The Rumbling Has Already Started

PHILS PHACTS:

A Little Too Close – The Phillies expect big things this season from Maikel Franco. They also expect him to be in camp Tuesday morning at Bright House Field, just in time to take a physical before the team's first full-squad workout at Carpenter Complex. Every player is in camp other than Franco and pitcher Yoervis Medina, who has visa issues. But Franco is not late, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I'm not going to be critical of anybody who doesn't come early," Mackanin said. "If we wanted guys to come two weeks ago, we should have a longer Spring Training. He's in for a long season. He played winter ball. Whenever he gets here, as long as he's here when he's supposed to be, I'm fine with it. I'm not going to nitpick that. He's not that kind of guy, but if he turns lazy and he doesn't work like he always does, then I have an issue. But he's going to work hard." Franco is within his rights not to arrive until Tuesday's workout. In fact, according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are not required to report to Spring Training more than 33 days before the start of the regular season. That would make the deadline March 1. But Franco's absence Monday raised eyebrows among some in the organization, because he is a young player entering his first full season in the big leagues and because the Phillies have such high hopes for him. No player in recent memory has waited until the morning of the team's first full-squad workout to report to camp. Jimmy Rollins, Bobby Abreu and Ryan Howard were often the last players to arrive in camp, but always at least a day before the first workout. Howard dropped off a few things Saturday at Bright House Field and took his physical Monday. He worked out with the team afterward. "I'll be disappointed if during the season [Franco] doesn't hustle, or if during the season he does something where he doesn't show a great work ethic," Mackanin said. "He has a great work ethic. That's the one thing about him. He comes out early every day to take extra ground balls around 3 o'clock at home. He's willing to work and he has a strong work ethic. As long as he plays hard, hustles and continues to prepare for games properly, I have no issues." Franco, 23, hit .280 with 14 home runs, 22 doubles, one triple, 50 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 335 plate appearances last season.

Trying To Find Room – Pete Mackanin and Ryan Howard could have the "talk" Tuesday at Bright House Field. Mackanin is expected to tell Howard that he has a considerable challenge ahead of him. Howard still believes he should play every day, but he needs to hit left-handed pitchers much better to warrant playing time against them. If Howard cannot, Darin Ruf will see action. "He's read and seen and heard what I've said," Mackanin said about Howard on Monday at Bright House Field. "I think he's ready for it, and I think he's willing to show that he deserves to be in there every day." This is expected to be Howard's final Spring Training with the Phillies. He is entering the final season of a five-year, $125 million contract. He will make $25 million this season, plus he is expected to receive a $10 million buyout on a 2017 club option. Howard is one of the more interesting storylines in camp. The Phillies have been trying to trade him for the past of couple years, but they've been unsuccessful despite agreeing to pay most of his salary. And one offseason after he was involved in a lawsuit with his family, Howard is suing the TV network Al Jazeera following a December report that linked him to performance-enhancing drugs. But Howard's fit on a rebuilding team will be a topic of conversation for some time. He posted an .802 OPS against righties, but just a .418 OPS against lefties last season. Howard's OPS against righties ranked 55th out of 140 qualified hitters, but his OPS against lefties would have been the lowest in the big leagues by 47 points, if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. Conversely, Ruf's 1.107 OPS against lefties would have tied Nelson Cruz for the best in baseball, if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. "Ryan might have a big year this year and get another contract for all I know," said Mackanin, when asked why Howard deserves playing time on a rebuilding team. "I'd like to see that happen, because if that happens, we're going to be a much better team." Howard showed up at camp Saturday to drop off a few things at his locker. He took his physical Monday and worked out with the team before its first official full-squad workout Tuesday. Howard could speak to reporters Tuesday afternoon. "It was good to see him," Mackanin said. "I knew he would come in in shape, and he had a big smile on his face as usual. He's ready to go. The thing I like most about Ryan is he posts up every day. He comes to play." Ruf's playing time: How much playing time could Ruf see this season? "At this point, knowing the personnel we're going to have on the field, his best chance right now would be against left-handed pitchers," Mackanin said. "I don't foresee any way to play him on a daily basis. However, with an injury, a trade, anything might happen. I'd like to get him 500 at-bats against all pitchers, but at this point, it doesn't look likely unless there is an injury." Another big talk: Mackanin will address the team before Tuesday's workout. It will be his first Spring Training address as a big league manager. "I'm formulating that right now," said Mackanin when asked about what he might say. "Try to win as many games as you can. Basically, compete and give it your best shot. The best man's going to win. ... You know, I gave a motivational speech one time and I got carried away and then the bell went off and I realized I forgot to practice. My speech went so long that we didn't do anything. It was a good speech though. So I'm going to keep it short and sweet." J-Roll signs: Former Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins signed a Minor League contract with the White Sox. Mackanin said he was not "overly surprised" Rollins could not land a Major League contract. Chase Utley signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Dodgers despite hitting .202 with a .654 OPS last season. Rollins hit .224 with a .643 OPS, but remains a better player defensively. "He's probably lost a step," Mackanin said about Rollins. "He's still a solid player. But, actually, other than saying I'm not surprised is all I can say."

Today In Phils History - While there isn't much to report, it is worth noting that on this day in 1979, the Phillies acquired a couple of key pieces in Manny Trillo and Greg Gross from the Cubs. 

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!

Nice Competition To Round Out Rotation

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Will Be #5? – It finally feels like a new beginning. Phillies pitchers and catchers hold their first workout Thursday at Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Fla., and for the first time in a long time there will be no speculation or predictions about when Phillies veterans will be traded. Jimmy Rollins is more than a year removed from Philadelphia. Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and Jake Diekman got traded last summer. Cliff Lee's contract expired. Only Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz remain from the 2008 World Series championship team, and they are in the final year of their contracts. This spring truly will be about the future: young players trying to establish themselves and prospects trying to live up to the hype and make their big league debuts before the end of the season. The Phillies have seven prospects in MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list. Six of them will be in spring camp. But Spring Training will be more than young players getting the opportunity to play. The Phillies have jobs up for grabs, too. Perhaps the most interesting battle will be for the team's No. 5 starter. The Phillies could use a good one. Eight pitchers no longer with the Phillies posted a combined 5.21 ERA in 97 starts last season. Holdovers David Buchanan (6.99 ERA in 15 starts), Severino Gonzalez (7.92 ERA in seven starts) and Alec Asher (9.31 ERA in seven starts) also struggled. Those 11 pitchers had a combined 5.70 ERA in 126 starts (77.8 percent of their games). Remove Hamels from the equation, and 10 Phillies pitchers posted a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts (65.4 percent of their games). That's right: a 6.19 ERA. The Phillies believe they will have better starting pitching in 2016. They believe veterans Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton have more upside than recently departed veterans Aaron Harang (4.86 ERA in 29 starts) and Jerome Williams (5.80 ERA in 33 appearances). They believe Aaron Nola (3.59 ERA in 13 starts) and Jerad Eickhoff (2.65 ERA in eight starts) can improve upon their rookie seasons. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has said Hellickson, Morton, Nola and Eickhoff are heavy favorites for the first four jobs. So who's got No. 5? Right-hander Vincent Velasquez is the favorite. He was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade in December. The Phillies would love to see him assert himself in Spring Training and win the job outright. But if Velasquez is not ready, left-hander Brett Oberholtzer would be next in line. He has a 3.94 ERA in 45 appearances (42 starts) over the past three seasons with Houston. He is out of options, which means he should find a spot on the pitching staff somewhere. Left-hander Adam Morgan had a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts last season. He could push Velasquez and Oberholtzer. Top prospects Jake Thompson, Mark Appel and Zach Eflin will be in camp, but each is expected to open the season in Triple-A. Buchanan, Asher and Gonzalez also will be in camp, but they would really have to outpitch Velasquez, Oberholtzer and Morgan to win a job. "I hope they all do pitch well," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "It puts us in the position where we have to make tough decisions about who's in the rotation, who's in the bullpen and who's in Triple-A. But that's baseball. That was part of the goal, to bring in players -- young, veteran, groundball types, fly ball types, strike-throwing types, etc. -- a good mix that will allow us to create a competition that will build out a rotation, a bullpen and five guys in Triple-A who will provide depth for us." Having a competent starter in the No. 5 spot could help tremendously. Consider for a moment that Hamels (3.64 ERA in 20 starts), Morgan, Nola and Eickhoff made a combined 56 starts last season. The Phillies went 28-28 in those games, despite scoring the fourth-fewest runs in baseball. "I think we should be competitive every night," Klentak said. "If you can pitch, you have a chance to win every night. And I think we've improved our pitching." Pitchers and catchers first workout: Feb. 18. First full-squad workout: Feb. 23. First Spring Training game: Blue Jays at Phillies, March 1 at 1:05 p.m. ET. Opening Day: Phillies at Reds, April 4 at 4:10 p.m.

Today In Phils History - In 1953, the Phillies completed a 4 team trade that eventually landed them Earl Torgeson from Milwaukee. The team parted ways with Bake McBride on this day in 1982. Cole Hamels appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2009. 5 years later, after sitting out the entire 2013 season, the Phillies signed Bobby Abreu to a minor league contract. And, finally, Hall of Famer Billy Hamilton was born on this day 150 years ago... happy birthday! 

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!

Dutch Is Back After Two Year Battle!

PHILS PHACTS:

Dutch For The Win – Darren Daulton looked and sounded like himself Sunday morning at Bright House Field. He looked tan. He smiled easily. He spoke optimistically about the future. Daulton, who led the 1993 Phillies to the National League pennant, announced recently he is cancer free after battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, since 2013. "I feel good," he said. "I don't know how lucky we are, but it's pretty cool." Daulton has an open invitation to be an instructor at Spring Training as his health permits. It did not sound like he was ready for that, but he was happy Sunday to be at the ballpark on a warm sunny day, watching the Phillies prepare for a new season. "Is there any way I can get a three-year contract right now, with big money?" he joked. Daulton said he got the good news Friday, when he visited his doctor. His doctor smiled when he came through the door. That is when he knew he was cancer-free. "I still have problems talking," said Daulton, who had been working on TV and radio in Philadelphia prior to the diagnosis. "So I can't go on the air like I used to. If I get tired, then I have problems. But I feel good. Just every now and then, I have problems, 'What were we just talking about?' "I've been hanging out with a lot of people from Philadelphia that have similar problems. It just happens, and it happens to different people. I just try to say the right things. There have been a couple that have passed away. It would be nice if everybody didn't have to deal with this cancer situation." Daulton dealt with it and he beat it. He is one of the fortunate ones.

Filling In The Two Hole – The Phillies had one of the least productive offenses in baseball last year, and after trading Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd in the offseason, things might not be any easier in 2015. It is tough to figure out a lineup without Rollins and Byrd. It is early, but Ben Revere figures to hit first. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard could hit third and fourth, respectively. But if that holds true, who hits second? Grady Sizemore could hit there, but that would give the Phillies four consecutive left-handed hitters. Carlos Ruiz could hit second, but then who hits behind Howard? "It is early, but Freddy [Galvis] is a switch-hitter," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He could be a plus there if playing that type of game. Cesar Hernandez down the road, if he happened to be on the team sometime in the summer time, he could be a candidate. Chooch [Ruiz] has had some success there with his ability to use the whole field and is a right-handed bat. Sizemore, depending on who's hitting leadoff and who's pitching that day. There's some options there. I haven't penciled in any lineups yet obviously, but there's some options." One problem is the Phillies have few right-handed bats other than Ruiz, Darin Ruf, Maikel Franco and Jeff Francoeur, who is a non-roster invitee. So Sandberg has to be careful with where he places them so there isn't a string of left-handers hitting in succession, making life easier for opposing managers in the late innings.

Rollins’ Replacement – Freddy Galvis swears he cannot remember the moment he heard the Phillies traded Jimmy Rollins. It would seem to be a momentous occasion. Because when the Phillies traded Rollins to the Dodgers in December for Minor League pitchers Zach Eflin and Tom Windle, Galvis became the organization's first everyday shortstop other than Rollins since Desi Relaford in 2000. It is a role Rollins held from 2001-14, when he became the greatest shortstop in franchise history and surpassed Mike Schmidt to become the franchise's hits leader. No pressure, Freddy. "Jimmy was Jimmy," Galvis said. "Jimmy was the man here in Philadelphia. But you have to come here and play baseball. I have to do my game. I don't have to do Jimmy's game. I have to do Freddy Galvis' game and play ball." But what kind of game can Galvis bring? He is a fine defensive shortstop, so the pitchers should appreciate him. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg loves his energy and praises his instincts. But a good glove, enthusiasm and instincts cannot help a hitter at the plate. Galvis has hit a combined .218 with a .621 OPS in 550 plate appearances with the Phils from 2012-14. He has hit a combined .253 with a .646 OPS in eight Minor League seasons. Galvis, 25, just hit .250 with 12 doubles, one triple, one home run, 18 RBIs and a .652 OPS in 51 games in Winter Ball in Venezuela. The Phillies probably would take similar production from Galvis in 2015. They might even take the numbers he put up in 2013, when he hit .234 with five doubles, four triples, six home runs, 19 RBIs and a .668 OPS in 222 plate appearances. "It's more a mindset than ability," Sandberg said. "I think you start with a .250 batting average with a guy like Freddy. He's athletic. He knows how to play the game. He knows the game situations. Hand-eye coordination. It's a mentality of getting [his swing] too big. He has to be reminded when he does turn on a ball and pop on a ball and hit a home run to the pull side, it happened because he had a good approach." Galvis is not expected to be the Phils' long-term solution at shortstop. J.P. Crawford not only is the top prospect in the organization, but MLB.com considers him the 21st best prospect in baseball. Many scouts around baseball believe he could be something special. But Crawford, 20, is at least a year away from making his big league debut. In the meantime, Galvis will have the opportunity to prove he can bring more than his glove and guile to the field. The Phillies hope he can. They are incredibly thin at shortstop behind Galvis. A short-term, in-game replacement could be Cesar Hernandez. If something would happen to Galvis long term -- he has suffered back and collarbone injuries the past three seasons with a PED suspension and staph infection in his left knee thrown in -- non-roster invitees Andres Blanco and Chase d'Arnaud could play there regularly. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said they will evaluate their depth at shortstop throughout camp and could find help elsewhere, if necessary. "I don't think I have to fill anybody's shoes," Galvis said. "I just have to do my game. Jimmy had a different game. He was a speedy guy. Jimmy was good. He was a good player. He was a good guy to me. He was like a father to me. He always taught me how to play the game, how to be ready for the game, so I always listened to him. "I feel ready for the opportunity. I was waiting for it. I didn't know if, at some point, it could come."

Asche At Third – Much has been made this spring about Phillies third baseman Cody Asche working in left field. Versatility defensively could help Asche in the future, especially if Maikel Franco fulfills his promise and the Phillies want him to be the regular at third. But while Asche is getting some work in left, manager Ryne Sandberg said Sunday it is unlikely Asche gets a lot of work there. Sandberg said he wants Asche spending "95, 96 percent of his time on being ready to play third base on Opening Day." Franco is going to get a look this spring, but he is expected to open the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, so he can continue his development and get at-bats on an everyday basis. Barring something unforeseen, Asche will be the everyday third baseman to start the season. Asche hit .252 with 25 doubles, 10 home runs, 46 RBIs and a .699 OPS last season. The Phillies want to see if he can improve upon that as they build for the future. "He's getting the basic fundamentals in left field," Sandberg said of Asche. "I don't know if somewhere in the spring he gets one game under his belt at the Minor League level. That remains to be seen, but that's a possibility. I want him to be ready to play third base Opening 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.