Philadelphia Phillies Fans, Do Not Be so Quick to Write off Ryan Howard

As a devout Phillies fan, I will admit that I’ve not always been Ryan Howard‘s biggest fan. He cannot run particularly well, even when completely healthy, he strikes out too much and his fielding is mediocre, at best.

It is possible that we all had “Babe Ruth-type” expectations for the man after his Herculean 2006 NL MVP season, in which it seemed that nobody could pitch anywhere to him without serious reprisal. However, as is the case with many hitters—particularly power hitters—pitchers figured out ways to get the “Big Piece” out. 

That does not mean that the big man does not have value—extreme value—to the Phils, though. 

In this new age world of Sabermetrics, what the “new stat guys” fail to recognize, or at least admit, is that stats do not tell the whole story; they almost never do. You can give me all the WAR stats you want (an unreliable “stat” at best, and many believe it’s one that has not been accurate even within itself), but WAR does not measure the impact that a player’s presence has upon his lineup.

Ryan Howard is the “Big Piece” for a reason. 

Though the Phillies do have other dynamic and better overall players, nobody has the impact on the lineup that Howard does. 

Howard’s presence affects how everyone around him is pitched to. It is no coincidence that Jayson Werth’s best years by far came while hitting fifth behind the big man. His presence has also allowed Chase Utley to see better pitches over the brunt of his career.

Simply put, he scares opposing pitchers—even the left-handers that get him out more often than not.

However, that is not the only value that Howard has.

It comes down to this: For all of Ryan Howard’s inefficiencies, he is a run producer. This is a man who played approximately half of a season in 2012, hit below .220 and still was on pace for over 100 RBI. 

The man knocks in runs, plain and simple.

Does it frustrate me when he strikes out? Of course it does. Am I forced to admit that I’ll take the K’s with another 35/110 season? Absolutely!

Yes, Ryan Howard makes a lot of money to do what he does. Is he still the 40-45 homer 130-140 RBI guy that he was from 2006-09? Probably not. But is he a 30-35 homer 110-120 RBI guy? More than likely.

Is it okay with me that he makes all that money to give us that and provide that lineup presence? Absolutely, because we’ve seen what the Phils‘ lineup is like without Howard. 

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Ranking the Most Trustworthy Arms in the Philadelphia Phillies Bullpen

One of the Philadelphia Phillies’ biggest weaknesses in 2012 was their lack of reliable bullpen depth. Behind newly-signed closer Jonathan Papelbon, the Phillies lacked a true veteran presence to anchor their younger pitchers.

Options such as Jose Contreras and Michael Stutes, both pitchers who had experience out of the Phillies’ bullpen, were injured for most of the season, rendering the Phillies without any proven options besides Papelbon.

In the offseason, the Phillies filled the need in grand fashion, signing veteran right-handed setup man Mike Adams to a two-year contract worth $12 million.

Adams has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last five years or so, but he did have surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, making him a bigger risk. Luckily for the Phillies, that also means that Adams could come with a higher reward, and they signed him for a relative bargain as a result.

With Papelbon and Adams in tow, it seemed as though the Phillies were set internally to fill the remaining five bullpen spots. However, in an unexpected (and arguably redundant) move, the Phillies brought Chad Durbin back to town on a one-year deal early last week.

With three right-handed veteran arms and a relief spot likely guaranteed for left-hander Antonio Bastardo, only three relief positions remain for the Phillies. While the competition will be interesting to watch, it is a shame that some of the major league-ready arms the Phillies have will not have the opportunity to play at their skill level due to lack of space.

There are some arms who can be trusted in this Phillies bullpen and others who have a ways to go in that regard. The good news is that all the younger players who had experience last season have some major league experience under their belts and can be tweaked further if necessary in spring training.

