Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Best Draft Picks in Team History

The Phillies are well known for their roster moves during the offseason and near the trade deadline.  Ruben Amaro Jr. is often able to pull off big moves to improve the team and the Phillies have taken heat for not developing players.

This criticism should be looked at again, however.  

The Phillies have drafted and developed some very talented players over the years.  Here is a list of 10 of the top draft picks in team history.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Trades to Solve the Offensive Problem

The Phillies have the most wins in the MLB, but they have had many offensive struggles as of late. 

The Core Four have lived up to the expectations and have pitched very well. The bullpen has been very solid as well.

The offense however is struggling and is the cause for several losses. The Phillies will most likely make a roster move to bolster the offense before the trade deadline. Here are some options for trades that could help the offense. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Guys Who Could Replace Joe Blanton

The Philadelphia Phillies have the second-best record in the MLB at this point in the season, but the fifth-starter spot has been a huge question mark thus far.  Joe Blanton was named the fifth starter in the rotation after it was announced that the Phillies would have enough money to keep him around.  However, he has not performed well enough to satisfy Philly fans.  

The Phillies have experimented with other guys in the fifth-starter spot in Blanton’s stints on the disabled list this year.  Kyle Kendrick has been used and has been knocked around in the starter role.  

Vance Worley, however, has come in and had two quality starts, leading to a 2-0 record in his two starts this season.  Worley is scheduled to pitch Tuesday and Sunday this week, giving himself more chances to prove he is a legitimate starting pitcher.  

The Phillies have a few questions surrounding them such as when will they finally be healthy and can they live up to the hype? But one question that remains is who will be the fifth starter?  Here are five guys who could replace Big Joe.   

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Philadelphia Phillies: 6 Exposed Myths About the Core Four

The Phillies have the top pitching rotation in baseball on paper.  Before the season there were many myths concerning the Phillies pitching because of their four aces.  The staff has lived up to expectations so far, giving the Phillies the best record in baseball. 

The Phillies toughest challenges will be against the Atlanta Braves, and the Florida Marlins, which have combined to give them half of their losses.  The Phils are depending on their starting pitchers to carry them through the season, and the start of the season has some very promising signs for the team. 

Here are 6 myths about the starting pitching that have already been exposed. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: 6 Bullpen Arms to Target in a Trade

The Philadelphia Phillies are off to a rare hot start to begin the season. They have suffered several injuries to pitchers already this season, which raises concerns for later in the season.

A strong bullpen is essential to make a run in the playoffs. With Brad Lidge out for an undisclosed amount of time, Jose Contreras on the DL and guys like Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero having injuries in the past, the Phillies could be looking for some insurance to anchor the bullpen.

Here are six trade targets that could supply some much-needed depth in the bullpen.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why They Can Win Title Without Chase Utley, Brad Lidge

The Philadelphia Phillies have suffered some early blows to start the 2011 season. Even without Chase Utley and Brad Lidge, though, the Phillies are in first place and are tied for the best record in baseball.

Here are six reasons why the Phillies can still win the title without Utley and Lidge.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why They Won’t Finish Like the 1996 Atlanta Braves

The Phillies‘ starting pitching rotation has drawn many comparisons to the 1996 pitching staff of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves pitchers had a very strong season from their pitchers, but they lost in the World Series to the New York Yankees, four games to two. 

So how will the Phillies finish this season? 

The Braves had three very good starters in their rotation during that year. Their “big three” included John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. All three of the starters won at least 15 games during the season and each posted a sub-3.00 ERA.

The Phillies powerhouse has had a very good start to the 2011 season. The top four have posted 83 strikeouts, and seven wins in 13 starts. 

Halladay and Lee have both been very dominant late in the season in their respective times with the team. Cole Hamels won the World Series MVP in 2008. Roy Oswalt made a huge impact for the team after being acquired late last season. And Big Joe can surprise people at times. He will most likely be in the bullpen during the postseason as the team will most likely use a four-man rotation, so he may or may not have an impact.

The big question is, can they perform when it is needed?

The answer to that is yes. There is very little doubt that the Phillies will make the playoffs. They have the experience, talent and depth to go deep into the playoffs with their pitching.

Their offense is also very deep and has a lot of talent. With guys like John Mayberry Jr., Ben Francisco and Ross Gload as fill-ins in the outfield as well as players like Wilson Valdez, Pete Orr and Delwyn Young who bring experience. 

The Braves offense collapsed late in the series in the ’96 Series and the Phillies have a very versatile lineup who can score runs and produce. The Phillies have a very strong, deep lineup who give them a very good chance to win another World Series title. 

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Philadelphia Phillies All-Prospect Team: The Best Prospect at Every Position

Ruben Amaro Jr. has been well known to trade away prospects in search of major-league talent.  While many believe he is depleting the farm system, there are still many talented prospects around.  Here is a list of the top prospects at each position.                                                                                             

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Philadelphia Phillies: Can They Survive Injury-Plagued Cliff Lee, Chase Utley?

Chase Utley’s recent injury is quickly becoming more serious than originally thought.

Seeing a leader out of the lineup already is causing concern for many Phillies fans.

After a big offseason move put together arguably the best pitching rotation in the major leagues, fans may have to ask themselves: Can the team win without Utley and Lee?

Lee also had a minor injury this offseason, which he downplayed greatly last week. He says he is fine and he looks good after a rough first outing, but what if this injury wasn’t just a minor tweak?

Last year’s pitching rotation was already scary, but pitching was not their downfall last season and it doesn’t figure be this season. Even if Cliff Lee goes down with an injury, the big three can still carry the team while players such as Kyle Kendrick or Vance Worley step up as a fill in role while Lee recovers.

The offense, however, greatly contributed to last October’s NLCS loss to the Giants and this year’s crew has a lot of question marks.  

Can Rollins stay healthy and put up MVP like numbers again? Can Ryan Howard perform like he did in 2006? Will Utley stay healthy?  

Utley has a very good possibility of starting the year on the disabled list if his knee injury does not heal soon, this increases the need for players like Rollins and Howard to step up and fill in. Ben Francisco, who is likely to earn the starting right field position, will also need to have a hot start to the season.  

The potential is there; the players just need to perform.  

The Phillies have a dominating lineup from top to bottom, and are obvious favorites to win the NL East again and to win the World Series in October. Even if Utley and Lee were to go down with injuries, there is still enough talent to carry the team to another championship.   

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Spring Training: Breaking Down the 6 Most Intense Outfield Position Battles

Spring Training is finally in full swing, which means the regular season is just around the corner.  For some players, Spring Training is just a time to fine tune their skills before the season. But for others, it’s a chance to earn a spot on a big league roster.

From rookies to free-agent signings, there are many players battling for positions around the majors this spring.  Here is a breakdown of the six most intense outfield position battles.  

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