PHILLIES: Starting Off Strong

So, it appears that the era of the 4 aces and overwhelming expectations has gotten off to a pretty solid start.

With the first week of the MLB season coming to a close, the Phillies are sitting at 4-1 in their first 5 games, with Thursday’s series-finale rubbermatch against the Mets hanging in the balance.

Yes. I am well aware that we are only 5 games, or roughly 3%, through the season.

But, considering Chase Utley, Brad Lidge, and top prospect Domonic Brown have been out action since the first pitch was thrown at Citizens Bank Park last Thursday, the opportunity to win five out of their first six games would go a long way to silencing any critics who said that the Phillies season was doomed from when Cliff Lee signed that dotted line in December.

Speaking of Lee ( 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER. 11 K’s in a 9-4 win over the Houston Astros), he was just one of quite a few Phillies that have stood out so far.

(Statistics accurate as of 4/7)

Ryan Howard: For all those who were worried that the Big Piece’s production would suffer with the absence of Utley in the lineup, let’s just hope the first week was not just an admiration. Howard is what baseball scouts would like to call “locked in” at the plate right now. So far, the Phillies 1B and cleanup hitter is 11-for-21 (.524) with 2 HR, and is already leading the National League in RBI’s with 8. The only blemish for Howard is that, like usual, the strikeouts are not hard to come by (6 in 5 games).

Placido Polanco: Was a little worried about Polly going into the season. Getting up there in age, had off-season elbow surgery, production diminished greatly at the back end of the 2010 season. However, like last season, Polanco has gotten off to a scorching hot start. However, in contrast to 2010, where a power was the story for Polanco, a .450 BA with 4 RBI’s and a .522 OBP has made him quite the catalyst in the early going for the Phillies.

Ben Francisco: Talk about making the most of an opportunity. In the absence of Domonic Brown, who is scheduled to return later this month after undergoing surgery for a broken hambone, Francisco has absolutely been tearing the cover off the ball so far during this 2011 campaign. While his .333 BA, 2 HR, 5 RBI’s says a lot, it is impossible for a simple statline to include 2-3 balls hit that were knocked down by the wind at Citizens Bank Park that would have been as good as gone if they were hit in June or July.

Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Rollins (.368 BA hitting out of the 3-hole), Raul Ibanez (.300 BA, 4 RBI’s), Wilson Valdez ( .294 BA, 2 RBI’s), Roy Oswalt (6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K’s in first start), Antonio Bastardo ( 1-0, 1 Hold, 2.2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 3 K’s)

PHILLIES: Spring Training Opener

IT’S HERE!

Well, sorta.

As the Phillies take part in their traditional spring training opener with their bitter rival that is the Florida State Seminoles, here is their first official lineup of the 2011 season.

LINEUP

Victorino CF, Polanco 2B, Ibanez DH, Howard 1B, Francisco LF, D. Brown RF, Ruiz C, Orr 2B, Valdez SS

Notable Absences: SS Rollins, 2B Utley

PITCHING

Starting Pitcher: D. Naylor

Bullpen: E. Bonine, J. Perez, J. De Fratus, M. Stutes, M. Schwimer, S. Mathieson

PHILLIES: Off-Season Questions

By now, you know the grim reality.

The Phillies we unable to make it to their 3rd straight Fall Classic. They were outplayed and beaten by a group of castoffs that compromised the San Francisco Giants roster, a team that eventually won the World Series against the Texas Rangers.

To sum up these chain of events, it’s actually quite easy. The Phillies did not deserve to have a chance to win there second World Series in 3 years. In addition to out-performing the undisputed most talented team in the National League, the most surprising element of the series was that the Giants were clearly more motivated than the Phillies.

What does the future hold for the Philadelphia Phillies?

It was almost like you were watching the 2008 Phillies when you saw the Giants and how they performed on the field. Opportunistic, clutch, always able to come up with the big play, manufacture that one run, or come up with that big pitch, a team who had not been to a World Series in eight years dismantled a Phillies team who was expected to roll to the World Series based on their overall talent and experience. In terms of comparing this Giants team to the ’08 Philadelphia team that won the title, their NLCS run was awfully remnicent, in regards to their play and their approach, to how the Phillies took apart the heavily favored Dodgers in 2008.

