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Bastardo stays perfect; more bad news for Moyer

Just a few notes to pass along for this final day of November.

Over the weekend, top bullpen lefty Antonio Bastardo twirled 1 2-3 scoreless innings to make it six spotless relief appearances in the DWL. Over 6 2-3 innings of work, he's fanned seven while walking none. … Staying in the Dominican, and in case you haven't seen, David Herndon has begun a winter pitching regimen in the DR. The 2010 Rule 5 pick has appeared in two games, giving up two hits and hitting a batter in 2 1-3 innings of work. The 25-year-old right-hander went 1-3 with a 4.30 ERA and 29/17 K/BB ratio over 52 1-3 surprisingly effective innings for the Phillies in 2010. Since he was retained on the active roster all season, the Phils are now free to juggle him in and out of the majors as they please. ... Meanwhile, Jamie Moyer's hopes of a pitching in his 25th big league season took a hit yesterday when it was announced that the 48-year-old southpaw will undergo Tommy John Surgery Wednesday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Moyer, who set multiple pitching benchmarks because of his longevity, will set a new one by becoming the oldest pitcher to ever undergo the procedure. He was 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA in 19 starts for the Phillies, who were unlikely to offer him a new deal.

Monday: Brown mired in an 0-for-17 slump

Domonic Brown went 0-for-4 yesterday for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League, extending his hitless streak to four games. Brown’s only hit of winter came Nov. 23, a late-swing double down the left-field line. In seven games, he’s 1-for-23 (.043) with seven strikeouts. Beerleaguer: I’d pull him out of winter ball, and in a few weeks, start fresh in Clearwater under the watch of Phillies coaches and advisors. I understand the desire to get him into a day-to-day rhythm again after sitting on the bench for a month and a half, but at this point, just bring him home and forget about it. He was only slated to stay in the DR for a few weeks anyway.

Report: Phils express interest in journeyman Reyes

Dennys 'Don't Call Me Danys' Reyes, 33, went 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA and a 25/21 K/BB in 38 innings (59 games) for the Cardinals last season, a nearly identical workload as J.C. Romero, with fewer strikeouts, but also fewer walks [Link]

Beerleaguer: Chances are that Dennys Reyes would be no worse than OK. He earned $2 million from the Cardinals last season, part of a two-year, $3 million commitment. Statistically, it was his worst and shortest season in three years as he missed a month with a mildly strained elbow. Add to it the fact that lefties hit .307/.409/.453 off him and the Phillies would be wise to offer pennies on the dollar for an opportunity for this soon-to-be 34-year-old to pitch with a real contender, a strategy that many teams adopted in luring aging lefties a season ago. In 14 seasons, Reyes has only pitched in a pair of Division Series loses. A minor-league offer wouldn't get it done, but a million and an option might. A team with a deep rotation like the Phillies, and with guys like Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras capable of handling both righties and lefties, should be able to get away with someone like Reyes filling a primary lefty role. The Phillies have given no indication that they're entirely comfortable handing the reins to Antonio Bastardo, and even if they were, they still need another lefty.

Reyes, who broke into the league in 1997, has been around the block with 10 different teams. We all know how Charlie Manuel values experience. If Reyes can keep it together physically, 70 appearances isn't out of the question, although at 34, last season's yeoman effort seems more likely.

Wednesday: Phillies draw the line with Durbin

As expected, the Phils will offer salary arbitration to free agent Jayson Werth, but not Chad Durbin, who earned $2.13 million last season.

Beerleaguer: Durbin could have been counted among the eight most important Phillies during team's 2008 run to the World Series, particularly for what he did in the first half of that season, back when relief pitching was really the be-all end-all with this team. Bullpen seemed a lot more important back then, before Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels took matters into their own hands. His versatility, rubber arm and ability to soak up innings helped bring the entire bullpen into balance, setting a template that still exists today.

Nevertheless, the Phils are sensibly trading in a higher-milage reliever here, knowing they got more from the old girl than they could have ever hoped. A fourth year at the same pay scale just isn't practical for a soon-to-be 33-year-old middle man who started breaking down over the last few seasons. There was even some small doubt that they would offer him salary arbitration at the end of last season. Instead, they settled on a $2.13 million deal and decided to cut ties with Clay Condrey.

Durbin's 2010 was better than 2009: a 3.80 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 68 2-3 innings. His stuff looked very crisp most of the time. Unfortunately, it was his inning in the NLCS that really put the Phillies into a tailspin in the series. I don't believe it factored into this decision.

The Phils will need someone to reliably fill the middle-inning void. They'll need to get creative or one of the young pitchers (Herndon, De Fratus, Mathieson, Kendrick, Worley) will need to step in. In a small way, it also signals that the time of long-term commitments to the old guard have ended. The Phils could always consider bringing him in on a lesser deal. I would not.

Brown collects first winter hit: Domonic Brown went 1-for-4 with an opposite-field double down the left-field line yesterday in Escogido's 3-1 loss to the Toros, a game that aired on ESPN Deportes. Brown was fooled on the pitch, but fought it off for his first hit of the offseason. He also lined out hard to right and struck out twice. Brown has not played regularly since August after spending September and October on the Phillies' bench.

Chooch gets his due: Ruiz finishes 17th in MVP

The National League MVP was handed out today. Joey Votto won it nearly unanimously, but the Phillies were well represented.

Roy Halladay finished 6th. Jayson Werth took eighth, Ryan Howard received a second-place vote for some reason and finished 10th overall. Best of all, however, is that underdog justice was served as Carlos Ruiz earned a spot on the short list, taking 17th overall, tied with Dan Uggla and Adam Wainwright. What a tremendous tribute to Chooch, who posted a career-best .302/.400/.447 slash line, stared in numerous clutch moments and handled a pair of historic games by Halladay, not to mention a terrific campaign overall by the entire Phillies' pitching staff. How much does his inclusion stand out? Put it this way: on a list that is almost always dominated by big power, his eight homers are seven less than the next lowest position player, Martin Prado. Hopefully, it's a prelude to another overdue honor: the privilege of catching an All-Star Game. As for the rest of the voting, it's fair and just, all except Howard, whose season was unremarkable. Good, but unworthy of 10th, and definitely no MVP runner-up the way some lunatic thought. [Link]

Young players give Phillies' 40-man a makeover

The Phillies finalized their 40-man roster on Friday with players who would have been eligible for the Rule 5 draft, including a trio of middle infielders considered the best up-the-middle defenders in the system.

Second basemen Cesar Hernandez and Harold Garcia, along with shortstop Freddy Galvis, were shielded from exposure to next month's Rule 5 Draft. Meanwhile, reliever Justin De Fratus, a right-hander who some believe has a chance to contribute with the Phillies this season, and thumping first baseman Matt Rizzotti were also protected. Former first-round pick Joe Savery, who is trying to reinvent himself as a first baseman after flopping as both a starter and reliever in Triple-A, was the most notable player left exposed. All five of the new additions are playing or played winter ball.

Beerleaguer: Hernandez, the player you've heard about least, may be the player you need to know most. Still 20, the young switch-hitter more than held his own against New York-Penn League pitching, hitting .325/.390/.392 with 32 stolen bases with Williamsport. Signed as a 16 year old shortstop and converted to second, he keeps getting better and better. His defensive skills also reportedly earn high marks. Garcia, an older switch hitter who has been compared internally to Mark McLemore, set a Florida State League record with a 37-game hitting streak this season. Then there's the Wizard of Galvis, who lead Double-A Eastern League shortstops with a .982 fielding percentage, but still can't hit. He's young at 21, but a .586 OPS at Double-A leaves a lot to be desired. His time may run out if he can't improve this season. All three are staying sharp in Venezuela. As for Rizzotti, his path to majors will be eternally blocked by Ryan Howard, so despite a Phillies-best .343/.430/.555 across three levels of the minors last season, the 6-5 slugger should only be seen as trade bait. He continued his hot hitting this fall, batting .333 with Mesa. De Fratus, 23, pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 11 in Arizona. He's legit.

Domonic Brown finally makes his Dominican debut

Domonic Brown is starting in right field and batting third this afternoon for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. As of this writing, he's 0-for-1 with the game midway through the fourth inning. Brown's last action came in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. He was originally scheduled to begin winter ball on Nov. 15. You can follow the live boxscore here.

Moss, Barfield headline first wave of Phillies invitees

The Phillies extended spring training invites to 12 non-roster players yesterday. Here they are, starting with the players you haven't already heard about here:

Brandon Moss, OF: You might remember the name as being part of the three-team Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay trade. After failing to distinguish himself as Pittsburgh’s starting right fielder two seasons ago, Moss, a 27-year-old lefty hitter, spent almost the entire season in Triple-A Indianapolis, where he hit .266/.330/.470 with 22 home runs, 96 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 556 plate appearances, once again demonstrating that minor league pitching isn’t a problem. The Major League totals tell a different story. In four seasons with Boston and Pittsburgh, he’s a .238/.303/.385 hitter (81 OPS) in 743 plate apperances, including just 27 September chances (4-for-26) with the Buccos a season ago.

Outlook: On the current right field depth chart it goes something like Francisco, Brown, Gload, Mayberry then this guy. Ryne Sandberg will like him Lehigh Valley.

Josh Barfield, 2B: Barfield, the 27-year-old son of former Blue Jay and Yankee Jesse Barfield, spent last season with Triple-A Portland (Padres) where he hit .294/.325/.400 with five home runs and four stolen bases in 284 plate appearances. Originally taken by the Padres in the 4th round of the 2001 draft, Barfield, who bats from the right side, experienced a breakout rookie season with San Diego in ‘06, hitting .280/.318/.423 (96 OPS+) with 13 homers. Directly after the season, he was traded to Cleveland in the Kevin Kouzmanoff deal and it’s been all downhill from there. Over the next three seasons, he managed only a .591 OPS, watched his playing time reduced to just 53 plate appearances between 2008-09, partially due to a torn ligament in his left middle finger, and soon found himself back in the Padres farm system after the Tribe cut him loose.

Outllook: At this stage, he’s trying to remake himself as a utility type who can also play the outfield. His versatility will come in handy in Allentown, where they always need fresh bodies.

Ryan Feierabend, LHP: Feierabend, a 25-year-old 6-3 lefty, will try to keep his career on track following Tommy John Surgery. After missing all of 2009 recovering from the procedure, he floated between three levels of the Mariners organization, contributing a 5.14 ERA and 68/30 K/BB ratio in 25 games (24 starts) between Triple-A Tacoma, Double-A West Tennessee and Single-A High Desert. He appeared in 25 unsuccessful major league games (19 starts) between 2006-08 with Seattle, pitching to a 2-11 record and 7.11 ERA. Before the surgery, his command was seen as the best in the Seattle chain by scouts, with his best pitch identified as a circle-change to go a meat-and-potatoes low-90s sinking fastball.

Outlook: Honestly, the bar has been set so low by previous Seattle acquisitions that I’m not expecting much here.

Matt Miller, OF: Like Moss, Miller is another terrific minor league hitter who always finishes atop the league leaderboards in most offensive categories. A Pacific Coast League All-Star in 2010, Miller, a 27-year-old righty bat, hit .325/.404/.436 with 10 home runs and 81 RBI in 136 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Over a seven-year minor league career, he’s a .313/.379/.466 hitter without much speed, no arm and is only suited to play the corners. Colorado, which has been experimenting with their outfield forever, has never reached for him.

Outlook: Intriguing player who could benefit from a change in organizations, although he can kiss his PCL-inflated totals goodbye. At the very least, Lehigh Valley is looking better than it did a year ago (we say that every year, and then they finish with 58 wins.)

Juan Perez, LHP: Perez, a 32-year-old reliever, spent last season with Triple-A Albuquerque (Dodgers) where he went 4-3 with one save and a 2.96 ERA in 45 appearances. He pitched only briefly with Pittsburgh in 2006-07, resulting in a 5.14 ERA in 24 changes. Aside from that, he is a Triple-A loogy lifer, having spent six seasons there. You can track his progress in the Dominican Winter League through the links on the left sidebar. I know you're anxious.

Outlook: When Ryne Sandberg touches his left arm, he will be making the call for Mike Zagurski or this guy.

*** You’ve read about the rest of the invites in previous installations, but here they are anyway, as copied verbatim from a Phillies news release! ***

Eddie Bonine, RHP: The 29-year-old Bonine spent his first full season in the major leagues with Detroit where he went 4-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 47 appearances (one start). A Rule 5 draft selection of the Tigers in 2005, Bonine set career highs in wins, appearances and innings (68.0) in 2010. In 62 career appearances in the majors, he has posted a 7-3 record with a 4.74 ERA.

Tagg Bozied, INF/OF: In 104 games for double-A Reading last season, Bozied, 31, batted .315 and led all Phillies minor leaguers with 27 home runs and 92 RBI. The Eastern League All-Star also led the league in batting average, on-base percentage (.402) and slugging percentage (.631). Bozied appeared at both first and third base as well as left and right field for Reading.

Erik Kratz, C: In 70 games last season for triple-A Indianapolis in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, Kratz, 30, hit .274 with nine home runs and 41 RBI. The native of Telford, PA, batted .336 over a 36-game span in May and June to earn a promotion to Pittsburgh in July. Kratz collected two hits in his big league debut, July 17 against Houston.

Jeff Larish, INF: Larish, 28, split last season between four teams in the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics organizations. He began the year with triple-A Toledo and appeared in three games with the Tigers in late July before being claimed off waivers by the A's on August 3. After playing in eight games with triple-A Sacramento, he finished the season with the A's where he appeared in 24 contests. Following the season, Larish, a .224 hitter with eight home runs and 32 RBI in 101 major league games, played for Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Dan Meyer, LHP: A native of Woodbury, N.J., Meyer, 29, spent last year in the Florida Marlins organization. He spent the majority of the season with triple-A New Orleans where he went 1-2 with two saves and a 3.38 ERA in 32 games. In 2009, Meyer appeared in a career-best 71 games for the Marlins, posting a 3.09 ERA and holding opponents to a .219 batting average. For his major league career, he has gone 3-9 with two saves and a 5.46 ERA in 103 games (seven starts) for Atlanta (2004), Oakland (2007-08) and Florida (2009-10).

Pete Orr, INF: Orr, 31, hit .264 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI in 137 games for triple-A Syracuse in the Washington Nationals organization. He led the team in hits (129), doubles (32) and runs scored (63). For his major league career, Orr has hit .260 with three home runs and 35 RBI in 347 games for the Braves (2005-07) and Nationals (2008-09).

Dane Sardinha, C: Sardinha, 31, was also a non-roster invitee to Phillies spring training in 2010. He spent the majority of his season with triple-A Lehigh Valley where he hit .207 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 67 games. Sardinha also appeared in 13 games for the Phillies and belted his first major league home run in his debut with the team on June 24 against Cleveland.

Phillies choose Larish to become the next Dobbs

The Phillies once rescued Greg Dobbs from the AL and turned him into a productive NL reservist. Jeff Larish, 28, could be given the same opportunity after signing a minor league deal with the Phils.

Larish, a blocked corner infielder and perennial 25th man candidate with Detroit and most recently with Oakland, hit .179/.267/.313 with two homers in 75 plate appearances between the Tigers and A’s last season. As usual, his minor league totals were much, much stronger, a .284/.375/.533 slash line in 385 plate appearances between Oakland and Detroit’s Triple-A affiliates, including 20 homers, the third time he’s topped 20 in a season. Slowed only by a season-ending wrist injury in '09, he’s been in and out of the majors since '08, producing a not-too terrible .224/.308/.380 career line in 276 plate appearances. Like Dobbs, he’s a left-handed hitter who came up through the chain without a true position and alternated between first and third, which meant that he’s been stuck behind Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers designated him for assignment midway through the season and the Athletics claimed him.