For all intents and purposes, the seven arms I am going to rank in terms of dependability (and thus making the roster out of spring training) are Adams, Bastardo, Durbin, Justin De Fratus, Jeremy Horst, Papelbon and Stutes. Not all will be easy to rank in terms of statistics, so some subjectivity will have to be included in this piece.

Nevertheless, I give you the Phillies’ bullpen arms ranked by trustworthiness.

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Ranking the Phillies’ 25 Best Series on the 2013 Schedule

The 2013 Major League Baseball season is going to be unlike any you’ve ever seen before. 

Sounds dramatic, but with the Houston Astros setting off on their voyage of the American League West, that’s a fact. With each league now housing a balanced number of teams, this season really will be unlike any of its predecessors, playing host to more interleague play than in years past. 

For the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans, however, that statement rings particularly true. Not only will they face more American League teams, highlighted by at least one bout against every team in the American League Central, but they’ll face other challenges closer to home. 

The National League East is only getting better. The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves are two of the best teams in the National League. The Miami Marlins and New York Mets will have some young talent. 

The Phillies enter the 2013 season as a relative unknown. With an aging roster sprinkled with a few younger players, this could be a club that contends for a World Series, but it could also very well be a club “in transition.” 

But regardless of what happens, we’re looking forward to another season of baseball. Here are 25 of the best series the Phillies will play this upcoming season.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Two Biggest Missed Opportunities This Offseason

The Philadelphia Phillies’ failure to sign B.J. Upton and Dan Haren in free agency may ultimately doom their 2013 playoff hopes.

It is not only that the Phillies will be without the benefits of those players’ services. It is that their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals, ended up with them.

Upton would have provided the Phillies with both a credible right-handed power threat and above-average defense in center field.

For the past decade, Philadelphia has had center field manned by excellent defensive players who could also hit. First Aaron Rowand and then Shane Victorino provided serious production from a position where good defenders who contribute offensively have traditionally been scarce.

The Phillies did plug the gaping hole Victorino left in center field by acquiring Ben Revere. This was not an altogether insufficient move. Revere is a terrific defensive outfielder with more than enough foot speed to play center field at Citizens Bank Park. And he projects to steal plenty of bases, too.

Unfortunately, his next major league home run will be his first, and as of this writing the Phillies are still not exactly sure where Revere should hit in the order.

Revere is a prototypical lead-off hitter. but Jimmy Rollins—who has led off for Philadelphia since before they began winning those five straight division titles—has resisted moving down in the order for anyone. Revere could end up hitting second or eighth as a result.

Acquiring B.J. Upton would have defused this issue. Upton would have slotted nicely into any number of slots in the lineup, from second to fifth to sixth on occasion.

Upton piles up three things: home runs, stolen bases and strikeouts (1,020 of them in 3,568 at-bats). His .256 career batting average compiled over seven seasons suggests that he is what he is and that potential is no longer a real consideration.

Just know that the Phillies would have lived with the empty at-bats from Upton given what the good at-bats could bring.

In 2013, the Revere acquisition will rise and fall on whether Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have one last healthy, productive campaign in them collectively. Revere can be counted on to score runs but he should not be expected to create them.

It is fair to ask why it says here that the Phillies missed an opportunity by seeing Dan Haren go to the Washington Nationals.

The Phillies are already paying over $20 million apiece to Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in 2013. At some point, the spending on starting pitchers had to stop, right?

Maybe. But Dan Haren on a one-year contract for $13 million is a very wise upside investment from a Nationals team that, like the Phillies, already has excellent starting pitching.

Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Gio Gonzalez led the Nationals to the playoffs far more than Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth did.

Adding Haren to that staff puts the Nationals in position to run well above average starting pitching at the opposition four out of five nights.

Maybe Haren is not what he used to be, coming off a subpar season that saw his ERA lurch over four for the first time since 2010.

Then again, in 2011, Haren won 16 games.

Regardless, the Upton and Haren acquisitions starkly underline the fundamental difference between the Phillies and their division rivals in Atlanta and Washington.

