Beerleaguer - Phillies Blog, Baseball News, Trade Rumors & Spirits

Polanco kept Phillies in a hot corner holding pattern

The decision to sign Placido Polanco for three years netted marginal change over what they had previously in Pedro Feliz and earlier stopgaps. 

Year	Age	Tm	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2010	34	PHI	132	602	76	165	27	2	6	52	5	32	47	.298	.339	.386	.726	94
2011	35	PHI	122	523	46	130	14	0	5	50	3	42	44	.277	.335	.339	.674	86
2012	36	PHI	90	328	28	78	15	0	2	19	0	18	25	.257	.302	.327	.629	70

Beerleaguer: On paper, Polanco met the criteria for what the Phils needed in 2009. The Phils banked on Polanco making a smooth transition from second, where he had won the Gold Glove in 2007 and 2009 in Detroit, back to third, where he rewarded the Phils with very dependable defense in each of his three seasons and a Gold Glove in 2011. Offensively, he profiled as an ideal No. 2 hitter who put the ball in play and understood situational hitting. He delivered roughly a year and a half of that, including a run in early 2011 in which he was arguably the Phils' best hitter. In hindsight, Adrian Beltre was the one to get. They got Polanco instead, and he was probably the next best option. Recall that Mark DeRosa, Chone Figgins and Troy Glaus were also on the table. Nevertheless, many Beerleaguers believed Polly made more sense on a two-year deal, which turned out to be correct. 

Good? Bad? More like a "push."

Update: Phils decline options on Contreras, Wigginton

According to the Phillies' Twitter feed, the club has declined 2013 club options for Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras. According to Phillies.com scribe Todd Zolecki on Twitter, they'll each receive $500K buyouts. Wigginton, 34, posted a .688 OPS in 360 plate appearances as his skills continued to erode. He wasn't very good here and will likely settle on a minor league deal and spring training invite somewhere. As for Contreras, he missed most of the season with a torn UCL in his elbow. At 40, his career is in doubt. 

Meanwhile, no announcement on Placido Polanco, who also has a club option for next season. Before mounting injuries chopped him down late in the season, it was reported the Phils were considering picking him up for another season due to the shortage of free agent talent at third base.

As season ends, Phils' focus turns toward contracts

Hours after the Giants swept aside the Tigers Sunday night to clinch their second World Series in three years, the Phillies took care of some housecleaning Monday by settling up Carlos Ruiz's $5 million option.

As expected, the Phillies franchise catcher will be back behind home plate in 2013 before hitting free agency after the season. Ruiz, 33, had a career year and kept pace with the league batting leaders before injury cut his season short. He finished hitting .325/.394/.540 with 16 homers in 421 plate appearances, representing the best story from an otherwise disappointing Phillies season.

Meanwhile, the Phils are expected to make announcements in the coming days on three others with 2013 options: third baseman Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton and reliever Jose Contreras. None of them are expected to be retained and the buyouts would total $1.75 million ($1 million for Polanco, $500K for Wigginton and $250K for Contreras). Aribitration-eligible players include first-timer Antonio Bastardo and second-timers Kevin Frandsen and Nate Schierholtz.

Ruf belts four homers in two days in Venezuela

More fireworks from Planet Earth's mightiest hitter.

Darin Ruf, who led all of minor league baseball with 38 home runs before adding three more during his September call-up with the Phillies, has followed a two-homer Saturday with two more Sunday afternoon in Venezuela. The 26-year-old outfielder now has eight home runs in his first 14 games in the VWL to raise his slash line to .286/.405/.886. Beerleaguer: He's making the Phils think long and hard. How can they not - he's obviously got special power. And right now you have to be more excited about this alleged non-prospect than his formerly ballyhooed counterpart Domonic Brown, who was yanked from the Dominican Winter League early last season after a poor showing. In terms of Ruf's glove, questions still remain. He was the DH in each of his two-homer games. [Link]

Extremely minor notes: Mitchell resigns with Phillies

Fans of the Reading Phillies and Leigh Valley IronPigs are familiar with outfielder Derrick Mitchell, who has signed back with the organization for another season.

