Nov. 28 -- CLOSING IN ON KOPLOVE & THANKING YOU

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Hola, amigos. Happy (Black) Friday. Not sure about y'all, but my stomach is still full from a feast of this, some of these, lots of this and even this. Each year, I'm reminded of just how much I have to be thankful for, especially being part of a family that can cook. Mine, it turns out, has some serious game in the kitchen.

Mike Koplove can give thanks, too.

A few minutes ago, I spoke to someone with intimate details of Koplove's contract situation, who confirmed a Philadelphia Daily News report today that the 32-year-old side-arming right-hander, formerly of the University of Delaware, has "pretty much agreed" to a minor-league contract with the Phillies. So, I called Koplove, and because the deal isn't signed and sealed yet, he politely declined to discuss the specifics. That's fine. If I was him, I wouldn't want to jinx anything either.

Basically, though, here's what it all means: Koplove, a South Philly native who helped pitch UD to the NCAA tournament in 1998, will NOT be given a spot on the Phils' 40-man roster. He will, however, be a non-roster invitee to major-league spring training in February, and he'll have a chance, though probably not a great one, to make the Phillies' roster. If he doesn't, he'll go to triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he'll pitch out of the bullpen and supply the Phillies with depth in the event of an injury to one of their relievers. At the moment, the Phillies' bullpen is pretty well-stocked. Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero and Scott Eyre have contracts for 2009, and arbitration-eligible Ryan Madson, Clay Condrey and Chad Durbin are all going to be back. That leaves one spot, and the Phillies are still looking to acquire a reliever. Free-agent right-hander Juan Cruz has been mentioned as a possibility.

Koplove has major-league experience. From 2002 through 2005, he went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA in 206 appearances for the Diamondbacks. Since 2005, though, he has made only seven major-league appearances, and last season, he spent the whole year with the Dodgers' triple-A club in Vegas, going 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA. At UD, Koplove went 5-1 with a 4.60 ERA. So, if he doesn't make the Phillies, I'd say he stands a decent chance of pitching for them at some point in 2009, which would be an absolute dream for a guy who grew up in the shadow of the Vet.

Stay tuned for more info. It sounds like a deal could be completed early next week.

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Shameless self-promotion alert: My book with Gary Matthews (have I mentioned that we wrote a book?), titled "Phillies Confidential: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Championship Season," has arrived in most book stores in the area. If you're out and about, looking to get a headstart on your holiday shopping, please check it out.

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Finally, it figures to be a fairly light holiday weekend for the Phillies. So, I wanted to take a few moments, on the day after Thanksgiving, to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has visited our little corner of the Internet in the past year. Here at The News Journal's Phillies blog, we strive to keep you informed on what's happening with the team. And while we're aware that you can go to any number of places for your Phillies news, we hope The Blog is somewhere on your list. Special thanks to the folks who offer comments. I think we have built a nice, little community here, and I hope we can continue to grow in the coming year.