Philadelphia Phillies: How Many Games Will Each Key Player Start?

I’ve said it time and time again, so I’ll make it quick: baseball is back. Well, almost. The Seattle–Oakland opener in Japan concluded yesterday with the two teams splitting even. But does that mean that Phillies baseball is back? Not just yet. And for once, it’s probably better that way.

Considering that you have injuries to Ryan Howard—who’s set to miss all of April, most (if not all) of May, and potentially even some of June—and Chase Utley, who will likely miss similar time to Howard, you’ve got some big shoes to fill. Although those shoes can’t be filled completely, there’s always hope. Or so I’d like to think.

You’ve also got an injury to Placido Polanco, who jammed his thumb sliding back into third base early last week. Lastly, you have Michael Martinez, and while he was only considered a utility infielder, losing his versatility (even with the lack of defense he brings onto the diamond) to a foot fracture hurts just a little bit.

But what could hurt this team most is that they shipped off utilityman Wilson Valdez early in the offseason, and now with the injuries to four or five infielders (oh yeah, Freddy Galvis is day-to-day, too), giving him up was a costly mistake.

With injuries, platoons or just simply changing of hands at a position, we’ll investigate and predict how many games each key Phillie will start. This means that much the starting nine, plus some of the team’s injured players, will have predictions by the slideshow’s end. Please note that this only applies to offensive players—no pitchers will be a part of the slideshow itself, although I’d love to discuss that matter in the comments with you.

So with that, I bid thee well…from this slide, of course. Go on, read the rest of the slideshow. You know you want to.

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Phildelphia Phillies Injury News: Can Freddy Galvis Hold Down the Fort?

Opening Day lies just over a week from now, yet a plethora of questions concerns the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sure, Roy Halladay’s effectiveness and velocity control has been questioned. Joe Blanton’s name coming up every so often in trade rumors has been somewhat constant as well. There’s even the fact that Cole Hamels extension talks are heating up, and whether the two sides will see eye to eye on years of a deal.

But enough with the pitching. At this point in time, the team’s obvious primary concern is their infielding depth.

First baseman Ryan Howard could miss a third or even half of the 2012 season thanks to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the final at-bat of the NLDS last year against the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Chase Utley’s knee issues have been acting up again, and now in his left knee in addition to his right. Placido Polanco has had a jammed finger. Utility infielder Michael Martinez has a foot fracture. And while Wilson Valdez would have been an option, he’s now a Cincinnati Red, a move which GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. made and recently referred to as “foolish.”

With all this commotion in the Phillies’ injury department, many key changes will be made. 

Time at first base will be split by Laynce Nix, John Mayberry, Jr., Ty Wigginton and even Jim Thome until Howard returns. Wigginton, Pete Orr and potentially even Hector Luna will also play elsewhere around the diamond, and Wigginton, Mayberry and Nix will man left field as well.

But who’s taking charge at second base? The 22-year-old Venezuelan shortstop, Freddy Galvis, has been playing second base this spring in order to be effective for the big league squad on Opening Day.

Yes, you read that right: a minor leaguer who is both switching from his natural position on the diamond and has never hit in a season above .280 is the team’s interim replacement for former All-Star Chase Utley.

Galvis, whose defense has been raved as Gold-Glove caliber, has had questions offensively. Granted, his spring this year has been impressive, but for the most part his success has been either against major league pitchers who have been tinkering with their stuff, or off minor league pitchers just being given a shot against major leaguers and will inevitably be sent back down to the minors.

In 23 games this spring—a substantial amount to say the least—Galvis has hit .273 with two long balls, 12 RBI and a .761 OPS. He’s also got three doubles, two triples and a stolen base.

The .273 average is identical to the stat he put up in 104 games at Double-A Reading last year before being promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he batted .298 in the final 33 games of the minor league season. However, he failed to hit a single home run at Triple-A, whereas he had hit eight out of the park in Reading. His OPS dipped to below .700 upon being promoted as well.

So what can we expect out of Freddy Galvis? Put it this way: His eight home runs last season—again, all were at Double-A—were a season high for Galvis. And while his average increased as the competition did, his OPS did not in a smaller amount of time.

