2012-2013 Phillies Offseason Thread

[Ben Grimm]

I thought we could have a thread listing anthing from FA signings, trades or personnel moves to the winter meetings, thoughts about the team next year or anything else.

Here's the 2013 Phillies Schedule:

Opening Day is April 1 in Atlanta with first homestand starting April 5 versus Kansas City.

Potential Free Agents:

Juan Pierre
Brian Schneider

Players With Options:

Placido Polanco - $5.5M mutual option ($1M buyout)
Carlos Ruiz - $5M team option ($0.5M buyout)
Ty Wigginton - $4M team option ($0.5M buyout)
Jose Contreras - $2.5M club option ($0.5M buyout)

Arbitration Eligible Players:

Nate Schierholtz (2nd) - $1.3M in 2012
Kevin Frandsen (2nd) - approximately $600K in 2012
Antonio Bastardo (1st) - $505K in 2012
David Herndon (1st) - $495K in 2012

[Blue387]

Can Philliebot make the rotation?

[Ben Grimm]

Can Philliebot make the rotation?

He looks no worse than the Mets putting Collin McHugh on the rubber.

[Ben Grimm]

Venezuelan League

The Venezuelan League just opened up on Thursday (10/11).

Here are the Phils' players I found...

Freddy Galvis (Aguilas del Zulia)
Cesar Hernandez (Bravos de Margarita)
Edgar Duran (Bravos de Margarita)
Darin Ruf (Tiburones de La Guaira)
Tyson Gillies (Cardenales de Lara)
Justin Friend (Tiburones de La Guaira)

Here's what they've done so far (I'll try to update once or twice a week)...

Galvis: 5-9 (.556), 4 Runs, 4 RBI
Hernandez: 1-6 (.167), 2 Runs
Duran: 1-8 (.125), 1 Run
Ruf: 1-8 (.125), 2B, 1 Run, 1 RBI (DH'd one game - 1B one game)
Gillies: 3-7 (.429), 1 Run, 1 RBI
Friend: 0.1 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 K, Loss

[Ben Grimm]

The link below shows all statistics for Phillies' players in VSL, DSL and AFL.

Phillies Winter Leagues

[Ben Grimm]

Much talk going around about the Yankees moving ARod in which they eat at least 80% of his remaining salary.

I, for one would love to have him here. Other than Ruiz (who'll be an old catcher next year), this team has zippo power from the right side. At about $5M a year, he'll be cheaper than anything on the open market and can let the Phils keep Asche in AAA for a full season. He can hit anywhere from 3-5 in the lineup so he can either split up the LHers of Utley/Howard in games vs LHPs or hit behind Ryan against RHPs.

With Ryan getting older, he should be receiving more days off moving forward. I'd let ARod play 1B on those days (most likely with a LHer on the mound).

Then, IF Asche is ready by '14, you can simply move ARod and even be willing to eat $1M a year if necessary. But if Asche struggles in AAA, you still have Alex.

I'd love to see this done - it doesn't make the team younger, but it makes them better IMO.

[jalbright]

I know ARod's been hurt some in the past few seasons. How bad has it been? If he's been reasonably healthy, I can agree with you, Ben, but if he's going to be another Polanco/Utley/Howard spending large portions of the season on the DL or seriously diminished due to injury, that's something the Phils definitely do not need.

[Ben Grimm]

I know ARod's been hurt some in the past few seasons. How bad has it been? If he's been reasonably healthy, I can agree with you, Ben, but if he's going to be another Polanco/Utley/Howard spending large portions of the season on the DL or seriously diminished due to injury, that's something the Phils definitely do not need.

Trust me. The last thing I really want this team to do is get older. But the alternative options are shakey at best. At $5M or so a season, ARod would be less than half the cost of somebody like Youkilis annually. Get 2 years out of him. After that, if need be, the Phils can eat $1M a year to get it down even more if better options are available.

I simply don't see a cheaper alternative for o a RH power bat. And I don't want Ruiz/Mayberry being the only threat - that simply means more junk balls to Ryan. Now if Ruben made somebody like BJ Upton his priority, I'm fine with that and leaving ARod alone. But too many sites have him targeting Bourn & even maybe Hamilton (both LHers) that it scares me a bit since he likes to make those big splash moves. Back in mid-July, he said he needs to get some RH power balance on this team. I hope he meant it, but I'm not sure since he moved Pence only 2-3 days later.

I still think the Phils have a package they can send to get somebody like Headley, but I've given up on that as his season transpired. This team has the pitching depth in the system, along with somebody like Dom Brown/Franco/Hernandez that may have San Diego thinking.

[Ben Grimm]

Rumor Mill:

Coming out of somewhere in New York (heard this on 97.5 today)

Yankees "should" offer CF Curtis Granderson to the Phillies for 1B Darin Ruf.

- - - - - - - - - -
Clearly a money drop for the Yankees. Granderson has a $13M option for next season. Granderson's turned into a big HR hitter the past two years (42 HR / 112 RBI / .863 OPS). He does strike out a ton, which doesn't help with a flailing Ryan Howard. They could combine for 80 HRs / 200 Ks in a given season. What he does give you is pure power in which he can hit 5th against RHPs and 4th against LHPs - breaking up Utley and Howard in the lineup. He plays solid defensively and has enough speed to cover ground and has averaged 17 SBs his last two seasons. He's also simply a one-year commitment and will turn 32 prior to next year.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. One side of me says yes... Do it for the year and see if somebody like Gillies is really ready by 2014 as a future lead off hitter. The other says no... He strikes out too much and simply doesn't make enough contact to be counted on in critical situations.

I'm not sure (and I doubt) this has teeth, but it would be an interesting decision for Ruben. Ruf's outfield skills (or lack thereof) leave much to be desired, and after seeing all of these past 1B/DH types the Phils have had in their system and unable to move, this could be the right way to go.

[Ben Grimm]

David Herndon was acquired off waivers by the Blue Jays.

Michael Martinez has been finally outrighted and off the 40-man roster. :much rejoicing:

[philliesfiend55]

David Herndon was acquired off waivers by the Blue Jays.

Michael Martinez has been finally outrighted and off the 40-man roster. :much rejoicing:

Some Phillies fans are rejoicing over Herndon's departure also. (His relief pitching was always considered suspect and he was never a Fan Favorite. Still, Herndon's three seasons with the Phillies is usually longer than most players last with a team that acquires a player through the Rule 5 Draft ).

[Ben Grimm]

Some Phillies fans are rejoicing over Herndon's departure also. (His relief pitching was always considered suspect and he was never a Fan Favorite. Still, Herndon's three seasons with the Phillies is usually longer than most players last with a team that acquires a player through the Rule 5 Draft ).

Herndon was a mutt. He got by once the Phillies knew what they had in him - a reliever in mop-up duty or in blowout losses. He's fine in low-leverage/pressure situations, but brutal the other way around. He really won't be missed.

Phils got lucky with Victorino as a R5 guy. Unfortunately, they gave too much time to others (herndon/martinez) in an essence of hoping... both should have been gone last offseason imo, but at least they're gone now. No more acrobat playing CF on a Charlie whim is fine by me.

[Ben Grimm]

Pretty much a no-brainer - the Phils picked up Carlos Ruiz's option for 2013. I prefer this as opposed to offering him a multi-year extension. Nothing against Chooch, but this team doesn't need long-term money invested in an aging catcher when their "better" prospects come from the same position.

Also, some housecleaning. The Phils are not picking up options for Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton or Jose Contreras. Total cost in buyouts for the three is $2M.

[philliesfiend55]

.

Phils got lucky with Victorino as a R5 guy. Unfortunately, they gave too much time to others (herndon/martinez) in an essence of hoping... both should have been gone last offseason imo, but at least they're gone now. No more acrobat playing CF on a Charlie whim is fine by me.

Going back quite a bit, to the 1990 Rule 5 Draft the Phillies got Dave Hollins via that draft. .Hollins was with the team for the next six years, was the regular third baseman for themiddle four of those years and made one National League All-Star team (during the Phillies glory year of 1993). Players acquired like him and Victorino who have a pretty good degree of success as Rule 5ers are rare,however. Rule5 guys have a more typical career trajectory like that of Michael Mazrtinez or Carlos Monasterios. The latter was a Phillie farm hand at AA Reading in 2009. While the Phillies drafted Herndon in Rule 5 from the LA Angels for the 2010 season, in that same draft Monasterios was drafted from the Phils by that other Los Angeles team - the Dodgers. He lasted that full season in the big leagues, but hasn't reached the majors since - One & Done, which is not uncommon with Rule 5 Draft picks.

[Ben Grimm]

I take Hollins' AS appearance with a grain of salt. He likely wouldn't have been chosen had the Phils not been in first place leadinup up to the game. How else does one explain Daulton getting voted in over Piazza? Or Mulholland getting the start over Jose Rijo that year?