One Day To Go!

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday!

The Phillies take the day to reflect on a successful spring and prepare for a long regular season. Of course, it is not too early to make plans for the postseason (i.e. where to watch the games).

NEXT GAME:

Veteran right-hander Jeremy Hellickson will make the first Opening Day start of his career Monday when the Phillies play the Reds at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. "It's definitely going to be different," Hellickson said. "The emotions are going to be high. The atmosphere is going to be crazy. The adrenaline is going to be flowing, and I'm going to be really excited. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I'm looking forward to it." Outfielder Cedric Hunter, 28, is expected to make his first big league start after coming to camp as a non-roster player.

PHILS PHACTS:

First And Last - The Phillies called Veterans Stadium home for over thirty years beginning on this day in 1971 when it was officially dedicated. And when Jim Bunning threw out the final opening day first ball on this day in 2003, Chase Utley was on the roster for the first time. While there were coountless debuts after on this day such as Kenny Lofton in 2005 and Jayson Werth in 2007, the latter years of the Vet were marked by the promise of young talent such as Eric Valent and the actualization of talent like that of Scott Rolen both of whom were born on this day. Another home grown talent, Ryan Howard, never played at the Vet but did spend some time in Scranton during his career when he made a guest appearance on The Office in an episode that aired on this day in 2013. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Lauded GM Open To Talking About Everyone

PHILS PHACTS:

Open To Anything – Everybody knows that Phillies general manager Matt Klentak has a lengthy to-do list. It starts with improving the pitching staff. It won't be easy, so Klentak has to be open to any means of improvement, which includes trading some of the club's young talent, possibly even closer Ken Giles. "The biggest thing is we need to add innings to our rotation to help protect our kids," Klentak told reporters on Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. "That's going to be important. We'll be opportunistic in terms of how many and who they are. I don't want to put a number on it. But you know what we ended the season with and who was in our rotation, and who walked away." Aaron Harang, Jerome Williams, Chad Billingsley and Cliff Lee are free agents. None are expected to return. Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff are heavy favorites for two 2016 rotation jobs. Adam Morgan, David Buchanan and Alec Asher will be competing for spots, too. Philadelphia could pursue free-agent starters like Doug Fister, J.A. Happ and Bartolo Colon this offseason, and it could try to trade for pitching, too. Giles could help the Phillies acquire more young talent for the rotation, bullpen or elsewhere. The Phils already have received calls from teams about Giles. "It's not a goal," Klentak said about trading their closer. "We're trying as much as possible to collect as many good young controllable quality players as we can. But as I said last week and probably the week before that, we're trying to be opportunistic at every turn and trying not to operate in absolutes. I think Ken is terrific. He's great in his role. We want to hold the leads we can hold, but I don't want to categorically say we will or we won't do anything. "I think we do need to be conscious, regardless of how many games we win next year, of making sure from a morale perspective we are winning the games that we are in a position to win, and I think having a good bullpen in general is critical to that. And I will also say, when you ask, 'Is it a luxury?', I think it's a little different when you're talking about a guy with one year of service time. If you were talking about a pending free agent, then, yeah, that might be a slightly different situation. But Ken Giles, if he's here, can very easily be a part of our future, so I think we have to account for that in our thinking." The Phillies also need to find some outfield depth. Jeff Francoeur is a free agent. He performed well in a part-time role, but performed even better as a leader in the clubhouse. "We've been talking to him," Klentak said. "The guys that are our own players, we've had the luxury to talk with them longer, so yeah we're not ruling anybody out. "We have room on our 40-man [roster] to add. Some of that will come through Rule 5 [Draft] protections, and some will come through waiver claims or free-agent signings or trades. There's a lot of room for growth on our roster in general, and I have no doubt that at least one of those spots will go to an outfielder."

GM Praised By Former Boss – Jerry Dipoto knows Matt Klentak's strengths and weaknesses as well as anybody. Dipoto hired Klentak as assistant general manager with the Angels before the 2012 season. They worked together through July, when Dipoto resigned as the Angels' GM. Dipoto, who is now the Mariners' GM, spoke on Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., about Klentak landing the Phillies' GM job. "Matt is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get guy," Dipoto said. "He is a wonderfully nice guy. He's extremely intelligent. Good family guy. He knows the baseball rules inside and out. I think one thing you'll not see, he's a ferocious negotiator. He's very good in that milieu. "He has a good feel for players. I guess most importantly, Matt is a listener. He listens to the people around him. So what is being said, he will absorb. He'll do a great job." Dipoto confirmed what others have said about Klentak before and since Phillies president Andy MacPhail hired the GM: Klentak is a well-balanced decision maker. He might not have a scouting and player development background, but Klentak listens and gets along well with those people. "Matt was always a part of what we were discussing in scouting and player development," Klentak said. "So when we were laying out player plans for guys at the lowest levels in the Minor Leagues, he sees how that develops. He didn't spend much time out in the field, but his last two years, we did get him out and he started scouting and watching players. He would sit in the Draft room every year, go through the Draft and see how we stacked players up. Why we would choose this player here and that player there. "He was probably our go-to guy in understanding how to best balance the Draft pool money, which is a more complex thing than maybe your average cross-checker was able to designate. Matt was pivotal, he was our spearhead, in salary arbitration. He was a go-to guy for me. We would split up contract negotiations almost 50-50. He would take this half and I would take the other." Dipoto said Klentak Also was heavily involved in every free-agent contract the Angels signed from 2012-15. "I don't know if I would have survived the four years without him," Dipoto said. "I would ask his opinion on anything. A lot of times, I would not do things because he would be anti that move. I'd bounce things off him. Our offices were very close to one another, so I'd just walk in with a baseball bat, start taking swings, and sometimes he'd tell me I was crazy and sometimes he'd tell me that was something he thought we should try. … I think Matt understands where the Phillies are in their progression right now, where they need to go, and he'll make good, balanced decisions that incorporate the people around him."

