Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley Will Return, but What Happens Until Then?

Chase Utley is such a competitive player that his injury must be extraordinarily disappointing to him. However, he is anticipating a return this season according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN which must be a welcome message to all Phillies fans. While most people pretty much assumed that, it is still nice to hear from him.

However, what is going to happen up until then? How much different are the Phillies going to look?

There’ll be some major differences in a lineup that has grown accustomed to seeing Utley hitting third and run-producing first baseman Ryan Howard in the cleanup spot. The Ryan Howard spot has already been somewhat filled through the acquisition of Jim Thome, but there is a little more debate around how second base will be handled.

Freddy Galvis is certainly an interesting option. He split his time between AA and AAA last season with a pretty decent level of success. Combined, he hit .278 with eight home runs, 43 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. He is definitely a different player than Chase Utley, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is wrong or a bad fit. They could trade for another second baseman, but it seems as if Galvis has the job.

Of course, what will that mean for the Phillies lineup? Could Hunter Pence hit third in the lineup?

That is definitely possible, but they also could hit Shane Victorino third and Pence fourth. That way, the lineup could be Rollins at his traditional leadoff position with Polanco second followed by Victorino and Pence.

While it doesn’t quite look the same as Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, there is still quite a bit of talent there. The team should still be able to get on base and produce runs. With the pitching staff they have, they really won’t need that many to begin with, but it seems like they should be able to get their share.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could They Go After Utility Man Blake DeWitt?

When Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley starting the season at second base is “doubtful,” I could almost hear the collective groan rising from Phillies nation.

Power-hitting first baseman Ryan Howard will already be missing substantial time from his traditional fourth spot in the lineup, and now the Phillies will be missing their third hitter as well. They will be missing a very large part of their offense, and that is definitely not good for a team that has been searching for infield depth all spring.

Finding that infield depth has now become a more important priority. According to Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago, utility infielder Blake DeWitt “has come up in recent trade rumors.” While he doesn’t specifically mention the Philadelphia Phillies in this article, it is not very difficult to see how DeWitt would fit with the Phillies.

Last season, DeWitt hit .265 with five home runs, 26 RBI and one stolen base in 121 games. While that might not sound like very much in so many games, he only collected 243 plate appearances, so lower numbers are not necessarily surprising. However, even though his offense would be an upgrade over Michael Martinez, he would appeal to the Phillies mainly because he can play either second or third base.

Obviously, the Phillies need second base support right now, but with the somewhat injury-prone Placido Polanco at the hot corner, Dewitt might eventually be needed there.

This could be an interesting fit for the Phillies. Keep paying attention to this story to see if it develops further.

 

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Ryan Howard: Philadelphia Phillies 1B Takes First Batting Practice

Ryan Howard took his first batting practice since rupturing his Achilles tendon on the final out of the final game of the 2011 playoffs, according to Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sports Network. Of course, he is still quite far away from actually picking up a bat in a real game, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

However, what will happen to the Phillies lineup without Howard in the middle of it? He has protected Chase Utley in the lineup for the past several years, and while some people have been disappointed by his performance, he has still not hit below 30 home runs in a full season or driven in fewer than 100 runs. He does strike out far too much, but he still has been a presence in the middle of the Phillies lineup.

How will the Phillies fill that gap? They seem to have an interesting type of platoon situation that will probably develop. After bringing in right-handed Ty Wigginton and left-handed Jim Thome this past winter, it seems as if that is how first base will play out.

This could be changed, however, with a very strong spring from Domonic Brown. If he is able to prove that he deserves playing time in left field, John Mayberry Jr. could also factor into that first base platoon. He played there a little bit last season, and he was definitely a serviceable option.

While the Phillies wait for Howard to return, first base will probably not be quite as productive. However, these options definitely should be solid and provide the Phillies’ lineup with enough support to stay competitive until he is able to pick up a bat in an actual game.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Domonic Brown Most Likely Begins 2012 in Triple-A

When will Domonic Brown finally land in Philadelphia to stay? Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Bowden of ESPN that John Mayberry Jr. and Laynce Nix will most likely start the year as the left field platoon.

