The Phillies could have a record payroll of more than $106 million come Opening Day.

People figure out Opening Day payrolls differently, but here's how we did it: We projected a 25-man roster, and also included four other players (Jim Thome, Wes Helms, Kris Benson and Chris Snelling) who figure into their budget in some way, shape or form.

So, obviously, this projected number can change before March 31, when the Phillies open their season at Citizens Bank Park against the Nationals.

The Phillies will play $6 million of Thome's contract with the Chicago White Sox this season. (They pay him $3 million next year, too.) The Phillies so far are on the hook for just $100,000 with Benson. But if Benson eventually makes the 25-man roster as expected, his salary jumps to $500,000 for $600,000 total. He then can make up to $5.1 million based on incentives. Helms is owed $2.15 million in salary, plus a $750,000 buyout for his 2009 club option, to bring his figure to $2.9 million. Snelling is just $450,000, but he also figures into the equation. Both Helms and Snelling seem caught in a numbers game, but could be competing for a bench job if the Phillies decide to carry 11 pitchers.

Here are the salaries for everybody other than Thome and Benson: Pat Burrell ($14 million), Ryan Howard ($10 million), Brett Myers ($8.5 million), Chase Utley ($8.5 million, which includes a $1 million signing bonus), Adam Eaton ($8.125 million, which includes a $750,000 signing bonus), Jimmy Rollins ($8 million, which includes a $1 million signing bonus), Tom Gordon ($6.5 million, which includes a $1 million buyout for a 2009 club option), Brad Lidge ($6.35 million), Jamie Moyer ($5.5 million), Geoff Jenkins ($5 million), J.C. Romero ($3.75 million, which includes a $750,000 signing bonus), Pedro Feliz ($3 million), Wes Helms ($2.9 million, which includes a $750,000 buyout for a 2009 club option), Jasyon Werth ($1.7 million), Ryan Madson ($1.4 million), So Taguchi ($1.05 million, which includes a $125,000 buyout for a 2009 club option), Chad Durbin ($900,000), Eric Bruntlett ($600,000), Cole Hamels (a projected $500,000), Shane Victorino (a projected $490,000), Kyle Kendrick ($445,000), Chris Snelling ($450,000), Greg Dobbs ($440,000), Carlos Ruiz ($425,000), Clay Condrey ($420,000), Chris Coste ($415,000) and J.D. Durbin ($402,500).

Moyer gets an extra $500,000 when he reaches 165, 175 and 185 innings pitched. He threw 199 innings last season, so it's not a stretch to think the Phillies will be paying him $7 million. Other players have incentives and bonuses in their contracts, too.

Tack on Benson's incentives and it's easy to see how the Phillies' payroll could surpass $110 million.

I've heard about how cheap the Phillies are ever since I got on the beat. But that argument has become a bit of a cliche. I always say this to people, "If you want to rip the Phillies about money, don't rip them for not spending enough. If you can't win spending $90 million or more, you have bigger issues. You have front office issues. (The Diamondbacks, Rockies and Indians had some of the lowest payrolls in baseball last season, but they made their league championship series.) If you want to criticize the Phillies, criticize them about how they spend their money. Because they're spending enough money to give them a chance to win a World Series."

For example, Eaton is the fifth-highest paid player on the team.

That's not money well spent.

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Top prospect Carlos Carrasco impressed Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee yesterday, but he's been pitching with plenty on his mind other than baseball. Just before he left for spring training, two men robbed his family's home in Venezuela -- with one of the men putting a gun to his sister's head.

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The Phillies opened their Grapefruit League scheduled yesterday with an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Jim Salisbury writes the scene.

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Rule 5 Draft pick Travis Blackley is trying to make the team, either as a starter or a reliever. He threw three scoreless innings yesterday, so he's off to a good start.

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Looks like they're ready to me.