Mitchell, 25, hit .218/.279/.353 with 7 homers in an injury-shortened 257-plate appearance stay with Lehigh Valley last season where he had hoped to build on a workman-like .265/.326/.443, 19 HR, 20 SB 2011 campaign with Reading. A fractured hand kept him on the sideline for most of the season.

The move is reflected on the Baseball America minor league transaction page.

Phillies in Australia: In other news, the Australian League season gets underway in a matter of days and several Phillies, past and present, are peppered through the rosters, including coverted pitcher Tim Kennelly and former fixtures Brad Harman, who actually set an ABL record for the most home runs in a season last year with 15, Brian Burgamy, who hit .409 last year and has become an Atlantic League fixture, former Phillie Rule 5 pick and successful Oakland reclamation project Travis Blackley, and outfielder Chris Snelling, who, lest we forget, was part of the 2008 Phillies for a short time.

All but Burgamy come from the land down under, where women go and men plunder.

Thursday: Skimping at 3B hasn't hurt Phillies

Ask yourself, honestly, whether the Phils' 10-year history of a light-hitting hot corner has been a major detriment to the success of the team. It hasn't.

Beerleaguer: For those who watched third baseman Pablo Sandoval make history Wednesday night with three homers in Game 1 of the World Series, power at the hot corner might be top of mind this morning. For 10 years, third base has consistently been the Phils' least productive spot on the diamond.

Which brings us to Alex Rodriguez. According to reports, the Yankees may be willing to pay almost all of the $114 million left on his contract rather than stomach his face through 2017. The prevailing wisdom says the Phils will check on A-Rod because he meets the criteria of a right-handed power third baseman, someone who could slot in as a clean-up hitter between Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, assuming the defamed Yankee has anything left in the tank.

However, hot corner defense has been a major mitigator for the hometown nine, and something of a franchise hallmark, dating back to Mike Schmidt, Scott Rolen and spanning the eras of David Bell, Abraham Nunez (who logged the most innings in 2007) Pedro Feliz and Placido Polanco. Indeed, our third basemen have stood among the most reliable defenders at the position in all of baseball.

There are plenty of weak-hitting corners on that list. Add in Tomas Perez, Wilson Valdez and Michael Martinez, and still, the failures that truly stick out are on the defensive side. Think 2007 - when they tried to make Wes Helms a full-time third baseman and eventually tried to do the same with Greg Dobbs, and 2012, when they attempted to get by with Ty Wigginton, and later, Mike Fontenot in Polanco's absence.

In general, when the Phils emphasized defense, the team improved.

So from a team perspective, it's difficult to see the appeal of a declining, statistically augmented 37-year-old in A-Rod knowing they just watched a 36-year-old gold glover in Polanco fall apart before their very eyes.

Which brings us to 30-year-old fill-in Kevin Frandsen, who, in the words of long-time Beerleaguer MPNPhilly, "pisses me off." Reason being: if his glove was just a little better, he's really no different than postseason darling Marco Scutaro. Nevertheless, I like him anyway.

Now, the Phils could always meet somewhere in the middle due to the changing tides of an offensive core in decline. Someone like Kevin Youkilis, for example, might make for an attractive option and an interesting long-term platoon idea for Ryan Howard, with Freddy Galvis serving as a defensive caddy.

Or, the Phils will look to pick up the offensive slack in the outfield, hope Cody Asche can stay on track and leave third base to the defenders, which, frankly, has been their most successful model.

Blue Jays claim Herndon off waivers from Phillies

David Herndon, the Phillies' 2010 Rule 5 pick who spent parts of three seasons with the club, is expected to be out until mid-2013 as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Beerleaguer: Herndon, 27, appeared in 97 games for the Phillies, pitching mostly B-list and sponge innings to varying degrees of success, which the Phils happily accepted considering he was a Rule 5 pick without an inning of experience above Double-A. The right-handed sinker baller pitched to a 3.85 ERA and 76/42 K/BB in 117 innings until his elbow gave out early last season. He made the club's opening day roster in each of the last three seasons. He was actually quite strong from late May of 2011 until the end of the season, although the Phils continued to use him in advantageous spots (of course, on a 102-game winner with stellar starting pitching, his entire existence as a middle reliever was advantageous).

