Inside the Phillies: Economics getting tougher for Phillies

During the off-season, when Ruben Amaro Jr. locked up three players - Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, and Carlos Ruiz - who still had arbitration years remaining, the buzz phrase was "cost certainty." By doing this, Amaro said, the Phillies could have a better idea of what money is on the books in future years.

Here is one certainty the Phillies and their general manager will face come this winter: With $146.35 million committed to 16 players for 2011, there is little money left to fill out the roster.

When the Phillies acquired righthander Roy Oswalt from Houston last week, they added approximately $23 million of guaranteed money to the payroll for the next year and a half. The trade also included an $11 million payment from the Astros to Philadelphia, a condition that Amaro called "an important element" in the deal.

He understands the 2011 payroll is already reaching critical levels. And that's with just 16 players under contract. The $146.35 million for 2011 is already higher than the payroll the Phillies (with 25 players signed) began this season with.

"It puts us in a position to not be real flexible," Amaro said of adding Oswalt's contract. "That was one of the things we had to toil over. It was difficult. We continue to add payroll."

If there is any non-Cliff Lee-related criticism of how Amaro handled last off-season, it was the way he filled out the bench and bullpen. The Phillies agreed to two-year deals with Ross Gload and Brian Schneider and are committed to them in 2011. Infielder Juan Castro, who signed a guaranteed contract, was released in July. Righthander Danys Baez will make $2.75 million in 2011 and is Charlie Manuel's least trusted reliever right now.

This off-season, barring a substantial increase to the payroll's ceiling, the Phillies won't have the luxury of divvying up a great deal of money to fill out the team.

Jayson Werth, Jamie Moyer, Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Jose Contreras, and Greg Dobbs figure not to return to the Phillies in 2011. Some are bigger losses than others.

Werth said Friday there was nothing new to report on stalled negotiations with the Phillies. This season, through trade rumors and extended slumps, Werth has prevailed. And while the power numbers and run production may not match last season, Werth is on pace for career highs in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage).