5 Things Philadelphia Phillies Need to Do Before Spring Training Games Start Up

Now that MLB spring training is underway, the Philadelphia Phillies are just one of the league’s 30 teams gearing up for the 2013 season. Phillies pitchers and catchers reported to the team’s spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla. on Feb. 13, and position players are expected to report by no later than tomorrow, Feb. 16.

Between the pitchers and the everyday players, little goes on before the Grapefruit League (Florida) and Cactus League (Arizona) spring training games commence. A few news items will fly by the radar here and there, but until that happens, little to no roster news tends to come about.

However, for the Phillies, there are a few contentions that should be settled by the time spring training games roll around. The first game is an intrasquad match on Friday, Feb. 22, and after that, the first Grapefruit League game occurs the next day, Saturday, Feb. 23. Games will then take place almost every day until the beginning of the regular season.

In order to give some of the Phillies players more time to adjust to certain roles and assignments, it’s important that the team establishes these things sooner rather than later. Here are five things the Phillies need to do before the beginning of spring training games.

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Ranking the Most Trustworthy Arms in the Philadelphia Phillies Bullpen

One of the Philadelphia Phillies’ biggest weaknesses in 2012 was their lack of reliable bullpen depth. Behind newly-signed closer Jonathan Papelbon, the Phillies lacked a true veteran presence to anchor their younger pitchers.

Options such as Jose Contreras and Michael Stutes, both pitchers who had experience out of the Phillies’ bullpen, were injured for most of the season, rendering the Phillies without any proven options besides Papelbon.

In the offseason, the Phillies filled the need in grand fashion, signing veteran right-handed setup man Mike Adams to a two-year contract worth $12 million.

Adams has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last five years or so, but he did have surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, making him a bigger risk. Luckily for the Phillies, that also means that Adams could come with a higher reward, and they signed him for a relative bargain as a result.

With Papelbon and Adams in tow, it seemed as though the Phillies were set internally to fill the remaining five bullpen spots. However, in an unexpected (and arguably redundant) move, the Phillies brought Chad Durbin back to town on a one-year deal early last week.

With three right-handed veteran arms and a relief spot likely guaranteed for left-hander Antonio Bastardo, only three relief positions remain for the Phillies. While the competition will be interesting to watch, it is a shame that some of the major league-ready arms the Phillies have will not have the opportunity to play at their skill level due to lack of space.

There are some arms who can be trusted in this Phillies bullpen and others who have a ways to go in that regard. The good news is that all the younger players who had experience last season have some major league experience under their belts and can be tweaked further if necessary in spring training.

For all intents and purposes, the seven arms I am going to rank in terms of dependability (and thus making the roster out of spring training) are Adams, Bastardo, Durbin, Justin De Fratus, Jeremy Horst, Papelbon and Stutes. Not all will be easy to rank in terms of statistics, so some subjectivity will have to be included in this piece.

Nevertheless, I give you the Phillies’ bullpen arms ranked by trustworthiness.

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Which Free Agent Signing Will Have Biggest Phillies Impact in 2013?

Not too long ago, it seemed as though the Philadelphia Phillies‘ offseason had drawn to a close. They had filled most of their needs, acquiring center fielder Ben Revere and third baseman Michael Young in trades at the end of the offseason’s baseball winter meetings. A few weeks later, the Phils then signed setup man Mike Adams and non-tendered starting pitcher John Lannan.

With the exception of a handful of other insignificant minor league signings, it appeared as though the Phillies were going into spring training with the team they had. There had been a need for a corner outfielder as well, but after weeks went by with no results, it didn’t look as though the Phillies were going to make any more moves.

Sure enough, though, that proved to be false sooner than expected.

Just over a week ago, the Phils inked outfielder Delmon Young to a one-year deal worth $750,000 with incentives that could push it up to $3.25 million. In addition, there are some interesting weight clauses in the contract; meaning that depending on how much weight Young loses and keeps off throughout the season, he’ll receive $100,000 at each of six weigh-ins which will be held periodically.

Then this past Monday, the Phillies made two rather significant deals, one more so than the other. After hanging on with the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves, Phillies reliever Chad Durbin found his way back to the team on a one-year, $1.1 million contract with a club option for 2014. And only a couple hours later, the Phils signed infielder Yuniesky Betancourt, albeit to a minor league deal.

Considering free-agent signings as opposed to trade acquisitions, the Phils have quite the short list. With Adams, Lannan, Delmon Young, Durbin and Betancourt, the list may not be the most eye-popping, but it is nothing short of fascinating, to say the least. Pitchers Rodrigo Lopez, Aaron Cook and Juan Cruz all received minor league deals with invites to spring training as well, but their chances of cracking the Opening Day roster aren’t in their favor.

Since Betancourt is in the same boat as the three aforementioned pitchers, that leaves us with Adams, Lannan, Delmon Young and Durbin.

The way I’m seeing this is that in terms of top performance, Adams will hands-down have the biggest impact on the Phillies in 2013. However, I’m choosing to go about this in a different way, and that’s how each player will impact the the shape of the Opening Day roster.

In this scenario, Adams does fit, as his veteran setup presence erases an opportunity for one of the Phillies’ younger relievers to break camp with the team. However, a veteran presence in the bullpen was necessary in addition to Papelbon, so considering that a bullpen signing of some sort was almost inevitable, its impact is not that massive in this sense.

Lannan, on the other hand, was brought to the City of Brotherly Love in order to fill the void left by Vance Worley after he was traded for Revere. His roster impact is not very significant otherwise, for aside from an unreliable (in the majors, at least) Tyler Cloyd and possibly even Jonathan Pettibone, the Phils didn’t have any other options for that rotation spot.

