Phillies pitching depth

So the Phil’s have options at third base. How about the rest of their needs? Brad Lidge has already had off season surgery to repair the elbow in his throwing arm. Is that why he led the league in blown saves last season?

I don’t know the real reason why Lidge struggled last season, but it is clear that the Phillies need to figure out what to do if Lidge can’t return to his 2008 form. But in order for Lidge to pitch, the Phillies need to fill some holes in the early bullpen.

Getting J.C. Romero back from injury next season will definitely bolster the bullpen. And Ruben Amaro Jr. has made it clear that the Phillies are pursuing free agents Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre. Having those two return would definitely help.
But with the struggles the bullpen had this season it would be nice if the Phillies could add one or two arms to the pen that have the ability to close should Brad Lidge continue to struggle. Fernando Rodney has drawn interest from the Phillies. Signs say however, that the interest is not mutual. Rodney is a closer and wants to keep that role.

The starting rotation also has at least one question mark. As of now the starters for the 2010 season are as follows:

1. Cliff Lee (the Phillies exercised their option and will most likely talk contract extensions through the year. Lee will most likely demand Burnett money though)
2. Cole Hamels (If he can return to his 2008 post season form, it would be a deadly one-two punch)
3. Joe Blanton
4. J.A. Happ
5. Jamie Moyer? (Moyer has one year left on his contract with the Phillies but might not be able to step back into the starting rotation)

It isn't clear if Pedro Martinez would even re-sign with the Phillies, and if he does, can he pitch an entire season without injury and at a high level? I don’t think so.

It is also unlikely however that the Phillies will trade for Roy Halladay or even go out and sign a big name free agent pitcher (Randy Wolf and John Lackey), to fill that number 5 spot in the rotation.

They will most likely try to stay in house and eventually move Kyle Drabek up to the majors (A prospect the Phillies have labeled “untouchable”).

Whatever the Phillies end up doing, one thing is certain. They need to figure out a solution to the problems that labeled the bullpen a liability in the postseason in 2009.

What's on third? Phillies options at third base

With the official start of the free agency at Midnight last night, it is time for the Philadelphia Phillies to start plugging holes in their lineup to bring the trophy back to the City of Brotherly Love.

Let’s start off with third base. Pedro Feliz has done a pretty decent job since signing a two year deal with Philadelphia in January of 2008. Much like the man he replaced at the hot corner, Abraham Nunez, Feliz is without a doubt known for his defense. In his two year stint with Philly, Feliz developed his defense and became one of; if not the best defensive third baseman in the majors (Ryan Zimmerman is pretty good too).

Where Feliz failed to deliver is on the offensive side of the ball. With former third baseman like Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen, Philly fans became accustomed to having offensive third basemen in the past. In the final two games of the World Series this year, Feliz went 0-8. In fact this post season Feliz hit a measly .167.

With Feliz filing for free agency, the Phillies have some options for the hot corner. Feliz is still one of them. Clearly Ruben Amaro Jr. didn’t feel that Feliz was worth the $5MM option for the 2010 season. The Phil’s could always re-sign him for a lesser amount.

Also out on the free agent market is Chone Figgins. The 31 year old put up solid numbers for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season posting a .298 batting average while leading the American League in walks at 101. Figgins will demand more money this season and it is most likely that he will re-sign with the Angels.

Adrian Beltre is also a free agent. Beltre hit .266 for the Seattle Mariners last season (Feliz hit .266). The two-time Gold Glover also belted 8 homeruns last season.

That brings us to Mark DeRosa. The Phillies have been linked to DeRosa for a few seasons and have inquired about signing him. DeRosa hit .255 last season knocking 23 out of the park. He will most likely be looking for a large, multi-year contract.

Currently it seems as if the best option for the Phillies is to re-sign Feliz. His defense is spectacular, and of the free agents at third base, there is no one that is a drastic step up offensively other than Figgins who will command a very high contract to lure him away from the Angels.

It is also clear that the Phillies need to work on their bullpen, bench, and starting pitchers. Make sure you check back at Heads or Tails for the options the Phillies have in those positions within the next couple days.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to Heads or Tails. This is an all sports blog featuring articles on all sports and focusing on Philadelphia. Posts will include news updates, game reviews, fantasy player rankings, and much more.

As it is mentioned in my bio, I am a La Salle University graduate. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Communication, concentrating in Mass Media and Journalism, with a minor in English, in May of 2009. In my time at La Salle I worked for various television and radio stations in the city of Philadelphia including 6 ABC, NBC 10, and 1340 WHAT-AM.

I am currently living in Stroudsburg, PA and working as an Administrative Assistant for Berkheimer Associates. In my time here I have continued to write for www.examiner.com. I am the current La Salle University sports beat writer for Examiner.

As an avid Philadelphia sports fan, I try my best to be objective in my reporting. For the sake of this blog I will write mainly about Philadelphia sports, but I will also cover other cities and teams across the nation.
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