NL East: 10 Questions for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011
The Philadelphia Phillies have proved to be the class of the National League in recent years. Their successes have included two World Series appearances (one title) and four straight NL East crowns.
As of late, they've done everything possible to keep the proverbial "window" open for as long as possible. With winning comes more money—money that the Phillies have spent more and more freely.
Last winter, the Phillies rid themselves of Cliff Lee to acquire Roy Halladay. Turn one calendar year and both Halladay and Lee are members of the same rotation. Not to mention Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are also members of the rotation known as "R2C2."
The only potential negative to these outcomes is the money that's tied into these big-name pitchers for the next handful of seasons. In addition, the Phillies have virtually given up every prospect not named Domonic Brown over the past few seasons.
Currently, the Phillies have all of the ingredients needed to make another run at the title except for one glaring issue: health. The Phillies' health could be a major problem this season if Chase Utley is indeed on the shelf for an extended period of time. Otherwise, they have the most coveted asset in the league in their lethal rotation. That's something that every team in the majors wishes that they could build.
Ruben Amaro Jr.'s free spending has kept the Phillies relevant and will continue to as Philadelphians enjoy the most fruitful time in team history. The Phillies are near the top of the mountain that is the MLB and don't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. The window of opportunity remains wide open.
However, so many questions surround this team as age becomes an issue. Here are 10 questions for the Phillies heading into 2011.
10. Will the Phillies Running Game Suffer Without Davey Lopes?
1 of 10
Under the tutelage of Davey Lopes, the Phillies offense was running wisely and at will. With Lopes manning the first-base coaching duties, the Phillies were successful stealing bases at an 82.7 percent tilt. During that four-year stint, the Phillies won division titles each season and even a World Series.
Lopes' ability to time pitchers is second to none as he was even a superb base stealer himself in the 1970s for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As first-base coach in Philadelphia, Lopes was able to utilize the speed of Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins at the top of the order. This eased things up on power hitters like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.
The question now has suddenly become how much will Lopes' absence affect the Phillies offense this season? Lopes' position with the Phillies was so underrated and meant a whole lot to their offense over the years.
Now Sam Perlozzo shifts from third to first base as newcomer Juan Samuel takes over for Perlozzo at third. Perlozzo will certainly be more of a factor in this offense than people think.
The Phillies were smart and efficient baserunners under Lopes. They didn't just steal bases for the hell of it; there was a purpose and method to it that's gone now. It can be replaced but will definitely take time.
I'm not saying that a first-base coach makes or breaks the season, but Lopes meant more to the Phillies than most first-base coaches typically do.
9. What Will the Phillies Lineup Look Like on a Daily Basis?
2 of 10
Charlie Manuel has a plethora of options with all of the talent that he has on offense. The problem (possibly a good one) is where to insert them in the lineup. On a daily basis, this lineup could very well change until Manuel gets the combination that he wants.
On any given day, either Jimmy Rollins or Shane Victorino may lead off. The one who doesn't lead off could hit second or somewhere else lower in the lineup. It's immaterial as long as Manuel finds the proper mix and does so quickly.
Rollins remains the catalyst for this offense and needs to be batting leadoff. When Rollins leads off and, in particular, gets on base, the Phillies succeed and win games. In what could be his last season with the Phillies, how much does Rollins have left in the tank?
Without Jayson Werth, the Phillies must now find protection for Ryan Howard. Again this could be a multitude of different names day in and day out. Right now, the odds-on favorite has to be Raul Ibanez, but that could easily change.
Consider too that Chase Utley may miss significant time and it's just another issue for the Phillies, but one that they need to plan ahead for.
No spot in the lineup is safe or consistent as of right now as Manuel is expected to swap names in and out of certain spots. For a lineup that collectively slumped in 2010, there are many questions surrounding the offense.
8. What Will the Phillies Get Out of Brad Lidge?
3 of 10
Brad Lidge put up historic numbers in 2008 and was a major reason for the Phillies' World Series title. He was thus awarded with a fresh contract, yet put up historically poor numbers the following season. Lidge had his "moments" in 2010 but was generally solid with a 2.96 ERA and 27 saves.