The move clears roster space as the Phils gear up for the Rule 5 draft and other dealings. He's kind of at his ceiling, and considering he's expected to be out until mid-season, that makes him expendable as the Phils cycle in their young crop of arms. 

Sleeper prospects tightening screws in Dominican

Highly regarded reliever Lisalverto Bonilla, who had his season cut short due to a broken hand, is back on the mound alongside several Phillies prospects in the Dominican Republic.

Bonilla, 22, has taken the mound twice for Leones del Escogido, his first competitive action since breaking his pitching hand while horsing around with teammates at the All-Stars Futures Game in July. Rated as the Phillies' 12th best prospect by Baseball America before the season, and 8th in the Reading Eagle's postseason poll, Bonilla can dial it up to 95 mph and would have had a shot at a September call-up had it not been for the injury. In 46 1-3 innings split between Clearwater and Reading, the right-hander posted a 1.55 ERA and terrific 64/21 K/BB. He's certainly worth tracking this winter and is likely to receive an invitation to Phillies' spring training.

Outfielder Leandro Castro is also likely to get a look this spring. The 23-year-old outfielder had a consistent season with Double-A Reading (.287/.316/.427) and also made his DWL debut this week, as did third baseman Maikel Franco, who is ticketed for Reading in 2013. Right-handed reliever Hector Neris (94/24 K/BB in 78 2-3 innings for Clearwater) has also debuted in the D.R. and is another unrated prospect worth watching.

NY Daily News backs Granderson for Ruf swap

And you know something; I might be tempted to pull the trigger on that (dripping with sarcasm). [Link]

Still reeling from a four-game sweep in the ALCS, a member of the over-reactive New York media believes it’s time for the Yankees to send All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson to the Phillies in exchange for positionless Double-A MVP Darin Ruf, 26, who is still learning to play baseball this winter in Venezuela. Granderson, 31, struck out 195 times this season, a check mark for Daily News columnist John Harper, who sees Ruf as a “highly-touted prospect” whose bat “could be valuable to the Yankees in a part-time role in 2013, and if he proves ready, could become a mainstay in the lineup.”

Let’s hope Ruben Amaro Jr. keeps feeding Harper this information. Granderson is due a $15 million option to stay in New York or receive a $2 million buyout. The Phillies would obviously jump on this proposal to obtain a 43 homer center fielder while their window to compete remains open.

Meanwhile, Ruf has caught fire in Venezuela, belting his fourth homer Sunday. In eight games, he's hitting .276/.344/.724, enough to give, like, maybe, two seconds pause over a Grandserson for Ruf trade.

Moves: Brummett claimed, Orr, Larud outrighted

The Blue Jays have plucked another organizational soldier from the Phillies' ranks, claiming swingman Tyson Brummett off waivers.

Brummett, 28, pitched the final game of the Phillies' season, earning the surprise call-up after the expanded pitching staff had run out of gas. The right-hander pitched six seasons in the chain, earning most of his recent action as a sponge inning pitcher between Double and Triple-A. He's staying sharp in Venezuela once again, where he's had plenty of success. Brummett follows batterymate Tuffy Gosewisch out the door to Toronto. Gosewisch was sent to the Jays earlier this season for cash considerations.

In other moves, the Phils outrighted infielder Pete Orr and Steven Larud off the 40-man roster. As of this writing, neither of them have elected free agency. This is the time of year when fringe major leaguers often shake loose as teams whittle down their rosters. Each of them have every reason to stay on with the organization.

