4 Ways the Phillies Can Replace Carlos Ruiz During His 25-Game Suspension

Carlos Ruiz apparently felt he needed a little pick-me-up. But since he tested positive for a banned stimulant, the Philadelphia Phillies catcher incurred a 25-game suspension from MLB.

Ruiz was flagged for using Adderall, an amphetamine typically used to control attention deficit disorder. It’s still a performance-enhancing drug. But since Ruiz was caught for using a stimulant, rather than a steroid, he draws the shorter suspension under MLB’s drug policy. 

So the Phillies don’t have their All-Star catcher and MVP candidate available for the regular season until April 28. That’s quite a blow, since Ruiz was the team’s best hitter this season, batting .325 with a .935 OPS, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 114 games. He’s also currently Philadelphia’s only consistent right-handed bat.

How can the Phillies replace Ruiz while he’s absent for the first month of the season? Here are four possibilities for the team to try.

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Philadelphia Phillies: How Should the Club Handle Center Field?

For weeks, it appeared that the Philadelphia Phillies had a sure bet in center field this offseason. B.J. Upton was the club’s favored free agent to fill voids in center as well as the club’s much-needed right-handed presence in the lineup.

Insert Philadelphia’s NL East rival, the Atlanta Braves.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Upton and the Braves have reached a multi-year deal, pending a physical.

But were the Phillies ever the favorites for Upton, or was it a smoke screen by Ruben Amaro Jr.?

In a recent interview with Jim Salisbury, Amaro stated, “We can’t put all our resources into one area and not address others.”

What are the Phillies’ plans exactly?

There are still viable free agents out there to fill the void in center field. Angel Pagan, Michael Bourn, Shane Victorino and even Josh Hamilton are just a few names being tossed around the rumor mill.

The Phillies could also upgrade the position via trade. B.J. Upton’s younger brother, Justin, has been mentioned along with Peter Bourjos, although the Diamondbacks and Angels will be looking for starting pitchers at the major and minor league levels in return.

Bourn now appears to be the front-runner for the Phillies’ center field spot, but is he the right fit for the club? The Phillies do need a natural leadoff hitter, but Bourn will come with a hefty price tag, leaving little wiggle room for other positions.

Pagan could be another free-agent option. He isn’t a better fit than Bourn, but he’s a different fit. Pagan is a switch-hitter with the ability to play multiple outfield positions.  The Phillies would also save some money in signing him, leaving enough funds for a third baseman.

Victorino and Hamilton are both longshots. It’s difficult seeing the Phillies bringing back Victorino, and Hamilton is just too expensive.

If the Phillies were to conjure a trade with the Diamondbacks and acquire Justin Upton, it would be the ideal situation, even if this means unloading Vance Worley or Kyle Kendrick.

This is wishful thinking.

The Phillies face an interesting dilemma since their division rivals just made a big splash for next season. Yet fans should not be surprised if Amaro executes a miraculous signing or trade as he has done in years past.

It just goes to show you that rumors are just that—rumors.

Don’t you just love the offseason?

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5 Free Agents the Philadelphia Phillies Might Steal at the Last Minute

The Philadelphia Phillies have a solid track record of coming out of nowhere to make a big splash in the offseason.

From their acquisitions of Roy Halladay via trade and Cliff Lee via free agency, to their at least somewhat unexpected signing of Jonathan Papelbon to a big contract to close last offseason, their major offseason moves always seem to be swift and without warning.

With needs in the outfield, bullpen and perhaps rotation, there are a number of guys the team could emerge and sign this offseason. Here is a look at five guys who the team could steal at the last minute.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade for Eighth-Inning Setup Man Wilton Lopez

The Philadelphia Phillies have finally started to address some of their team’s issues. According to CBSSports.com writer John Heyman via Twitter, “Phillies have an agreement to acquire reliever Wilton Lopez from the Astros for minor leaguers. Finalizing details.”

This is a great move for the Phillies and exactly what they need to do to complete a consistent bridge to closer Jonathan Papelbon. Lopez will also be under Phillies’ control until 2015 and will turn 30 in mid-July.

In 2012, Lopez made $515,000, he will be due a relatively small raise through the arbitration process, somewhere around the $1 million range, making his salary somewhere between $1.3-1.5 million for 2013. That’s a steal considering what they will pay Papelbon in 2013 ($13 million). 

Wilton has been in the major leagues since 2009, has pitched 223.1 innings and has accumulated a career 3.14 ERA in that time.

Since 2010, he has not posted an ERA over 2.96 and had the best season of his career in 2012, posting a 2.17 ERA in 66.1 innings.

Also in 2012, his WAR was an impressive 2.2 compared to Papelbon’s WAR, which was 1.6. Lopez also only gave up four home runs in all of 2012. Papelbon gave up eight in just 3.2 more innings’ pitches.

One of his most impressive statistics is his strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2012, 54/8, walking just 1.1 batters per nine innings pitched. Walks killed the Phillies bullpen last season, especially in the eighth inning. 

The players heading to Houston have still not been made public, but we will keep you up to date as the trade becomes finalized. 

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Ranking the Philadelphia Phillies’ 25 Most Likely Offseason Moves

General managers and their crew of front office cronies have spent the last month or so sweet-talking free agents and laying the groundwork for major trades. Now, with the annual Winter Meetings rounding into focus, it’s about time they put their money where their mouth is. 

Ruben Amaro Jr. and company came into the offseason knowing that the Philadelphia Phillies have a specific set of needs: center fielder, third baseman and setup man, likely in that order. Until the moment those voids are filled, we can only wonder—who are they going to sign? 

