MLB Free Agents 2013: Philadelphia Phillies Should Sign Nick Swisher

It was one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory for the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans.

While they tried to make a long-shot run at the National League’s second wild-card spot late in the season, their sluggish start to the season was just too much to overcome.

The Phillies did manage to fight their way back to finish with a respectable 81-81 regular season record, but missed the playoffs despite having one of the biggest payrolls in major league baseball.

Phillies fans need not worry, however.

They still have key contributors like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon all signed through at least next season.

With a core of players that are still capable of winning in place, bringing in Nick Swisher seems like a no-brainer.

Not only because Swisher is one of the better bats on the free-agent market to be signed, but also because the Phillies could use some outfielders right now. After all, they did ship Shane Victorino off to Los Angeles and Hunter Pence to San Francisco after it became apparent that they weren’t going to be contenders this year.

Even Juan Pierre, who had a terrific season for Philadelphia, leading the team in stolen bases with 37, hits free agency this offseason.

It’s understandable that some Phillies fans may be weary of taking on another big contract for the foreseeable future, but Swisher would help fill one of those outfield spots and has been consistent at the plate over the course of his career.

 

Sure, he won’t hit .300, but Swisher would bring both power and the ability to reach base to the table.

Swisher hasn’t failed to reach the 20-home-run plateau in any of his eight full major league seasons and is an absolute walk machine. In fact, he’s had an OBP over .350 in all but two of his eight full seasons, despite never hitting .300 in a single season.

The Phillies will still need some sort of table-setter atop their lineup and some bullpen help, but Nick Swisher should be high on their priority list as free agency kicks off.

 

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Analyzing Shane Victorino’s Potential Impact in a Philadelphia Phillies Return

Adding an outfielder or two is an offseason priority for the Philadelphia Phillies and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. 

The Phillies outfield was wiped out at the trade deadline with Amaro trading Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by dealing Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants. 

Now, as the offseason begins, Philadelphia is looking for a center fielder, and some big names are available. Josh Hamilton is the flashiest name, with Michael Bourn close behind him. Angel Pagan boosted his value with a strong postseason. And B.J. Upton might have the most upside of the bunch.

But there’s yet another center fielder available who plays good defense, has some pop in his bat and can provide a lineup with some speed. The Phillies need all of those things. So could they possibly bring back Victorino next season?

Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News posed that very question in a recent article. For the right price, he feels, bringing back Victorino is an option the Phillies should consider. 

Though Bourn might be the ideal fit in terms of giving the Phillies batting order a leadoff hitter with speed who also plays spectacular defense, he and agent Scott Boras may be looking for a more expensive deal than Philadelphia is willing to pay.

A high price tag would also take Hamilton out of consideration. He’ll be the most expensive center fielder on the market. Besides, the Phillies don’t need his left-handed bat when they already have Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. 

Personally, I feel like Upton is the best fit for the Phillies.

He’s right-handed and could slot in between Utley and Howard. He has the speed for the top of the order, though his low on-base percentage (.289 this season) might not suit him for that role. He has the power to bat in the middle of the lineup. And Upton’s defense is on par with each of the other center fielders mentioned here. 

But Victorino could be a very attractive option. The Phillies certainly already know what they have in him.

Trading Victorino at midseason wasn’t necessarily an indictment of his skills. It was more a concern that he was seeking a significant raise over the $9.5 million he made this season. Rather than risk losing him as a free agent, Amaro at least got a quality reliever in Josh Lindblom and a promising prospect with Ethan Martin. 

Though Victorino struggled this season, batting .255 overall with a .704 OPS, he did play better in Philadelphia than before he was traded to the Dodgers. In 101 games with the Phillies, he hit .267 with a .724 OPS, nine home runs, 40 RBI and 24 stolen bases. 

More than any other team, the Phillies should be familiar with the numbers Victorino put up in 2011. He batted .279 with an .847 OPS, adding 16 triples, 17 homers, 61 RBI and 19 stolen bases in what was arguably his best season. 

Is he capable of providing that kind of production again? That’s the question hanging over Victorino during free agency.

Has he lost bat speed? Is he a step slower in center field? He stole a career-high 39 bases, which seems promising, but does he get on base enough to really utilize that speed?

Those are questions the Phillies would surely ask while judging Victorino against the other center fielders on the market. The team probably had the same concerns before trading him at midseason. 

Would the Phillies be willing to go into next season with an outfield of Domonic Brown in left, Victorino in center and Nate Schierholtz in right? That sentence just sent Phillies fans into fits of screaming, running around the house while knocking all of the books and picture frames off their shelves.

