General manager Pat Gillick did everything he could to light a fire underneath the team after parting ways with several players at last year's trade deadline, including All-Star right fielder Bobby Abreu. After shaking up the lineup, the Phillies played like a team possessed and stayed in the postseason hunt until the season's final week.
The Phils' biggest offseason acquisition was obtaining starting pitcher Freddy Garcia from the White Sox in exchange for a pair of young pitching prospects, and the right-hander is expected to join Brett Myers at the top of the rotation. The addition of Garcia, along with the emergence of Myers and youngster Cole Hamels, gives manager Charlie Manuel one of the top rotations in the National league. The bullpen will give this team problems, though, unless the demotion of longtime starter Jon Lieber works out.
Besides a strong rotation, the Phillies have premier home run hitter and RBI machine Ryan Howard back for his third major-league season. The former Rookie of the Year and reigning NL MVP smacked a club-record 58 home runs last season and finished with 149 RBI, both tops in the majors.
All-Star second baseman Chase Utley and left fielder Pat Burrell will sandwich Howard in the lineup to protect the slugging first baseman, but having Burrell in the No. 5 spot raises eyebrows. The often-criticized outfielder could be playing his final year in a Phillies uniform, so a big season is expected for both himself and the rest of the ballclub. Philly fell three games shy of winning the wild card in 2006, and a more consistent Burrell at the plate would have helped.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the Philadelphia Phillies, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
2006 FINISH (85-77) - Second Place (NL East)
KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: C Rod Barajas, 3B Wes Helms, OF Jayson Werth, SP Adam Eaton, SP Freddy Garcia, RP Antonio Alfonseca, IF Greg Dobbs
KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: C Mike Lieberthal, 1B/OF Jeff Conine, OF David Dellucci, RP Aaron Fultz, SP Randy Wolf, RP Gavin Floyd
PROJECTED LINEUP: Jimmy Rollins (SS), Shane Victorino (RF), Chase Utley (2B), Ryan Howard (1B), Pat Burrell (LF), Aaron Rowand (CF), Helms (3B), Barajas (C)
PROJECTED ROTATION: Brett Myers (RHP), Garcia (RHP), Cole Hamels (LHP), Eaton (RHP), Jamie Moyer (LHP)
PROJECTED CLOSER: Tom Gordon (RHP)
MANAGER: Charlie Manuel
INFIELD
Howard is the obvious leader of the infield because of his imposing figure at the plate, but his fielding skills are suspect. Howard probably has a better chance of bringing home three more MVP honors before a Gold Glove Award sits on his mantle, but the Phillies are not investing in his leather skills. Howard led the majors in homers and RBI last season, and don't forget his accomplishments during the 2006 All-Star Game Home Run Derby. Still a year away from arbitration, Howard had his contract renewed by the club for $900,000, making him the highest paid player with less than three years of service time in major-league history. I don't understand why the Phillies couldn't make it an even $1 million, but Howard should still be able to live on his current salary.
Speaking of salaries, the newly-married Utley received a nice wedding present when he was rewarded with a seven-year, $85 million contract extension through the 2013 season over the winter. Utley has emerged as the top second baseman in the National League and hit .309 to go along with 32 home runs and 102 RBI last season. Utley, who also had 40 doubles and scored 131 runs last year, will be watched carefully to see if his production level slips after getting the big bucks.
Utley will turn double plays for years to come with shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is also coming off a banner year. Rollins set career highs in home runs (25), RBI (85), doubles (45), walks (57), runs (127) and at-bats (689) last season. If Rollins, Utley and Howard can all match their 2006 production, the Phillies will enjoy another run towards the playoffs.
Next to Rollins at third base will be newcomer Wes Helms, who batted .329 with 10 homers, 47 RBI in 240 at-bats for the Florida Marlins in 2006. After third baseman David Bell was dealt to Milwaukee last summer, the Phillies were left with light-hitting utilityman Abraham Nunez as their everyday player at the hot corner.
Nunez will now spell Helms at third, while new catcher Rod Barajas will be behind the plate. Barajas was signed as a free agent after he hit .256 with 11 home runs and 41 runs batted in through 97 games with the Texas Rangers. Barajas will start most of the games and will have Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz behind him, now that long-time Phil Mike Lieberthal signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason. Lieberthal will likely not be missed, as the 35-year-old's production has dropped off dramatically in recent years.
OUTFIELD
Had the Phillies been able to pull the trigger on a few deals during the offseason, the outfield may have looked a lot different today. They lost out on a bidding war for Alfonso Soriano, but the Phillies still have hope in left fielder Burrell after the former top pick battled through trade rumors all winter.
