Giles Greeted By New Look Phillies

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Astros 5-4

Nobody knows where it will go once the regular season starts, but the Phillies are showing some pop in their bats this spring. Cesar Hernandez hit a leadoff home run in the first inning in Sunday afternoon's 5-4 victory over the Astros in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. It was Hernandez's first homer of the spring and the Phillies' 29th. They entered the afternoon with the second-most home runs of any team in Spring Training. Hernandez finished the day with three hits and three RBIs. He singled to drive in Cedric Hunter in the fifth and doubled to score David Lough in the seventh. Hernandez scored the game-winning run on a safety squeeze by Freddy Galvis later in the seventh. The Phillies scored twice in the fifth inning against Ken Giles, who is Houston's likely closer. It was the first time Giles faced the Phillies since they traded him in December. Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who is in line to start Opening Day, allowed no hits and three walks and struck out six in five scoreless innings. Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, who is battling for a job on the team, allowed two hits and one run and struck out five in four innings. The Astros took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning when Colby Rasmus hit a three-run home run to right field off Phillies reliever Hector Neris.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera has not played since March 12 because of a bruised left finger. He said he plans to hit again Tuesday. Mackanin said the Phillies are being "very careful with him," which makes sense because they are very thin in the outfield without Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. "We're going to give him time to get 100 percent," Mackanin said. "He's a big part of our offense, and we don't want to take any chances with him. He'll be ready for the opener."
• The Phillies have had two successful squeezes in the last two games. Charlie Morton executed a safety squeeze Friday and Freddy Galvis executed a suicide squeeze to score the game-winning run in the seventh Sunday. "That's the kind of offense we're going to have to utilize," Mackanin said. "We're going to have to do a lot of different things to make the other team nervous."
• Left-handers Daniel Stumpf (4.00 ERA) and Bobby LaFromboise (0.00 ERA) each threw a scoreless inning. Both are competing for a bullpen job.
• The Phillies celebrated Alumni Day before the game, honoring former Phillies like Darren Daulton, Dick Allen, Dave Cash and Ron Clark.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Aaron Nola is scheduled to start Monday's Game against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. ET. The game can be heard with a free, live exclusive webcast on MLB.com. Nola is on schedule to start the second game of the season and the home opener April 11. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Facing A Former Phillie – Ken Giles flashed a smile and shook a few hands on Sunday morning at Bright House Field. A couple hours later his fastball flashed 101 mph on the scoreboard. During the Phillies' 5-4 win on Sunday, Giles faced his former team for the first time since it traded him to Houston in December. The Phillies sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five pitchers: right-handers Vince Velasquez, Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. Velasquez is the favorite to be the team's No. 5 starter, while Oberholtzer is expected to open the season in the bullpen. "I think it's great," Giles said about being the key piece in a seven-player trade. "I didn't think I was that valuable to begin with because I'm just a reliever. Nobody thinks a reliever is that valuable. The market's changed for a reliever. I feel humbled that they thought of me as that valuable, and hopefully both teams get the best benefit." Giles seemed a little fired up to face the Phillies. His first pitch to J.P. Arencibia, who led off the fifth, hit 101 mph. But the Phillies still got him for two runs. Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel hit a 99 mph fastball to center field for a one-out single. Pinch-hitter Cedric Hunter then hit an 86 mph slider for a two-out double down the right-field line to score Goeddel to make it 2-0. Cesar Hernandez followed, hitting a 97 mph fastball to left field for a single to score Hunter. "They said he throws hard," Goeddel said. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin liked the fact Goeddel squared up the fastball from Giles because he had been tardy on them lately. "I was just trying to get on top of something," Goeddel said. "You've got to hit the fastball in this game to be successful. I've been trying to shorten everything up." "He's been working on a little flaw in his mechanics," Mackanin said. "It was good to see. "I like Hunter a lot. He's an aggressive hitter. The guy comes up there to do damage. I like aggressive hitters. We've tried with a few guys the past few years to be aggressive early in the count, but they haven't been. They're starting to get the hint." Hernandez went 3-for-4 with one double, one home run and three RBIs. He is hitting .390 (16-for-41) with three doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBIs this spring. "Thank God it's gone well," Hernandez said about his spring through Arencibia, who translated for him. "I'm a lot more relaxed. Now I understand I'm an everyday player so I know I'm going to be out there every day."

