The future of Ottawa Lynx baseball remains uncertain, but for at least one more season, Canada’s capital city will field a competitive Triple-A squad, courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies. [Roster]
Outfield: Ottawa's outfield isn’t the youngest collection of talent, but it should be productive nevertheless. Ron Calloway, Lou Collier and Pedro Swann were all standout Lynx in the past. Collier hit .316 with Ottawa back in 2002 and Swann was voted most valuable player on the 2003 playoff team. They’ll be joined by Phillies farm veteran Jim Rushford and slashing switch-hitter Chris Roberson. Average age of the outfield is nearly 32.
Catching: The only positional surprise shows up behind the plate, where Jason Jaramillo has done enough in the eyes of Phillies officials to graduate from Double-A following a so-so year. Veteran Dusty Wathan returns for another season. Ryan Budde, a Rule 5 pick who’s still on the Phillies 25-man roster but is injured, could be retained and sent to Ottawa or Double-A Reading if his original team refuses to carry him, which is likely. This could also be the destination of last year's Cinderella story, Chris Coste.
Infield: Like the outfield, Ottawa’s infield is comprised of veteran parts: Brent Abernathy, Gary Burnham, Brennan King, Carlos Leon and Danny Sandoval. Among them, King is the youngest at 26. Burnham can rake and is a good organizational guy. Leon, Sandoval and Abernathy represent an interesting infield logjam manager John Russell will need to unravel.
Starting pitching: The Lynx are loaded with quality left-handers. Brian Mazone was Scranton's pitcher of the year last season and led the International League in ERA. Fabio Castro didn’t make the Phillies cut, so now the 22-year-old will have plenty of time to work on his command in a pressure-free environment, either as a starter or reliever. Right-hander Matt Childers split last season between Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Trenton and is in his 10th season. Left-hander J.A. Happ is rated as one of the best pitchers in the organization and could be the first pitcher called on in an emergency. Ditto Zach Segovia, who remains on the Phillies 25-man roster, but could be sent down once Jon Lieber comes off the DL. Like Castro, lefty Eude Brito could take the mound as a starter or reliever.
Bullpen: Relief should be another strength. Joe Bisenius could see action as a closer after opening eyes in Clearwater. Brian Sanches can’t pitch in the majors, but he’s hell on minor league hitters. Hard-throwing Venezuelan Yoel Hernandez was once a highly regarded talent, but has suffered injury setbacks. Justin Miller started 33 games for the Toronto Blue Jays between 2002 and 2004. I don’t know a lot about him, but obviously his career hasn’t turned like he’d hoped. Kane Davis has 114 Major League innings under his belt, most recently with Milwaukee. Veterans Jim Crowell and John Ennis round out the bullpen choices.
Franchise outlook: Besides Class-A Vancouver, Ottawa is Canada’s last remaining minor league affiliate, a sad fact for a country that entered a baseball golden age when Pat Gillick's Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993.
When I spoke with Lynx General Manager Kyle Bostwick earlier this winter, he said the 1994 strike weighs heavily on the hearts of Canadian baseball officials. Bostwick worked in the Montreal Expos farm system for years and no organization felt the strike harder. Once a model for excellence, the Expos toppled hard and fast. Many believe the '94 Expos fielded the decade’s best collection of talent, which was mostly home grown. After the strike, they were never the same.
Bostwick maintains that Ottawa has been unfairly labeled as a poor destination for baseball. Indeed, the climate is cold and fans are scarce, but the city is beautiful and bustling, as returning players such as Collier, Calloway and Swann would likely maintain. Lynx Stadium seats 10,332 and is fairly new, built in 1993 and home of one of the largest home clubhouses in minor league baseball.
Next season, the Phillies are set to move into a new, state-of-the-art facility in the Lehigh Valley, leaving Ottawa’s future uncertain. Bostwick said he and his staff are heading into the 2007 season fully prepared for 2008.
Tomorrow: Double-A Reading
As the flash bulbs go off, and as the ballpark is overrun with members of the Japanese press corps and Sox fans, the subplot features a Phillies team that will try to erase two consecutive seasons of sub-.500 baseball in April, beginning Monday at Citizens Bank Park. This is their final tune-up before the games count for real, and needless to say, establishing momentum, rhythm and confidence will be a tough task against orient mystery Matsuzaka and the high-powered Red Sox offense.