I’m not saying that there’s necessarily reason to be concerned with the OPS, since his OBP remained similar to his Double-A counterpart. But at Lehigh Valley, it went down by 36 points. That’s nothing to laugh off.

With Chase Utley’s timetable for return uncertain at this point, I’m going to predict that he’ll return sometime in mid-May. He said that his knees felt better than they did last year, and he returned at about the same time. So while he could return earlier, rest never hurt anybody. And the Phillies, if they handle Utley wisely, will take their time in bringing him back.

This means that Galvis could start the first 40 or so games of the season at second base. Defensively, he’s a wiz—at shortstop. But will he succeed at second base as well as he has at short?

There’s also a recent injury concern with Galvis, for he fouled a ball off his foot in a game on Tuesday. While he’s not in need of X-rays and is considered day-to-day with a contusion, any injury to a Phillies infielder right now is a serious one, even if the afflicted player sits for just a week.

Since he hasn’t faced major league pitching at its best, Galvis is likely to hit somewhere around .240, maybe .250 if all goes his way to start the season. A fairly patient hitter, Galvis should also be able to garner some walks if he can read the major league pitching correctly. Home runs won’t be a common occurrence, if one at all, and an extra-base hit might be nice every now and then, but not on a regular basis.

With the Phillies hurting at their most vital spots right now, Galvis will have to step up his play in order to keep a roster spot and to help the team win.

Even when Howard and Utley return from their injuries, there are no guarantees. Galvis has to play his heart out, both at the plate and on the field, in order to keep this Phillies team running. And though most of the offensive pressure is on Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, Galvis can’t be an offensive hole in the lineup. He has to be able to hold down the fort and at least keep things moving.

Anything from Galvis at the plate is a plus, but the team’s offensive punch can’t lie with just two players. Galvis must hit the ball on a consistent basis, and he must play sufficient defense at his new position.

But will he be able to? I don’t think we can be sure. And that’s a problem.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

10 Things Phillies Must Still Figure out Before Opening Day

With Opening Day just two weeks away, each major league team’s roster is finally taking shape for the 2012 season. Many teams have made cuts already and more cuts are sure to come in order to even out the 25-man rosters. However, there are still uncertainties for each team, and it’s difficult to argue that no other team has more than the Philadelphia Phillies.

The last week or two gave Phillies fans information they would like to wish wasn’t true. Ryan Howard’s return timetable from Achilles surgery has been pushed forward. Initially aiming for an early May return, we’ll be lucky to see The Big Piece back in action by the beginning of June. Then there’s Placido Polanco, who jammed his finger sliding back into first base on a pick-off attempt. Fortunately, that injury is minor, but the same can’t be said for any of the remaining injured infielders.

This week began with some big news regarding Chase Utley. Originally hoping to play in his first spring training game sometime this week, Utley instead left camp to visit a knee specialist, which means that his knee troubles are worse than they have been made out to be. And if that wasn’t enough, the team’s top utility infield candidate, Michael Martinez, fractured his foot thanks to a hit-by-pitch from the Baltimore Orioles‘ Jim Johnson (and with the words “top candidate” am I in no way supporting Martinez).

In addition to the team’s infield woes, there are other burning questions that still need to be answered. Who will fill the final 25-man roster spots? Will the bullpen consist of an additional lefty to Antonio Bastardo? Will the team make a trade before the season opener in Pittsburgh against the Pirates?

The goal today is to answer these questions to the best of my ability. Since I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, I’ll give my best guesses as to what will occur in each scenario. Either way, by the first week of April, most, if not all of these questions will be answered in some capacity.

Let’s see what we’ve got.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Scenarios: 5 Power Hitters They Should Pursue

As spring training enters its eleventh day of games for the Philadelphia Phillies, one thing has become very clear: the Phils have nothing to worry about when it comes to starting pitching depth and speed options off the bench. While Phillies hitters have been hitting for average (Freddy Galvis, Hector Luna, and Scott Podsednik are all looking pretty good) and the bullpen is shaping up behind Jonathan Papelbon (who has been a stud), there is one thing that the team still desperately needs: power.