The Phillies opened their Grapefruit League schedule today with an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Lefthanders Jamie Moyer and Travis Blackley each threw three scoreless innings. Top prospect Carlos Carrasco impressed manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee in his one inning (Carrasco retired the side in order.)

Some of the Phillies' newcomers had a good day:

- Geoff Jenkins went 1 for 3 with a double.

- Eric Bruntlett went 2 for 2 with a double.

- Pedro Feliz went 2 for 2 with a double and RBI.

- So Taguchi went 1 for 2 with a RBI.

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Greg Dobbs hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning.

If you were wondering if Cole Hamels threw chairs and flipped tables when Charlie Manuel told him that Brett Myers would be the team's Opening Day starter, he did not.

Damn.

"My understanding going into spring training was to just go out and play," Hamels said this morning. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be the No. 1 guy, just because I knew Brett was coming back and I liked the fact that he was coming back. I like the fact that he and I were able to work off each other. So if he was the No. 1 or I was the No. 1, it wasn't a big deal to me. I actually don't mind him being first. I actually kind of like it.

"If he goes out there on Opening Day, it's no big deal to me.

"Being 24 years old, I have plenty of years of trying to chase after Jamie Moyer. I know eventually maybe I'll get one of those. But for myself, after about three, four starts, it doesn't matter anymore. Because it's every five days. It even happens where there's an injury here or three or you have an off day and you skip one of the guy's in the rotation. It just gets screwed up, so after a while everybody forgets about that."

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Balls, Sticks, & Stuff discusses Myers over Hamels.

So does Beerleaguer.

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A Citizen's Blog stirred a battle with Mets fans this week. How dare he!

Most everybody assumed Cole Hamels would be the Phillies' Opening Day starter.

Not quite.

The Phillies announced yesterday that Brett Myers would start March 31 agaisnt the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Cole Hamels will start April 2 against the Nationals. Myers considered the news a surprise, but in terms of surprises it's not the biggest in the world. Myers started Opening Day last year, so he's been there before. He also has been in the big leagues since 2002, while Hamels has been here since 2006. So he has seniority over Hamels. Sometimes that plays a role. But while those reasons might have played a small role in the decision, they certainly were not the two biggest reasons the Phillies chose Myers over Hamels:

1) They want Myers to concentrate on being a starter, and not think about the possibility he could return return to the bullpen this season. We asked him about that possibility the other day, when we learned that Brad Lidge needed arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The question made sense because the Phillies moved Myers from the rotation to the bullpen last year. Myers has made it clear that he loves to close, so he said he'd be open to the move if asked. But the Phillies have no plans -- none, zero, nada, zilch -- to move Myers to the bullpen this season, even if Lidge misses an extended period of time. So why even let Myers think about it? By making him the Opening Day starter, they pump him up a bit and get him thinking about winning 18 games -- not saving 40.

2) It's a reward for moving from the rotation to the bullpen last season. Had Myers been selfish, he could have told the Phillies to kiss off. But he didn't, and it's hard to think the Phillies make the playoffs last year without him anhcoring the back of the bullpen.

Read about the story in today's Inquirer HERE.

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Last night's exhibition against Florida State got rained out.

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Jamie Moyer starts today against the Cincinnati Reds in the Grapefruit League opener at Bright House Field.

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Jim Salisbury takes a good look at the big difference between Phillies athletic trainer Scott Sheridan and HGH-injector Brian McNamee.

And there's a big difference.

Read the story HERE.

Hey everyone, this is Jonathan Tannenwald, host of the PhilliesCast.

Todd let me come on here for a moment so I could tell you that the latest edition of the PhilliesCast is now available for you to download. You can listen to it by clicking on the audio player below, and you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes by clicking here.

Also, please feel free to contact me if you have questions about comments on the blog or anything else. I do a lot of the work with the blogs on Philly.com so it really matters a lot to me that you guys are having problems with it. I promise that I and the tech team are working as hard and as fast as we can to get everything fixed, and I really do mean that.