Well that, and both teams had one common link that helped carry them to victory.

The one, the only, Pat Burrell (and his .143 BA this postseason).

All jokes aside, while it still irks me that Burrell and Cody Ross (who was on the Marlins of all teams three months ago) are celebrating a World Series title while the city of Philadelphia is not, the show must go on.

The show, in this case, is the off-season.

Here are 3 questions the Phillies need to answer before Spring Training starts.

1. Will Jayson Werth be the starting RF for the Phillies on opening day?

Is Werth worth it? In this case, if his rumored asking price for a long-term deal is true (15-18 mil a year for 4-5 years), I am inclined to say no. I think the Phillies will echo that as well, especially with Domonic Brown, the #1 overall prospect in all of baseball in 2010, waiting in the wings. With letting Werth go, and implementing Brown as the starting RF imposes a clear lineup imbalance (over-abundance of LH hitters), a possible platoon for a year with Brown and another RH hitter (Ben Francisco, John Mayberry Jr., or a FA) seems to be economical move, and in my opinion, the right one. Unless Werth is willing to take a paycut (11-13 mil a year over 3-4 years), the most popular player (at least according to the female demographic) on the Phillies will no longer be able to call his home Philadelphia come the 2011 season.

2. Which members of the 2010 roster will no longer a member of the club come 2011?

If Werth goes, who else will join him? Just a couple days into the off-season, we likely know a couple of those names. The Phillies front office decided against exercizing the contract options SP Jamie Moyer, LHP J.C Romero, and UTIL Greg Dobbs, while the contract of 1B coach Davey Lopes was not renewed. With Lopes gone,  Moyer  likely headed towards the retirement home, and Dobbs to the minors,  the only one who even has a chance to come back is Romero, who would have to take at least a 50% paycut and and accept a 1-year deal. Don’t really see Romero as one who would make many concessions when it comes to something like that.

Outside of Romero, Moyer and Lopes, there are only a couple Phillies who are not locked up in long-term deals they could hit the highway. For all those that think SS Jimmy Rollins and OF Raul Ibanez may be on their way out, don’t. That’s not going to happen. Well, at least not this year. The starting lineup outside Werth is almost guaranteed to remain the same. The bench, predicting that the contracts of INF Wilson Valdez, 1B Mike Sweeney and 1B/OF Ross Gload will be renewed, should stay the same as well (although I think they will add an outfielder who specializes in hitting LHP pitching). As of right now, the pitching staff is where the most turnover could be. While the starting rotation seems to be set outside the 5th starter spot, there are four names that could potentially be on other teams at the start of the season.

RHP Chad Durbin (FA)

RHP Danys Baez (Outright release)

RHP David Herndon (Trade/Outright Release)

SP/RP Kyle Kendrick (Trade)

My prediction on this. Even though Baez under contract, I believe he has the highest chances out of the four of not being on the roster due to an extreme lack of productivity this year. And that’s putting it kindly. Outside of that, I think it’s likely that the Phillies bring back Herndon and Kendrick because they are as both under contract as well, and if Durbin is willing to take a one year deal, he should be back as well.

3. Are the Phillies to old?

If the Phillies playoff roster happens to be the 2011 opening day roster, with Brown supplanting Werth and the addition of John Mayberry Jr. as a utility OF who hits right-handed, they will still only have seven players (out of 25) under the age of 30. That will make them the undisputed oldest team in baseball. Now with that, they aren’t THAT old.  There are 3 players who will be 30, and Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins will all be 32 years of age or under, which means that they should be still within the prime of their respective careers.

The point I’m trying to make is that while the Phillies aren’t a kernel of puppies by any stretch of the imagination, they aren’t a softball team at an old age home either. With the way the contracts lay out though, there are not many ways they will get any younger throughout the season. A large majority of the current big league team is, as I said before, under contract, and even if the organization wants to get younger, the Phillies traded away a good majority of their pro-ready prospects in deals to acquire Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt in the past year and a half.

So to answer this question, I don’t think the Phillies are too old right now, but it’s also clear that they aren’t in any position to get any younger.