Beerleaguer: No minor signing, people. Look for Larish to make a strong case to fill the final bench spot out of spring training. The Phils need a backup for Placido Polanco and are looking for someone in the mold of Dobbs, circa 2007, to do some damage off the bench. Before the ‘09 season, the year he screwed up his wrist, Baseball America ranked Larish fifth among Tigers prospects, citing his raw power to the pull field, ability to crush a fastball, decent speed and good awareness between the bags. Defensively, he’s average at best, maybe a little below, which is all Dobbs ever was. He sounds like a scrappy student of the game, too.

Expect him to yo-yo between the big club and Triple-A. This is a great opportunity for Larish to thrive in a new league and a way for the Phillies to get slightly younger on the bench. I like the potential here.

Minor re-signings: The Phillies signed minor league deals with pitcher Nate Bump, first baseman/outfielder Tagg Bozied and outfielder Rich Thompson, all holdovers from last season. Bozied, in particular, had a terrific season in Reading, where he challenged for the Triple Crown and hit .315/.401/.631 with 27 homers and 92 RBIs.

Minor notes: The Phillies must protect several players on the 40-man roster by Saturday night or risk losing them to the Rule 5 draft. Reliever Justin De Fratus is expected to be protected, but former first-round pick Joe Savery, who is being converted to a first baseman, first baseman Matt Rizzotti and outfielder D’Arby Myers are candidates to escape.

Thursday: Bastardo starts strong in winter league

With two spotless innings under his belt with Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Winter League, left-hander Antonio Bastardo is hoping to build momentum toward a larger role in 2011.

Unless the Phillies lure a marquee left-handed free agent, the Phillies have no other choice but to let out Bastardo’s leash next season. We’ve heard about his stuff, we’ve seen a few nasty pitches here and there, but the 25-year-old southpaw remains an enigma. There’s always some excuse to keep him stashed away: an injury, the need for more seasoning or Charlie Manuel’s unwillingness to hand the ball to an unknown. Can you blame him? Even the Phillies’ development staff can’t possibily know what they have on their hands. Since being phased into a reliever, he’s barely pitched, at any level. Encouragingly, he twirled 20 1-3 lights-out innings with Lehigh Valley last season. In multiple stints with the Phils, he pitched 18 2-3 total innings, going days between appearances and pitching just once in the postseason. It wasn’t until late September with rosters expanded that he got into a consistent groove. Over a four-game span, he fanned seven batters in three innings, flashing the live arm we’ve been hearing about.

Beerleaguer has been advising readers to keep track of Bastardo’s winter exploits for years, but this time, I mean it. The Phils will be monitoring his progress and will be looking for consistency, durability and a better slide piece. He’s the reason they took a shot with one lefty – J.C. Romero – last season. Now he’s the guy.

Phillies take a shot with inconsistent lefty Meyer

Dan Meyer, a former first-round pick of the Braves, pitched in only 13 games with the Marlins last season following a breakout 2009. The reliever inked a minor league pact with the Phillies today.

Beerleaguer: Fans familiar with Meyer’s high school achievements with Kingway Regional High School in Woolwich Township, N.J. and James Madison alumni alike have been waiting and waiting for Meyer to stick. They believed it finally happened in ’09 after he was claimed off waivers from Oakland and pitched a breakout 71-game season as a member of the Marlins bullpen. He was even pushed into the closer role temporarily and at one point was seen as a candidate to fill the role permanently. Armed with a good slider but not the complimentary tools to succeed as a starter, Meyer, who went from the Braves to the A's as part of the Tim Hudson deal, recorded a 3.09 ERA in ’09 and entered 2010 as no less than the Marlins’ second bullpen lefty. Unfortunately, a calf injury crippled him right out of the chute and he pitched in only 13 games, allowing 10 runs in 9 1-3 innings, before he was sent down to the minors for good in mid-July. He spent almost the entire season in Triple-A New Orleans, posting a 3.38 ERA and 27/16 K/BB ratio in 40 innings. His days of being a starter are completely over. He’s not exactly a prototypical loogy, either; left-handed hitters have fared better against him than righties over his career (.816 OPS/.788). And aside from ’09, his big league career has been a disaster.

Crazy inconsistency about sums it up. A reliable JMU source says Meyer hasn’t always been forthcoming about his injuries, which might explain it. Browsing the metrics, it’s very tough to get a handle on him statistically. It’s obviously not a good sign that several cash-strapped clubs have totally given up on a youngish, lefty former first-rounder. Still, I’d take him over Mike Zagurski, Scott Mathieson and a host of others. Look at him as a bargain reclamation project who should be healthy and ready next season. Maybe some home cooking will do him some good.

Wednesday links: Bullpen priorities, Doc’s big day

Beerleaguer will remain in light posting mode until I return from my self-imposed off-season exile next week, at which time I’ll reveal a few product and site announcements.

In the meantime, my CSNPhilly.com baseball colleagues have stayed busy. Jim Salisbury is in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. for the annual GM meetings where Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. addressed the issue of left-handed relief and whether the team will make an offer to Chad Durbin. Amaro refused to comment on where the issue stood between the Phillies and the free agent reliever. Sully also revisits Roy Halladay’s dream season. Meanwhile, John Finger clarifies Juan Samuel’s new role with the Phillies and reports that Sam Perlozzo will actually take over for Davey Lopes as the team’s base-running instructor, not Samuel, who stole 368 bags in his 16-year career.

