Ranking Each Phillies Player by Who’s Under the Most Pressure in Spring Training

Over here on the East Coast, baseball’s offseason is often one filled with anticipation, with fans anxiously waiting for their team to sign a big-name free agent or swing a big trade.

But in the baseball doldrums of January, people are really waiting for one thing and one thing only: spring training. 

At this point, it’s so close that you can almost smell the fresh-cut grass and feel the warm sun of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ spring home of Clearwater, Florida. But for some members of the club, this camp is going to be all about business. 

That is because this is a team under a fair amount of pressure, following one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory. Now, they’re faced with the perfect storm of spring training pressure: aging veterans, young players trying to win a job and the duty to prepare for a very tough National League East that is going to give them all that they can handle in 2013. 

In fact, there aren’t many players on this roster who won’t be under any pressure this spring—that’s the gravity of this camp.

So who should you be keeping an eye on in spring training? I’m glad you asked. This slideshow will rank the entire Phillies’ (projected) 25-man roster by who’s under the most pressure this spring.

Begin Slideshow

Signing Delmon Young Could Spell Disaster for Current Phillies Outfielders

Just how desperate were the Philadelphia Phillies to sign a right-handed, power hitting corner outfielder with Major League experience? Desperate enough to forget what solid defense looks like? Desperate enough to jeopardize the playing time and development of a pair of young outfielders with a lot to lose by sitting on the bench (or wasting away in Triple-A)? 

Because if the Phillies’ signing of free agent outfielder Delmon Young does anything, it reeks of desperation. After months of searching for a bona fide, middle of the order threat to fill a corner outfield vacancy, the Phillies settled on signing Young to a one-year, $750,000 deal. (h/t: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports). Jeff Passan adds that if all incentives are reached, Young could earn as much as $3.5 million for one season.

While it looks like the kind of “low-risk, high-reward” type deal that Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has been pondering, take a look at the bigger picture. According to FanGraphs, Young cost the Detroit Tigers $3.2 million in value last season. That’s right. Negative value. 

That stems, first and foremost, from his inability to play the outfield. Young, who cannot play any position other than left field at this point in his career, has a weak arm, bad instincts and range that makes Darin Ruf a desirable option out there. 

The Phillies are signing Young for his bat—don’t be mistaken. But how valuable is a right-handed hitter that posted a slash line of .247 / .279 / .370 against right-handed pitching? Sure, he hit left-handed pitching well, but where is the upgrade here for the Phillies? What does Young do that John Mayberry Jr., in the same role, can’t do better? 

And while some will argue that the Phillies made a small financial commitment to a solid hitter against left-handed pitching, you have to understand that this isn’t all about money. It’s about playing time as well. For every at-bat that Young takes, that’s one less for a better hitter like Ruf or Domonic Brown, which of course leads us to the next question: What happens to the Phillies’ outfield now? 

When you look at the Phillies’ current depth chart, it isn’t difficult to see that something has to give. They now have three right-handed outfielders in Young, Mayberry and Ruf. Brown and Laynce Nix are the lefties in the outfield, while Ben Revere will play center field. 

The first thing that you need to ask yourself is this: What happens when Revere needs a day off? The only other center fielder on the roster is Mayberry, unless of course the Phillies decide to hold on to Rule 5 pick Ender Inciarte, which is a different scenario entirely. 

So we’ll assume that Mayberry is safe. Meanwhile, Brown and Nix are the only other right fielders on the roster, so they’re probably going to hang around as well. The problem here is that this likely winds up being a platoon of some sorts. 

The guy who is going to be on the outside look in, as things stand at the moment, is Ruf. The Phillies have the option of sending him to Triple-A to start the season, allowing him to play some left field and embarrass minor league pitchers. 

When the dust settles, the Phillies have to look at their depth chart now and ask themselves this: Are we any better with Delmon Young getting at-bats as the left fielder? The answer is no. If Young is nothing more than a bench bat—a right-handed slugger pinch hitting late in games a la what Matt Stairs used to do from the left side of the plate—fine. 

But we’re still likely talking about one of Mayberry and Ruf losing a roster spot, and when you look at the entire package, regardless of what they’re paying Young, you’re losing a better player for the facade of “right-handed power.” 

If Young winds up being anything more than a seldom used bench bat, the Phillies are taking the bat out of the hands of a better player. That’s not “low-risk, high-reward” in my book. 

Update, 4:44 pm: Just in case this deal wasn’t puzzling enough for you, Ruben Amaro Jr. has since met with the media and had this to say about Young’s deal: 

 

Amaro: Hope is Young will be everyday RF. Then says he may start year on DL.