Ironically enough, that leaves us with Delmon Young and Durbin—the two players signed at a point when it looked as though the Phillies were done exploring the major league free-agent market. Both have an immense impact on shaping the 2013 roster as they both prevent other players from likely breaking the roster, but let’s take a look at each of them before making a decision.

At the beginning of the offseason, it was clear that the Phillies needed some outfield help. An outfield of some combination of Domonic Brown, John Mayberry, Jr., Darin Ruf and Laynce Nix simply would not do.

With the Phillies’ highest priority entering the offseason being center field, eyes were on B.J. Upton and then Angel Pagan becoming the team’s long-term center fielder. Each of the two signed elsewhere, however, leaving the Phillies with fewer options.

That’s when Revere came into play.

With Revere taking over in center, the bigger question was then: Would a corner outfield spot be filled?There was speculation that Josh Hamilton or Alfonso Soriano were possibilities, but nothing materialized on those fronts. Since no signing was imminent, the thought was that Domonic Brown would take right field duties and Darin Ruf would man left field.

While that wasn’t the most proven outfield setup, it was high time both Brown and Ruf got the chance to start. The only way to see what these two players’ true potential is, is to let them play, and this opportunity was going to do just that.

Now that Young is a Phillie, GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s plan is evidently to have him be the starting right fielder (according to Yahoo! Sports). Not only is this strange, but it’s not smart, as Young has not played in right field since 2007. Amaro‘s moving a player who should not even be playing in the outfield over to an outfield position where he has less experience. It doesn’t make sense.

But perhaps the biggest impact from the Young signing is that Darin Ruf will likely have to pay the price as a result. With no starting job up for grabs unless Brown is somehow optioned to Triple-A instead (or traded), Ruf will likely have to begin 2013 at Lehigh Valley.

As for Durbin, his return to the Phillies brings along a similar effect.

Adams had already been signed as the setup man, and with Papelbon and Antonio Bastardo also both having more than one year of major league experience, that seemed to suffice. However, bringing back a now-35-year-old Durbin, while giving the Phillies bullpen slightly more stability, is ultimately an unnecessary move on a major league contract.

Since leaving the Phillies after the 2010 season, Durbin‘s career has been up and down. He latched on with the Cleveland Indians for 2011 and was horrendous, posting a 5.53 ERA in 56 games, though his advanced stats suggested he was better than that. I use the term “better” very loosely, though, as his FIP was still 4.85 and his xFIP was 4.26.

In 2012, Durbin started spring training with the Washington Nationals before being cut and working his way to the Atlanta Braves. After a bumpy start, Durbin settled down for most of the year, ending up with a 3.10 ERA in 76 games. Although his ERA was once again satisfactory, his advanced metrics were still through the roof. His FIP last year was 4.71 and his xFIP was actually higher than in 2011 at 4.41. Much of his success last year can be attributed to his BABIP of .251; though, don’t expect a number that low again.

But the bigger impact Durbin has is that his signing leaves only three bullpen jobs up for grabs.

With solid talent in Mike Stutes, Justin De Fratus, Phillippe Aumont, Jeremy Horst, Jake Diekman and Michael Schwimer all capable of being in the majors, only half of them will make the roster while the remaining two or three are forced to pitch in Triple-A where they are too good to keep playing.

Both the Young and Durbin signings impact the 2013 roster out of spring training. Young affects the outfield while Durbin takes a bullpen spot. But because the Phillies are preventing more significant minor league talent from making its mark by starting Young every day, I’m going with him as the biggest impact signing heading into 2013 for the Phillies.

Of course, if Young is cut during spring training, this honor will then be relegated to Durbin, but preventing a player from playing every day in Ruf as opposed to some bullpen pitchers a couple of days a week gives Young the edge.

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Which Phillies Superstar Has the Best Chance of Dominant Bounce-Back Year?

It’s safe to say that the Philadelphia Phillies had a boatload of obstacles in their way during the 2012 season. Despite the All-Star caliber play of guys like Carlos Ruiz, Jonathan Papelbon and Cole Hamels, and the success of Jimmy Rollins and Cliff Lee (win total not included), wins eluded this Phillies squad for a majority of the season.

One of the biggest reasons why the Phillies failed to defend their five consecutive NL East division titles was due to the health of some of their key players.

Chase Utley sat out the second straight spring training and most of the first half of the season due to his patellar tendinitis and chrondromalacia, while Ryan Howard lost a little over half of 2012 due to his infamous torn Achilles tendon in the final at-bat of the 2011 NLDS.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all, though, was the injury which afflicted Roy Halladay. Doc had been coming off a 2011 season which saw him place second in the NL Cy Young Award voting only to Triple Crown winner Clayton Kershaw and a 2010 season that saw him win the award.

Heading into 2012, the last thing anybody expected was for Doc to start the season off injured. In spring training, rumors surfaced that Halladay’s fastball velocity had dropped significantly from 2011, and while it wasn’t a huge issue at the beginning of spring training, Doc’s lack of success in Clearwater prior to the season was a bit alarming.

He seemingly put the commotion to rest after a stellar April that saw him go 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA. However, May was much, much worse for Halladay, and by the end of the month he hit the DL for the first time in four years due to a shoulder strain. He didn’t return until just after the All-Star break.

These three players, Utley, Howard and Halladay, have made up the core of the Phillies’ roster for the past three years (in Doc’s case) and even longer for the former two.

Utley was once the undisputed best second baseman in baseball. Howard was once a feared home-run hitter who had the potential to smack a pitch out of the ballpark at any given time.

And even less long ago, Doc was considered one of baseball’s most intimidating pitchers with an intellect for his repertoire that could fool you despite not having strikeout stuff all the time.