As long as they win, age won’t be an issue.

PHILLIES: NLDS Schedule and Roster Set

While the Phillies do not need to send in their 25-man roster until 10 AM on Wed., after their most recent workout at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday afternoon, the details surrounding the divisional series against the Reds are now officially finalized. Here is the schedule and NLDS roster (information via “The Phillies Zone” writer Matt Gelb).

SCHEDULE (With Probable Starting Pitchers)

Game 1 (Wednesday at 5:07 PM at Citizens Bank Park): Phillies (Roy Halladay) vs. Reds (Edison Volquez)

Game 2 (Friday at 6:07 PM at Citizens Bank Park): Phillies (Roy Oswalt) vs. Reds (Bronson Arroyo)

Game 3: (Sunday at 7:07 PM or 8:07 PM at Great American Ballpark): Reds (Johnny Cueto) vs. Phillies (Cole Hamels)

Game 4: (Monday at 5:07 PM or 7:37 PM at Great American Ballpark if needed) Reds (TBD) vs. Phillies (Roy Halladay)

Game 5: (Wednesday at 6:07 PM or 8:07 PM at Citizens Bank Park if needed): Phillies (Roy Halladay) vs. Reds (TBD)

ROSTER

PITCHERS (10)

SP Roy Halladay, SP Roy Oswalt, SP Cole Hamels, SP/RHP Joe Blanton, RHP Chad Durbin, RHP Jose Contreras, LHP J.C Romero, LHP Antonio Bastardo, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP Brad Lidge

Those who were left off the roster: SP Kyle Kendrick, SP Vance Worley, RHP David Herndon, RHP Danys Baez, LHP Mike Zagurski

INFIELDERS (8)

1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Placido Polanco, 1B Mike Sweeney, 1B/OF Ross Gload, UTIL Wilson Valdez, UTIL Greg Dobbs

Those who were left off the roster: SS Brian Bocock, 3B Cody Ransom

OUTFIELDERS (5)

LF Raul Ibanez, CF Shane Victorino, RF Jayson Werth, OF Ben Francisco, OF Domonic Brown

Those who were left off the roster: OF John Mayberry Jr.

CATCHERS (2)

C Carlos Ruiz, C Brian Schneider

Those who were left off the roster: C Paul Hoover, C Dane Sardinha

PHILLIES: Projecting The NLDS Roster

Now that the Phillies have not only clinched a playoff birth, but have also locked up yet another NL East crown and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, it’s time to erase the next week of meaningless baseball from our memory and actually focus on what’s important.

Yes folks, would be the Phillies fourth straight appearance in the postseason.

As I said in my last post, I would break down the potential playoff roster once everything was clinched. Well, I am a man of my word, and since the Phillies 2010 playoffopener will officially be played Wed, October 7th with an opponent that will TBD, it looks like it is about time to see how the current 33-man roster will dwindle down to 25 once the NLDS starts.

PITCHERS (11): In this breakdown, I have the Phillies keeping four starters and eight relievers. In reality, with the way the schedule looks as of right now (Games on Wed, Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed.), they will most likely use three starters, in which Doc should be ready to go if a fourth game is needed on 4-days rest. With that said, Joe Blanton will most likely be on the playoff roster as a possible 4th game starter, and if not, a middle-reliever if need be.  With Blanton on the roster, along with Danys Baez, who was signed to a deal in the off-season basically to give this team another veteran hard-throwing RHP for the month of October, that means both David Herndon and Kyle Kendrick will be left off, as their normal spot on the 25-man roster should be fulfilled by a second LHP as you will see below. I also project Cole Hamels to start game 2, so he will have the opportunity to pitch at Citizens Bank Park in front of a home crowd, something that worked quite well with him in the last two previous postseasons.