Quinn top rated Phils prospect among league peers

Scouting magazine Baseball America has completed its annual top 20 journey through the minors, giving the highest marks, by league, to shortstop Roman Quinn. [Link]

Quinn, 19, was selected in the second round of last season's draft and got his first taste of pro ball this summer in the rookie New York Penn League. A dynamic switch hitter in the mold of Jimmy Rollins, with less power potential but perhaps more explosive speed, he's considered the fastest prospect in the Phillies' chain, swiping 30 bags in 66 games while compiling a .281/.370/.408 slash line, bolstered by nine doubles, 11 triples and a homer in 309 plate appearances. Baseball America rated him the third best prospect overall in the NYPL. That's higher than Jesse Biddle (10th) and Adam Morgan (12th) rated among their Class-A Florida State League peers, or third baseman Maikel Franco (16th) in the Low-A South Atlantic League.

Other Phillies prospects who rated in the top 20, by league, include Tommy Joseph (10th), Cody Asche (17th) and Jon Pettibone (19th) in the Double-A Eastern League and Tyler Cloyd (19th) in the Triple-A International League.

Link: Phillies have faith in 'gregarious' Henderson

IMO: One of the most important developments since the season ended.

Read this nice, timely piece by the Inquirer's Matt Gelb profiling new hitting coach Steve Henderson, who somehow became more intriguing following Monday's announcement that Wally Joyner would merely become assistant hitting coach. The Phillies' mission to instill a different offensive approach, a mandate that came from on high, never materialized the way the top brass had hoped. Enter Henderson, the 12-year pro and veteran coach and instructor, who worked last season building Phillies third base prospect Cody Asche, and others, into better players. Henderson becomes the Phils' third hitting coach since 2010, an overt admission that their timid, indiscriminate, mediocre offense would improve with better mentoring. Gelb's piece touts Henderson's ability to get players to relax (Ryan Howard anyone?), remain selective (Jimmy Rollins anyone?), but also 'attack the fastball' (John Mayberry Jr. and Domonic Brown anyone?).

Link: Henderson believes he can provide relaxation

Monday: Galvis, Gillies lighting it up in Venezuela

Games are underway in the Caribbean, where a couple of high-motor Phillies prospects have started hot.

After missing the second half of the season due to a 50-game suspension for performance enhancers, and also a fractured vertebrate in his back, defensive wizkid Freddy Galvis has resumed competitive baseball activities with Zulia of the Venezuelan Leauge, and the early returns have been impressive. In four games, the switch-hitting 22 year old is 8-for-18 with a pair of homers, batting second and playing shortstop.

Meanwhile, outfield Tyson Gillies, who is trying to work his way into the Phillies' outfield plans next season, went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in helping lead Cardenales de Lara to an 8-4 victory over Galvis and Zulia Sunday. In four games, he's 7-for-15 with a double, triple, three walks and no strikeouts. The 23-year-old lead-off hitter is coming off a sizzling qualifying round for Canada in the World Baseball Classic and a strong end to his season with Double-A Reading.

Other Phillies staying sharp in Venezuela include infielder Andres Blanco, who may or may not stick with the club after spending the season in Triple-A, Edgar Duran, Harold Garcia, Cesar Hernandez, Darin Ruf, who is 1-for-12 to start his campaign, Tyson Brummett, Justin Friend and Manaure Martinez. Catcher Sebastian Valle has started games in Puerto Rico.

Track their progress all winter using the helpful links on the left side of the site.

Will the Phillies keep Rollins on the trading block?

The future of Jimmy Rollins, who was reportedly shopped around before finishing the season strong, could become this winter's top storyline.

Beerleaguer: Just one look at MLBTR posts tagged "Jimmy Rollins" reiterates the Phillies' serious intention of cutting ties with their franchise shortstop this summer. The Phils were reportedly the ones who initiated those talks. The A's reportedly looked into it, as did the Dodgers at one point, but at least one report confirmed the A's would have needed to absorb his entire contract, worth $11 million per season through 2014 with a vesting option for '15. The price in terms of prospects reportedly wasn't high, but the contract was a problem. It all worked out for the A's, who settled on Arizona's Stephen Drew, who played an important role in Oakland's pennant win.

Meanwhile, the Phils set the table for Rollins to be dealt. Here's what you need to know about the soon-to-be 34-year-old shortstop.

