Hard Hitters Taking A Break

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies took the day off to recover from the discomfort incurred by the Cardinals on Sunday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• After homering in 14 consecutive games, the Phillies had their streak snapped on Sunday.
• Thompson is the No. 67 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He has struggled in his first three starts and has not thrown more than five innings in any of them.
• Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.91 ERA) faces White Sox right-hander James Shields (5-15, 5.98 ERA) on Wednesday night.

NEXT GAME:

The last time the Phillies visited U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox were a year away from winning their last World Series, while the Phillies were four years away from winning their last World Series. The teams open a two-game series Tuesday night, their first on the south side of Chicago since 2004. White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (3-8, 4.26 ERA) faces Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson (1-2, 8.79 ERA) in the series opener. Rodon has been on a roll this month, going 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts. He has walked five and struck out 16 in 18 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hitting It Hard – The only thing Cameron Rupp knows is that he has hit the ball hard. Rupp does not know the velocity of the baseball as it leaves his bat. He does not particularly care that he is 39th out of more than 300 hitters in average exit velocity at 92.1 mph, according to Statcast™. But he likes to know that his average exit velocity confirms what he is feeling at the plate -- he is making solid contact more often than not. "There's no need to change anything if I'm hitting the ball hard," Rupp said. Major League Baseball's Statcast™ system is in its second full season, and more and more players are becoming aware of the numbers as they appear on TV and online in stories. Sports Illustrated just featured one about Statcast™, reporting that Tampa Bay Rays players are told on the first day of Spring Training that they are measured by exit velocity, not batting average. "It's a term they use exclusively, like nothing else matters," a Rays player told SI. It also reported these interesting tidbits: In 2014, the Mets' front office chose Lucas Duda over Ike Davis as the club's first baseman largely because Duda had a far better exit velocity. One front office reportedly balked at trying to acquire Royals closer Wade Davis before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline because it noticed a drop in the spin rate on his pitches. Davis landed on the disabled list with an elbow injury a short time later, although he is pitching again. Teams clearly are using the information, including the Phillies. "If there is information available to us that can help to improve our decision making, then we will absolutely incorporate it," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "Exit velocity data certainly falls into that category. Is it powerful? Yes. Are we using it? Absolutely. But is it the only thing we're looking at? Of course not." Tommy Joseph is 62nd in the Majors with an average exit velocity at 91.3 mph. "I do check on it," Joseph said. "It's not so much a number for me. It's a number that I look at for other players around the league, just to see how they're doing it to try to put the swings together -- 'OK, what makes him that good of a player?' I think that's how anybody is. Any big left-handed hitter is going to look at other big left-handed hitters. Guys like me, I'm going to look at Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado." A friend recently told Joseph that his stats page at MLB.com broke down his hitting zone based on his average exit velocity. Naturally, he hopped online to look. "The down-and-away one was pretty low," Joseph said with a smile. "The ones out of the strike zone weren't real high, either. That stuff didn't surprise me, but it was neat to know. Like, 'OK, I handle a pitch there really well. But maybe there the contact isn't as hard.' So from that perspective it tells you, 'OK, here's an adjustment I need to make, because I'm not making as solid contact as consistently in that area.' I love those stats." Ryan Howard makes more hard contact than anybody else on the Phillies. He is 33rd in the Majors with an average exit velocity at 92.5 mph. Of course, he is hitting .198 with 19 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .697 OPS in 286 plate appearances, so hard contact has not translated into consistent success. But Howard has hit .312 with eight homers, 18 RBIs and a 1.021 OPS in 81 plate appearances since July 1. Other things might be at play for Howard's recent improvement. First, those hard-hit balls are finally falling. His batting average on balls in play was .150 before July 1. It is .348 since. Second, Howard is making more contact. His strikeout rate has dropped from 31.7 percent before July 1 to 28.4 percent after July 1. Put more hard hit balls in play and those balls have a chance to find a piece of turf in the outfield. Howard is also hitting line drives 25.9 percent of the time he puts the ball in play since July 1, compared to 21.8 percent beforehand. "If you're hitting balls hard and you don't really have a lot to show for it because balls aren't falling, yeah, I guess you're trying to find a positive out of it," Howard said. "If you're making hard outs, hopefully they start finding their way through. That's what you want to do: make solid contact. It's not like I hit it and I say, 'Hey, what's that velocity?'" Of course, no player asks that question. But they do know when they crush one. And that is when Rupp pays closer attention to the Statcast™ numbers. "When they say how far they go," he said with a laugh, "I want to know how far my homers went."

Today In Phils History – The Phillies made the mistake of hitting the ball to Pittsburgh’s Fred Clarke in 1910 as he recorded 4 OF assists in the game. Irish Meusel hit an inside the park grand slam in 1918 but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies lost to the Reds. In addition to the Cardinals turning a triple play against the Phillies in 1947, Joe Medwick also hit his final (205^th) homerun of his career after angrily yelling at the Phillies dugout that he was going to hit the next pitch out. 20 years later, the Phillies lost Dick Allen for the season when he cut his hand on the broken headlight of his car. An oddity occurred in 1992 when the Cearwater Phillies beat the Winter Haven Red Sox 1-0 without either team collecting a hit. Scott Rolen tied a team and MLB record on this day in 1999 when he struck out 5 times against the Padres. A decade later, the Phillies Eric Brunlett turned an unassisted triple play against the Mets off a Jeff Francoeur line drive. Finally, happy birthday to two players who had short tenues with the Phillies, Julio Franco (1958) and Bobby Estalella (1974).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 58-67 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 36-60-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Get Unexpected Day Off

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies get unexpected day off due to rain.

NEXT GAME:

Saturday's scheduled starter, Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (0-0, 4.50 ERA), will start Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Astros at Bright House Field, which will air on MLB.TV. The Phillies have made no announcement, but Hellickson or Aaron Nola will start Opening Day. At the moment, Hellickson is on schedule to make that start. Watch the game live on MLB.TV.

PHILS PHACTS:

Roster Getting Close To Completion – The Phillies took batting practice Saturday morning at Bright House Field, which is customary whenever they play the Blue Jays in a Grapefruit League game on an afternoon in Dunedin, Fla. But 45 minutes after they boarded the bus for the short drive to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium at around 11:30 a.m., they learned the game had been canceled because of rain. Saturday's scheduled starter, Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, will start Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Astros at Bright House Field, which will air on MLB.TV. Before the cancellation the Phillies announced they had reassigned first baseman Brock Stassi to Minor League camp and optioned infielder Taylor Featherston to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The move leaves 48 players in camp, not including injured outfielder Aaron Altherr and injured left-hander Matt Harrison. Stassi, 26, hit .240 (6-for-25) with one double, two RBIs, three walks and five strikeouts this spring. Featherston, 26, hit .100 (2-for-20) with one home run, three RBIs, five walks and six strikeouts. "I'm happy with the way a lot of things went," Stassi said. Stassi won the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award last year after hitting .300 with 32 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 90 RBIs, 77 walks and 63 strikeouts with an .863 OPS in 133 games. He impressed folks with his defense this spring, but he will have to continue to hit this year to earn a promotion to the big leagues. Stassi left camp believing he can make the final jump. "Even growing up my dad always preached 'respect everyone, but fear no one,'" Stassi said. "I feel like I fit in over here. I don't know, it definitely was a confidence booster. Force the hand and prove myself. Nothing has ever been given to me in this game. I've had to earn everything. It's nothing new. Just got to keep handling my business and hopefully one day be back over here."

Former Site Now Historic Landmark – The Phillies have played Grapefruit League games at Bright House Field since 2004, but Clearwater has been their Spring Training home for 70 years. They helped the city commemorate its long Spring Training traditions Saturday, when the city unveiled a Florida Heritage Site marker at the former site of Clearwater Athletic Field. The field had been the Spring Training home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Phillies and other professional baseball teams from 1923-56. "When you reflect on the history of the sport in Clearwater, we've been here forever -- 70 years," Phillies chairman David Montgomery said. "Babe Ruth came here in his last year in '48. Robin Roberts was so impressed to have him here at Athletic Field he … made a fellow grab a ball and had Babe Ruth sign it for his mother. So this represents not just Phillies history, but baseball history." Fire destroyed the field's grandstands in 1956, although by that time the Phillies had moved to Jack Russell Stadium two blocks away. The Phillies played Spring Training games at Jack Russell from 1955 to 2003. But the Phillies still had rookies practice at Athletic Field once Jack Russell opened. Those players nicknamed it "Iwo Jima" because of its rock-covered field. "We had an old wooden clubhouse with about three or four nails on it for your clothes and that was about it," former Phillies pitcher and manager Dallas Green said. "The infield was a little rough. Guys were getting bad hops left and right." The North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatic Complex now stands on the site of Athletic Field, but now at least folks who walk past will know the spot has some baseball significance, too.

Today In Phils History - It was on this day in 1914 that the Killefer saga officially began as the Federal League filed an injunction against the Phillies stating that the catcher had signed a contract with the league and had already accepted payment. In 1943 a New Yorker, William Cox (who was later named club president), lead a group to purchase the Phillies from the National League for roughly a quarter million dollars. 1990 saw an abbreviated spring training as MLB owners finally ended a month long lockout on this day. Lastly, happy 75th birthday to former Phillies player, coach and manager Pat Corrales. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 12-5-2 record (13-5-2 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!

Spring Training Has Officially Begun!

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Are You Again? – Pete Mackanin patrolled the Carpenter Complex on Thursday morning looking pretty much like everybody else. Mackanin watched the players, then he checked the back of their jerseys to read their names. "I'm trying to put a name to the face," Mackanin said. Only 18 out of the 65 players in Phillies camp opened Spring Training last year with the team. Many of the new faces this year include the organization's top prospects. Of the seven players in MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, six are at Bright House Field. Could they join the Phillies before the end of the season, or will the organization take things more slowly knowing they have a long rebuild ahead of them? "We had a good first day," Mackanin said following the first workout for pitchers and catchers. "The timing worked great, we had guys moving. A lot of guys in camp. Boy oh boy. I looked at that clubhouse, and it was full of people. A lot of energy. A lot of competition. I think that's going to breed a lot of excitement." There is more energy in the clubhouse than in recent seasons for a few reasons. First, there are more young players, and young players want to prove themselves. Second, even the more established players know no job is completely safe. Third, Mackanin simply is more gregarious than former manager Ryne Sandberg. "I took a course on motivation in college one semester," Mackanin quipped. But Mackanin can easily see why this camp feels different, even if more energy might not translate into many more wins than last season, when the Phillies lost 99 games. "Back when I played, players came into Spring Training to get in shape," Mackanin said. "Everybody was overweight and most -- 60 percent of the guys -- smoked. You were here to get in shape. Over the course of time, it's changed quite a bit. We've got a lot of finely tuned athletes. Players are not stupid. They know that jobs are available. They know that there are things they can do to make an impression. We talked to them at the end of last year to let them know that, as I've always said, you're auditioning all the time. You don't take anything for granted. You have to earn the job. I don't care what you did last year. It's basically what have you done for me lately. The players sense that. They know there are jobs available, especially in the pitching department. "So I think everybody is real eager to show what they can do. We have a lot of new faces, a lot of guys who have been other places and have had success. I think they feel like they have an opportunity to show that they're not fading away, that they're ready to make their mark and get back on track." Mackanin also touched on a couple other topics on Thursday: On experience being a factor when it comes to the Opening Day starter: "We're going to talk about it, and we'll decide on the guy who we feel is the best guy suited for the job. Experience is very important, but at the same time, for example, I liked the mound presence of [Jerad] Eickhoff and [Aaron] Nola. Neither one of them showed any fear. That's a big part of it. That being said, experience is a definite factor." On innings limits for the team's young pitchers: "We'll come up with a plan. We're certainly going to take care of some of these guys. We're not going to overdo it. Just wait and see. I told Nola, for example, the last outing he pitched, I told him, 'I'm taking you out of the game here,' and he said, 'Why?' I said, 'We're taking care of you, but next year we're not going to take care of you.' If we feel he's capable of throwing 200 innings, he's going to throw 200 innings. But once again, we're going to have to discuss that in-house." On a potential lack of leadership amongst the position players: "We'll find out during the course of the spring. We've discussed that. You always like to have a leader in the clubhouse. I posed this question to [bench coach] Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt. I said, 'When you guys played and you were successful, did you need somebody to be your leader? Did you need somebody to tell you how to play and what to do?' To a man, they all said no, because that was their makeup. There's going to be enough players with good makeup that I think out of that bunch one or two guys might rise to the occasion and become the leaders. It's something you can't teach. You just have to hope it evolves."

Ruiz Has A Lot To Offer – Carlos Ruiz sees few familiar faces in the Phillies' clubhouse these days. Jimmy Rollins? He has been gone since December 2014. Cole Hamels and Chase Utley? They were traded last July and August, respectively. Ruiz, 37, is one of only two remaining members of the Phillies' 2008 World Series championship team. In fact, he is only one of two remaining members from the Phillies' last postseason team in '11. Ryan Howard is the other, but Ruiz stood alone on Thursday morning at Bright House Field as Phillies pitchers and catchers held their first official workout. The team conducts its first full-squad workout on Tuesday. "I miss those guys," Ruiz said. "They're part of my family." But the family has broken up as the Phillies are rebuilding. Ruiz is the oldest player in Phillies camp, which is likely his last. He is in the final year of a three-year, $26 million contract, following the worst season of his career. The Phillies have a $4.5 million option for Ruiz for 2017, but unless he finds the fountain of youth, they are expected to take a $500,000 buyout instead. Ruiz hit .211 with two home runs, 22 RBIs and a .575 OPS in 320 plate appearances in 2015. Catcher Cameron Rupp started 56 of the team's final 92 games (60.9 percent) and 33 of the final 49 (67.3 percent). That trend is expected to continue this year. "I'm going to try to enjoy every day," Ruiz said. "This is part of my life, and I don't know how long I'm going to be here. I know I want to enjoy my teammates, this organization. … But I don't want to think about that because I'm real excited about this year." Some Phillies fans have wondered what value a catcher like Ruiz might have in 2016. The reality is he has plenty, even if he cannot perform like he has in the past. Ruiz has been one of the most-respected and well-liked players in the clubhouse for years. The Phillies are looking for leadership. Ruiz can provide some. Ruiz obviously has a wealth of knowledge he can impart upon Rupp and catching prospects Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. Ruiz has caught some of the most dominant pitchers of his era, including Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Jonathan Papelbon and Brad Lidge. Ruiz has started 46 postseason games, too. He caught some of the most masterful pitching performances in Phillies postseason history, including Hamels' run as a World Series and National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player in 2008, as well as Halladay's no-hitter in Game 1 of the 2010 NL Division Series. Think Ruiz can't teach a few things to the Phillies' young pitchers and catchers? "I like to be around young guys because they make me feel young, too," Ruiz said. Ruiz got to camp early this month and has already been working with Alfaro, who is one of MLB.com's top 100 prospects. "He has good hands and he can swing the bat," Ruiz said. "He's a guy you have to keep your eyes on. He's young, but he can play." But Ruiz wants to offer more than advice and knowledge. He still believes he can play. He battled some weakness in his left shoulder last season, following surgery in 2014. He said the shoulder feels fine. "Whatever happened last year is over," Ruiz said. "I come into this year with a different mentality, ready to go." So if Ruiz proves he still has something left in the tank, how much longer would he like to play? "Right now I go day to day," Ruiz said. "I don't know how long. It depends on how my body feels, but right now I feel good. I feel strong. I believe I can still play every day. It's not in my hands. The only thing I can control is what I do on the field. I'm ready. We'll see what happens."

Today In Phils History - In the 1980's the Phillies had a stud on their roster but didn't know it. Dave Stewart, born on this day in 1957, didn't find success until after his time in Philadelphia. The following decade, in 1992, the Phillies shipped off Charlie Hayes to make room at 3rd base. 

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!

Changing The Schedule While Waiting

PHILS PHACTS:

Changes To Spring Training Schedule – Fans headed to Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training might want to recheck the Phillies' schedule. The team announced Friday it had revised its schedule because of potential international games and three Opening Day games on April 3. The following are changes to the opposing teams: March 8: Originally scheduled to play the Twins, the Phillies are now playing the Pirates. March 22: Originally scheduled to play the Braves, the Phillies are now playing the Twins. March 30: Originally scheduled to play the Yankees, the Phillies are now playing the Astros. The following are changes to the opposing teams and ballparks: March 28: Originally scheduled to play the Orioles in Clearwater, the Phillies are now playing the Blue Jays in Dunedin. March 29: Originally scheduled to play the Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Phillies are now playing the Yankees in Clearwater.

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.

Questions Abound This Offseason

PHILS PHACTS:

More Questions About The Rebuild – Do the Phillies have a target date for when they think they'll be playoff-ready? Are they looking for short-term free agents or building blocks this year? -- Bill S., Centennial, Colo. Matt Klentak has been asked a lot of questions since he became the Phillies' general manager, but it seems no question has been asked more than this one. People want to know when the Phils will be good again. It is understandable, but it also is impossible to answer. Why? Because nobody truly knows. The Phillies can hope they can contend as early as 2017, but that hope could crumble if players like Maikel Franco, Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff experience setbacks, or if prospects like J.P. Crawford, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro sustain injuries or don't pan out. So why would Klentak or anybody else with the Phils give a definitive date for when the club will be a contender? The Phillies first need to see improvement from their young players and prospects in 2016. And that is why they will probably acquire more short- than long-term solutions this offseason. It just doesn't make sense to sign a few players to lucrative multiyear deals when the Phils aren't certain about where their building blocks will be in a couple of years. How does Jeremy Hellickson help the Phillies next season? -- Jimmy C., Philadelphia. Simply put, Hellickson provides depth to the rotation. He is a veteran, but he also is just 28. So it isn't like Hellickson is at the tail end of his career. He went 22-27 with a 4.86 ERA in 72 appearances (71 starts) the previous three seasons. That isn't good -- consider that Aaron Harang posted a 4.86 ERA last season -- but the Phillies are rolling the dice, hoping that Hellickson can have a bounce-back year as he enters free agency. If he does, great. If he doesn't, they didn't lose much by trying. The Phillies didn't commit to more than one year of Hellickson. Based on Twitter and email, fans seemed to respond pretty positively to this acquisition. The ones that didn't either want the Phils to go out and get pitchers like Zack Greinke (which makes no sense, in my opinion -- see my answer to the first question) or they believe Philadelphia should be able to acquire young, controllable aces by Klentak performing some sort of Jedi mind trick on opposing GMs. That just isn't reality. Is trading Ken Giles this offseason really a good idea? I know he could net a huge return, but what if the Phillies pull a miraculous worst-to-first and make the World Series next year? Who's going to nail down that ninth inning? Would he be as good as Giles? -- Brett L., Broomall, Pa. First, trading anybody is a good idea if the return is right. It's not like the Phillies are going to trade Giles for a marginal player. They would only trade him if they believe they are getting a significant return. In my opinion, it's negligent not to be open to those possibilities. Second, you have to play the percentages here. You don't stop yourself from trading somebody on the very, very small chance the Phillies go from worst to first. In that scenario, nearly everything would have to go much better than expected next season. And if everything goes much better than expected, it probably means they already found somebody to replace Giles. I wouldn't worry about it. Giles won't get traded unless the Phils like the return. I've never been to Clearwater. Is it worth a trip this spring? -- Chelsea D., Philadelphia. Absolutely. Spring Training is fun for fans, regardless of the team's expectations. Clearwater, Fla., is a great place to visit in March. The ballpark is fantastic, and there is something cool about leaving home and being surrounded by fellow Phillies fans. Did I mention the weather and the fact the ballpark is great? Just make sure to get a grouper sandwich at Frenchy's while you're there.

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.

2015: A Make Or Break Year For Many

PHILS PHACTS:

Utley Staying Put – Chase Utley has not changed his mind. Not yet anyway. The veteran second baseman said Monday afternoon at Bright House Field that he still has no desire to waive his no-trade rights and play for anybody other than the Phillies. It has been a topic of conversation for months, especially since December when the Phillies traded Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers. Rollins said repeatedly for more than a year he had no desire to leave Philadelphia, but he heard the Phillies' front office talk about rebuilding for 2017 or 2018 and decided he had a better chance to win a World Series elsewhere. Why would Utley, 36, want to stay and possibly spend the final years of his career in a rebuilding effort? "I really enjoy playing with this organization," he said. "They've done a lot for me, personally, and put together some pretty good teams over the years. So I have a lot of respect for the people making decisions. They've always put together a great bunch of guys. We made it work out. We've had some great opportunities over the years and I respect that." But those warm and fuzzy feelings about Philadelphia came with a caveat. "For as much respect as I have for the organization, if they ever came to me and asked me, I would have to listen," he said. "But I don't think much will change." Utley opens his 13th season with the Phillies toeing the line and saying publicly he believes the Phillies can compete. They certainly need him to be healthy and productive to have a shot at that. Utley's knees have been an issue in the past. He said they feel fine. But he revealed Monday he sprained his right ankle in January, when he stepped awkwardly on a baseball. It is an issue entering camp. "That kind of put a wrinkle in things," Utley said. "I'm still kind of dealing with it right now. It's improved dramatically over the past two weeks, but it's still not perfect. Early in the camp, I'm still going to take care of it. Last thing I want to do is do too much on it. Range of motion is almost there. The strength is not quite where I want it to be. The last thing I want to do is compensate for it and set off some type of chain reaction." If Utley is ready to start the season, he will be hitting third, but the Phillies would welcome more production. His .755 OPS in the No. 3 hole last season ranked 18th out of 20 hitters with 400 or more plate appearances in that spot. Runs could be extremely difficult to find in 2015. That is just one reason why the Phillies are not expected to contend, which could have Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon and possibly Ryan Howard headed elsewhere before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. If that happens, then maybe Utley listens to a trade proposal. "I think it would change some things," he said. Utley probably listens anyway. "You're going to a hypothetical situation there, so it's hard to really say," he said. "But I have so much respect for the organization that I wouldn't completely push Ruben [Amaro Jr.] away and say, 'Absolutely not. I'm not even going to hear it.' I would listen to him out of respect for him and the entire organization and kind of go from there. I want nothing more than to play for this organization for as long as I can. "It's going to look a little bit different than it has in the past. I'm looking forward to getting going, working with some guys, and looking to improve. I think we have a much better team than people think."

Fresh Year? – Ryan Howard appeared to be in fine spirits Monday afternoon at Bright House Field. He would not have been blamed for being morose. Howard had an interesting offseason. He settled an ugly legal battle with his family. He not only learned the Phillies wanted to trade him to help their rebuilding efforts, but he heard general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. say on Philadelphia radio he told Howard they would be better without him. Ouch. Howard declined to speak to reporters on the eve of the team's first full-squad workout Tuesday at Carpenter Complex. But Howard is here and will try to prove his doubters wrong. "It's a new season, a fresh year for him," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I had a good talk with him about working on his complete game, defensively, running and getting all that in, and I think that will help him with his whole game as well as his offense. It's not about working on one thing and being one dimensional, it's about working on his whole game. And so with the way that he looks, it should be a good camp for him." Sandberg said he does not expect the speculation about Howard's future to bother him. "He's a professional and like everyone," Sandberg said. "He's in camp to get ready for a season, get in the best shape possible and get ready to go to help us win. Whatever else happens is on the business side of things and there's nothing you can do about that."

Is This A Make Or Break Year? – If Domonic Brown is concerned about his future in Philadelphia, he kept those thoughts to himself Monday at Bright House Field. Brown will open the season as the Phillies' right fielder, but with plenty to prove following a poor 2014 campaign. He made the 2013 National League All-Star team, but hit just .235 with 10 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .634 OPS in 144 games last season. His OPS ranked 139th out of 147 qualified hitters in baseball. "I don't know what they've got planned for me, man," Brown said. "I think I know myself a little better every single year. I looked at last year as a learning experience as well. Even though I had some struggles, I think I ended the season on a decent note." Brown cited a poor May for skewing his overall numbers. He hit .146 with a .503 OPS that month. He hit .250 with a .686 OPS after the All-Star break. If he had posted a .686 OPS the entire season, it would have ranked 122nd in baseball. But Brown is getting a chance to play because the Phillies need to see if he can be the player they saw in 2013, when he hit .272 with 27 homers, 83 RBIs and an .818 OPS. If he is, then they know they have a right fielder for the foreseeable future. If not, then they know they need to look elsewhere. "I really don't even put that in my mind," Brown said about his future in Philadelphia. "We'll see what happens. That's part of the business as well. All I can do is prepare myself every day to be a Philadelphia Phillie until I get traded." Brown returns to right field after the Phils traded Marlon Byrd to the Reds. "I'm not even getting into it," Brown said, asked if a position change could make him more comfortable on the field. "Wherever I'm at, I'm going to have fun playing, wherever I am on the baseball field. Is it going to get me more comfortable at the plate? I really don't know. I have a really different mindset this year, and that's going out and having a lot of fun. I know what my ability [is]. I'm going to do what I'm [capable of doing]." Brown said he and his teammates have not been on the "same page" recently. He would not elaborate, other than to say the "Phillie Way is playing hard, running balls out, taking the extra base." He would not say if those players remain in the clubhouse. He only would say he wants to win. "That's my biggest goal," Brown said. "Whether I'm sitting on the bench or playing every single day, it really doesn't matter. I'm going out there and I'm making sure that I'm going to give my team a chance to win a ballgame."

Dugan’s Latest Tough Break – Phillies outfielder Kelly Dugan cannot catch a break. Dugan, who was selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, strolled through the Phillies' clubhouse Monday morning at Bright House Field with a walking boot on his right foot. He sustained a mild stress reaction while running sprints recently. Dugan is expected to be sidelined at least a couple of weeks, which includes another four or five days in the boot. Dugan, 24, has sustained a rash of injuries over the years, including a staph infection in 2009. He had a stress fracture in his back in '10-11, which limited him to 75 games. Turf toe removed Dugan from the '13 Arizona Fall League, then an oblique injury sidelined him early last season, before he ended the year with a broken foot. When healthy, Dugan has been productive. He posted an .818 OPS in 290 plate appearances last season with Double-A Reading, and he has an .819 OPS in six Minor League seasons.

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.