The Philadelphia Phillies’
chance of a repeat has come and
gone, and now the team looks forward
to next season.
The Phillies’ major move so far
this off-season was declining the
team-option on third baseman
Pedro Feliz, a strong defensive
player. However, he failed to be as
strong offensively as he was with
the San Francisco Giants when he
had four consecutive seasons of
20 or more homeruns.
Opting out of Feliz’s contract
now makes third base the Phillies’
No. 1 priority this off season. The
success of next year’s offense will
likely hinge on whom the Phillies
sign at third base, much like the
signing of Raul Ibanez last year.
Although the team declined the
$5.5 million option on Feliz, there
is a chance he could still be with
the team in 2010. The Phillies
could offer him a contract in free
agency, probably at a lower price
than $5.5 million.
Phillies General Manager
Ruben Amaro Jr. has stated that
teams have come to him with potential
third baseman trades. However,
there will also be plenty of
potential free agents on the market.
The more free agents on the
market, the lower the cost is for
talented players. In 2008, there
was plenty of talent in free agent
outfielders.
The Rays signed former Phillie
Pat Burrell to a $16 million, twoyear
deal. Burrell
proved to be a non-factor in 2009,
while the still-talented outfielder
Bobby Abreu was signed by the
Angels to a one-year, $5 million
deal and had a better season.
This year, potential third base
options include the following:
Adrian Beltre, Chone Figgins,
Mark DeRosa,Miguel Tejada, and
Placido Polanco.
Seattle Mariner Adrian Beltre is
a right-handed batter who hit .265
in 2009 with eight homeruns and
44 RBIs. He hit .298 against lefthanded
pitchers; something the
Phils struggled with in 2009, especially
in the playoffs. Beltre
also won two gold-glove awards
in 2007 and 2008.
Los Angeles Angel Chone Figgins
is a switch-hitting leadoff
batter who is a valuable free
agent. He hit .298 in 2009 with
five homeruns and 54 RBIs. However,
he hit just .246 against lefthanded
pitching. Figgins ranked
in the top 10 among American
League hitters in runs, stolen
bases, walks, and on-base percentage.
St. Louis Cardinals infielder
Mark DeRosa is a right-handed
batter who has had success on numerous
teams. In 2009, DeRosa
hit a combined .250 (with both
Cleveland and St. Louis) and had
78 RBIs.
Houston Astro Miguel Tejada is
a right-handed batter who played
shortstop in 2009, but is willing to
moving to third base. In 2009, Tejada
hit .313 with 14 homeruns
and 86 RBIs. He hit .326 against
left-handed pitchers. However, he
also brings a big contract: He has
earned at least $10 million a year
for the last five seasons.
Detroit Tiger Placido Polanco is
a right-handed batter who has not
played third base since Chase
Utley replaced him at second base
in 2005. In 2009, Polanco hit .285
with 10 homeruns and 72 RBIs,
and defensively he won the goldglove.
He hit .262 against lefthanded
pitching. Polanco has not
earned more than $4.6 million in
a given season, yet he has a .311
batting average the last five seasons.
The Phillies also have some
questions regarding their bullpen,
bench, and starting pitching.
Some of these issues may be handled
in free agency, or the team
may look within their own organization.
The bullpen also struggled in
2009; J.C. Romero’s injury and a
poor season by closer Brad Lidge
set the Bullpen back. There’s a
strong possibility the team will
make a move for bullpen help, but
don’t count out minor league help.
The bench struggled in 2009;
midseason acquisition Ben Francisco
was the only major impact
on the team. The Phillies will
likely sign a free agent as a new
utility player to replace Eric
Bruntlett.
With the pending free-agencies
of Brett Myers and Pedro Martinez,
the 2010 Phillies’ five-man
rotation currently pans out like
this: Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, J.A.
Happ, Joe Blanton, and Jamie
Moyer. Despite the recent trade
talks for Roy Halladay, help will
most likely come from within the
franchise.
As we move further away from
2008, it is inevitable that the
Phillies will look less and less like
the team that in 2008 took the
World Series title. However, 2010
will hold new, different and harder
challenges than 2008 did. To find
success in 2010, the Phillies will
have to adjust accordingly.