Standard 2012 stats: .250/.316/.427, 23 HR, 33 2B, 5 3B, 30 SB, 699 PAs, 156 games.

Advanced 2012 stats: 4.9 WAR was second only to Ian Desmond among all true* Major League shortstops. (*non-Ben Zobrist shortstops).

Contract: Owed $22 million with an $11 million '15 option and full no-trade rights.

Free agent shortstops (from MLBTR): Jason Bartlett (33); Yuniesky Betancourt (31); Brian Bixler (30); Ronny Cedeno (30); Stephen Drew (30) - $10MM mutual option with a $1.35MM buyout; Alberto Gonzalez (30); Alex Gonzalez (35) - $4MM vesting option; Cesar Izturis (33); Jhonny Peralta (31) - $6MM club option with a $500K buyout; Marco Scutaro (37).

Depth chart: Behind Rollins, it goes Freddy Galvis and Michael Martinez. Way down on the farm, Roman Quinn excites many people, but he's 19.

Who is Peter Bourjos and why should you care?

He's the guy who lost his job to Mike Trout in Anaheim and has reportedly drawn the gaze of your Philadelphia Phillies.

Howard Eskin of Fox 29 tweeted on Tuesday that Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies have discussed the possibility of trading for the gifted 25-year-old center fielder, who flashed elite defense and speed in his first full season in the majors in 2011 (.271/.327/.438, 12 HR, 22 SB in 552 PA). Trout's arrival relegated Bourjos to bench duty in a fragmented and forgettable 2012 (.220/.291/.315 in 195 PA). Bourjos wouldn't become arbitration eligible until 2014 and presents a substantial value over pending center field free agents like Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton. The disappointing Angels, meanwhile, will need to solve a number of issues this offseason, most of them in the rotation where Zach Greinke will become the prize of the pitching market and Dan Haren and Ervin Santana are due expensive options. Most reports suggest they'll receive buyouts. Their most meaningful decision, however, as it relates to Bourjos, is whether they'll re-sign Torii Hunter. Bourjos is one of several attractive Angels players blocked from getting regular playing time that could be packaged for a major piece, or pieces.

Beerleaguer: Of all the center field options, I like this one the most. He's young, controllable and an elite defender, which they need considering the situation at the corners. The Phils would be making a wish on his bat. But as a young player, you can do much worse than Philadelphia to learn the craft of hitting. I like this, and I'm certain the Phillies, and many other clubs, like him as well.

Tis the season for Phillies 20-20 hindsight

The Phillies have ducked into their winter dens lest they should suffer a pelting of misguided woulda-coulda-shouldas.

Beerleaguer: For the last week, you've probably encountered passages like this one, in this case, published by the Philadelphia Inquirer: "He (Ruben Amaro Jr.) could have signed Cody Ross for one year and $3 million, and that would have been better than the combined $3.15 million the Phillies paid for Ty Wigginton and Laynce Nix this season. For considerably less than that, the Phillies could have retained lefthanded hitting outfielder Brandon Moss, who slugged 21 home runs in 265 at-bats with Oakland."

This is a typical post-elimination exercise. Truth be told, it's more engaging than Beerleaguer's strategy of posting minor league updates, or nothing at all, since the season officially ended. There's still a tiny fire that burns for baseball in between the regular season and the start of free agency.

Figuring out who's to blame is loads of fun. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple.

It's true: the Phillies, under Ruben Amaro Jr., have boxed themselves in with big contracts, but these same big contracts didn't prevent them from winning 102 games a year ago or becoming a unanimous favorite to represent the National League in the World Series in 2012. That was, until, big injuries and underperformance set in - the two biggest factors that limited them to a break-even season.

In terms of last winter's deals, everything needs to be framed inside the bounds of the looming luxury tax (even if one argues that it's a self-imposed restriction) the prioritization of Cole Hamels, who stood to command a record sum, the critical need to plug the gaps at shortstop and closer, where high-demand free agents Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Madson left holes through free agency, and the untimely injury to Ryan Howard, leaving Amaro to scramble for not only a first baseman, but a a three-month solution at first. Who wants that job?