Ready For Opening Day? – Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is on target to start Opening Day. The Phillies have made no official announcement, but Hellickson's pitching schedule lines up with an Opening Day start on April 4 against the Reds in Cincinnati. He allowed no hits, three walks and struck out six in five scoreless innings Sunday in a 5-4 victory over the Astros at Bright House Field and is scheduled to pitch Friday and again March 30. Aaron Nola is on schedule to start the second game of the regular season, which would put him on track to start the home opener April 11 against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. "We're not going to commit to anything right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We haven't said anything to anybody." Hellickson, 28, would love the opportunity. "The first dream is to make it [to the big leagues]. The other one is to be the Opening Day starter," he said. "Either way it doesn't matter, but it would be an honor." Sunday was Hellickson's first start in a Grapefruit League game since March 4. He missed some time because of the flu and then had Saturday's start against the Blue Jays rained out. "It's been an odd schedule, but I got four innings in a Minor League game (March 13)," Hellickson said. "But it felt like forever since I pitched up here." Hellickon said his goal this spring is simple: return to the way he pitched earlier in his career. He went 27-21 with a 3.06 ERA in 70 appearances (64 starts) the first three years of his career, which included winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2011. But he is 22-27 with a 4.86 ERA in 72 appearances (71 starts) in three seasons since. "I think I was giving in to guys too easy," he said. "I was throwing a lot of 2-0 fastballs, 2-1 fastballs. If I walk a guy, I walk a guy. It's just not giving in anymore. If I locate my fastball it's a different story. I just couldn't get my fastball down when I needed to. I was getting hurt a lot with guys in scoring position. My first couple years if I walked a guy on a 3-1 changeup, I'll just went after the next guy."

Starter Moves To Bullpen – Brett Oberholtzer can read between the lines. But he can read the Phillies' pitching schedule, too. He will pitch back-to-back games as a reliever later this week, which is a good indication he will open the season in the bullpen. "I guess the writing is on the wall," Oberholtzer said Sunday morning at Bright House Field. "Literally." Oberholtzer, 26, is out of options, so he had a guaranteed spot on the Opening Day roster. The Phillies acquired him in the Ken Giles trade in December, so they obviously had no plans of losing him. But the storyline entering Spring Training is that he had a chance to be the Phillies' No. 5 starter because he has a 3.84 ERA in 42 big league starts. The Phillies need quality starters. Phillies starters not named Cole Hamels, Adam Morgan,Aaron Nola or Jerad Eickhoff posted a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts last season. That cannot happen again. But while everybody acknowledged Oberholtzer deserved consideration to start, the belief remained that he would open in the bullpen because of his versatility and because the Phillies also liked Vince Velasquez and Morgan. Oberholtzer threw eight scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action, plus three scoreless innings in a Minor League game, while Velasquez has a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings -- including allowing just one run and striking out seven in his last start, which saw him go five innings -- and Morgan has a 2.00 ERA in nine innings, plus five scoreless innings in a Minor League game. Velasquez or Morgan will be the Phillies' No. 5, assuming Jeremy Hellickson, Nola, Charlie Morton and Eickhoff open the season healthy. Oberholtzer said he is OK with the situation. "Absolutely," he said. "Once the roster is set and we head up to Philly, there's going to be moves just because guys get hurt and things happen. For me, it's just go out there and be prepared for any role." Oberholtzer could be the first option to start should somebody get injured early in the season. Because of his versatility, he has experience with having his role fluctuate throughout the season. "I've been in the bullpen and up and down and used in different roles at different times, so I've been accustomed to not throwing, throwing, different schedules and all that stuff," Oberholtzer said. "It's just really getting used to a routine and going about it that way. Being prepared to be used every other day or every day, three innings, maybe one batter. I for sure think I have the mentality for it. To be able to go out there and get outs whenever my name is called. But again there's nothing that's set in stone." Nothing is official, but Oberholtzer also has been around long enough to know what's happening. "I haven't gotten a start officially," he said. "So yeah, I feel like I kind of got the hint that maybe it's the role they're using me in."

Lucky Play – Ryan Howard turned an unassisted double play during Sunday's Phillies-Astros Grapefruit League game. Now, there are two ways it could've gone down. If you watch the clip, it looks like Howard dropped Colby Rasmus' fourth-inning liner by accident, and then haphazardly turned it into an unassisted double play amid the chaos and confusion at first. And that may very well have been the case. Or, it could've all been part of his plan. After all, Howard's played almost 1,400 MLB games at first. He's fielded a lot of liners. He could've flubbed the catch on purpose, knowing he'd be able to nab Carlos Correa taking off for second. He could be a master of deception. Either way, he ended the inning, so it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. But whichever you believe probably says a lot about you as a person, just saying. 