SP: Roy Halladay (Game 1 Starter)

SP: Cole Hamels (Game 2/3 Starter)

SP: Roy Oswalt (Game 2/3 Starter)

SP: Joe Blanton (Game 4 Starter/Middle Reliever)

RHP: Chad Durbin

RHP: Danys Baez

RHP: Jose Contreras

LHP: J.C Romero

LHP: Antonio Bastardo

Setup: Ryan Madson

Closer: Brad Lidge

CATCHERS (2)

This is pretty simple. In a 5-game series, barring injury concerns, there is no need to have three catchers on the roster. With Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz and primary backup Brian Schneider, fortunately, there aren’t any of those concerns. With that said, look for the Phillies to keep a veteran backstop, that being Paul Hoover, in the bullpen as a nice little security blanket close by if the injury bug bites in the NLDS.

C: Carlos Ruiz

C: Brian Schneider

INFIELDERS (7): Aside from the normal starters and Wilson Valdez, Phillies management has some tough decisions to make on this end. Do they keep an extra outfielder with speed such as Domonic Brown or John Mayberry Jr.  instead of Greg Dobbs, who would usually be a shoe-in to play in the postseason if not for his struggles this season? At this point, in a NLDS 5-game series, I think yes. Also, the mid-season addition of Mike Sweeney limits the need for Dobbs as the combination of he, Vladez, Ross Gload have proven that they are able to play the positions that Dobbs can at an even higher level.

1B: Ryan Howard

2B: Chase Utley

SS: Jimmy Rollins

3B: Placido Polanco

UTIL: Ross Gload

UTIL: Mike Sweeney

UTIL: Wilson Valdez

OUTFIELDERS (5): Another tough one here. Aside from the everyday starters and Ben Francisco, the final outfield spot comes down to three guys. Domonic Brown, John Mayberry Jr., and yet again, Greg Dobbs. As a stated before, Dobbs’s lackluster performance this year really leaves him in a difficult position to make the postseason roster in any capacity. When it comes down to Dobbs and Mayberry, the biggest thing here is need. If the Phillies take Mayberry, that leaves only one possible LH situational hitter (Gload) on the bench. While it does depend on who they play in the NLDS, I don’t see Charlie Manuel and company feeling comfortable with that regardless of the opponent. I just don’t. Along with that rationale, taking Brown along for the postseason ride would go a long way towards giving him the proper experience that would allow him to properly implant Jayson Werth in the Phillies outfield once Werth bolts for the allure of dollar signs come the offseason.

RF: Jayson Werth

CF: Shane Victorino

LF: Raul Ibanez

OF: Ben Francisco

OF: Domonic Brown

Well, that was my stab at it. The two toughest calls here are obviously the battle of the last utility spot between Brown, Mayberry, and Dobbs and the decision of who’s going to be the 11th pitcher between Baez, Kendrick, and Durbin.

While I know the anticipation is killing all of you, the good news is that you only have to wait until next Wed. to find out.

PHILLIES: The Final Push

With Chase Utley and Ryan Howard both speculated to return to within the next week, or via some reports even as early as Tuesday, it looks like the Phillies will finally have their full arsenal of weapons available to them for one of the only times all season sooner rather than later.

Perfect timing.

As of Monday morning, a off-day away from returning home for a four-game series with the San Francisco Giants, the Phillies are just two games behind the Atlanta Braves for the NL East lead, and are all knotted up for the NL wildcard berth with, go figure, the San Francisco Giants.

Needless to say, it would be very beneficial for a former MVP and one of the best middle-infielders in the game to return to a Phillies team that is still is looking to be the first club in over a half a century to represent the National League in the World Series three consecutive years in a row.

When Utley and Howard return to action though, they will join a team who is arguably playing their best baseball of the season, something that has been done without their usual contribution.

Don’t get me wrong; getting them back in their normal spots in the middle of the Phillies order and right side of the infield will only HELP this team. No one in his or her right mind with any credibility in the baseball world (not saying that I have any either) can deny that.

However, with Howard and Utley being activated to the active roster comes a move that will take away a big-league job two players who have made positive contributions to this team in the absence of the two superstars.

So, who will be moved to make room for Utley and Howard?

At this point of the season, especially with the addition of Mike Sweeney, consistency issues to the bullpen, and an influx of talent in the outfield, this will be a  very difficult decision for Charlie Manuel and company to make.