If Amaro is looking to upgrade his outfield, that collection of players won’t do it.

However, if Victorino is willing to accept a shorter contract for less money—perhaps because the market has determined his value for him—it seems plausible that the Phillies might be able to sign him in addition to another outfielder. 

Let’s say that Victorino can be had for a two-year, $20 million sort of deal. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick talked to four MLB executives about the contract Upton might attract in free agency. Estimates ranged from three years, $27 million to five years, $70 million. 

Even if Victorino wanted a three-year deal and the Phillies were willing to give it to him, while Upton ended up getting the five-year, $70 million contract one executive projected, would $100 million for two outfielders suit Philadelphia’s payroll? 

Amaro wants to keep the Phillies below the $178 million luxury tax threshold for 2013. But a combined salary of $24 million for Victorino and Upton—and that’s presuming they would even be paid that much—seems to fit under those constraints. 

But would that leave enough money to also address the Phillies’ needs at third base and in the bullpen? That’s the dilemma Amaro faces. 

The Phillies can’t build their offseason around Victorino. He’s just not that kind of player. Amaro surely knows that’s not good enough, and the Philadelphia fans wouldn’t stand for it. But Victorino could complement other moves Amaro might make, such as signing another outfielder and/or a third baseman. 

Both sides parted amicably in late July, so there’s no reason to think either Victorino or the Phillies have moved on and want to try something else. It would surely be a popular move among the fans and Victorino himself admitted to MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom late in the season that he’d love to return to Philadelphia.

Bringing back Victorino is certainly not the worst move the Phillies could make this winter.

 

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2012 MLB Offseason: Why the Phillies Need to Pursue Kevin Youkilis

The Philadelphia Phillies need a third baseman like a man stranded in the desert needs water. 

The club turned down its contract option on Placido Polanco during the last week, allowing him to become a free agent and once again opening a void at third base that could more accurately be classified as a black hole.

To make matters worse, the market for third basemen is going to be thin this winter both in terms of free agents and potential targets in a trade. That market is even thinner when you consider the fact that the Phillies seem to want to go in one of two directions—a long-term fix or a short-term stopgap. 

A long-term fix isn’t going to happen this winter unless the Phils sign over the entire deed to their farm system for San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley, a foolish decision for a team who’s decaying MLB roster is going to need some youth—and soon. 

As far as a stopgap is concerned, one name seems to fit the Phillies’ needs rather well: Kevin Youkilis. The longtime Boston Red Sox third baseman hits the free agent market this winter following a midseason trade to the Chicago White Sox, who turned down his contract option following the season. 

Youkilis will be 34 years old during the 2013 season and certainly isn’t going to help this aging Phillies club get any younger, but he’s also not in a position to demand a long-term contract—something that the Phillies should value given their future commitments. 

The “Greek God of Walks” may not be the same player that he once was, but he could still help out a heavily left-handed Phillies lineup. Youkilis hit .235 / .336 / .409, with 19 home runs. 

The numbers don’t leap off of the page, but when you consider the fact that the Phillies’ third basemen hit .272 / .315 / .357 with five home runs as a unit last season and that Youkilis’ low, .268 BABip (against a .322 career BABip), there is some obvious room for improvement. 

The Phillies have a few needs this offseason that Youkilis would help address, particularly offensively, where they are in desperate need of a right-handed bat with some power. Youkilis managed left-handed pitching well last season, posting a line of .275 / .386 / .492 with eight home runs against it. 

Common sense suggests that he would slot nicely into the Phillies’ lineup behind Ryan Howard and in front of Domonic Brown, balancing out the left-handed hitters quite a bit. 

Defensively, Youkilis leaves something to be desired. He posted a UZR/150 of -6.2 at third base last season, which is obviously bad, but not horrendous. Youkilis posted a DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) mark of -1, which means that he cost his team(s) a run with his defense. 

But the Phillies can sacrifice a bit of defense at third base to add a bit of right-handed pop to their lineup. With Freddy Galvis on the bench to provide a little defense in the later innings, having a guy who could throw runs on the board early in the game could be a big help. 

As with any deal nowadays, all of that information is a moot point if the Phillies find that Youkilis is out of their price range. Given all of the variables, one would assume that Youkilis is in line for a deal somewhere in the two years and $16-20 million range. 

But the law of supply and demand is not working with the Phillies this offseason, at least at third base. Youkilis is actually one of the better options available this winter and plenty of teams could use a third baseman. 

