Phillies Looking To Fill A Multitude Of Roles

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Will Get The Call In The 9^th? – The Phillies opened last season with Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles and Jake Diekman in the back end of the bullpen. Fast forward one year. Nobody can say with any certainty who the team's closer will be Opening Day, much less hit the trifecta and name the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-inning guys. "We've talked to half a dozen potential closers for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Sunday afternoon at Bright House Field. "Without naming names, one guy said he would probably be more comfortable as the seventh- or eighth-inning guy. So that tells you right there that might eliminate him." There figures to be six legitimate candidates to pitch the ninth inning for the Phillies this season. There is right-hander David Hernandez, who signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract in December. There is right-hander Luis Garcia, perhaps the only returnee with closer's stuff. There also are four non-roster invitees with extensive experience closing or pitching in the back end of the bullpen: right-handers Andrew Bailey, Edward Mujica and Ernesto Frieri and left-hander James Russell. "Some guys want to be in that high-leverage situation," Mackanin said. "They thrive on it. You've seen enough closers. They're kind of an odd duck. They're all a little funny those guys. They have to have a certain type of attitude that gets them through those last three outs." Mackanin said plenty of factors will go into the decision to name the Phillies' next closer, but Hernandez has an edge to pitch the eighth or ninth because he is the only pitcher on a guaranteed contract. "It helps," Mackanin said. "It certainly helps. Once again, we're going to evaluate everybody and see how they play here. Not specifically Hernandez, but if somebody doesn't play well, we're going to try to keep the guy who's better. But it certainly helps. It would give him an edge, I would say. "I certainly won't base everything on how well a guy pitches here. Because we've seen guys have great springs. I always hit great in the spring. I always hit four or five home runs and tore it up and I was a .226 lifetime hitter. So I'm smart enough not to go by that." But there seems little question the back end of the bullpen is the team's biggest question with the Grapefruit League opener just nine days away. "We traded Diekman, Giles and Papelbon. There went the seventh, eighth and ninth," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said. "We did that to strengthen every other area, but the good news is it's an area that's very erratic and you can find guys out of nowhere to perform at a high level."

Looking For A Leader – Pete Mackanin has talked a little bit about the importance of leadership in the Phillies' clubhouse this season. Do they have any vocal leaders in there? "If you have a young team, it would be nice if we had that guy," Mackanin said. "We don't know if there's anybody in-house that can be that guy." The front office said it values the importance of a good leader, too. "There is no greater influence on players than their peers," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said. "I think the coaching staff and manager can be immensely helpful, but the guys that often have the most impact on players are their teammates. Kirby Puckett made everybody around him better just by Kirby being Kirby." Mackanin cited Darren Daulton and Jimmy Rollins as former leaders in the Phillies' clubhouse. Jeff Francoeur served that role remarkably well last season, guiding a young team through a 99-loss season. Francoeur said he wanted to return to Philadelphia, but he got squeezed out once the Phillies signed Peter Bourjos and selected Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel in December. Francoeur remains unsigned. "Having good players is more important than having that [leader], but in the long run, especially when you get down to the nitty gritty, it's nice to have that guy like Dutch [Daulton] who can rally the troops," Mackanin said. Freddy's the guy: There is plenty of interest in top prospect J.P. Crawford, who is in big league camp for the first time. But Phillies fans should not hold their breath and expect Crawford to challenge Freddy Galvis to be the Opening Day shortstop. Galvis has the job locked up and Crawford will open the season in the Minor Leagues, either at Double-A or Triple-A. "I feel like he deserves that chance," Mackanin said about Galvis. "I'm real high on J.P. Crawford. I haven't seen him a lot, but I know he's highly touted. I want to concentrate on our big league guys. If Freddy Galvis is hitting .280 and everybody is playing like we hope they can, then it gives us more time for the Crawfords and the [Nick] Williamses and so on and so forth, so we won't have to rush them." Of course, if Galvis struggles, Crawford could push the issue with solid play in the Minors. Crawford is the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Extra bases: Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff remains day to day with a non-displaced fracture on his right thumb, which he injured bunting last week. Eickhoff said he believes he has plenty of time to get ready for the beginning of the season; Right-hander David Buchanan took a line drive off his right triceps during a live batting-practice session. Buchanan seemed to think he should be OK.

