Mar. 28 -- RELIEF FOR COSTE

BY SCOTT LAUBER

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Awoke this morning, checked my e-mail and saw Ronny Paulino has been traded again. Only a few hours after the Giants acquired him from the Phillies for lefty reliever Jack Taschner, Paulino was dealt to the Marlins for right-hander Hector Correa. So, if you're counting, that's four teams in four months (and three in two days) for well-traveled Paulino.

At this point, though, you're probably more interested in hearing from Chris Coste, who, once again, has survived a challenge to his job security. So, a few of us reporters caught up with Coste in the clubhouse this morning. Apparently, he didn't find out about the trade until this morning. Coste said Shane Victorino called him at about 11:30 last night, but he already had silenced his phone.

"He was kind of upset that I didn't answer the phone," Coste said. "The same thing happened a couple days ago when there were those reports out there that [Paulino] might get traded. Victorino calls me at 11:30 at night. I didn't answer the phone, and he doesn't leave messages because he's too lazy. So, this morning, when I got up, I didn't think much about it because I was half asleep when I found out he'd called. My wife got on the Internet, and she told me in the morning before I came to the ballpark."

Clearly, though, Coste is relieved, right?

"A little bit, certainly," he said. "There's always that constant fight to keep your job once the season starts, but that first hurdle seems to be past anyways. But it's not just me, it's a lot of guys in this room, you're on the team one day and you find yourself in the minor leagues or traded the next. So, as excited as I am, there's always that constant fight to survive the season."

Ruben Amaro Jr. told me last night that Paulino didn't show the Phillies enough to wrestle the job from Coste. Charlie Manuel always has been a backer of Coste's and feels confident with a Carlos Ruiz-Coste catching tandem.

"We won a World Series with those two catchers," he said.

Taschner, by the way, is expected to fly here today and could join the team tomorrow.

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Phillies are heading to Bradenton today to face the Pirates. Before that, thought, I'm heading over to Dunedin to watch J.A. Happ pitch in a minor-league game against the Blue Jays.

More later.