The Phillies had already committed eight-figure salaries to seven players before free agents began signing after the 2012 season ended. The Phillies are stuck hoping that Utley, Howard, Halladay and others are still good enough to yield a return on the money they will be paid.

Comparatively, the teams the Phillies figure to chase in 2013 have money and time in their corner. The Nationals (Harper, Strasburg, Ian Desmond) and the Braves (Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel) have a lot of young, inexpensive talent on the roster.

So, the Braves can commit $75 million to B.J. Upton and hope that his attitude and his production will not dip now that he has been paid.

And the Nationals can gamble $13 million on Haren. If it does not work out, well, the team they had without him won the division last year.

At some level, the real missed opportunities for the Phillies came well before the 2012 offseason.

When they had the opportunities NOT to sign Howard to his $125 million extension, NOT to sign Lee to his $120 million deal, NOT to give Utley $15 million for 2013, they chose otherwise.

This offseason, those long-ago choices left the Phillies unable or unwilling to sign two premier free agents who ended up elsewhere in the National League East.

The Phillies likely feel no regret now.

But it may be coming.

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Identifying Every Phillies’ Stock as Rising or Falling Heading into Spring Camp

With all but a few minor tweaks remaining, and not much spare room for even those minor adjustments, the Philadelphia Phillies are just about ready to make their annual journey to Clearwater, Fla to prepare for the upcoming season. 

It’s going to be a tough season for the Phillies. This is a club mired in question marks, playing in a division that is only getting better—and that’s with the Miami Marlins‘ fire sale this winter in mind. The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals are two of the best teams in the National League. 

What does that mean for the Phillies? It’s time to take stock. This could very well be a “transition year” for the Phillies—one that sees them move some of their aging veterans in favor of younger players. It could also be one of the few “last shots” at a World Series ring. 

A lot of that evaluation begins in spring training, although it is a relatively small sample size. The Phillies will be taking stock of their players and we’ll be doing the same thing here. A player whose stock is rising is a player set to be more valuable this season, in a variety of manners that will vary from player to player, than he was in years past. A player whose stock is falling is a player who is set to be less valuable this season. 

Some players will be labeled as holding steady. These are players whose stock will either not improve or decline significantly. 

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Putting Together Philadelphia Phillies’ Best Defensive Lineup

The Philadelphia Phillies were one of the best defensive teams in the National League during their streak of division titles from 2007 through 2011.

Last season was a different story.

The Phillies’ 101 total errors in 2012, 27 more than the team committed in 2011, left them tied with the New York Mets for ninth most in the National League. 

Late last season, Matthew Leach on mlb.com provided more insight into the Phillies’ defensive woes . Leach pointed out that errors do not provide the full story.  Players must actually attempt to make a play in the first place.  Errors only provide a small glimpse into a player’s defensive ability.

Having athletes in the outfield capable of getting to the ball is often just as important as their offensive production. Philadelphia learned that after trading center fielder Shane Victorino last season.

With Ben Revere set to take over in center field, the Phils should see an improvement in at least one area.  Other positions, however, could feature players that cause fans to hold their breath when the ball is hit their way.

The following lineup does not take into account a player’s offense but, instead, their ability on defense. These players are the Phillies their best defensive options at each position.

With that being said, here is the Phillies’ best defensive lineup.

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25 Things to Watch Very Closely at the Phillies Spring Training Camp

It’s time to blow the dust off of that old microscope that you keep locked away in a cardboard box somewhere in your basement or attic—you’re going to need it to follow all of the Philadelphia Phillies storylines this spring. 

Gone are the days where the Phillies arrive in Clearwater, Fla. with a roster that is neatly filled in and camp is merely players taking the necessary repetitions to prepare for a full regular season. That would be a fantasy camp for Phillies players this spring. 