Grapefruit League stat stuff: Chase Utley leads the league in slugging percentage (.746) and total bases (47), and is also tied for the league lead in homers (6) and RBIs (17). Jimmy Rollins leads the league in on-base percentage (.493). Greg Dobbs ranks in the top 10 in five different categories including RBIs (17), slugging percentage (.667), total bases (40), home runs (4) and batting average (.367).
Along with Moss, the list includes Bryan Hansen, Sam Orr, Dennis Diaz, Wilfredo Laureano, Zac Cline, Cory Dueitt, Maximo De la Cruz, Matt Olson, Talley Haines, William Capps, Michael Deveaux, Curt Miaso, Evan Tartaglia, Tom Gornati, Jacob Dempsey, John Brownell, Robert Moron, Cody Montgomery, Mark Kelly, Lenin Gazo, Nick Hall, Alan Schoenberger.
Up first, a two-game exhibition series with American League powerhouse Boston, one final challenge before balls and strikes count for real. Today in Bradenton, Fla. the Phillies wrapped up Grapefruit League play in a 5-5 draw with Pittsburgh. They say not to pay attention to spring training numbers. Gladly. The Phightins finished 11-16-3 with few individual pluses, aside from beating the Florida State Seminoles. However, over the last few games, there were encouraging signs, including a pair of homers from Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell today. Both sluggers have struggled in March. It's a good thing the calendar will shortly turn over to April.
Thurston had been a non-roster invitee with Washington this spring, but was reassigned on March 25 and must have landed back with the Phillies somehow. Yesterday’s minor league report says "Newly acquired 2B Joe Thurston was 2-for-3 with a 2B and a run scored."
After a whirlwind day of roster activity, the Phillies have formed a clearer picture on which players they will take north. Infielder/outfielder 
Warden posted a 5.68 ERA in 6 1-3 innings this spring and was being looked at for a situational role. All of a sudden, the outlook appears brighter for rookie Zach Segovia, who, if you think about it, could actually earn a spot start if Freddy Garcia and Jon Lieber both begin the season on the DL. Warden's dismissal also means right-hander Clay Condrey has a spot on the roster. This could also be a prelude to last-minute trade or waiver claim.
Garcia, who had a clause in his contract granting his release if he didn’t make the 25-man roster, was released earlier today. The move would appear to pave the way for 24-year-old Bourn to make the team as a fourth or fifth outfielder, defensive sub and primary speed threat off the bench. Garcia had been having a good spring, hitting .305 with one home run and seven RBIs, but Bourn has been matching him step-for-step, hitting .291 with six stolen bases in six attempts and nine RBIs. He’s also scored 15 runs, third most in the Grapefruit League.
The 32-year-old pitcher was accused of joining a group of men in attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch, located about 25 miles south of Caracas, Venezuela. In addition, Urbina was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and violating a prohibition against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.
Beerleaguer: I suppose I win the bullpen prize. Early in spring, if you were to ask how the Phillies would round out the bullpen, I would have said Condrey and Warden. The question is, are they the best choices, or just a safe way to preserve inventory?
Left-handers Eude Brito and 
The rookie right-hander has been one of the nicer surprises in camp. In 10 innings, including a five-inning start against the Yankees, Segovia is 0-1 with a 2.70, having not allowed a walk or home run. He’ll face Japanese left-hander Kei Igawa, who in 12 innings is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, but has walked 10.
Pelfrey outlasted several others, including veterans Chan Ho Park and Aaron Sele. Rookie Phil Humber was also in the mix, but was demoted recently. Matthew Cerrone, proprietor of Metsblog, believes Sele will become the team’s new long reliever, while Park will settle into a middle reliever role. In a related announcement, right-hander Joe Smith, a 23-year-old non-roster invitee, has also been officially added to the bullpen.
Meanwhile, the Phillies received some good and bad news yesterday, starting with the good. Both Freddy Garcia and Carlos Ruiz are progressing from their injuries and aren't expected to miss much more action. Both could be ready to go for the start of the season. Now the bad. Jon Lieber has been sidelined with a strained oblique, the severity of which is undetermined.