Are The Phillies On A Good Path? – The Phillies are not expected to challenge for a National League East title anytime soon, but it does not mean team president Andy MacPhail doesn't expect to see some improvement in 2016. He does. MacPhail mentions the Phillies' 34-37 record following the All-Star break last season (with Maikel Franco missing 46 of those games) as evidence they are on a good path. The Phillies entered the break 29-62, easily the worst mark in baseball, but the arrival of young talents such as Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Aaron Altherr, and the continued development of others like Franco and Odubel Herrera put a more competitive team on the field. "In my view, there are a lot of positive things going forward," MacPhail said. MacPhail is entering his first full season as team president. He returned to the game after a 3 1/2-year hiatus to focus on his personal life, where he traveled the world (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Greece, Ecuador, Honduras, Brazil, etc.) and did the things everybody does in the summer when they don't work in baseball. "I never grilled when I was a GM," he said. "I had a beautiful grill. It was still clean. You can grill all summer in your shorts. It was a lot of fun. I had 3 1/2 years to get that out of my system." But now MacPhail is back at work, entrusted to lead the Phillies' rebuild. The Phils followed arguably their greatest run in franchise history (one World Series title, two National League pennants and five consecutive NL East titles from 2007-11) with a .500 finish in 2012 and three consecutive losing seasons, including the worst record in baseball in '15. "You can't get better unless you take a good hard look at where you are," MacPhail said. "We're going to make some mistakes. But we're going to keep our eye on the prize and we're not going to deviate. The teams that get themselves in trouble are the ones that try something for two years, it doesn't work, let's try something totally different. Name a team that embarked on a legitimate, honest attempt at a rebuild that didn't in the end profit from it? Kansas City. Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay. Baltimore. You name it. As long as they stay with it, they are going to be rewarded in the end." But that doesn't mean the Phillies don't want to win this year. They do. They just don't believe being in the market for high-priced free agents makes sense for them right now. "This year we spent $15 million on [Charlie] Morton and [Jeremy] Hellickson," MacPhail said. "That's $15 million to stabilize the rotation. If we wanted to lose 120 games, we wouldn't have spent that $15 million. But we want Nola and Eickhoff and whoever else comes along to be able to play in an environment where it's not all on their shoulders." MacPhail hired Matt Klentak to be his general manager, and by all accounts MacPhail has let Klentak run his show. They talk, obviously, but Klentak is not calling MacPhail every time he wants to claim a player on waivers or sign somebody. Together they already have made some changes to the front office, most notably building an analytics department. "But it goes so far beyond that," MacPhail said. "It annoys me when people think you've just got to go in one world or the other. Old school scouting or it's analytics. Show me the team that just doesn't have any more scouts, that has no scouting department. They don't exist. They all have scouts. Even whatever team you want to say is the most analytically inclined, they've got 20 or 30 scouts on the payroll. Why do you think that is?" The Phillies hired amateur scout Luis Raffan, who will handle South Florida and Puerto Rico. They hired a strength and conditioning coach for Class A Williamsport, and they are talking about possibly hiring another for the Minor Leagues. The Phillies made Ray Burris their pitching rehab coordinator in Clearwater. They added high definition cameras at Citizens Bank Park to improve their video coaching. The Phillies added TrackMan, the radar system that tracks pitched and batted baseballs, and CoachMePlus, which is a data management system that provides predictive performance analytics to help monitor players' health status. "Our payroll is down because we don't have [Cole] Hamels. We don't have [Jonathan] Papelbon. We don't have Ben Revere," MacPhail said. "We don't have a lot of guys we used to have. So we tried to take some of that money and reinvest it." If that combination of scouting and analytics continues to uncover good young talent for the Phillies, they could turn their fortunes quicker than maybe anybody expected. (MacPhail and Klentak have been careful not to predict when they expect to be contending for titles again, because they don't know how their top prospects will pan out.) "A market like Philadelphia, we're going to have more revenue at our disposal than we would say, in a small market where you're really scraping nickels together," MacPhail said. "Hopefully you don't stay down as long in a negative cycle."