Howard's freak injury is part of the reason why Amaro swings a salary dump deal for Wigginton, which has been negatively skewed over the passage of time. Brandon Moss? You'd need to be clairvoyant. Between Nix, who got hurt, and left field incumbent John Mayberry Jr., who got sucked into the first base mess, you're talking about a possible platoon pairing that combined for 31 home runs in 2011. In spite of that, the Phils managed to do okay in left since Juan Pierre turned out to be one of the nicest minor league signings in recent memory.

Ruf's historic season fails to impress scouts

Baseball America released its Eastern League top 20 prospect list and league MVP Darin Ruf failed to make the cut. [Link]

The corn-fed first baseman-outfielder led the minors with 38 homers and nearly won the triple crown, but it wasn't enough for Baseball America to include the 26-year-old slugger among the league's top talent. Age, and a fear that he couldn't handle big league pitching, kept the Nebraskan from making the cut, which may or may not have been compiled after Ruf slugged .727 with three homers in his first 12 games in the Show. Meanwhile, three of his Reading teammates fared better: catcher Tommy Joseph (10th), third baseman Cody Asche (17th) and right-hander Jonathan Pettibone (19th). Readers were probably expecting Pettibone to be rewarded with organizational top billing, or something close, based on three consistent seasons and a methodical rise through the chain, but this preliminary ranking suggests scouts feel otherwise.

Arizona Fall League begins Tuesday for farmhands

Seven Phillies prospects will join forces with players from the Reds, Twins, Padres and Mariners on the Peoria Javelinas squad when fall league action gets underway Tuesday in Arizona.

Reading skipper Dusty Wathan will oversee a talented roster that includes several top-ranked Phillies, including catcher Tommy Joseph, who came to the Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade. Breakout third baseman Cody Asche tries to build on his sizzling summer in Reading, where he was a .300/.360/.513 hitter with 10 homers in 285 plate appearances. The Phils will also gain a better look at reliever Kyle Simon, who was acquired in the mid-summer Jim Thome deal with Baltimore. The 22-year-old righty posted a 1.42 ERA and 21/5 K/BB in 25 1-3 innings with Reading. Other participants include Reading relievers Tyler Knigge, Jay Johnson and Colby Shreve and 2008 supplemental first-rounder Zach Collier, who spent 2012 in Clearwater's outfield.

Sunday chat: Full slate of Division Series games

The action kicks off at 12 noon ET in Detroit with Game 2 between the Athletics and Tigers, followed by Game 1 between the Nationals and Cardinals beginning at 3 p.m. in St. Louis, Game 1 between the Yankees and Orioles at Camden Yards starting at 6 p.m., then Game 2 between the Giants and Reds starting at 9:30 p.m. at AT&T Park. Game 1 starter Gio Gonzalez pictured right. Even without the Phillies, it's been an enjoyable week of baseball. I'm pulling for the Nationals, Reds, Orioles and Tigers.

Phillies outfield reservist elects free agency

Jason Pridie, 28, appeared in 10 games with the Phillies including a start in center field. He played in 49 more with the Triple-A IronPigs and hit .298/.356/.455 with five homers in 194 plate appearances.

Beerleaguer: Philadelphia has become the land of opportunity for several minor league journeymen, like Erik Kratz and Kevin Frandsen, but for many more, like Pridie, it's been a place where careers have often hit a wall. We never heard from Pridie once the Phillies obtained fellow lefty hitting outfielder Nate Schierholtz in the Hunter Pence deal, otherwise the door would have been fairly open for the former Met to get some looks in the Phillies' outfield. But that's life on the Major League fringe. Scott Podsednik, who lost the battle with Juan Pierre this spring, caught on with Boston and produced. Oakland first baseman Brandon Moss, who's featured in tonight's Division Series game between the A's and Tigers, was the IronPigs' most consistent hitter a season ago before catching his big break with the AL West champs (recall that Moss was not only blocked by guys like Domonic Brown, Ben Francisco and John Mayberry, but also the late addition of John Bowker). Tigers outfielder Quintin Berry was another Phillies castoff who bounced around before a breakout season in Detroit.

