Phillies Continue To Surprise This Spring

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Tie Tigers 6-6

Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco looks ready for Opening Day. He hit a pair of home runs Thursday afternoon in a 6-6 tie with the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. The Phillies took a one-run lead into the ninth, but Ernesto Frieri allowed a pair of runs, one on a Thomas Field homer. Phils second baseman Ryan Jackson tied the game with a solo homer of his own off Kevin Ziomek to open the bottom of the ninth. Franco hit a two-run homer in the first inning against Jordan Zimmermann and another two-run shot off the Tigers righty in the fourth. "They have a lot of young guys on that team and a lot of free swingers," said Zimmermann. "It's a little more difficult to set them up when you know they're going to be hacking." Franco has four home runs this spring. "A little bit," Franco said, asked if he feels locked in offensively. Zimmermann allowed five hits, four runs and one walk and struck out three in 3 2/3 innings. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed four hits, two runs and one walk in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four. Nola gave up a two-run home run to Tigers catcher James McCann in the third inning. "The more at-bats you get, the more locked in you feel," McCann said. "The big thing is just seeing pitches and seeing different pitchers." Tyler Collins singled to score a run in the fourth inning against Phillies left-hander Daniel Stumpf to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. After Franco's second homer, the Tigers tied the game in the fifth when Nate Schierholtz scored, despite being caught in a rundown at third base. Darnell Sweeney put the Phils ahead in the sixth when he scored from second on an Angelys Nina single and a Tigers error.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Right-hander Ernesto Frieri allowed two runs, including a go-ahead home run, in the ninth inning to blow the save. Frieri is in camp as a non-roster invitee and as a candidate to close. He has a 9.82 ERA (four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings) in three appearances. "His velocity is down from what he used to be," Mackanin said. "We haven't ruled him out. We've all seen pitchers struggle. Even good pitchers. There is time left to make decisions."
• Non-roster invitee Ryan Jackson hit a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth.
• The Phillies botched a rundown at third base, allowing Nate Schierholtz to score in the fifth. Third baseman Angelys Nina's throw to the plate was high. "I wasn't really happy about that," Mackanin said. "Back to the drawing board. We'll keep working on it."

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander David Buchanan will start Friday afternoon against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Charlie Morton had been scheduled to start, but he is out with the flu. The bug scratched Jeremy Hellickson from his scheduled start Wednesday. Listen to the game live on an exclusive webcast.

PHILS PHACTS:

Still Some Work To Do – Aaron Nola prides himself on his tremendous control throwing a baseball. He isn't there yet. He allowed four hits, two runs, one walk and one wind-aided home run in 2 2/3 innings Thursday in a 6-6 tie with the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. He threw 65 pitches (45 strikes). He struck out four. "I feel like I should be better than I was making some pitches that I did today," Nola said. "But I'm going to continue to work in my throwing sessions and my side session as camp goes on." Nola has allowed eight hits, six runs and two walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings in two Spring Training starts. "I feel like there's still a lot of work that needs to be done," he said. "I'm just going to try to continue to work on all my pitches, the running game and pretty much all overall aspects of my pitching. Throwing all three of my pitches for quality strikes when I need to. The biggest thing is getting ahead of most guys. That's what I want to be better at than I was today and my last outing." "He didn't have his command," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He was all over the place. Just a matter of his command. His stuff was there. He just didn't make good pitches." Nola is expected to start Opening Day or the second game of the season, which would put him in line to pitch the homer opener on April 11 against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park.

Ready For Opening Day – Maikel Franco has looked more than capable this spring of following up his successful rookie season with another strong performance. Franco hit a pair of home runs Thursday. He is hitting .350 (7-for-20) with four home runs and 10 RBIs in eight games. "He looks so much different than he has in past springs," Mackanin said. "I think he feels like he's in for a big year, and I'm hoping he is. I'm going to have to start telling guys, 'Look, if you hit one home run you're going to have to hit two.' That seems to be the standard." Mackanin is referring to Darin Ruf and Cameron Rupp, who each hit two home runs in a split-squad on Wednesday.