Granted, the team signed Jim Thome and brought in Laynce Nix and Ty Wigginton over the course of the offseason, and all three are known primarily for their power bats. However, it’s just not cutting it right now. The team’s current leader in home runs is the aforementioned Luna, who likely won’t even make the 25-man roster unless the front office pulls out a trump card. And while Hunter Pence is tied with Luna in that department—both have hit two dingers over the last ten or so games—Pence hasn’t hit one out since the second game of the spring. Without Ryan Howard in the fold, the Phillies don’t have that true slugger on their team, and until Howard returns, they need someone to fill the void.

Yes, six other players are tied for second place with a home run each, including Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz, but the team currently lacks a true power hitter, a guy who can just step up to the plate and smack a home run. Thome is that in essence, but he has yet to hit a homer this spring and his health is always a question. The team needs someone who can both fill a positional hole and come as a threat to hit one out of the park in every at bat. Right now, the team doesn’t have anyone. But there’s always the trade market…

In this piece, we’ll go in depth on a few potential power bats the team could pursue via trade. Whether someone as simple as a pinch hitter-type or an everyday player in the last year of his deal, we’ll explore all possible avenues, whether or not they’re necessarily 100 percent realistic.

If you don’t agree with some of the decisions (which you likely won’t), share your thoughts on who the Phillies should go after. And off we go…

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Predicting the Full-Season Stats of the Philadelphia Phillies Lineup

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pride and joy to announce that Phillies baseball is back. With their annual game against the Florida State Seminoles taking place on Wednesday and their first official spring training game tomorrow against the Yankees, the wait is over.

It’s such a great feeling. Sure, spring training games mean absolutely nothing in the long run, but at least we can say that baseball has emerged out of its winter hibernation and has returned. I don’t know about you, but in case you couldn’t already tell, I’m excited.

I shouldn’t diss spring training completely, though—it does count for some players. In the case of the Phillies, a fifth outfield spot—whether as a backup or even the starting left field job—and possibly either a left-handed or overall bullpen spot are still up for grabs on the Phils’ 25-man roster. In addition, another bench bat could make its way onto the team, and heck, even the fifth starter in the rotation isn’t a lock. It’s not like spring training has no significance—just very little. Ah, who am I kidding—it matters. A lot. 

Who will win the remaining roster spots is anyone’s guess at this point. In left field, it’s John Mayberry, Jr.’s to lose, and while Laynce Nix will likely get some starts against right-handed pitching in left, Domonic Brown is lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike and claim the spot he believes is rightfully his. The fifth outfield position is a battle between Brown, Scot Podsednik, and Juan Pierre, who seems like the top dog at the moment. As for the bullpen, Dontrelle Willis seems like the front-runner to be the Phillies’ LOOGY this year, but with a good spring, Joe Savery could surprise and earn a spot on the big league roster.

Many mysteries remain as to who will ultimately make the Opening Day roster. In the meantime, questions about player production start to come about at this time of the year. With the absence of Ryan Howard at first base likely at least until May, not only is the team’s first base solution still up in the air, the production that the rest of the squad will produce is unpredictable. Today, my job is to try to make things a little less vague. I’ll give my predictions of the Phillies’ starting lineup by providing both my projected position in the lineup and numbers for each player. I won’t be giving any predictions for the ninth spot in the lineup, since that’s the pitcher’s spot, and considering that the hitting stats for pitchers will be relatively low, I don’t consider it worth mentioning. I will, however, go out on a limb and predict that Vance Worley is a dark horse to be the team’s best hitting pitcher this year, but for now, Cliff Lee earns top honors in my book.

Please feel free to give your opinions in the comments section below on numbers predictions, position predictions, lineup predictions, or even roster predictions. I’d love to get some debates going.

Enjoy!

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Roy Oswalt: Why Phillies Bringing Him Back Would Be Great Idea

When the Philadelphia Phillies declined to exercise starting pitcher Roy Oswalt’s $16 million mutual option on October 24, there was little surprise among fans. Paying $16 million for a player who posted a losing record amidst an injury-riddled season would have been absurd, and the Phillies opted to pay Oswalt his $2 million buyout.