Notes: We're still waiting on Dom Brown's Dominican League debut. ... The Phillies were reportedly interested in right-hander Hiroki Kuroda before he re-signed with the Dodgers.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Minor league free agents

Catching up on old news, the following Phillies farmhands are now FAs:

First baseman Andy Tracy; second baseman Melvin Dorta; shortstop Ozzie Chavez; third basemen Neil Sellers and Cody Ransom; outfielders Rich Thompson, Mike Spidale, Kevin Mahar and Timo Perez; catchers Joel Naughton, Kevin Nelson and John Suomi; starting pitchers Brandon Duckworth, Ty Taubenheim, Brian Mazone; relievers Jason Anderson, Alex Concepcion, Oscar Villarreal, Ehren Wasserman, Kyle Carr, Gabe Suarez, Ryne White, Brian Gordon, Juan Sandoval, Jay Stephens.

Beerleaguer: Ransom, who went 8-for-42 with a pair of homers including a game-tying blast in a dramatic 9-7 win over the Reds on July 9, was the only player who appeared with the Phils last season. Generally speaking, he is a cheaper, right-handed version of Greg Dobbs. A couple of these players could re-sign; guys like Thompson, Chavez, Spidale, Mazone and Anderson have been loyal soldiers who could possibly return, but Tracy could move on after being snubbed from a September call-up. Needless to say that new Triple-A skipper Ryne Sandberg won't be the only new face in Lehigh Valley this season ... Naughton, who was protected for a time on the Phillies' 40-man roster, is back in his native Australia playing winter ball.

NL Cy Young will be announced later today. Twenty-one-game-winner Roy Halladay is expected to pick up the top prize.

Report: Contreras prepared to stay in Philadelphia

According to a well-informed source for ESPNdeportes, reliever Jose Contreras is ready to re-up with the Phillies for two more years.

The soon-to-be 39-year-old free agent would reportedly receive an incentive-laden deal worth $5 million over two years with a third-year option. The right-hander appeared in 64 games last season (56 2-3 innings) and posted a 3.34 ERA, four saves and a very strong 57/16 K/BB ratio, neutralizing both righties and lefties with a good, hard splitter. He was also sharp in the postseason, tossing four scoreless innings. ESPNdeportes first broke the Contreras signing last offseason.

Beerleaguer: Given a choice between Durbin's versatility and younger age and Contreras' ability to miss bats and pitch to both righties and lefties, I'd take Contreras, whose stuff shows exceedingly well in the bullpen. Then I'd try to get creative with finding the next Durbin. Contreras is a great fit, and with Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge ahead of him, he won't be asked to do too much.

Update: It's official. Contreras in the fold for another two years, $5.5 million after reaching an agreement with the club, according to Todd Zolecki.

Sandberg selected as Phillies' AAA skipper

Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has been hired as manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

(From a Phillies news release) - Sandberg, 51, spent the last four seasons as a manager in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system with Class-A Peoria (2007-08), Double-A Tennessee (2009) and Triple-A Iowa (2010). He led his clubs to two first-place finishes and, overall, has a managerial record of 284-277-1 (.505). This past season, his first as a triple-A manager, Sandberg was named Manager of the Year in the Pacific Coast League after leading the Iowa Cubs to a tie for the best record in the Northern Division (82-62).

A 2005 inductee to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame, Sandberg was a 10-time National League All-Star and won nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards during his 16-year career (1981-94, 1996-97). He was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and made his major league debut with the club in 1981, appearing in 13 games. Sandberg finished his career with a .285 batting average, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases in 2,164 games. At the time of his retirement, his 277 home runs as a second baseman was a major league record.

The remainder of the Phillies' 2011 player development staff will be announced at a later date.

Phillies' recent success bodes well for Bonine

From Roy Halladay to David Herndon, the Phillies are on a hot streak with successful pitching acquisitions. They're hoping right-handed swingman Eddie Bonine, who was signed to a minor league deal yesterday, becomes the latest success story.

Bonine, who was mentioned as a possible target earlier in the week by FoxSports, went 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA with Detroit in the first half of last season only to fade into a 4-1, 4.63 ERA final mark. Bonine, a strike-thrower who offsets a mid-80s fastball with a secondary knuckleball he throws about 20 percent of the time, spent the entire season in the bullpen after floating in and out of the majors the previous two seasons as an emergency starter and mop-up reliever. Never seen as much of a prospect, he's 7-3 with a 4.74 ERA and 54/39 K/BB ratio in 129 lifetime big-league innings. After a good start to 2010, opponents hit .395 against him after the break. According to a report on the Tigers Web site, he was "inconsistent with his knuckleball, especially late in the season, and hitters made him pay for leaving his fastball in the strike zone." Bonine throws a slider and change-up in addition to the fastball and knuckler.

Phillies scribes see him as a minor league inventory guy who will be given a shot to make the club out of spring training. Still, based on their recent success in adding bargain pitching, I'm interested to see if Bonine can amount to something in the National League. The Phils are reportedly very interested in retaining free agent Jose Contreras and have reportedly made bullpen their early offseason focus.

Phillies sign catcher Kratz: In a move that surely marks the end of the Paul Hoover era, the Phillies added career minor league receiver Erik Kratz, a native of nearby Telford, Pa. Kratz, 30, is a career .252/.325/.434 hitter over nine minor league seasons, most of them in the Toronto organization. He finally earned a call-up last season with Pittsburgh and went 4-for-34 (.118). The rest of his season was spent with Triple-A Indianapolis where he hit .274/.380/.496 with 9 homers and was named to the Triple-A All-Star game, which was held in Allentown. He has pretty good power numbers, hitting 16 homers two years ago, has very strong career numbers against left-handed pitching and has earned high marks for his receiving and game calling. According to a profile about him on Fangraphs.com, he's one of few Mennonite players in professional baseball and is a product of Eastern Mennonite University.

