Who's on third? Phillies decline 2010 option on Pedro Feliz

The 2010 Phillies will likely have a new third baseman. According to Todd Zolecki on Twitter, the Phillies have declined their 2010 option on Pedro Feliz for 5 million dollars, choosing instead to buy him out for .5 million, making Feliz a free agent.

Feliz was never much at the plate for the Phillies, hitting in the .260 range and belting a dozen homers or so. Feliz made up for it in the field, however, as he was one of the best fielding third basemen in the game. I would have liked to see him come back to the Phillies but not for that 5 million dollar price tag.

So, what now for the Phillies at third base? While it is still possible that the Phils bring Feliz back at a lower price, you have to believe they are going to pursue an upgrade. The top two names you will hear are free agents Adrian Beltre and Chone Figgins, both of whom are a little more solid at the plate and are slick fielders in their own right.

So long, Pedro Feliz. Thanks for your two years of service in Philly, and thanks for your contribution to 2008!

Utley to have hip surgery, will likely miss start of 09 season

So, I guess this proves Chase Utley really was injured. Throughout the 2008 season, fans and writers speculated that Utley was dealing with a hip injury that slowed him down and made him less of a player. His early MVP charge slowed way down as the season wore on and most felt it was due to his bad hip.

Today, we learned that he indeed was having hip problems because the Phillies announced he will be undergoing hip surgery in the coming days. The surgery will put him out for 4 to 6 months, meaning he will will miss at least the first couple of games of the season and could be out up to two months.

Losing Utley for a short period of time won't be a big problem since Eric Bruntlett can easily fill in. If Utley ends up missing 2 months, the Phils should look to acquire another option to play second, possibly someone like Tadahito Iguchi.

Credit needs to be given to Chase Utley for playing through this injury and helping the team win the World Series. We all knew that the Utley we were watching wasn't the one we were used to but he was still an effective player at less than 100%.

The Phillies also announced that Pedro Feliz will undergo back surgery but he is expected to be ready at the start of the season.

Feliz the hero in Phils win

(AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr.)

Pedro Feliz didn't even enter the game until the 7th inning, but he ended up being the hero of the game, getting game-tying and game-winning hits for the Phillies on Sunday night as they beat the Dodgers for the third time in a row, 5-2. Greg Dobbs started the game for the Phils at third, but Feliz came into the game in a double switch in the 7th, and from there he was Mr. Clutch. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and the Phillies down 2-1, Feliz hit a single to score Shane Victorino from second base and send the game into extra innings. Later, in the 11th inning, with the score still tied at 2, Feliz hit a 3-run homer to win the game. In all, Feliz had 4 RBI and carried the Phillies to victory.

Shane Victorino had a big part in the win, too. He hit a would-be single to left field but turned on the jets and made it to second base, beating out a weak throw by Manny Ramirez. Victorino finished 2 for 4 in the game, and scored the game-tying and game-winning runs.

Ryan Howard was a dud at the plate, going 0 for 4, but he had one of the best catches I have ever seen him make in the 6th inning. Russell Martin of the Dodgers hit a foul ball along the right field line and Howard hustled and dove to make a spectacular catch. I will post highlights if I can find them.

Not to be lost in the dramatic ending of the game, Joe Blanton pitched well for the Phils. He had some early trouble, but only gave up one run in 6 innings in a quality start. He allowed way too many base runners, but he pitched out of most jams, and didn't give up a run after the first inning. If the Phillies could have gotten anything going offensively, Blanton would have easily eanred a win.

The Phillies look to complete their sweep revenge tomorrow against the Dodgers. After losing 4 times to the Dodgers last week, the Phillies can return the favor tomorrow with possibly their best pitcher right now, Brett Myers, taking the mound. Let's hope the Phillies can score some early runs so they won't need late heroics to beat the Dodgers again.

Phillies injury update: Gordon, Seanez, Feliz, Benson

Plenty of Phillies are dealing with injuries, so it's time to update how they are doing:

Gordon's Phillie career over? We may have seen the last of Flash in a Phillies uniform. Tom Gordon got a second opinion on his faulty elbow, and it wasn't good news: Flash is likely done for the year. Gordon has chosen to try to rehab his arm rather than have surgery, but there is very little chance he will return to the Phillies this year, if ever. The Phillies have the option to buy out Gordon for 1 million dollars rather than pay him 4.5 million next year, so it looks like we have seen the last of Flash in Philadelphia. This also could be the end of his career, considering his age and the fact that he might have Tommy John surgery if the rehab doesn't go well. Flash hasn't been great over the last year, so many Phillie fans won't be shedding any tears, but when healthy and effective, he made a great late inning option.

Seanez close to returning Rudy Seanez is one reliever not facing such dire circumstances. Seanez pitched in a rehab assignment on Monday and appears ready to come back to the Phillies on Saturday. Seanez was pitching terrible when the Phils put him on the DL, hopefully he just needed to get healthy and he will be useful again. His return will likely force Les Walrond back into the minors, which isn't really a bad thing.

Feliz not ready yet Pedro Feliz has been on the DL since late July, but he still isn't ready to return. Feliz has had back issues, and while he has taken some swings in batting practice, he is still at least a week away from returning. Hopefully he can get back on the field soon, the flailing Phillie offense could really use his bat back in the line-up, and his defense is always excellent. His return would send Mike Cervenak back to the minors where he belongs.

Benson is set, but there's no room Kris Benson may finally be ready to return to the majors, but the Phillies don't need him. Benson has had several good starts in a row for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, but the Phillies, who would have been desperate for Benson's services about a month ago, have no room for him now. For once, the Phillies may even have a surplus of starters. The Phillies have been happy with the way their five starters are pitching, plus they have J.A. Happ ready to step in at any time, and they even have Adam Eaton waiting in the wings along with Benson. So while Benson might be poised to return, don't count on him suiting up for the Phillies this season.

Phillies Notes: Happ re-called, Feliz to the DL, Mahay deal?

Some Phillie news just before they start their 3 game series with the Nationals:

Happ is back As had been speculated since Adam Eaton was sent to the minors and he was pulled from his last start, J.A. Happ was called up today. He will be the second lefty option out of the pen. There is also a chance that sometime down the road the Phillies will put him in the starting rotation and allow Brett Myers to return to the bullpen to be a set-up guy. That time could come soon if Myers is rocked again today.

Feliz to the DL Pedro Feliz hadn't played since July 24th with a bad back so the Phillies placed him on the 15 day disabled list. They also called up infielder Mike Cervanek to take his place on the roster. This isn't really a huge blow; expect Greg Dobbs and Eric Bruntlett to split the playing time at third until Feliz comes back.

Mahay rumors The Phillies have been the subject of some rumors involving Ron Mahay of the Royals. The lefty reliever, who is having a great season (1.81 ERA), was rumored to be traded to the Phillies for minor leaguer Jason Donald. Some sources even believed the deal was done. Unfortunately, Jayson Stark and Todd Zolecki both believe that nothing is immenent, so the Phils will continue their search for a left handed reliever.

Pedro Feliz = Slow!

(AP Photo/Bob Levey)

With the bases loaded and one out and the Phillies down a run, Shane Victorino popped the ball up to Astros leftfielder Darin Erstad. The Phillies sent Pedro Feliz home on the play and he promptly got gunned down to end the game:

I have two problems with the play. First of all, Feliz is painfully slow and Victorino's hit was not very deep. Erstad isn't known for having a great arm but you don't have to throw a bullet to beat Feliz to the plate. The other problem I have with sending Feliz is that Chase Utley is left standing in the on-deck circle. By sending Feliz you take away an opportunity for your best hitter to win the game. I know that hindsight is 20/20 and you have to go for the win when you get a chance but you also have to give your best players a shot to win the game for you. It's also pretty pathetic that the Phils couldn't score at all in the 9th considering they had runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.

Brett Myers also had another bad outing to help the Phils lose 4-3 for the second day in a row. Myers is just brutal right now.

On a positive note, Ryan Howard hit another homer, his fourth in the last four games. He appears to slowly be pulling himself out of his season-long funk:

Mets stomp error-prone Phillies

So much for the Phillies owning the Mets. The Mets took advantage of 4 errors and a poor start by Kyle Kendrick to win 8-2 and snap the Phillies' nine game winning streak over New York. The Phils played without Jimmy Rollins, who sat out with a minor ankle injury, and his replacement Eric Bruntlett made two costly errors in the 3rd inning that led to a 6-run outburst by the Mets. Kendrick finished the game with only one earned run, but looked shaky and lasted only 2 1/3 innings.

Offensively, the Phillies out-hit the Mets 8-5, but they stranded 9 runners throughout the game. They had bases loaded situations in the 2nd and 8th innings and they failed to capitalize both times. Pedro Feliz popped out with the bases loaded in the 8th inning, and he continues to look mediocre. Besides his great glove-work, which we haven't really seen yet, how is this guy an upgrade over Wes Helms?

On the positive side for the Phillies, they got great work from Chad Durbin, who continues to impress regardless of the situation he is put in. Durbin had one bad outing last week, but he has been solid all season as a 7th inning set-up guy and as a long-relief pitcher. He pitched 3 2/3 innings tonight and gave no hits and struck out 4, lowering his ERA to 1.13 on the season. Perhaps he should get a look for a spot in the starting rotation?

The rubber match against the Mets comes tomorrow, with unlikely Mets killer Adam Eaton taking the mound against John Maine. Eaton had a solid outing in his first start of the season, and the Phillies will look to him again to help earn a series victory over the Mets.

Phillie bats fall silent in 1-0 loss

In their season opener, the Phillies pitching came up small. In today's 1-0 loss to the Washington Nationals, their pitching was excellent, but their bats were nowhere to be found. The Phillies managed just one hit off of Nationals starting pitcher Tim Redding and relievers Luis Ayala and Jon Rauch. Redding didn't have overpowering stuff, as evidenced by his 2 strikeouts, but he survived by getting the Phillies to hit to his defense. The Phillies got good contact several times, but they were right at Nationals players. The lone hit of the night came from Pedro Feliz, who had the greenlight on a 3-0 count and slapped a single up the middle.

Cole Hamels looked rocky in the first inning, but settled down to pitch 8 strong innings. The lone run Hamels gave up was off a homerun by Ryan Zimmerman in the 6th inning. Hamels is still prone to the longball, but the Phillies will take 1 run given up in 8 innings every time.

We are barely starting this young season, but it is a little disturbing that the Phillies have yet to put together a complete game. The offense and pitching haven't shown up on the same night. The Nationals, while they are 3-0, are not a team that should be giving a possible World Series contender this much trouble. The Phillies get their chance to avoid a sweep tomorrow, when they have old man Jamie Moyer facing off against Jason Bergmann at 1:05. It's not a must-win situation, but it would really help the confidence of the Phillies and their fans if they can pull out a victory.

Here is the Phillies lone highlight of the night, the Pedro Feliz base hit.

Eaton, Gordon in midseason form

With only a handful of exhibition games left before Opening Day on Monday, the Phillies should be rounding into form. The hitters should be kicking it into high gear, and the pitchers should no longer be looking to "make their pitches", but instead looking for results. Someone forgot to tell Adam Eaton and Tom Gordon that the season starts next week, because both players got rocked today in the Phillies 14-5 loss to the Tigers.

Eaton, the Phils 5th starter by default, pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up 6 earned runs, upping his spring ERA to 7.41. Flash Gordon, the closer until Brad Lidge is healthy enough to return, gave up 6 earned runs in 1/3 of an inning to bring his ERA to 12.38. They were facing a scary-good Tigers team with no easy outs in their lineup, but there is no excuse to be getting shelled like that so close to the season. We've come to expect this kind of outing from Eaton, but the Phils are relying on Gordon to hold down the 9th until Lidge comes back. Even after Lidge returns, Gordon is supposed to be the setup guy, but he doesn't appear ready for any high leverage situations.

The only positive thing to happen today for the Phillies was a 3-run homerun by new third baseman Pedro Feliz. It was Feliz's 5th homer of the spring, and he looks like he will be a potent addition to the bottom of the lineup. He's going to hit about .250, but he will also hit 25-30 homeruns.

Here are "highlights" from today's ugly game, courtesy of Comcast SportsNet:

Does Feliz Deal Mean No More Pitching?

I have been hearing mixed opinions as to whether the signing of Pedro Feliz was good or bad for the Phillies. My post yesterday was mostly negative, as I pointed out that he is a poor hitter who makes too many outs. He is also another hitter who can't take a pitch, and at there are already plenty of those types of players in the Phils line-up. Yes, he does have some pop, and we are possibly looking at an infield that will hit 140 home runs, but it feels like adding more of the same kind of player. To me, the positives for Feliz begin and end with his glove, as he is known as one of the better fielding third basemen around.

More importantly, does this deal mean that the Phillies are done signing players this off season? If that is the case, then I think they have failed to accomplish what they set out to do: get more pitching. The hitting was not a problem last year, as the Phils led the NL in runs scored. It was their pitching that held them back. Their only significant off season pitching acquisitions were Brad Lidge and Chad Durbin. The Phillies lost Geoff Geary, Kyle Lohse, Jon Leiber, Freddy Garcia, Jose Mesa and Antonio Alfonseca. While not all of those players were very useful, that is still a lot of depth that is leaving the organization. The trade for Lidge was huge, because it gives the Phillies a closer and allows Myers to move back into the starting rotation, but the team is still left one starter short. And anyone that thinks Chad Durbin is going to be that starter is mistaken, he is only going to be a long relief guy. The bullpen appears to be set, and actually might be quite good if Tom Gordon returns to form, so that leaves the rotation as the main worry.

Here is the current Phillies rotation:
1. Cole Hamels
2. Brett Myers
3. Kyle Kendrick
4. Jamie Moyer
5. Adam Eaton

That is a decent group, but the Phillies failed to add a fifth starter that could either push Eaton or replace him completely. If the Phillies used the money they used to signed Feliz on someone like Kyle Lohse, the rotation would look a lot stronger. We all know that the Phillies work on some kind of invisible salary cap, so let's hope that have a little bit more money left to spend on one more starting pitcher. If not, we could be looking at a lot more 10-8 and 12-7 games.

Update on Feliz Contract

Here are some of the terms of the Pedro Feliz deal, per ESPN/AP:

The Phillies have agreed to a two-year deal with free-agent third baseman Pedro Feliz, pending a physical. The deal includes a team option for 2010. Feliz will earn about $8.5 million from the contract, according to the AP. With the option and performance bonuses, the contract could be worth up to $15 million over three years.

My Thoughts:
My first thought is that it's surprising to me that the Phillies had to go 2 years with an option for a 3rd. After all, it's not like there were that many teams after the guy. If that was the case he would have been signed already. Get used to seeing him at the hot corner, Phillies fans, he's gonna be here a while. The amount of money seems okay, around 4 million a year for a solid fielder and #7 hitter seems like a good use of money.

Next up for the Phillies should be to rid themselves of Wes Helms, because he is now redundant. They don't need two right-handed 3rd basemen, unless they want to use Helms strictly as a pinch hitter. I don't think he is a good enough hitter to fill that role. Perhaps the Phillies will go back to the Marlins and beg for whatever relievers they were willing to part with for Helms before.

Phillies Sign Pedro Feliz

In a move that won't impress anyone, the Phillies filled their hole at 3B with the former Giant Pedro Feliz. Feliz hit 20 home runs last year, but hit just .253. He will surely hit more home runs in Citizens Bank Park, but he's exactly what the Phillies don't need: another guy who strikes out too much and rarely gets on base. Feliz has never seen a pitch he didn't want to swing at. One positive from this signing is they needed another right-handed bat to break up all the lefties in the line-up. Feliz will probably end up playing 120 games at third, and probably will hit 6th or 7th in the line-up. He will create another platoon situation for the Phillies, as Greg Dobbs should still play some 3B against right-handed pitching. Feliz also is known as a great defensive player at 3B, and he is versatile enough to play in the outfield and even could fill in at shortstop if he had to. Giants coaches last year thought that Feliz should have won the Gold Glove at third, so that is the true value he will bring to the club. At the very least we know he won't need a late inning defensive sub.

There is no word yet on how much he signed for, but we do know he signed a two year deal pending a physical. My initial reaction is a negative one, but it really depends on how much he signed for. I doubt the Phillies got great value for him, though. The Phillies line-up is really turning into an all-or-nothing group, with tons of sluggers who either hit it out of the park or miss completely.