The Philly Phyles

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The Phillies might have been willing to trade Aaron Rowand for Scott Linebrink because they believe Jon Lieber would fetch an outfielder easier than he has a setup man.
The Padres turned down the Linebrink deal for now, though they haven't ruled it out completely. It's highly unlikely that they'd be interested in expanding the deal to include Lieber. Geoff Jenkins, Brad Wilkerson and Juan Encarnacion are some of the outfielders that might be available in return for Lieber. The Mets might also have some interest, but the Lastings Milledge shouldn't be on the table and Shawn Green isn't much of a commodity these days.

Phillies agreed to terms with RHP Brett Myers on a three-year, $25.75 million contract.
Myers gives up just one year of free agency here. We'd like it better for the Phillies had they gotten an option year, even at $14 million or so, but this isn't bad. Myers had the same amount of service time as Jeremy Bonderman, who agreed to a four-year, $38 million contract with the Tigers last month. Bonderman probably has a little more upside, but Myers is also capable of establishing himself as a top-20 pitcher and is the better bet of the two to remain healthy.

Source: RotoWorld

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Fabio Castro went five innings Sunday in the Dominican Republic's 12-0 rout of Puerto Rico.
Anderson Hernandez collected four hits, Miguel Tejeada went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Nelson Cruz drove in three runs as the Dominican Republic improved to 3-0 in Caribbean World Series play. After Castro exited, Santiago Ramirez, Arnaldo Munoz and Jose Vargas completed the shutout.

Brett Myers said he currently weighs 218 pounds, down from 250 at the end of last season.
Myers' weight has never been a big issue on the mound, though some have questioned his commitment in the past. The weight loss may have had something to do with the Phillies' decision to give him a three-year, $25.75 million contract last week.

Source: RotoWorld

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Randall Simon has been suspended from playing winter ball for three seasons by the Caribbean Baseball Confederation for a breach of contract.
Simon is accused of signing and then backing out on a contract with the Cibao Eagles of the Dominican Republic. He went on to sign with a Venezuelan team and said the confusion stemmed from him switching agents. It seems like a very harsh penalty for the 31-year-old, who will be in camp with the Phillies this spring. With so little major league time lately, Simon probably receives a rather large percentage of his income playing winter ball.

Source: RotoWorld

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Phillies agreed to terms with RHP Geoff Geary on a one-year contract, $837,500 contract.
Geary, who had a 2.96 ERA in 91 1/3 IP last season, asked for $925,000 and was offered $750,000 in his first year of arbitration. He'll be a key part of the Philadelphia bullpen again.

Source: RotoWorld

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Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said that he will ask less of Pat Burrell in spring training and through the regular season because of the 30-year-old's chronic right foot problems.
Hopefully, that doesn't mean Burrell will be sitting against right-handers as often as he did during the latter part of last year. Manuel wants Burrell to be his regular No. 5 hitter this year. If Burrell needs to rest once per week, it would cut into his fantasy value.

Source: RotoWorld

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Jon Lieber, who has gone from Opening Day start to odd man out on the Phillies' staff, doesn't plan to worry about the trade talk like he did last year.
"The only thing I can control is what I can do on the field," Lieber said. "That's it. I can't worry about what's going on around me. All I can worry about is what I can bring to the field every day. Everything else will take care of itself." The Phillies would still like to trade Lieber, but they haven't been able to land a quality setup man in return. If no trade takes place, it's possible Adam Eaton would begin the season in the bullpen.

Phillies agreed to terms with LHP Cole Hamels, LHP Fabio Castro, RHP Clay Condrey, RHP Alfredo Simon, INF Greg Dobbs and OF Chris Roberson on one-year contracts.
Though the Phillies have six starters for five jobs and Hamels is easily the least experienced of the crew, there doesn't seem to be any chance of him opening the year in the bullpen or in the minors. He has the potential to be one of the NL's better pitchers in his first full year.

The Phillies don't plan to approach Freddy Garcia about a contract extension, and Garcia has little intention of asking for one.
Garcia is a free agent at season's end. "I've only been in Philadelphia once," he said. "I want to make sure I like it. I want to make sure my family is comfortable." Considering that Garcia did have some shoulder issues last year, the Phillies will certainly want to see how he performs before they consider locking him up.