Today In Phils History - In a bipolar show of affection the Phillies honored Robin Roberts with a cocktail party to retire his number the same night following an exhibition game during which they roughed him up but lost to his new team, the Yankees. 15 years later, the Phillies paid their respects to cross Commonwealth rival Roberto Clemente by traveling to Puerto Rico to play a two-game exhibition series against the Pirates to benefit sports programs honoring the late superstar. Finally, it was 2 years ago today when Freddy Galvis was diagnosed with an infection form antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing Galvis to be placed on the DL and the Phillies having to disinfect the entire clubhouse.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 13-5-2 record (14-5-2 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!

Restocked System Shows Potential

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Master Farmville – The objective of all Major League franchises is to compete for a World Series title. The reality, of course, is that it can't happen for every team every season. When a team isn't competing, it usually means it's rebuilding time, or they become "sellers," especially during the Trade Deadline and the offseason. Depending on the state of the organization, the hope may be for a quick turnaround, or there could be a long-range plan in place. As the calendar is about to flip to 2016, a bit of retrospection is in order. In the past year, some teams have improved their farm systems more than others. The following list of the five most improved farm systems in 2015 was compiled considering all methods of player acquisition: trade, Draft, international signing, even the Rule 5 Draft. This isn't a ranking of the top farm systems; that's something that will come in the New Year after the new prospects rankings come out. Atlanta Braves: When John Hart was hired by the Braves as the president of baseball operations, after he served the team as a consultant for the 2014 season, one of his first orders of business was to rebuild a once-proud farm system. Atlanta used to thrive annually because of homegrown players, and it was seen as essential to get back to the "Braves way" of doing things. John Coppolella, now the team's general manager, worked in step with Hart to do just that, and no team has done more to restock the prospect shelves. Starting with the trade that brought Manny Baneulos from the Yankees on Jan. 1 and ending with the blockbuster Shelby Miller deal that netted them Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair, the Braves added no fewer than 12 players to their current Top 30 list via the trade market. And that doesn't include the Jason Heyward or Justin Upton trades completed last December, nor does it include graduated prospect Mike Foltynewicz from the January Evan Gattis trade. And Hector Olivera doesn't count as a prospect according to MLBPipeline.com guidelines (we use the same rules that govern the international spending pool). The big deals from this offseason brought in three sure-fire Top 100 caliber players in Swanson and Blair from the Miller deal and lefty Sean Newcomb in the Andrelton Simmons trade. Had that been it, the Braves would still make this list. But then their 2015 Draft haul has to be considered. Not only did the Braves go bold by taking Kolby Allard, an injured high school lefty who had top of the round potential, in the first round, they also added young high school talent (the old Braves way again) with Mike Soroka, Austin Riley and Lucas Herbert. Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies made most of their noise at the Trade Deadline and during this offseason, breathing some much needed life into a weak system. Two trades -- the Cole Hamels deal in July and the Ken Giles one this winter -- brought in six players in their current Top 30, including four of the top five. When Hamels was sent to the Texas Rangers, the Phillies were able to add Jake Thompson, Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro, all in the current Top 100 list, along with Alec Asher, who made his big league debut in 2015. The bounty for Giles was Mark Appel (Top 100) and Thomas Eshelman (2015 draftee), both in the current Phillies' Top 30. Vincent Velasquez graduated off prospect lists late this past season, so he technically doesn't count, but he was a top 100 prospect prior to his big league time with Houston. Other trades brought in more talent: Ben Revere netted Alberto Tirado and Jimmy Cordero; Chase Utley's return was Darnell Sweeney and John Richy; Jonathan Papelbon