Burrell has the potential to be one of the best outfielders in the National League, but tends to fall short of fans' lofty expectations. It's not as if he suffered through a dreadful 2006 season, but it's more of a "What have you done for me lately?" approach the fans and critics take towards the former University of Miami star. Burrell cracked 29 home runs with 95 RBI and a .258 batting average last season, but had a tendency to come up short on several occasions with runners in scoring position or when the Phils needed a desperate base hit.
Again holding down center field will be Aaron Rowand, another player who avoided the trade option over the winter. Rowand won his teammates and fans over after smashing his face against the fence while making a spectacular catch against the Mets in May, then was later shelved again with a broken ankle after colliding with Utley on a pop fly in late August. Rowand doesn't bring earth-shattering numbers to the lineup, but his candor and all-out approach to the game is infectious. In 109 games for the Phils, he hit .262 with 12 homers and 47 RBI.
For the first time in a decade, Abreu will not be the Phillies' Opening Day right fielder, as the All-Star was traded to the New York Yankees last July. That nod is now expected to go to Shane Victorino, who got his chance to show why he was the International League Player of the Year a few seasons ago. The switch-hitter played all three outfield spots in 2006, his first full major- league season, and batted .287 with 70 runs, six homers and 46 RBI over 153 games. Perhaps the fastest player on the team, Victorino's base-stealing ability is expected to improve now that first-base coach Davey Lopes is in the fold.
STARTING ROTATION
You can have all the sluggers you want on a team, but it won't amount to anything if the pitching staff has more holes than the earth's moon. Therefore, the starting rotation is what will make or break the Phillies in 2007.
The biggest addition Gillick made in the offseason was that of right-hander Garcia, who went 17-9 with a 4.53 earned run average in the Windy City last season and has logged 200 innings or more in each of the last six years, something the Phillies haven't been used to for some time. The veteran Venezuelan has been battling a case of tendinitis during the spring, but hasn't missed a start since 2000 and should be ready for Opening Day.
Myers will take the hill when the Phillies begin the season against Atlanta on April 2 and enters this season almost 30 pounds lighter than last. The fiery righty went 12-7 with a 3.91 earned run average last year, and will not have to worry about a contract dispute after agreeing to a three-year, $25.75 million contract extension last month. Myers led the Philadelphia pitching staff in wins, ERA, starts (31), innings pitched (198.0) and strikeouts (189) last season, and could better those numbers if his new-look body can withstand the abuse of a nine- inning game.
Lefty Hamels, a former first-round draft pick, will deal with a full major- league season for the first time in 2007. He emerged on the scene last May and finished 9-8 with a 4.08 ERA, 145 strikeouts and 48 walks in 132 1/3 innings of work.
Hamels will most likely be followed by newcomer Adam Eaton as the fourth member of the rotation. Eaton was signed to a multi-year deal in November after going 7-4 with a 5.12 ERA in just 13 starts for the Texas Rangers last season. The right-hander, who was originally drafted 11th overall by the Phillies in 1996, adds another veteran arm to Philadelphia's staff. He was hampered by a finger injury last year, but hopes to be healthy enough to leave a solid first impression with his new teammates.
Another veteran who joined the Phillies late last season was Jamie Moyer. The southpaw went 11-14 with a 4.30 earned run average in 33 combined starts with Seattle and Philadelphia, and will fill the No. 5 spot after the team sent fellow veteran Lieber to the bullpen.
BULLPEN
The biggest concern for the 2007 Phillies is the bullpen, where a reliable setup man needs to emerge and 39-year-old closer Tom Gordon is always a question mark to remain healthy.
Shuffling Lieber to the relief corps solves the six-starter dilemma, but could also leave the club with an unhappy camper. Lieber, who has started the past two Opening Days for the Phils, admitted he was disappointed with Manuel's decision to keep Eaton in the rotation, although he probably could have seen the move coming. He hasn't pitched out the pen since 1996, but pitching coach Rich Dubee feels Lieber's ability to consistently throw strikes, something the bullpen had trouble doing last season, will be an advantage. Lieber compiled a 9-11 record with a 4.93 ERA in 27 starts last year, missing parts of the campaign with a groin injury.
Gordon went 3-4 with a 3.34 ERA and 34 saves in 2006 and shook off arm problems during spring training. Often criticized for having a 'dead' arm following the All-Star break, the veteran has a lot of doubters to prove wrong when he gets his call to shine. If he stays in top shape this season, the right-hander is still capable of accomplishing a lot.
Righty Ryan Madson is expected to stay put in the bullpen this season after going back and forth from rotation to the relief corps in 2006. Madson believes he is starter at this level, but he won't be on this team unless more than one of the five starters goes down with an injury,
Gillick added reliever Antonio Alfonseca in the offseason to compete with Geoff Geary, Matt Smith, Eude Brito, Scott Mathieson, Fabio Castro, Clay Condrey and Zack Segovia for the remaining relief spots.
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03-29-2007, 02:07 PM
2007 Philadelphia Phillies Preview 
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