Phils exploring alternatives to Feliz; Lidge's elbow examined
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Phils exploring alternatives to Feliz; Lidge's elbow examined
Andy Martino
The Phillies are actively exploring options at third base other than Pedro Feliz, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said today.
The team has until Monday to exercise a $5.5 million dollar contract option on Feliz for the 2010 season.
“More than anything else, we want to see what options may be out there for us and decide whether picking his option up is best suited for this club to try to move forward,” Amaro said. “He had a solid year for us. I like the man personally. He’s a great person and a great teammate, but I also believe in trying to improve and sometimes change can be for the better. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to, but it’s just something that we’re thinking about.”
Feliz, 34, is a top defensive player, but subpar offensively. In 2009, he batted .266, with a.308 on-base percentage and .386 slugging percentage.
Amaro could pursue a trade to upgrade the position. The general manager meetings begin on Monday in Chicago, so Amaro will gather with executives from other team’s before he needs to make a decision on Feliz’s option.
The GM could also replace Feliz with a free agent—though teams have a 15-day window to negotiate exclusively with free agents. Of the potential third basemen on the market, three stick out as potential fits for the Phils: Seattle’s Adrian Beltre, Anaheim’s Chone Figgins, St. Louis’ Mark DeRosa.
Because the Angels figure to aggressively pursue Figgins, and DeRosa is also 34 years old, Beltre, 30, stands out. A strong defender with a power bat, Beltre is coming off a five-year, $64 million contract. Injuries limited Beltre in 2009 to 111 games and eight home runs—but that performance might have made him affordable to the Phils. Amaro was vague yesterday when discussing payroll flexibility, but the team is unlikely to add significant money to a payroll that exceeded $130 million last season.
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Closer Brad Lidge is scheduled to have his right elbow examined today, said Amaro. Lidge might have “loose bodies” in the elbow, the same issue that sidelined lefthander Scott Eyre in September.
Comments (87)
Keep Pedro!The only player that COULD replace him is Figgins, and he will wind up staying where he is at....they LUV him there.As much as I like the idea of getting a legit lead-off hitter, I love P's glove even more. That means you don't have to upgrade the pitching AS MUCH.— TBear- Ruben Amaro shouldn't get trigger happy and hold on to this guy. I've been to and watched many a game where Pedro came through, effectively with the bat and at a key moment of the game. This is the kind of guy that you may not hear much from, but he quietly gets the job done. You may find this this strange, but I'd go as far as calling him clutch. Additionally, his defense needs no comments. Keep'em Ruben.— phillies_eagles
Comment removed.- Let me see... The guy has a 7+ era, 11 blown saves and NOW you look at his elbow. Nice timing.— misterpet
- I don't want to see Feliz go whatsoever— karbase8
- Garrett Atkins for 3B...make it happen Ruben! Forget about the free agent crop which is sooo weak! Atkins is no Mike Schmidt but he will be better offensively than Pedro and he will come cheap after he lost the starting job in Colorado since he had an off year...DO IT! DO IT!— tralala
tralala - my thought exactly!!! They should at least explore that option to see what the price is. Atkins has dropped off the last few years but a change of scenery might be all he needs - will start the '10 season as a 30 y.o so he is in his prime.— bird11- i vomit in my mouth every time someone tells me that Feliz is a top defensive 3b. he is NOT. sure, he makes the throws, but thast all I'll give him. most major league 3b can make a throw accurately to first. Feliz is old and has become a statue at 3rd. he makes plays on the balls he can get to, and thats about it. he has lost so much range yet locally, he is considered the best 3b in baseball. Beltre is a much better glove and hitter, thats who i would prefer— TR
- Adios Pedro. I will take Beltre every day of the week over Feliz. Sorry, but the guy can't hit his way out of a paper bag.— TheJoker
- Garrett Atkins? The same Garrett Atkins who hit .226 and hasn't had a _ defensive season at 3B since 2005?— bsizzle
- bird11...I think it can happen and don't forget Atkins was Utley's roommate at UCLA so Chase knows what kind a guy he is and can get in Ruben's ear...hopefully Atkins can regain his form here at the bank! Defensively not as good as Pedro but its not by much.— tralala