Just looking at the roster, it appears that a likely candidate for designation on the surface, Wilson Valdez, will stay this time around. Valdez, who has already been placed on waivers and designated for assignment on two separate occasions this year, is the now the only utility infielder on this roster (Juan Castro was released in late July). With Utley returning just 8 weeks removed from major surgery, and a questionable health status of both Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco, Valdez’s worth to this team is obvious when you acknowledge that he is a guy who can play those three positions (2B, SS, 3B) at a above-average level defensively in comparison to his big league counterparts.

If you think that’s farfetched, just look at his defensive stats.

For those who are most likely on the way out, one guy who sticks out right now is Domonic Brown.

If Domonic Brown is sent back down to the minors, it will only be a temporary move.

Yes, I said it before; it is possible that the decision to send him back to Triple-A will stunt his growth to becoming a formidable big-leaguer.

It still might.

But, with the rosters able to expand in just under two weeks (September 1^st), sending Brown back for that duration of time to get everyday at-bats should be viewed and compared to a rehab stint rather than a demotion. If it were two months instead of two weeks I would think differently, but there is no question Brown, if sent back down now, will be back with the big league club at the end of the month.  Plus, Brown is one of the few players on the Phillies active roster that does not require to be placed on the waiver wire if he is involved in a move (has not been moved before and was already a member of the 40-man roster prior to the season). So, in this case, sending him back down without any roster consequences is undoubtedly a better move than designating a veteran player for assignment and losing him to a potential contender who has extra room on their roster.

Losing a talent like Brown for two weeks and possibly slightly delaying his transformation into a star is just a small price to pay at this point of the season, especially when you are chasing teams for a playoff berth instead of being chased.

In addition to this move, which will probably be made for whichever player (likely Utley) who makes his return first, a corresponding roster decision will have to be made for the second player (likely Howard) who is activated to the 25-man roster.

To make room for Ryan Howard, Greg Dobbs might be on his way out of Philly.

The latter of these moves is tricky. Again, after taking a gander at the roster, it looks that the Phillies will either have to designate a veteran, likely Greg Dobbs, for assignment and hope that he passes through waivers, or place someone on the disabled list until September 1^st, where they can be activated without any corresponding roster move.

With that said, as most of you know, a team can’t place a guy on the disabled list if he, well, not disabled. Major League Baseball mandates a distinct medical process that determines if a player injury qualifies him for the DL, a process that severely limits teams from using this roster-exemption loophole.

However, the Phillies may be able to use this tactic with one of their own without being penalized. Ross Gload, who left last Tuesday’s game with the Dodgers with a groin strain, would be able to be placed on the disabled list without any repercussions due to the fact that he received an MRI that night that showed the extent of the injury that night.

The question is, do you want to risk losing the production Gload, who had been tearing the cover off the ball prior to his injury (9-for-24 in his last 10 games) for 15 days or until September 1st, just to keep a player like Dobbs, who has been ineffective for the majority of the season but has certain appeal to the Phillies and home fans due to his versatility and overall disposition, on board?

Once Chase Utley and Ryan Howard return to action, we have no other choice but to find out.

_____________________________________________________________

UPDATE ( Tuesday 2:50 pm)

According to Anthony Gargano of CBS Radio Philadelphia (610 WIP), Chase Utley has been activated from the disabled list. To make room for him on the 25-man roster, Greg Dobbs was designated for assignment.

An option brought up earlier in the post, this is now the second time he has been designated for assignment this season. For Dobbs, the next step is being placed on waivers, in which he will either be picked up by another team, or if he clears waivers without being picked up, will either be granted his release or most likely accept an assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

For more Utley updates, follow Phillies Beat Writer David Murphy at the ballpark  here.

PHILLIES: Concern for Ryan Howard

The injury bug has been present all-season long in the Phillies clubhouse.

Want proof?

Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, Brad Lidge, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Madson, Joe Blanton, Carlos Ruiz, Chad Durbin, J.C Romero, Brian Schneider, Antonio Bastardo and the recently departed J.A Happ have all already spent time on the disabled list.  That’s 14 disabled list casualties among the projected 25-man roster for this team at the beginning of the season. For some (Rollins, Victorino, Lidge), their individual stint has even turned into stint(s).

Pluralities are never good when talking about injuries.