Even when the Phillies declined to offer arbitration to Oswalt on November 23, it was nothing shocking. Despite Oswalt being the only Type A free agent not offered arbitration this offseason, had he accepted, he could have made more money than the Phillies felt he is worth at this stage of his career.

What the real surprise is, though, is that Oswalt is still unsigned with two days left before the mandatory reporting date for pitchers and catchers. Being a model of relative consistency over the last few seasons, Oswalt was considered one of the top free-agent starting pitchers this offseason, and one of the top free agents overall.

In spite of this, Oswalt and his agent, Bob Garber, have not found a suitor for the Mississippi native. While he’s had some opportunities to sign, he hasn’t been content with the teams offering the contracts, such as the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Just a few weeks back, it was rumored that Oswalt and the St. Louis Cardinals were closing in on a contract. However, the rumors proved to be false, for the Cardinals have no payroll or rotation space to sign Oswalt.

It’s also for the same reason that the Texas Rangers—Oswalt’s other top choice—have not signed the veteran right-hander.

Although both Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. and ESPN.com reporter Jayson Stark have stated that Oswalt to the Phillies is “[not a] fit for us right now” and is “not gonna happen,” respectively, things can change.

Of all the teams interested in Oswalt’s services combined with his interest level in pitching for the respective teams, the Phillies likely lead the pack, but the team would have to trade Joe Blanton in order to allow for both a rotation spot and payroll room to accommodate Oswalt, though they have considered that possibility.

Should Oswalt’s demands subside and his asking price comes in somewhere below $8 million, if not below $5 million, he could be a possibility to re-sign. There are many positives to bringing back the man, and if the Phillies do decide to go that route, it could benefit them for a number of reasons, reasons which we’ll investigate today.

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Philadelphia Phillies: GM Ruben Amaro’s 5 Savviest Minor Moves of the Offseason

As pitchers and catchers prepare to report to spring training next week (thank goodness the wait is over), the hot stove simmers down and cools off.

It’s been a good, productive offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies. They got the man they wanted to close out the ninth in Jonathan Papelbon for the next four years, brought back fan favorite and left-handed power bat (and occasional first baseman) Jim Thome, and they made many moves to strengthen both the bullpen and the bench.

While it might not have been the most memorable offseason, GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. and Co. did a nice job of filling empty holes. The only thing they need to do next is extend Cole Hamels—but that’s a story for another day.

However, there have been some moves the team has made that have gone relatively under the radar. Some have been moves that make perfect sense, while others are questionable. Nevertheless, for the most part, Amaro knows what he’s doing, and the players he’s signed and acquired, both major and minor league-caliber, could prove to be invaluable to the club.

We’ll examine the five smartest, savviest moves that Amaro has made this offseason, and they will each receive a letter grade based upon how important I think they will be to the club, whether in terms of playing time or just for expanded depth.

I did consider putting Thome on this list, but considering how his signing was the first major move by any team this offseason, I didn’t qualify it with the standards for this article, though it was a fantastic move nevertheless.

Let’s roll.

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Philadelphia Phillies Free Agent News: 5 Available Players Who Fit Needs

With the offseason gradually winding down and the beginning of spring training creeping closer and closer, many transactions around the league have been completed and most teams have a good sense of what their Opening Day rosters will look like. Prince Fielder and Edwin Jackson being exceptions, most free agents have also signed with either their teams of old or have left familiarity and have signed elsewhere.

The Philadelphia Phillies, for once, seem like they have most of their Opening Day roster in place. They had an opening at closer and filled it with the best available in Jonathan Papelbon. They had to find some bench bats and signed Jim Thome and Laynce Nix, and traded for Ty Wigginton. They needed to find a shortstop; they re-signed Jimmy Rollins. A backup catcher and lefty specialist were needed, and Brian Schneider and Dontrelle Willis were brought back and welcomed in, respectively.

