Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Chances of Each Top 5 Target Signing

We are now a couple of weeks into the offseason, and all of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ top targets are still on the board, so what better time to take another look at their odds of landing one of those big fish. 

As has been the case since the trade deadline, the Phillies have a quite a few holes to fill. They’ll be in the market for a centerfielder, setup man, third baseman and possibly a starting pitcher, likely in that order. 

If you’re following Bleacher Report’s offseason tracker for the Phillies, you would know that they have already set aside a few targets that are likely to hover above the rest this winter. What are the odds of landing them? 

Only one way to find out. 

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Should the Philadelphia Phillies Sign Michael Bourn or B.J. Upton?

The Philadelphia Phillies drastically need a center fielder next season. Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton are star free agents and high on the Philadelphia Phillies’ radar. Ruben Amaro Jr. understands this is the most important signing during the offseason. So, who should the Phils pursue?

 

Scenario 1: Michael Bourn leads the Phillies

There is no denying the former Phillies outfielder, Michael Bourn, is a gifted baseball player. He is a natural leadoff hitter, with 40-plus stolen base potential. Not to mention a two-time Gold Glove winner. 

The Phillies lack a true leadoff batter, as Jimmy Rollins is not the answer. Bourn is a natural at the spot, although last season his strikeout totals reached a career-high (155), as well as his homers (nine). Unfortunately, this is the same route J-Roll took at leadoff—swinging for the fences.

Bourn did have a respectable on-base percentage last season, and has throughout his brilliant career. 

There is one major snag with signing Bourn—super-agent Scott Boras.

This will cost the Phillies. According to Philly.com reporter Matt Gelb, the Phillies and Boras have a murky history, dating from grumblings with J.D. Drew, so many years ago, and not signing Ryan Madson—though Boras claims he has moved on from the past.

Bourn will be looking for mega-dollars this offseason, and Boras will likely wade in the free-agent pool for the right deal to strong-arm the Phillies.

Potential starting lineup with Bourn:

CF Bourn

SS Rollins

2B Utley

1B Howard

C Ruiz

LF Ruf

3B Frandsen

RF Brown/Mayberry

 

Scenario 2: B.J. Upton mans the field in center

Upton is potentially a five-tool player. He could hit for power, steal bases, hit for percentage, knock in runs and play defense. Key word being “potentially.”

Upton has not lived up to his athletic ability or hype, yet he still produces above-average stats.

Last season, Upton had a career-high in homers (28), but also in strikeouts (169). Needless to say, he would bring a right-handed power presence to the lineup—another glaring need for the Phillies.

CSNPhilly.com, Jim Salisbury, reported Ruben Amaro Jr. and Upton’s agent, Larry Reynolds, have been in recent communication. Salisbury also reported that the Phillies newly signed hitting coach, Steve Henderson, was Upton’s hitting coach in 2007—his career-best offensive season. Coincidence?

Upton should come cheaper than Bourn, but the Phils will still have to cough up plenty of money to sign the unproven veteran.

Potential starting lineup with Upton:

SS Rollins

2B Utley

CF Upton

1B Howard

C Ruiz

LF Ruf

3B Frandsen

RF Brown/Mayberry

Personally, B.J. Upton is the man for the job—shocker, I know. Upton is two years younger than Bourn and should come cheaper. Yes, the Phillies will still lack a leadoff hitter, but Upton’s power presence is more than capable of helping this team. Bourn may have already reached his full potential, whereas Upton is still on the rise. Signing Upton could also save money, allowing the Phillies to sign a veteran third baseman or relief pitchers. 

Both players would bring strong and different abilities to the Phillies. Management must now decide which style of play is necessary to win a championship. Ruben Amaro Jr. has a difficult task this offseason, as this signing could make or break World Series status or future signings.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Josh Hamilton Would Be a Perfect Fit with Philadelphia Phillies

It may be a long shot to actually happen, but free agent Josh Hamilton could be exactly what the Philadelphia Phillies need.

In the midst of one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory, the Phillies traded away their top two outfielders, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino.

While Pence and Victorino yielded decent returns, the Phillies still have some work to do to prepare them for next season, but even more work to do for their future.

The Phillies’ core is getting old—Chase Utley is 33, Ryan Howard is 32, Roy Halladay is 35 and Cliff Lee and Jimmy Rollins are 34. While Hamilton isn’t that young himself at 31, he only broke into the league in 2007, when he played 90 games with the Cincinnati Reds, so he has a lot less wear on his tires.

The Phillies need outfielders, and while Hamilton is best in center, he can play any of the three outfield positions. Signing him would give the Phillies a lot of leeway with how they want to approach rebuilding the rest of the outfield.

Hamilton’s biggest contribution would be his bat. In the four seasons where he played more than 120 games, Hamilton averaged roughly 170 hits, 33 home runs and 113 RBIs.

Over his entire six-year career, Hamilton has a .304 BA, .363 OBP and .549 slugging percentage. He would provide an instant boost to a Phillies team that struggled at times, with Utley and Howard looking less and less like the sluggers they were a couple years ago.