Putting to rest what one writer called the worst kept secret in camp, manager Charlie Manuel named 
I haven't seen it, but according to co-workers, the word "Beerleaguer" appears somewhere on a page with the Phillies preview. Fans are being asked to vote for their favorite Phillies fan site. To find the site easily, I assembled a modestly placed graphic that links to the 
And moving from bad situation to an awkward one, Jon Lieber was demoted to the bullpen yesterday, resulting in some rather scathing discontent in the press. Today, he'll likely receive news he's back in the fray. Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News indicated it's hard to imagine how Garcia won't start the season on the shelf.
He called to say the Bible had arrived. That's our term for Baseball America. It was a good issue, their Major League preview. Every year, this particular issue hangs around the kitchen table for months until the pages start to curl and wine stains blot the cover. This year's prediction: Division: Phillies. Pennant: Phillies. World Series: Red Sox vs. Phillies. Hallelujah. The Bible has spoken.
Segovia may be listed just outside prospect magazines’ Top 10 lists, but he’s no mediocrity, and his stock is rising after landing back on his feet after a near two-year recovery from Tommy John surgery. Following a 16-win season between Clearwater and Reading, which could have been close to 20 had he not pitched for Team USA, Baseball America identifies him as "A classic late bloomer,” with a better perspective on how to be a complete pitcher. Segovia echoed those reports after last night’s start.
Since the rotation appears quite strong either way, Manuel might be better served deciding which one would make the better reliever. It’s not an easy choice. Lieber has been a starter for almost his entire 12-year career, and hasn’t pitched regularly from the pen since 1996, a full seven years before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Eaton is trying to rebound from his own injury problems, which included Tommy John in 2002 and problems with the index finger, which kept him on the sidelines for the better part of 2006.
Germano, a 24-year-old right-hander with upside, was acquired from the Reds and spent most of the season in Triple-A. In hindsight, organizational filler, or even a bag of yo-yos, would have been better. Germano, who’d been in the mix for a spot in the bullpen, was out of options and would have needed to clear waivers and accept an assignment to the minors. He can do better; he could still develop into a useful back-of-the-rotation starter. Apparently, the Phillies felt he wouldn't help their bullpen more than Clay Condrey, Jim Ed Warden, Zach Segovia, Joe Bisenius and the other remaining candidates.
Brett Myers and J.A. Happ will start two games today, both available via live box score. Myers' start against Tampa will also air on the CW network. Johan Santana, pictured, takes the mound for the Twins in Ft. Lauderdale against a squad of irregulars, including Dusty Wathan, Brent Abernathy and Danny Sandoval. Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, Jayson Werth, Wes Helms, Abraham Nunez and Carlos Ruiz, as DH, round out the lineup. 
The Baltimore Orioles used the fifth overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft to snare Simon, then traded him to the Phillies for their pick, catcher Adam Donachie. The Phils signed Simon to an undisclosed contract partway through the offseason. The transaction itself cost $50,000, though the Rangers will give half of it back to Philadelphia, according to Phillies.com. The team is still looking at fellow Rule 5 pick Jim Ed Warden, but the big right-hander has been shaky and may only be effective against right-handers, if anything.
None of the choices are without drawbacks. The Phillies may chose between a hot hand, such as rookie Joe Bisenius, older candidates, such as Clay Condrey and 
Shane Victorino gets a starting nod yet again, but gets a break from the field and will instead DH. Michael Bourn will get another look in right field. Chris Coste, who’s taken just 17 at bats this spring, is out of the starting lineup yet again, amidst speculation that Texas is seeking a veteran backup catcher. Coste’s spot on the 25-man roster is dubious at best. Abraham Nunez starts at third in place of Wes Helms, who’s swinging a hot bat.
Both teams go to war with their regulars tonight. For the Phils, that means Pat Burrell in left, Aaron Rowand in center and Shane Victorino in right. For Toronto, that means Reed Johnson in left, Vernon Wells in center and Alex Rios in right. Hamels is looking to rebound following a shaky start last week. As we used to say in pee-wee league baseball, this will be a nice early test “under the lights.” 
