Philadelphia Phillies Finding Ways To Stay On Top Of Competitive NL East

 

As the Philadelphia Phillies prepare to open a nine game road trip against NL East rivals tonight in New York, it’s a good time to check in on the division race. 

With the season just past the quarter mark, it’s early, but there are enough data points and trend lines to get a feel for what to expect over the balance of the year. 

It is not surprising to see the Phillies leading the pack with a 26-17 record considering they have been the consensus favorites to not only win the division but also the National League pennant. 

What is a little surprising, though, is the manner in which they have done it—especially considering the rash of injuries they have had to endure in the early going.

Brad Lidge and Jimmy Rollins have served two stints on the DL, while J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton, J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson have landed there as well. 

All are considered key players in General Manager Ruben Amaro’s formula for success in 2010. Blanton and Romero have returned to action, but have yet to hit their stride while the others remain in various stages of rehab. 

Overall, the team has shaken off the injury bug through players on the depth chart stepping up to make solid contributions and starting pitchers working deep into games. 

On offense, batters have displayed improved plate discipline and hitting. As a team, they are currently second in the NL with a .269 batting average, 11 points higher than a year ago. And, they have morphed from one of the easiest to fan in 2009 to the most difficult in the NL this season. 

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have played like the universally recognized stars they are now regarded. Meanwhile, Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz have elevated their games to another level— with the former looking like an early MVP candidate and the latter looking like an All-Star.

Two of Amaro’s offseason free agent acquisitions, Juan Castro and Wilson Valdez, have turned out to be important additions, especially with Gold Glover J Roll shut down with a troublesome calf injury. Both are significant upgrades over Eric Bruntlett at shortstop and at the plate. 

Another free agent pickup has turned out to be a revelation so far. Veteran Jose Contreras has proven Amaro and Phillies scouts astute as he appears dominant in his newly found relief role airing out his mid-to-upper 90 mph splitter. 

In fact, Contreras has been so good, there has been speculation that he could remain as the closer even after Lidge returns to the playing field. Considering skipper Charlie Manuel’s sense of loyalty, it seems more likely he will give Lidge every opportunity to resume his former job, but it’s great to know that an insurance policy is waiting in the wings. 

The spring training conundrum of six pitchers vying for five starting slots has turned out to be a fortuitous situation for the club. Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick have been solid over the past month after getting roughed up early on this season. However, Happ and Blanton have passed each other like ships in the night on trips to and from the DL. 

Importantly, Cole Hamels is projecting positive. After looking a lot like the 2009 edition in April, Hamels has more resembled the 2008 ace in May. With his fastball touching 94-95 mph, and better command of his curve ball, Hollywood could yet be the strong No. 2 that Amaro and Manuel envisioned. 

The No. 1, of course, is ace Roy Halladay— who has been as good as advertised. Although he is coming off a rough outing Sunday (which might have turned out differently with a couple plays behind him), the big right-hander is destined to resume his dominant ways and finish the year somewhere north of 20 wins. 

The rest of the division is bunched up behind the Phillies, separated by just 1.5 games.

The Mets fell on some hard times recently, but with two big wins against the World Champions from across town, they appear poised to compete hard in the three game series that opens tonight. With big name talent such as David Wright, Jason Bay, Johan Santana, “K-Rod” and Jose Reyes— along with high ceiling rookie Ike Davis— New York is capable of making some noise.

After a slow start, the Atlanta Braves look to be finding their legs. They are back in second place after recording 15 wins in their past 22 games. 

The Washington Nationals continue to be one of the surprises of 2010 and should compete all season long. With one hot pitching prospect already elevated to the big club and a flame throwing stud soon to follow, the Nats have the look of a contender. 

The Phillies head to Florida for the weekend to face a Marlins team that seems to perennially have enough young talent to hang around. 

The current trend line projects a 98-win season for the Phils, a number that should be enough to take a competitively balanced division. Of course, pennants are not won by mathematicians and many factors will influence the actual outcome. 