Today In Phils History - With expectations high heading into the 1965 season Jim Bunning and Bo Belinski appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The following year, the Phillies parted ways with Dick Stuart. 4 years ago the Paul Owens bronze bust was revealed outside of the Phillies training facility in Clearwater. However, the most notable item of the day is the birthday of former Phillies player and Hall of Fame manager Harry "Sparky" Anderson who was born on this day in 1934.  

THE BEGINNING:

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!

Phillies Make A Solid Addition Via Waivers

PHILS PHACTS:

Taking Advantage Of The Waiver Wire – The Phillies have always liked Peter Bourjos. They finally acquired him Wednesday, when they claimed the outfielder off waivers from the Cardinals. Bourjos' arrival puts free-agent outfielder Jeff Francoeur's potential return into doubt. Bourjos posted a .645 OPS the past four seasons with the Angels and Cardinals. The 28-year-old's name popped up a few times in recent years whenever the Phillies were searching for an outfielder. Former Phillies general managers Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro Jr. liked the speedy and defensive-minded Bourjos, and it seems new general manager Matt Klentak likes him, too. Klentak knows Bourjos well. They were together with the Angels from 2012-13. Bourjos enjoyed a career-year in 2011, when he hit .271 with 26 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a .765 OPS in 552 plate appearances with the Angels. He has managed just 910 plate appearances since, in part because of injuries (Bourjos had right wrist surgery in September 2013 and hip surgery in October 2014) and in part because he had been passed on the depth chart in St. Louis. He hit .200 with a .623 OPS in 225 plate appearances last season. But Bourjos is known as an elite defender. According to FanGraphs, Bourjos has averaged a 16.1 Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 defensive games since his debut in 2010. That is third among outfielders with 3,500 or more defensive innings played in that span. Only Lorenzo Cain (19.0) and Jason Heyward (18.3) have a better average. Francoeur hit .258 with 16 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .718 OPS in 343 plate appearances. The 31-year-old also proved to be a vocal leader in the clubhouse. But with Bourjos in the fold, Francoeur could be squeezed out. There could be more changes coming, but at the moment, outfielders Bourjos, Odubel Herrera, Cody Asche and Aaron Altherr are all expected to make the Opening Day roster. Darnell Sweeney could be considered the team's fifth outfielder at the moment. Darin Ruf also can play left field, although he could get more playing time at first base. The possibility exists that Francoeur could fit somehow, but reduced playing time in a more crowded outfield might not suit him. The Phillies also announced the Marlins claimed right-hander Nefi Ogando off waivers. The Phillies remain at 38 players on their 40-man roster.

Modest Goals For The Meetings – Five years ago at the Winter Meetings, the Phillies became the mystery team in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. Next week's Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., are expected to be less eventful unless a team is ready to pay for hard-throwing closer Ken Giles. The Phillies are highly unlikely to invest $100 million or more into a single free agent this offseason, because one player will not push them into World Series contention. No, the Phils have too many holes to fill and too many unknowns regarding the young talent in their system. Instead, they will use the Meetings to make more modest improvements to their roster, with an eye on competing again in another year or two. "We really want to raise the floor and add some depth," general manager Matt Klentak said earlier this offseason. "Kind of at every turn, that's what we're going to be focused on. And in the pitching department, I think we really need to work on just -- again, I say 'raise the floor' -- but kind of establish sort of a firm foundation of pitching. That's not going to end when we break camp at the end of Spring Training. That's something we're going to be committed to for a long time." So far, most of the gains the Phillies have made this offseason are pitching-related. Philadelphia acquired right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in a trade earlier this month with Arizona, and it claimed relievers Dan Otero, A.J. Achter and Michael Mariot off waivers, as well as outfielder Peter Bourjos. The Phils also signed reliever James Russell to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training, and they cut ties with outfielder Domonic Brown and right-hander Justin De Fratus. Expect the Phillies to continue to pursue pitching help. They need at least one more veteran starter. Hellickson, Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff seem like safe bets to make the Opening Day rotation, with Adam Morgan, David Buchanan, Alec Asher and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez competing for the other jobs. Philadelphia could use a veteran reliever to fortify the bullpen, too. The Phillies have talked with teams about Giles, who could land them a few prospects, but that's the key: They have to be legitimate prospects. The Phils are under no obligation to give Giles away. The Phillies could come to a conclusion about the futures of Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, the only two remaining players from the 2008 World Series championship team. They also need to find a veteran outfielder. Free agent Jeff Francoeur remains in play, but the Phils are pursuing other options. Not expected to be in play are Justin Upton and Jason Heyward. Think along the lines of Ryan Raburn, David Murphy, Rajai Davis and Alejandro De Aza. Chris Young would have been a good fit, but he just signed with the Red Sox. "Honestly, I think with the present roster, if we needed to field a lineup tomorrow, we generally could do that," Klentak said at the conclusion of the General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., earlier this month. "That doesn't mean we're going to stop looking for opportunities to upgrade or add depth wherever we can. But one of the beauties, mostly on the position player side, is most of the team that was on the field that ended the year last year returns next year. So, again, that doesn't mean we're going to stop trying to find alternatives or upgrades or just build depth."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Phillies Take Some Time Off