Source: RotoWorld

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The Phillies have initiated preliminary contract talks with Ryan Howard's agent, Casey Close.
Howard would like a multiyear deal, but the Phillies might only be trying to work something out for this season. Howard isn't yet arbitration eligible, so the team could renew him if no deal is agreed to. He won't be a free agent until after 2011.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he intends to keep Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff spot and follow him with Shane Victorino.
Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell are set to occupy the following three places, leaving Aaron Rowand and Wes Helms to contend for the sixth spot in the order. The catcher likely will bat eighth. Philadelphia Daily News writer Bill Conlin presented an interesting case for having Rollins bat fifth, but Manuel would hear none of it. At .277/.334/.478, Rollins did have the line of a No. 5 hitter last year. However, he probably wouldn't leg out as many doubles and triples with Howard on base ahead of him.

Source: RotoWorld

[brewersfan19]

I think the Phils could and should flip flop Victorino and Rollins. Rollins could protect Victorino and it is like a second leadoff guy if Victorino doesnt get on, and Utley protects him from the 3 hole then!

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Phillies sent RHP Yoel Hernandez outright to Triple-A Ottawa.
Hernandez was expected to see time in the Philadelphia bullpen last year, but he got hurt in Triple-A a month into the season and didn't pitch again. Maybe he'll be heard from again before the end of this year, but since he turns 27 in April, he could be running out of time to establish himself.

Eude Brito is recovering from a Dec. 19 car accident in the Dominican Republic and might not be ready for the first portion of the exhibition schedule.
An MRI taken Thursday will clarify his status. Brito has had pain in his left shoulder since the accident, but it's eased of late. "I'm throwing and feeling a lot better," Brito said. "I was worried at the beginning, because I didn't know how long it would take. I didn't think it was going to be a big deal." If healthy, Brito should have a chance of winning a spot in the Philadelphia bullpen this spring.

Source: RotoWorld

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The Phillies and Ryan Howard's agent are working on a one-year deal that could set a new record for a player with so little service time.
Kerry Wood earned $690,000 after his rookie season, the largest amount for a player with as little experience as Howard. The Phillies and Howard aren't expected to discuss a long-term deal until after the season.

Source: RotoWorld

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Lingering effects from his December car accident have kept Eude Brito from throwing off a mound.
Brito, who reportedly still has weakness in his left arm, has been throwing long toss. "This stuff has got me worried," Brito said. His odds of winning a bullpen spot appear slim.

Brett Myers said he'd be willing to close for the Phillies if that's what the team wanted.
Take a 26-year-old who is steadily improving into one of the NL's better starters and has had absolutely no arm issues and turn him into a closer? That's one of the worst ideas we've heard in a long time. The Phillies don't seem to have ruled it out, but neither is it something they're planning to do. If they ever did make the change, Tom Gordon would turn back into a setup man.

Facing mostly regulars, Fabio Castro worked three scoreless innings in relief Thursday against the Tigers.
An impressive start to Castro's bid for a roster spot. The Phillies think he might be a long-term starter, but rather than send him to Triple-A, where he could join the rotation, they may be forced to carry him as a reliever this season.

Source: RotoWorld

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Phillies renewed the contract of first baseman Ryan Howard.
The Phillies were generous, even if the two sides couldn't come to terms. Howard will get $900,000 this year, a new record for a player with less than two years of service time. Kerry Wood held the previous mark, earned $690,000 in 2002.

Ryan Howard homered and walked Friday in the Phillies' 6-4 win over the Indians.
Howard isn't likely to be down about not being offered a long-term deal and then getting his contract renewed for 2007. He's clearly the best bet to lead the majors in homers again this year, though a drop in batting average is likely.

Source: RotoWorld

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Greg Dobbs went 4-for-5 and missed the cycle by a double Saturday to help the Phillies beat the Red Sox 12-9 in 10 innings.
He scored four times, drove in four runs and drew a walk. Dobbs would likely have to beat out heavy favorite Chris Coste in order to make the Phillies as a bench player. He'd likely be a fine pinch-hitter, but he wouldn't be worthy of many starts at the infield corners.

Source: RotoWorld

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Using only fastballs and changeups, Cole Hamels shut out the Yankees for three innings Sunday.
He allowed two singles, walked none and struck out one. Hamels isn't very likely to throw 200 innings this season, but he should be one of the NL's better pitchers when healthy. If he gets through the spring healthy, he'd be worth pursuing in all formats.

Source: RotoWorld

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Tom Gordon is expected to make his spring debut Tuesday.
Gordon has been limited to throwing on the side thus far, but reportedly is healthy. "I feel good about how things have gone," Gordon said. "I feel good with how my arm feels. I think the work I did this past offseason really did good things for me. I could be in a game right now, but I thought extending me on the side and some extra batting practice would help me feel better."

Source: RotoWorld