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.

Cliff Cut Loose As Phillies Focus On Rebuilding

PHILS PHACTS:

Lee’s Option Declined – It is no surprise, but the Phillies have declined Cliff Lee's 2016 club option. Lee will receive a $12.5 million buyout on Nov. 30, in place of the $27.5 million contract for next season. He made $25 million this season, though he didn't pitch an inning because he never recovered from a torn common flexor tendon in his left elbow. Lee's career may be over. "He was all about winning," Philadelphia assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said in September. "He helped us make the World Series in '09 and the postseason in '11. He pitched very well in '12 and '13. It just didn't work out. I'm sure he would have preferred things would have worked out differently, because he is a great competitor." Lee, 37, went 41-30 with a 2.89 ERA in 106 starts with the Phils from 2011-14. His ERA and 1.08 WHIP ranked fourth out of 90 qualified pitchers in that span. Lee's 6.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio easily ranked first. Clayton Kershaw's 4.74 placed second. Lee went on the DL in May 2014 and returned to make three starts in July before getting hurt again. He rehabbed over the offseason, but the injury started to bother him again in March. Lee visited Philadelphia a handful of times this year, essentially to meet with doctors to discuss his rehab, but his recovery never really went anywhere. Doctors recommended surgery, but he declined because he seemed uninterested in pitching past this contract anyway. The Phillies will recoup some of the $25 million they paid Lee this season because they insured his contract. The amount is unclear.

Phillies Claim Otero (Not Ricky) – The Phillies have claimed right-handed reliever Dan Otero off waivers from the A's. Otero, 30, went 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA in 41 games (over four stints) with Oakland last season. Over his first two seasons with the A's, he was 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 105 games. Opposing batters hit .333 with a .531 slugging percentage against Otero last season, the highest among Major League relievers.

Front Office Focusing On Pitching – The Phillies concluded their organizational meetings Thursday in Clearwater, Fla., with their leadership structure finally in place. They have a president in Andy MacPhail and a general manager in Matt Klentak. MacPhail and Klentak enter the offseason hoping to improve a roster that finished 2015 with the worst record in baseball. But do not expect them to send blank checks to free agents. The Phillies are not ready to take that plunge just yet, but they are planning to add a few pieces to stabilize a mostly inexperienced roster. "We will definitely do our best to improve the team for next year," Klentak said last week. "I'll stop short of saying we're going to pursue any kind of player or brand of player, because frankly I don't know that yet. But yes, we have every intention of making the club better this winter." Free agents/options: The Phillies have five players eligible for free agency: right-handers Chad Billingsley, Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams; left-hander Cliff Lee; and outfielder Jeff Francoeur. None of the pitchers are expected to return, including Lee. The club will pay Lee his $12.5 million buyout for a 2016 club option on Nov. 30. Francoeur has said he would like to return to Philadelphia, and it is something the Phillies should consider. Francoeur proved to be a better-than-advertised presence in the clubhouse, providing vocal leadership to a team that sorely needs it. He also hit .258 with 13 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .718 OPS. "I talked about culture," Klentak said. "I think there are a variety of ways to sort of create the environment to allow a culture to form. One of them is no doubt bringing in veterans with strong makeup and a wide array of experiences. One hundred percent, I think that's really important. If players are playing confidently and they're having fun and they're enjoying each other's company, they're more likely to reach their ceilings and be the best versions of themselves." Of course, it remains to be seen how much MacPhail and Klentak value a player like that, but if they are looking for a veteran to nurture and motivate their young talent and show them how to be a pro, it would be difficult to find better. Needs: The Phillies need pitching. A lot of it. They need at least a couple reliable veterans to fill out the rotation. They need at least one or two reliable relievers. The Phillies went 11-10 when rookies Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff started this season. It might not seem like much, but it shows just how much a little quality pitching can help an offensively challenged lineup. "If you can pitch, you have a chance to win every single night," Klentak said. "That will absolutely become an organizational focus for us. To add pitching at every turn. In trades, through waiver claims, in the Draft, internationally, free agency. However we need to do it, we will add pitching, pitching, pitching." Besides that, the Phillies are likely to add a veteran outfielder or two, especially if they do not re-sign Francoeur. Potential targets: When it comes to starting pitchers, think along the lines of Doug Fister, J.A. Happ and Bartolo Colon -- guys who can pitch six or more innings and give the offense a chance. When it comes to relievers, we're talking about seventh-inning types who can be the bridge from starter to closer Ken Giles. In terms of an outfielder, preferably somebody with some pop. Trade assets: Do not expect the Phillies to trade any of their top young prospects. Now is not the time for that. But they could trade some of their young big league talent to help fill some holes, especially if they believe they have prospects coming through the system that could take their place before the end of next season. Financial situation: The Phillies finally cleared a bunch of salary from their books. They still owe Ryan Howard $35 million next year, including a $10 million buyout on a 2017 club option. They still owe Carlos Ruiz $9 million, which includes a $500,000 buyout. They are paying $28 million of injured pitcher Matt Harrison's contract, although it is believed insurance could take care of 75 percent of that. But while they have money to spend, the Phillies are not expected to be major players in free agency this winter. "I don't think you can buy a winner," Phillies owner John Middleton said. "Specifically, you have to build baseball teams from the ground up." Bottom line: Expect the Phillies to acquire a few pieces to fill out the roster, but continue to focus on their young talent. They hope their talent at the Major and Minor League levels continues to improve, and in a year or two the Phils re-enter free agency in a big way.

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.