However, with age comes wear and tear, and that’s certainly been the case for these three players. Utley’s knee tendinitis and chrondromalacia (worn down cartilage) are issues that can only be temporarily remedied. Surgery doesn’t even provide a full guarantee, and it would sideline the now-34-year-old for most, if not all of a season.

Howard has had issues ever since twisting and spraining his ankle on a slide back to second base in 2010. After receiving multiple cortisone shots in the ankle, there’s a possibility that the cortisone weakened his Achilles tendon, allowing it to tear in his final at-bat against St. Louis in the 2011 NLDS.

Of course, I’m not a doctor, so I won’t speculate on the chances that that was the reason behind the injury, but it’s come up before as a reason why Howard may have injured himself that day.

Halladay’s cause for his shoulder strain has been thought to be the result of years and years of innings logged up on it without any significant problems beforehand.

Until 2012, the last time Doc hadn’t reached 200 innings in a season was 2005, and from 2007 through 2011, he pitched at least seven complete games in each of those seasons.

After a certain point it’s going to take its toll, and unfortunately for the 35-year-old Halladay and the Phillies, that time may have been 2012.

The good news is that there’s hope for all three of these players to find a resurgence and get back on track. Granted, the chances that any of or all Utley, Howard and Halladay will return to All-Star caliber play are not necessarily in their favor, but to think that each of the three can’t at least be above average at their respective positions is not out of the question. The only problem is that it revolves around a lot of “ifs” as opposed to guarantees.

First of all, Utley has the chance to come back as close to full strength as possible if he can play the majority of spring training. Fortunately, that may not be a hard obstacle for Utley to overcome, as he’s “doing very, very well” with his workouts in California, according to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro.

Considering it’s been since 2010 that Utley’s played in a single spring training game, seeing him in action in Clearwater would be extremely encouraging.

Howard, per Amaro at the beginning of the offseason, said that Howard’s “already lost a significant amount of weight.” Whether that means anything or not in terms of how mobile he’ll be remains to be seen, but it’s certainly not a bad thing when he’s already somewhat limited by his ailing Achilles.

If Howard has or does strengthen himself up to the point where he can hit 35 or even 40 home runs again on the season, Phillies brass and fans alike would be thrilled.

As for Halladay, he’s got a reputation as one of the hardest-working players. His work ethic is unparalleled and the amount of time (in addition to time of day, at around five in the morning) he takes out to focus on his workouts every day is incredible.

And this offseason, in order to rebound from his disastrous 2012, Doc has been working out with Kyle Kendrick and has been strengthening his arm in addition to tinkering with his mechanics. Should they return to form, Doc should find himself back at the pinnacle of pitching in 2013.

Now let’s make things interesting. Given the status of these three players, which one has the highest potential of bouncing back from 2012?

The name I’m going to cross off the list immediately is Howard. I don’t think that the Big Piece is not going to bounce back, but I think his chances of well-rounded success aren’t especially good.

Whether it’s his batting average, home run count or OBP, Howard doesn’t have the same presence nor same bat since he returned in 2012, and from an unprofessional view (again, I’m not a doctor), I don’t think that a repaired Achilles will bring that back for him.

That leaves us with Utley and Halladay, and I’ll be honest, it’s not an easy decision. Utley plays hard every time he takes the field, which is also a potential reason for his ailments. And with Doc being such a determined worker, it’s an even split. But a decision will be made.

Utley certainly has more to overcome than Halladay does, in my opinion. He hasn’t played in a spring training game in three years and has not taken the field for an April game in three years as well. The earliest he’s played in either of 2011 or 2013 was May 23.

The good news is that, at least for now, Utley looks like he’s on track to play in spring training and open the season with the Phillies. But until he does, I’m reserving judgment on him. After all, his injury concerns have been withheld in the past from the media and public. How do we know that isn’t happening again? Heck, we don’t even know if Cole Hamels is fully healthy, thanks to Amaro.

In Halladay’s case, he has more to prove in 2012. Utley’s being held to a lower standard since he’s had these issues for quite some time now. But for Doc, he’s out there to prove that 2012 was a fluke and that he’s still the same pitcher who took home the hardware as recently as 2010.

Knowing that a World Series ring has continued to evade him, Doc will be more motivated than ever to earn one as the Phillies’ possibly final chance at winning it all stands before them in 2013.

Due to the nature of Utley’s injuries as opposed to Halladay’s, Doc’s well-established track record of determination and his desire to still win the World Series, I think that Halladay will have the biggest bounce-back year of this group of players.

He’s still got a chance at a ring, but unlike Utley and Howard, he still has yet to be doused with victory champagne at the end of October.

Having said that, in the final guaranteed year of his contract, Doc will want to prove that he’s worthy of another deal in addition to worthy of remaining the Phillies’ ace. He’s got a lot on his shoulders, but if he can brush off the 2012 season, little prevents Halladay from rebounding in 2013.

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5 Reasons the Philadelphia Phillies Would Be a Perfect Fit for Justin Upton

As the offseason has progressed, the Philadelphia Phillies have done a pretty nice job of filling their needs. They have acquired a center fielder in Ben Revere, a third baseman in Michael Young, a veteran set-up man in Mike Adams and a fifth starting pitcher in John Lannan. Overall, the offseason has been a success for the Phils, though it’s been strange to see it go by without any marquee or high-profile moves.

However, the Phillies do still have one need, and that’s a corner outfielder. So far, they have not had any luck in finding one, and as of now, the Phillies would be going with platoons in either corner consisting of Domonic Brown, Darin Ruf, John Mayberry, Jr. and Laynce Nix.

That’s not exactly encouraging.

