David Dellucci

The Phillies offered salary arbitration to one of their six free agents before last night's midnight deadline: outfielder David Dellucci. That's not a shocker. The Cleveland Indians have a three-year agreement with Dellucci, who is a Type-A free agent - the top classification of free agent under the collective bargaining agreement. Once Dellucci signs with the Indians, the Phillies will get Cleveland's second-round draft pick next June, plus a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds.

Promised Cleveland's starting job in leftfield, reluctant Phillies reserve David Dellucci has reached preliminary agreement on an $11.5 million, 3-year contract with the Indians as a free agent. Dellucci, 33, has a physical scheduled for Thursday in Cleveland, and he'll finalize his deal with the Indians if he passes it. "The key factor there was his role," agent Joe Longo said. "They've given him the leftfielder's job. He also felt he wanted to be in a lineup that had a chance to win. He wanted to come back to the American League.

Phillies front office officials and manager Charlie Manuel are in Clearwater, Fla., interviewing candidates to replace bench coach Gary Varsho, third-base coach Bill Dancy and first-base coach Marc Bombard, who were fired last week. Art Howe, the former manager of the Houston Astros, Oakland A's and New York Mets, is believed to have interviewed this week. So have managers John Russell of triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Dave Huppert of single-A Lakewood. Russell played parts of 10 seasons with the Phillies, Braves and Rangers.

Shortly after the World Series, things should start to get a little more interesting for the Phillies. There's no question they will try to trade leftfielder Pat Burrell. There's no question they will try to find a big righthanded bat to replace him, such as Alfonso Soriano or Gary Sheffield, if they can move him. But before that happens, the Phillies have some bookkeeping to take care of. Lefthander Jamie Moyer and the Phillies hold a $4.75 million mutual option for next season that includes a $500,000 buyout.

Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow, the tattooed heavyweight professional TV wrestler, has died. He was 45. He was found dead in his home in Florida on Friday, his brother, Todd Bigelow, said yesterday. Preliminary autopsy results did not show signs of foul play, but a cause of death will not be known until toxicology tests are completed in a few weeks, said Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin. Bigelow had been struggling with a persistent infection and diabetes, his brother said.

The Phillies must have something in the works, right? They can't be comfortable with what they have. "We'd like to add more pitching, if it's possible," Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies' assistant general manager, said yesterday at Bright House Field. Rule 5 draft pick Travis Blackley cleared out his locker yesterday, but for the moment he remains with the organization. The Phillies also reassigned lefthander Vic Darensbourg and righthander Gary Knotts to minor-league camp. That leaves the Phils with just 11 healthy pitchers in camp, and one of them is righthander J.D. Durbin, who is 0-4 with a 12.33 ERA (eight home runs in 15 1/3 innings)

Everyone assumed that the Phillies had finalized their rotation, then they landed Freddy Garcia. Some also assumed that the Phils had their catchers in the fold, but they are expected to announce today that they have signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with a club option for 2008. Barajas, who won a World Series title with Arizona in 2001, is expected to share time with catcher Carlos Ruiz. It seems likely that Barajas and Ruiz will compete for the opening-day job, with catcher Chris Coste in line for a position on the bench.

Free-agent pitcher Jason Schmidt and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a three-year contract worth $47 million, ESPN.com reported last night. The team has been in the market for a starting pitcher, especially after losing Greg Maddux to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Schmidt, 33, was the Giants' lone all-star this season, going 11-9 with a 3.59 ERA. He pitched 213 1/3 innings in 2006, the third time in four years he went over the 200-inning mark In Los Angeles, Schmidt would join a rotation that includes righthander Derek Lowe (16-8, 3.63 ERA)

Bobby Abreu's name is everywhere. Then there are Pat Burrell, David Dellucci, Jon Lieber and Cory Lidle. But they aren't the only tradable Phillies. Even if the Phillies don't hold a fire sale before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline - a hot stretch between now and then could force the Phillies' front office to change its mind - they have some interesting roster decisions to make with two players close to rejoining the 25-man roster. That could mean a trade or two. Lefthander Randy Wolf threw three innings in a rehabilitation start Sunday for double-A Reading.

The Phillies will open the second half of their season tonight in San Francisco, and the person fans should follow is not Ryan Howard or Chase Utley or Brett Myers or anyone else in red pinstripes. It's Pat Gillick. The general manager has plenty to think about: The next 17 days could shape the look of the Phillies for the future. There are strong indications that the Phillies, who are 40-47 and in eighth place in the National League wild-card standings, are planning to be sellers before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

A reliever needs a memory like a goldfish. Sometimes, it's more like an elephant. Sometimes, that's a good thing. Joba Chamberlain yesterday recalled the three-run homer he surrendered to Indians pinch-hitter David Dellucci in the eighth inning . . . more than 17 months before. Chamberlain remembered what teammate Mariano Rivera, baseball's best reliever, told him after Chamberlain delivered Dellucci's bomb in May 2008: "Just forget about it. I mean, you've got to make your next pitch and get out of the inning and get your guys off the field.

Now, maybe the Chicago White Sox can get some respect. Gavin Floyd flirted with a no-hitter into the ninth inning as the White Sox downed the visiting Minnesota Twins, 7-1, last night. Joe Mauer doubled with one out off Chicago's young righthander for the Twins' only hit, but the White Sox ended a six-game losing streak. Floyd (3-1) was taken out to a standing ovation after Mauer's double to left-center, and Bobby Jenks came on to get the final two outs. Floyd, a former Phillie who held Detroit hitless for 7 1/3 innings on April 12 before Edgar Renteria singled, walked three and struck out four.

The Phillies must have something in the works, right? They can't be comfortable with what they have. "We'd like to add more pitching, if it's possible," Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies' assistant general manager, said yesterday at Bright House Field. Rule 5 draft pick Travis Blackley cleared out his locker yesterday, but for the moment he remains with the organization. The Phillies also reassigned lefthander Vic Darensbourg and righthander Gary Knotts to minor-league camp. That leaves the Phils with just 11 healthy pitchers in camp, and one of them is righthander J.D. Durbin, who is 0-4 with a 12.33 ERA (eight home runs in 15 1/3 innings)

W HEN I'M KING of the World . . . Dave Montgomery and Pat Gillick will not regret extending Charlie Manuel's contract on the eve of Joe Torre's impending unemployment . . . OK, we're just talking baseball, right? First, congratulations to Charlie and may he serve out his extension in good health and may his athletes love him in 2009 as much as they do today. Montgomery and Gillick were wise to do a preemptive strike and re-up their skipper before the "Hire Joe Torre. Hire Tony La Russa.

Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow, the tattooed heavyweight professional TV wrestler, has died. He was 45. He was found dead in his home in Florida on Friday, his brother, Todd Bigelow, said yesterday. Preliminary autopsy results did not show signs of foul play, but a cause of death will not be known until toxicology tests are completed in a few weeks, said Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin. Bigelow had been struggling with a persistent infection and diabetes, his brother said.

Everyone assumed that the Phillies had finalized their rotation, then they landed Freddy Garcia. Some also assumed that the Phils had their catchers in the fold, but they are expected to announce today that they have signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with a club option for 2008. Barajas, who won a World Series title with Arizona in 2001, is expected to share time with catcher Carlos Ruiz. It seems likely that Barajas and Ruiz will compete for the opening-day job, with catcher Chris Coste in line for a position on the bench.

Free-agent pitcher Jason Schmidt and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a three-year contract worth $47 million, ESPN.com reported last night. The team has been in the market for a starting pitcher, especially after losing Greg Maddux to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Schmidt, 33, was the Giants' lone all-star this season, going 11-9 with a 3.59 ERA. He pitched 213 1/3 innings in 2006, the third time in four years he went over the 200-inning mark In Los Angeles, Schmidt would join a rotation that includes righthander Derek Lowe (16-8, 3.63 ERA)

The Phillies offered salary arbitration to one of their six free agents before last night's midnight deadline: outfielder David Dellucci. That's not a shocker. The Cleveland Indians have a three-year agreement with Dellucci, who is a Type-A free agent - the top classification of free agent under the collective bargaining agreement. Once Dellucci signs with the Indians, the Phillies will get Cleveland's second-round draft pick next June, plus a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds.

Few people get to play professional baseball. Even fewer get to play for their hometown team. Randy Wolf found that opportunity impossible to pass up. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced yesterday that they had signed the lefthander to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a $9 million club option (or a $500,000 buyout) for 2008 that automatically vests based on innings pitched. Wolf, a former all-star who had pitched for the Phillies since 1999, said it was tough to leave Philadelphia.

Promised Cleveland's starting job in leftfield, reluctant Phillies reserve David Dellucci has reached preliminary agreement on an $11.5 million, 3-year contract with the Indians as a free agent. Dellucci, 33, has a physical scheduled for Thursday in Cleveland, and he'll finalize his deal with the Indians if he passes it. "The key factor there was his role," agent Joe Longo said. "They've given him the leftfielder's job. He also felt he wanted to be in a lineup that had a chance to win. He wanted to come back to the American League.