The Phillies reached the halfway point of the Grapefruit League season yesterday, and Miller’s state of the union is 
Beerleaguer: The Phillies brass will try to spin this as a routine exam, but get real. Everyone knows they're more than a little concerned with Gordon – those rumblings started before the end of last season. Back-end relief remains the most critical situation the team faces, and it's been that way since the Wild Card race.
This will be Happ's third appearance in Grapefruit League play, and so far the 6-5 Northwestern University product has looked good, allowing just one run on two hits in 5 2-3 innings. Yesterday, it was Jamie Moyer's time to shine. All he did was toss perhaps the best start by any Phillies pitcher thus far, allowing just two hits in five scoreless frames in a 5-3 loss to the Tigers.
Garcia, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer, who makes his third start this afternoon against the Tigers, each struggled in their last outings. Pitching coach Rich Dubee isn't worried, and told Radano it's just a matter of building to where they need to be for April.
Redman, 33, would get a $750,000, one-year deal with a chance to earn $500,000 in performance bonuses based on starts, according to FoxSports’ Ken Rosenthal. Redman was an All-Star last season with Kansas City, going 11-10 with a 5.71 ERA. In parts of eight seasons, he is 64-76 with a 4.65 ERA in 186 starts and 12 relief appearances.
The Sun-Times labels this latest batch of Rowand rumors Round III. Logan, a 22-year-old left-hander, darted through the Sox minor league system quickly last season after initially struggling to get out of A-ball. A low arm-slot pitcher, The former 20th-round pick had control problems in four minor league seasons, but posted strong numbers in Triple-A Charlotte in '06, going 3-1, 3.38 ERA with 11 saves and a 57/12 K/BB ratio in 42 innings.
Mazone nearly received a spot start for the Phillies in September, but plans were scrapped at the last moment. Signed as a minor league free agent before the start of '06, the tall southpaw represented one of the nicest surprises in the Phillies organization, leading Scranton in their charge toward the playoffs. He isn’t a hard thrower and relies on changing speeds and command of four pitches.
The longtime coach and former player, 59, died early this morning from complications arising from treatment. The Phillies have announced they will wear a black patch with 'Vuk' on their jerseys through the 2007 season.
Beerleaguer: The new $48.4 million facility is promising to be an excellent venue for baseball and was designed by HOK Sport Architects, the same firm that designed Citizens Bank Park, Jacobs Field and Camden Yards. 
The report has been confirmed by several sources, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier Post and Vukovich’s hometown Sacramento Bee. “Vuk,” as he was known to Phillies nation and around baseball, received word several months ago that his cancer had returned. The local media was aware of the situation for some time, but honored the family's request not to release the information.
Work-related FYI: If my posts seem a little uninspired lately, there's good reason. Behind the scenes, I’m hard at work on several projects, including a ground-breaking endeavor at the Reading Eagle involving the construction of a new Phillies page from the ground up. Though it’s still in the preliminary stages, we’re excited by it, and the plan is to make Beerleaguer a central component. Rest assured, Beerleaguer will remain entirely the same as you see it here, except for a few subtle changes here and there. The only real difference is you may see me in other places, too. Stay tuned ...
The Pirates clawed back against subs thanks to poor defense and lackluster relief. Before anyone gets too concerned with fundamentals, the errors were made by players not likely to be on the roster come April. 
According to Sports Illustrated's exclusive report, Bell received six packages of HCG at a Philadelphia address last April, a hormone often used in conjunction with anabolic steroids. The drug was reportedly prescribed in conjuction with an Arizona antiaging facility, which is currently under investigation. Bell told SI the drug was prescribed for a "medical condition," which he declined to disclose. 
Michael Bourn, who started today in right field, finished with an impressive line once again, scoring three and stealing two. Catcher Carlos Ruiz pelted a deep home run to left and knocked in three on the afternoon. 
The veteran right-hander is without a secure spot in the Phillies five-man rotation and is believed to be on the trading block. He makes his first Grapefruit League start today against the Reds in Sarasota, Fla.
The Phillies have three outfielders ready to compete at an acceptable level, and they all have starting jobs. It looks like there is some rust on 
-- Phillies manager Pat Gillick was reportedly in Blue Jays camp again, and the speculation surrounds Jon Lieber and a Jays outfielder. If the Phillies were to acquire one of Toronto’s outfielders, either Reed Johnson or 