Working His Way Back – Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff has not appeared in a game this spring because of a fractured right thumb, which he suffered last month. But he is scheduled to pitch three innings Saturday in a Minor League game at Carpenter Complex. The Phillies said they expect Eickhoff to be ready to join the rotation by Opening Day. "We're being optimistic about that," Mackanin said. "He has no pain. He has no problems. He's throwing his curveball, slider and changeup in his sides and live BP, so as long as he's 100 percent healthy … it's just a matter of getting him stretched out enough. I think we can do it."

Another Day, Another Injury – The Phillies are a little thin in the outfield these days. Aaron Altherr will miss four to six months following surgery Wednesday to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. But Cody Asche also has been sidelined. A MRI on Wednesday confirmed he has a Grade 1 strained right oblique. The Phillies said Asche remains day to day. "Well, there is no timetable [for his return]," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I'm hoping tomorrow he feels better. I don't know. Those things are funny. I've had an oblique strain before, and it's one of those things that it's hard to get rid of. Rest is probably the best thing. It's a day-to-day thing." Altherr and Asche were two of the Phils' five outfielders projected to make the Opening Day roster. The others were Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel, who are healthy. The only other outfielders in camp with a chance to make the team are David Lough, Darnell Sweeney and Cedric Hunter. Top prospects Nick Williams and Roman Quinn will open the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Infielders like Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Jackson have some outfield experience. Mackanin said he has no plans to use first basemen Darin Ruf or Brock Stassi in the outfield. "It's not too serious, but at the same time, it's enough to cause some precaution," Asche said. "I just basically have to go on how I feel. If I feel good, I can keep progressing."

A Little More Seasoning Needed – It was no coincidence that the Phillies sent righties Jake Thompson, Mark Appel and Zach Eflin to Minor League camp on Thursday. They expect big things from the trio. "I think deep down, we all kind of see that and think about that," Appel said about their collective futures. "The three of us have played against each other at different levels of the Minor Leagues and now we're all on the same team, and we see each other's talent and we get excited about it." These were the Phillies' first roster transactions of spring -- not because the pitchers didn't meet expectations, but because they are such a critical part of the club's future. Philadelphia needs them to get ready for the Triple-A season, which means building up arm strength by increasing their workload as spring progresses. That would not have happened in Phillies camp. Thompson, Appel and Eflin are the No. 2, No. 4 and No. 13 prospects in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. Thompson and Appel are the No. 55 and No. 70 prospects in baseball. The trio will open the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, forming one of the most talented rotations in the Minor Leagues. The Phillies want them to begin their preparations for that season. What happens after that is up to them. "Hopefully, we'll all get up [to the Majors] at the same time and play for 10 years," Thompson said. "That's how it's supposed to work. Obviously, things happen and people pan out and people don't. But I think the Phillies are definitely building their team that way, not just with pitchers, but with some of the young position players, too. I think that's the idea." Thompson allowed eight hits and one unearned run in five innings in his Grapefruit League appearances. Appel allowed two hits and two runs (one unearned) in four innings. Eflin allowed five hits and two runs (one earned) in five innings. "The main goal was just to open up myself and meet as many people as I can, just learn as much as I can," Eflin said. "I learned an incredible amount, mostly pitching stuff, but also how to handle yourself off the field and in the clubhouse." They all pitched on Wednesday in a split-squad game against the Twins in Fort Myers. Phils manager Pete Mackanin made the trip to get one last look at the pitchers who could be in the rotation before the end of the season. "I think yesterday was really good for me, Jake and Zach," Appel said. "I think the three of us are going to have a lot of fun over there. We're going to get ready for the season, and we're all going to work hard and get back here soon. So I think it's a really good place to be right now. We're all working hard. Spring Training is exactly that -- Spring Training. Getting your body right for the season. If they knew that I wasn't going to start on the big league club this year, then it's a great thing for us to go over there. Instead of getting one or two innings every week, go ahead and get three to five, get extended and get ready for the season." The Phillies believe Thompson is the most well-rounded pitcher of the group and might be the closest to the big leagues. Appel probably has the best stuff. Eflin's stuff is arguably as good as Appel's, but the Phils want him to finish batters on a more consistent basis. "It's going to be fun for us to get on a little rhythm over there," Thompson said. "Hopefully we go back-to-back-to-back [in the regular season]. That would be cool to see. But, yeah, just continuing to be around each other and feeding off each other's successes. Just the internal competition should be really good." Thompson and Eflin live nearby in Clearwater, Fla., just a three-minute walk away from one another, so they see each other regularly. But it seems clear that the trio gets along well. Like Thompson said, they expect friendly competition in Triple-A. And maybe -- just maybe -- they will all pan out to become the core of the Phillies' rotation for years. "It would be incredible if that happened," Eflin said. "I know we have a lot of work to do. But it would be a lot of fun."

