Phillies outfield options dwindling
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Phillies outfield options dwindling
Ryan Lawrence, Daily News Staff Writer
On Saturday, Cody Ross found a new home. The well-traveled, useful, righthanded-hitting outfielder signed a 3-year, $26 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Less than 24 hours later, fellow free agent Nick Swisher also came off the market.
The Cleveland Indians signed Swisher, a switch hitter with power and a strong plate discipline, to a 4-year, $56 million deal. The contract includes a vesting option that can push the contract to 5-years, $70 million.
Michael Bourn is the only high-profile free agent bat that remains unsigned. He is not a fit for the Phillies.
So where do the Phils go from here? Are they really going to run out an outfield platoon of Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. in rightfield and Darin Ruf and Laynce Nix in left?
I still have serious doubts about that, considering the Phils have been burned in each of the last two years by having too much faith in uncertain commodities in the corner spots (rightfield in 2011, left in 2012).
But here’s what we do know: the price of outfielders is sky high.
Here’s a sampling of the (guaranteed) dollars committed to free agent outfielders this winter:
Swisher: 4 years, $56 million
Ross: 3 years, $26 million
Josh Hamilton: 5 years, $123 million (Angels)
B.J. Upton: 5 years, $75.25 million (Braves)
Shane Victorino: 3 years, $39 million (Red Sox)
Angel Pagan: 4 years, $40 million (Giants)
Melky Cabrera: 2 years, $16 million (Blue Jays)
Torii Hunter: 2 years, $26 million (Tigers)
Ryan Ludwick: 2 years, $15 million (Reds)
The Phils obviously did not feel comfortable with most or all of those numbers. (They were reportedly outbid by $20 million by the Braves for Upton).
In an offseason that began with the Phils without a single, everyday outfielder, they’ve added one in the first seven weeks of the offseason: center fielder Ben Revere.
Revere, of course, was acquired in a trade. Since all of the above players are free agents, it’s worth remembering that just because that market has dried up, the Phils can still trade for an impact, outfield bat.
But before you begin dreaming up an idea of Justin Upton – he really is the perfect candidate, young, righthanded with power and speed, team-friendly contract – let’s remember the price the Phils had to pay for Revere.
The Phils dealt their two big trade chips for Revere: Vance Worley and Trevor May.
Revere was probably no higher than fourth or fifth in the Phils’ list of preferable center field options. So let’s assume they offered a similar package to Colorado for Dexter Fowler and were turned down; it’s a reasonable assumption since Fowler can be had in a trade and the Rockies want pitching back.
If a package centered around May and Worley wouldn’t get you Fowler, how much would a guy like Upton cost? A lot.
Not only are free agents cashing in this winter, but so are teams that are selling off proven parts.
The Mets traded 38-year-old pitcher R.A. Dickey, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, to Toronto for a lucrative package led by former Phils prospect Travis D’Arnaud, baseball’s top catching prospect, and righthanded pitcher Noah Syndergaard. They were ranked the No.1 and No.2 prospects in the Jays’ system by Baseball Prospectus earlier this month.
The Rays traded pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis for an ever more lucrative package, headlined by outfielder Wil Myers, one of if not the top hitting prospects in all of baseball.
So if a team wants to swing a deal for the 25-year-old Upton, who is owed $38.5 million in the next three seasons, they better be prepared to unload the farm. After signing Ross, there has been speculation that Upton, the on-again, off-again human trade rumor, could be had in a trade; ditto his teammate, lefthanded hitting Jason Kubel.
It’s all about supply and demand; since more than a handful of teams would love to add Upton (Texas has both a bounty of top prospects and the need for an impact outfielder), the Diamondbacks could probably name their price and get it, too.
Would you deal Jesse Biddle for Upton? How about Biddle and Tommy Joseph? I imagine you're not as excited about the idea of Upton now.
Even a deal for the lesser bats on the trade market would be costly.
If the Rockies are asking the world for Fowler, you’d imagine they’re not going to unload his teammate, Michael Cuddyer, for middling prospects or Triple-A arms. Ditto the D-backs and Kubel.
Add the fact that the Phils have already depleted some of their trade chips in making two deals this month (for Revere and Michael Young) and it’s difficult to imagine them swinging a deal for a high-profile bat. Then again, it’s never a good idea to bet against Ruben Amaro Jr.
But given the cost of outfielders this winter – both on the free agent and trade markets – it might be a good idea to set yourself up for another low-risk, high-reward-type addition.
The Phils have already gone that route a few times this winter.
Here’s a name like that I might consider, so long as he can still play 7 innings a game in the outfield: Lance Berkman.
Yes his health has been a serious issue recently, but he did hit .301 with a .412 OBP, .959 OPS, 31 home runs and 94 RBI in 145 games with St. Louis in 2011 as an outfielder. He would surely come cheap.
No, Berkman, who turns 37 in February, is nowhere near the perfect solution in the outfield. But there are no perfect solutions remaining and, if he’s healthy, he’s an upgrade over what your current corner outfielders.
But that’s just a random name I’m throwing out there. Because at this point in the winter, that’s really all that’s left on the outfield market.
- Santana was 19 (turned 20 in August) when he destroyed High A ball...Singleton had 4 hits in the "Futures Game"...Villar's got power and speed for a SS, Gose is lightning on the paths, and Cosart's polished, albeit fragile..There's NO DENYING the quality of prospects (not even including D'Arnaud)that have gone out of the system....You'll be reading MANY of these names in the coming years....Tommy Joseph is a good prospect, not even CLOSE to a projected All-Star or HOFer...The disparity of talen that went away for Pence, versus what came back a year later is laughable.
