5 Reasons Why the Phillies Must Sign B.J. Upton to Keep Him Away from Atlanta

One of the most important reasons why the Phillies should pursue B.J. Upton this offseason is to keep him away from their perennial division rival Atlanta Braves.

The Braves already have a team full of youthful stars; Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, just to name a few.

If the Phillies were to let him slip away to Atlanta, the Phillies are going to have to deal with him hitting home runs, stealing bases and preventing runs in center field against them for years to come.

Here are five reasons why the Phillies need to sign B.J Upton and keep him far away from the Atlanta Braves. 

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4 Reasons Darin Ruf Could Be Philadelphia Phillies’ 2013 Everyday Left Fielder

Going into 2013, as it stands right now, the Phillies do not have one legitimate outfielder that is guaranteed a starting job next season.

MLB.com reports that the Phillies are making a strong push for center fielder B.J. Upton, but beyond that, the Phillies have a lot of questions regarding who will make up their outfield in 2013. Upton is being pursued heavily by other clubs, including the Atlanta Braves—which I did an article on yesterday.

Darin Ruf really made a name for himself in 2012, bashing home runs left and right in Double-A Reading as well as with his brief stint with the Phillies, and he has added even more homers playing fall ball in Venezuela.

The type of power numbers that he put up simply cannot be ignored, and I believe that Ruf is going to get his shot in 2013 to become an everyday player.

Here are five reasons why Darin Ruf could get the opportunity to become the everyday left fielder in 2013 for the Philadelphia Phillies.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Worst Contracts in Phillies’ History

In the past 20 years, baseball contracts have exploded in length and dollars. When players become free agents, teams continue to shell out millions and millions of dollars to hitters who fail more times than they succeed and pitchers who only play once every five days.

Most of these bloated contracts for far too many years turn into nightmares and players are traded for guys you and I have never heard of. It’s all for a pipe dream that these individuals may exceed expectations and continue their success that earned them a contract for past triumphs. 

The Phillies have had their fair share of terrible contracts that have led them to eat millions of dollars. They’ve gone to players who have done nothing to earn the money that most people won’t see in working their entire lives. 

Get ready, because here are the five worst contracts in Phillies’ history.

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Philadelphia Phillies: What Kevin Frandsen’s Contract Means for Phillies

Coming off his best stint in the major leagues, the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Kevin Frandsen has recently agreed to a one-year contract worth $850,000, a source confirmed according to CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury.

From the time Frandsen was called up to the big leagues, he worked his tail off every play of every game to earn his new contract.

Spring training will be an important time for Frandsen, especially if the Phillies do not acquire any third base help this offseason. All eyes will be on him to see if he can maintain his success at the plate.

Frandsen hit a career-high .338 in 195 at-bats, with two home runs and 14 RBI. His .834 OPS was also a career high. In the 55 games he started, he consistently made solid contact, striking out only 18 times and earning himself a starting position for the Phillies during their late-season surge, which ultimately fell seven games short of the last wild-card spot.

His signing shows that Ruben Amaro Jr. and the organization are at least committed to keeping Frandsen on the 25-man roster unless his production completely falls off.

In 2013, Frandsen will most likely be used as a utility infielder and may be a part of a platoon situation at third with Freddy Galvis if the Phillies do not decide to add a third baseman through free agency or by trade.

As an everyday player, Frandsen can provide the Phillies’ lineup with a consistent contact hitter that can contribute from the bottom of the lineup. For his defense, Frandsen has shown glimpses of above-average play along with the inability to make routine plays on a consistent basis.

Freddy Galvis is a much better defender, but if Frandsen can continue to hit, he will earn the bulk of the playing time at third in 2013. 

The third base free-agent market this year is extremely weak, with Kevin Youkilis and Eric Chavez as the only legitimate players available.

Look for Frandsen to get his shot at an everyday job if he continues to hit in 2013. If I had to make a prediction, Frandsen will probably be the Phillies’ opening day third baseman.

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Phillies’ Third Base Prospect Cody Asche Having Success in Arizona Fall League

Phillies fans have been hoping a third base prospect would come up through the farm system and contribute ever since Scott Rolen arranged a first-class ticket out of town.

The organization may have finally found something in 22-year-old Cody Asche who is coming off a 2012 season where he skipped Low-A Lakewood, had tremendous success in High-A Clearwater and was promoted to Double-A Reading where he finished the final 68 games of the season.

Asche batted .349, with two home runs, 31 R, 25 RBI, .378 OBP and an OPS of .825 in the first half of the season for Clearwater. Phillies’ officials saw enough out of Asche to promote him to Double-A at the midway point in the season.  

In Reading, Asche hit just as well, increasing his power number significantly. He hit 10 home runs, scored 42 runs and drove in 47 while maintaining a .300 average and an OPS of .873.

Currently in the Arizona Fall League, Asche is hitting .299 with two home runs, nine runs, 10 RBI, .351 OBP and an OPS of .829. The biggest thing we can take from these numbers is consistency, something Phillies’ third baseman have struggled to do for quite sometime now.  

So what does this all mean for the major league club?

Not much right now, Asche will most likely start the season in Triple-A, maybe even Double-A. He is still at least a year, maybe two away from contributing at the major league level. He still needs some seasoning at third base and the Phillies are hoping he will grow even more into his power stroke.