He sounds like a very nice No. 3 catcher. The Phils still have Dane Sardinha as well, but allowed Hoover to become a free agent.

Phillies sign versatile veteran Orr to minor deal

Pete Orr, 31, spent all of 2010 with Triple-A Syracuse (Nationals) where he hit .264/.326/.436 with 12 homers in 536 plate appearances. (Getty Images)

Beerleaguer: Utilityman Juan Castro became the Phillies' first offseason signing of 2009 and they follow by making a utilityman their first noteworthy signing of 2010, albeit on a minor league deal, which is all that many people thought Castro should have gotten instead of the Major League commitment he was given instead. Orr, a Canadian-born everyman who hits from the left side and can play any position, has seen action over parts of five seasons with the Braves and Nationals between 2005-09, hitting 260/.287/.335 (62 OPS+), numbers that are inflated by a yeoman rookie season (87 OPS+). Since then, he hasn't been a passable Major Leaguer and has only briefly come up for air with injured and lousy Nationals and Braves teams. But the Phillies, needing versatile depth, didn't sign him for his bat. He'll give them sure handedness in a number of areas: third, short, second and the outfield, including center field. I wouldn't be surprised if he made a cameo with the Phils this season, but ideally, he's in Lehigh Valley for the duration of '11.

Sardinha re-ups: Speaking of depth, Dane Sardinha, who banged three homers in a 13-game trial run with the Phillies in late June / early July, has signed a minor league deal to stay in the organization. He hit .207/.261/.311 with five homers in 242 plate appearances with the IronPigs. In addition, LHP Drew Rundle, C Torre Langley, 2B Keoni Ruth and SS Fidel Hernandez also resigned with the club on minor league deals.

Dye to Phillies? Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports has learned that Jermaine Dye wants to play again and says he has been contacted by the Phillies.

Phillies set coaching staff, Samuel to coach third

The Phillies on Thursday brought back fan-favorite Juan Samuel as the team’s third-base coach and outfield instructor, CSNPhilly reports.

(From CSNPhilly.com) A three-time All-Star, Samuel played seven seasons with the Phillies. As a rookie in 1984, he led the NL with 19 triples and finished second with 72 stolen bases. His Phils career ended in 1989 when he was dealt to the Mets for Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell. In 2008, Samuel was enshrined to the Phillies Wall of Fame. He becomes the 34th Phillie in franchise history to both play and coach for the team.

 “I feel fortunate that we were able to add someone of Juan’s stature to our coaching staff,” manager Charlie Manuel said in a statement released by the team.  “He was a tremendous major league player and a big part of Phillies history and I’m looking forward to him passing on his knowledge of the game to our players.  He’s a great addition to our organization.”

Samuel, 49, spent the previous four seasons (2007-10) as third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles, including a stint this past summer as interim manager after Dave Trembley was fired. Before joining the Orioles, Samuel was a first and third base coach with Detroit for seven years (1999-2005), a position he was hired for immediately following his 16-year playing career (1983-98). In 1,720 career games for the Phillies, Mets (1989), Dodgers (1990-92), Royals (1992, 1995), Reds (1993), Tigers (1994-95) and Blue Jays (1996-98), Samuel hit .259 with 161 home runs, 703 RBIs and 396 stolen bases. He was primarily a second baseman but also played the outfield.

Perlozzo to first: Sam Perlozzo, the third-base coach last season, will move to first base. Coaches Mick Billmeyer (bullpen), Rich Dubee (pitching), Greg Gross (hitting) and Pete Mackanin (bench) also return next season.

Numbers that concern us series: Utley's SLG

Chase Utley's slugging percentage has been in decline since 2007 and reached a career-low .445 in 2010.

Utley was part of the weird, no, catastrophic phenomenon where almost the entire team underperformed against right-handed pitching. In .345 plate appearances, he slugged a mere .381 against righties, compared to .581 against southpaws. It was this team-wide lack of production against righties that caused much of the day-to-day inconsistency. As a team, they were often slow to get off the blocks against many a righty mediocrity, and on the rare day when they jumped on a starter early, chances are they were facing a lanky, hard-throwing lefty, it seemed. (I'd verify that, but I'm without wi-fi on the train.). Realizing that a torn tendon in his thumb can be blamed for some of the overall total, I can't get past May and June; in June, he homered just once and slugged .368. We've come to expect Utley to slowly fade over long stretches, but never this early in a season.

I think the spring is still very much in his step on the bases and in the field; generally, too much is made of his higher-profile defensive miscues. But the Utley I know used to make life hell for Davey Lopes the way he'd scald foul balls down the first-base line with that quick swing, biding time to plant one in the seats. One worries about the condition of his hip and all the other added punishment, leading the lead in being hit by a pitch for three-straight seasons and getting hit 18 times in a shortened 2010.

A month or so ago, we talked about how Utley was slowly losing his luster. More appropriately, he's like a Jaguar that's getting dinging and dented because he's being abused like a Manhattan cab.