If the Phillies do want to make any big moves that would also take care of the corner outfield hole at this stage of the offseason, their best target should be Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Upton, who has been involved in the rumor mill for quite some time now, has been placed on the trading block following the D’backs’ signing of Cody Ross to a three-year deal.

Are the Phillies necessarily the perfect fit for Arizona in a trade? No.

But is Upton the perfect fit for the Phillies? Absolutely, and here are the five reasons why.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Should They Trade from Bullpen Depth to Bolster Outfield?

The Philadelphia Phillies have had a smaller-profile offseason but certainly not a quiet one. They have traded for Ben Revere and Michael Young to fill their respective center field and third base holes. The Phillies also have made two major free-agent signings, inking starting pitcher John Lannan and set-up man Mike Adams to contracts.

Aside from that, though, it’s been an offseason of expecting the Phillies to make a major move but not seeing one come around. It’s been unusual considering Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s tendency to make big splashes in the offseason and at trade deadlines. He’s acquired or signed Cliff Lee twice, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Hunter Pence and Jonathan Papelbon, so to see the offseason go by without a marquee move is rather unorthodox.

Nevertheless, it is a method that should be praised, as Amaro has refused to jump the gun and set the market for big-name players for the first time. He’s been fiscally responsible and has found alternative ways to improve deficiencies on the team. They may not be overnight, difference-making moves, but they allow prospects in the future to make their way to the majors in conjunction with veteran players. It’s a savvy system.

However, there is still one glaring weakness for the Phillies, and that’s their outfield. Other than Revere, the Phillies will be going with platoons at both outfield corners should the season start today. The candidates for these platoons are currently Darin Ruf, Domonic Brown, John Mayberry, Jr. and Laynce Nix. While Ruf and Brown have starting potential, Ruf is entering his rookie season and Brown has failed to make an impact in the opportunities he’s had in the past.

If Amaro were to make an outfield move, the biggest free agency name available is Scott Hairston, and he is far from the answer. Trade-wise, the Phillies could pursue Alfonso Soriano or Vernon Wells, but both come with their question marks in addition to massive contracts.

In light of this, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Gelb recently interviewed Amaro, who said that the Phillies are “likely going with what they’ve got” in both the outfield and the rest of the roster. If any move is to be made in the remaining offseason, it would likely be one involving “low-risk, high-reward type of players,” as Amaro stated.

It could mean that creativity could come into play, and if that’s the case, the Phillies could look to make a trade from depth.

Depth? What depth?

If there’s any position the Phillies can trade from, it’s the bullpen. Most, if not all of their minor league players close to the majors or major leaguers with little MLB experience—fringe players, I’ll call them—are relievers, and the Phillies have some depth from both arms in the bullpen should they choose to utilize it in trades.

Not all of their young relievers are exactly valuable, however. Guys like Joe Savery and B.J. Rosenberg have failed to impress in the majors and are more likely to be cut than acquired by means other than waiver claims. Michael Schwimer has done an average job in the major leagues but his qualms with the Phillies’ brass about a potential lack of DL placement could indicate that he has lost favor within the organization, especially since he didn’t even make it back to the majors in September after his August demotion.

The young relievers the Phillies have who could be worth something in trades are right-handers Justin De Fratus, Phillippe Aumont and Michael Stutes, and southpaws Jake Diekman, Jeremy Horst and Antonio Bastardo. Schwimer could also be appealing, though likely not as much as some of the other names on this list.

None of these relievers alone would be enough to woo another team to trade an outfielder of starting caliber, so in that regard it’s essentially useless. However, there have been some teams looking for relief help, including the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. In addition, five teams, including the Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, all showed interest in left-handed reliever J.P. Howell before he latched on with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Milwaukee Brewers were at one point seeking southpaw relievers but have since signed Tom Gorzelanny and Mike Gonzalez. And the Toronto Blue Jays—though this is just my speculation—may have interest in trading for a reliever if Darren Oliver retires, since they are apparently over budget by about $15 million and may even have to eliminate salary in other places to make room for Oliver’s $3 million salary for 2013 should he choose to play. Oliver’s issue, according to the previous links, is that he feels he should earn a raise for 2013 and restructure his contract, but the Blue Jays have so far refused.

This means that any of the Rays, Orioles, Nationals, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, Brewers and Blue Jays could have interest in relief help. My belief is that a team like the Orioles would need to trade a left-handed reliever before making any additions since they have a plethora of them. The Rangers and Brewers are likely out of the running since they have already made bullpen additions this offseason, the Rangers with Joakim Soria and Jason Frasor and the Brewers with Gonzalez and Gorzelanny.

That leaves the Rays, Cubs, Mariners and Blue Jays, and possibly the Nationals if the intra-division hump can be resolved. But do any of these teams match up in a trade with the Phillies?

The Rays recently acquired top outfield prospect Wil Myers as part of the James Shields trade to Kansas City, but they otherwise struggle with tradeable outfield depth. Their current outfield consists of Sam Fuld, Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce, none of whom would likely interest the Phillies nor would compel the Rays to trade one for a Phillies reliever.

The Cubs have Alfonso Soriano to trade or could even consider dealing David DeJesus (again, my speculation) should they opt to go with top prospect Brett Jackson in center field. Soriano could be appealing to the Phillies as I already mentioned, but DeJesus, as a platoon-type outfielder who bats left-handed, would not be especially appealing to the Phils.

Seattle could trade Casper Wells or Michael Saunders, but neither would be the answer for the Phillies. If the Mariners were willing to deal Franklin Gutierrez, the Phillies would surely listen, but his defense and ability to hit for average likely deter the Mariners from trading him.