Called Into The Commissioner’s Office – Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has not played in a Grapefruit League game since Friday. Howard missed the first few days because of the flu, which has been running through Phillies camp this spring, but the team said he missed Thursday's game against the Tigers at Bright House Field because of personal reasons. Sources said Howard met with MLB investigators about the Al Jazeera America report from late December that linked him to performance-enhancing substances. MLB said at the time that it would investigate the claims, which Howard has vehemently denied. In fact, Howard filed a defamation lawsuit in early January against the network, which announced a short time later that it will shut down at the end of April. "I haven't spoken to anybody as of yet," Howard said last month. "I know, I guess there's an investigation underway, so I'm sure that's probably going to take place." Howard also said last month he has no idea why his name is one of the names that appeared in the report. "I haven't the faintest idea," he said. "I really can't tell you. I really don't know." Howard is expected to be back in camp Friday.

Today In Phils History - The year before the team acquired Tom Hilgendorf from Cleveland in 1975, a Phillies legend was born... Happy Birthday Bobby Abreu! I should also mention that a happy birthday is in order for Art Ruble (1903), Jack Spring (1933), and Phil Bradley (1959). 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 7-3-2 record (8-3-2 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Things Are Getting Ugly Already

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Tigers Blank Phillies 6-0

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is trying to make the Phillies' rotation, but he struggled in two-plus innings Tuesday at Bright House Field. He allowed three runs in a 6-0 loss to the Tigers. Tigers starter Alfredo Simon fared better, tossing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts. He gave up two hits and a walk. Gonzalez allowed a two-run home run to Tigers center fielder Daniel Fields in the second inning. He then allowed a triple to Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler in the third. Kinsler scored when Jose Iglesias ripped a line drive off Gonzalez's right foot or leg. Gonzalez left the game at that point. "I don't want to hit him," Iglesias said. "Just try to put a good swing on it. I got a man on third, and I was able to hit it good, unfortunately right to him. I know him back in the day. We played on the same team in Cuba, and I was so excited to see him. Did not expect to face him today, but I was really happy to see him. Unfortunately, I hit it right to him, but there's nothing I can do about that." The Tigers scored two more runs in the sixth inning -- on homers from J.D. Martinez and Steven Moya -- and another in the eighth. The Tigers also held the Phillies to just five hits. "We need to improve on that," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, whose team entered the afternoon with the lowest OPS in baseball. "We had a lot of flyball outs today. That's something we're addressing as far as staying on top of the ball. We need to put together hits and have some better quality at-bats."

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels pitches Wednesday afternoon against the Pirates at Bright House Field. Expect more scouts to be on hand, as Hamels is not only pitching for the Phillies, but for teams looking for starting pitching help. The latest rumor has the Yankees making the most aggressive push. Watch the game live on MLB.TV, starting at 1:05 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Bean Brings Unique Perspective To Camp – Billy Bean became Major League Baseball's Ambassador of Inclusion in July 2014, and the Phillies were the first team to call. They wanted him to speak to a select group in Philadelphia, then to the team's Major League and Minor League players in Spring Training. Bean, the former big leaguer who revealed he was gay in 1999, was in camp Tuesday to do just that. "I told the players that I'm only going to see the clubs that invited me," Bean said. "It's not mandated by [the] Office of the Commissioner. "There's a message of complete acceptance. It doesn't mean that it's specifically to LGBT people like myself. It's for women. It's for every race, every religion. I'm sure you guys are aware … I went to see the Mets, and Daniel Murphy had some comments. I wrote that I support his opinion 100 percent, because it's vital that we have a conversation so people can grow a little bit. It's like a relationship." Bean, who has been invited by 14 teams to speak, said this is the first camp where he spoke to both Major and Minor League players. He then got into a Phillies uniform and shagged fly balls in the outfield during batting practice. It was another way for Phillies players to talk with Bean and possibly ask questions in an informal setting. "Today is a win for the Phillies," Bean said. "The world didn't stop spinning."