The Phillies seem confident that Cody Asche can take over in the near future (he played at Double-A Reading in 2012) and probably don’t want to pay a future 36-year-old Youkilis anything, let alone as a third baseman. 

The Phillies are also still squirming under the luxury tax and probably don’t have the ability to throw a ton of money at Youkilis in order to get him signed to a two-year contract. 

But we’ll assume for a moment that the Phillies and Youkilis can agree to financial terms. If they were to get him signed, it would be a solid deal. 

As the roster currently stands, the Phillies will open the season with their third baseman as one or some combination of Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen. Those are solid players, but neither has the bat to play third base every day. 

Youkilis just makes more sense. He isn’t of the same caliber defensively, but could be leaps and bounds better offensively, which the Phillies will need. 

If the price is right, Youkilis could be a no-brainer for the Phils.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Why They Should Be Careful Chasing BJ Upton

The Philadelphia Phillies are the early front-runners in the race for free-agent center fielder B.J. Upton, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The Phillies should proceed very cautiously if they truly are interested in Upton.

On one hand, he is one of the most physically talented players on the free-agent market this year. Everyone has known for a long time that he is a legitimate five-tool player. He is one of the rare players who has substantial power and speed.

However, we have only had brief glimpses of that brilliance. In 2007, he did hit .300 with 24 home runs, 82 RBI and 22 stolen bases. However, we have not seen all-around excellent numbers like that since. In 2012, he hit .246 with 28 home runs, 78 RBI and 31 stolen bases.

Obviously, some of his numbers improved, but what concerns me most about Upton is his tendency to add to the problem that the Phillies already have. He is a career .255 hitter, and he strikes out in bunches.

As a team last season, the Philadelphia Phillies hit .255. That placed them right in the middle of the league at 15th place.

In theory, it would be desirable to move up this list rather than move down, but given Upton’s history, the team batting average could easily drop further.

I know that everything does not rely on batting average, but when you look at the statistics from 2012, batting average is an important determinant of runs scored. I ran a little bit of statistical analysis on team data from last season, and the correlation between runs and batting average came to essentially .75 (for the purpose of full disclosure, I copied the table from the MLB.com Team Statistics page into Microsoft Excel and ran the Data Analysis add-on package for correlations).

The statistician in me looks at that relationship and worries about dropping the Philadelphia batting average even more. It could drop run production even more.

If he is able to tap into the potential that we all have been waiting for and puts up a season like he demonstrated he could in 2007, he would obviously help in Philadelphia. However, if you look at more recent history, his potential signing is somewhat more questionable.

 

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!
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Ranking the 20 Biggest Controversies in Philadelphia Phillies History

Baseball is a business. 

As much as we would like to think that baseball is truly “America’s pastime” and a game that we can know and love, it is important to understand that at the professional level, the game of baseball is considered “professional” for a reason. It’s a business. 

There are millions of dollars on the line and reputations to be made and lost every day. As is the case with any business like the sport of baseball, there are bound to be a few controversies that pop up and the Philadelphia Phillies have seen quite a few. 

So what’s the best way to avoid a baseball controversy? 

Well, you’re not going to be. But the one thing that you can do to prepare yourself is to look back over the franchise history and learn to avoid the mistakes.

Here, let me give you a hand. These are the top 20 controversies in the history of the Phillies. 

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Phillies Rumors: Latest Chatter Around Offseason Moves

If the Philadelphia Phillies thought this past season was rough, they’re about to have an even more difficult challenge ahead of them beginning on Saturday at 12:01 a.m.

After this time, all of the predictions surrounding which moves the Phils should make this offseason can give way to official transactions as the team builds toward the 2013 season.

But when a team’s offseason begins nearly a month sooner than many had hoped, there’s plenty of time to speculate as to which players will be targeted.

Judging by some of the names mentioned as possible targets for the Phils, maybe there’s been a little too much time for speculating.

Here is the latest chatter surrounding the Phillies’ offseason moves.

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Philadelphia Phillies: The Top 5 Players They Should Avoid This Winter

The Phillies have a number of holes on their team and a lot of money to spend this offseason.  They can upgrade through free agency or trades and add multiple players if they choose.  However, in recent seasons they have been pressed tightly against their self-imposed salary cap (the luxury tax threshold) and that’s not likely to change in the near future.

While every significant move they make has long-term ramifications, the ones they make this offseason will likely shape the next few years of Phillies baseball and determine whether or not they return to playoff contention.

The Phillies need an outfielder (or two, or three), a third baseman and bullpen help.  There have already been a lot of names mentioned.  