That leaves the Toronto Blue Jays as a possible match. In terms of outfield assets they might consider trading, the Jays have Rajai Davis, Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra. Davis has speed, as does Gose, who also excels defensively. Sierra is more of a bench-type player as of now. But would Toronto, who doesn’t otherwise have a glaring bullpen need, consider it a necessity to deal any of these outfielders? Probably not.

The Washington Nationals would be the final team left, and they could very well be the Phillies’ best trading partner. Washington’s lone left-handed relief option right now is Zach Duke, and he is far from a proven commodity in recent years. That creates an opening for the Phillies to deal one of Bastardo, Diekman or Horst to the Nationals should they choose. But who would the Phillies receive in return?

It’s likely out of the Phillies’ reach due to the divisional issue, but now that Washington has re-signed first baseman Adam LaRoche to a two-year contract, Michael Morse is in limbo with the Nats. With Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Bryce Harper all more likely to earn outfielding jobs than Morse, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has since tweeted that the Nationals are discussing Morse with about five or six teams in trades.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman also tweeted that the Phillies could use Morse’s bat, but Rosenthal also opines in a separate tweet the obvious divisional hump the two teams would have to overcome. Nevertheless, I’d speculate that any Morse trade would have to consist of more than a left-handed reliever. But what could give the Phillies some more leverage is that Morse is only under contract through 2013 before hitting free agency, so his value decreases, even if only slightly.

If Morse were to become a Phillie, the Phils may have to trade at least one top prospect to get a deal done. Jesse Biddle would probably be an overpay, but would the Nationals, as an intra-division team, settle for anything less?

The Phillies could try to make a package around shortstop Roman Quinn, who Baseball America recently ranked as the Phillies’ second-best prospect entering 2013. They could also trade one of Tommy Joseph or Sebastian Valle since the Nationals’ only area of potential improvement is catcher. I have a hard time seeing either happen unless Morse agrees to a contract extension, though, but a package of Quinn or Joseph and maybe Diekman could get a trade done since the Nationals don’t have a severe need for starting pitching.

Personally, I wouldn’t trade Quinn or Joseph right now, much less for Morse. But if Morse is on the table for the Phillies, should they pursue him? Possibly. Should they go in a different direction and try to trade for someone else? Maybe, but who? What package should the Phillies try to surrender in any trade for an outfielder? Or, even more radical, should the Phillies surrender their first-round pick this year for someone like Michael Bourn on a one-year deal?

I’m not sure what the answer is here. Maybe a Quinn-Diekman package for Morse would suffice since Ian Desmond did not show anything prior to 2012. Kurt Suzuki is also not a reliable option, though he did show improvement after being traded to the nation’s capital. But with the Nationals currently sitting as one of baseball’s best teams in all areas, they don’t need a lot, and unfortunately for the Phillies, they may not have the assets the Nationals want.

What do you think the Phillies should do? Please comment your thoughts below.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Biggest Winners and Losers of the Offseason So Far

While the MLB offseason may still be in media res, it looks as though the Philadelphia Phillies‘ offseason is winding down. They acquired a center fielder in Ben Revere, a third baseman in Michael Young, and signed a veteran set-up man in Mike Adams and a fifth starter in John Lannan.

Aside from picking up Mauricio Robles off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and signing catcher Humberto Quintero to a minor-league contract, the Phillies’ offseason consists solely of the aforementioned moves without any big-name free agent signings. Considering that the Phillies’ past three offseasons have each consisted of a major move in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon, the lack of a marquee move comes as a bit of surprise.

Nevertheless, as a result of these moves, some players have gained the edge for roster consideration that they may not have otherwise had. Conversely, other players now stand at a disadvantage following the Phillies’ offseason moves. And though the offseason is far from over—there’s still just over a month until the start of spring training—the implications of the Phillies’ moves are pretty clear.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the winners and losers of the Phillies’ offseason so far.

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Roy Halladay and the Make-or-Break Players for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013

On the whole, it’s been overstated that the Philadelphia Phillies had a sub-par 2012 season. The team’s record of 81-81 at season’s end was due to a number of factors, whether injury or performance-based. Missing Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay for significant portions of the year certainly didn’t help the Phillies’ cause, and while trading players such as Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino netted the Phillies some help for the future, it did not aid their team now.

Individually, some players shined exponentially, while others fell further down the ladder, if not completely off. Some players who were relied upon in seasons past just didn’t bring to the table what they were able to offer before. Seeing players such as Doc Halladay struggle due to injury and diminished velocity was a disappointing sight to behold, whereas Carlos Ruiz’s breakout year was all the better to witness until plantar fasciitis derailed his season and Adderall did the same for the first 25 games of 2013.

As is always the case with players from one season to the next, players who have something to prove—whether for on the field or contractual value—are evaluated as having “make-or-break” years. For the Phillies, five players stand out above the rest. Whether it’s a last chance with the team for the future or proving that a season ago was not a fluke, a myriad of reasons contribute to why certain players enter these make-or-break seasons.

In the meantime, here are the five Philadelphia Phillies with a ton riding on an upcoming make-or-break season for 2013.

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Looking at the Philadelphia Phillies’ Most Controversial Offseason Move

Before Major League Baseball’s winter meetings took place, the Philadelphia Phillies were without any major offseason moves to their name, which came as a big surprise given their tendency in years past for GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. to strike the market and swoop up one of the top available free agents.

Even after the meetings ended, the Phillies left with only one addition by subtraction from the rotation. Ben Revere, who will be their center fielder of the future and potentially their leadoff man, was acquired from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for starting pitcher Vance Worley and top Phillies prospect Trevor May.

Just a few days later, the Phillies made another move that landed them their third baseman for the 2013 season. After discussing a possible trade near the conclusion of the winter meetings, the Phillies and Rangers struck a deal that weekend, sending Michael Young to Philadelphia in exchange for reliever Josh Lindblom and prospect Lisalverto Bonilla.