Can Billingsley Bounce Back? – The Phillies are not terribly optimistic Cliff Lee can pitch without pain in his left elbow, which makes Chad Billingsley's recovery from a pair of right elbow surgeries even more important. Billingsley, 30, took another step forward Tuesday when he faced hitters in a bullpen session at Carpenter Complex. It is the first time the right-hander has faced hitters since June 8, when he was making a rehab start for the Dodgers in Class A. "I came out healthy, so it was good," Billingsley said. Billingsley is on a five-day schedule as he prepares to start in the future. He said he is hopeful he can pitch in a Grapefruit League game before the end of the month, although if he does, it might be for just an inning or two. Billingsley signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract following Tommy John surgery in 2013 and a second elbow surgery in 2014. The Phillies signed him because they lack starting pitching depth, which became more evident following news Tuesday that Lee will have to try to pitch with a tear in his common flexor tendon in his left elbow, if he can pitch at all. But Billingsley is not expected to be ready to join the Phillies' rotation until late April at the earliest, assuming he remains healthy and pitches effectively. "I'm getting into that routine and getting ready for the next step," Billingsley said.

Is It Time To Cash In? – In their bid to rebuild and become a viable contender sooner rather than later, the Philadelphia Phillies lack leverage. They don't have it when shopping Ryan Howard and his diminished offensive skillset. They don't have it when shopping an aging Chase Utley or Carlos Ruiz. They don't have it when shopping Jonathan Papelbon and his cumbersome closer contract. They don't have it when shopping Cliff Lee, whose ongoing elbow issues won't immediately prompt surgery but do prompt questions about where his career is headed. And they don't really have it with Cole Hamels. Not with the money he makes. Not with the date on his birth certificate. Not with the number of big league innings his arm has accrued. The Lee situation is a reminder -- an unpleasant one -- that between now and Opening Day, the Phillies need to find the best possible offer they possibly can for Hamels and make it happen. Leverage or no, Hamels remains their most valuable trade piece, and his seemingly inevitable departure is a necessary step for an organization that must not cut any corners in the accrual of young talent. Is trading Hamels this spring -- likely at a markdown from the winter asking prices -- a risk? Absolutely. But not nearly as great a risk as keeping him. Hamels, remember, had some minor elbow issues of his own just one year ago. Thankfully, they subsided, and he turned in possibly his strongest statistical season -- a 2.46 ERA, 3.07 FIP and 151 ERA+ in 204 2/3 innings. It's possible that Hamels will repeat those totals. It's possible he will improve upon them. It's possible he will only see minor regression. But the primary issue is not so much the stats as the status of his arm. Because the possibility of injury -- one made apparent not just with Lee but also Yu Darvish -- suddenly sullying Hamels' value is always present, and that's not a possibility the Phils have the luxury of playing around with. Money is the huge hangup in the Hamels talks. By the standards of the day, the $100 million guaranteed to him over the next four years (five years, $114 million, if his option is exercised) is reasonable. But not when we're talking about forking over top young talent, too. In their talks with other clubs about Howard, in particular, the Phillies have demonstrated a willingness to absorb a significant percentage of the contract in order to get something back. Unfathomable though it may seem, given that Hamels is seemingly still on top of his game, some sort of courtesy along those lines might be in order to get the right package back for Hamels. Organizations value young talent, and many are understandably leery of the over-30 pitcher with high mileage. But there is a right value equation for every player, and it's incumbent upon Ruben Amaro Jr. to find it with Hamels, and soon. The ask on a Hamels return has reportedly been three prospects, one of them in the marquee vein. A select group of teams -- the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, maybe the Cardinals -- have the resources in both talent and finances to make it work. And only the first three in that group have what might resemble an outright need, depending on what you feel is the value of a tested ace. Only by swallowing salary can the Phils widen that pool or increase the enthusiasm within it. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine them getting the kind of return they're hoping for. It seems clear that the Phillies aren't going to get Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart from the Red Sox. They're probably not going to get Luis Severino or Aaron Judge from the Yankees. They're doubtful to get Joey Gallo or Jorge Alfaro from the Rangers. What the Phils need to do is load up as best they can on the next tier beyond those top-tier-type prospects. For an organization in the midst of an overhaul, there is value in casting a wide net and seeing what sticks. There is value in being advantageous when a team like the Rangers -- a team that legitimately feels it can contend and has now lost its ace -- has a need. There is not much value in holding onto depreciating assets. Pitchers are inherently just that. A year ago, we could point to Lee as the picture of durability and consistency in the face of all the issues that had unraveled the Phillies' once-mighty standing in the National League East. Now? We're simply hoping his elbow and stuff can hang on as he pitches through a flexor tendon tear. None of this is to say Hamels is doomed to get hurt between now and July 31. If he were, he wouldn't be much of a trade asset, anyway. But if the Phils hold onto Hamels into the regular season, his trade value at best will remain stable and at worst will drive downward if he gets hurt. The midseason trade market can get crowded, and it could involve multiple arms on shorter and more manageable deals than the one Hamels holds. That's why the Phillies, one of probably just two teams (the Braves being the other) going into 2015 in some sort of rebuilding process, need to find the best possible offer they can prior to Opening Day. They don't have a lot of leverage, but they do still have an opportunity to improve their talent stash.

