The issues facing the Phillies

by David Murphy
Posted: February 08, 2011

What we know: It will look familiar, with seven of eight players returning from last season (SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Placido Polanco, 2B Chase Utley, 1B Ryan Howard, LF Raul Ibanez, CF Shane Victorino, C Carlos Ruiz).

What to watch: Who will fill the void behind Ryan Howard, a spot that has always been manned by a righthanded power hitter (first Pat Burrell, then Jayson Werth)? Righthanded-hitting Ben Francisco has averaged one home run every 31.3 plate appearances in his 4-year career, which equates to 20 home runs over a 650-plate-appearance season. As a regular player for the Indians in 2008, he hit .266 with a .770 OPS and 15 homers in 499 PAs. He'll get competition from the lefthanded Brown, and the two could end up sharing time in rightfield.

Other issues: Rollins is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he was limited to a career-low 88 games. Over the last 2 years, he has hit .248 with a .710 OPS, although he continues to provide stellar defense. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he has heard Rollins has altered his offseason conditioning routine to include more flexibility training, including yoga. Rollins always seems to be a focal point in the spring, and with the longest-tenured Phillie heading into the final year of his contract, that is doubly true.

Other players in camp: Lefthanded-hitting Ross Gload spent time in the outfield last season, and Amaro has mentioned righthanded-hitting John Mayberry Jr. as a candidate to win some at-bats this spring. But any real threat to challenge Francisco and Brown would likely come from outside the organization, where the Phillies could decide to look for a trade as the spring progresses.

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