Free agent open season starts tomorrow and Phillies Nation is hosting its first ever live chat Friday morning at 10 am. Pat Gallen will be at the keyboard providing live updates as teams race to make the first moves. He will also answer questions submitted by readers – visit the homepage starting at 9:45 am to submit questions and be prepared for some intense hot stove discussions.
For those of you interested in how the free agency process works, tomorrow is the day teams must file their Reserve lists for all Major and Minor League levels.
Major league clubs can reserve 40 players, only 25 of whom can be on the active roster between Opening Day and midnight August 31. AAA clubs can reserve 38 and AA clubs can reserve 37, with roster limits of 24 from Opening Day through the 30th day of the season and from August 10 until the end of the season, 23 between these dates. Teams in A, short-season A and Rookie leagues can reserve 35. Class A clubs play with 25-man rosters, while short-season A clubs have 30-man rosters, only 25 of whom are eligible to play in any given game, and Rookie league clubs have 30-man rosters.
Those lists comprise the entire roster of players for a major league franchise. If you are not on any of these lists (and not eligible for the Rule 5 draft), you are a free agent. General Managers like to act fast so they can pick up the cream of the discarded crop at a reasonable price. Expect some hot news in the morning.
Joe B
November 20, 2009 at 7:53 am
Would love if the Phillies would aggressively pursue Chone Figgins but I do not see them giving them what he wants 🙁 A true leadoff hitter who will hit 300 prob get about 50 steals and might hit 15-18 HR’s at citizens bank park. Infield would be flat out sick.
Lineup
Figgins
Rollins
Utley
Howard
Werth
Ibanez
Victorino
Ruiz
Lee/Hamels/Happ/Blanton/TBD
I however do have a feeling that Figgins ends up in NL just hoping not Dodgers or the Mutts
Joe B
November 20, 2009 at 7:57 am
I would also not mind Beltre being signed only if he can revert to the player he was on the Dodgers rather than the one he became on the Mariners.
NL 3-peat and 2 out of 3 not bad at all 🙂
bfo_33
November 20, 2009 at 8:08 am
Figgins or Beltre in the line-up would be impressive, but a starting RHP who can go 7 with a decent defensive 3rd baseman would be money better spent. Spilt up the lefties, limit the bullpen innings – has much more impact than the 30 or so games started.
Carol
November 20, 2009 at 8:30 am
I like Jimmy Rollins, but I don’t think a player should have the right to stubborn about things like lineup position. Obviously Jimmy wants to be the leadoff hitter but his attitude should be more team oriented – in the vein of, ‘Whatever the team needs me to do, I’ll do, and if it means batting further down the line up, then so be it.’
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 8:34 am
I think things will move faster this year in FA. That year no really big names signed until just before the Winter Meetings if I recall correctly, then everyone fell into line. Usually the bigger guys signed earlier than that and I think things will revert back this time little more and they will go off of the deals from last year.
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 8:37 am
Last year I meant….
Joe B
November 20, 2009 at 9:36 am
Placido Polanco I still LOL as to why Ed Wade would not have him play 3b and we could have dumped David Bell’s body in the Schuykill or something. Of course I know Polanco’s best position is 2b after all but him at 3b i would be more than happy.
Derosa, polanco, beltre, and figgins I would be content with any of those 4, derosa does very well vs left handed pitching.
Don M
November 20, 2009 at 9:55 am
Rollins will bat wherever he is in the lineup…
But look how great we’ve done with him in the leadoff spot the past few years..
Victorino isn’t any better leading-off than Rollins, the only other possible option would be Jayson Werth (just based on his On-Base Percantage, and the number of pitches he sees per plate appearance)
But Rollins is the leadoff man until/unless there is a better option
If Figgins were to be brought in, I would imagine Victorino would be #2, Rolling would bat #6, and Ibanez would bat #7
Figgins
Vic
Utley
Howard
Werth
Rollins
Ibanez
Feliz
Jamie Moyer
…
BUT.. early reports have the Phillies most interested in Mark DeRosa, and Placido Polanco
which to me means that they’ll also be targeting a big name Relief Pitcher.. Jose Valverde might be the guy.. They would have to spin it that “You’ll get to be a huge part of a World Series team.. and get the first chance to take the Closer Role if Brad Lidge falters”
While I don’t think that DeRosa or Polanco is a great answer at 3b
the idea of either one of them, combined with a better bullpen.. makes more sense than spending crazy money on Adrain Beltre.. and then picking from the scrap-heap of Bullpen arms
Joe B
November 20, 2009 at 9:59 am
Don I think you mean Ruiz instead of Feliz LOL
I have been campaigning for Werth (not on this site) to be the leadoff hitter since 2008 OBP, his flat out speed but after his power surge I do not think that will happen.