— Matt Gelb (@magelb) January 22, 2013

 

That’s right. The Phillies expect Young to be their everyday right fielder—a position that he has not played, at all, since 2007. Young is also coming off of ankle surgery to remove bone spurs last November. 

This does change the logistics a bit. The Phillies seem to have their heart set on having a platoon in left field, so you can probably pencil in one of Darin Ruf and John Mayberry Jr. and Domonic Brown. Who those players will actually be is a question that will be answered in spring training.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies Rumors and Speculation: Fact or Fiction on the Hottest Talk

The Philadelphia Phillies had clear needs coming into the offseason. But anyone who laid out a detailed outline of how they would meet them has already hit the shredder.

Those plans are better served as celebratory confetti once the offseason ends and spring training begins. 

The Phillies’ biggest need this winter was a center fielder, and with at least five good free-agent options available, many believed they would go that route. Instead, Ruben Amaro Jr. and company swung a trade, sending a member of their starting rotation, Vance Worley, to the Minnesota Twins for Ben Revere. 

That’s one need filled, one created. After acquiring third baseman Michael Young from the Texas Rangers, the Phillies finally dove into the free agent pool and came up with a pair of pitchers, John Lannan and Mike Adams, to bolster their starting rotation and bullpen, respectively. 

But the one player that those without faith in Domonic Brown and Darin Ruf have coveted is still missing—a right-handed, power-hitting corner outfielder. Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly passed along a few quotes from Amaro that leads one to believe that void could close soon. 

Will the Phillies add an outfielder? Will they add more minor league depth? Here is a fact-or-fiction roundup of this week’s hottest rumors and speculation.

Begin Slideshow

Creating Each Phillies Player’s To-Do List to Win the 2013 World Series

In case you weren’t aware, winning a World Series is not an easy thing to accomplish. We’re talking about a sport where in any given season a team can make the postseason by the skin of their teeth, get hot at the right time and stun the world. 

So how do you best position yourself to win a World Series? Is it some kind of advanced science? Do you work on developing young talent through the draft, or throw millions of dollars at free agents? The truth is that there is no right answer. 

It’s never easy to look at a club’s roster and narrow down exactly what it is that they need to do to win the World Series, but a quick look at the Philadelphia Phillies roster turns up some obvious answers. For example, they need to stay healthy and have their younger players produce. 

But this isn’t a game where one man can realistically change the landscape of a team’s hopes. It’s a team sport, and luckily for the Phillies, I’ve created a to-do list for each player on their active roster. Following it to the letter should put this team on course for a parade in October. 

Now, can it actually be done? Let’s find out.

Begin Slideshow

The One Thing Each Phillies Player Hopefully Improved This Offseason

It’s easy to look back over the 2012 season and assume that there are a lot of drastic changes and improvements to be made for the Philadelphia Phillies, and while there are certainly plenty of question marks, that isn’t necessarily the case. 

After all, this is a club that addressed a few major concerns this winter by adding players like Ben Revere, Michael Young, Mike Adams and John Lannan. They’re looking to keep players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay healthy, which should help them improve.

But this is a game where there is always room for improvement, whether it’s a minor tweak to a great player or a huge change for a struggling performer, anyone without an aspect of their game to improve upon is either a legend or a fool. 

So as we begin to look ahead to spring training, this slideshow will focus on a specific area of each player’s game that could use an improvement in 2013. 

Begin Slideshow

Phillies Rumors and Speculation: Fact or Fiction on the Hottest Talk

It can be difficult to let the following fact sink in during the thick of a dreary, chilly day in the middle of January, but spring training is right around the corner, with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp about a month from now. 

And while there is an air of excitement among baseball fans everywhere, clubs with front offices still trying to upgrade their rosters are starting to feel the heat. The Philadelphia Phillies addressed most of their needs earlier this winter, but still have small tweaks to be made. 

The Phillies came into the offseason with a few obvious needs before swinging trades for center fielder Ben Revere and third baseman Michael Young. At that moment, their needs changed, and Ruben Amaro Jr. signed Mike Adams and John Lannan to address their bullpen and starting rotation concerns, respectively. 

Now, the Phillies are left with no obvious holes in the roster, but the desire to add depth both in the starting rotation and the outfield is noticeably strong. 

So as we take a look at some of the items still burning on the offseason rumor mill, keep in mind that the Phillies are looking to make more of a subtle addition than a huge splash in the month of January. 