Young will enter the final season of his current contract and is expected to serve solely as a stopgap for the Phillies until third base prospect Cody Asche is ready for the majors, presumably by 2014. Asche recently came in as the Phillies’ seventh-best prospect heading into 2013 according to Baseball America.

Following the winter meetings and the wind down afterwards, the Phillies were still expected to make a major move at some point. However, that next move did not come until this past Saturday, when the Phillies made not one but two moves.

After acquiring Revere and Young via trade, the Phils made their first splash into free agency this offseason when they signed veteran setup man Mike Adams to a two-year, $12 million deal. Later that day, they inked non-tendered starting pitcher John Lannan to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Adams will conceivably serve as the team’s primary eighth inning option and setup man, while Lannan will pitch as the Phillies’ fifth starter behind a combination of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick.

Considering that the Phillies traded Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence at the July 31 trade deadline and Joe Blanton via waivers just a few days later, the Phils were primed to make a big splash this offseason, if not two.

With more payroll flexibility available to them than in recent years, the Phillies could have signed Josh Hamilton and B.J. Upton if they really wanted to. Fortunately, they didn’t, and it allowed for Amaro to be more creative than ever in his reign as Phillies GM.

All of Amaro‘s moves thus far are commendable. He has not overpaid for a free agent, and it can be argued that his offerings in trades this offseason have been justifiable. He’s filled holes with practical players who are either young or affordable (or in Michael Young’s case, both—yes, pun intended), and while he may not have struck on one of the top free agents of the year, he didn’t strike out on his compromises, either.

Having said that, there are some drawbacks to each of the Phillies’ four major transactions this offseason.

Revere was acquired for two young pitchers, one of which had demonstrated some success at the major league level (Worley) and one who could have amounted to even more (May). Although Michael Young is a great clubhouse presence, he’s not a guarantee with the bat aside from his right handedness, and his defense is a black hole most anywhere he plays.

As for Adams, his only real drawback is that he’s coming off surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Though, unless some sort of setback occurs, he’s expected to be ready for spring training. And until John Lannan had been signed, the Revere trade could have been dubbed the Phillies’ most controversial of the offseason because the Phils created a hole in the rotation while filling another in center field.

Lannan should serve as a serviceable fifth starter, but his previous outings in the City of Brotherly Love have not been kind to him. In eight previous starts at Citizens Bank Park, Lannan has posted a 2-5 record with a 6.49 ERA, 1.96 WHIP and has surrendered eight home runs in 34.2 innings pitched.

Those aren’t great numbers for Lannan, whose career ERA of 4.01 suggests he’s slightly better. That, and those numbers were against the Phillies as opposed to being a part of the team.

However, I’m going to anoint Lannan as the offseason’s most controversial signing so far not solely because of his stats. As a left-hander on a cheap one-year deal, you could do much worse; then again, you could do much better, starting pitching-wise.

But even with that said, until the Phillies sign Cody Ross (and I do believe they will), Lannan is my choice for most controversial offseason signing so far because of July 26, 2007.

And I’ll tell you why: On July 26, 2007, Lannan made his major league debut that Thursday afternoon against…the Philadelphia Phillies. Opposing Adam Eaton (cringe) at Citizens Bank Park, the Nationals got out to a 2-0 lead before Lannan surrendered a series of hits in the bottom of the first, giving the Phillies a run of their own.

In the third inning, Lannan served up a go-ahead home run to Ryan Howard, scoring Chase Utley as well and turning the tables to a Phillies 3-2 lead.

Entering the fifth inning, the score remained 3-2 in the Phils‘ favor. After Victorino grounded out to second base for the first out, Chase Utley came up to the plate.

Utley, as is often the case, was hit by a pitch and awarded first base. But this wasn’t any typical Utley beaning. Utley was hit in the hand by Lannan‘s pitch, and though he finished out the game, X-rays afterwards showed a break that sidelined him for just over a month.

However, the fun didn’t stop there: Ryan Howard then came up to the plate, and Lannan beaned him as well, which resulted in his ejection in the midst of his MLB debut. The Phillies ended up losing the game to Washington, 7-6.

Is there some bad blood between Utley and Lannan? Perhaps. Prior to his hand injury, Utley was batting .336 with 17 home runs and 82 RBI, setting himself up for possible MVP considerations and giving eventual teammate and 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins a run for his money.

Had Utley not been beaned by Lannan, he could have finished out the season with better numbers than Rollins and may have won MVP himself. Unfortunately for Utley, we’ll never know.

Is this injury comparable to the feud between Utley and then-San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez in 2010 NLCS Game 6? No.

Does it compare to Victorino‘s priceless reaction to Hiroki Kuroda’s pitch near his head in Game 3 of the 2008 NLCS? Not a chance.

Even the possible lack of sportsmanship when Brandon Phillips dropped his bat to prevent Roy Halladay’s postseason no-hitter in Game 1 of the 2011 NLDS on the final play? Not even close.

But it’s a part of Phillies lore; one that still remains fresh in the minds of many a fan.

Maybe I’m attaching more significance to this this. Maybe not.

If Lannan shakes Utley’s once-broken right hand and apologizes for his prior injury, maybe the bad blood, if there is any, will subside.

Maybe there will be some tension between the two throughout the 2013 season, and maybe Utley was upset at the signing when Amaro and the Phils brought Lannan to town.

But because of his subpar stats at Citizens Bank Park and his previous altercation with Utley, I’m giving Lannan the honor of most controversial move so far for the 2012-2013 Phillies offseason.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Dumbest Move of the 2012 Offseason Thus Far

With the offseason now in full swing and the winter meetings having come and gone, the Philadelphia Phillies still have some work to do. They could use a veteran setup man, a starting pitcher and a corner outfielder (or two).