- Probably in the minority - but I still am a Rolen fan - and would love to see a trade that would bring him here - back where it all started. Bowa is long gone - and to have a home-grown all-star infield would be perfect. And he wouldn't have the weight of the organization to carry. But of course, that would be a long shot, as I think he'd rather stay near Indiana than play for a World Series.— AllDawk_AllTheTime
- Keep Pedro and move him down to the 8-hole. Move Ruiz up to 7th. His defense is excellent. He does get some clutch hits. Remember the homer that tied it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th last week before the Lidge debacle. He has been healthy as well. Focus more on pitching!— TedR
- bsizzle...who would you rather have Figgins? Dude choked in the postseason and is 32 and do you really think Charlie would move J-Roll from the leadoff spot...hell no!!! Atkins numbers have declined but giving him a one year contract couldn't hurt. a change of scenery could do him good.— tralala
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- Feliz, at this point in his career, is not an everyday player. Which i think why he struggled with his bat. I love Feliz and his glove saved many runs and games for us. If he can split time with someone else like DeRosa than that is fine by me. Also Beltre is not that good and overrated by many people. The guy had one great year with LA and that was it. Plus his average is nearly the same as Feliz's. He has a little more pop in his bat and thats about it.— Prego614
- It's obvious Feliz is out, non clutch players in big games need to go. The Phillies can do much better. DeRosa is a perfect fit and allows flexibility around the horn. But, a 3rd basemen needs to be groomed ASAP. This is a serious position. The other option is to trade. Zimmerman????? It may cost too much though.— itpSD
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- But according to the great Tim McCarver, Pedro is a future gold glover...How is it possible that Joe Buck isn't the biggest moron in the booth???— Phillies1120
- Sign Figgins, then we finally have a true leadoff hitter and replacement at 3B that can play every position on the field. Then drop Jimmy down to 7th....296 OBP ain't gonna fly at the top of the order.— Phillies1120
- It would be great to get Figgins in here. Put him in the leadoff spot and drop Rollins down to seven. Rollins is not a leadoff hitter (evidenced by him swinging at every first strike pitch and his refusal to take a pitch after someone walks. Plus Figgins is good defensively. They need consistency at the beginning of that lineup and Rollins is not that guy.— oharabri
- I think its pretty clear they are already planning to go a different direction for 3B if they havent picked Feliz up yet by now. Hey he was a great defensive player and we'll always thank him for driving in the winning run last world series..but a steady bat at third (Beltre) or another speed guy to get on base (Figgins) would make us better overall. Remember, Beltre has won gold gloves before if im not mistaken..— MTust24
- Keep Feliz, but drop him down to the 7 or 8 hole in the batting order...His defense potentially saves a run or two per game.— TheFirstStateVinman
- BELTRE? This team needs another power bat? This team needs more strikeouts in the lineup? This team needs more table-setters (high on-base %) guys! Beltre would be a disaster!— NickEeee
- Please,please do not resign Feliz. He is a very good fielder but stinks offensively. He is not a good clutch hitter & only hits if the pitcher makes a mistake. He is a strikeout waiting to happen— delennis
- I've seen so many pop-ups and weak grounders to third from feliz that it's surprising to see that he has 82 RBI. That could be tough to improve on; but 266/.306/.386 is pretty embarrassing. With the exception of slugging, Beltre's numbers aren't much better.— philly_in_DC
- Though its mentioned nowhere in this article, I salivate the idea of keeping affordable Pedro and moving focus to adding another stellar righty to the rotation... namely, Doc Halladay. It's a similar situation as during the mid-season: pursue Halladay and sacrifice other needs, or ignore the need for another righty and get stellar utility/bench players and decent relief pitchers. Montgomery should allow another 10-20m for the payroll. 3 trips to WS in a row will sell tickets for many, many years to come.— Lando_M
- Vinman, Feliz is already 7th in the lineup....— Phillies1120
- Interesting... Couple this 'indecision' news about Feliz with what we just heard about Myers (at only 29; and 12 Mil/yr) NOT being picked up... Is there a team out there with a younger/better hitting 3rd baseman AND a strong starting pitcher Ruben might be talking with?....