Pridie could easily become a similar find for teams shopping at Value Villiage, where Ruben Amaro Jr. will open a preferred shopper's card this winter.

Wild Card Friday open thread

Atlanta hosts St. Louis then it's Texas and Baltimore in the one-off Wild Card round. Those who follow Beerleaguer on Twitter and Facebook know my non-Phillies allegiance lies with Baltimore. Discuss the games here.

Coaching sweep clears space for gifted Sandberg

A Hall of Famer officially joined the Phillies coaching staff today, and even though Ryne Sandberg will officially take over third base, he will inherit a whole lot more.

Beerleaguer: Coaching moves are difficult enough to assess even for credentialed reporters, so I’ll spare you the pretension of having any helpful insight into the failings – if any - of departed coaches Sam Perlozzo, Pete MacKanin and Greg Gross. However, anyone can see that Sandberg has a lot going for him: 10 All-Star appearances, nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers. And by the way, he put a garbage Lehigh Valley club into the postseason the last two seasons.

Sandberg is too big, too nuanced, to slide into the mix without clearing a path. The Phils aren’t calling him a bench coach, but Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro Jr. said today that Sandberg will step in when Manuel is ejected, ill and so forth. This was a calculated decision that took shape as early as last season. Meanwhile, Rich Dubee continues his role as pitching coach and executive officer; by most accounts, he carries a ton of dugout clout, and if you don’t agree he’s among the best pitching coaches in the game, you haven’t been a Phillies fan for very long. Adding Rod Nichols, himself a coaching prospect, should prove beneficial for a bullpen of young ex-IronPigs.

Game chat: Phils seek 10th straight winning season

The Phillies can accomplish something the Pittsburgh Pirates haven't done in 20 years by finishing in the black when Cliff Lee and the 81-80 Phillies bid farewell to their vexing 2012 campaign today at Nationals Park.

Beerleaguer: Although the Phils fell short of their goal, use today as an opportunity to reflect on many of the positive second-half developments. Rock bottom came on July 14 when they reached a season-low 14 games under .500. They have a chance to finish two games above sea level this afternoon. Monday night aside, growth in the bullpen, which has pitched to a 2.93 second-half ERA, and surprise contributions from unexpected sources kept them in the playoff conversation deep into September. It's a team in which seven - possibly eight - players will have made their Major League debut this season while a handful of others yo-yoed in and out of the minor leagues.

If nothing else, the Phils have managed to build back some optimism that will carry over to next spring. [Jump to the newest comments]

Game chat: Second-to-last stand for attrition all-stars

It looks and feels like the 161st game of the season. Then again, it's looked that way all season. Jimmy Rollins' season is over (tweaked calf) and BJ Rosenberg makes his first big league start when the Phillies face Gio Gonzalez and the NL East Champion Nationals. First pitch is 7:10. Carlos Ruiz also sits. Darin Ruf > Domonic Brown in terms of intrigue at this point. He starts in left with Brown in right. Kevin Frandsen, Michael Martinez, Chase Utley and Ty Wigginton round out the patched-up infield. [Jump to the newest comments]

History in the making, with Mt. Airy at the center

The battle between a potential Triple Crown winner and the best overall statistical producer of this era is being waged in a tiny office in my neighborhood, where Sean Forman of Baseball-Reference.com stewards the controversial and misunderstood WAR stat, which has become the single point of contention among ballot-casting pundits and could spark a historic upset if statistical darling Mike Trout can knock off brick-and-mortar frontrunner Miguel Cabrera for American League MVP. Regardless of the outcome, the fact that Baseball-Reference could move the needle, in a sport this ensconced in tradition, based out of two small rooms above my son’s daycare, is the coolest thing I’ve seen all year. Bravo, Sean. [Read more]

Tuesday: Kendrick firms up spot in Phillies' future

Second-half standout Kyle Kendrick finished the season like a man on a mission with seven shutout innings in a 2-0 victory over the Nationals Monday. His starting job is secure.