Fortunately, the Phillies have put themselves in a position to obtain all three from outside the organization without any financial distress. After acquiring their center fielder of the future in Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins and their third baseman for 2013 in Michael Young from the Texas Rangers, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has, for once, made savvy moves that prevents the club’s offseason from ending after one giant splash as it has in previous offseasons under his reign.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Gelb, the Phillies now have $20 million or so to work with before they begin to rub against the $178 million luxury tax threshold.

Compared to recent offseasons, that’s excellent news.

Having that much room to acquire three players to fill the three aforementioned remaining needs is always a good thing, and it’s fairly doable as well, as long as Amaro continues to make creative moves like he has thus far. 

According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Amaro already talked to the Cleveland Indians about acquiring shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to be the Phils‘ third baseman. We also learned that he’s talked to the Chicago Cubs, via CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, about trading Domonic Brown for Alfonso Soriano; so to suggest that something else creative is in store wouldn’t be out of the question.

However, there’s also been some chatter about the Phillies making one big splash as opposed to a handful of lower-profile moves. Manager Charlie Manuel would like to see one, and as Yahoo!’s Jeff Passan tweeted this past Saturday, a source told him that the Phillies are expected to make one more big, bold move:

 

 

Source believes Phillies still primed to do something “big.” Anything from pursuing Hamilton to a late Greinke run to trade for outfielder.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2012

 

Nevertheless, Amaro and the Phillies have taken the conservative approach to the offseason thus far, which is never a bad thing. However, it doesn‘t mean that the offseason has been perfect, including the two major moves Amaro has executed.

First of all, the Phillies’ offseason started with free-agent center fielder B.J. Upton as their primary target, but that didn’t work out when the division-rival Atlanta Braves upped the ante and signed him to a five-year, $75.25 million contract.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies then tried luring another free-agent center fielder to the City of Brotherly Love, Angel Pagan, though he opted to re-sign with his most recent club, the reigning World Series champion-San Francisco Giants, on a four-year, $40 million deal.

And before all of this, the Phillies tried acquiring Houston Astros closer Wilton Lopez to be their setup man, though that fell apart for undisclosed reasons.

That’s when Amaro got creative and pulled the trigger on a couple of trades. Revere came to Philadelphia in exchange for fan-favorite starting pitcher Vance Worley and a top prospect—right-handed starting pitcher Trevor May. Young then was swapped for right-handed reliever Josh Lindblom, whom the Phillies received in exchange for Shane Victorino from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline, and right-handed pitching prospect Lisalverto Bonilla.

However, these deals don’t come without their flaws, and I’m inclined to say that both of them have glaring issues.

In the case of the Revere deal, the Twins acquired two young starting pitchers. Worley has already made his mark in the big leagues, though his sophomore season in 2012 was marred by pesky bone chips in his elbow. His ceiling at best is a No. 3 starter, though it’s more likely he’ll end up being a No. 4 or 5.

In that regard, the Phillies did well in trading Worley while his value was at what will likely be its highest, and as of now, he is the staff ace for the Twins.

In my opinion, a Worley-for-Revere swap in and of itself would have sufficed. However, including May in the deal seemed to be redundant. Sure, the Twins want young pitching, so on their side it’s a bonus. But was it really necessary for the Phillies to include May and Worley?

Coming off his best season yet in 2011, May entered the 2012 season as the Phillies’ best prospect and the 69th-best prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America’s 2012 Prospect Handbook. Unfortunately for May, 2012 saw him regress. His ERA jumped from 3.63 in 2011 to an ugly 4.87 in 2012 and his walks elevated to a 4/7 BB/9 rate.

In addition, May’s K/9 rate plummeted from 12.4 in 2011 to 9.1 in 2012, thus resulting in a 3.10 K/BB rate in 2011 falling to just 1.94 this past season. (Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.)

With May’s primary weapon being his ability to miss bats, seeing his strikeout totals dip from 208 to 151 over one season’s time is incredibly disconcerting. In that aspect the Phillies, did well to ship him off now before he potentially fell even further.

However, the argument could be made that Revere himself was the product of the Phillies not being crafty enough. Prior to the acquisition of Revere, CBSSports.com’s Danny Knobler reported that the Phillies were targeting five center field options: Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn on the free-agent market, and Curtis Granderson, Dexter Fowler and Revere on the trade front.

The case could be made to pursue any one of the five, but according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Phillies kicked the tires on Fowler before ultimately deciding on Revere.

But was Revere the right choice?

In his major league career, Revere has yet to hit a home run, and though he was acquired for his speed and average more than anything, chances are he won’t be utilized in a leadoff role. As MLB.com’s Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki speculates, Revere is more likely to be slotted in the eighth spot of Charlie Manuel’s batting lineup, which defeats the purpose of his 40 steals and .294 batting average from 2012 (Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.)

According to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Manuel is apparently not high on the idea of batting three left-handers in a row, assuming he placed Revere in the two-hole in front of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, which is understandable.

Acquiring Revere should be enough motivation to move Jimmy Rollins down in the batting order as he’s no longer a leadoff-type hitter and doing so would alleviate the issue. However, Rollins bats worse outside of the leadoff spot than he does in it, so that in itself is a problem as well. Nevertheless, Revere should be hitting leadoff, but unless Manuel is replaced or Rollins shows a willingness to bat elsewhere in the lineup, it’s not going to happen.

If Revere’s not going to be used correctly, then trading for him is a mistake in itself, and creating another hole in the Phillies starting rotation defeats the purpose.