In Bowden’s words, “Unless Dominic Brown really wows them in ST [Spring Training]… he goes to AAA.”

Phillies fans have to be wondering how much longer this will go on. Last year, Domonic Brown was thought to be the answer to the departure of free agent Jayson Werth. However, that didn’t quite end up as the Phillies planned or hoped.

Brown ended up appearing in only 56 games and hit just .245 with five home runs and 19 RBI. Eventually, because of this lack of production as well as the acquisition of Hunter Pence, Brown was sent down to AAA to learn how to play left field and prepare for 2012.

However, that didn’t work as well as the Phillies had planned it either. In 41 games at Lehigh Valley, Brown only managed to hit .261 with three home runs and 15 RBI. According to Todd Zolecki of Phillies.com, Brown’s confidence was shaken by his difficult stretch. Losing confidence is never healthy for anyone.

Of course, Brown hadn’t been having a lot of success and he also was trying to learn that new position, but he also did not quite develop into the left fielder that the Phillies were expecting for 2012 either.

What this doesn’t mean is that Brown is necessarily a bust. He has the tools to put it together again.

However, this news definitely does mean that the Phillies are going to be patient. They are not trying to rush Brown and are not putting much pressure on him to instantly be a contributing piece at the Major League level. Perhaps this will be a more successful approach.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could Brad Lidge Be Returning?

The Philadelphia Phillies already added Jonathan Papelbon to the bullpen this winter as the team’s new closer. With that move in the rear-view mirror, what might be coming next?

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, it is possible that Brad Lidge will be back in the City of Brotherly Love next season.

Would this be a good thing?

Although Lidge spent a significant part of last year on the disabled list, he was effective when he finally returned. He appeared in 25 games and posted a 1.40 ERA with eight holds.

Lidge’s control seemed to be a little bit off as he issued 13 walks in 19.1 innings. However, part of that might simply be that he was getting rid of the rust that accumulated while he was recovering. That should be expected immediately after a pitcher returns to the mound.

The encouraging part of Lidge’s control struggles is that even though he was allowing runners on base, he wasn’t allowing them to cross the plate. At times, composure had been a struggle for him, so it is incredibly important to note that he wasn’t being overwhelmed by the prospect of having runners on base.

With a solid winter and spring, the rust should finally be off for Lidge. Even though he would definitely not be the closer, he is more than capable of being a productive member of the Phillies bullpen.

The Phillies are again hoping to make a run at the World Series. There are many ways to go about building a successful team, but one solid way to do that is by bringing in pitchers who have been there and had success. Phillies fans might recall some of Lidge’s previous success in the World Series …

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Philadelphia Phillies: Predicting the Top 6 Performers for 2012

The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies look strangely similar to the 2011 version. All of the biggest contributors to the team’s success will be back in the City of Brotherly Love for at least another season.

Of course, this logically leads to the question as to whether or not the same top performers will have equally productive seasons. That’s what I’m trying to address today.

Here are my statistical projections for each of the top-six players on the Philadelphia Phillies. This is kind of a power ranking because the top five are in order, but I am also predicting each of their individual stat lines.

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MLB Philadelphia Phillies: Grading the Top 6 Moves of the Offseason so Far

The offseason is not over yet, but the Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively active already. This really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, because the Phillies always seem to be pretty busy.

However, activity doesn’t always mean success. Therefore, let’s take a look at the six biggest moves of the offseason for the Phillies so far and give each one a grade.

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Why Philadelphia Phillies Fans Should Be Thrilled to Have Jimmy Rollins Back

The Philadelphia Phillies have re-signed Jimmy Rollins for a contract of three years worth about $33 million, according to Jim Salisbury. There was also a vesting fourth year added to the deal.

Phillies fans should be thrilled about this deal.

Of course, this does mean that the Phillies are not trying to get younger. I realize that, and I realize that infield prospect Freddy Galvis is in a bit of a predicament right now. However, like I have written many, many, many times before, the Phillies are in a position right now to win.

