Myers Done For Season

Phillies pitcher Brett Myers will have surgery to repair his right hip and will likely miss the remainder of the season. This is a big blow for the Phillies, whose rotation is already in shambles. The Phillies have been linked to some starters on the market, and that will likely increase as we move forward. The Phillies could make a move for Jake Peavy, but could also settle for someone less expensive like Doug Davis or Jarrod Washburn.

The Phillies could also look to add Mark Mulder or Pedro Martinez, whose prices have both reportedly dropped. If the Phillies view this season as a must-win, they could make a move. However, it may be smarter to ride this season out, develop your younger pitchers, and then make a move next offseason where prices are expected to be low again. Rich Harden, Joel Piniero, and Todd Wellemeyer are viable options for the Phillies in 2010.

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Phillies Should Take Chance On Cabrera

helping out as well. However, what could the The Phillies infield is stacked with talent and they are all fairly young. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins already make them one of the best teams in baseball, with other fillers like Aaron Rowand, Pat Burrell, and Rule V Prospect Shane VictorinoPhillies do to get better? If their pitching can stay healthy, I would pick them to win the division again, but we will have to wait till it gets closer to Spring Training. Adding Mike Lowell would be great, but expensive, especially if they want to hold on to Aaron Rowand. The Phillies have some prospects waiting for their chance that could be expendable in certain situations. Adding Miguel Cabrera, who the Marlins are looking to trade, would complete that infield and make that lineup solid up and down. For the Marlins, it would make room in there payroll and ultimately make room for prospect Chris Coghlan at second while moving Uggla to third. They could offer Brett Myers, cash, and several prospects and still be a great team and put pressure on the aging Mets to improve. They have Hamels, Kendrick, Lieber, and hope to hold on to Kyle Lohse, while finding places for Moyer and Durbin. I think the Phillies have room for Rowand if they modify his contract to fit into their payroll, but if he decides to leave, they have Michael Bourn, Jason Werth, and other players around the league that are available. Greg Golson did pretty well for the Phillies in Double-A, and he is playing Fall Ball right now so he is a candidate in the outfield. According to the MLB Rumors East Coast Correspondent Steve Wilson, the Marlins have not ruled out any teams in trade negotiations, which makes this scenario more plausible. Most of these big trades will happen around the Winter Meetings, and I see not only the Phillies, but the Giants, Dodgers, Angels, and maybe the Yankees or Red Sox, depending on Lowell and Rodriguez, to be interested.

Phillies Sign Hamels

The Phillies and Cole Hamels have agreed to a three year deal worth 20.5 million dollars. The Phillies lock up one of the best young pitchers in the game through his arbitration years, after he posted a 4-0 record with a 1.80 ERA in the playoffs. Hamels was 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA and 196 K in 33 games for the Phillies last season, and owns a 38-23 career record. The Phillies could try to do something similar with Ryan Howard, but they could look to move him for prospects instead. 

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Phillies After Baldelli?

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies would be interested in Rocco Baldelli in the event that they lose Pat Burrell. Baldelli is a very risky signing considering he suffers from extreme fatigue, but he would make for a superb reserve outfielder. The Phillies would be smart to go and add a power bat, because the pitching is particularly strong. If they bring back Jamie Moyer and add a pitcher like Braden Looper or Randy Wolf, they will have the depth in the bullpen to make a serious run for the playoffs again, assuming the offense can hold up.

With that said, the Phillies are a logical fit for Manny Ramirez. He would create more opportunities for Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, as well as loosen up the relatively young clubhouse. While bringing in Ramirez for a long term deal is risky, the Phillies have the money to offer him more cash while giving the club more options to buy him out. The Dodgers continue to talk with Ramirez, but it is likely he will head elsewhere. 

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Pavano to Phillies?

With the Phillies pitching rotation still in ruins, the Phillies front office may start asking around for available pitchers. One of those guys could very well be Indians pitcher Carl Pavano. Pavano has won six of his last eight starts, throwing at least seven innings in the past three, including a complete game.

Pavano is 6-4 on the year with a 4.63 ERA in 12 starts with a 1.26 WHIP. If he can stay healthy, he would make for a nice addition to the Phillies rotation. 

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Phillies Likely To Add Lefty

The Phillies will likely add one of the three top remaining lefty relievers: Will Ohman, Joe Beimel, or Dennys Reyes. With J.C. Romero out for the first 50 games of the season, the Phillies would like to have a late inning lefty, along with Scott Eyre, to give the bullpen some rest early on in the season. Ohman pitched for the Braves last season, so he is fairly familiar with the division, but is holding out for 2-3 million dollars. Sources with knowledge of negotiations have informed me that offers for Ohman are around the 1 million dollar range. 

Reyes is drawing interest from the Athletics and Padres, but no serious progress was made over the weekend. As for Beimel, he backed out of negotiations with the Rockies and the Tigers added Brandon Lyon, so he may be out of luck. The Phillies have just 29 pitchers in camp this year, but may want to bring in a few more because Spring Training is longer this year and teams have less players with the WBC going on. 

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Phillies Like Ohman

The Phillies are showing interest in free agent lefty Will Ohman. The Phillies lost J.C. Romero for the first fifty games of the season, so they will have to rely on Scott Eyre as their main lefty out of the pen. Adding Ohman, who went 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 83 games last season, would give the Phillies more options out of the pen.

Ohman was originally seeking a two year deal worth about 4 million dollars annually, but might need to settle for a one year deal plus incentives.

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Phillies Release Eaton

The Phillies have released pitcher Adam Eaton, MLB.com is reporting. Eaton, who signed a three year deal worth 24.5 million dollars prior to the 2007 season, will make 8.5 million dollars this season. The Phillies decided to release Eaton because he was not a serious candidate for the fifth starter spot, not to mention his struggles at the Triple-A level. "Based on where we are with our pitching staff and the fact that we feel comfortable with our depth, we wanted to give Adam every opportunity to pitch with another club, rather than wait until later in the spring when it gets more difficult," Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement.

Eaton is 68-83 with a 4.80 ERA in 197 games. He was 4-8 with a 5.80 ERA in 19 games last season with the Phillies.

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Phillies Still Interested In Garciaparra?

The Delaware News Journal is reporting that the Phillies are still interested in Nomar Garciaparra. Garciaparra, who hit .264 in 55 games for the Dodgers last season, has still not decided on whether to play or not. He has battled injuries for the past several seasons, which has lead him to being relegated to a bench role, despite a .314 career batting average. The Phillies would like to add Garciaparra so they have more depth in the infield, as well as a right handed bat off the bench.

There isn't much interest in Garciaparra around league, so if he decides to play in 2009, it will probably be with the Phillies.

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Utley To Have Surgery On Hip

According to MLB.com, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley will have right hip surgery next week and may be out till June. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. does not plan to pursue a full time second baseman, but it is possible he would go after a platoon player. Losing Utley through June could be a big blow for the Phillies, considering Utley was hitting .321 with 21 HR though June 3rd last season. Utley will need a couple weeks to find his swing and get back in playing shape, so if he is ready to play by June, he probably won't be back with the team till mid or late June. 

The Phillies have two in-house candidates in Eric Bruntlett and Jason McDonald, so they probably won't pursue a guy like Ray Durham or Mark Grudzielanek. 

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Phillies After Holliday

According to Jon Heyman, the Phillies are aggressively pursuing Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday. This would suggest that the Phillies have no interest in bringing Pat Burrell back, and will pursue Holliday as well as other outfielders to find a replacement. The Phillies have the prospects to entice the Rockies, and appear more than willing to deal them. Top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco would have to be included in the deal, as well as Jason Donald. 

The Athletics, Rays, and Mets, among others are pursuing Holliday, so the asking price could go up if the interest continues to increase.

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2009 Top 50 Free Agents Predictions: 1-10

The 2009 Free Agent Projections are back! This is one of my favorite features on the site and I hope all you guy will share your opinions in the comments as well! Here we go:

1. Mark Teixeira, Angels

- After Tex, the first base market falls very fast. Teixeira combines a good work ethic with a powerful swing and great instincts. He is young, but experienced, and would help any team he is on. His price will likely rise because of the demand.

Prediction: Angels

2. CC Sabathia, Brewers

- Sabathia's year in Cleveland couldn't get any worse, and the trade to Milwaukee brought his value back up to Johan Santana money. While teams are hesitant to give him the big bucks because of his weight, the Yankees, among others, have added him to their list of targets.

Prediction: Yankees

3. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers

- Manny Ramirez had an unbelievable season for the Dodgers and carried them to the NLCS. The fans adored him, the team loved him, and the city has become inundated with Manny gear. However, the Dodgers are low on funds, and may look to sign Furcal and Lowe instead.

Prediction: Phillies

4. A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays

- Burnett is expected to opt out of his contract and likely take a mega contract elsewhere. The Red Sox, Orioles, and Cardinals are interested, so Burnett will have several options. 

Prediction: Blue Jays

5. Derek Lowe, Dodgers

- Lowe is also expected to be a hot commodity, and will likely cash in if he waits for some of the better pitchers to sign. He is experienced, has playoff success, and is a great clubhouse guy.

Prediction: Braves

6. Adam Dunn, Diamondbacks

- Dunn is one of the more underrated outfielders on the market. Yes, he does not hit for average. But he hits for tremendous power and draws a lot of walks. He will be a solid signing for any team.

Prediction: Nationals

7. Francisco Rodriguez, Angels

- Rodriguez will likely be let go after a drop in velocity and an increase in speed on the changeup. He is young, and could get better, but giving a long term deal is risky. The Tigers and Mets are both expected to be interested, but they both have big contracts that complicate the situation. It should be interesting.

Prediction: Indians

8. Pat Burrell, Phillies

- Burrell is coming off one of the best years in his career, not to mention winning a World Series. The Phillies are not that enthused about signing Burrell, so will likely make a take it-or leave it offer and let him sign elsewhere. You would think Burrell would try and go up from the Phillies, but he may sign with a team like the Royals and try to do what the Rays did somewhere down the road. 

Prediction: Royals

9. Rafael Furcal, Dodgers

- Furcal has given the Dodgers a couple solid years, but has been injured through a couple and may feel that he owes them. He could take a one year deal to prove to teams he can play healthy.

Prediction: Dodgers

10. Ryan Dempster, Cubs

- Dempster had the best year of his career in a year in the most important year of his career. He was coming off a bad year as a closer and fans were already sick of him. Dempster loves Chicago and said he wants to stay, and Cubs officials feel the same way.

Prediction: Cubs

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Phillies Interested In Garciaparra, Kapler

The Phillies, who are looking for a right handed hitter off the bench, are reportedly eyeing Nomar Garciaparra or Gabe Kapler. Garciaparra hit .264 with 8 HR in 55 games for the Dodgers last season, and would probably have to take a one year deal, loaded with incentives. The Phillies are probably better off going with Gabe Kapler, who hit .301 with 8 HR in 96 games for the Brewers. While he may cost more, Kapler can play all three outfield positions and is very durable. 

The Phillies already have three lefty outfield reserves off the bench, so Garciaparra may make more sense. They signed Marcus Giles to a minor league deal, so they might not need to sign anyone just yet.

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Phillies Sign Bako

A nice story here. The Phillies and Paul Bako have agreed to a minor league deal, the Phillies official website reported. 

"Paul has a tremendous amount of Major League experience and he gives us the opportunity to add greater catching depth to our system," Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said in a statement.

Bako was signed by the Cubs this offseason, but was released on March 30th when Koyie Hill won the backup catching spot. He will report to extended spring training before he joins one of the teams minor league affiliates. 

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Thoughts On The Jake Peavy Trade

The Winter Meetings was buzzing with news that the Jake Peavy trade was very close to happening. Chicago Tribune reporter Phil Rogers said that it would be "a stunner" if the trade didn't happen; however, Cubs GM Jim Hendry questioned who was "telling me these things." When it was all said and done, the 2007 NL Cy Young pitcher is staying in San Diego. The Padres reportedly had a four team offer on the table for the Cubs to accept, which would have sent Mark DeRosa to the Phillies and Felix Pie to the Orioles. The Cubs would have ultimately lost four players, which would have hurt their future and already depleted minor league system.

In the trade, the Cubs would have traded Felix Pie to the Orioles for Garrett Olsen, then turning Olsen to the Padres in the Peavy deal. While Pie has only hit .223 in 260 at-bats in the majors, he is a .299 career hitter in over 2,500 career minor league at-bats. Pie was sent down by the Cubs May, spending the next several months in the minors before being called back up in September. In the final month of the season, Pie, with a shorter swing and patient approach, hit .300 with a .391 OBP. He then went to his native D.R. to play with the Licey Tigers, where he hit .320 with 1 HR and 4 SB in 50 at-bats. While it is nearly impossible to say when a player is on the verge for breaking out, you could make a strong case that Pie is coming close to living up to his potential as a top prospect.

The fourth team in the deal was the Phillies, who were looking to bring in a utility man to help play second, third, and outfield next season. It turns out that Mark DeRosa was available, and the Phillies were willing to trade prospect J.A. Happ, who went 8-7 with a 3.60 ERA in 24 appearances with their Triple-A affiliate Iron Pigs for DeRosa. Happ also has major league experience, posting a 3.69 ERA in eight games, four starts, for the Phillies this past season. While Happ was the deal breaker, trading a utility man like DeRosa, coming off a career year and heading into a contract year, just didn't make sense. 

Pro-Peavy trade fans argue that the Cubs have made DeRosa expendable the past two seasons and he will likely leave next offseason out of a lack of respect. Not only has DeRosa hit .289 with 31 homeruns in 298 games over the past two seasons, but he has emerged as the face of the team, becoming a fan and player favorite. Furthermore, DeRosa questioned the Cubs in Spring Training about why they felt they needed to replace him with Brian Roberts. The impending sale process could short the Cubs on money, so getting an extension done before Spring Training might be tough, especially with the possibility of offering Carlos Marmol and Geovanny Soto extensions as well. They could ultimately lose DeRosa because they brought his name into the trade. 

Along with the Garrett Olsen and J.A. Happ, the Cubs would have to trade top prospect Josh Vitters, Sean Marshall, and Angel Guzman for Peavy. Those three players are a key part to the Cubs' future, and sacrificing them does not make sense. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein's plan directly relates the Cubs: "It is a project. You can build 100-win teams, but you would sacrifice elements of your future. If you put all your assets on 2009," Epstein said, "you will have no infrastructure for the future, no foundation. "

Marshall has reportedly put on some weight and is already preparing for the 2009 season in Arizona. Marshall is showing flashes of a great pitcher, he just needs to be more consistent with his secondary pitches. As for Guzman, he worked his way back this season and pitched in thirteen games between Single-A and the majors. He is 31-17 with a 2.92 ERA in 98 games in the minors, and has the makings of a solid spot starter in the majors. Finally, Josh Vitters, the number three overall pick in the 2007 draft. In 68 games for the Low-A Boise Hawks, Vitters hit .328 with 5 HR and 37 RBI. He is just 19 and is the heir apparent at third base with the Cubs. 

When building a team, it makes sense to prepare in five year chunks. That way, you know if your prospects are developing well, or if they won't benefit your team in the years to come. The Red Sox operate under that idea, according to Theo Epstein, and it makes sense for a team with similar financial boundaries to operate under than idea as well. For the Cubs, who already have four fifteen game winners in their rotation, it just doesn't make sense, and they will find that it was the right move. 

 

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Phillies After Ibanez?

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Phillies plan to take a look at free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez. Ibanez is a solid lefty who has been very consistent at the plate for the past several seasons. While he has declined in the field, moving to the NL and a hitter friendly stadium could outweigh the poor fielding. Ibanez is reportedly looking for a three year deal worth 11-12 million dollars annually, and will probably get it despite being thirty-six years old.

The Mets, Cubs, and Nationals are reportedly interested in Ibanez, who isn't expected to sign until some of the bigger names find new homes.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Baldelli to Phillies?

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies have had interest in outfielder Rocco Baldelli for a long time and may look to sign him for a three way platoon with Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins. Baldelli suffers from a disease that causes serious muscle fatigue, so he may be only to play in 60-70 games over the course of a season. Baldelli, 27, is a free agent and hit .263 with 4 HR in 28 games, but is a career .281 hitter in 447 career games. While it is unlikely that Baldelli will leave the Rays, it is even more unlikely that he will leave for the Phillies, who recently beat the Rays in the World Series.

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Baldelli Wants To Play Closer To New England

Free agent outfielder Rocco Baldelli, coming off a positive rediognosis, is drawing interest from the Phillies, Reds, Mets, Red Sox, and Rays, among others. However, sources close to Baldelli have informed the Boston Globe that Baldelli prefers to play "closer to New England." The Red Sox, Phillies, and Mets are probably the best options, with the Rays as a dark horse. Baldelli hit .263 with 4 HR in 28 games for the Rays last season, but is a .281 career hitter. 

Baldelli's best fit would be with a team that would use him as a fourth outfielder, but would get him a couple hundred at-bats. The Mets and Phillies are solid picks if that is the case.

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Phillies Broadcaster Kalas Dies

Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas has died today, he was 73. Kalas was found passed out in the broadcast booth around 12:30 p.m.today. We lost our voice today," team president David Montgomery said, his voice cracking. "He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization." He trademarked the "Outta Here" homerun call, and has been the voice of the Phillies for over 35 years.

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Phillies To Name Amaro Jr. GM

The Phillies are set to announce that Ruben Amaro Jr. will be their next GM. Amaro, who went to Stanford, had two stints with the Phillies before joining the Front Office. Amaro is very experienced when it comes to Front Office operations, not to mention being mentored by Pat Gillick for the past three seasons. He is very familiar with contract negotiation, the draft, and arbitration, so the transition should be very smooth. The other executive competing for the job was Mike Arbuckle, who has decided to leave the organization after news of Amaro "winning" the job. 

Arbuckle has been with the team since 1993, and has a GM position waiting for him in his future. The Brewers and Mariners are expected to talk with him about openings in their Front Office, among several other teams.

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