Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Biggest Questions for the Rest of the Season

As the best team in baseball right now, the Phillies are definitely the favorite to at least make it to the World Series, if not to win it all.

However, no team is above being questioned.

Actually, the Phillies are full of questions.

Even though I do feel that they are the favorites to win the World Series again, here are the five biggest questions that will face the Phillies for the rest of the season.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: Success Across the Board After Hunter Pence Trade

The Phillies have just finished off their best 10-game road trip in franchise history by going 9-1.

A large part of the success that the Phillies have been enjoying can be attributed to Hunter Pence providing some offense in support of strong pitching.

He has only been in Philadelphia for 12 games, but he is batting .347 with three home runs and nine RBI. So far, I think that most people would consider this a good trade. Of course, in five or 10 years, the success of this trade will be determined by how well the prospects that the Phillies traded turned out.

For now, though, the Phillies seem to have made a good deal.

The other implication of this trade was obviously that Domonic Brown went down to Triple-A to be repositioned in left field. However, this move sounds like it is going pretty well so far as well.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer last week, Brown seemed optimistic about the move:

“They told me keep my head up and keep working, and they had great plans for the future and present as well. I took it for what it was worth and came down and got to work.”

His confidence was not shaken by being demoted, and that is very important.

His batting average has been slipping a little bit during this latest stay in Lehigh Valley. Over his last 10 games, he is only batting .206. One incredibly bright spot, however, is that his on-base percentage is up to .364 during this time.

It is so much higher than his batting average because he is actually drawing walks. The hits will start coming, and Brown will be an effective Phillie again next year.

Overall, the Phillies seem to be stronger because of that trade and Brown is getting the playing time he needs to learn left Field.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Jimmy Rollins Free Agency Will Raise Big Questions

One of the biggest questions that will face Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. this off-season is whether or not to re-sign team leader Jimmy Rollins.

On one hand, Rollins has played all 12 seasons of his career in Philadelphia and had great success. In 2008, he won the National League MVP by batting .296 with 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases. He has appeared in three All-Star games and won three Gold Gloves.

As an emotional leader for the Phillies, he has become well known for his predictions of Philadelphia success. This year, he predicted 100 victories which the Phillies seem to be driving towards relatively steadily.

However, his future in Philadelphia is of course questionable with free agency looming.

Last season was extremely injury-ridden as he was limited to only 88 games. This injury has affected the questions related to his future in Philadelphia.

For all of you sabermetricians, according to FanGraphs, Rollins is the sixth most valuable shortstop in baseball. He is doing much better than last year because he is back playing full-time, but it is hard to tell if that .266 batting average with 13 home runs and 26 stolen bases will be enough to justify bringing him back to Philadelphia.

If the Phillies did not bring Rollins back, they essentially have one shortstop in waiting in AAA or would need to replace him with another free agent. Freddy Galvis was having a successful year in Reading by batting .273 with eight home runs and 19 stolen bases. That performance turned in a recent promotion to Lehigh Valley where he has played seven games and is hitting .286.

Rollins has become such a household name in Philadelphia that it would be hard to picture the Phillies without him. But at the same time, the Phillies will have to see whether or not his performance is enough to justify keeping him around. I have a feeling it will be enough and he will be back, but I guess we will see at the end of the season.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Cliff Lee Has Most Philadelphia Phillies Shutouts Since Steve Carlton

Cliff Lee threw his fifth shutout last night to defeat the Giants and give the Phillies their seventh straight win.

With his fifth shutout, he has become the first Phillie since Steve Carlton to record five in a season.

Of course, whenever anyone comes close to Carlton in any statistic you have to look at how great this achievement really is.

According to Baseball Reference, Carlton had six in 1982, so Lee has not really caught him yet. Carlton’s career high was eight during that miraculous 1972 season.

Comparing those two years—1982 for Carlton and 2011 for Lee—it is a little bit difficult since Lee still has 51 games left. Let’s try anyway.

That season, Carlton went 23-11 with a 3.10 ERA and 19 complete games. He also accumulated 275 strikeouts over 283.2 innings.

So far this season, Lee is 11-7 with a 2.97 ERA and five complete games. He has 167 strikeouts in 164 innings and actually only has a WHIP of 1.10. Carlton was up at 1.27 in 1982.

Obviously, times have changed since 1982. A number like 19 complete games in a season really doesn’t happen anymore. Carlton’s numbers would be extremely tough for anyone to match on a modern-day workload.

This comparison is definitely not meant to discount what Lee has done so far this season. He has been the man pitching at home. Although Citizens Bank Park is definitely a hitters’ park, he is 8-2 with a 2.23 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP.

