Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Questions for the Second Half

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in the MLB at the All-Star break.

They have found ways to win behind their impressive pitching staff, including Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and more.

Despite injuries to Chase Utley, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge and just about everyone else on the team, they continue to win. But the team is not without fault.

The Phillies still have many questions facing them as we enter the second half of play. While the team is 57-34 this season, there is room for improvement and time for opponents to catch up to them.

The Phillies, like every other team in baseball, have dealt with injuries, tough losses and players who are slumping. The deciding factor at the end of the season is how a team copes with these setbacks.

With the second half of play beginning shortly, these are the 10 questions that surround the Phillies.

Who Will Be the Corner-Oufielders?

The Phillies have been slumping offensively this season, and that is due in large part to the corner-outfielders.

Raul Ibanez and Ben Francisco were supposed to be the starting left and right fielders respectively, yet they have struggled at the plate. The Phillies also have Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr., but they have not provided adequate production offensively either.

Ibanez has been the best of the quartet. He is batting only .241, but he has 12 home runs and 47 RBI. Ibanez is either red-hot or ice-cold.

He is currently hot, with three home runs and 13 RBI in seven days, but Phillies fans don't forget hit 0-for-26 streak earlier in the season. He is too inconsistent to be relied upon.

Francisco was supposed to replace Jayson Werth, but he is batting .230 with six home runs and 31 RBI. He has lost his starting job to rookie Domonic Brown.

Brown is batting .252 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 43 games this season. He has not been doing well, but he is still starting for the Phils.

Mayberry is batting .244 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 50 games this season. He has not been very productive either.

With so little production from the corner-outfielders, the Phillies may need to try something new. They still need to figure out who is going to start for them in October.

Do They Need to Trade for a Bat?

If the Phillies cannot get adequate production from two of their four corner-outfielders, they may need to trade for one.

The Phillies have scored a lot of runs in the past few games, but they still have a weak offense. The team needs to get better and it starts with the corner-outfielders.

If Ibanez, Francisco, Brown and Mayberry can't pick it up, then the Phillies will need to trade for a corner-outfielder who can hit well.

Michael Cuddyer is an option for the Phillies, but the team still needs to assess themselves and decide if they need to make a trade soon.

Where Will Michael Martinez Fit In?

Michael Martinez is an “outfielder,” but he has played just about every position for the Phillies this season.

The utility player has shown excellent defense anywhere he plays, but his batting has been subpar. Martinez is batting only .229 with eight RBI in 83 at-bats this season.

Martinez has been doing better at the plate lately, but he has not been playing at a level that will help him find a permanent role.

The Phillies need to figure out what they are going to do with Martinez, and they might have to send him back down to Triple-A.

Who Will Be the Closer?

The Phillies have their top three candidates for closer from the beginning of the season on the DL. Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras are all injured but will be coming off the DL around August.

The Phillies currently have Antonio Bastardo as their closer, and he has done well. If Bastardo slumps, however, they also have Michael Stutes, who has also done extremely well this season.

The Phillies have a total of five good relievers who could be their closer. This makes for a delicate situation.

Do you let Bastardo keep the job because he has done well? Do you give it back to Lidge who has been on and off? Do you give it to different pitchers at different times?

The team has a lot of questions surrounding their closer, and they need to figure out what they are going to do soon.

How Will the Rest of the Bullpen Fit In?

When one of the pitchers from the previous slide takes over as closer, how do you use the other four potential closers?

The Phillies will have four good pitchers who could be setup men/closers, and then they will have a long-reliever like Vance Worley or Kyle Kendrick.

If this happens, how will the team utilize their bullpen?

Manager Charlie Manuel has been very good about this before, and if used correctly, the Phillies have a shut-down bullpen. The only question is: how do you use it?

What Will Happen With Joe Blanton?

Joe Blanton was supposed to be the fifth starter for the Phillies this season, but he struggled, and he is currently on the DL.

Blanton is 1-2 with a 5.50 ERA this season, and he has not done as well as the Phillies have hoped.

Vance Worley has taken over a starting job, and he has been incredible. Worley is 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA this season. He has replaced Joe Blanton as the fifth starter.

Now the question is: what will happen to Blanton? Will the Phillies trade him or keep him as a long-reliever?

The Phillies could get a good prospect or two for Blanton, or they could try to get an offensive-minded player.

Blanton will be the name to watch for the Phillies at the trade deadline.

Will Roy Oswalt Come Back?

Roy Oswalt was supposed to be an ace for the Phillies, but he has not been anything of the sort.

Oswalt is currently on the DL, and he is out until at least early August. This is the second time that Oswalt is injured this season, with the first being when he had to rush home to visit family and friends after a tornado struck his hometown (as anyone would have done).

Oswalt is only 33, but he has the health of a 38-year-old. He has been slow to recover all season, and the question on the mind of Phillies fans is: will Oswalt be back and fit enough to pitch this season?

The Phillies may be without an ace for the postseason, but if Vance Worley keeps pitching the way he is, that is not a very big loss.

Who Else Will Be Injured?

The Phillies have had a ridiculous amount of injuries to very good players over the past few seasons.

With Chase Utley, Domonic Brown, Roy Oswalt (twice), Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Kyle Kendrick, Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson and Carlos Ruiz all being injured at one point this season, the Phillies have had difficulty establishing an everyday lineup.

With so many injuries occurring in the first half of the season, many fans are thinking: who else will be injured?

The Phillies cannot afford to lose their best players in the postseason, but the way things are going, it wouldn't be surprising to see every single one of their players spend a stint on the DL at some point this season.

What Will the Rotation Look Like in October?

This question stems from the previous three. We know that the three dominating aces will be part of the rotation unless they are injured, but after them, who's next?

Will the Phillies go to a three-man rotation, or will they stick with a four-man rotation? Will the fourth pitcher be Vance Worley or Roy Oswalt?

If Joe Blanton is traded he obviously won't be part of the rotation, but if he isn't traded, he might be if there are injuries.

The Phillies have a few months to figure this out, but it is going to be very interesting to see who they have in their rotation when the postseason begins.

Will They Win the World Series?

This question has been on the minds of the baseball community for months.

When the Phillies signed Cliff Lee, they gave themselves four aces. These four were supposed to bring the city of Philadelphia yet another World Series title.

Now, however, with an underperforming offense and the loss of one of their aces, everyone is wondering: will they still win the World Series?

Only time will tell, but my prediction for this game can be seen here.