In order to remain on the current trend line, the Phillies would seem to need meaningful contributions by Rollins, Lidge, Madson and Happ. Meanwhile, expect the rest of the NL East rivals to up the ante— starting this week. 

 

 

 

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Ruben Amaro’s Offseason Signings for Phillies Deserve Kudos

After the Philadelphia Phillies fell just short of repeating as World Series Champions, GM Ruben Amaro spent the offseason actively reshaping the club.

Of course, the biggest news involved the tandem trades of Cy Young hurlers Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Beyond that, Amaro used the free agent talent pool to land a new regular third baseman and essentially perform a makeover on both his bullpen and bench. 

The Phillies GM wasted little time when he inked Placido Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz at the hot corner. The deal came with some fanfare as it brought back a player who had been traded away when the team made a commitment to build around Chase Utley at second base.

Polanco remained in Phillies fans’ consciousness during his five seasons in Detroit by hitting .311 and winning a pair of Gold Gloves at second base. This time around, Amaro decided that they could make room for baseball’s best second sacker in Utley and Polanco by sliding the free agent over to third.

The move appears to be a winner. Polanco has quickly settled into his new position and looks right at home. He has also generated the additional offensive production Amaro was seeking—hitting .274 with four HR and 16 RBI after 28 games. 

The other signings were not front page worthy news, but overall appear to have been astute decisions. And, with the wide array of injuries the Phillies have experienced thus far in 2010, the improved depth is making a positive impact. 

Before pulling up lame with a strained hamstring last evening, Juan Castro had ample opportunity to show why Amaro wanted him. He is a clear improvement at the plate and in the field over Eric Bruntlett. 

Castro has filled in nicely for the injured Jimmy Rollins, displaying some flashy leather work and surprising pop in his bat. Amaro even had the foresight to stockpile talent by signing Wilson Valdez, who has proven to be a capable backup as well. 

Ross Gload is one of the better left-handed pinch hitters in baseball. And Brian Schneider is one of the league’s top backup backstops. 

From a financial perspective, the biggest free agent acquisition in the pitching department was right handed reliever Danys Baez. Thus far, the former closer has displayed closer stuff with journeyman command. 

The most impactful bullpen addition, though, appears to be veteran Jose Contreras. After several mediocre years as a starter, the Colorado Rockies moved him into a relief role late last season. 

Apparently Contreras caught the Phillies’ attention enough for them to take a shot with him—and it appears they nailed it. The big righty still throws gas and has a truly nasty splitter. In 14.2 innings of work, Contreras has a 1.04 ERA with 14 Ks and zero walks.

The performance of Brad Lidge since returning to the big club has been encouraging. Should he falter, however, Contreras and his high 90s splitter appear to be a great backup plan. 

During the winter, news of signing players such as Castro, Gload, Schneider, Valdez, and Contreras didn’t exactly light up the sports radio airwaves or blogoshere.

But, a month into the season, it sure looks like kudos are in order for Ruben Amaro. Oh, yeah, and although it wasn’t via free agency, the acquisition of Roy Halladay looks pretty special, too. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Should Resign Jayson Werth Quickly

Last evening, Jayson Werth put on a “Baseball Tonight” highlight reel in leading the Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Watching him continue to evolve as one of baseball’s brightest all-around stars argues that the Phillies should sign him to a contract extension right now. 

 

As he often does, Werth displayed his multi-dimensional talents in the desert. With one out in the second inning, the bearded right-fielder with the flowing hair crushed a pitch off starter Ian Kennedy that traveled 448 feet to stake the Phils to a 1-0 lead.

 

In the middle innings, Werth contributed with a couple excellent plays in right field. And, he capped things off by hitting a two out, ninth-inning bomb to dead center to provide the margin of victory. 

 

Werth has swung the bat well since opening day and has mounted some impressive numbers. He currently is batting .333 with 3 HR and 10 RBI. Perhaps even more representative of his well rounded contributions are his .408 on base and .633 slugging percentages.

 

The 2010 success comes on the heels of his maturation into an everyday All-Star right fielder. Since joining the team in 2007, Werth has batted .278 with an .878 OPS. His home run output continues to grow with a career high 36 a year ago and a trajectory that might take him to the 40 plateau very soon. And, did I mention 47 steals in 53 attempts?

 

Last winter, the Phillies wisely inked him to a two-year contract extension to avoid arbitration that pays him $7 million in 2010. When the current contract expires, though, Werth will become a free agent.

 

As the season wears on, the price tag will continue to rise as Werth further validates his capabilities with another big season. The five-tool player has already turned heads by ramping up his performance over the past two postseason runs to the Fall Classic, jacking 11 HR to go with a .393 on base percentage in 29 games.

 

Every bomb, every “reckless abandon” race around the base paths, every laser throw to nail a runner at the plate, and every diving catch in the outfield that lands on “Sports Center” will only serve to whet prospective teams’ appetites for his services.

 

Hitting in the important five hole protecting Ryan Howard, Werth’s growing reputation as one of the league’s most dangerous hitters serves to mitigate opposing pitchers working around the slugging first baseman. It truly is a symbiotic relationship— as Werth’s numbers go up, so do Howard’s.  

 

Ruben Amaro and the Phillies have already pushed the payroll to a level beyond their wildest imaginations just a couple years ago. Dealing Cliff Lee and letting Chan Ho Park walk over the winter serves as testimony that the team is feeling the need to control the payroll. 

 

With the team’s star-studded roster, Amaro has acknowledged that he will be forced to make some tough decisions down the road. He has made it clear that he does not have the open checkbook to operate like the Yankees or Red Sox, so some decisions will be about finances over talent.

 

On the flip side, the Phillies are looking at the possibility of selling out all 81 home games. Additionally, they hope to make a third consecutive World Series run, which could push total attendance towards a staggering 4.2 million fans—not to mention record revenues.

 

It is also worth mentioning that Werth’s stature as a fan favorite is ever increasing. Like middle of the order sluggers, retaining beloved talent and revenues are also a symbiotic relationship. Simply put—fans come out to see exciting players win games. 

 

Many have compared Werth to Jason Bay, who signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the rival New York Mets this winter. In terms of numbers, the comparison is solid, though the Phillies’ Jayson is better defensively and on the base paths. Conversely, Bay has validated his skills over a greater period of time.

 

Werth has made it clear that he loves everything about Philly from his teammates to the ball park to the fans to the city itself. Although it would be unrealistic to think that he will forgo such an important opportunity to monetize the unique intersection between his prime years and free agency, he might be willing to strike a balance. 

 

Surely the signs are that a bit of a hometown discount is in order here. However, the size of that break will probably shrink as the year wears on and perhaps disappear when he hits the open market.

 

Whether it’s four years, $64 million or something less— the Phillies should do whatever it takes to make Jayson Werth a fixture in right for the next four-five seasons. He plays hard, plays to win, is a great teammate, and possesses the type of multi-dimensional talent that suggest his best days are still ahead. 

 

If that requires shedding payroll or raising ticket prices a dollar or two, so be it. 

 

Although I like his work ethic and contributions, if it means moving Raul Ibanez to clear payroll, the team needs to do it during or after the season. A Ben Francisco platoon with Greg Dobbs would hold down the fort. Even better would be to allow prized prospect Dominic Brown to mature in a part-time role facing mostly righties. 

 

In the offseason, opinions floated around to trade the right fielder before he hits the market because Brown is on the way. I buy into the latter—but rather along side Werth and instead replacing the 38-year old Ibanez. 

 

The time is now for Amaro and the Phillies to make a bold move to keep Werth in the fold. If not, every highlight generated by their exciting, young star throughout the season will be mixed with the ambivalence of knowing the price keeps edging up.

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Are the Philadelphia Phillies Negotiating with Pedro Martinez’s Agent?

With Kyle Kendrick doing his best Chan Ho Park imitation, and a few other warning signs illuminating, could the rumors about Ruben Amaro contacting Pedro Martinez’s agent to negotiate a deal be true?

As I detailed on Tuesday in Top 10 Destinations For a Pedro Martinez Return in 2010, Martinez has made it clear that he wants to return to action, and there are many teams that could be a fit. Currently, most of those teams are likely waiting to see how their existing pitchers perform and where they stand in the playoff race.

 

The Philadelphia Phillies are off to their best start since 1993, but the events that have unfolded so far in this young season may have Amaro and manager Charlie Manuel sleeping a little less soundly. The injury bug snagged red-hot Jimmy Rollins and ever-emerging star Jayson Werth a few days ago, as well as starting pitcher Joe Blanton prior to the team departing Clearwater.

 

Additionally, Kendrick and Jamie Moyer turned in very strong spring training showings that bolstered confidence that the team might be six deep in starting pitchers, but that may have turned into a sinking feeling of late. Besides Kendrick bombing in his first two outings, Moyer also got roughed up by a struggling Houston Astros club. 

 

Seeing free agent acquisition Danys Baez implode, and Ryan Madson struggle yesterday didn’t help either. And, reports of closer Brad Lidge getting lit up by a single A team does nothing to increase REM sleep for the Phillies brass. 

 

Could the starting pitching woes (and other events) have led Amaro to reach out to Pedro’s agent to reconvene discussions about the future Hall of Famer returning to Philadelphia? 

 

Although the Phillies General Manager denies any negotiations with a little verbal slight of hand, it is very conceivable that Amaro would like to get ahead of the competition and lay the groundwork to soothe a potential sore spot. He indicated that he “has had conversations” with the player’s agent about keeping lines of communication open without providing any time frame. 

 

It is doubtful that the Phillies would want to layer on almost a full season’s salary; however, they may consider a midseason scenario that could entail a bargain price and only half a season’s paychecks. Also, last year’s experience would suggest that a lengthier preparation would be beneficial for Pedro to build arm strength and get stretched out.

 

Reaching an agreement sometime in May could translate to a return to the field around the All-Star break. With an already inflated 2010 payroll that had the Phillies trading Cliff Lee and forgo re-signing Park, bringing Martinez back would seem highly dependent on the total cost.

 

As detailed, a few other teams appeared to have a higher probability of striking a deal with the veteran pitcher, with finances and the spring performances of Kendrick and Moyer being the main factors pushing the Phillies down on the list. 

 

Based on his comments during his stay in Philly and since that time, Philadelphia could very well be Pedro’s No. 1 choice. He clearly enjoyed the team and atmosphere—and knows that the team is surely a championship contender. Winning a World Series appears to be his top objective over money or anything else. 

 

Meanwhile, Kendrick and Moyer are sporting Adam Eaton-esque ERA’s. Obviously, the sample size is low, but 17.47 and 7.50 ERA’s respectively have a way of making the stomach churn.

 

Werth was back in the lineup yesterday, but since the “hip” injury has become the new “elbow,” he will be watched closely. Of course, the most significant factor in the Pedro sweepstakes will be the performance of the starting pitchers, but losing offensive production increases its importance.

 

Moyer is slated to make his next start on Sunday against the Florida Marlins—a team that he has dominated in his career. Should he falter again, Amaro just may be calling Pedro’s people before the day is done. After all, as a Philadelphian, even more famous than Pedro once said, “The early bird catches the worm.” 

 

 

Gary Suess is the founder of the Philadelphia Sports blog I’m Just Saying, Philly

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Philadelphia Phillies Week One: What Have We Learned?

With one week of the regular season behind us, what have we learned about the 2010 edition of the Philadelphia Phillies so far? A week is a just a week, but how a team plays and what story lines unfold once the big curtain goes up on the games that count often foreshadow the season.

First off, Phillies fans and players received ample reinforcement of what Toronto already knew—Roy Halladay is the real deal. He is a true stud at the front end of the rotation who appears on his way to a tremendous season. The way he expeditiously attacks hitters with dominant stuff, it evokes some serious “Lefty” deja vu for Phillies fans.

Based on the early returns, the prospects appear high that in a career filled with success—this should be his best season yet. When Halladay makes the walk to the mound, he is comforted to be backed by arguably the best offense and defense in baseball. 

Some other early impressions are that with the addition of Placido Polanco and the maturation of Carlos Ruiz, an already scary 2009 lineup looks even more frightening. 

And, a potentially huge factor that might have starting pitchers imagining various ailments when Philadelphia pops up on the schedule is the resurgence of Jimmy Rollins at the plate. After winning the NL MVP Award in 2007 with a phenomenal season, J Roll turned in a pair of substandard offensive performances, but has come out of the blocks looking like the 2007 vintage smacking liners around the yard. 

With J Roll and Polanco wearing out pitchers at the top of the lineup, the Phillies have been doing striking impersonations of the “Lumber Company” and “Big Red Machine.” Put Halladay on the mound with that lineup and there is no tougher opponent anywhere in baseball.

Did I mention Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth? The three already have pitchers reaching for the Maalox when the heart of the order is due up. 

Overall, the Phils’ 5-1 start is reason enough for optimism by itself as the team has made slow starts a habit. Cynics might point to their soft schedule, but they have yet to have any home cooking and opponent’s pedigrees never seemed to make a difference at the season’s outset in year’s past. 

Amongst the optimism, though, are some remaining concerns that have the potential of at least raining on the parade. A couple were left behind in Florida in the form of Brad Lidge and JC Romero—two-thirds of the back end of the bullpen.

The reports continue to be favorable regarding their progress, but until they return to action and bring their good stuff, Charlie Manuel and company won’t rest easy. Perhaps of more concern right now are the performances of three of its starting pitchers.

Most everyone would agree that Cole Hamels is a critical component to success in 2010. After three rough outings to finish spring training, Hamels looked a lot like the embattled hurler from last season as he struggled with his composure and command in his initial performance. 

It’s just one start, but displaying the same demons that haunted him a year ago did little to evoke confidence that he is not headed for a “Groundhog’s Day” performance. 

Fellow starters Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer looked primed to start the season strong after impressive spring performances. Unfortunately, both followed the Chan Ho Park  script from a year ago and got banged around when the games counted. 

Since inning eater Joe Blanton is parked on the DL with the type of injury that can deceivingly linger, the Phillies cannot afford to outhit opponents or tax their bullpen when these two take the mound. 

On the positive side of the ledger, sophomore J.A. Happ’s solid opening performance had to be pleasing to Manuel. After ending a brilliant rookie campaign with an injury and muddled role throughout the postseason, Happ started strong in making a case that he is not a “one-hit wonder.” 

Although he kept his Mendoza-like Grapefruit League trend line intact to begin the regular season, Raul Ibanez has shown some signs of life over the past two games. Shane Victorino is the only other regular who hasn’t sprinted out of the gate, but the Flyin’ Hawaiian is about as steady as they come.

Perhaps the area of biggest concern heading into the season is the bullpen. Of course, the puzzle will not be complete until the pair of missing pieces return, but the rest seems to be coming together nicely. 

The best Phillies start since 1993 and more than seven runs per game from the offense has a way of making even confirmed pessimists feel bullish. A week’s a week—but so far the team is looking the part of the consensus National League favorite.

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NL East Preview: Philadelphia Phillies Must Improve to Beat Braves

The 2010 major league baseball season officially opens tonight when the arch rival Boston Red Sox take on the World Champion New York Yankees. When Josh Beckett fired his first pitch in Beantown another marathon race to the World Series kicked off.

These two opponents are considered by most pundits to be the top teams in the American League. Consensus favors the Bronx bombers, but if any team is capable of derailing another trip to the fall classic, the Red Sox seem to be the most likely.

Although they need to wait until Monday afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington nationals share the honor of opening the National League campaign. A year ago, the Phillies dominated the Nationals on their way to registering their third consecutive NL East title while Washington languished again in last place.

The Phillies still possess a powerhouse team; however, the gap between the two teams has seemed to narrow. This may be especially true when big-ticket rookie flamethrower Stephen Strasburg joins the big club as expected sometime during the season.

In assessing all five teams in the National League East, it would seem that each has improved from a year ago.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Checking In On the Five Keys to the 2010 Season

As spring training draws to a close, we have more insight and information to assess the Phillies’ prospects for the 2010 season. Live game action, rehab progress, and commentary from coaches and players provide additional assurance or in some cases further doubt.

Over the past month, I have detailed what I believe to be the five keys to a successful Phillies season. If you missed them, here they are:

1. How will the fifth starting pitcher fare?
2. Can Cole Hamels go back to the future?
3. Which Raul Ibanez will show up this season?
4. Will the bullpen sink or swim?
5. Which Brad Lidge shows up?

It is my belief that these five factors will largely determine whether the Phillies will win a fourth consecutive National League East title, a third consecutive National League Pennant, and/or another World Series Championship.

Most baseball pundits rate the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies as the favorites heading into the season. Those same experts vary in their ranking order of those two teams — but a large percentage see them colliding once again in the 2010 World Series.

The 2010 Phillies have an all-star laden team led by Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino. The harsh reality, though, is that the weakest links have a chance to cause the team’s vast potential to go unfulfilled.

Armed with new insight and some of the blanks at least penciled in, let’s take a pulse check on each of the five keys to see if the situation has improved, regressed or simply remained status quo.

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Philadelphia Phillies Key No. 5: Which Brad Lidge Shows Up?

Rarely does a player experience such extremes from one year to the next, but Phillies closer Brad Lidge has lived that way since coming to the team in a trade two years ago. 

 

In 2008, it was a year of perfection that culminated with teammates jubilantly piling on him when he recorded a strikeout to secure the Phillies’ second World Series championship. The journey through the following season moved to the opposite end of the spectrum with a dismal season that landed him on the surgeon’s table in the offseason.

 

Ruben Amaro and the Phillies organization have assembled a marvelous group of everyday players and a solid starting rotation for the 2010 season. As detailed previously, the potential chink in the armor appears to be the bullpen.

 

And, the most important component of any bullpen is it’s closer. Considering Lidge’s body of work last season and his two offseason surgeries, there is little argument that the team’s biggest question mark and greatest risk point concerns the reliever’s ability to bounce back this year.

 

A 7.21 ERA and 11 blown saves will tend to arouse anxieties throughout the clubhouse, media, and fan base. The hope is that the medical procedures to repair damage in Lidge’s knee and elbow will go a long way towards bringing back the 2008 “Lights Out” version of the player.

 

At this stage, with spring training winding down, there is little evidence to acquiesce concerns about the team’s closer. Lidge is still in a rehabbing mode and will break camp without making an appearance in any “Grapefruit League” games.

 

Yesterday, he threw 25 pitches off the mound to live hitters, but is still a considerable distance from being able to participate in real game action. His fastball topped out at a pedestrian 89 mph, approximately 6 mph below his normal velocity.

 

All pitchers need to build up arm strength in spring training and early in the regular season; however, Lidge has the added hurdle of having been totally shut down throughout the winter. Current estimates for Lidge’s return to the active roster are mid-April if everything goes off like clockwork, but it is very conceivable that the date could slip towards May.

 

Last season, the Phillies closer struggled with his command all season long. He was wild in and out of the strike zone—and often was forced to groove a straight fastball because he was behind in the count.

 

In the Phillies championship season, Lidge achieved a great deal of success by working backwards. Simply put, he was able to throw his devastating slider for strikes in fastball counts which led to an abundance of futile swings.

 

A return to form will surely require much better command of both his fastball and slider. The prevailing sentiment amongst pitching coach Rich Dubee, manager Charlie Manuel, and the pitcher himself is that his mechanics went awry due to the pain and weakness in his knee and elbow.

 

Although much more subtle, another contributing factor to the pitcher’s struggles last season related to his inability to hold runners on. Essentially, singles and walks turned into doubles and triples by virtue of Lidge’s almost total lack of attention towards base runners.

 

This meant that opponents were consistently in scoring position almost every time he entered the game. Besides ramping up the drama, this is surely not a formula to be a successful closer.