According to FanGraphs, in terms of wins above replacement, he is the eighth most valuable pitcher in baseball right now.

Interestingly, Roy Halladay is ranked first and Cole Hamels is seventh. What a staff…

After another great performance last night, the Phillies continue to have the best record in baseball and Lee has been a large part of that success.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Oswalt: Returning to Phillies Rotation, Can He Replicate 2010 Success?

Roy Oswalt is set to return to the Phillies rotation on Sunday.

What does this mean for the Phillies?

Most generally, it means that the fourth out of the Four Aces is returning for the home stretch of the baseball season.

However, could it also mean that it is déjà vu all over again?

Follow me here.

The Phillies traded for him on July 29 last season. He made his first start against the Nationals, was tagged with a loss and then didn’t lose again for the rest of the season. He ended up going 7-1 for the Phillies with a 1.74 ERA.

Am I calling this type of performance again?

These results were coming from an arm that was not returning from injury and had been having an incredibly tough-luck year up until that point (6-12, 3.42 ERA). Perhaps it would be a bit ambitious to assume that his arm could repeat this type of performance.

However, it does make you wonder if Oswalt could go on this type of a run again. His career numbers would certainly indicate that last year was not entirely unique.

Over his career, he’s been a much better second-half pitcher, with a 77-25 record and a 2.96 ERA. In fact, by combining his career August, September and October records, he is 63-16!

So, Phillies fans will have to wait and watch to see if this type of success can continue through the final stretch.

The Phillies are eight games ahead in the division, but it is important to remember that they cannot become complacent.

Hopefully the return of Oswalt can add even more energy for these final 52 games of the season.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Is Mike Adams Still Under Consideration?

Phillies trade rumors have largely revolved around a right-handed bat such as Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence, however the rumors regarding a bullpen arm have been persistent and still seem to have life.

Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that the Phillies have not given up on Mike Adams. He cites three reasons why the Phillies prefer Adams to Heath Bell:

“Because he’s under control for next year; because he could set up initially then close next year if Madson signs elsewhere as a free agent; because they could build a larger deal around the acquisition of Adams and Ludwick.”

Of course, the specifics of this type of deal are unknown exactly, but the Padres have been scouting Lehigh Valley over the past week to probably get a look at Phillippe Aumont, Michael Schwimer and Justin De Fratus.

Although Ludwick is definitely not Hunter Pence, he has been a powerful right-handed bat during his career who should be able to pinch-hit effectively and platoon in right field. While he is only hitting .264 against left-handed pitching, it is better than most of the Phillies have been, and he could break up the line of left-handers in the lineup. While he may not be the ideal answer to Charlie Manuel’s request, he wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible addition or come at too high a price.

The Phillies are still reportedly the front-runners for the services of Pence, but it is definitely worth noting that the Phillies have not necessarily given up on acquiring another arm to supplement the bullpen.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Has Ryan Madson Returned As the Permanent Closer?

Although there was much excitement over the return of Brad Lidge to the active roster, he did not make an appearance last night due to a phenomenal outing from Cole Hamels and a shut down ninth from Ryan Madson.

The bigger question that this raises is whether or not Madson will remain as the full-time closer instead of Antonio Bastardo.

All signs point to yes. Charlie Manuel had said that Madson would return to close after his rehab, and that is what seems to be happening if last night is any indication.

According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Charlie Manuel had this to say about his overload of closers:

“We’ve got two good guys right now. That’s a good problem to have. I don’t mind those problems. We’ll see where it goes. We’ve got confidence in both. I’m not afraid to use them at any point in the game.”

He is right, it is great to have a very solid right-handed and left-handed pitcher to come out of the bullpen and be able to pitch at the end of the game.

Even if Bastardo is not pitching the ninth inning, he is going to be extremely valuable for the Phillies throughout the final push.

Ryan Madson himself was great outside of that closing role in 2008.

Also, being left-handed and not the closer could allow Charlie Manuel to use him whenever they need to get out some big left-handed bat.

The Phillies want to use him as more than just a one out left-handed specialist, but without being locked into the ninth inning, Manuel could have more flexibility to use Bastardo when they need those left-handed outs.

I think that Madson will continue the success that he had been having earlier this season as the closer.

He has a 2.08 ERA and has gotten 16 saves in 17 opportunities. Maybe he has finally been able to tack down that closer’s role successfully.

If he has, he will have quite a payday this off-season.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Brad Lidge Returns, Danys Baez Designated for Assignment

According to a tweet from Jim Salisbury at CSN Philly, Brad Lidge has been activated from the DL and Danys Baez has been designated for assignment.

