How should the Phillies fill fifth outfield spot?
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How should the Phillies fill fifth outfield spot?
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Examining the current configuration of the Phillies' 40-man roster and the list of non-roster invitees, the team's most glaring need with 53 days remaining before the start of spring training is another right-handed outfield bat off the bench.
And even that need is not very glaring because, as my colleague Matt Gelb pointed out in this space earlier this month, the job could disappear as soon as Ryan Howard returns from the disabled list.
That role a year ago belonged to John Mayberry Jr. and Ben Francisco and they did fantastic work.
Mayberry, in fact, was so good that he took on a more prominent role after the All-Star break and earned the right to replace Raul Ibanez as the team's primary left fielder in 2012.
Francisco, after botching his chance to become the everyday right fielder last April, actually did a solid job off the bench in the second half and, of course, won Game 3 of the NLDS by blasting a three-run home run in St. Louis. He is now in Toronto after recently being traded for local minor-league lefty Frank Gailey.
If the Phillies' budget for the fifth outfielder is roughly the $1.5 million that Francisco probably would have earned as an arbitration-eligible player, it will be interesting to see who they can get in that price range.
Jonny Gomes, coming off a dreadful season with Cincinnati and Washington, could probably be had for less than that amount. Scott Hairston, a solid bench player with some power, also would probably be willing to come aboard for an amount slightly north of $1 million.
It would be interesting if the Phillies wanted to significantly upgrade the bench by paying more for an extra outfielder. In order to do that, they would likely have to commit to an 11-man pitching staff rather than the 12 that manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee have typically preferred. Given the ability of the top three men in the rotation to go deep into games, we know that the Phillies are one of the few teams in baseball that can even consider an 11-man staff.
Should they choose to go to 11 and invest more heavily in an extra outfielder who can hit from the right side, some of the options become very interesting. The most intriguing is Cody Ross, the man who destroyed their 2010 dream of reaching a third straight World Series.
Ross, who turned 31 six days ago, has recently been linked to Colorado, but as of right now he is still on the open market. He is not worth the $6.3 million the San Francisco Giants paid him last season, but if he'd be willing to come to Philadelphia for around $3 million, that would be a good investment.
Ryan Ludwick, 33, is also still a free agent. It would be fascinating to see how many home runs he could hit at Citizens Bank Park and since he's coming off consecutive disappointing seasons his price tag should not be too exorbitant.
It's also entirely possible the Phillies spend as little as possible for the fifth outfielder with the intent of saving payroll space for the trade deadline. Injuries, of course, are inevitable and having money to spend at the deadline when needs are more identifiable could be far more valuable than any player they can add before the start of spring training.
What about Scott Podsednik, he's a non-roster invitee? He was injured last year but when healthy is something currently lacking on the bench decent speed and high on base percentage. I think speed off the bench is more important than another right handed bat. Who would pitch run now for Thome or Howard in the late innings, Valdez?— RyanMcCormick- Bring back Pat the Bat!— Joe Lis lives
Comment removed.- Podsednik bats left. With Thome and Nix already lefties, Bob is probably correct that a RH outfielder would be best. With Howard coming back and with no real change toward youth anywhere I would be tempted to use someone from AAA or AA until Howard returns. But two of the best options, Podsednik and Brandon Moss (Moss had a good year in AAA in 2011) are both LH. As is Brown.— s
- I go with the Madson ploy for one yr. And see if our lack of hitting can be overcome with a killer Pen. BTW, Jose Con. will never come back like he was. Why even consider him when the club has so many good arms for the Pen??? Doesn't make sense.— Koons
- Contreras is considered because he's still under contract through 2012. They have to see if they can get anything out of him before simply eating that money. He could return and be useful in the 7th and 8th innings. I think he's supposed to start throwing in January.
— s - Michael Martinez looks like the fifth outfielder if Howard starts out on the DL. The fifth outfielder also usually plays the infield as well like Martinez does. When Howard is back Martinez goes to AAA and Wiggy becomes the 5th outfielder as Mayberry goes back to left field from first base. But by then one or more position players on the opening day roster will likely be on the DL too if last year was any indication of what to expect this season.
Another story will be what will the AAA outfield look like with young prospects like Domonic Brown in left and Derrick Mitchell in center hopefully playing for the Pigs everyday. Mitch is currently playing well in his brief trip to the Venezuelan Winter League hitting .333 with a couple of homers and three doubles an in his ten games down there so far but that league's regular season comes to an end tomorrow night. They also have minor league veterans that they are so fond of to play for the Pigs in the outfield like Podsednik, Thompson and Montanez. Hopefully they go young at AAA for a change and have Brown and Mitchell out there everyday.
— Dull - Comment removed.
- LOL!!!! Well put! — justacarpenter
- Kinda fun playing around with the possibilities until you get to the last paragraph. It read like "never mind!".— jszulewski
- Lets stop looking for the needle in a hay stack player. Give us a hitting coach that can teach the clowns how to swing the bat.— old SC Frank
- The Phillies have so many different moving parts (is Mayberry playing first to open the season, do they consider Wiggy more than just an infielder these days), and the fact that they do have power in the form of bench personnel (Nix,Wiggy,Thome)...there's one thing they do lack in the outfield depth...speed and defense... While I really like Spilborghs, he won't come bargain basement cheap. I love Rich Thompson, who has no chance, gets no respect, and like Moss,Brown,and Posednik...is lefthanded...But at 32, he still runs like a gazelle,can play CF, and could refocus both J Roll and Shane in the art of stealing a base...now.Just fodder in late December...Last, what is the plan with Dom Brown?...Just play him everyday and hope he puts up numbers to buiild value?...What if he lights it up in Spring?..If the club signs a legit ML outfielder, competition again is erased (just like catcher position when Schneider got resigned)...A fifth outfielder can always be acquired in the Spring if nobody steps up and claims the job.— bearsfriend
- ...regarding Dom Brown...I meant playing everyday in LV...he won't get handed a ML job..he is officially now "under the radar". — bearsfriend
- Conor Jackson was once a hot prospect but has slumped is still available. Plays outfield and 1st base, bats right.— zeke128
- Chicks would be buying that jersey. — bearsfriend