Beerleaguer: Kendrick has elevated his stock from this nice, sixth starter add-on to part of the Phillies core foundation, which is interesting since it wasn’t necessarily his best season statistically. That’s the power of consistency. When you twirl quality start after quality start, which Kendrick has largely achieved since Aug. 4, you set an expectation of reliable performance. It makes Charlie Manuel’s job easier. He doesn’t have to think. In addition, Kendrick has been dominant at times, which is a new development. His 116 strikeouts and 2.37 K/BB are career highs.

With Roy Halladay smacking the wall and, I think, serious uncertainty surrounding Vance Worley, the last thing the Phils needed to worry about was middle of their rotation. Now they don’t have to.

Game chat: Veteran Phillies roll into season's final set

Tonight's game thread is dedicated to the veterans who've helped the Phillies finish strong, including Jonathan Papelbon, who is riding a season-best 12-game scoreless streak, Jimmy Rollins, whose eight September homers tied for third most in the National League, Carlos Ruiz, who is hitting .410 with runners in scoring position, and Chase Utley, who is hitting .347 over his last 21 games. Cheers to the veterans as we head into the final three games. [Jump to the newest comments]

A look at former Phillies playing in Japan

Meanwhile in the Far East, the Japanese Central and Pacific leagues are heading down the home stretch. Several ex-Phillies, including a pair from last season's roster, experienced highs and lows this season.

Canadian right-hander Scott Mathieson, who spent 10 seasons in the Phillies' system including three brief stints with the parent club before signing to pitch in Japan this offseason, has helped anchor the bullpen for the Central League-winning Yomiuri Giants. The 28-year-old flamethrower, who underwent multiple Tommy John surgeries while with the Phillies, is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA, including 10 saves and a 46/11 K/BB in 40 innings for the Giants.

However, it's been a struggle for Yomiuri teammate John Bowker, who famously went 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts in 12 games for the Phils late last season. The 29-year-old Triple-A journeyman hit .191/.264/.301 in 203 plate appearances for Yomiuri. It's unclear whether he's still on their roster.

Meanwhile, 2007 fan favorite Tadahito Iguchi has continued his stout play in the fourth year of his second tour of the Pacific League. The 37-year-old second baseman is hitting .258/.346/.384 with 10 homers in a full season with Chiba Lotte.

Other notable North Americans include right-hander and former Phillie Brandon Duckworth (3-1, 3.45 ERA in five starts for Rakuten), 2006 Scranton Wilkes-Barre alum Bobby Scales (.262/.373/.384, 5 homers in 362 PA), Josh "Wrong Spelling of Weitzel" Whitesell, who leads the Pacific League in hitting (.318/.402/.502, 9), Wily Mo Pena (.275/.334/.488, 21 HR), Lastings Milledge (.300/.379/.485, 21 homers) and Wladimir Balentien (.273/.390/.583, 30 home runs). If they're smart, they'll stay in Japan. That's a nice infusion of power for this crop of first-timers, and with numbers like that, they can play forever.

Utility right-hander Brummett summoned to Phillies

 Tyson Brummett, 28, has spent six seasons in the Phillies' chain, bouncing between Reading and Lehigh Valley for the last two seasons.

Beerleaguer: Cool call-up. Brummett is one of those organizational good soldiers who pitches wherever and whenever the Phillies need him. We at Beerleaguer always get a little misty eyed when these types of players earn a cup of coffee in the Show. He's more or less worked as a swingman since 2009 and will get that same opportunity with the Phils over the final three games. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Matt Gelb of the Inquirer, who first reported the transaction on Sunday, that Brummett will not fill Tuesday's TBD, which could go to right-hander BJ Rosenberg instead.

The truth of the matter is the Phils could have used an extra arm like this days ago to help sponge up some innings, and while the front office is gaining a good perspective on their young pitching options for next season, they're walking a fine line by pushing them too much. J.C. Ramirez, Joe Savery and Michael Schwimer are included on the 40-man roster, but their status and readiness is unclear. Gelb reported that Brummett, who is not considered a prospect, had been preparing for the winter leagues, in which he was sensational last season.