Philadelphia Phillies

What Do They Have?
Their top-shelf talent rivals that of any team in the game, with a championship infield core comprised of two former MVPs -- shortstop Jimmy Rollins and first baseman Ryan Howard -- and second baseman Chase Utley, the best of the bunch despite a lack of hardware. At just 24 years old Cole Hamels is a true ace who has vaulted himself into the elite with a Cy Young-caliber season and one of the best recent playoff performances. Brad Lidge is a dominant closer who has converted 51 straight saves since September of 2007, the third-longest streak of all time, and he is backed up by the solid righty-lefty set-up crew of Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero. Right-handers Brett Myers and Joe Blanton provide a decent supporting cast for Hamels, and they have a pair of cheap, productive outfielders in Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth.
What Do They Need?
Two starting pitchers would help to round out the back of the rotation. If Pat Burrell leaves via free agency they'll have to find a left fielder, because no internal option is feasible. Philly's top outfield prospects, Greg Golson and Michael Taylor, are both at least a year away, free-agent add-on Geoff Jenkins showed last season that he's stretched even in a platoon role and Matt Stairs will be 41 in 2009 and is probably unable to play the outfield more than sporadically.
What Are They Likely To Do?
They'll let Burrell walk. The club chose "trick" over "treat" on Halloween, proposing two years and $22 million, and since that non-starter deal Philly has shown little interest in retaining its left fielder. Re-uniting Manny Ramirez with his former hitting coach Charlie Manuel is an intriguing possibility, but the price will end up being too high. Look for the Phils to go the low-cost route, letting Jenkins be the primary placeholder in left and perhaps adding a cheap right-handed bat such as Emil Brown to back him up. It would be a shock if ancient marvel Jamie Moyer wasn't re-signed for the fourth spot in the rotation following his 16-7 season in 2008, and they will likely pick up a stop-gap veteran to fill their need for a fifth starter (Carl Pavano, Odalis Perez, Mike Hampton, Freddy Garcia and Paul Byrd are all options).
What Should They Do?
Not inking Burrell to a long-term deal is a shrewd move from an economic perspective, given that his age (32) and immobility (those dreaded "old-player skills") portend a potentially rapid decline. But Burrell has been remarkably consistent over the last four years -- hitting between 29 and 33 homers and slugging .502-.507 each year -- and the lack of a viable alternative makes taking on the risk of a multi-year offer the right move. Jenkins is two years older than Burrell, was a disappointment last season and struggles against lefties. New GM Ruben Amaro Jr. should see if he can get Burrell for only a three-year commitment by beefing up the contract's average annual value. Regarding the rotation, re-signing Moyer is a no-brainer. For the fifth spot the Phillies can probably get by letting J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton battle it out during spring training. While Kendrick and Eaton pitched their way out of the rotation last year, the 25-year-old lefty Happ combined for a 3.62 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 in 166 2/3 innings between Triple-A and the majors, and he did not allow more than two runs in any of his four big-league starts. A solid performance from Happ would allow Philly the luxury of giving top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco at least the first half to gain seasoning at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

ek wrote:

Finally, the Phillies seem as if they're in no hurry either to A) bring back Pat Burrell, or B) pursue an outfield bat to replace him. Indications are they turned down a chance to deal for Josh Willingham before Florida traded him to Washington.

New York Mets

What Do They Have?
Like the Phillies, they have a phenomenal core, consisting of the best left side of the infield in baseball (third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes), as well as the best center fielder in the NL (Carlos Beltran), all of whom are signed through at least 2011. At first base, Carlos Delgado showed he can still be a powerful force with a .308/.392/.626 line in 372 plate appearances from June 27 onward, making the decision to pick up his $12 million option an easy one for GM Omar Minaya. In the rotation Johan Santana retains the title of best pitcher in baseball, coming off of career highs in both innings and ERA, and Mike Pelfrey has emerged as a young workhorse to complement the ace after harnessing his nasty sinker.
What Do They Need?
New York lost a major league-high seven games when leading at the start of the ninth in 2008, and the bullpen was a major contributor to the team's second straight September collapse, going 3-5 with a 6.65 ERA in the final 16 games. The Mets made more pitching changes than any other team in the majors (719) because almost all of their relievers were helpless against one side of the plate or the other (or just plain helpless). They need a couple of arms who can retire both lefties and righties, especially with closer Billy Wagner out for 2009 after Tommy John surgery. Beyond the bullpen New York could go several different ways in left field. The Mets would also love to unload Luis Castillo's albatross contract, but that's a pipe dream unless Minaya can swap it for some other bad deal. Then there are questions about the rotation -- if Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez depart, New York will need at least one and possibly two starters, depending on whether they see Jonathon Niese as ready for primetime.
What Are They Likely To Do?
They will probably let Martinez and Perez walk, while bringing in another Scott Boras client, Derek Lowe. They'll sign a lower-profile starter to compete for the fifth spot (perhaps Bartolo Colon), package Aaron Heilman to Colorado for relief help, and sign Brian Fuentes to close, while bringing in several other lower-profile arms to compete for bullpen jobs. Expect them to stick with Ryan Church in right, a Dan Murphy/Fernando Tatis platoon in left, and Castillo at second base, while bringing in a known quantity to back up at the keystone, such as Felipe Lopez, Alex Cora, Jerry Hairston Jr. or David Eckstein.
What Should They Do?
It might be wise to re-sign Perez, who will come cheaper than Lowe or Ryan Dempster. Bringing in another starter who won't cost the team draft picks -- like Colon, Odalis Perez, Freddy Garcia or Randy Wolf -- would also have the benefit of giving Niese more time at Triple-A. Biting the bullet and selling low on Heilman for a reliever or fifth starter couldn't hurt, as he has wanted out of New York for several years and badly needs a change of scenery. They could offer Type B free agent Luis Ayala arbitration so that if he decides to depart they'll receive a draft pick in return. Inking Fuentes to a three-year deal if he'll come will bolster the pen, as would pursuing a trade for J.J. Putz or Huston Street. Using some creativity to fill out the bullpen could shift their focus to a number of intriguing minor league free agents, such as 24-year-old lefty R.J. Swindle (1.53 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 67 K in 53 innings between Double- and Triple-A last year), Kiko Calero (coming back from a rotator cuff injury), Fernando Cabrera and former Met Scott Strickland. New York should also try to keep its 40-man roster below capacity in order to add other potentially promising arms in the Rule 5 draft.

Warszawa wrote:Emil Brown?

mozartpc27 wrote:

Warszawa wrote:Emil Brown?

Exactly my reaction. Who the hell is that?

Rev_Beezer wrote:I was wondering the same thing about Randy Johnson....

Hamels
Myers
Johnson
Blanton
Moyer

Woody wrote:
* THE PHILLIES SIGN ROCCO BALDELLI TO 7 YEAR DEAL WITH
MITOCHONDRIAL INCENTIVES

VFB wrote:Brocail wants to be a Phillies

The agent for free-agent reliever Doug Brocail said yesterday that the 41-year-old righthander is interested in pitching for the Phillies. Brocail, whose $3.25 million option was not picked up the Astros, posted a 3.93 ERA while pitching in a hitter-friendly home park. He also held righties to a .200 average. The Phillies are known to be looking for bullpen help, but they ideally would like to find at least one reliever who can pitch multiple innings. Another hangup could be Brocail's Type A free-agent status, which would require the Phillies to forfeit their first-round draft pick next year. -- Philadelphia Daily News

Woody wrote:IMO Brocail is worth a first round pick. The guy is nails, and has lots of upside