They are getting much older, and eventually they will need to rebuild. Every team goes through that cycle.

However, before that happens to the Phillies, they need to make the best possible effort to win right now. Rollins will help them do that much more than Galvis. Sometimes it takes young players a few years to actually break out and perform at the level that we know they can. It could take a few years for Galvis to reach the level of production that the Phillies need right now.

As a more established veteran, Rollins is in a better position to provide that to the Phillies. He has a great combination of power and speed that is rare among shortstops. Yes, he is getting older, but his career is definitely not over, and he still has a lot to provide to the Phillies.

I would like to think that this move came about because of all the writing I have done about why Rollins should return to Philadelphia. However, the real reason that Jimmy Rollins is returning to Philadelphia is undoubtedly because Ruben Amaro Jr. believes that he will help bring another world championship to Philadelphia.

That would certainly make all Phillies fans happy.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Re-Signing Jimmy Rollins Looks More Probable

The Milwaukee Brewers signed Alex Gonzalez, and the St. Louis Cardinals are in the process of re-signing Rafael Furcal. There go two more of the potential suitors for Jimmy Rollins.

What does that mean for the Phillies?

With more teams off the board, obviously this situation becomes much more favorable for them. There will be less competition and a lower probability of a bidding war. Also, they might not have to give him the five-year deal that he wants. Again, with less competition, Rollins will not necessarily have the leverage that he had before.

Originally, according to Jayson Stark, Rollins could have had six teams in the running for his services. One of them was obviously the Phillies, and two of the others were most likely the Brewers and Cardinals. Although Stark only guessed five of the six, the two that still remained in the running were the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves.

Of course, either these two teams are still possible. However, the Giants have young prospect Brandon Crawford already in San Francisco, and the Atlanta Braves have Tyler Pastornicky apparently ready. Why I think that this is significant is because I do not think that either team will necessarily want to block either of these two young men with the long-term contract that Rollins would require.

Therefore, I think that the Phillies are in a very strong position right now to try to re-sign Rollins. The market has taken some different turns this winter, and I hope that the Phillies take advantage of it and bring Rollins back to Philadelphia.

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Omar Vizquel a Possibility at Short for Philadelphia Phillies?

With the future of free-agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins up in the air, here is an interesting rumor for you all to consider as a shortstop:

Omar Vizquel has been rumored to be working with the Phillies on some type of contract.

I first read about it on MLB Trade Rumors, but the original rumor broke with Enrique Rojas with ESPN on Twitter.

I really cannot imagine Vizquel being the top option for the Phillies. For a team widely considered to be far too old already, a 44-year-old shortstop doesn’t exactly help fix the situation. However, as much as it pains me to say this, I wonder if this means that the Phillies are planning on letting Rollins walk this offseason.

With Jose Reyes now off the market with his massive six-year deal with the Miami Marlins, it now affords the veteran shortstop a bit more leverage over the Phils. Talks between the two sides are reportedly not going well, however, as Rollins continues to insist on a five-year deal, while the Phillies won’t budge past three.

Please follow my logic on this one.

If Rollins does not return, the everyday shortstop could very well be 22-year-old Freddy Galvis. He had an excellent year in the minor leagues last year with a .278 average, eight home runs, 43 RBI and 23 stolen bases. However, Galvis still has some things to work on and it still trying to obviously reach his potential.

Who would possibly be a better mentor than a shortstop with the second-best fielding percentage of all time at the position? Vizquel has played more games at shortstop than anyone in history with a .272 career average. Could there possibly be a better mentor for a player who might possibly develop a similar skill set?

I know that is one very well could be purely speculation because the Phillies already have Michael Martinez and Wilson Valdez, with both capable of playing the position. It may not even come to more than this one article. For anyone who has read some of my previous articles, you know that I do not think that Rollins should go anywhere.

However, you have to admit that this is a pretty creative thought that I would have never even thought about speculating if the Phillies do not re-sign Rollins.

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