The Phillies are very, very, thin at third base and will most likely be making some sort of acquisition this winter. Kevin Youkilis and Eric Chavez are two names that may intrigue Ruben Amaro.

Keep an eye on Cody Asche, because he is one more solid season away from getting serious consideration for a shot to play in the major leagues. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Darin Ruf Continuing Power Surge in Venezuela Fall League

Through the first 20 games of the Venezuela Fall League, Darin Ruf‘s unbelievable season of power has continued. He currently leads the entire league in home runs with nine through the first 20 games. If he could maintain that home run rate over a 550 at-bat season, he would hit 68 homers.

Ruf is currently batting .264 with a league leading 19 RBI and an OPS of 1.039. 

The power he is demonstrating will earn him a long, hard look for an everyday job come spring training, all depending on who the Phillies acquire this winter through free agency or trades.

Ruf has hit 38 home runs in Double-A Reading, three in the major leagues and another nine in the fall league, accumulating a grand total of 50 long balls in 594 at-bats.

Also, Ruf has been playing left field consistently as of late. Ruf has only made two errors so far, both coming in the same game, one by throw and the other on a missed catch. Ruf will surely not be in the running for a Gold Glove Award anytime soon, but if he can limit his mistakes, it will only benefit his chance to play on a regular basis.

The Phillies are in desperate need for some power and consistency from the right side of the plate. Ruf may be that solution and at a very low cost. Spring training is going to be huge for Ruf and the Phillies for that matter. There is a lot at stake because the Phillies will be pushing hard for a championship with Chase Utley and Roy Halladay up for free agency after the 2013 season. 

If they can add a quality center fielder like a Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton or Angel Pagan and then add another quality corner outfielder like Torii Hunter or Cody Ross, the Phillies could have a very productive outfield come 2013. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Free Agent Options Who Won’t Cost a Fortune

With the offseason officially upon us, the Philadelphia Phillies will look to retool through free agency this winter. Next season, they will pursue their third World Series appearance since 2008.

General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. has many obvious free-agent choices that will without a doubt improve their organization. But this isn’t always the best approach: just look at how the Anaheim Angels turned out in 2012 after dumping millions upon millions of dollars on a few highly prized free agents.

Sometimes success is born through calculated risk and diversification, which Amaro has struggled with since taking over the helm.

Here are five free agents who won’t break the Phillies bank and have the potential to help lead the team back to the playoffs in 2013.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Realistic Offseason Moves

With the 2012 World Series coming to an end, the offseason is now upon us. Ruben Amaro Jr. and his staff will begin the daunting task of trying to rebuild the Phillies into a championship team.

The Phillies have already cut ties with Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras while picking up Carlos Ruiz’s 2013 option.

In order to compete for a title in 2013, the Phillies will have to fill most, if not all of their holes, which includes at least two outfield spots, third base, the bullpen and maybe even a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Here are five realistic offseason moves the Phillies should seriously consider. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis Showing Progress in Venezuela Fall League

In 2012, Freddy Galvis had a very interesting rookie season, to say the least. He found himself playing regularly trying to fill in for perennial All-Star Chase Utley.  That’s a daunting task for anyone, let alone a rookie.

Galvis played outstanding defense, unbelievable at times. He has the potential to be a Gold Glove caliber middle infielder at either position.

On the other side of the coin, Galvis struggled immensely at the plate. Posting a .226 average with three home runs and 24 RBI in 190 at-bats. He only walked seven times while striking out 29 times. His OPS was downright terrible .617.  

To end on a positive note, Galvis did have 15 doubles.

Fast forward several months, which included a 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs along with a pars fracture to the L45 vertebra in his lower back, and we find ourselves in the Venezuela Fall League.

Here, Galvis has been playing shortstop for the Aguilas del Zulia, who are managed by Luis Dorante.

Through 12 games, Galvis is hitting .375 with three home runs, five RBI, four walks and 12 runs scored all in 48 at-bat. His OPS currently stands at 1.069, which ranks third in the entire league.

Obviously the pitching in Venezuela isn’t nearly what it is in the major leagues, but any consistency at the plate from Galvis will be encouraging for the Phillies. 

Charlie Manuel has raved about the intangibles of Freddy Galvis and his knowledge of the game. Galvis will be 23 going into next season. If he can put the work in and improve his offensive game, he could be one of the top middle infielders in baseball. 

Galvis should play another important role for the Phillies in 2013; he will be the first to fill in for Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley if need be and may be given regular time at third base if the Phillies do not address the position this offseason.

Keep it up Freddy, we’ll see you in Clearwater.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Players Who Should Be Replaced This Offseason

With the Phillies cleaning house this past July, there are several players on their current roster who should be replaced this offseason. That is exactly what is going to happen.

Some action has already begun and rumors are flying around Philadelphia. Look for even more Phillies roster moves to happen following the World Series.

If the Phillies want to make a serious run at a World Series title in 2013, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and company are going to have to do a lot of shuffling to their roster. Players will be replaced, released and some will find themselves unsigned by the Phillies this winter.

Here are five Phillies who are going to find themselves replaced in 2013, one way or the other.

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