Instead, fate will stack the road with every obstacle that you can think up: Position battles, age, injuries, inconsistent performances, surprises, bad decision making, etc. With the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves only getting better, the Phillies are under more pressure this spring than in any other recent season. 

Still can’t find that microscope? Don’t worry about it. Allow this slideshow to be a primer for all of the nuances and storylines of Phillies spring training that you should be following when camp opens in just a few weeks.

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Which Free Agent Signing Will Have Biggest Phillies Impact in 2013?

Not too long ago, it seemed as though the Philadelphia Phillies‘ offseason had drawn to a close. They had filled most of their needs, acquiring center fielder Ben Revere and third baseman Michael Young in trades at the end of the offseason’s baseball winter meetings. A few weeks later, the Phils then signed setup man Mike Adams and non-tendered starting pitcher John Lannan.

With the exception of a handful of other insignificant minor league signings, it appeared as though the Phillies were going into spring training with the team they had. There had been a need for a corner outfielder as well, but after weeks went by with no results, it didn’t look as though the Phillies were going to make any more moves.

Sure enough, though, that proved to be false sooner than expected.

Just over a week ago, the Phils inked outfielder Delmon Young to a one-year deal worth $750,000 with incentives that could push it up to $3.25 million. In addition, there are some interesting weight clauses in the contract; meaning that depending on how much weight Young loses and keeps off throughout the season, he’ll receive $100,000 at each of six weigh-ins which will be held periodically.

Then this past Monday, the Phillies made two rather significant deals, one more so than the other. After hanging on with the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves, Phillies reliever Chad Durbin found his way back to the team on a one-year, $1.1 million contract with a club option for 2014. And only a couple hours later, the Phils signed infielder Yuniesky Betancourt, albeit to a minor league deal.

Considering free-agent signings as opposed to trade acquisitions, the Phils have quite the short list. With Adams, Lannan, Delmon Young, Durbin and Betancourt, the list may not be the most eye-popping, but it is nothing short of fascinating, to say the least. Pitchers Rodrigo Lopez, Aaron Cook and Juan Cruz all received minor league deals with invites to spring training as well, but their chances of cracking the Opening Day roster aren’t in their favor.

Since Betancourt is in the same boat as the three aforementioned pitchers, that leaves us with Adams, Lannan, Delmon Young and Durbin.

The way I’m seeing this is that in terms of top performance, Adams will hands-down have the biggest impact on the Phillies in 2013. However, I’m choosing to go about this in a different way, and that’s how each player will impact the the shape of the Opening Day roster.

In this scenario, Adams does fit, as his veteran setup presence erases an opportunity for one of the Phillies’ younger relievers to break camp with the team. However, a veteran presence in the bullpen was necessary in addition to Papelbon, so considering that a bullpen signing of some sort was almost inevitable, its impact is not that massive in this sense.

Lannan, on the other hand, was brought to the City of Brotherly Love in order to fill the void left by Vance Worley after he was traded for Revere. His roster impact is not very significant otherwise, for aside from an unreliable (in the majors, at least) Tyler Cloyd and possibly even Jonathan Pettibone, the Phils didn’t have any other options for that rotation spot.

Ironically enough, that leaves us with Delmon Young and Durbin—the two players signed at a point when it looked as though the Phillies were done exploring the major league free-agent market. Both have an immense impact on shaping the 2013 roster as they both prevent other players from likely breaking the roster, but let’s take a look at each of them before making a decision.

At the beginning of the offseason, it was clear that the Phillies needed some outfield help. An outfield of some combination of Domonic Brown, John Mayberry, Jr., Darin Ruf and Laynce Nix simply would not do.

With the Phillies’ highest priority entering the offseason being center field, eyes were on B.J. Upton and then Angel Pagan becoming the team’s long-term center fielder. Each of the two signed elsewhere, however, leaving the Phillies with fewer options.

That’s when Revere came into play.

