineup as well as strong center field defense. At 28 there’s room for growth with Upton, but the status quo would probably give a team their money’s worth. The Nationals and Rangers could be other contenders for his services” – Tim Dierkes courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com

Dierkes makes some very good points in his short analysis of why he believes Upton will don the red and white pinstripes. The 28-year-old is far from perfect, but he is a polished player and one that gives the Phillies a nice replacement for Shane Victorino in center field. He also provides the team with a more reliable option than John Mayberry.

Although there is a bit of risk with Upton such as inconsistent performance, overall he is a player that would make the Phillies a better team and he also would be a cheaper option than Josh Hamilton.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Darin Ruf Continuing Power Surge in Venezuela Fall League

Through the first 20 games of the Venezuela Fall League, Darin Ruf‘s unbelievable season of power has continued. He currently leads the entire league in home runs with nine through the first 20 games. If he could maintain that home run rate over a 550 at-bat season, he would hit 68 homers.

Ruf is currently batting .264 with a league leading 19 RBI and an OPS of 1.039. 

The power he is demonstrating will earn him a long, hard look for an everyday job come spring training, all depending on who the Phillies acquire this winter through free agency or trades.

Ruf has hit 38 home runs in Double-A Reading, three in the major leagues and another nine in the fall league, accumulating a grand total of 50 long balls in 594 at-bats.

Also, Ruf has been playing left field consistently as of late. Ruf has only made two errors so far, both coming in the same game, one by throw and the other on a missed catch. Ruf will surely not be in the running for a Gold Glove Award anytime soon, but if he can limit his mistakes, it will only benefit his chance to play on a regular basis.

The Phillies are in desperate need for some power and consistency from the right side of the plate. Ruf may be that solution and at a very low cost. Spring training is going to be huge for Ruf and the Phillies for that matter. There is a lot at stake because the Phillies will be pushing hard for a championship with Chase Utley and Roy Halladay up for free agency after the 2013 season. 

If they can add a quality center fielder like a Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton or Angel Pagan and then add another quality corner outfielder like Torii Hunter or Cody Ross, the Phillies could have a very productive outfield come 2013. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Team Areas That Most Need to Be Addressed

This offseason should be an intriguing one for the Philadelphia Phillies. They head into free agency following their first non-playoff season since 2006. With no remarkable free agents thanks to the Cole Hamels extension and Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton trades, the Phillies really have no departures to worry ,but nonetheless have many a hole to fill.

Among the Phillies’ biggest weaknesses this past season were the bullpen, outfield, third base, and despite offseason additions to prevent it, the bench.

Acquisitions such as Chad Qualls and Ty Wigginton blew up in the Phillies’ faces, and while Jim Thome was a nice clubhouse presence to have back, he really doesn’t belong on an NL team at this stage in his career. Laynce Nix was also average when he played, but he spent a good portion of the season on the DL with a calf injury.

Additionally, players such as Placido Polanco and Jose Contreras were signed for one year too many on their contracts, and with both of their options bought out, the two have become free agents. Midseason acquisitions Josh Lindblom and Nate Schierholtz struggled out of the gate as Phillies, the latter even possibly a non-tender candidate. And with Qualls failing to deliver as a veteran presence, the relatively young bullpen, on the whole, was atrocious, save for Jonathan Papelbon and Jeremy Horst.

Keeping that in mind, the Phillies have many positions in need of an upgrade. Here’s five that stand out.

 

All projected Opening Day lineups courtesy MLBDepthCharts.com

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Free Agent Options Who Won’t Cost a Fortune

With the offseason officially upon us, the Philadelphia Phillies will look to retool through free agency this winter. Next season, they will pursue their third World Series appearance since 2008.

General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. has many obvious free-agent choices that will without a doubt improve their organization. But this isn’t always the best approach: just look at how the Anaheim Angels turned out in 2012 after dumping millions upon millions of dollars on a few highly prized free agents.

Sometimes success is born through calculated risk and diversification, which Amaro has struggled with since taking over the helm.

Here are five free agents who won’t break the Phillies bank and have the potential to help lead the team back to the playoffs in 2013.

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Analyzing the Philadelphia Phillies Outfield Options

The Phillies just put on one of their worst offensive performances in years.  In fact, they scored fewer runs in 2012 than any Phillies team since 1997—Scott Rolen’s rookie year.  If not for a starting rotation led by two of the best pitchers in baseball, they may have finished much worse than 81-81.

Heading into the winter it’s no secret what the Phillies’ needs are offensively—outfield help and a third baseman—and which players are on the market.  The only thing we don’t know for sure is which player, if any, will join the Phillies when all is said and done.

Ahead I will look at the top five outfielders on the market, what each one brings to the club and analyze whether or not it’s worth the effort and cost.

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