Now in the final year of his contract, Lidge's best days are behind him, but this season could be very telling. As the Phillies now turn to a search for his future replacement, Lidge will look to give them everything he has.
Is the answer Ryan Madson? Or will the Phillies look elsewhere for Lidge's successor?
The major question becomes how healthy is Brad Lidge's balky knee? That's become an annual gamble that the Phillies are willing to put all their chips in on.
Will confidence follow Lidge to the mound with a lead in the ninth inning of a game? His job certainly got a little easier when the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee this offseason, giving them an incredible rotation.
Formerly a certainty, Brad Lidge has now turned into one of the team's biggest question marks.
.png?w=256)
7. Can the "Big 4" (and Joe) Live Up to the Hype?
4 of 10
As soon as the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee in December, many immediately called their rotation "the best ever." Some even went as far as to say that the Phillies would win the World Series.
While the chances of the latter were heavily increased by this move, there are still 162-plus games to play to determine that.
The Phillies boast the most coveted rotation in quite some time with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. Just knowing that your No. 4 is a former World Series MVP is quite scary. Not to mention that the other three are among the best in the game.
If the Phillies offense hits as they're capable of hitting, it will make the pitchers' jobs easier. Last season, the Phillies lost so many close, low-scoring games due to lack of offensive production. Just ask Hamels, who went 12-11 with a 3.06 ERA in 2010.
The acquisition of Oswalt proved to be imperative to the Phillies' fantastic stretch run as he went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in red pinstripes. Oswalt has been the model of consistency in the NL over the past decade, as he's gone 150-83 in 10 seasons.
Collectively, I'd expect this rotation to win about 70 games for the Phillies this season. I see Halladay leading the way with 22 wins, followed by Lee with 17, Hamels with 16 and Oswalt with 15.
6. Can Jimmy Rollins Be the Spark Plug That the Phillies Need Again?
5 of 10
Jimmy Rollins needs to have a renaissance in 2011 if the Phillies are to succeed. When Rollins gets on base, the Phillies offense flourishes and wins games. Without Rollins' production, there could be an ongoing search for offense, particularly out of the leadoff spot.
The Phillies can only go as far as Rollins goes in this, his last season under contract. Rollins' speed gets the Phillies going and even won him an MVP in 2007. Unfortunately for them, though, since that spectacular 2007 season, Rollins has lost a step and been injured.
Rollins has a certain swagger that fuels the Phillies; it even leads to him making annual predictions. Many of which have often been true.
At 32 and on the downswing of his career, Rollins will need to bring his A-game for the Phillies to claim another World Series.
5. How Much Will the Phillies Miss Jayson Werth in Right Field?
6 of 10
With the loss of Jayson Werth came the re-acquisition of Cliff Lee. Werth, now in Washington, $126 million richer, will likely feel what he missed out on early as the two teams meet in April.
Without Werth, the Phillies could have a few glaring holes that they will need to fill immediately. Firstly, his spot in right field is the marquee issue. While Ben Francisco appears to be the clear-cut winner right now, don't forget about Domonic Brown if he can get it together. The Phillies do have several viable options that could meet Werth's production at a much cheaper price.
Perhaps equally as important for the Phillies is who will hit fifth and protect Ryan Howard? It looks as though Raul Ibanez is the obvious choice, but certainly won't be the only one, as the Phillies could use a multitude of lineups.
Contrary to Werth taking far more money and shipping to Washington, Lee took a chunk less to go back to Philadelphia and shafted the Big Apple.
The Phillies will certainly have to carry on without Werth. In a shocking turn of events, they lost a large part of their offense to a divisional rival. In addition, though, they saved themselves a lot of money as Ruben Amaro Jr. stuck to his guns and didn't give into Werth's hefty demands.