With Revere taking over in center, the bigger question was then: Would a corner outfield spot be filled?There was speculation that Josh Hamilton or Alfonso Soriano were possibilities, but nothing materialized on those fronts. Since no signing was imminent, the thought was that Domonic Brown would take right field duties and Darin Ruf would man left field.

While that wasn’t the most proven outfield setup, it was high time both Brown and Ruf got the chance to start. The only way to see what these two players’ true potential is, is to let them play, and this opportunity was going to do just that.

Now that Young is a Phillie, GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s plan is evidently to have him be the starting right fielder (according to Yahoo! Sports). Not only is this strange, but it’s not smart, as Young has not played in right field since 2007. Amaro‘s moving a player who should not even be playing in the outfield over to an outfield position where he has less experience. It doesn’t make sense.

But perhaps the biggest impact from the Young signing is that Darin Ruf will likely have to pay the price as a result. With no starting job up for grabs unless Brown is somehow optioned to Triple-A instead (or traded), Ruf will likely have to begin 2013 at Lehigh Valley.

As for Durbin, his return to the Phillies brings along a similar effect.

Adams had already been signed as the setup man, and with Papelbon and Antonio Bastardo also both having more than one year of major league experience, that seemed to suffice. However, bringing back a now-35-year-old Durbin, while giving the Phillies bullpen slightly more stability, is ultimately an unnecessary move on a major league contract.

Since leaving the Phillies after the 2010 season, Durbin‘s career has been up and down. He latched on with the Cleveland Indians for 2011 and was horrendous, posting a 5.53 ERA in 56 games, though his advanced stats suggested he was better than that. I use the term “better” very loosely, though, as his FIP was still 4.85 and his xFIP was 4.26.

In 2012, Durbin started spring training with the Washington Nationals before being cut and working his way to the Atlanta Braves. After a bumpy start, Durbin settled down for most of the year, ending up with a 3.10 ERA in 76 games. Although his ERA was once again satisfactory, his advanced metrics were still through the roof. His FIP last year was 4.71 and his xFIP was actually higher than in 2011 at 4.41. Much of his success last year can be attributed to his BABIP of .251; though, don’t expect a number that low again.

But the bigger impact Durbin has is that his signing leaves only three bullpen jobs up for grabs.

With solid talent in Mike Stutes, Justin De Fratus, Phillippe Aumont, Jeremy Horst, Jake Diekman and Michael Schwimer all capable of being in the majors, only half of them will make the roster while the remaining two or three are forced to pitch in Triple-A where they are too good to keep playing.

Both the Young and Durbin signings impact the 2013 roster out of spring training. Young affects the outfield while Durbin takes a bullpen spot. But because the Phillies are preventing more significant minor league talent from making its mark by starting Young every day, I’m going with him as the biggest impact signing heading into 2013 for the Phillies.

Of course, if Young is cut during spring training, this honor will then be relegated to Durbin, but preventing a player from playing every day in Ruf as opposed to some bullpen pitchers a couple of days a week gives Young the edge.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Answering the Ryan Howard Question in 2013

The career of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has taken a tumultuous turn for the worse in the last three years.

For fans in the City of Brotherly Love, the love—or lack thereof—for Howard is rooted in the discontent of his strikeout while looking in the 2010 National League Championship Series versus the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Then when you add on his eventful demise during the final at-bat of the 2011 NL Division Series versus the St. Louis Cardinals, where Howard suffered a torn Achilles and had to have surgery that would force him to miss the first three months of the 2012 season, one can easily see where the roots of this discontent stem from.

Simply put, the high hopes of Phillies fans have been squashed in recent years due to the fact that the Phillies have failed to live up to expectations since winning the World Series in 2008. The ensuing years were ripe with disappointment while clubs with weaker expectations persevered and triumphed over the more talented Phillies.

Any hopes of the Phillies being serious contenders for the NL pennant in 2013 are held by blatant homers. This current crop of players lack a cohesive identity. In their confusion, they also lack a serious face for the franchise.