I will say that the registration system is the same as the system you use to comment on Inquirer and Daily News stories, which means that you do have to do a few more things than you did on Movable Type. And one side effect of that is that your posts do get run through a filter that blocks some of the offensive stuff that the old system allowed.

I promise, though, that if one of the Phillies strikes out late in a game or gives up a home run to the Mets, you'll have plenty of ways to vent on here.

Anyway, here's the show. On it, Todd and I discuss the impact Brad Lidge's knee injury will have on the bullpen, whether Ryan Howard's salary arbitration win will hurt the Phillies' ability to sign more players, and the pitchers who will take the mound in the first Spring Training games of the year.

[ Download MP3 ]

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The Phillies just announced that Brett Myers will be their Opening Day starter March 31 against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.

Cole Hamels will start Game 2.

Charlie Manuel explained that they made the move for match up reasons, but it wouldn't be surprising if they also made the decision to boost Myers, who they returned to the rotation after making him the closer last season. Myers has said he loved to close, but would do whatever the team asks.

Hey, everybody -

If you're having problems with the blog (logging on, posting comments or anything else), you're definitely not alone. I'm having numerous problems myself. But because I care about this thing, please e-mail me with any questions, problems or concerns you have. And I mean anything.

My e-mail is tzolecki@phillynews.com.

Thanks.

The Phillies today claimed infielder Ray Olmedo off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Olmedo, 27, played in 27 games last season for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is a career .228 hitter, who has hit two home runs and 26 RBIs in 198 games for Cincinnati (2003-06) and Toronto. In the majors, he has made 55 starts at shortstop and 28 at second base. He also has appeared in five games at third base and one in right field. I'm guessing he's inventory should something happen to Eric Bruntlett, Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley.

The Phillies designated righthander John Ennis for assingment to make room for Olmedo on the 40-man roster.

 

Tom Gordon had hoped after the way he finished 2007 that he would have a chance to compete for the Phillies' closer's job in 2008.

But then the Phillies traded for Brad Lidge in November.

That ended that.

"Nobody likes to lose a job," Gordon said. "I felt healthy enough like I was ready to compete (for the closer's job). Knowing that Lidge is here, he's the closer. I'm the eighth-inning guy. I can handle that. I've done that before. I've handled that role. I've had success in that role. Right now for me it's about winning a World Series."

The Phillies find themselves in an interesting spot. Lidge, who was their big offseason acquisition, just had arthroscopic knee surgery. He will miss three to six weeks, which means he might start the season on the DL. That means Gordon is the closer until Lidge returns. But Gordon has been pitching with a slight tear in the labrum in his right shoulder since 2005. In each of his first two seasons with the Phillies he has spent time on the DL because of shoulder problems.

How long can Flash hold up? So far everybody who has seen Gordon pitch in camp has been impressed. Gordon said he hasn't felt this fine since 2005.

But can he really stay healthy the entire season?

He's in the final year of a three-year, $18 million contract. Here's something to consider: if he can stay healthy, the Phillies just might pick up Gordon's $4.5 million club option for 2009.

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The Phillies consider Lidge's surgery a success.

Time will tell.

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Most fans are thrilled that Ryan Howard beat the Phillies last week in salary arbitration. Howard will make $10 million this season instead of the $7 million the Phillies offered. But what does that mean short term for the Phillies? Have they lost the flexibility they expected come the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline?

Because you know in some way, shape or form, they have $3 million less to spend somewhere.

“We have contingency plans,” Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “Those are decisions that will be made at that time. But since I’ve been here, we’ve never been denied making the right decision for the club. So, again, those decisions are time and circumstance. A lot of it depends on where we are and how it affects us in the future and those kinds of things."

But you still have to wonder, will they be able to take on players like Kyle Lohse and Tadahito Iguchi this year like they did last year?

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Still looking for Mike Schmidt questions for a few more hours.