So, what's left?
The baseball world waits for tonight, when the winning bidder on Japanese wunderkind Yu Darvish is announced. The Phillies? Well, their waiting is over now that Jimmy Rollins agreed to terms on a new contract.
So, what's left?
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
The baseball world waits for tonight, when the winning bidder on Japanese wunderkind Yu Darvish is announced. The Phillies? Well, their waiting is over now that Jimmy Rollins agreed to terms on a new contract.
The first workout for pitchers and catchers in Clearwater, Fla., is still 62 days away. But the Phillies, barring an absolute shocker of a move, have quite a good idea how their roster will look.
Ruben Amaro Jr. has spent $88.4 million this winter on six free agents — Jonathan Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins, Jim Thome, Laynce Nix, Dontrelle Willis and Brian Schneider — and acquired Ty Wigginton through a trade.
Sixteen players have signed guaranteed contracts and four others were tendered contracts under the arbitration process. So, what we're saying is it could be somewhat quiet from now until the middle of February.
Of course, every time we insinuate such a period of inactivity, the Phillies surprise. With $135 million already guaranteed to the 2012 payroll and about another $30 million in arbitration, any unexpected move would likely come in a trade.
But there are still some things to be done this winter...
1. Sign Cole Hamels. Amaro said his priority was to take care of his 2012 roster before looking ahead. Now he has some time to consider an extension for Hamels, who will be a free agent after this season. It should be his primary task.
Hamels made $9.5 million in 2011 and is due a significant raise through his fourth and final year of arbitration. He could earn upward of $14 million.
On the open market, he could command an average annual value of $20 million. Hamels turns 28 next week. He's entering the prime of his career with five straight seasons of at least 183 innings pitched. He finished fifth in 2011 Cy Young voting.
There are indications from both sides that a long-term deal can be done this winter. Hamels' agent, John Boggs, has said before he does not prefer his clients to negotiate during the season. He did most of the heavy lifting on an extension for another client, Adrian Gonzalez, during Boston's spring training last year.
Amaro said he had spoken with Boggs earlier this winter to make his stance clear: The Phillies want to re-sign Hamels. There was just other stuff to attend to first.
But now, there is no excuse for not engaging Hamels' party.
2. Who is the fifth outfielder? Any projection of the April bench is difficult because the Phillies have yet to decide how they will fill holes in left field and first base in Ryan Howard's absence. Left field could be a platoon between John Mayberry Jr. or Nix — or it could be Mayberry's job full time. Or perhaps Mayberry mans first base until Howard returns. But Wigginton could play first, too.
So there is a lot of flexibility, but logic suggests there is at least one position player roster spot undecided for the opening day roster sans Howard. The "bench" is Mayberry, Thome, Nix, Wigginton, Schneider and Wilson Valdez. Two of them will have to be in the lineup until Howard returns. That leaves an extra spot, probably for an outfielder. Remember, this is tenuous spot because it could be eliminated upon Howard's eventual return.
That would have been Ben Francisco's spot, but the Phillies dealt him to Toronto. John Bowker remains on the 40-man roster, but there are reports he could be headed for Japan. And he didn't exactly endear himself in September.
If Domonic Brown isn't playing every day, he won't be in the majors. So that eliminates him. Scott Podsednik is a guy to watch in spring training. He's back as a non-roster player after spending a few (mostly injury-riddled) months with triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2011.
Guys like Ryan Spilborghs, Willie Harris, Scott Hairston, Reed Johnson and Mark DeRosa are still free agents. The Phillies have liked Spilborghs and Hairston before. But those players could find more playing time, money and guarantees elsewhere. If one wants to come to Philadelphia on the cheap without a lot of security, then sure.
The Phillies have only invited one non-roster outfielder, Podsednik, to spring training. Expect the next round of invitees to include some more outfielders.
3. Is another veteran bullpen arm required? This question won't really be answered until Jose Contreras begins throwing. That is scheduled to happen sometime in January. If it's earlier in the month and Contreras fails to make progress, that could prompt the Phillies to scour the bargain bin for another trusted reliever.
Then again, the bullpen is teeming with promising young arms. If Papelbon, Contreras, Willis, Antonio Bastardo and Kyle Kendrick are guaranteed spots, that leaves only two open for the group of Mike Stutes, David Herndon, Justin De Fratus, Phillippe Aumont, Michael Schwimer, Joe Savery and Jake Diekman.
Remember, the Phillies invited Brian Sanches to spring training and he could be that veteran backup plan. He has a 2.92 ERA in 181 2/3 major-league innings over the last three years.
4. Where will the old crew land? This doesn't really pertain to the Phillies' plans, but a handful of former players remain free agents with uncertain destinations. Ryan Madson's market has collapsed and the closer could be looking at a one-year deal now. His hope must be for Boston to bypass the luxury tax limit and spend for a closer.