Hamilton brings some baggage with him, but Phillies fans are in need of a boost heading into next season, and there’s no other free agent that would pick up an entire city like Hamilton.

Philadelphia has dealt with baggage before, and will embrace any player that gives their all on the field and helps the team win, which is exactly what Hamilton will do.

He is not only a great hitter but a smart all-around baseball player who plays a good outfield, possessing underrated athleticism and a strong arm.

Hamilton would be pricy, but the big contracts of Utley and Halladay come off the books after next season and the Phillies get to choose how they want to spend that money.

With a new big left-handed bat in the lineup, the Phillies could try to dump Ryan Howard and his huge contract. While it’d be difficult to find a team willing to take it on, crazier things have happened, especially if a team is making a playoff push and is in need of a guy like Howard.

The Phillies need to make a push for Hamilton. He would bring a big bat, fill a huge hole in the outfield and provide a general spark to a Phillies organization while re-instilling a little hope into the fan base.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

25 Philadelphia Phillies Rumors You’ll Hear This Winter but Shouldn’t Believe

Regardless of what actually happens this winter, you will hear plenty of Philadelphia Phillies rumors. Some of them may come true, but most of them will be too far-fetched to even be a realistic possibility.

Multiply that by the fact that they could potentially have four major holes (center field, third base, setup man and starting pitcher) to fill this winter and you know we’re in for a long offseason in the rumor mill. 

So how do you know what to believe and what not to believe? Well, the answer is a bit more simple than you think—Read this slideshow. 

The best way to sort through most of these rumors is to find out what is feasible and what is completely asinine. Take a look at the Phillies’ payroll and state of the farm system and figure out what is completely out of the realm of possibility. 

Sounds like too much work? No problem. I’ll do it for you. Here are 25 rumors that you will hear about the Phillies this winter that you shouldn’t believe. 

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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

5 Ways to Fix the Philadelphia Phillies

Major League Baseball teams are like ocean liners.

They are big and powerful but not especially nimble. It takes a long time to get them going in the right direction; it usually takes just as long to correct diversions from course.

And so here are your Philadelphia Phillies, trying to bounce back from a .500 season after ripping off five straight division titles. Things in motion tend to stay in motion, and the Phillies momentum is decidedly downward. But throwing his hands in the air and saying, “Well, it was quite a run” is not going to save Ruben Amaro, Jr.’s job or keep people buying tickets to see games at Citizens Bank Park.

Were I him, here is what I would do.

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25 Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies Offseason

‘Tis the season to be jolly. 

Well, it’s not quite the Christmas season just yet and with the World Series now in the rear view mirror, not many baseball fans enjoy the thought of having to watch a different sport for a few months, but to some, this is the most wonderful time of the year—the offseason. 

It’s a time filled with suspense, anticipation and the occasional shocker as great baseball talents hit the open market in search of a new team or contract. I’m not going to lie—I find the offseason to be incredibly exciting. 

So in that spirit, let’s focus on the Philadelphia Phillies for a moment. It’s going to be a busy winter for Ruben Amaro Jr. and company as he attempts to fill various holes on his roster as well as manage the names already on it. 

You know what that means. It’s prediction time. 

In this slideshow, I’ll give my take on how I see a number of Phillies related topics shaking out this winter. Who plays third base? Who plays center field? Any other drama to keep an eye on? 

Time to dust off the good ole crystal ball and find out. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Early Potential Opening Day Starters

The Philadelphia Phillies’ main focus is to put the best lineup on the field Opening Day and reclaim Word Series contender status through the season.

In order to achieve this goal, management must make tough decisions to sign top free agents or build from within. 

Either way, fans will demand a winning lineup on Friday April 5, 2013—it’s right around the corner.

Here are the predicted starters.

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5 Reasons the Philadelphia Phillies Would Be Wise to Go After BJ Upton

After a long and disappointing season, the Philadelphia Phillies, are anxious to start 2013 off on a different note. In order to do so, however, a lot will be said of what the Phillies are able to accomplish in the free agent market this off season.

According to Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com, three of the top 50 free agents are projected to land with the Phillies. Included in this list is a player that Dierkes ranks as the fifth best available free agent in BJ Upton. 

“Upton’s best offensive season was 2007, when the Rays employed Steve Henderson as their hitting coach. Henderson now fills that role for the Phillies, which has to be a plus for the center fielder.Playing on the East Coast might also appeal to Upton, who hails from Norfolk.

From the Phillies’ point of view, Upton could add some balance and power to their lineup as well as strong center field defense. At 28 there’s room for growth with Upton, but the status quo would probably give a team their money’s worth. The Nationals and Rangers could be other contenders for his services” – Tim Dierkes courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com

Dierkes makes some very good points in his short analysis of why he believes Upton will don the red and white pinstripes. The 28-year-old is far from perfect, but he is a polished player and one that gives the Phillies a nice replacement for Shane Victorino in center field. He also provides the team with a more reliable option than John Mayberry.

Although there is a bit of risk with Upton such as inconsistent performance, overall he is a player that would make the Phillies a better team and he also would be a cheaper option than Josh Hamilton.

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