brought in Nick Pavetta. That's 10 Top 30 players (Cordero isn't in the Top 30) via trades. Throw in Cornelius Randolph and Scott Kingery from the Draft, Tyler Goeddel from the Rule 5 Draft and Jhailyn Ortiz, MLBPipeline.com's No. 8 international prospect whom the Phillies signed for north of $4 million, and the Phillies aren't far behind the Braves in terms of restocking success. Milwaukee Brewers: The best deal for the Brewers may have been the one they didn't make at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. When the reported trade sending Carlos Gomez to the Mets fell through, they ended up making an even better deal, at least in terms of rebuilding their farm system, with the Astros. It brought in four prospects that landed in their Top 30, including Top 100 prospects Domingo Santana (since graduated) and Brett Phillips. Josh Hader should join them after a strong season and even stronger Arizona Fall League campaign. Adrian Houser threw well following the trade, too. Zach Davies came in a Deadline deal as well, from Baltimore in return for Gerardo Parra, and he made six starts in the big leagues at the end of the year. That gave the Brewers immediate return in both deals, with Davies and Santana both looking like members of the 2016 Opening Day roster, along with some future star-caliber prospects. Smaller deals at the start of the year (Yovani Gallardo) and at the very end (Jason Rogers) also netted Top 30-caliber prospects, but aside from the Gomez deal, it was the 2015 Draft that has helped restock the prospect shelves the most. The successful haul brought in four Top 30 players, with the Brewers getting high-ceiling talent like Trent Clark and Demi Orimoloye as well as intriguing college arms like Nathan Kirby (a first-round talent who had injury issues) and Cody Ponce. Add in the advancement of homegrown players like Orlando Arcia and Jorge Lopez and the Brewers have turned around their pipeline as quickly as any team. Cincinnati Reds: The trading of Aroldis Chapman was the icing on the Reds' rebuilding cake. From the Trade Deadline through the Chapman deal, Cincinnati dealt four players to bring in a dozen new young players. Some have already seen time on the Reds' Major League roster (Brandon Finnegan and John Lamb from the Johnny Cueto deal; Adam Duvall from the Mike Leake trade). Some should help out at the start of the 2016 season (Jose Peraza and Scott Schebler from the Todd Frazier deal). Coming soon might be the best player netted in any of the Reds' trades, lefty Cody Reed, who was in the Cueto deal and is coming off a breakout 2015 campaign. The Chapman trade gave the Reds a potential replacement for Frazier at third eventually in Eric Jagielo and an intriguing arm in Rookie Davis among the quartet of young players received. In addition to all of the trades, the Reds had a very strong Draft haul in June, adding five players to their current Top 30 list, headlined by high school catcher Tyler Stephenson. Cincy even used the Rule 5 Draft to bring in an intriguing player, outfielder Jake Cave, and the club is also considered the favorites to land Cuban infielder Alfredo Rodriguez. Considering the success the organization has had in that market (See Chapman, Aroldis and Iglesias, Raisel), that should be seen as a major addition if and when it occurs. Colorado Rockies: Any time you trade a cornerstone player like Troy Tulowitzki, the hope is to bring in an infusion of young talent to help rebuild. The Rockies did just that in bringing in three arms with big-league futures. Jeff Hoffman is the best of the trio and the one who has the chance to be a true frontline starter. Miguel Castro has Major League time, and as a closer at that. Jesus Tinoco is the farthest away, but he had a very impressive full-season debut. Besides the Tulo trade, the 2015 Draft helped the Rockies turn the farm system in the right direction. Five members of the team's current Top 30 came from last year's Draft after Colorado used its bonus pool -- the second-highest of any team -- aggressively. It started, of course, with getting Brendan Rodgers, who was No. 1 on the Draft Top 200 at the time of the Draft. The other four -- Mike Nikorak, Tyler Nevin, Peter Lambert and David Hill -- all were in the Top 100. That wasn't the only way the organization brought in high-end amateur talent. The Rockies gave Daniel Montano, who was ranked No. 14 on the International Top 30, $2 million in July, and they handed out several other six-figure bonuses to Latin American talent.

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 Proved To Be A Busy Year

PHILS PHACTS:

Season Of Gifts For The Future – Nobody is going to fondly remember the Phillies' play in 2015, but that does not mean they did not have a memorable year. It was memorable because the organization made some momentous changes on and off the field. They are changes that will shape the organization for a decade or more. Here is a look back at those top moments: 5. Giles traded. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak traded Ken Giles to the Astros for five pitchers in December in an effort to build a stronger rotation for the future. It was Klentak's third trade as GM and easily his biggest. If a few of the pitchers pan out, like Vincent Velasquez and Mark Appel, the Phillies believe they will have the makings of a formidable staff. "This was an opportunity we couldn't pass up," Klentak said. "We feel like we've made our club better, both in the short and long term. We hate to lose a player like Ken Giles. I've said all along that we're trying to add good players, but in this case it's an opportunity for us to add five starting-pitching candidates to our system. And it improves the state of our organization moving forward. That's a very exciting thing for us." 4. Top players swapped for prospects. Nobody expected the Phillies to compete in 2015, but they sure expected their top players to be traded before the July 31 Trade Deadline. Former Phillies president Pat Gillick said in August 2014 that the Phillies planned to rebuild, and it started that winter when they traded Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo. The rebuild kicked into a higher gear in July and August, when former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. traded Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and Jake Diekman for a slew of prospects. It left the Phillies with prospects Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jerad Eickhoff, Alec Asher, Jimmy Cordero, Alberto Tirado, Nick Pivetta, Darnell Sweeney and John Richy. Thompson, Williams and Alfaro are considered three of the best prospects in baseball. Eickhoff is a favorite to win a rotation job in Spring Training. Time will tell on the others, but the Phillies hope many will live up to the hype and speed up the rebuilding process. 3. Hamels throws a no-hitter. Phillies fans had little to cheer for on the field, but Hamels' no-hitter on July 25 at Wrigley Field played better than most movie scripts. Everybody in the world figured it would be his final start in a Phillies' uniform and he made it unforgettable. "Just a surreal moment," Hamels said that afternoon about possibly making his final start for the Phillies. "I mean, it's not what I envisioned. It's not what I thought. It's not in my thought process. I think all I've been thinking about the past couple days was just to kind of correct my pitching, just being able to be out there and enjoy the moment." 2. Klentak is the new GM. The Phillies hired Klentak, formerly the assistant general manager for the Angels, in October and he talked about discipline, culture, information and connectivity in his introductory press conference. He talked about winning, too. "If we are successful in those first four points, we will do a lot of winning," he said. "That is ultimately what this is all about. You know that and I know that. Philadelphia knows that. That's why I'm here. I would not have left Mike Trout in his prime to come here if I didn't believe that, I promise you that." 1. Middleton introduces MacPhail as president. Two important things happened in June, when the Phillies introduced Andy MacPhail as team president following the 2015 season. First, the Phillies hired an outsider to run the show. Second, Phillies partner John Middleton made the announcement. Phillies ownership had stayed quiet for years, but Middleton's emergence from the shadows indicated things are going to be run a little differently at Citizens Bank Park. "I think when you make a decision of that magnitude, I think the ownership group has to come forward and understand that they are the ones making the decision," Middleton said. "We own this decision. … Andy is going to have complete decision-making authority just as Pat [Gillick] has and David [Montgomery] had and Bill [Giles] had before David. You don't want us making baseball decisions, trust us. But we're going to be asking questions of the people who are involved in that process of getting information, sifting through it and making the decision. We need to be comfortable that they are crossing their T's and dotting the I's."

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.

Have Phillies Gotten The Better Deals?

PHILS PHACTS:

Happy, Happy, Happy – The Phillies are starting from the beginning. Since late July, they have traded three formidable late-inning relievers (Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles and Jake Diekman) for young starting pitching. "That's an extravagance until you get the first part of the game solved," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said Friday, when he and other members of the Phils' front office served meals to the homeless at the Bethesda Project's Our Brothers' Place in Philadelphia. "Really, starting with the Trade Deadline deals that [former general manager] Ruben [Amaro Jr.] made, our job has been to improve the starting pitching." The Phillies have turned over their roster. Eight pitchers no longer with the organization combined to make 97 starts last season, with a 5.21 ERA. "For us to become a postseason-caliber team, that had to improve," MacPhail said. "That had to be the first thing to improve. What we hope we've done in exchange [of trading Papelbon, Giles and Diekman] is propped up our ability to improve the first six innings through our starting pitching." There is more starting-pitching depth. The Phils traded mid-level prospects for veterans Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton, who will be free agents after next season. They will provide veteran leadership to the rotation. Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer, Adam Morgan and others will be in camp competing for rotation jobs, with the first three considered the favorites. Pitching prospects Mark Appel, Jake Thompson and Zach Eflin figure to open the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, trying to push the young pitchers in front of them. "As much as you think you might have, you still don't have as much as you think you have," MacPhail said. "We all know that we're going to have some injuries, we're going to have some disappointments. Whatever starting pitching you think you have, conservatively divide by two. But we still hope we're getting enough of a critical mass that it can matriculate up to the big league level." But what about offense? "I really believe that as our team grows more and more competitive, we're going to be able to find hitters," MacPhail said. "It's going to be an attractive place to come. If they think we're winning games, we're going to get the hitters. But the pitching needs to come from the system and needs to come from trades. That's the approach we've taken. We prefer at the present to be accumulating young starters, and then hopefully we'll get to that market. But not yet." MacPhail said he and GM Matt Klentak have worked well together. But how does the relationship work? Clearly, MacPhail had plenty of involvement in the Giles deal. Friday's trade that sent Dan Otero to the Indians for cash considerations? Not so much. "I think part of my responsibility, given my background, is to chart the overall course, to understand where we are at any given time, to be able to weigh in," MacPhail said. "But it's important that our general manager is able to execute the plan. And he's got to have the autonomy to at any given time look across the table at an agent or GM and make a trade. He can't keep running back to get permission from headquarters. That's not the way it can work. "Matt and I talk all the time. We have a joint understanding of what it is we're trying to accomplish. We try to give Matt as much flexibility as he can to [make deals] when he thinks it's the appropriate time. We have a lot of confidence in his ability to do that, and I think he's demonstrated in a short period here that he's capable of doing it."