While one could contest that the Phils’ roster is set and ready to go for April, there are still a few holes that could be filled. For starters, the team needs a fifth outfielder after trading Ben Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays. They also have a potential need of another reliever—especially a set-up man—if Jose Contreras isn’t ready for Opening Day and/or if the team wants to add an external seventh reliever. And while they don’t need one, another backup infielder sure wouldn’t hurt, either.

This slideshow will cover five potential free agent options the Phils could use to fill their remaining vacancies. Again, while there isn’t a pressing need for the Fightins at this time, these are 10 moves that would be appropriate should they be pursued.

Without further ado…

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Philadelphia Phillies: How Long Can They Keep Halladay, Lee, Hamels Together?

As the Philadelphia Phillies’ offseason breaks into the new year and heads for the homestretch, the team has little left to accomplish. They’ve already taken care of all their top priorities—they’ve re-signed Jimmy Rollins, added a power bat off the left side in Jim Thome, found a versatile, slugging backup in Ty Wigginton and have strengthened their outfield depth by signing Laynce Nix.

Not to mention, the Phils have also bolstered their bullpen by adding All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon and (possible) lefty specialist Dontrelle Willis.

However, arguably the biggest question mark of the Phillies’ offseason still looms among the team’s current uncertainties, and that is whether or not Cole Hamels will receive a contract extension sometime before the start of the 2012 season.

Hamels, who is slated to become the best left-handed starting pitcher and perhaps the best overall starter on the open market next offseason, could make upwards of $100 million should he reach free agency after the 2012 season. It’s now GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s job to take care of business and do whatever he can to lock up Hamels for the most affordable contract possible.

Speaking of the Phillies’ ace starting pitchers, Roy Oswalt is currently a free agent and his chances of re-signing in Philadelphia are presently slim to none. It rekindles the fire that was set off last offseason when Cliff Lee returned to Philly—the team had four ace starters, the best starting rotation in baseball and possibly even the best rotation of all time.

Fans and media reporters alike wondered how long the “Four Aces,” or “R2C2,” would last. Well, it looks like right now it will have lasted only one year, and the urgency to keep Hamels under contract becomes even more dire with a decrease in starting pitching depth following the seemingly inevitable departure of Oswalt.

It also begs the question as to how long the trio of Halladay, Lee and Hamels, three of the top five finishers in the 2011 NL Cy Young Award voting, will last.

Should Hamels not receive or turn down a contract extension offer from the Phillies, the likelihood of him returning shrinks significantly upon reaching free agency.

In this slideshow, we’ll examine all possibilities of how long the current top of the Phillies rotation could last, and we’ll make a prediction for each of the three starting pitchers and speculate how long they (and the trio itself) could remain in Phillies’ pinstripes.

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J-Roll and the Most Fraught Contract Sagas in Phillies History

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of baseball’s oldest franchises, and with age comes more and more experience. For the Fightins, this involves many things: lore and milestones during the season, and contract talks/disputes following the season’s conclusion.

There have been many instances in Phillies history of botched, problematic contracts. Some have come to pass, others are still in effect, and others are just getting started. These contracts have often led to moderate to high success, often at a discount rate. But in other cases, these deals have failed miserably, causing fan hatred and/or a premature cut from the team for the player involved.

Because in Philly, you don’t get off easy. You play to win, or you go home.

Jimmy Rollins most recently signed a new contract with the Phillies. Many, including myself, believe that it’s a steal for the Phillies—at least on paper. But what if it turns out to be a total bust, and Jimmy’s hurt all three (or four) years? Or what if he hits below the Mendoza line each season of the contract?

These are all risks the Phillies have had to take, and since contracts have escalated in monetary amounts in recent years, the risk has never been higher. Since contract data is difficult to find before the mid-to-late 1980s, we’ll take a look at the last 20 to 25 years or so of fraught, terrible contracts that the Phillies have signed. In fact, many, of these contracts have come in the 2000s, mainly because the Phillies were never aggressive spenders until Ed Wade became the Phillies’ new general manager in 1998.

Please note that not all of these contracts were poorly signed deals, but they interfered with the Phillies’ plans, whether in terms of payroll flexibility, an inability to trade the player, or that the player was an obstacle to bringing another player into the major leagues.

Let’s get to it.

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