- id rather have ruiz in the leadoff spot than j-roll at this point...figgins leadoff and jimmy 7th would be awesome....garrett atkins couldnt hit in colorado- how would he hit here? (lifetime .75 points lower and .157 ops lower on the road) the guy is done...beltre is a bit of a case, but could put up numbers in this ballpark to get him another contract..1 year deal?— jim715
- Pretty good fielder! I appreciate his winning hit in last years WS, but he was an automatic out in the 09 WS. Upgrade!— Air Force One
- Why wouldn't the Phillies move Rollins from leadoff? He's probably the worst leadoff hitter in baseball. He doesn't work the pitcher, draw walks, and has no concept of the strikezone. He had a horrific .300 OBP. The Phillies need someone in the leadoff slot to get on base, not swing for the fences every time up. The past World Series would have been more competitive if Rollins and Victorino were getting on base - most of the Phillies HRs were solo shots. Figgins had an OBP of .400. I love Rollins, but he should be batting seventh.— Jeff Dowder
- Just a reminder for those who are saying he isn't clutch: it was Feliz who drove in Bruntlett with the World Series winning RBI in the three inning game in 2008. People seem to forget that.— Tom Magee
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- Get DeRosa and pick up Feliz's option. You can platoon them 3B while getting DeRosa more playing time as a sub for Rollins, Utley, Ibanez. Most importantly, DeRosa replaces Bruntlett.— UncleEddie
- So a guy who has 12 hr's and 82 rbi's is suddenly expendable? He increased his rbi totals from 58 to 82 in one year-Sign him to a one year deal, because he has the least amount of question marks from the only other viable option on that list, Beltre.— camtheman
- bird11 is a fraud -— box of frozen dried out cheese
- Pedro is a dud offensively. Provides no spark & rarely comes thru - look at his numbers. Next year he'll be David Bell revisited. Phils need to upgrade the position.Third base is a power hitter position - it is time for the Phils/Feliz to move on.— Temple Fan
Did I honestly hear someone suggest Scott Rolen? I'd rather have anybody besides him. He is a cancer, morose, and seems to me to be a spoiled brat. Add to that ongoing back problems that are only going to get worse, and also when was the last time he actually had a year without being on the disabled list at one time or another. He is a good fielder with diminishing skills and not a good hitter. His numbers at the end of the year are always misleading because he seems to get most of his rbi's and homeruns in September off some double A pitcher. I would not mind keeping Pedro. I think he is a great third baseman.- there's this dude over in detroit named - see if i get it straight - placido domingo? no, that's not it. um, polly polanco? er, no, no. anyway, he's really a second baseman, so we wouldn't be interested anyhow, right?— kiwi
- So who exactly on the FA third base list is an upgrade over 12 hr's and 82 rbi's, temple...hmmm? And spark? What about Pedro's game tying homer in game 4?— camtheman
- 82 RBI from your seventh-place hitter is nothing to sneeze at offensively.— andrewfrombrooklyn
- Atkins isn't a starter anymore. Beltre is the guy to get. RH Flyball hitters get eaten up by Safeco, his offensive numbers will spike in CBP and hes arguably the best defensive 3b in baseball. This team needs to add wins wherever it can. Pedro Feliz 4.5mill option is good value in an of itself, but you can do better.— Either/Or
- A name to watch is Alex Gordon from KC. A once highly touted prospect who has been roughed up in the majors a little bit. The Phillies have the pieces to go get him if they have some belief in his ability. And if you are willing to take one of KC's bad contracts(Juan Cruz or Kyle Farnsworth) you could probably give them less than the value of just Gordon.— Either/Or
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- No to Atkins. I don't care if he went to UCLA with Utley. He is no good defensively and questionable offensively. I think Beltre at a 3-4 year deal is the correct route, but not at his current price tag. He is great defensively. Offensively, he doesn't walk enough, but he has decent speed, good in the clubhouse. The other thing to think about is when he was in Seattle, Safeco Field is a pitchers park and he was being relied on to be run producer. In Philly, he would just have to be a compliment to the other guys. The only way Figgins makes sense is if we sign Werth for a couple years and move him to CF and let Victorino walk. Then hope that Taylor, Mayberry, Francisco can play RF.— luterow
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- They need to keep feliz and focus on pitching and the bench. They can move Ruiz up to the 7th spot in the batting order and put Feliz in the 8th. .266 BA, 12HR's, 82RBI's is not bad for the 8th hitter. I would much rather bring in a strong pitcher or 2 than bring in a 3rd basemen. We have enough offense we can win the world series with Feliz. We cant win the world series without a better bullpen and bench. Be samrt Amaro we need pitching way more than we need a high priced 3B. Although i would love to have DeRosa as a bench player who can also spell Rollins and Utley. We cant go through another year with nobody to spell Rollins and Utley but i dont know if he would be a backup.— Joey0210
- This is a tough one. Feliz drives me nuts at the plate sometimes. He swings at balls in the dirt too much but who in this lineup doesn't. If the Phils had some more righthanded bats maybe this would be an easier decision. His defense is second to none (however he did have some key errors- thinking of the Dodger game out in Cali). I think his offense is what it is and isn't going to get better with age and his defense will probably only suffer. They might as well do some window shopping and see whats out there. Should be interesting to see what Amaro and company do in the offseason. The core of this team needs a good rest this offseason and a few new pieces could really make a difference.— BadgerVMD
- Dont think any certain upgrades to Pedro. Atkins has hit in the past but not sure what home park played into that. Defense wins games and Atkins not the fielder Pedro is. If pPhills sign Pedro Cubs Ramairez may be available in 2011 with top minor league prospect Vitters ready. Same with Pirates LaRoche with prospect Alvarez both too speculative moves.— Don w
- I said it earlier, Ruben Amaro should at least offer a prospect or 2 for Kevin Kouzmanoff, he would be the ideal fit for this team both offensively and defensively.— jaredphillyfan
- Pedro is a great defensive 3rd baseman... I have no problem with that... but why was he always batting ahead of Carlos Ruiz in the lineup? Pedro should have batted behind Carlos. Also, does anyone else think Mariano Rivera's Panamian flag was odd during the parade? I think he did the same thing earlier this decade... I don't get that... the WS parade is just not the right venue.— LinnieFeb17
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- The Phillies need Figgins. Believe me if they get him you'll see what a good team can do with a lead off hitter with a high OBP rather than one with the third lowest in the league among all hitters.— jtj06
- The Angels needed Figgins too... how well did that work?— LinnieFeb17
- Garrett Atkins? Change of scenery? Yes, Colorado Rockies hitters always benefit from a change of scenery. (sarcasm).— booman55
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- Atkins not answer.Dont want Figgins or Beltre Rolen of a few yeare ago would be great but dont know where he is physicaly since shoulder injury. Polanco interests me. He has played 3rd is a285-310 hitter. Perfect nos. 2 hitter you could bat V ictorino lead off and move Jimmy to 7th hole. Actualy fell Rollinw will be closer to 350 on base in 2010.— Don w
- "I like the man personally. He’s a great person and a great teammate, but I also believe in trying to improve and sometimes change can be for the better". Wow, talk about the kiss of death...— Bob1
- Watch Pedro closely in the late innings. He has made some key mental mistakes late in games that have been costly. Simply, you have to get more offensive production from this position. Ruben is right to see if you can upgrade here. Nothing against Happy Peter, but the guy has flaws and they are glaring in this infield, he is the weak link.— Nigel#1
- They should have tried to get Teahen before he was traded to the White Sox. Beltre would be a NIGHTMARE talk about a guy who looks completely indifferent during the game. Go get Miguel Tejada to play third the guy is a hitting machine. Sign Miggy and renegotiate Feliz' option into a two year deal for the bench. Then your options are to spell Rollins, you play Tejada at short. To spell Tejada you play Feliz at third. If any of the three of them get hurt. You're covered.— T-Money
- Beltre stinks. I'd rather deal an outfielder for a real 3B. Need room for Taylor and the team is too left handed. If you can find a taker for Ibanez you move him after a career year.— Falstaff
- Keep Pedro! Great fit to this team. Doesn't get hurt, provides a great glove, and leadership along with a solid bat. Bring him back for at least one more season in 2010 and see where things go from there.— caseyl_5
- Rolen? lol— lukebonbon
- Keep Feliz. There are no legitimate free agent options and trading with a short window puts us in a position of weakness. Sign DeRosa as super utility player...he will get enough ABs if he accepts the job and wants to be on this team.— philvill
- Third base change isn't necessity right now. Shopping around and seeing what is available is the course to take. But we all need to separate fantasy & reality - Feliz for 5 million is a stable defensive 3rd baseman with some pop. Pitching additions necessity if we want to continue to win in the playoffs.— BurtonT
- Pedro has definitely lived up to expectations at bat. He had 20+ power in SF, so naturally we expected about 30 in Citizens Park. But he may get his HR stroke back, and he is great in the field, so unless the Phils can get an almost certain improvement by trade or free agency, I'd stick with him.— awnakashima
- Sorry, I meant to say Feliz has NOT lived up to expectations. The NOT got left out by my fast fingers.— awnakashima
- I would explore any and all options at third base, I believe there is someone out there that could be had, before we resign Pedro.— Tony2
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- You people act like Beltre just let's every ball go through his legs. Check out his fielding percentage next to Pedro's, pretty indentical. He will hit .275 with 25 to 30 home runs in red and white. Feliz has been a good player, but it's time to move on. I would like to focus on pitching, but who's available? Lackey would be nice, but he will get big money— Philadel12
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- The guy can't hit and he can't get on base. He's above average defensively, but it doesn't make up for his stick. Just look at his terrible OPS? Numbers don't lie. Some will say, "...but he is so clutch." Do you have any statistical proof to back that up? I haven't seen any here. The fact is, the Phills could bring up any old 3B from the minors and he will be just as effective offensively without the blotted paycheck.— hardp
- Pedro has been fine but nothing special. Why not look around?— eman
- He killed us offensively in the playoffs other than the great "what if" homer of game 4. 3B has become a cornerstone power position or rather a position of high production in MLB, look at the big 3 baggers out there and we need to have someone there too and besides since when are we a defense first club anyway id rather hang 8 on our opponents every night.— mattt
- We will definitely miss Pedro's glove at 3B. He made some great plays during his time here. I'd like to see Beltre or Atkins replace him. Beltre's right handed power would have been very helpful during the Series.— Mike Kotyk
- Pedro is a great fielder, but I've grown tired of his rally killing 1st pitch pop-ups to the infield.— tiger4366
Is 3rd base any kind of priority when what the Phils really need is more pitching and a good middle infielder? Surely Feliz is adequate for another year.- Feliz is a hitting coach's worst nightmare. NO plate discipline whatsoever. Swing at more first pitches than the Great Dickie Thon. Time to move Happy Pete. Figgins is the best on the market and the Phils have plenty of $$$.— mick314
- @tralala - Just listen to yourself: "hopefully Atkins can regain his form here at the bank", "Atkins numbers have declined but giving him a one year contract couldn't hurt, a change of scenery could do him good" DUDE - we are a CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBRE team, playing for all the marbles, not some third tier team hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. "hopefully" is no longer part of our vocabulary. Let the needy organizations with few resources provide "change of scenery"— HokieMon
- Inquirer exploring alternatives to Andy Martino.— FDRomanowski
- Man, has this blog gone downhill since Zo left.— jimmymack
- How are any of these guys better then Pedro?
- Pedro was a likable guy. I wish he could have doubled his power numbers and stayed. Let's not forget he was a clutch hitter last year on a team that needs more of that.— sportsdead
- I like Feliz, and I've always thought his defense helped to make up for his undisciplined hitting. 80 RBIs is not bad either. But he should have hit 20 home runs a year at the Bank, and he drove me nuts at the plate - does this sound familiar? Werth and Ibanez work walks, Pedro up with a pitcher who was getting wild and rattled, and he would swing at the first pitch and hit into a DP. Against the Yankees, the comparison was stark. You need gloves up the middle and power on the corners, and while he has been good (and still could be the best available option), the Phillies need to try to improve. BTW - I don't see either Atkins or Lowell as the answer.— Steve2181
- I think they're stupid getting rid of Feliz. He's an excellent fielder and he produced 82 RBI'S IN THE 8 HOLE! That's really amazing! So they're gonna replace him with a less better fielder who hits 10 more home guns and drives in 20 less runs. Go Figure!— Grapost
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