However, with Utley and Victorino still on the DL, and Raul Ibanez dealing with a wrist injury, Philadelphia’s injury issues were put under an even greater microscope Sunday after slugger Ryan Howard sprained his ankle sliding into second base.

Ryan Howard's ankle injury is the most recent cause of concern regarding the Phillies.

For the Phillies, losing Howard for a long duration of time may affect the chemistry for this team more than any other injury this season. Bold statement aside, I am not questioning the value of Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins to this team by ranking them under Howard in this comparison of order of importance. They are both all-star caliber players, and they obviously both have very important (and different) roles on this team. With that said, losing a guy who is involved in plating or scoring almost a quarter of the offense’s runs over the course of a season and is one of the biggest threats in baseball with what he can do with one swing of the bat would be absolutely detrimental to the Phillies playoff hopes is in 2010.

The good news?

Nothing’s broken. Howard’s MRI immediately following Sunday’s contest against the Nationals revealed no broken or fractured bones in his ankle, ruling out a possible surgical procedure that would lengthen a DL visit.

The bad news?

This injury, one that was earlier categorized as “a couple day thing” by manager Charlie Manuel on Sunday, may be more severe than we all, including the skipper, originally anticipated. After Howard left Nationals park on Sunday on crutches, it was announced late Monday night by MLB.COM’s Todd Zolecki that instead of traveling with the team to Florida for the Phillies series against the Marlins, Howard would be going to Philadelphia to meet with team doctors about the status of his ankle.

The scenario.

If the doctors conclude that he the condition of the ankle is improving, he’ll fly down to Florida himself, and rejoin the team (maybe not in a active role right away) on Wednesday. On the other side of the spectrum, if the pain and the swollen nature of the injury does not subside substantially (which it hasn’t as of late Monday night) in the next 12-24 hours, then it is very likely that Howard will end up on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sunday, August 1st.

Sadly, my intuition tells me the ladder might for in store for the Phillies, which if you look at them right now, are a team that can ill-afford the reality of an injury like that to a player like Howard while being in the middle of a pennant race.

PHILLIES: Impact of Injuries Overshadow Wins

So much for struggling.

Winners of their last six straight, the Philadelphia Phillies have cut the Atlanta Braves seven-game lead in the division last week right in half.

That’s right, 3.5 Games.

That deficit can be erased in a series, let alone two months, so to say that the Phillies are back to being contenders is an understatement.

With that said, recent injuries to SS Jimmy Rollins and OF Shane Victorino have overshadowed this recent win streak and enhanced the already strong rumors surrounding personnel changes in the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park.

First off, the Rollins injury.

With a negative MRI only showing a contusion after fouling a ball off his ankle, it doesn’t look like J-Roll will be out of the fold for long. A couple games, a week at most. But, with this being Jimmy’s 3rd relatively significant injury this season, along with 2B Chase Utley being out until September, the call for infield depth is growing by the day.

As much as people should appreciate what Wilson Valdez has done throughout the entire season, the honeymoon with him and the Phillies organization is over. At some point, you can’t deny the stats. Due to the fact that he’s hit .217 since June 28th (when he assumed a regular role as Utley’s replacement) and that he grounds into a double-play once 12.9 AB (a rate that is far and away tops in MLB), he really can’t fit into the Phillies equation as anything more than a above-average defensive or pinch-running substitution off the bench.

So who do the Phillies get?

Looking through the guys who have been subject to the majority of trade rumors, it seems like Baltimore SS Miguel Tejada may be the best fit. As former perennial all-star on the back end of his career who is tucked away on the roster of one of the worst teams in baseball, he might not sound all that intriguing. The truth of the matter is, his relatively cheap 2.5 million dollar salary for the remainder of the season along with his ability to play both positions on the left side of the infield are both extremely attractive. Plus, it doesn’t seem that it would take that much (maybe two MLB ready prospects) to pry him away from the Orioles organization, which is obviously in a rebuild mode and has two solid, young prospects in SS Robert Andino and 3B Josh Bell putting up great numbers in Triple-A Norfolk, waiting for an extended opportunity in the show.