Phils Serve The Community – The crowd cheered Friday afternoon when the Phanatic stormed into the Bethesda Project's Our Brothers' Place. The approximately 200 homeless people at Bethesda look forward to his visit every year. It is the day the Phillies prepare and serve a holiday dinner at one of the largest shelters in Philadelphia as part of their "Season of Giving." Everybody got a meal, a Phillies cap and a few good memories. "This event is incredibly important to Bethesda Project," Bethesda Project chief operating officer Tina Pagotto said. "They bring cheer and holiday wishes at a time when so many of our homeless shelter guests are feeling the lowest. It goes so far in making a difference for their spirit. The Phanatic running around, giving hope and keeping people smiling and laughing. It, honestly, is probably the best day for Our Brothers' Place. Just having the support of a powerhouse like the Phillies is immeasurable. We're very grateful." Pagotto said the anticipation from the men is very real, too. "They talk about it leading up to the event, and they talk about it after the event," she said. "The Phillies always bring a nice giveaway, so they'll continue to wear those. They'll share pictures of themselves with the Phanatic. The excitement about the Phillies coming lasts far beyond the day of the event." Phillies president Andy MacPhail, general manager Matt Klentak, broadcasters Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke, Ben Davis and Gregg Murphy and others served food to those in attendance. Phillies chairman David Montgomery addressed the crowd prior to lunch. It was Klentak's first time at the event. "I had heard so much prior to my arrival about the community involvement of the Phillies," Klentak said. "Now I've seen it firsthand for the last two months. A day like this is just tremendous. We have such a supportive community and such a supportive fan base that a day like this, especially around holidays, really means a lot. To meet these folks is really special. "Just to share a smile and a 'Merry Christmas' to people was really nice." Bethesda Project's Our Brothers' Place is an emergency shelter for 149 homeless men. It provides three meals a day and supportive services to more men, including referrals to housing and treatment programs.

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 Sign Veteran Closers

PHILS PHACTS:

Reclamation Closers – The Phillies entered last season with a mostly inexperienced bullpen, other than closer Jonathan Papelbon. Next season could look a little different. The Phillies on Thursday announced they have signed right-handers Andrew Bailey and Edward Mujica to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training. It continues a trend of the Phils acquiring veteran relievers at a relatively minimal cost. They previously signed David Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract, but they also signed Ernesto Frieri and James Russell to Minor League contracts and claimed Michael Mariot off waivers from the Royals. Bailey, 31, grew up in southern New Jersey and attended Paul VI High School in Haddonfield. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award with the A's in 2009, and he made the AL All-Star team in 2009 and '10. But a shoulder injury has limited Bailey to just 59 games in the previous four seasons, including 10 last year with the Yankees. Bailey posted a 1.80 ERA in 28 appearances in the Minor Leagues in 2015 before posting a 5.19 ERA with New York. Before injuries hit, he had a 2.07 ERA with 75 saves in 84 chances from 2009-11. Mujica, 31, went 3-5 with a 4.75 ERA and one save in 49 appearances last season with the Red Sox and A's. He made the National League All-Star team with the Cardinals in 2013 and has a 3.85 ERA in 494 appearances in his career. The recent bullpen additions should create plenty of competition in Spring Training. Besides Hernandez, Bailey, Mujica, Frieri, Russell and Mariot, the Phillies return Elvis Araujo, Luis Garcia, Jeanmar Gomez, Dalier Hinojosa, Mario Hollands, Hector Neris and others. They also selected left-hander Daniel Stumpf last week in the Rule 5 Draft. It is worth nothing that recently acquired Brett Oberholtzer is a candidate for a rotation job, but if he does not start, he seems like a favorite to make the bullpen, because he is out of options. Gomez also is out of options. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said earlier this week that he has received calls from players looking for an opportunity to close since Ken Giles was traded to the Astros, so the possibility exists that Philadelphia could bring more veterans into camp.