The Original Chuck P
November 20, 2009 at 10:05 am
The trend that I’m seeing… teams are letting most Type A and B free agents walk and not picking up club options. I’m guessing that there is still a lot of financial instability at the core of this thing… hopefully, that means that players can be had.
Mike Hennelly
November 20, 2009 at 10:12 am
I can see Feliz coming back for a year if they don’t sign a 3B. He is still one of the best defensive 3B in the league, is younger and will probably be cheaper. He was making 5M last year.
I don’t see Moyer coming back next year either. Even tho he has a year left on his contract
Joe B
November 20, 2009 at 10:18 am
I think moyer retires as there is no roster spot for him, they pay him the money owed and he is some type of special assistant to the pitching coach or something.
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 11:11 am
I would agree Don. I do not think Polanco will be offered arbitration. Thats a GUARANTEE. The Tigers are trying not to openly say it, but they need to clear some payroll in the offseason. Polanco will walk with no arb (so Type A is voided).
That means that the Phillies could sign Polanco with no worries of draft picks, and they would sign him for cheap….DeRosa seems to be highly valued by many teams, so I cant see the Phillies being able to afford him. Id rather give the money to a top notch reliever or use it on a better 4th starter type…
Don M
November 20, 2009 at 11:43 am
yea my fault, I meant RUIZ ..
Happ is their 4th starter next year.. or Blanton …
They won’t, and don’t need to spend crazy money on a starter… between Moyer, Kendrick, Bastardo?, Carpenter, and a Free Agent coming off injury or something.. they’ll manage to get enough Quality Starts next year
and since you only need 4 starters in the postseason anyway .. they will definitely try to GO BIG after a reliever
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 11:47 am
Im liking the Free Agent coming off an injury angle.
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 11:49 am
The problem is that just when you think you have enough starting pitching and you dotn ened to add, all heck breaks loose and you lose at least two guys normally. So, they will need a starter of SOME sort to come in here. And not some Looper, Garland type bum either.
Don M
November 20, 2009 at 11:54 am
I’m thinking Kelvim Escobar.. or Justin Duchcherer (whatever his name is)
Mark Mulder or Chris Capuano… for All-Star pitchers who have battled injuries the last few years
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 11:57 am
The first two would be good choices. I think that is actually what they will end up doing.
Don M
November 20, 2009 at 11:57 am
When you have guys like Blanton and Happ as your #3 and #4 .. .you are going to compete against any team in baseball
and with our lineup.. .you’re going to WIN most of those games. .
So they definitely don’t need to go add some shut-down starter.. use that money on 2 solid Relief Pitchers
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 11:57 am
Sheets seems like a lock for Texas
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I agree. I was speculating merely that in this market guys like Piniero or Marquis MAY have to settle for less because teams will be wary of committing a lot to a free agent SP who will be at best a 3 on most teams and on the Phillies would be a 4 or 5. So if hte price drops for some of these mid tier starters THATS when you swoop in there with an incentive laden offer IF one of them drops to you.
Geoff
November 20, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Scratch Omar Vizquel off the list. It seems hes headed to the White Sox.
psujoe
November 20, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I’d love to see the Phils make a play for Justin Duchcherer. Before his injury he was excellent. Bull Pen is te key to this off season. Any chance Gonzalez hits the martet?
To bad about Vizquel. He was a nice cheap option as a backup-up.
Havoc
November 21, 2009 at 9:38 am
Kind of figure the Phils won’t be adding another starting pitcher unless Moyer retires. They have decent depth at that position right now. Kendrick looked good down the stretch, Carpenter & Savery should be able to handle any spot starts needed, and if the team gets into trouble you give Drabek a shot.
I’d still love to see them sign Derosa & one of either Polanco or Beltre. Not seeing Derosa as a play everyday kind of guy, but sort of a platoon job rotating through the infield to get our key guys a break, with Francisco doing the same in the outfield. Then you just need to fill the bench out with a backup catcher, and either one more power bat or a speedy utility guy. If Dobbs has a bounce back year then you’d need the speedy utility guy more.
If the Phils manage to work out a deal with Eyre & Park, you’d just be looking for one more guy with closer potential to round out the bullpen. If neither of those two sign then the Phils will have alot of work to do this offseason.
psujoe
November 21, 2009 at 11:07 am
I’d love for the Phils to land Lyons or Betancourt. That would shore up the back end of the pen. Expensive, but worth it considering Romero and Lidge as question marks. 3b there is a lot of options, we just have to see how it plays out.