The debate over who the face of the Phillies will forever rage on with the current roster. Many folks believe that the shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, is at the pinnacle of this club. Others think it is Chase Utley or one of the three aces (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels). Others think it is the “Big Piece” Ryan Howard.

Regardless of how one feel’s, Howard has been the most productive Phillie since 2005. That year, Howard smacked 22 HR and 63 RBI in 348 PA while maintaining an average of .288. His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for his rookie year was a modest 2.2. At the end of the season, Howard became the first Phillie to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award since third baseman Scott Rolen in 1997.

The following year, at age 27, Howard mashed 58 HR in 702 PA. He would drive in 149 RBI while hitting .313 on his way to winning the NL Most Valuable Player award, the first for a Phillie since third baseman Mike Schmidt in 1986.

Despite not cracking the majors in a full-time role until the age of 26, Howard made a big splash in his first two “full” seasons with the Phillies. Needless to say, he earned the recognition of “face of the franchise.”

The downside to this success Howard was having was the frustration with his strikeouts. Howard averaged 191 K from 2006 through 2009. It was in 2007 where Howard would break the record previously held by Adam Dunn for most strikeouts in a season (199). In 2008, Mark Reynolds would break this record with 204 K only to break it again in 2009 with a still-standing record of 223 K.

Aside from the strikeouts, Phillies fans were please with Howards production. 

Through the 2011 season, Howard never hit for less than 31 HR and 108 RBI (aside from his rookie year). 

Signs of trouble in the future were coming though. From 2006 through 2009, Howard maintained an average WAR of 4.4 with a peak in 2006 of 6.2. In 2010 and 2011, however, Howard’s WAR stood at 1.4 and 1.7, respectively.

For comparisons sake, in 2011 first baseman James Loney (Dodgers), first baseman Casey Kotchman (Rays) and first baseman Carlos Lee (Astros) all finished with a higher WAR despite weaker production at the plate. Of the aforementioned trio, no one outproduced Howard in homers, runs scored or RBI.

Quite frankly, the scare was on because it seemed that the word “downside” was becoming synonymous with Howard.

For sensible purposes, we can discount Howard’s 2012 season due to him missing the first three months of the season and subsequent recovery while playing from his torn Achilles surgery.

In 2013, Howard will be earning a salary of $20 million with $25 million pressed against the luxury tax threshold. 

For payroll purposes, he is the highest paid hitter on the Phillies. He is also the most important facet of the Phillies offense. After all, Howard has led the Phillies in RBI each year from 2006 through 2011. In 2012, the Phillies finished 19th in team RBI, behind the even more destitute Minnesota Twins. 

By comparison, the Phillies finished 11th in 2011 in RBI, eighth in 2010, fourth in 2009 and eighth in 2008.

Therefore, a direct causal association between the production of Howard and the Phillies in scoring runs exists. For how long this pattern will endure is dependent upon the production of Howard and his ability to play a full season. Until proven otherwise, it is essential to note the influence Howard’s bat has on the success of the Phillies.

For the Phillies to sneak up and maintain in a competition with the perceived NL East favorites, Washington and Atlanta, an imperative prevails for Howard to return to producing 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBI. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: What Does Chad Durbin’s Signing Mean for Phils’ Bullpen?

Doesn’t this seem familiar?  For the second consecutive offseason, Philadelphia Phillies‘ general manager, Ruben Amaro, Jr., has added an outfielder and a reliever with just a few weeks to go until the start of spring training.

Kind of like the impulse buying that takes place in the checkout aisle with all those packs of gum staring back at you.

While the addition of Delmon Young on a one-year, $750,000 deal adds another outfielder to the mix, Young still does not give the Phils a definitive starter at either of the corner outfield spots.

The team’s latest addition has seemingly already been given a spot on the 25-man roster.

The Phillies recently signed right-handed reliever Chad Durbin to a one-year, $1.1 million deal that includes an option for 2014. 