If that doesn’t pan out, other guys who have been linked to the Phillies in recent weeks are Baltimore Orioles INF Ty Wigginton, Washington Nationals INF Christian Guzman, Arizona Diamondbacks 2B Kelly Johnson, Oakland Athletics SS Mark Ellis, and Seattle Mariners INF Felipe Lopez.

If Rollins does come back in a couple days though like he said he will, this is just a secondary issue.

Now onto something more pressing.

Shane’s injury.

Victorino’s injured oblique makes the OF situation for the Phillies very confusing. While an MRI will clear up some of those complications, the calls for bringing up uber-prospect Domonic Brown still have to be approaching a near endless volume.

Has his play deserved a promotion?

In one word, yes.

Is Werth here to stay?

But, for a young guy who figures to be a cornerstone in the Citizens Bank Park outfield grass for the next decade, I’m not sure that the Phillies front office will want to make his anticipated big league arrival a temporary one. If Brown is called up to fill up a roster-spot if Victorino takes an extended trip to bench and lands on the DL or assumes a partial starting role (See my A Sudden Surge post for a platoon proposition) if Jayson Werth is traded, then okay, that’s understandable.

However, if the injury to the Flyin’ Hawaiian is mild, and Jayson Werth remains in a Phillies uniform, then don’t be surprised if the Phillies make up for Victorino’s absence without calling up Brown. Right now, a Ben Francisco/Ross Gload Platoon in RF (Francisco against LHP, Gload against RHP) with Werth moving over to CF and calling up a guy with big league experience like John Mayberry Jr.  as an extra right-handed bat who can play both corner-outfield positions may be the proper move to keep atmosphere in the Phillies clubhouse a positive one.

Along those lines, even if it means holding back his rare talent, it may be the right decision to have Brown wait to make his first big league contribution until after September 1st when the rosters expand. That may seem crazy considering Brown’s hype, and all the speculation that has surrounded Werth’s alleged departure from Philadelphia over the last couple months, but at the end of the day, the goal for this team remains the same.

As Charlie Manuel mentioned Tuesday in an interview with the 610 WIP Midday Show crew of Glen Macnow and Anthony Gargano, that goal is to return to the World Series. Lofty, I know. The Phillies recent play of late though has indicated  that there is still somewhat of a possibility to return to that type of prominence, and losing a valuable offensive weapon like Werth to a trade combined with the losses to Rollins and Victorino could potentially cripple the momentum that has been built over the last week.

The trickle down effect of this.

Keeping Werth will mean a trade for Roy Oswalt is unlikely.

Yes, the Phillies could still obtain Oswalt in a package that includes something resembling J.A Happ, Vance Worley, and two top 10 prospects (Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bob Brookover repports that Anthony Gose and Jonathan Singleton may be on the Astros wish list), but something tells me Ruben Amaro won’t be too keen on giving up that much.

Especially for a pitcher with chronic back issues who wants a 16 million dollar option picked up in 2012 while sporting a 6-12 record this season.

While there is little doubt that Oswalt is better than his record indicates, there is also little doubt that if he’s not healthy now, odds are that he won’t be healthy when it is time to pay him that chunk of change either.

So, even if you are still calling for pitching help (as you should), just don’t forget that.

PHILLIES: Domonic Brown Promotion

Here is the news you all have been waiting to hear!

DOMONIC BROWN HAS BEEN PROMOTED FROM DOUBLE-A READING…To Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

A little anti-climatic don’t you think?

Sure, there might be some dissipointment for Brown and some Philadelphia fans that the promotion wasn’t directly to the City of Brotherly love, and that is somewhat warranted.

The Phillies #1 overall prospect has been absolutely been tearing the cover off the ball this season with Reading, and was close to approaching the status of Jason Heyward and Mike Stanton as being a top prospect who has the ability to bypass a level in the minor leagues but is still able to perform at a high major league level. While that may be the case, keep in mind though, Heyward and Stanton were both top 100 selections in their respective drafts, while Brown was signed as a 20th rounder who was unsure if he was even going to continue his baseball career just a couple years ago (ended up deciding against a football scholarship to the University of Miami).

Patience guys, patience.

For the Phillies though, as much discussion as there has been about Brown supplanting the aging and, for the most part, struggling Raul Ibanez in the starting lineup, this is still THE CORRECT MOVE.