Can’t Cash In – The opportunity has never been better for Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to make the Phillies' rotation. Will he take advantage of it? Gonzalez allowed five hits and three runs in two-plus innings Tuesday in a 6-0 loss to the Tigers at Bright House Field. Gonzalez, who left the game in the third inning after getting hit by a line drive on the right knee, has allowed nine hits and five runs in four innings in two Grapefruit League appearances. "It's a Spring Training game, I'm working on things," Gonzalez said through translator Rickie Ricardo. "It's not like I'm trying to dominate hitters down here. I'm working on specific things. I'm just going to do my best to either be in the rotation or in the 'pen. But the Phillies will need to see results from Gonzalez at some point, because he does not have a track record in the big leagues like Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang or Jerome Williams. Gonzalez entered camp as a candidate to be the team's fifth starter, and with Cliff Lee's season and possibly career in jeopardy because of an elbow injury, Gonzalez's competition for a job got smaller. Chad Billingsley will not be ready by Opening Day. Assuming David Buchanan is a lock behind Hamels, Harang and Williams, Gonzalez is competing with non-roster invitee Kevin Slowey for the final spot. Slowey has allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings in two appearances. "Slowey has made some nice showings as a possibility," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Gonzalez's right knee is bruised following the line drive from Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias. He said he will be ready to make his next start. Gonzalez's fastball showed some life, but he had trouble commanding his pitches as much as he would like. "That's the No. 1 thing I'm working on," Gonzalez said. "I know I had location issues last year."

Interesting Routine – Is that a yoga class? Nope. It's Phillies' big league strength coach Paul Fournier, pitcher David Buchanan and Minor League strength coach Jason Meredith practicing their handstand holds. Buchanan, a 25-year-old righty from Atlanta who is making a push to become the Phillies' fifth starter this spring, began doing yoga in 2011. He thinks yoga has greatly helped his baseball, so he carries his practice into the regular season. He especially loves going upside down. "In the very first yoga class I did, they were doing handstands and other arm balances and I knew right away I wanted to learn," Buchanan says. "But all the stretching and strengthening we do in yoga has been great for my shoulder, thoracic and hip mobility and stability." Fournier is a big proponent of the handstand hold, especially in the rehab setting, to promote shoulder and elbow stability, strength and stamina. He'll have rehabbing pitchers hold a handstand for anywhere from 20 seconds to a minute. Buchanan, though, is healthy, and thinks handstands will help him stay that way. Fournier agrees. He encourages Buchanan and often participates himself. "If a guy wants to do a handstand hold and he isn't afraid to do it, we allow that," Fournier says. "We love that."

