Comparing the Philadelphia Phillies’ 25-Man Roster to the San Francisco Giants

Ever since Ryan Howard was rung up to end the National League Championship Series in 2010 and Buster Posey celebrated, the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants have been a pair of teams linked by their successes and failures. 

It’s only natural when you have a pair of teams built on the same philosophy: Pitching. Both teams have great starting rotations and solid bullpens with lineups that take a back seat. They play solid defense and win by playing fundamentally well.

So why are the Giants playing in their second World Series in three years while the Phillies have watched all three from home? What’s the difference? 

On paper, the Phillies are a better team. Coming into the 2012 season, they had the highest payroll in the National League and an All-Star at what felt like every position, yet, finished in third place. 

The Giants went in the other direction, holding off the now-payroll Goliath Los Angeles Dodgers to take the National League West. 

But again, it all comes down to the simple question of “what’s the difference?” 

To try and get to the bottom of this question, we’ll compare the teams’ 25-man rosters side by side to see who has the advantage. We’ll use each club’s Baseball-Reference page to build the 25-man rosters by who played the most, unless there is an extenuating circumstance, which will be noted. 

Are the Giants really a better team than the Phillies, or did the latter just underachieve? 

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2012 MLB Offseason: Why the Phillies Should Pursue Twins Outfielder Denard Span

Once upon a time, the Philadelphia Phillies had a very good center fielder. (I begin with “once upon a time,” because it seems like it was forever ago.)

That man was Shane Victorino, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline in return for Josh Lindblom, Ethan Martin and “a player to be named later,” who would eventually turn out to be Stefan Jarrin, leaving the Phillies with a gaping hole in their outfield. 

With the World Series in full swing, teams are chomping at the bit to get their hands on some of the winter’s prime free agents, including B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn and even Victorino. But if the Phillies were smart, they’d turn their attention to the trade market. 

One team that has a lot of work to do this offseason and could spare a center fielder on the trade market is the Minnesota Twins, and Denard Span fits the Phillies’ needs in quite a few ways. 

According to Phil Mackey of ESPN, the Twins are prepared to make nearly their entire roster available this winter: “Aside from Joe Mauer, who has a full no-trade clause, nobody is considered off-limits in potential trade discussions.”

And there is a reason for that. The Twins need starting pitching in the worst way. The only starter currently penciled into their rotation for next season is former Rule 5 draft pick Scott Diamond. 

Would they be willing to part with Span? One would certainly believe so. The left-handed center fielder is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in which he hit .283/.342/.395, stole 17 bases and played one of the best defensive center fields in the game. 

But one of the biggest things that the Twins have working for them in any trade discussion involving Span is his team-friendly contract—a huge plus. He is signed through the 2014 season with an option for 2015 that, if picked up, would pay him $20.25 million. 

Compared against some of the contracts that guys like Upton and Bourn will receive this winter, the Phillies wouldn’t mind having Span on the payroll in the least bit—but what would it take to get him? 

Pitching. That’s the obvious answer. The Twins need starting pitching like a fish needs water, and when you look back over past rumors involving the Washington Nationals and their closer, Drew Storen, they are going to want a solid arm. 

When it comes to pitching, the Phillies could go in one of two ways. 

They have prospects to offer. Guys who would open the season in Triple-A for the Phillies would likely be the subject of many a discussion, including names like Tyler Cloyd, Jonathan Pettibone and Trevor May—likely in that order. 

But I don’t see the Phillies being overly eager to move prospects when they could just as easily throw money at a free-agent center fielder. They’d save money on Span, but they’d save talent on a free agent. 

Another conversation would be Vance Worley, and at that point, you have to wonder how much is too much for Denard Span. 

Worley could be equally as valuable. He is the Phillies’ most affordable starting pitcher penciled into the rotation for the 2013 season and isn’t even eligible for arbitration until the conclusion of the 2014 season. He’ll be a free agent following the 2018 campaign. 

If the conversation becomes a swap of Worley and Span, you have to ask yourself this: What’s more valuable? Would you rather have a young center fielder who could slide into the top of your batting order for three seasons or a starting pitcher with upside who won’t become a free agent for six seasons? 

