WOULD RATHER BE IN CLEARWATER
The Phillies' Opening Day roster just came into clearer focus.
The Phillies claimed righthander Tim Lahey off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. They also outrighted righthander J.D. Durbin, infielder Ray Olmedo and outfielder Chris Snelling to triple-A Lehigh Valley.
This means Lahey, 26, takes Durbin's spot as the team's 11th pitcher, and infielder Wes Helms opens the season on the 25-man roster, unless the Phillies make another move(s) before Monday's season opener against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Lahey went 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in 11 appearances this spring for the Cubs, who selected him as a Rule 5 pick from the Minnesota Twins. He also went 8-4 with 14 saves and a 3.65 ERA in 52 appearances last season for double-A New Britain and triple-A Rochester.
The Phillies still think closer Brad Lidge can be activated from the DL on April 5. If that happens, Helms might be released or traded, unless the Phillies want to continue with 11 pitchers.
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The Phillies also signed infielder Chris Woodward to a minor league contract.
Woodward, 31, hit .393 (11 for 28) in 15 games this spring for the New York Yankees. He spent last season with Atlanta and also has played for the New York Mets (2005-06) and Toronto Blue Jays (1999-2004). In 607 career games, Woodward has hit .243 with 33 home runs and 186 RBIs. He has played every position on the diamond except pitcher and catcher.
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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