What does this mean for the Phillies bullpen?

This is a definite upgrade, although that kind of goes without saying.

Baez has had a very disappointing year by going 2-4 with a 6.25 ERA.

Over his last four appearances, he gave up 11 runs, so it makes sense that the Phillies finally removed him from the active roster.

Lidge has no statistics so far this year with the Phillies. After an injury in spring training, Phillies fans have been eagerly awaiting his return to the bullpen where he posted that memorable perfect season en route to a World Championship.

Lidge will have a different role now as he returns to Philadelphia, but he will no doubt be appreciated in a bullpen that has been struggling as of late.

His postseason experience will go a long way for a team that has a relatively young and inexperienced bullpen.

During an eight-game rehab, Lidge has looked solid throughout the appearances, posting a 3.52 ERA with 10 strikeouts in seven-and-two-thirds innings.

According to Philly.com, Lidge said that:

“Everything feels good, finally. My slider feels great right now. As I always say, that’s a real important pitch for me. That’s normally how I get guys out.”

Phillies fans are hoping that he can provide those outs in whatever role he fills in the bullpen.

If he can provide anywhere near what he did in 2008 during that final push, and the rest of the bullpen continues the success they had earlier in the season, the Phillies bullpen will join its rotation as one of the best in baseball and lead them easily toward postseason success.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Remembering Mike Schmidt’s First-Year Struggles

I know that many people including myself have been slightly critical of the performance of Domonic Brown.

It is not that I doubt his potential or don’t want him in Philadelphia, but sometimes I wonder whether or not he is ready for what will be hopefully a run to the World Series.

However, whenever I think like this, I have to remember one particular rookie campaign that all Phillies fans remember and point to whenever there are rookie struggles.

The year was 1973. The previous season had been a largely forgettable year except for the fact that Steve Carlton had been stellar and posted the best year of his career.

Although fans did not know it at the time, 1973 would have been largely forgettable as well.

However, 1973 started something in Philadelphia. A 23-year-old third baseman took on a job that he would hold in Philadelphia until 1989.

This was the season that Michael Jack Schmidt began his Hall of Fame career in Philadelphia.

He tallied 548 career home runs and 1,595 RBI while he wore a Phillies uniform.

He won nine Gold Glove awards and three MVPs.

But before all of this history was made, he got off to a very rough start.

He basically played full-time during that first season by appearing in 132 games.

He hit 18 home runs and drove in 52 runs.

Those numbers would not seem awful, but when you combine them with a .196 batting average and the fact that he struck out about one out of every three at-bats, the season begins to look a little bit more shaky.

Whenever I want to criticize any young player too harshly, I have to remember this.

Not that I am necessarily calling Brown a future Hall of Famer. He might be, but he also very well might not be as a lot of players don’t make it.

The Phillies are being patient with him though, so we can only hope that he will start killing that ball.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Marlins’ Leo Nunez Would Improve the Bullpen

Even though the Phillies are the first team to 60 wins, they are still looking for ways to improve their team. Particularly, the Phillies are looking for more bullpen help and a right-handed bat.

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN tweeted yesterday that the Phillies have been checking out Marlins closer Leo Nunez. He also reported that in return, the Marlins would want young starting pitching.

The Phillies happen to have a lot of young starting pitching.

This may be a very nice trade for both teams.

Nunez, 27, has been doing pretty well as the closer this year in Florida.

He has saved 27 of 30 opportunities with an ERA of 3.30. His WHIP is a little high for a closer at 1.19. Opposing batters are only hitting .223 against him, so this indicates that his slightly elevated WHIP is due to the fact that he does walk quite a few hitters.

He probably would not close in Philadelphia due to the fact that the Phillies are already overloaded in potential closer options. However, he is a definite upgrade over Danys Baez as a right-handed reliever.

Nunez would be more than a rental because his contract would keep him under team control for next season as well. This could give the Phillies another option if Ryan Madson departs as a free agent.

The main problem with any trade is what the Phillies have to give up to grab Nunez.

The price should not be that ridiculously high because the Marlins will definitely be selling. They are 13.5 games back and in last place in the East.

They want young starting pitching. The Phillies have a lot of high-potential starting pitching at the lower levels in the minor leagues.

I think that it would probably take one of the higher-ceiling prospects with potentially a player to be named later to get this deal done just because it is a very competitive market for relief pitchers this year.

I think that this could be a very nice trade for the Phillies at a lower price than either Mike Adams or Heath Bell. This also might allow the Phillies to have the flexibility to look for that right-handed bat as well and fill more holes.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »