Phillies bring back Eyre, several coaches

Step one for the Phillies as they look to repeat as World Series Champions: make sure their bullpen, which was a huge reason for their success, remains intact. The Phillies took care of one order of business today and re-signed lefty Scott Eyre. Eyre came over in a trade from the Cubs in August and was a great second lefty option out of the bullpen. His ERA with the Phils was below 2.00 and he is the type of pitcher that is key to have in a successful bullpen.

The Phillies also announced they will bring back pitching coach Rich Dubee, first base coach Davy Lopes and hitting coach Milt Thompson. Bench coach Jimy Williams won't return, joining Steve Smith as two members of the coaching staff who won't return. Lopes' impact on the base-paths is well-documented, so I'm happy to see him back. Dubee and Thompson also deserve another year, since they helped lead the team to a World Series and all. Williams is 65 so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end of his baseball career.

These moves may be a bit of a letdown to those who expected the Phillies to get Matt Holliday, but these are the types of minor moves that can lead to championships. Just ask Pat Gillick.