Even so, trading Worley was forgivable, but even with May’s 2012 struggles, giving up a top prospect and a starting pitcher when all the Washington Nationals had to do to get Denard Span from the Twins was trade one top prospect, Alex Meyer.

Granted, Meyer is better than May as a prospect and has a higher ceiling than both May and Worley, but with Span being arguably the better of the two (himself and Revere), it should have either taken more to acquire him or less for the Phillies to nab Revere.

On to the Young trade. As was mentioned, Lindblom and Bonilla were traded to Texas in exchange for Young to be the Phillies third baseman for the 2013 season. Young, who will earn $16 million in the final year of a five-year, $80 million contract extension he signed with the Rangers before the 2007 season, will still be receiving $10 million of that from Texas.

As for the Phillies, they will be on the hook for the remaining $6 million in addition to a $1.2 million incentive Young earned for waiving his 10-and-5 rights (contract information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts).

My issue with this trade is not who the Phillies gave up for Young.

As a primarily flyball pitcher, Lindblom struggled immensely upon moving out of the pitcher-friendly confines of Dodger Stadium into the hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. Consequently, Lindblom endured a horrible August, as his flyball rate climbed to a season-high 55.2 percent and his ERA for the month stood at 5.68.

In addition, three of the four home runs he allowed as a Phillie came in August, and while his September saw him settle in a bit more, it was still far from fantastic (stats courtesy FanGraphs.com).

Bonilla, the Phillies’ 12th-best prospect heading into the season according to the 2012 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, doesn”t appear as someone who would be a game-changer, either. The prospect handbook suggests that while he could end up being a mid-rotation starter, a late-inning relieving job could also be in his future. Either way, he’s expendable for the Phillies, who have incredible young pitching depth throughout their organization, both in the rotation and bullpen.

Rather, I’m on the fence about this trade because of what Young is currently bringing to the table.

His 2011 season was sensational as he batted a career-high .338 with another career-high of 106 RBI and posted a .380 OBP and .474 SLG that equated to an .854 OPS. Although his home run count dropped from 21 in 2010 to 11 in 2011, he led the league in hits with 213. Young made the All-Star team for the seventh time in his career in 2011 and placed eighth in the AL MVP voting (stats courtesy Baseball-Reference.com).

However, 2012 was a different story.

This past season, Young batted just .277, though what’s worse is that his OBP dropped to .312 and his SLG was .370, topping (or should I say bottoming) out to a career-worst .682 OPS. He only hit eight home runs last year, and while he hit 27 doubles, it was a far cry from the 41 two-baggers he slugged in 2011.

My biggest concern, though, isn’t even Young’s hitting regression. Yes, the odds may be that his hitting will decline even more in 2013 to the point that it’s barely serviceable. On a one-year deal, I’m actually willing to take that chance.

But what scares me most is Young’s defense, or rather lack thereof. Despite a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2008, Young has never been known for his defense. In fact, in that Gold Glove year, Young’s fielding percentage at the position was just .984 and he committed 11 errors.

It was 2009 when Young first starting manning the hot corner for Texas. After Elvis Andrus was promoted to the major leagues, Young moved over to third base where he’d be unseated once again by free-agent signing Adrian Beltre two years later.

Nonetheless, his fielding percentages in those two years were .969 and .950, respectively, far from noteworthy (at least for a good reason). His UZR/150 those seasons? Minus-9.6 and minus-5.9, respectively.

Once again, not even close to being major-league caliber.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of Young’s uselessness in the field at the hot corner is his DRS, or total defensive runs saved. In Young’s case, those values in 2009 and 2010 came in at minus-15 and minus-11, respectively, indicating that Young actually allowed 15 and 11 runs to cross the plate as opposed to preventing them.

Offensively regressing or not, his defense is clearly not an upgrade over a Kevin Frandsen/Freddy Galvis platoon that otherwise would have been the case (stats courtesy FanGraphs.com).

As for the dumber of the two moves, it’s a tough call because both of these trades, though beneficial, have significant drawbacks. Revere is an above-average defender and should be a great, young, speedy presence in the Phillies lineup. Sacrificing a maxed-out Worley and a regressing May for him doesn‘t bother me, though it would have been better if one of the two could have been saved for another potential deal in the future.

Young was not an overpay by any means, and if I had to have chosen any of the Phillies’ major league relievers to give up, Lindblom would have been near the top of my list.

My fear was that one of Justin De Fratus or Phillippe Aumont could have been the guy shipped off, but if it wasn’t Michael Schwimer, B.J. Rosenberg or Joe Savery destined to be traded, Lindblom would have been my next choice. However, Young’s declining offense and already-terrible defense do give me some concerns.

Decisions, decisions. Prior to writing this article, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that I would have dubbed the Revere trade the bigger bust of the two due to the gross overpay the Phillies handed over to Minnesota.

However, I’ve since had a change of heart, and I do believe that the Young trade will ultimately be the deal that is the bigger detriment to the Phillies by the end of the 2013 season.

As the lone right-handed bat in the lineup that is semi-reliable, I’m just not comfortable enough relying on Young at the plate despite a fresh start. His defense will allow runs galore to score, which is a huge issue for me. Without a half-decent bat or glove, what’s Young’s worth to the Phillies aside from being a veteran and clubhouse presence?

He’s certainly not worth $7.2 million for that—let alone $16 million. The Phillies certainly could have done worse, I’ll give them that, but if third base is as big of a waste as it was in 2011 before Kevin Frandsen was promoted, I’m not going to be a happy camper.

Let Young prove me wrong. If he does, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t give him enough credit before the season began. The key aspect here, though, is that because of these two deals, Ruben Amaro isn’t quite finished. And the move he ends up making in light of that could be his stupidest one yet.

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