4. Who Will Step Up in the Phillies Bullpen?
7 of 10
The Phillies bullpen is a glaring concern that not a lot of people are mentioning. They will need someone like J.C. Romero or Antonio Bastardo to step up this season. Both lefties, Romero and Bastardo could be imperative to the Phillies' success.
Many are banking on the Romero of old (circa 2007-08) to return. If not, the Phillies will look to Bastardo to grow up quickly and assume the role of left-handed specialist. Remember too that baby-faced Mike Zagurski is still dwindling in the minors.
The lack of a left-handed specialist really hurt the Phillies bullpen last season despite their solid back-end tandem of Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. That's exactly where Romero and Bastardo come in.
Another hit that the bullpen must deal with this year is the loss of Chad Durbin, who had given the Phillies about 70 innings per year for the past three seasons. Durbin will now be replaced by starter-turned-reliever Kyle Kendrick.
A lot depends on the bullpen's health in 2011, as Romero pitched only 30 innings last year and Bastardo has yet to prove he's ready for the big time.
3. What Will Become of Phenom Domonic Brown?
8 of 10
The Domonic Brown Experiment was halted by a sudden broken hand. Brown was having a miserable spring, which just got worse considering he will miss four to six weeks. However, one positive is that this injury leaves Ben Francisco as the consensus right fielder on the Opening Day lineup card.
Brown is the Phillies' future but just can't be rushed. The kid is just 23 years old and has plenty of time to grow. In 2010, the entire world saw mere flashes of the brilliance to come.
Brown is "as advertised," mark my words. He's a special five-tool player who will soon overcome the hype and use it to his advantage to ignite the Phillies for years to come.
Most importantly, with all of the recent changes occurring in his game, Brown has to almost learn to hit all over again. This isn't easy, but Brown appears ready to learn.
There's a reason why he's one of the only "untouchables" in the system. Ruben Amaro Jr. had all the confidence in the world to not get rid of Brown during his barrage of selling the farm for the likes of Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. In that span, Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek, Carlos Carrasco and several others were dealt.
Does this tell you what the Phillies brass thinks of Domonic Brown? Thought so.
2. Will the Phillies Offense Collectively Rebound?
9 of 10
It's no secret that the Phillies offense likely kept them from another World Series title in 2010. Collectively, this team hit a wall and negated great pitching performances from the likes of Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay.
With everyone, excluding Chase Utley, at full health, the Phillies look to bounce back as a lineup and put up better offensive statistics. Without offensive production last season, this offense struggled mightily and put themselves at a disadvantage in the NLCS against San Francisco.
From top to bottom, everyone needs to rebound in 2011. The offense used to be the one constant that steered the Phillies dynasty; now it's suddenly become a question mark. If the offense becomes the driving force that it once was, the pitching appears to already be set. Philadelphia could be in for another special season.
Remember when Citizens Bank Park first opened and people said that the Phillies wouldn't lure pitchers to Philadelphia?
1. What Condition Is Chase Utley's Right Knee In?
10 of 10
Perhaps the most pressing, hot-button issue on everyone's minds is Chase Utley and his right knee. Utley is battling patellar tendinitis. In English, please! Yes. That basically means that his knee is severely inflamed and irritated.
Diagnoses vary from Utley potentially missing the season to even playing in the early going. Some have even said that this could be career-threatening. To put it bluntly, folks: When cortisone is shot into your knee in February, at the beginning of spring training, it's not good.
Can Philadelphia possibly be upset with this? Clearly it's disappointing, but Utley gives 100 percent on every single play and never gives up. This is the reason why he's been banged up in recent years.
Many rumors will surface immediately. Though pricey, Michael Young's name comes to mind. If not, in-house work is always a possibility (i.e. Wilson Valdez, Josh Barfield, Delwyn Young). Hate to break it to you, but these are serviceable options at best; they're not Chase Utley.
This is the Phillies' most glaring issue right now and could be throughout the season. Do the Phillies need to prepare hastily for life without Utley? All this and more will need to be answered by the Phillies.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