— bearsfriend - @ bear- the same accolades were posted by you and others about Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor. Spectacular underachievers who could both soon be out of baseball. Regarding D'Arnaud, until he has has even ONE plate appearance we should without any judgement, just one at bat before he is appointed the next Johnny Bench. For a team that went to back to back Championships with a narrow time horizon, none of these prospects have come back to hurt the Phillies...yet....and in the case of the much ballyhooed Drabek and Taylor it is doubtful they ever will. — Nigel#1
- I know this is the "Hot Stove" portion of season, but here is a thought. I think we should be more worried about Utley's and Howard's readiness for 2013 than any outfield addition the Phillies might make this offseason.— Squonk64
- You have to think not just about adding an outfielder but which existing outfielder you want to not use in favor of the replacement. It's going to be very hard to carry 6 outfielders on the 25 man roster. Ruf and (I think) Revere are the only two with options. So the easy route is to put Ruf in AAA. Is a replacement like Berkman really worth giving up on Ruf? The best thing would be to trade a guy like Nix. If you look at Phillies history they don't just eat these salaries (Nix gets 1.35 million this year). Another option is to send Galvis to AAA. Do you really want one non-1B bench guy though (Frandsen)? The only other guy I see with options is Revere and he's not going to the minors.
I'd like to see a piece done on the roster perspective of picking up this 6th outfielder.
Outfielders should be one position you have some depth in at the farm. Gose would be nice to have right now. If you sign a long term guy you're also potentially blocking a guy like Gillies.
The Phillies get failing grades for outfielder prospects and for roster management. So far anyway. The thing to do is trade something other than prospects to get the roster you want. Not easy I know but that's why the GM gets the big bucks.
— s - Maybe conVick can play center field?— billy goat
- Vance Worley a big trade chip? I mean, come on.— 1danny
- PLEASE...NO MORE LEFTIES!!!!! Especially ones who can not play the outfield.— MooseBreathMints
- there is no overpaying anymore, this is the new face of baseball, teams are flush with new TV money, so now isn't t
he time for the Phillies to start practicing fiscal responsibility
if,they want to compete they are going to have tospend money and sign some players to contracts that they might find difficult to swallow.— Ed Gein - cbs had a good article on Alan Trammell, ranking the best 2b/ss combos of all time. Criteria was being together for 7 years. Rollins/Utley ranked third. Pretty cool.
— kgood - Berkman? Just what the Phils need, another old guy. It's already tough enough to root for this bunch of ragtags managed by an incompetent.— wo_fat
- Be prepared for another 81-81 season full of misery. And if the injury bug hits them like it did last year, the lifeboats will be lowered into the water.— Grapost
- Seriously? Amaro destroyed the team? They were in the playoffs 3 of 4 years since 2008. The Phillies have no good young prospects? Ruf looks like one to me. Galvis is going to play SS for this team soon, maybe as soon as 2014 if they can slide Rollins over to 3B. Aumont looked pretty good last season at times. You can speculate on the future, and predict that Ruf, Brown and Mayberry are all "trash" but I am not buying into that. Also, Hernandez, Frankel, Greene, Joseph, and Valle are all position players who show promise. The pitching down on the farm is even deeper. They have deep pockets and they will have plenty of cash to spend when signing quality free agents because guys like Halladay and Utley and maybe Ruiz may be be gone if they do not produce this season. This team will achieve success or it will fail depending on what Howard and Utley and Halladay and Hamels and Rollins and Lee and Papelbon do. Those guys are the core and they are paid well. One season of .500 baseball does not signify that they are doomed. I like the additions of Revere, Adams and Young, maybe everyone doesn't. Thank God they didn't sign Hamilton or Swisher for that crazy money. I am ready to see them start playing, right now with the guys they have. Ruf is no kid, he spent 4 years in college and a couple in the minors. The fuure is now, and it always is for teams with Championship aspirations. Go Phillies!— Paul SoTX
- I disagree with a number of statements in this article. First, Ruf will not be platooning with anyone in the outfield. He is the new Phils every day left fielder until proven otherwise. He has the potential to put up impressive power numbers in 2013, and the Phils are unlikely to limit his trips to the plate in favor of better right-left match-ups. I see Ruf as the 2013 Rookie of the Year and rare player who will be able to duplicate Burrel's 2008 power numbers in 2013. Second, Berkman has shown no indication he is motivated to play baseball in 2013 or that he will come cheap. The Astros have been trying to sign him as their DH for quite some time, and Berkman has previously stated he would consider signing with the Astros but the money would have to be right. His recent injuries and recovery make questionable his ability to return to baseball as anything but a DH or pinch hitter. I've always liked Berkman, but his best days are already behind him. Considering the remaining market for outfielders, the Phils are realistically left with Alfonso Soriano and Scott Hairston. Soriano would be a no-brainer if it weren't for the fact that both he and Ruf play left field, and it is unknown if either could play right field. Assuming that neither player is able or willing to play right field, Hairston becomes the Phils next real target. He would have to platoon in right field with Brown or Nix, but his offensive production would be better than Mayberry's. Hairston is a legitimate power hitter who also hits for average. He may not be as athletic, as versatile or as good an all around player as Mayberry, but the Phils need to add power to the lineup - and this is Hairston's forte. There is always the remote possibility the Phils could still trade for Stanton or Cespedes, even using some of the mentioned Phillie players in such a trade, but absent the unexpected, the Phils will probably be announcing they signed Hairston or Soriano in the very near future.— onthebucks
- one would hope if phils traded for soriano he would have the right attitude and be willing to give right field a shot. he is a horrible fielder though. pretty much seems like all of philadelphia has given up on dominic brown.