Roy Oswalt is still out there and he'll likely receive at least a two-year deal from someone. His possible destination could be made clearer once the Darvish process ends.
Brad Lidge is looking for a job and Colorado is a logical landing spot because Lidge is from there and still has a house in the area. He'd like to return to Philadelphia, where he's spending the winter for the first time, but there might not be room.
Raul Ibanez probably makes most sense for an American League team that can use him in a LF/DH platoon against righthanders. With some of the top-tier outfielders like Michael Cuddyer, Josh Willingham and Jason Kubel off the market, Ibanez could find suitors.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Ask Rollins if he will be willing to move to third base to make room for Freddy Galvis at SS in 2013. And does he have a no trade clause in his contract.— Dull
Comment removed.- I can accept not having Madson. I can accept not having Oswalt. I can accept not having Lidge. I can accept not having Ibanez. But if Bowker goes to Japan, I'm done with the Phillies!— dasher
- Just a hunch, but I'm not sure Hamels wants an extension. He's an excellent pitcher who has had some tough luck the last two years, posting great ERA and WHIP numbers but not getting great run support. He's due for an 18- or 20-win season, in which case he could be the most sought-after starter on the market this time next year. Big bucks go along with that.— eman
- or he could end up getting shut down in September or missing extended time becaude he has a chronic back issue that has held him out of games since he was 20 years old and now has had additional surgery on his arm. He already knows that when he loses even 2 or 3 MPH on his fastball , he becomes ordinary so that would be a huge gamble when the Phillies will be dangling a 4 year 65 million guaranteed offer in front of his face. Also,remember Hamels refused to take the ball against the Mets in September in the middle of a pennant race because his arm was tired. Point being, he is not in the class of a Hallady even if he wins 20 games next year. The article says it all. It reaches for the farcical stat of 183 innings pitched to somehow show is an ironman when all that says is he has been shut down a whole bunch. Phils will re-sign him. They will first try to get him to take three years and then they will acquiesce and sign him to four. He will ask for 20 million per and then settle for about 17 when the Phils give the fourth year. — UncleStosh
- This team won 102 games last year and now has a much better bench with real power. I still would not put it past Amaro to pull off a surprise move. He has done it every off season and at the trading deadline since he became General Manager. I don't think he is done if the right deal comes along.— matty177
- The 2008 Phillies were a young, hungry team. The 2012 Phillies are old, complacent and they won't hit elite pitching in the postseason. I don't blame people for jumping off the Phillies bandwagon.— Freedom Fries
- Any thought to bringing Madson back on a one-year deal? He could hit the market again next off-season and perhaps get a multi-year big contract. Or is this relationship now completely severed? Madson is a stud set-up man and very good closer if Papelbon is injured. Why not give it a shot?— yahzooman
- The season really hinges on the offensive production of the aging infield in my opinion. The bench is better but Charlie has to use it to have guys like Utley and Polanco worth something in October. With Howard almost certainly out for a while I think you have to consider the current team pretty much a net zero gain/loss from 2011. The direction they go has a lot to do with how healthy the infield stays, whether there's any change at all in approach at the plate and whether the three starters can again go all year with no of them hitting the DL (or was Hamels on it once maybe in 2011?). People have the pitching as a lock but all it takes is for one of the three to hit the DL for an extended stint for the pitching to not be enough to get it done on its own.
As I said in another post: I think this is a great regular season team that will show us a lot of wins and a lot of good baseball. My real concern is whether they can hit top pitching in October. The past two years they have failed there and the core is another year older.— s - After Hamels gets done get Oswalt back - he can pitch - he kicked our butts for a decade, does he have to do it again?— robinlupe
- Like to see Madson back in a Phillies uniform.....that change-up is that good......and needs to be in our bullpen— ghostmarine
- You better be kidding about Bowker going to Japan. If they let that guy walk, I'm driving off a bridge this weekend. How could you let someone go who is bound to get a hit at some point with the Phillies? The law of averages says he will especially if he's given 80-100 ABs. Ludicrous decision making. On another note, did you really write that Oswalt will get a two-year deal? Based on what? His performance with the Astros in '05?— Sam Crow
- Comment removed.
- rollins needs to start taking batting practice asap and learn how not to pop up ,,,— hardball
- The Phillies need an outfielder who bats right, has some pop, can play all three positions, can run a little, and doesn't cost much. Hello Ryan Spilborghs. At least that is what the pundits say.
But baseball is funny and Amaro has shown that he doesn't do what you expect him to do. It certainly is not a sure thing that Mayberry can hold the job or even will start in leftfield after spring training. Suppose Little John has a bad spring? I am sure that Amaro is looking for a decent player to throw into the leftfield mix right now and it would not even surprise me if Carlos Beltran (@$10M per year) was signed to class out the lineup a bit.— World