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.

Ninth Inning Job Opening

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Are The Closer Candidates? – Who is going to be the Phillies' closer next season? Based on a highly unscientific Twitter poll Saturday, nearly 90 percent of the 2,557 people who voted were not particularly concerned about the answer. They liked the trade that shipped Ken Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for right-handers Vincent Velasquez, Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. They seem to think that a talented closer on a rebuilding team is a luxury, and the opportunity to build a rotation for the future is more important. But there will come a time when the Phillies need a reliable closer. It might not be imperative in 2016 (recently signed free agents David Hernandez and Ernesto Frieri are internal candidates for next year's job), but they hope it becomes important a year or two after that. So, who could the Phils' future closer be? There are a few internal candidates who immediately come to mind: Jimmy Cordero: He might be the first name on everybody's list. The Phillies acquired the hard-throwing right-hander from the Blue Jays in the Ben Revere trade in July. Cordero's fastball sits pretty comfortably in the high 90s to 100 mph, and he has topped 100 mph on more than a few occasions. He posted a 2.55 ERA in 45 appearances last season with Class A Advanced Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Double-A Reading. Cordero struck out 64 and walked 24 in 67 innings, but he got better as the year progressed. He posted a 0.88 WHIP with Reading, exciting more than a few folks in the organization. But throwing strikes consistently is the key. Cordero has walked six and struck out nine in 8 1/3 innings during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. "We think that Cordero has the weapons to be a back-end reliever," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said Monday. "We'll see. But sometimes in the Minor Leagues, the development of the player takes precedent over the role that they serve in. But we definitely like the kid's future." Alberto Tirado: Like Cordero, he joined the Phillies in the Revere trade and has hit 100 mph with his fastball. Philadelphia left Tirado unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft, but nobody picked him because he is very raw. How raw? He made 40 appearances last season with Dunedin and Class A Advanced Clearwater. The righty posted a 2.68 ERA, but he struck out 77 and walked 53 in 77 1/3 innings. To have any shot at pitching in the late innings for the Phils, Tirado will need to find the strike zone. MLBPipeline.com has him ranked as the Phillies' No. 16 prospect. Edubray Ramos: He does not throw as hard as Cordero or Tirado. Ramos' fastball is in the 93-96 mph range, but he has a better repertoire of pitches. He throws a changeup, a slider and a curveball. Ramos posted a 2.07 ERA in 47 appearances last season with Clearwater and Reading. He struck out 65 and walked just 16 in 69 2/3 innings, posting a 0.92 WHIP. Velasquez: The righty is a favorite to win a spot in Philadelphia's rotation coming out of Spring Training, but some think Velasquez can be a dominant late-inning reliever if he struggles as a starter. But certainly the preference is that he remains in the rotation for years to come. And should those players falter, a Yahoo! Sports story on Saturday said that there will be plenty of closers available in a few years. Closers Craig Kimbrel, Zach Britton, Trevor Rosenthal, Andrew Miller, Jeurys Familia, Glen Perkins, Kelvin Herrera, A.J. Ramos, Carter Capps and David Robertson could become free agents following the 2018 season. If the Phillies need a closer before that, they should be able to find one, possibly via trade, too.

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.

Competitions Should Be Interesting In Spring Training

PHILS PHACTS:

Interesting Group of Invitees – The Phillies signed five players to Minor League contracts on Monday, and one of them could pitch in the late innings next season. Right-handers Ernesto Frieri, Gregory Infante and Greg Burke; catcher J.P. Arencibia; and infielder Angelys Nina will be non-roster invitees to Spring Training. Frieri has closing experience, so he seems like a candidate to pitch in the eighth or ninth inning following the Phils trading Ken Giles to the Astros on Saturday. Of course, Frieri, 30, must first earn a spot on the 25-man roster. He went 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 22 appearances last season with the Rays. Frieri has a 3.55 ERA in 298 appearances in his career, which includes 73 saves. The Phillies signed right-hander David Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract last week. Hernandez has some experience as a closer and might be considered the front-runner to close in 2016. Burke, 33, is from Marlton, N.J. He spent last season in the Blue Jays' system, posting a 2.63 ERA in 48 appearances with Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo. He has a 4.77 ERA in 80 career appearances in the big leagues, last pitching for the Mets in 2013. Infante, 28, had a 3.18 ERA in 51 appearances last season with Buffalo and New Hampshire. He made five appearances at the big league level with the White Sox in 2010. Arencibia, 29, hit .227 with 17 doubles, 22 home runs and 65 RBIs last season with Triple-A Durham, which is part of the Rays' farm system. He posted a .921 OPS in 24 games with Tampa Bay. Nina, 27, hit .300 with 21 doubles, five triples, four home runs and 18 stolen bases in 114 games during 2015 with Triple-A Albuquerque, which is part of the Rockies' system. He played second base, shortstop, third base and left field.

Pitching Was The Motivator – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak never said he wanted to trade Ken Giles, but he always said he needed to be opportunistic. Klentak sensed a chance to improve the Phillies last week, when the team finalized the trade that sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for pitchers Vincent Velasquez, Mark Appel, Brett Oberholtzer, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz. It was Klentak's third trade of the offseason, with each one geared toward boosting the team's starting pitching. "This was an opportunity we couldn't pass up," Klentak said Monday in a conference call with reporters. "We feel like we've made our club better, both in the short and long term. We hate to lose a player like Ken Giles. I've said all along that we're trying to add good players, but in this case, it's an opportunity for us to add five starting-pitching candidates to our system. And it improves the state of our organization moving forward. That's a very exciting thing for us." In the end, it simply made sense for the rebuilding Phils to trade Giles' 65 innings a season for the opportunity to develop two or three pitchers who could pitch 180-200 innings a season. "I don't think finding an elite closer is easy by any stretch," Klentak said. "I don't minimize that at all. We will do everything we can to make sure we are locking down the end of a game as well as we can. But the difficulty of putting together a rotation and gathering enough inventory to get through the season and multiple seasons that we can control for a long time -- that is really hard to do and that is a huge factor in this trade. You are able to turn one reliever -- albeit a really, really good one -- into five starting-pitching candidates." The Phillies certainly created some competition for the 2016 starting rotation. They previously acquired veterans Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton in a couple of trades for mid-level prospects. Those two will be in the rotation come Opening Day. Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Velasquez might be the favorites to earn the other three rotation jobs, with Oberholtzer, Adam Morgan, David Buchanan, Alec Asher and Severino Gonzalez in the mix. Top prospects Appel, Jake Thompson and Zach Elfin figure to top a talented and promising Triple-A rotation. "For us, it's all about balance," Klentak said. "I think no team ever gets through a season with five starting pitchers. That's just not realistic. So we knew we wanted to add to the inventory, both for the short term and the long term. And I think the balance component comes into play, because we've got two veterans in Hellickson and Morton, we've got some kids in Eickhoff and Velasquez and Nola that have gotten a taste of the big leagues, but haven't pitched a full season. We've got a stabilizer in Oberholtzer. And we've got several others, both on the 40-man and off, that are going to be competing either for jobs early on the season or later in the season as their development continues. "Organizationally, that's been a goal of ours. It will remain a goal of ours, to always have starting-pitching depth." Klentak praised Oberholtzer, who has a 3.94 ERA in 45 appearances (42 starts) in his big league career. It is worth noting that Oberholtzer is out of options, which puts him in a strong position to make the pitching staff. Klentak and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow had been discussing a Giles trade for the past three or four weeks, and those talks intensified last week at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. They agreed to a 4-for-1 trade on Wednesday, but it became a 5-for-2 on Saturday (with Appel and Harold Arauz added to the Phillies' package with outfielder Derek Fisher subtracted) because sources said the Phils had concerns about a physical of one of the players involved. Of course, the question now is, "Who will close in 2016?" Internal candidates include the recently signed David Hernandez and Ernesto Frieri. But Klentak also hinted the club could sign a free agent in the near future. "We don't have to decide that in December," Klentak said about the 2016 closer. "We'll see. Every closer at some point was a first-time closer. Someone will be pitching the ninth for us. I'm going to be honest, since the news of the Giles trade broke, we've had a number of players and agents that have reached out to us to express interest in the opportunity."

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.