Phillies

[reldnahkram]

I'm not sure whether it's time to give up on this team yet, but it's so frustrating to watch. Anyway, here's what I would do with the roster:

P

Wagner - he's going to be a free agent and may retire, he's sold to the highest bidder, someone will want him
Cormier, Urbina, Worrell, Fultz - if someone want's up, they can have 'em - just get something decent in return
Geary - I'd be inclined to keep Geary for now, he has very little value and has been pitching reasonably well, just 3 bad outings all year
Lidle, Lieber, Myers - this is the core of the rotation for next year, they're all keepers
Madson - keeper, I think he stays in the pen - given the above three + Floyd and a need for a true No. 1 Starter, there's no room left in the rotation for him
Padilla - not sure what to do here, I don't think he can stay in the rotation, and I don't know if he can pitch out of the pen. In my fantasies, he's Wagner's successor
Tejada, Telamaco - back to AAA or into the pen, if someone wants one of 'em and the price is right, adios
Wolf - he could be a shot in the arm middle of next season, but I'm not holding my breath

C

Lieberthal - AVG and SLG have declined since 2003 - if we can get rid of him, please do
Pratt - he may hang up the spikes, if not, he's a fine backup, but nothing special

IF

Thome - only time will tell if the first half is a slump or the begining of the end - I don't think anyone will take him in a trade
Utley, Rollins - the middle infield is set
Perez, Martinez - utility infielders aren't hard to find, I have no attachment to either of these guys
Bell - he hasn't played all that poorly this year - his power has, over his career, come and gone, and he's a career .260 hitter - he might be a good fit on a young team looking for a veteran to help in the stretch (Indians?), but I wouldn't be quick to let him go
Howard - if by some miracle you can move Thome, great, otherwise I'd try and get a top-of-the-line pitcher for him

OF

Abreu - keeper, 'nuff said
Burrell - the next month will tell whether he's just in a slump (OPS has dropped 100 points in the last two weeks) or if he's fading again - if it's the former, keep him (and the season may be salvageable), otherwise I might be inclined to try and move him, but a trade seems unlikely
Chavez - he's not the CF of the future and i don't think he has much value - nice if you can move him, otherwise, hang on
Lofton - probably has some trade value, perhaps back to the Yankees - I'd move him for a prospect
Michaels - I don't thiink he's next year's ideal everyday CF, but it could be worse (Chavez) and he's a good 4th OF - probably not for trade

So what does that leave for next year?

Rotation:
#1
Lieber
Myers
Lidle
Floyd

Bullpen
Madson
Padilla
Geary
???

there are a few guys that could fill some holes, but I think they likely need to go out and get a closer

Catcher is completely up in the air, and, as far as I'm concerned, completely vacant

Infield
Thome, Utley, Rollins, Bell - and I'm fine with this if Thome finds at least a little bit of his swing

Outfield
Abreu and Burrell, with Michaels in CF if nothing else is available or off the bench. I'd make a run at Johnny Damon, but I think he'll resign in Boston

Basically, this team needs the same things it needed coming into this season - a CF, a catcher, an ace, and some bullpen help. If they can get a bunch of prospects (especially corner infielders and catchers) for their commodities and fill one or two of these needs, then I think an active free agency period can solve the others. But this team is essentially the same as it was last year at this time, and the moves Ed Wade has made haven't helped the team change one bit. After next season Bell is a free agent, and it's time to say goodbye, and Thome may not have much more in the tank. If you could guarantee that Howard will play everyday next year, great, but I don't think that's feasible, and the kid is playing well enough that he should have a shot to play everyday in the bigs.

Really, if they could hit consistantly, they'd be a force, but they haven't done that in the last three or four years. That's something I can't speculate on at all. I also feel like the team has no personality, and I don't think there is anyone in the clubhouse who can go and shake things up, be aggressive, and lead by example. Like the late-70s team, they need a Pete Rose. Tomas Perez pieing guys isn't team chemistry - is it too much to hope that Utley's aggressive hustle rubs off on guys like Burrell and Abreu, or that Damon will sign here and be this team's Pete Rose?