PHILS PHACTS:

A whole lot more of nothing…

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

The Pitching Pain Of Rebuilding

PHILS PHACTS:

Filling Out The Rotation – If nobody is traded and everybody is healthy, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg thinks four pitchers are locks to make the 2015 rotation. The foursome includes Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams. That leaves David Buchanan, Chad Billingsley and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez competing for the fifth spot. Buchanan is the favorite, based upon an encouraging rookie season (6-8, 3.75 ERA in 20 starts). Billingsley missed most of the past two seasons because of right elbow problems, so he probably will not be ready to join the rotation until late April. Then there is Gonzalez. The Phillies signed him to a three-year, $12 million contract in 2013 after he originally agreed to a six-year, $48 million deal. Questions about Gonzalez's health cost him $36 million, but the organization's concerns proved valid when he battled injury issues last season as a starter. Gonzalez eventually moved to the bullpen, where he pitched with some success. But he enters Spring Training getting another shot to prove himself in the rotation. "Expectations are for him to complete a full camp," Sandberg said, emphasizing Gonzalez's health history. "Seeing what he can do and seeing how he progresses as camp goes along. As of right now, we have him slated in the starting role, allowing him to build up his arm strength a little bit. Work on pitches as a starter. That's the goal right now." If Gonzalez can stay healthy and he has a great camp, he could edge Buchanan for that fifth spot. But as Sandberg said, Gonzalez has to stay healthy first.

Trade Talks – Cole Hamels is stuck in the middle. Hamels has said for months he does not want to spend the remaining prime years of his baseball career playing on a losing team. He sharpened his words Wednesday, when he told USA Today he wants to win and "and I know it's not going to happen here." He likely feels that way because the Phillies have said they are rebuilding and unlikely to compete again until 2017 or '18. But Hamels also appreciates his time in Philadelphia. The Phillies drafted him in 2002. He won a World Series in '08. He signed a six-year, $144 million contract extension in '12. He lives in the area. He appreciates the fans. Hamels wants to be honest, but he also does not want to sound ungrateful. He does not want to offend. So Hamels backed away from his harsh assessment in a sometimes-uncomfortable 25-minute news conference Saturday afternoon at Bright House Field. He answered questions about his desire to remain in Philadelphia with members of the Phillies front office seated nearby, including team chairman David Montgomery. Montgomery handed Hamels the $144 million contract a few years ago. "You have to be accountable for what you do," Hamels said. "You know, I can't, I guess, be liked by everybody. You know, that's not the goal. You're not going to be politically correct any time you ever say anything. I think everybody learns that. You're not going to appease everybody. So this is who I am. "For what it's worth, I've always tried to be very honest with people in general. I don't cue-card it. I don't have my cue cards up here giving you the straight-laced answers that I know a lot of people have been able to get away with." Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon and Hamels each addressed reporters this week. In the past, each has indicated or said flatly they would like to play for a winner or play elsewhere. But the trio followed the good teammate script. They said they are happy to be in Philadelphia. They said they believe they can win here. "You can't count us out," Hamels said. "We all have the opportunity to prove people wrong." Hamels deflected questions about his desire to be traded, because expressing those desires does not benefit one of the most popular and successful pitchers in franchise history. "I've made my home in Philadelphia since the very beginning," Hamels said, when asked if he would welcome a trade. "This is where I'm fully committed." Hamels said his comments in USA Today were a continuation from a conversation in January. The latest comments came Tuesday. He said his feelings expressed in the story followed stories from the winter about how the Phillies won't win in the future. So are those his feelings today? "At this given moment, I'm a Phillie," Hamels said. So does he want to go somewhere where he can win? "Right now I know that as we start, I think we're 0-0," Hamels said. "I think everybody's in first place. I don't think any one of you guys have written anything about how we're going to compete and win our division. So it's something for us to take as a group and to go out there and prove to people the type of players that we are." So how did he react when Phillies president Pat Gillick said it would take a few years to complete the rebuilding process? "I have no control over a certain direction," Hamels said. "An organization, they have a bigger picture that they have to worry about. As a player, we really have to take the straight-and-narrow approach. We have a job to do, people are counting on us, and I think that's kind of what an organization, an upper management, has to worry about, is what players are going to be accountable, what direction can we go with what we have. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and as long as I can go out and do what they expect, then I'm fulfilling my end of the bargain." Trading Hamels would speed up the rebuilding process, because he is the only Phillies veteran relatively young and still in his prime. Theoretically, the club could get a load of talent in return. But it will not be easy. Philadelphia still has the unsuccessful 2009 Cliff Lee trade with Seattle on its mind, so it must get something it loves in return. The Phillies can't miss. Hamels also is owed $96 million, which includes $22.5 million in salary each of the next four seasons, plus a $6 million buyout on a '19 club option worth $20 million. They want Hamels' new team to pay the entire contract, or most of it. Teams might balk if they plan to give the Phillies the prospects they want. Asked if he would require the club option to be picked up to waive his limited no-trade clause, Hamels said, "That's a family decision." Hamels is in a tough spot. He wants to play for a winner, but at the moment, he does not want to upset or alienate the organization or fan base. "I'm very fortunate to be in the position that I am," Hamels said. "To be that player that's been able to win a World Series for a very historical franchise, and to make my home in Philly and see what sports really do mean to Philly fans, it's been nice. And being able to go out and represent not only the organization, but the city of Philadelphia, has been an honor. And I think I'll remain to do so until I'm told that I can't."

Hamels Reaffirms Commitment – What is Cole Hamels supposed to say? That he doesn't want to be here? Zero chance of that. Hamels' feelings for the Phillies run too deep. For the City of Philadelphia, too. He has come to love the place. "I've made my home in Philadelphia since the very beginning," Hamels said. "This is where I'm fully committed." Hamels is sensitive to his teammates, too, and he wants to make sure they know he's all in with them as long as he's still here. "My job is to be accountable for what the expectations that are put on me," Hamels said. "I only have one direction and one position, and that's to be able to go pitch and go win ballgames. That's all I can really do." So he will dance around the questions about the future, say what he's supposed to say and allow the thing to play itself out. Hamels already knows. He just has to. At some point this season, the Phillies almost certainly are going to trade him to a contender for some young talent. When that happens, both sides will be better off. The Phillies, in a full rebuilding move, will replenish their stock of young players. And Hamels will have another shot at the postseason. In a perfect world, it would have happened months ago, and both Hamels and Philadelphia would have a clearer picture of the future. So far, though, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn't gotten an offer he's comfortable taking. Amaro sees Hamels as the definition of a No. 1 starter. In the last five seasons, Hamels has averaged 213 innings and 204 strikeouts. Among all National League starters, only Clayton Kershaw has more innings, strikeouts and quality starts. Hamels is also only 31 years old, and he is under contract for four more seasons at the relatively reasonable price of $23.5 million a year. Because of those factors, some have wondered if Amaro is asking too high a price for Hamels. "The perception is that we're overreaching," Phillies president Pat Gillick said. "I don't think we are. I think we're trying to be fair." Amaro is piecing together a complicated puzzle. He has already acquired pitching by trading Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo. "We feel better than we did three months ago," Amaro said. "But you can never be satisfied. That's a constant battle." And he will listen on Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee. Injuries and/or salary make Papelbon, Howard and Lee less appealing than Hamels. It's Hamels who could bring the kind of young talent that could help the Phillies turn a corner. That said, the club doesn't intend to completely blow up the roster. As it deals away veterans, it wants enough talent in return to help remain respectable. "We want to rebuild, but we don't want to be embarrassing," Gillick said. "I don't think we want to embarrass the fans. We don't want to be embarrassed when we go on the field. Consequently, we have to put as good a product as we can on the field, and at the same time try to do what we have to do to get back to being competitive." On Saturday, Hamels met with reporters and essentially said he's fully committed to the Phillies as long as he's here. "I think you guys have seen how I play, the type of character that I have when I step out onto the field," Hamels said. "Go out there and be the best that you can, because at some point it's all going to end. So you at least want to know that you left everything out on the field." Rather than dwell on the possibility of being traded, Hamels said he will attempt to focus on preparing for his 10th big league season and nothing more. He's proud of what he has been part of, including five straight division championships, two NL pennants and especially being part of the team that won the World Series in 2008. Hamels was quoted by USA Today this week as saying the Phillies had no chance of winning in the near future. He would not deny those quotes on Saturday. Nor would he repeat them. "At this given moment, I'm a Phillie," Hamels said. "All I can do is get ready for the season. No matter ... the name on my chest, I have a job to do and I have to be accountable for it." As for the larger direction of the organization, Hamels understands. "An organization, they have a bigger picture that they have to worry about," Hamels said. "As a player, we really have to take the straight-and-narrow approach. We have a job to do, people are counting on us. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and as long as I can go out and do what they expect, then I'm fulfilling my end of the bargain."

Hollands Looking To Improve – Mario Hollands is no longer one of the relative unknowns entering Phillies camp. Hollands is a favorite to win a bullpen job following a mostly successful rookie season, when the 26-year-old left-hander surprised people and made the Opening Day roster. He went 2-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 50 appearances, but he finished the season on the disabled list with an injured left elbow. An offseason of rest has him back on track and ready to compete. Left-hander Jake Diekman is a lock to make the bullpen. Rule 5 Draft pick Andy Oliver also is in camp, but other lefties in Spring Training seem destined to open the season in the Minor Leagues. "I'm not assuming anything," Hollands said Saturday morning at Bright House Field. "I'm pretending like it's last year and I'm trying to make the team out of camp. Nothing has been given to me. Nothing was given to me last year, and I don't assume a spot is going to be given to me this year." Hollands entered Spring Training last year in midseason form following a lengthy stint in winter ball in Venezuela. "If I wasn't season-ready coming from Venezuela, I don't think I would have made the team," Hollands said. Hollands went 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 32 appearances through June 28. He got hit in his right knee by a line drive on July 2, which forced him to leave the game. He had a 15.26 ERA in eight appearances that month before posting a 2.89 ERA in his final 10 appearances. Hollands' elbow injury forced him to miss the last month of the season. "I wasn't happy with that rough stretch where I was getting hit around a little bit," Hollands said. "I doubted some of my stuff a little bit. But I think I did OK. I could definitely improve. I learned a lot." The learning never stops for Hollands. He earned an associate of arts degree in merchandise marketing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles in December. He previously earned a bachelor's in sociology from UC-Santa Barbara. Hollands hopes to intern in the offseason, perhaps in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Philadelphia. "I might be the only person in here with two degrees," Hollands said. "It gave me something to do in the fall, because I couldn't golf or really do any upper-body workouts because of the elbow." Hollands said the elbow feels fine. He has thrown about a half-dozen bullpen sessions already. "A little nervous," Hollands said about entering camp, "just because I haven't seen a batter in a while. Besides that, it's nice getting to throw a little bit more."

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.