Notes: CSN New England cited a source saying that the Phillies are interested in free agent catcher Jason Varitek, but I'm not sure I buy that. Meanwhile, ESPN's Jayson Stark raised the possibility of Jeff Francouer patrolling right field for the Phillies next season ... Tom Durso and Tom Goyne, great guys I've known for several years and started blogging about the Phils around the same time I started Berks Phillies Fans (which would eventually become Beerleaguer) have joined forces on a new dialogue going on at Phourscore.com.

Victorino cements place among elite Phils fielders

Center fielder Shane Victorino won his third-straight Gold Glove this afternoon, joining the ranks of Mike Schmidt, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins, Garry Maddox and Manny Trillo as Phillies who've won the award at least three times.

Beerleaguer: The selection of Derek Jeter yesterday reminds us that the award is what it is. It doesn't exist to validate readers of the Fielding Bible and Fangraphs or the other models that Beerleaguers hold most dear. But there's a wholesome nativite to the Gold Glove that I can appreciate as an escape form this digital space. The award, voted on by mangers and coaches in the American and National League, rarely deviates once a player has gained a reputation at his position, or popularity at his position, in the case of Jeter, who actually had a better than average season by his own standards but still far short of an unknown like Alexei Ramirez, who rated highest among the advanced shortstop metrics.

That said, Victorino, an above average defender by those same measures, hardly qualifies as an undeserving recipient. He lead the league in assists and finished fifth in fielding percentage (.995). Besides that, I know that I watched an excellent defender prowl the outfield and save his pitchers from loads of trouble time and time again this season. He's absolutely expert at ranging Citizens Bank Park and plays fluidly when he's on the road. That's what I saw. I didn't see enough of Drew Stubbs, Marlon Byrd or the other guys who might have been slighted.

The Gold Glove seems to reward "good guys," too. Vics strikes me as something of a pest for opposing teams, so to gain the approval of his peers for three-straight years says a lot to me.

Phillies should be early buyers in utility market

A right-handed bat to offset the likely loss of Jayson Werth won't be the only offseason priority.

Say what you will about Greg Dobbs and the Phillies' decision to cut ties with the bench veteran, but now that he's gone, the Phils are critically thin in multiple positions in the infield. Wilson Valdez, who is 32 and played as well as the Phillies could have ever hoped last season, is the only capable backup at second, third and short, positions where the regular starters - Chase Utley, Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins - missed extensive periods with injury. Recall that the Phils grabbed utility veteran Juan Castro very early last offseason just to cover their bases, then signed Polanco, touting the fact that he could spell Utley at second. Turns out, the Phils never had the luxury.

With infield production as weak as its been in years, expect the Phillies to take care of their utility need early. While starting infield help is hard to come by, the market is saturated with versatile backup types. Former Phil Nick Punto became a free agent when the Twins declined his option and could fit the bill. The switch hitter hit .238 with 11 doubles and a homer in an injury-plagued season. Defensively, he's as good as any utility player on the market, can still run and will take a pitch, but his production has flatlined over the last two seasons. If the price is right, Punto would be intriguing to a team that loves to bring back old players. In addition, names like Geoff Blum, Melvin Mora, Willie Bloomquist, Juan Uribe, Craig Counsell and others are available, in addition to veterans like Ronnie Belliard and - yes - Pedro Feliz, who could be had on minor league deals.

Report: Phillies interested in hybrid knuckleballer

A couple years ago, the Phillies took a chance on an up-and-down fringe starter turned reliever named Chad Durbin. They're reportedly interested in doing the same with another ex-Tiger righty.

Eddie Bonine, who went 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA in the first half only to fade into a 4-1, 4.63 ERA final mark, refused a minor-league assignment with Detroit and opted to become a free agent. FoxSports' Jon Paul Morosi says the Phillies are interested in bringing him aboard on a minor league deal. Bonine, who offsets a mid-80s fastball with a secondary knuckleball he throws about 20 percent of the time, spent the entire season with the Tigers after floating in and out of the majors the previous two seasons. In parts of three big-league seasons, he's 7-3 with a 4.74 ERA and 54/39 K/BB ratio in 129 innings, getting by with his command and little else. According to MLB.com's Tigers scribe, "opponents batted .395 against him after the break. He was inconsistent with his knuckleball, especially late in the season, and hitters made him pay for leaving his fastball in the strike zone." Bonine throws a slider and change-up in addition to the fastball and knuckler.

If swayed to join the Phils, it's likely he would serve a similar in-between swing role to that of Nelson Figueroa. Here's some video of him. [Clip]

Report: Moyer reinjures elbow in Dominican debut

CBSSports and MSNBC have picked up reports that Jamie Moyer re-injured his elbow today while pitching winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

At least one of the reports appears to originate with Dominican journalist Dionisio Soldevila. According to the report, Moyer, who was making his debut with Escogido, left the game after two innings. Club GM and former major leaguer Moises Alou reportedly suggested afterword that he believes that Moyer's career is likely over. Moyer turns 48 on Nov. 18 and became a free agent after the World Series. This photo, posted to Soldevila's twitter thread minutes ago via a follower, confirms that Moyer took the mound tonight against Licey. It may in fact be the last time the 24-year big league veteran ever takes the mound. The left-hander was originally drafted by the Cubs in 1984.