Yes, I said it, the Phillies made the right choice here.

Next Stop: Triple-A

Sure, bringing Brown up would sure give a certain buzz to a team that has been arguably lacking a certain fire for the last six weeks. I’m not disputing that. But, if you think that Brown, without facing any Triple-A pitching, is going to go out there and hit higher than .250, and hit for more power and have better plate discipline than Ibanez out of the sixth spot in the lineup, you are out of your mind. Obviously, you can make the whole Jason Heyward and Mike Stanton argument, but know that they are two select cases. If you look at the rest of the outfielders in baseball, how many players do you see who succeeded right away after being called up to big leagues, while skipping a level of the minor leagues in the process.

Not very many.

So, to ultimately describe my mindset on this issue, I am going to use a simple cliche.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

The Phillies have won seven out of their last ten games, and have averaged over seven runs a game in their past six contest.  While there is no doubt that Jimmy Rollins is a big reason for this, being that he is is the catalyst of the lineup, he is not one of the five “everyday” players who are surging, hitting over .300 in this recent span. In fact, those players are Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, and last but not least, RAUL IBANEZ. Let me be clear. There is no reason to put a player, with the contract that Ibanez has (due 11.5 million next year), squarely on the bench to satisfy the buzz of a 22 -year old rookie, especially if there is really no reason for that change.

With that said, even though this recent hot stretch may have bought Ibanez and the rest of the Phillies organization some time, they should certainly keep this move in the back of their minds.

That is, with Domonic Brown at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, will be playing his ball that much closer to Citizens Bank Park, waiting for THE promotion that not only will most likely be his last, but also his most important.

PHILLIES: Rollins Activated (Again); Dobbs DFA

Well, it looks like it’s “The Return of JROLL: Part 2″ in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

As much that has been said about the struggles of the Phillies offense, Rollins may be coming back to an offense that is beginning to heat up. They are averaging a decent 4.2 runs a game in the month of June, and have put up an average of six runs a game in their last six contest, with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth all hitting over .300 in the last week.

Unfortunately, however well he plays, the return of Jimmy Rollins won’t have much of an impact on struggling bullpen and an insufficient back end of the rotation.

Not today’s issue though.

RIP Greg Dobbs as a Phillie.

Earlier in the day, the decision to activate Jimmy Rollins from the disabled list sparked a set of moves that will most likely end up with a Phillies fan favorite leaving the organization.

In order to make room for the former MVP, the Phillies decided to stand pat with both Juan Castro and Wilson Valdez on the roster, and instead designated long-time Phillies fan favorite Greg Dobbs for assignment. For Dobbs, who hit .301 and led the league in pinch hits for in 2008 for the Phillies, he will most likely never play a game for the Philadelphia organization again (unless he plans to continue his career in the minor leagues). Sadly, as much as I liked Dobbs, the move was warranted. The career utility player who has spent time at 1B, 3B, and in the outfield was just hitting a paltry .154 this season with one hit in his last 25 at-bats as a pinch hitter, and has had his playing time decrease in recent days, most likely do to lack of production. Now, he has 10 days to figure out his future plans.  Whether it’s via trade, buyout, outright release, or demotion to a Phillies minor league affiliate, fans will no longer be able to cheer Dobbs’s name at Citizens Bank Park ( unless he signs with another team and is in the visitors dugout).

That does happen by the way. If my memory serves me correctly, Jim Thome was applauded as a member of the Minnesota Twins this weekend when they played the Phillies, even after he hit a homerun in front of the home crowd. Honestly, I loved Thome as much as anyone, but that just isn’t right.

One other move to note.

Apparently, taking a bat to the back of the head is a dangerous. After bearing the brunt of a Jason Kubel swing on Friday, Carlos Ruiz was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 18th. In his absence, Brian Schneider will start, and Dane Sardinha will be the primary backup. With one roster spot available, the Phillies purchased the contract of LHP Mike Zagurski from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Zagurski, who like friend and teammate Scott Mathieson will get his first call-up to the bigs since having Tommy John surgery in 2008, posted a 2.35 ERA in 30.2 innings of relief duty with the Iron Pigs.