 

This weakness has been recognized by the club and has made it an area of focus this spring. It is doubtful that the pitcher will suddenly develop a good pick-off move or much quicker delivery to home, but it is essential that he significantly improves from where he was a year ago.

 

In addition to the pitcher’s physical health, Lidge’s confidence sagged significantly throughout last season. The air of dominance that propelled him to record 48 saves in as many attempts in 2008 was often noticeably missing when he toed the rubber in 2009.

 

As anyone from a casual observer to a sports psychologist will attest, confidence is a key element to attaining success in any sport. Of course, this is especially true for a major-league pitcher that carries the weight of his team on his shoulders through the pressure packed final moments of a game.

 

Considering the importance of having Lidge mentally right, it is probably advisable to delay his return to action until he is physically ready to successfully compete against major league hitters. Bringing him back too soon with mediocre stuff could very well lead to poor outings and a further damaged psyche.

 

Waiting too long would seem far superior to jumping the gun. An accumulation of successful outings upon his return will be invaluable towards Lidge regaining his “mojo.”

 

The reliever’s large remaining contract gave Amaro little flexibility to do anything other than hand the closer job back to Lidge for the 2010 season and hope for the best. That notwithstanding, though, the fortunes of the Philadelphia Phillies are largely riding on the back of the pitcher who triumphantly dropped to his knees to close the 2008 World Series.

 

The team is universally recognized as a juggernaut throughout the baseball world, but it is no secret that this is the potential Achilles’ heel. Needless to say, all eyes will be keenly focused on Lidge when he rejoins the club and Charlie summons him from the pen.

 

The butterflies that the closer will have in the pit of his stomach will likely be shared by everyone else around him. Fans and the team know very well that a return to glory in 2010 is largely dependent upon a return to glory for Lidge.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies Key No. 4: Will the Bullpen Sink Or Swim?

 

A big factor in the Philadelphia Phillies run to a World Series Championship in 2008 was their bullpen. Besides having a closer with an unblemished record when handed the ball to nail down a win, each member of the relief corps found success in a defined role.

 

As ardent followers, and even casual observers know, the Phillies 2009 bullpen was not quite the same well oiled machine. In fact, at times they conjured up the same type of white knuckle anxiety of a driver behind the wheel of a late model Toyota Camry in a Schuylkill Expressway rush hour.

 

Stated another way, neither the driver nor the passengers had a great deal of confidence that the ride was going to be smooth and uneventful at best—or smoking rubble at worst. Some days everything worked the way it was designed, but there was always troublesome lingering doubt. 

 

If the Phillies hope to have a successful season and ultimately repeat, a well functioning, consistently effective bullpen is a must.

 

Although the occupants of the bullpen will look quite different in 2010, it remains to be seen whether they will more resemble last year’s group or the 2008 crew?

 

Perhaps neither in terms of performance, but the plan for the set-up and closer roles heading into the season calls for a return to glory of the championship team.

 

After his well chronicled encore adventure, Brad Lidge went under the knife to correct elbow and knee problems that bothered him throughout the campaign. The team has placed a large stack of chips on the table in gambling that the off-season surgery will restore the pitcher to at least a close facsimile of the “Lights Out” version.  

 

Set-up responsibilities will be back in the hands of tall right hander Ryan Madson and lefty J.C. Romero. In the championship season, both pitchers played instrumental roles by shutting down opponents in the late innings as the “bridge to Lidge.”

 

Madson possesses closer stuff with a four seam fastball that often registers 95 mph and upwards, and a devastating change-up. He has turned in mixed results, though, when asked to take on the added pressure of closing out games. 

 

Romero is working his way back from a nightmarish 2009 season that started with a 50-game suspension and followed with a couple DL stints. Like Lidge, the hope is that off-season elbow surgery will allow him to regain the slider that ate up left handed hitters. 

 

With Ruben Amaro electing not to bring back Scott Eyre, he is betting that Romero will be able to resume the important lefty set-up man job. He is also banking on either Antonio Bastardo or Sergio Escalona to provide another left handed arm out of the pen.

