Now that Aramis Ramirez (re-signed by the Cubs), Gary Sheffield (traded to the Tigers) and Alfonso Soriano (signed by the Cubs, pending a physical) are off the market, it's going to become harder for the Phillies to find a middle-of-the-order, right-handed power threat. The best free-agent option is Carlos Lee, but it doesn't appear the Phillies are interested. They could keep the status quo and hope Pat Burrell recaptures his 2005 form when he batted .281 (.313 with runners in scoring position) with 32 home runs and 117 RBIs and finished 7th in the MVP voting. Re-signing David Dellucci may also be a more attractive option now.
Of course, the Phillies also could made a trade. I was in Boston last week, and according to some people I spoke to, Manny Ramirez may be on the block once again. At this point, six seasons into his eight-year contract, Manny is relatively affordable, too. He's owed $38 million over the next two seasons, and his team holds an option for 2009 and 2010.
Last week, upon being asked if trading for Ramirez was a possibility, Phils GM Pat Gillick said, "I don't know if he's a headache we want to deal with." Reminded that Manny is comfortable with manager Charlie Manuel, who was Ramirez's hitting coach with the Indians, Gillick replied, "I don't want to put that kind of pressure on Charlie, because if it didn't work out, the public would think Charlie assured us he could handle the guy."
But that was when Soriano was still on the market. And, if Manny hits 40 home runs and drives in 130, something tells me the Phillies would tolerate his zany behavior.
3 comments:
Are you kidding me? Where are the Cubs getting all of this money? They're really going for broke, which is a shame because they're the Cubs.
Maybe the best protection for Howard is now Utley. Put them at 3 and 4 and hope for the best.
What a surprise! The Fighting Phils talk big about free agency, then sit back and watch their supposed prize sign with the Cubbies. Pitching is the name of the game. Take all of that money and load up on arms. That's the path to the next championship in Philadelphia!
Paul: Late in the season, I asked Charlie Manuel if he considered flipping Utley and Howard in the lineup. He acknowledged that he thought about it, but he also decided Utley was a better fit for the No. 3 hole. And let's not forget: A big reason Howard had 149 RBIs was that Utley reached base ahead of him.
The Phillies have contacted Carlos Lee's agent. Still not sure if they have much interest in Lee, but I'll keep monitoring the situation.
Headone: Which pitchers would you like to see the Phillies pursue?
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