Breakout Candidates – Every Spring Training, prospects get a chance to show what they can do as they prepare for the season ahead. Some are competing for jobs in big league camp, while others are prepping for the season as they vie for spots at Minor League affiliates throughout the team's system. MLBPipeline.com is visiting all 30 camps this spring. Today, we check in on the Philadelphia Phillies. It has been a transformative year for the Phillies' farm system. The 2014 First-Year Player Draft, the international signing period and a bevy of trades have infused the organization with new talent. Most prominently, the Phils selected right-hander Aaron Nola seventh overall last June, and he quickly began working his way toward the Major Leagues. Nola reached Double-A Reading less than two months after the Draft, and he is expected to return there to begin this season. The Phillies also acquired several other advanced pitchers in offseason trades, including right-handers Zach Eflin and Ben Lively and left-hander Tom Windle. Now as a new season gets underway, director of player development Joe Jordan is eager to start working with all the new players in the organization. "I think the reality is since last year's Draft and the July 2 [international free agent] signings after that, the trades that were made this winter, we've added some talent to the system," Jordan said. "Our system is healthier now than it was this time last year. "Now we're getting to watch them, so that's good. We need time to get familiar with them to see what they need." Camp standouts: The Phils had a few roster spots up for grabs going into the spring. And some of their young players have made the most of the opportunity. Maikel Franco, ranked No. 55 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list, has played well, as has outfielder Odubel Herrera, who is being given a long look as a Rule 5 Draft pick. Jordan said he has also been pleased by what he has seen from left-hander Jesse Biddle. The 2010 first-round Draft pick had a rough 2014 season, but he is now healthy and is throwing well. "Jesse, for me, has looked great," Jordan said. "He's been very impressive in the bullpens, the live BP, he's been very impressive. He looks like Jesse Biddle, if you will." Breakout candidates: Aaron Brown, OF: A two-way player at Pepperdine, Brown has given up pitching since the Phillies picked him in the third round last June. Because he didn't focus on hitting as an amateur, he has some rough edges to his game, but he has impressive all-around tools and got off to a good start to his professional career in 2014. "Aaron left a really good impression on us in a lot of the things that he does," Jordan said. Elniery Garcia, LHP: A native of the Dominican Republic, Garcia has already shown in his young career that he has some feel for his craft on the mound. Like many young pitchers, he needs to become more consistent and get stronger. If Garcia can do that, he could start advancing quicker in the Minor Leagues. Three questions with Andrew Knapp: Knapp, Philadelphia's second-round pick in 2013, missed the first month of last season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery in the offseason. The catcher played well once he was able to get back on the field, and he hit .297/.359/.462 during the second half. MLBPipeline.com: Last offseason, you were recovering from surgery. What was it like this year to be able to have a normal offseason? Knapp: It felt really good. I was able to get in the gym a lot, get my strength back up. Last year, when I got ready to play, I was kind of thrown into it a little bit. I didn't really have time to work on my body as much. It was good to get some long toss in, too. It was just nice to kind of relax and get healthy again. MLBPipeline.com: What's the hardest part of preparing for a season as a catcher? Knapp: I'd say one of the hardest parts to prepare for is just being able to catch every day. You can't really prepare your body for that kind of toll. You can get yourself strong and you can work on your defensive and offensive parts of your game, but in order to be able to play every day, you've just got to go out and really maintain your body and stretch and work on it. I think that's going to be a big thing for me, is just getting back behind the plate every day. MLBPipeline.com: What are your goals for this season? Knapp: I think I just want to play every day. I want to be an everyday guy. I think the stats will take care of themselves. I'm not really worried about that as much as staying healthy and catching every day.

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.