Remember, labeling a rumor / speculation as “fact” does not mean that said player will join the Phillies. It means that there is a realistic possibility of a deal happening. On the inverse, “fiction” means that there is little to no chance that a player joins the Phillies.

Begin Slideshow

Best and Worst-Case Scenarios for Every Philadelphia Phillies Player in 2013

The Philadelphia Phillies approach each and every season as though anything short of a World Series title will be a bust. Given the high pressure environment that Philadelphia sports fans bring to the table, that isn’t a bad philosophy to have. 

Over the last couple of seasons, that seemed like a realistic goal. The Phillies had one of the best starting rotations in baseball, a solid bullpen and an offense that could score some runs—if they could stay healthy. The best and worst case scenarios were fairly easy to determine. 

Moving into the 2013 season, those scenarios have become a bit more clouded. Given all of the variables that stand between this club and a potential parade at the end of October, calling the ’13 campaign “World Series or bust” may not be fair to any party involved. 

But the one thing that remains constant through all of those variables—this season more than ever for the Phillies—is that this club is going to have to stave off some of their worst case scenarios if they want to be successful. 

This slideshow will serve as a primer for the upcoming season, outlining each player’s best and worst case scenarios in an attempt to determine what needs to go right and what can’t go wrong if the Phillies want to contend—and win—a World Series title this year.

Begin Slideshow

The Philadelphia Phillies’ ‘Hall of Very Good’

The Hall of Fame ballot is always a hot topic of discussion, but this year’s ballot is going to burn down the house if the fire isn’t contained. It’s a ballot that could easily be the most memorable of all time, highlighted by two of the best hitters and pitchers, respectively, in history: Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. 

Of course, that brings up the actual hot-button issue. Should a player who has been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, in this case, steroids, be in the Hall of Fame? That’s a question for a different article, although it will have a long-lasting effect on this year’s ballot. 

But the question of whether a player belongs in the Hall of Fame got me to thinking: Throughout the history of the Philadelphia Phillies, which players would receive recognition, not for the Hall of Fame, but for that infamous “Hall of Very Good”? 

It’s a term that is tossed about lightly nowadays and has come to represent a designation for a player who put up very good numbers in his career, but just wasn’t considered Hall of Fame-worthy.

For this slideshow, I’m going to name those players, but do so in a “Phillies-related” fashion, meaning that any player on this list must have spent a noteworthy portion of his “Hall of Very Good” career as a member of the Phillies.

Also, for any active player, I will give a brief prediction whether they could wind up in the Hall of Fame when all is said and done. 

So without any further ado, I present the Phillies’ “Hall of Very Good.”

*Wins Above Replacement statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.

Begin Slideshow

Phillies Rumors and Speculation: Fact or Fiction on the Hottest Talk

The Philadelphia Phillies rang in the New Year in the same manner they have approached the offseason to date: nothing extravagant. They have not made a ton of noise this offseason and the current state of the market suggests that they won’t have a real opportunity to go crazy. 

But there are still moves to be made. The Phillies came into the winter hoping to find an everyday center fielder, first and foremost, and have done so with the addition of Ben Revere. In another trade, the Phillies acquired their everyday third baseman in Michael Young. 

Having dipped into the free agent market sparingly for the first time in a few seasons, the Phillies have thus far come away with Mike Adams, their new setup man, and John Lannan, who should serve as the club’s fifth starter, barring any unforeseen spring training happenings. 

A quick look at the roster shows that it is not capable of many big surprises, but there are still rumors out there and good players to be had. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the hottest rumors in Philly. 

Are the Phillies preparing a big move or just adding to an already solid roster? 

Begin Slideshow

2013 End-Year Stat Projections for Every Phillie If They Make No Impact Moves

It may not have gone as planned, but the Philadelphia Phillies spent the offseason addressing most of their major concerns. They overhauled the coaching staff and added several key roster pieces, including Ben Revere, Mike Adams, Michael Young and John Lannan. 

With a corner outfield that represents an obvious upgrade over what the Phillies already have in-house proving to be elusive, the roster that you see today is likely to be what the Phils march out on Opening Day. 

So, now that most of the questions about who will make up the 2013 Phillies have been addressed, it’s time to take a look at whether this club is going to be able to keep pace with the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.

This list, which will attempt to be as accurate as possible in projecting statistics, is not going to be a wish list of unreachable plateaus for members of this roster. If a bold number is thrown up there, it will be with indication and good reason. 

So without any further ado, here are the numbers you can expect out of this Phillies club, assuming they don’t make any major moves through the rest of the offseason.

Begin Slideshow

« Previous Page — Next Page »