I suppose the answer lies in how you feel about Worley. If you see him as a middle- to bottom-of-the-rotation starter, it’s a no-brainer. If you still believe he has a little more upside than that, it’s a different conversation. 

Personally, and this is just speculation, if the conversation came down to being a swap of Span and Worley, and I were the Phillies general manager, I wouldn’t even hesitate to pull the trigger.

Getting an affordable center fielder like Span would be a blessing for the Phillies, who would save money on a free-agent option and allow them to pursue other players in other areas, like a reliever and a third baseman. 

Trading Worley would likely require the club to pursue a free-agent pitcher as well, but it would be a worthwhile venture (unless, of course, the team is willing to turn the reins over to a guy like Cloyd or Pettibone, and I don’t think they will be). 

There is also a third, albeit less likely, option in a trade for the Phillies, which is that the Twins will be unpredictable and move Span for lower-level prospects, which I can’t see happening. 

At the very least, the Phillies should be doing their due diligence about this. Span could be a bargain for them over the next three seasons, as opposed to free agents like Upton or Bourn, so the question is simple. 

Would you pursue Span? 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

25 Reasons the Philadelphia Phillies Will Win Another World Series by 2015

The end of the 2012 regular season was the culmination of an eerie, disappointing trend for the Philadelphia Phillies. 

They won the World Series in 2008 and it has been all down hill from there. In 2009, they blew their chance at a repeat title run against the New York Yankees. A year later, they were dispatched by the red-hot San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. The Phillies were booted from the postseason early in 2011 by the St. Louis Cardinals and in 2012, they missed it all together. 

Sure, it’s just a coincidence, but it makes you raise an eyebrow nonetheless. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that the Phillies are going in the wrong direction. They’re an older team paying aging veterans a ton of money. 

But I believe that this team can win another World Series title before the 2015 season—and beyond. It almost sounds crazy because of the way this team has been heading, but it wouldn’t be the first time. 

So as baseball takes a breather in the month of October in the city of Philadelphia for the first time since 2006, allow me to explain why it should be back in full force over the next three seasons and into the foreseeable future. 

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15 Most Famous World Series Moments in Philadelphia Phillies History

There aren’t many moments in sports more rewarding than winning the World Series. 

Just think about it for a moment. We’re talking about 30 teams, each of whom play the longest regular season in sports—162 games. The regular season spans six months, but in all reality, baseball never ends. 

It is a year-long cycle of hard work and dedication, so when that one moment finally comes—when a team wins the World Series—it is just a jubilant experience. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have been fortunate enough to get seven shots at the World Series and win two titles. I say “fortunate” because there are still teams without that elusive trophy. 

But the point is a little more simple than that: When teams get to the World Series, they’ll do anything it takes to win. That’s why some of baseball’s greatest moments are made in the Fall Classic, and the Phillies are no exception to the rule. 

Here are the Phillies’ 15 greatest World Series moments.

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Chances of Each Top 25 Free Agent Ending Up with the Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have holes to fill this offseason and everyone knows it. 

Then again, it’s not much of a secret. This is a team that fell out of contention at last season’s trade deadline and moved a couple of nicely sized salaries off of the books to free up some space under the luxury tax. 

But they’re not going to roll over. There is too much invested in the players already on the payroll. The Phillies have the talent to complete, but if they truly want to contend, they’re going to need some help. 

Ruben Amaro Jr. and company are going to have to get creative to fill those holes. They’ll explore the trade market, but given the state of the Phillies’ payroll and farm system, I think it is much more likely that you will see a free agent signing or two. 

The Phillies have the money to make a splash, but will they? This slideshow will explore the possibility of the best of the free agent market signing with the Phillies this winter.

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25 Most Beloved Teammates in Philadelphia Phillies History

When the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series in 2008, they weren’t the best team in the game. That’s not a knock against a very good team. Just a fact. 

So when people look back at the 2008 season and try and figure out why they won, some are inclined to chalk it up to luck, but it was much more than that, and it began long before the ’08 season. 