New shortstop could be more than inventory

The Phillies' 40-man roster is four deep at shortstop after the Phillies claimed 22-year-old Carlos Rivero off waivers from the Indians. He hit .232/.278/.325 with six homers last season with Double-A Akron. (AP Photo)

Rivero, a 6-3, 210-pound right-handed hitter with raw power, has more in common with popular would-have-been Phillie Jason Donald than you might think. Put it this way; Rivero is more Donald than Brian Bocock. Donald gets the edge overall, but based on the scouting reports, their power and serviceable defensive tools match up. So do their strikeout and walk totals; Rivero, who will be 23 in May, walked 50 times and struck out 73 times in 2009, his first season at Double-A. As a matter of fact, Baseball America rated them only two spots apart (15th for Donald, 17th for for Rivero) in their most recent prospect annual. While Rivero earns high marks for his arm, they seperate with speed; Rivero is rated with below-average lateral range and wheels, which might help explain why he isn't legging out many hits despite putting the ball in play so much. You can't teach speed, which might be why the Indians couldn't afford to protect him on their 40-man roster any longer. The Phillies will be making the same tough cuts in the coming days and weeks. They're holding 34 players on their 40-man roster and there are a number of intriguing Rule 5-eligible players they need to consider protecting, including pitcher turned first baseman Joe Savery and Matt Rizzotti. Obviously, shortstop is at a much higher premium, and let's face it, shortstop is fast becoming the Phillies' thinnest area.

Hot stove: Expect the free agent signing season to move at glacial speeds. Add to it the fact that those of us who write about the Phillies are in November hibernation. So far, the Phillies have reportedly had internal discussions about free agent Magglio Ordonez and have talked about trading for Aaron Rowand if the Giants are willing to eat a sizeable portion of his contract. Yeah, I'm only getting around to writing about this now, and didn't even say goodbye to Greg Dobbs or Jamie Moyer. Sue me.

Minors: Rodriguez starts strong in Puerto Rico

Just a couple of minor notes to pass along.

Julio Rodriguez, who pitched for Lakewood last season, becomes the first Phillie to pop up on the Puerto Rican Winter League radar. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts (10 innings) with Gigantes de Carolina. Rodriguez was used last season as a starter and reliever and pitched from the bullpen during the South Atlantic League playoffs. He is a native of Puerto Rico.

In the Arizona Fall League, Matt Rizzotti continues to be a tough out, CSN's Kevin Czerwinski reports. The 24-year-old first baseman is riding a 10-game hitting streak and leads the league with a .531 on-base percentage. A 2007 sixth-round pick, who hit .343/.430/.555 across three levels of the minors last season, may be playing his way into a spring invite. Even if he doesn't have a position, his numbers are getting tough to ignore.

Meanwhile, relievers Josh Zeid and Justin DeFratus were named to the AFL Rising Stars Game, which will air Saturday night on MLB Network. Zeid, who is being stretched out as a starter, is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 12/1 K/BB ratio in four starts (14 innings). De Fratus has fanned 10 in five scoreless innings.

Season = over

Edgar Renteria's three-run homer off Cliff Lee staked the San Francisco Giants to a championship, just as it was drawn up.

Beerleaguer: So this is what it felt like outside of Philadelphia when the Phillies beat the Rays. Tip your cap to the Giants for defying the odds and getting it done, just as the underdog Phillies did it in 2008. It's just another reminder that baseball is never as it seems and rarely goes the way it's supposed to go, with Lee losing twice this series and seemingly washed-up lifers like Renteria and Juan Uribe providing many of the postseason heroics. It's enough to push one toward other pursuits besides blogging about what our Phillies are doing to win us a championship. Maybe basketweaving or model trains would make more sense. I guess the one constant is that good pitching, more often than not, will beat good hitting, and that was generally the case here. Good pitching erased MVP probable Joey Votto and the Reds in the Division Series. It did the same to Josh Hamilton and the favored Rangers in the World Series. From the Phillies' perspective, it's affirmation that a good pitching staff, like the one the Phils will have next season, is as close to as you're going to get to a sure thing in the game of baseball. Everything else is a roll of the dice. Maybe next year's big hit will come off the bat of Wilson Valdez. I like the sound of that.

Monday: Lopes bolts after Phillies' offer falls short

Jim Salisbury reports that Davey Lopes, who has guided the Phillies to historic base-stealing efficiency since the 2007 season, was offered a one-year contract, but the two sides differed on compensation. (AP Photo)

Lopes, who was also responsible for coaching the outfield, oversaw a Phillies club that led the league in stolen-base percentage for four-straight seasons and helped transform Shane Victorino into one of the league's premier stolen-base threats. The 65-year-old coach said he hopes to stay in baseball and would not comment on the difference in compensation. “We just had a difference of opinion on what I felt my worth was,” Lopes told Salisbury. “That’s all. It was a really tough decision because I loved my time in Philadelphia, I loved working for Charlie Manuel, and I have the utmost respect for everyone in that organization."

Beerleaguer: Here's hoping the Phillies absorbed all they could these last four seasons. I can't recall a Phillies coach ever having a more tangible impact on a single aspect of the game, with Victorino being his masterwork; Vic was as raw between the bags as a young player could be when he first entered the league. Today, one would assume that Vic and the rest of the veterans have evolved as much as their rapidly balding tires will allow. But losing Lopes certainly hurts with Domonic Brown ready to assume a full-time role. It was frequently rumored that Lopes, who missed time dealing with personal tragedy, was set to move on. His final season included blowouts by Jimmy Rollins, Victorino and Chase Utley, yet all the while, they stayed efficient, leading the league in base-stealing efficiency for a fourth-straight season. How quickly we forget, too, that the Phils sent the entire starting outfield to the All-Star Game last season.