Bob Loblaw wrote:Espn link

manny will be a phillies

Stark:

HOW THEY'LL SHOP: The Phillies didn't buy their way to a World Series, and they won't try to spend their way to another one. Outgoing general manager Pat Gillick proved to the execs he left behind that it's the little moves that glue good teams together. So they're not in the market for any Mannys or CCs. Their winter is all about adding depth and options, not names for the marquee. You can expect them to focus on names like Brocail and Russ Springer for their bullpen mix, and Rocco Baldelli, Juan Rivera and an assortment of non-tendered free-agents-to-be-named-later for their outfield mix.

Yes, Stark sadly put Doug Brocail as the top free agent we should be chasing this off-season. Tears.

boo

Bob Loblaw wrote:Forget your wet dreams about Swisher. He's a Yankee now.

Jeff Marquez is involved in the deal going to Chitown.

wtf--this guy doesn't look impressive at all. Makes me think we could have gotten Swisher for Happ. Maybe for friggin' Kendrick.

CFP wrote: names like Brocail and Russ Springer for their bullpen mix, and Rocco Baldelli, Juan Rivera and an assortment of non-tendered free-agents-to-be-named-later for their outfield mix.

Just fucking kill me.

And, you can sign big players and still make smaller moves for your cliche winner/grit/pieceofthepuzzle/woodglue scenarios, the two are not mutually exclusive

TO THE VICTOR GO THE BROCAILS, THAT'S WHAT MY PAPPY ALWAYS SAID

We're world series fucking champions, and the best we can do is Russ Springer

On the other hand, this is Jayson Stark so it's all just his opinions, I'm sure, with the occasional "an NL scout told me" mumbo jumbo.

In the completely random department, I wouldn't mind us trying to sign Randy Johnson if we don't resign Moyer. The Dbacks apparently offered him some shit like 2-3M so he's not likely to return.

In other news, the Cubs are not going to resign Kerry Wood

dajafi wrote:

Bob Loblaw wrote:Forget your wet dreams about Swisher. He's a Yankee now.

Jeff Marquez is involved in the deal going to Chitown.

wtf--this guy doesn't look impressive at all. Makes me think we could have gotten Swisher for Happ. Maybe for friggin' Kendrick.

He looks like a Kendrick type that's for sure. He needs to get a lot of grounders and have a good defense to be successful. It's a tough way to make it in the bigs although some guys certainly can. If Marquez is the only guy the Yanks had to give up this looks like a great deal for the evil empire.

philliesphhan wrote:In other news, the Cubs are not going to resign Kerry Wood

I really really hope they go sign K-Rod, THAT'LL fix things up for sure!

Bakestar wrote:

philliesphhan wrote:In other news, the Cubs are not going to resign Kerry Wood

I really really hope they go sign K-Rod, THAT'LL fix things up for sure!

The article I read with the quotes from the GM seemed to imply that Marmol/Gregg would be the closer.

smitty wrote:

dajafi wrote:

Bob Loblaw wrote:Forget your wet dreams about Swisher. He's a Yankee now.

Jeff Marquez is involved in the deal going to Chitown.

wtf--this guy doesn't look impressive at all. Makes me think we could have gotten Swisher for Happ. Maybe for friggin' Kendrick.

He looks like a Kendrick type that's for sure. He needs to get a lot of grounders and have a good defense to be successful. It's a tough way to make it in the bigs although some guys certainly can. If Marquez is the only guy the Yanks had to give up this looks like a great deal for the evil empire.

Yanks also get Class AA right-hander Kanekoa Texeira.

Bakestar wrote:

philliesphhan wrote:In other news, the Cubs are not going to resign Kerry Wood

I really really hope they go sign K-Rod, THAT'LL fix things up for sure!

This actually might be bad news for the Phillies, if it causes the Mets to sign Wood. He's, like, really good.

dajafi wrote:

Bob Loblaw wrote:Forget your wet dreams about Swisher. He's a Yankee now.

Jeff Marquez is involved in the deal going to Chitown.

wtf--this guy doesn't look impressive at all. Makes me think we could have gotten Swisher for Happ. Maybe for friggin' Kendrick.

Fuck. Missed opportunity.

Oh well....World Champs.

philliesphhan wrote:In the completely random department, I wouldn't mind us trying to sign Randy Johnson if we don't resign Moyer. The Dbacks apparently offered him some $#@! like 2-3M so he's not likely to return.

Randy Johnson would be an amazing signing. There was an article on FanGraphs a week or so ago about how his season was just as good as Cole's. I'm not sure he'd be willing to come back east, but Randy Johnson at 10-12M a year for 1-2 seasons makes a ton of sense.