What the Phillies had that season was good chemistry. They had been building the core of the club for years and you would think that the ’08 season was just a stepping stone, but it wasn’t. 

That team won the World Series because they knew how to play as a cohesive unit. Some of the best “clubhouse characters” in the game played on that team, from the enigmatic Jimmy Rollins to the silent leader Chase Utley.

In my personal opinion, it is immensely important to assemble a team that can mesh together. That’s why I wanted to take a look at some of the best and beloved “teammates” in Phillies history—guys who other people wanted to play with. 

Some of the results are surprising. Others you’d expect to see here. One thing is for certain—they’d make one hell of a team.

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25 Greatest Outfielders in Philadelphia Phillies History

Here are a couple of things that you will hear a lot about during the offseason: the Philadelphia Phillies and outfielders. 

Why? Well, there is just a mutual need. Gone are the days when the Phillies could pencil in a regular at all three outfield slots, and in are the days where the Phillies are in desperate need of a center fielder, are handing the reigns over to a guy who has been more potential than success at another spot and who knows what in the other. 

Kind of makes you want to look back at some of this organization’s better outfielders, doesn’t it? 

The Phillies are an interesting franchise insofar as that the majority of their greatest all-time position players are outfielders—including some recent names that make sense, some really old ones that may ring a bell and everything in between. 

So, who’s the greatest? Only one way to find out. 

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Grading the Contracts of All Philadelphia Phillies Players

The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing for a busy offseason. 

After heading into the 2011 season with the highest payroll in the National League, the Phillies got off to a lousy start—thanks in large part to injuries—and found themselves shedding salary at the trade deadline. 

The club couldn’t finish off an impressive comeback late in the season and instead faded into obscurity in the campaign’s final weeks, leaving fans calling for changes this winter. 

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. will be making some changes this winter, but maybe not as many as people would like. He just doesn’t have room under the luxury tax threshold for that. 

Sure, he could upgrade in center field by landing a big-ticket free agent. Maybe he could spend big bucks on a power bat. The bullpen was an area that crumbled last season, and the relievers that are out there could probably benefit from an experienced arm. And don’t forget about the third base situation. 

But if the Phillies make any of those moves, we are looking at an “either-or” type of deal. The Phillies could make a bunch of small changes or they could make one big change. They probably don’t have much money to spend. 

A quick look at the contracts already on the books for 2013 could shed some light on the reason why. 

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Each Philadelphia Phillies Player’s Greatest Tool from 2012

Even in a down season, professional baseball players typically excel in at least one area of their game. That’s one of the things that I personally enjoy about baseball: The fact that if you fail in one area, you have an opportunity to redeem yourself in another. 

The Philadelphia Phillies had a down season. This was a team with an A-list roster and World Series expectations that are now watching postseason baseball from its couches. 

But held within that poor season were a number of great performances. That’s part of what makes these players professionals—the ability to excel in at least one area of their game, even in an otherwise disappointing season. 

Baseball scouts like to break a player’s game down into “tools.” For the sake of this slideshow, we’ll be discussing two different types of players.

Positional players will be broken down into the popular “five tools:” The ability to hit for contact, the ability to hit for power, defense, speed and arm strength. 

For pitchers, we will discuss their best “tool” as their best pitch. 

So what tool did each player use best in 2012? Time to find out.

Resources: FanGraphs and BrooksBaseball

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20 Best Bloopers of the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies’ Season

After watching the Washington Nationals celebrate a National League East title from the opposing dugout, the entire 2012 season must have felt like one giant blooper for the Philadelphia Phillies. 

They came into the season as a favorite to win not only the NL East, but contend for a World Series as well. With the regular season in the books, the Phillies were one of the season’s biggest disappointments, barely finishing above .500. 

Well, they say laughter is the best medicine. 

The 2012 regular season was full of memorable moments for the Phillies and their fans and we’ve collected the best of them to brighten your day. 

Here are some of the funniest, strangest or just plain weird moments from the Phillies’ season.

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