Here is my take on the top five players the Phillies should avoid at all costs.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Who Will the Club Move and Keep This Offseason?

Disappointing. Grotesque. Unexpected. Just about any unpleasant adjective your brain can fabricate would accurately describe the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Phillies owned the best record in baseball over the past two seasons and sat atop the NL East for the past five—so, naturally, expectations were higher than the Comcast Center building.

However, this elevator never reached the fourth floor.

Fans turned bitter, blaming everyone from Jesus Tiamo to Ruben Amaro Jr. for the failed season, yet expectations remain high for the upcoming season.

Third base, center field and relief pitching are the glaring weaknesses on the roster, and there are plenty of talented ballplayers available to fill the gaps.

So which players will not be wearing their Sunday whites next year?

We’ll start with third base.

This should come as no surprise. The Phillies have declined Placido Polanco’s option, making him a free agent next season. Along with Polanco, the team also decided not to retain Ty Wigginton. This leaves a vacancy at third base and at reserve first base behind Ryan Howard.

The Phillies will face arbitration with Kevin Frandsen, who filled in nicely towards the end of last season. He has the potential to be an everyday starter and should compete for the spot, but he needs improvement defensively.

Philadelphia also considered moving Chase Utley from second to third so the team could have budding star Freddy Galvis start at second, but management has since squashed this project.

The team could look outside of the organization to aging-yet-productive free-agent Kevin Youkilis. This signing would make sense, covering needs for both a third base starter and reserve first baseman. He would add power to the right-handed side of the plate—which is much needed in this lineup—and provide average defensive skills.

Youk’s style of play could fit perfectly into the city’s admiration for the blue-collar, hard-nosed athlete—even if it’s only for one season.

Signing a third baseman also greatly depends on how the organization prioritizes the outfield positions.

Currently, the team has incredible promise from within, as John Mayberry Jr., Domonic Brown and Darin Ruf should all be returning next season.

But which outfielders will not make the cut for 2013?

CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury believes the Phillies should let outfielders Juan Pierre and Laynce Nix walk, leaving a hole in center field. Nate Schierholtz, the disappointing outfielder from San Francisco, is up for arbitration and is also a non-tender candidate. According to Salisbury, Schierholtz may not be around either.

The Philadelphia Inquirer believes that center field will be the team’s main focus this offseason, with a strong list of potential candidates to man the position in Citizen’s Bank Park next season.

This list includes Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton and Josh Hamilton—all of whom would add some form of depth to the lineup. The Phils must grab one of them to be a contender next season.

Finally, a team’s bullpen is often overlooked each season. They are the “special teams” of baseball—but, as we all know, special teams can decide games.

Antonio Bastardo is eligible for arbitration and will return to the Phils next season, but the same cannot be said for Jose Contreras. The team has announced that they will decline to pick up his option for next season.

Philly.com looks at several players the Phillies could look at this offseason to boost the pen—Ryan Madson could even be reunited with his old team.

It’s pretty clear who the team is willing to let go, but fans are still uncertain of the team’s direction. Will they chase a World Series title in 2013, or invest for the future sans Howard, Utley and Rollins?

There is one guarantee: The Phillies Phans will not tolerate another failing season.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

25 MLB Free Agents Who Would Be Interested in Joining the Philadelphia Phillies

Free agents will still be interested in coming to play for the Philadelphia Phillies for this offseason and many more in the years to come. 

It’s important that we understand that fact after the way the 2012 season went for those Phils because on the surface, this is a team in decline. They’re a wily group of veterans on the wrong side of 30 with a long history of injury concerns. 

But free agents are still going to want to come here. 

That’s because, and especially when this team is going well, Philadelphia is a prime town for baseball. There is a certain energy and atmosphere that the fan base creates here and players love it. Of course, having money to spend and a slew of All-Stars already on your roster won’t hurt either. 

So with the offseason just about ready to get under way, let’s take a look at 25 free agents who should have some level of interest in joining the Phillies this winter.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Realistic Offseason Moves

With the 2012 World Series coming to an end, the offseason is now upon us. Ruben Amaro Jr. and his staff will begin the daunting task of trying to rebuild the Phillies into a championship team.

The Phillies have already cut ties with Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras while picking up Carlos Ruiz’s 2013 option.

In order to compete for a title in 2013, the Phillies will have to fill most, if not all of their holes, which includes at least two outfield spots, third base, the bullpen and maybe even a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Here are five realistic offseason moves the Phillies should seriously consider. 

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