IS TAKING DOC TO SEE THE DOC
Here at The Phillies Zone, we're making the final preparations for a six-week trip to Clearwater. Most of this week's space has been dedicated to off-the-field business matters. Such is when the local baseball franchise morphs into a powerful commodity.
But fake baseball is nearing and that's better than no baseball. The Phillies will bring 57 players to camp this spring. Here's a brief thought on each pitcher on the roster (in alphabetical order). On Thursday, we'll do the position players.
40-MAN ROSTER
Phillippe Aumont — Even if he doesn't make the club out of spring training, he'll pitch in Philadelphia sometime in 2012.
Antonio Bastardo — The eighth inning is his to lose, despite the Phillies not publicly saying so.
Joe Blanton — His right elbow is still a question mark, but Phillies officials maintain he can be a reliable factor.
Jose Contreras — Hard to expect remotely anything from the 40-year-old until he proves he can stay healthy.
Justin De Fratus — His stuff isn't as good as Aumont's, but he has answered every challenge so far.
Jake Diekman — Lefties hit .099 in 91 at-bats against the 25-year-old at double-A Reading.
Roy Halladay — As a Phillie, he's made 70 starts (including the postseason). The Phillies have won 49 of them.
Cole Hamels — He's this close, so expect Hamels to test the market come October barring a lavish offer from the Phillies.
David Herndon — After the all-star break, Herndon quietly posted a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings.
Kyle Kendrick — His quality 2011 and relatively low 2012 salary could make him a trade candidate to stay below the luxury tax.
Cliff Lee — How different would the winter have been if Lee doesn't blow a four-run lead in Game 2?
Jonathan Papelbon — The last pitch he threw secured one of the worst collapses in baseball history. Now he's the highest-paid reliever ever.
Chad Qualls — A plummeting strikeout rate and downright scary road numbers away from Petco Park make this signing a risk.
J.C. Ramirez — He's inconsistent with a big arm. Could eventually be moved to the bullpen.
Joe Savery — The feel-good story of last September, Savery can now attempt a career as a lefty specialist.
Michael Schwimer — His brief tenure in the majors notwithstanding, Schwimer could still find a role someday. Think Chad Durbin.
Mike Stutes — The Phillies never could have expected 62 innings from the rookie. Now can he make adjustments?
Dontrelle Willis — He's on a non-guaranteed deal this spring, so the veteran lefty must prove a role in the bullpen suits him.
Vance Worley — The rest of baseball has plenty to study after a shocking 2011.
NONROSTER
Dave Bush — The Conestoga grad could lead the IronPigs rotation.
Scott Elarton — He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008, but the Phillies apparently saw something that merited an invitation to big-league camp.
Jeremy Horst — Acquired in the Wilson Valdez trade, Horst is another lefty reliever option.
Austin Hyatt — At best, he's an innings-eater in the majors. First, he'll take a stab at triple A.
Pat Misch — Often on the Mets' yo-yo, Misch has value as a lefty swing man.
Joel Pineiro — He's pitched in only six minor-league games since 2001. But if he's willing to spend time in triple A, he could provide fine depth.
David Purcey — He was traded twice in 2011 and played for three teams. Of course he's lefthanded.
B.J. Rosenberg — Looks nothing more than organizational fodder at this point.
Brian Sanches — Take away one horrific outing when Jack McKeon abused him and Sanches had a 3.22 ERA last season. It was 2.26 in 2010 and 2.56 in 2009.
Raul Valdes — Lefties have hit for a career .322 average off this lefty specialist.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.
This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.
Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
To submit a question for Matt Gelb's Phillies mailbag, click here.
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