Durbin bounced back from a 5.53 ERA in 2011 to go 4-1 with 49 strikeouts and a 3.10 ERA in 76 games last season. 

What’s more impressive, however, is how he held right-handed batters to a .206 average.  During the past three seasons combined, Durbin has racked up 171 strikeouts in 198 innings.

Matt Gelb on Philly.com recently wrote that the Phillies’ Opening Day payroll could be at its lowest total since the 2010 season, although the article was published before Durbin’s signing.  Gelb also wrote that the Phils were about $11 million under the luxury tax threshold.  With Durbin and his $1.1 million salary in the fold, the Phillies should still have their lowest payroll since 2010, and should have just under $10 million to go before hitting the tax threshold.

At that price and with plenty of payroll room for a smaller scale signing, such a deal shouldn’t hurt the Phillies financially.  However, Durbin’s signing does take away a spot from a reliever previously expected to have a good shot at being in the team’s Opening Day bullpen.

Todd Zolecki on the Phillies’ website provided a glimpse as to which bullpen spots are all but locked up and how many are up for grabs:

Durbin is expected to join a bullpen that includes closer Jonathan Papelbon, setup man Mike Adams and left-hander Antonio Bastardo.  His arrival means that there likely will be three jobs available in the bullpen, which should make for an interesting competition in Spring Training.

Those three remaining spots will likely be fought for by Phillippe Aumont, Justin De Fratus, Jake Diekman, Jeremy Horst, Michael Stutes and Raul Valdes. 

But only half of this list will make the Opening Day roster.

Prior to Durbin’s signing, the Phillies seemingly had room in their bullpen for both Stutes and Aumont, with two more left-handers joining Bastardo.  Now, however, at least one of these players will likely be left out when the team breaks camp for the start of the season.

Stutes may have an advantage if he can remain healthy throughout spring training, and if his performances resemble those of 2011.  Prior to pitching in just six games and having rotator cuff surgery last season, Stutes had a 3.63 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 62 innings in 2011.

If he can remain healthy, Stutes may also benefit from Aumont missing time from camp to represent Canada in the World Basic Classic.  Despite showing great promise after being called-up last season, Aumont now appears to be on the outside looking in when it comes to the final bullpen spots. 

Aumont struck out 14 batters in 14.2 innings last season after being called-up in late August.

Durbin’s addition could have less of an impact on left-handed relievers fighting to win bullpen spots behind Bastardo. 

Diekman had 35 strikeouts in 27.1 innings and only gave up one home run, but finished with a 3.95 ERA.  Horst struck out 40 batters in 31.1 innings and had an outstanding 1.15 ERA, but, after coming over last offseason in a trade for Wilson Valdez, he will also have to prove that he can match these numbers in consecutive seasons.  Valdes had 35 strikeouts in 31 innings and had a 2.90 ERA, but has only appeared in 40 major league games in the past two seasons combined.

Behind Bastardo, only two of these relievers will likely make the Opening Day roster, unless the Phillies decide to carry five right-handed relievers.

After filling their need for a right-handed eighth inning reliever by signing Mike Adams earlier in the offseason, the Phillies could have left the bullpen alone and used minor signings to bring more pitchers to camp.

With a veteran right-hander in the mix, adding an experienced left-handed reliever would have made sense, but adding another right-hander seems to be a case of Amaro trying to add value at a low cost.  In Zolecki’s article, as previously mentioned, Amaro is also quoted as saying that Durbin’s experience is something he brings to the team that the other, young relievers, cannot.

The Phillies used 19 different pitchers in relief roles last season, which means that the players serving in the seven bullpen spots can change multiple times this season.

And, after last season, it’s difficult to argue with having more experienced and proven relievers in the mix.

But signing Durbin to a major league deal means that at least one young reliever has even more work cut out for him in order to start the season on the Opening Day roster.   

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