Or, if you prefer, his closest comparable pitcher in the NL this year was Cole Hamels - their walk rates are nearly identical, Johnson’s got a slightly higher K/9, and Hamels has a slightly lower HR/9, but the final product is almost exactly the same. Can you imagine what kind of money Cole Hamels would get if he was a free agent this winter? Now, obviously, there’s a huge age difference, and Johnson’s not going to be pitching for another 10 years like Hamels will be, but their current value is almost identical.

Article

The reason signing extra players and non-marquee names worked is because we already had the big name players on the roster. But we're losing one of those guys this year in Burrell, so they'll need to find a way to replace that production. And you don't do that with the Juan Riveras of the world, as if the guy can even stay healthy.

Stark is usually pretty tuned into the Phillies, so this worries me a bit. As the extra guys get worse and worse (Rowand to Jenkins to Rivera), the offense will get more and more dependent on the big guys, which means the offense will be more and more inconsistent. It may take another year of injury free pitching to get it done, especially if the Mets improve, which they almost certainly will if they can add even a mediocre bullpen to the rest of their team.

Also, I hate to say it, but there's no guarantee that Utley of the 1st half of 2008 will return next season.

Monkeyboy wrote:The reason signing extra players and non-marquee names worked is because we already had the big name players on the roster. But we're losing one of those guys this year in Burrell, so they'll need to find a way to replace that production. And you don't do that with the Juan Riveras of the world, as if the guy can even stay healthy.

Stark is usually pretty tuned into the Phillies, so this worries me a bit. As the extra guys get worse and worse (Rowand to Jenkins to Rivera), the offense will get more and more dependent on the big guys, which means the offense will be more and more inconsistent. It may take another year of injury free pitching to get it done, especially if the Mets improve, which they almost certainly will if they can add even a mediocre bullpen to the rest of their team.

Also, I hate to say it, but there's no guarantee that Utley of the 1st half of 2008 will return next season.

In large part because of this, I fully expect a reversion to 80-85 wins next year. And we'll have to be okay with that, honestly: the team was really lucky in 2008 with injuries and in other respects.

But I do think the first-half Utley will be "back," with the quotes indicating that this was basically who he was in 2006-2007. Pretty sure that Chase hasn't yet had his career-best season.

According to sources a 2-year deal with Moyer is close

CFP wrote:According to sources a 2-year deal with Moyer is close

I like Moyer alot but this is silly. He gets a 1 year deal or an arb offer. I can't imagine there is another team in baseball that would give him 2 years, give up a draft pick and such team be one that he would consider pitching for.

SQUIRE

dajafi wrote:

Monkeyboy wrote:The reason signing extra players and non-marquee names worked is because we already had the big name players on the roster. But we're losing one of those guys this year in Burrell, so they'll need to find a way to replace that production. And you don't do that with the Juan Riveras of the world, as if the guy can even stay healthy.

Stark is usually pretty tuned into the Phillies, so this worries me a bit. As the extra guys get worse and worse (Rowand to Jenkins to Rivera), the offense will get more and more dependent on the big guys, which means the offense will be more and more inconsistent. It may take another year of injury free pitching to get it done, especially if the Mets improve, which they almost certainly will if they can add even a mediocre bullpen to the rest of their team.

Also, I hate to say it, but there's no guarantee that Utley of the 1st half of 2008 will return next season.

In large part because of this, I fully expect a reversion to 80-85 wins next year. And we'll have to be okay with that, honestly: the team was really lucky in 2008 with injuries and in other respects.

But I do think the first-half Utley will be "back," with the quotes indicating that this was basically who he was in 2006-2007. Pretty sure that Chase hasn't yet had his career-best season.

It's certainly possible that the Phils revert to an 80-85 win club next year. But really, they won it all with only Lidge having a great year compared to his expectation. No one really had a career type year for them except for maybe Werth but I think his performance was about what it should have been given his talent level and health.

The Phils got almost no help from their minor leaguers last season. Next year, perhaps Donald, Marson, Carrasco, Happ and maybe even a few others can conmtribute at some point.

I've noted previously (last off season I believe) how the BIG off season moves don't result in championships all that often. It is often more a case of guys already on hand having some big years for you. And lesser pick ups often make a big difference. The Phils 2008 championship is not a big change from what happens often in MLB. Teams making the big off-season moves (like the Yanks every year and the Tigers last season) do not win all the time. And the teams making the less than impact moves come out on top.

I'd like to see the Phils make a Swisher type deal or three. A guy who might very well help the team in a fairly big way for little cost. I think they can repeat their success of 2008 if they do so.