CHICAGO - When athletic performance and millions of dollars are involved, no personnel decision is as simple as it may seem. Talent evaluation is a big part of the equation, but it is also the part over which teams have the most control. Less predictable, yet equally important, is how the 29 other teams in the marketplace evaluate that talent, and what dollar value they place upon it, and what means they have to act upon that valuation.

By the time the Phillies arrived back in Philadelphia following their season-ending loss to the Yankees in Game 6 of the World Series, the evaluation part of the equation, thanks to the efforts of the organization's pro scouts who spend the year canvassing the majors, was largely complete. Which left general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and assistant GM Scott Proefrock to work on the valuation part, calling the representatives of prospective free agents to gauge interest while also identifying other major league teams who might look to fill similar needs.

One of their conclusions - arguably their most significant of this young offseason - resulted in the decision to decline Pedro Feliz' $5.5 million club option on Sunday, making him a free agent.

With that, the Phillies became players in this year's third-base market, where they feel a good opportunity exists to upgrade a lineup that returns seven of eight regulars.

"There are going to be a lot of free agents, and I don't know how many teams are going to be pouncing on the third basemen," Amaro said yesterday from the lobby of the O'Hare Hilton, where baseball's annual general managers' meetings are being held. "I don't know how many third basemen are needed around the league . . . I just think there are more players than there are seats in this offseason. We could have misread the market, but we feel like there are more third basemen available than there are third-base positions to be filled."

Certainly, there are an abundance of players on the free-agent market. The cream of the crop, at least on paper, is Angels leadoff hitter Chone Figgins, who in seven-plus seasons in Los Angeles hit .291 with a .363 on-base percentage and averaged 58 stolen bases per 162 games. Other brand names include Adrian Beltre, who signed with the Mariners when current Phillies' assistant general manager Benny Looper was still in Seattle, and Miguel Tejada, who has played shortstop his entire career but could move to third base.

The Phillies have long had an affinity for veteran utility man Mark DeRosa, who has filed for free agency and played most of last season at third base for the Cardinals and Indians. And veterans like Troy Glaus, Placido Polanco, Juan Uribe and Melvin Mora have entered the market.

Amaro said yesterday that he has identified "several" players who would be potential fits for the Phillies. Two clubs have called to offer players via trade, but Amaro said the Phillies are more likely to find their third baseman for 2010 - and perhaps beyond - on the open market.

"I think this is more about getting marginally better if we can, much as we tried to improve on our leftfield situation last year," Amaro said. "I don't see this being a big blockbuster deal or anything like that necessarily, but I think there are enough players out there of some quality where it was worth the risk of not picking up the option . . . "

What, exactly, constitutes a better player than Feliz?

Amaro declined to discuss specific players. But Feliz has hit just 26 home runs in two seasons in Philadelphia after hitting at least 20 in his last four seasons with the Giants. And in six seasons as an everyday major leaguer, he has never had an on-base percentage higher than the .308 he posted this year as a 34-year-old.

In some ways, he was a good fit for the seven-hole in the Phillies' lineup: His .336 average with runners in scoring position led the team. In other ways, he was a liability: His .208 average against lefthanded pitching, while an anomaly in his career, made them even more vulnerable against southpaws.

In short, the ideal candidate would present an attractive enough combination of offensive consistency and/or power to make up for whatever drop-off in defense the Phillies would suffer.

Although many potential free agents might fit that description, they also have question marks. DeRosa and Beltre, a two-time Gold Glove who hit at least 25 home runs from 2006-08 while playing home games in a pitcher-friendly park, both are coming off injury-plagued seasons. Tejada has never played third. Polanco has played just one game at third since leaving the Phillies in 2005.

And, of course, their actual market value will play a big role.

Figgins, Polanco and Tejada are Type A free agents, meaning the Phillies would have to part with a first-round draft pick to sign them, but Amaro said that would not necessarily be a deal-breaker. He also said he is open to doling out a multiyear deal, given the dearth of third-base prospects in the organization.

"It depends on who we end up pushing to acquire," Amaro said. "Age has a lot to do with it, production has a lot to do with it. Right now we don't have a guy in our system that we can view as a third baseman, so we are going to have to keep our minds open on length."

Then again, Amaro acknowledged that once the signing period begins on Nov. 20, the Phillies could find themselves trying to convince Feliz to return.

Phillers

 

Leftfielder Raul Ibanez had surgery yesterday to repair a sports hernia on the left side of his body, although Ruben Amaro Jr. said Dr. Bill Meyers also repaired some damage on the right side of the veteran leftfielder's abdomen. Ibanez is expected to be healthy by spring training . . . Lefthander Scott Eyre had surgery to remove loose fragments from his elbow, although Amaro did not have any further details . . . Pedro Feliz and Chan Ho Park have been classified as Type B free agents, meaning the Phillies will receive a compensatory draft pick if they are signed by another team. Along with those two, Matt Stairs and Paul Bako officially filed for free agency . . . Amaro again downplayed the likelihood of adding a starting pitcher, saying the club was focused on improving its bullpen and its bench . . . Amaro said he expected the free-agent market to be "slow-developing" this year.

For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.