When you look at a team like the Phillies this winter, we can build a ranking of who they are most likely to sign and which free agents are on the other end of the spectrum. They’re operating on a limited budget, are locked into contracts at most positions and have very specific areas of need. 

So with that in mind, let’s rank them. The following list will start at number 25 and list a player that the Phillies are not likely to acquire, culminating in number one—the player that the Phillies are most likely to wind up with when the offseason is over.

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How Will Carlos Ruiz’s Suspension Affect the Philadelphia Phillies?

Carlos Ruiz’s suspension means much more than missing 25 games. The Philadelphia Phillies are losing their field general and leader for the entire month of April.

Philly.com reported that Carlos Ruiz tested positive for the drug Adderall, a substance banned by Major League Baseball.  Jim Salisbury also tweeted this must have been Chooch’s second failing since the first failing does not warrant a suspension.

What does this mean for Phillies?

Unfortunately, this is a blow for the organization.

April games are just as important as September and October. It’s not easy to climb back from the basement of a competitive NL East.

April is also an important month for a pitchers and catchers to find their chemistry.

Even though we are talking about major league players, it still takes time for a pitcher and catcher to develop into regular-season form. Yes, the Phillies have spring training, but the beginning of the regular season is where longer innings occur and every pitch counts.

Chooch missing this first month stalls this process and can potentially weigh heavily on the pitchers’ psyches. Pitchers are known to be fragile creatures and become comfortable with their battery mate.  Anyone remember the Adam Eaton-Chris Coste relationship?

Ruiz’s suspension also means missing a much-needed right-handed batter in the lineup. Simply put, he fit nicely in the fifth spot.  Ruiz safely hit behind Chase Utley and Ryan Howard and had many opportunities to produce runs.The fifth spot could be a “sore spot” come April.

Erik Kratz will likely fill in during Ruiz’s absence, which he is no stranger to doing, but he cannot replace Chooch—even if it’s only for one month.

Last, this is a black eye for the organization. Ruiz appeared to be a clean, intelligent player, but this will taint his career and the Phils organization for some time.

The Phillies are not in panic mode, nor should the club be, but Ruben Amaro Jr. and the organization must now understand the importance and disappointment that comes along with the Ruiz suspension.

In an offseason where the Phillies look to regain elite status, this is a step in the wrong direction.

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Ranking the Top 10 Prospects in the Philadelphia Phillies’ Farm System

Headed into the 2012 season, nobody expected the Phillies to be anything less than a playoff contender, let alone struggle as they did.

By the All-Star break, the team’s postseason aspirations were fading quickly, and a few weeks later, they began clearing house by moving both Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino at the July 31 trade deadline.

However, while their overall season was a disappointment, they did add a few nice pieces to their severely depleted farm system in RHP Ethan Martin and C Tommy Joseph. And it’s a good thing that they did, because a majority of their highly-regarded prospects headed into the season endured a regression.

Although they possess a host of young pitching, as well as a few intriguing position prospects, the organization has only one potential star prospect in left-hander Jesse Biddle. And as you will see, their top 10 has a much different look than it did a year ago.

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10 Reasons Philadelphia Phillies Must Go All-in in 2013

Candidly, it is tough to conceive of a metaphor more expletive-d out than the poker-based conceit of going all-in.

Ever since Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker, and Texas Hold’em became a game that everyone and his wife thought they could play, “I’m all in!” has become something of an all-purpose American tag line.

Now everyone says it. Church bake sale? “We’re all in—our brownies are going to be the best we have ever made!” Johnny is failing in his seventh-grade math class? The teacher says he has not committed himself to the material and needs to go “all-in.”

The real trouble with all this, of course, is that these ham-handed allusions to the concept of going all-in, of really gambling everything in front of you with no guarantee that it will work out, cheapen the significant gravitas of the expression.

Of all the teams in Major League Baseball looking at 2013, the Philadelphia Phillies are definitely the team that has no choice but to go “all-in.” 

And that is not hyperbole or exaggeration.

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5 Reasons the Phillies Should Trade Their Veterans for Young Stars

The Philadelphia Phillies currently have several veteran players whom they could possibly use as trade bait as the 2013 season approaches.

Take a look at the numbers for just one closer and one starting pitcher: the Phillies owe veterans Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon $38 million dollars for the 2013 season. That is a ton of money for two guys who pitched a combined 281 innings in 2013, or only 19 percent of the total innings pitched during the entire season.

Furthermore, the Phillies are definitely in need of some talented youth to alleviate their dependence on high-priced free agents.

Here are five reasons why the Phillies should trade away a veteran or two in order to acquire some young stars. 

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Quick Trades to Fix Weaknesses of Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies could soon see their offseason plan begin to take shape, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that free agent B.J. Upton would like to make a decision on where he will sign this week.

The Phillies have their share of weaknesses to improve this offseason, such as the outfield, third base and the bullpen, but they are not the only team looking to fix these areas.

If the team misses out on Upton, it will have to compete with a number of teams for fewer available outfielders.  If the team is able to sign one of this offseason’s top free agents, it could look to find quick, low-cost fixes that improve the roster in other areas while not causing the payroll to skyrocket.

Once a larger number of free agents begin signing, the Phillies will need to have their contingency plans in place and ready to go, and some options could include making quick trades before the market thins.

None of these players would be considered flashy acquisitions, but combined with a few expensive free-agent signings, these trades could be the best options for filling the remaining needs.

Here are five players that the Phillies could target in quick trades that would fix the team’s weaknesses heading into next season.

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