 

Also gone from last year are middle relievers Chan Ho Park, Clay Condrey and Tyler Walker. Allowing them to walk represents somewhat of a risk, especially Park, who often showed the most poise and command of all the relievers as the season wore on. 

 

In their place will be free agent acquisitions Danys Baez and Jose Contreras. Neither is a “sure thing” by any means, but both have had periods of success in their careers.

 

Baez was an all-star six seasons ago, but fell on some hard times, including a season ending injury in 2007 that kept him out of action for over a year. He turned in a middle of the road performance with the Baltimore Orioles, but Amaro hopes that he will be stronger after a full year of recovery.

 

Contreras has been a starter for most of his career, including a couple strong seasons several years ago. At the end of last season, he seemed to flourish in a relief role when the Colorado Rockies moved him to the bullpen. He throws hard and Charlie Manuel likes that he has a reputation for taking the ball.

 

After a strong 2008 season, Chad Durbin experienced a significant drop-off. He struggled with his command most of the season, so a return to form would provide a big boost in the middle innings.

 

Condrey and Walker were effective when asked to keep the team in the game in the middle innings. Each of them may have their best days ahead of them, but Amaro decided his dollars were better spent elsewhere, perhaps looking for a little more heat. 

 

One wild card might be Scott Mathieson, the hard throwing rookie who is trying to rebound from a second Tommy John surgery. He has impressed the big club with his stuff in a couple major league stints and is considered to have the proverbial high ceiling if he can stay healthy.

 

All in all, the bullpen has the potential to be an asset once again—but also could turn out to be the team’s Achilles heel. Unlike the everyday line-up and 80 percent of the starting staff, the relievers are a collection of decent odds Vegas bets—some relatively small and some high stakes. 

 

With little Major League ready help available in the minors, or via trade with the prospect talent pool cupboard somewhat bare, the Phillies fortunes might be a matter of sink or swim with the current relief corps. Amaro and Charlie Manuel are looking to catch a nice wave in 2010— or the entire team could all be in for a cold, upstream swim. 

 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

The Philadelphia Phillies’ Seven Most Important Trades

After winning a second consecutive National League Pennant but falling short of its goal to repeat as World Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies were very active over the winter. Economics and Father Time served somewhat as a catalyst, but most of the activity was designed to better position the team for success in 2010 and beyond.

On the heels of winning MLB.com’s Executive of the Year Award, General Manager Ruben Amaro continued his bias towards action rather than take the safe route of standing pat. Most of the action was the ebb and flow of free agents that overhauled the bench and bullpen as well as changed the face of the team’s everyday third baseman.

The resigning of former Phillie Placido Polanco to step in for Pedro Feliz is expected to provide an offensive upgrade with only a slight drop-off in the field. The other changes are not devoid of impact, but are expected to be of less consequence.

Except those who were out of the country, or perhaps on the International Space Station, everyone knows the big news in Philadelphia and throughout the entire baseball world was the Phillies swap of aces at the top of its rotation. The tandem trades alternately welcomed Roy Halladay to Philly while bidding farewell to Cliff Lee on his one way trip to Seattle.

Those dual deals involving two of baseball’s biggest names sent considerable seismic waves through the team’s fanbase with many still feeling the after shocks.

Surely, fans are ecstatic to have arguably the best starting pitcher in all of baseball taking the ball every fifth day in a Phillies uniform. However, a good portion of that excitement is tempered by knowing that last year’s postseason hero Lee is now wearing Mariners attire.

In order to provide some backdrop to measure the magnitude of these two transactions, I have taken a look through the archives to find Phillies trades that may rival them in terms of importance.

Because the players involved in those December deals have yet to step across the white lines in a game that matters, it is too early to judge their import. So, although those blockbuster trades may prove to have the greatest impact—positively, negatively or cumulatively—it is premature to include them here.

It is interesting to note that throughout the Phillies team history, the club has more often come out on the short end when big name players have been involved—but that trend appears to be turning. I present to you the somewhat unlucky seven most important trades in Philadelphia Phillies history:

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