Philadelphia Phillies: Spring Training Information

By: Doc Goyne
Location: Brighthouse Networks Field - Clearwater, FLA
Pitchers and Catchers Report: Feb. 14th
First Game: February 26th

Projected Opening Day Lineup

1. Jimmy Rollins (SS)
2. Shane Victorino (CF)
3. Chase Utley (2B)
4. Ryan Howard (1B)
5. Jayson Werth (RF)
6. Raul Ibanez (LF)
7. Pedro Feliz (3B)
8. Carlos Ruiz (C)
9. Cole Hamels (P)

Projected Rotation

1. Cole Hamels
2. Brett Myers
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Joe Blanton
5. Kyle Kendrick/J.A. Happ/Carlos Carrasco/Chan Ho Park

Projected Bullpen
Long: Clay Condrey/Chan Ho Park
Situational: J.C. Romero (following 50-game suspension), Scott Eyre,
7th & 8th Inning: Chad Durbin/Ryan Madson
Closer: Brad Lidge

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Key Battles: When the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies [never gets old saying that] arrive in Clearwater, their everyday lineup for the regular season will already be pretty much determined.  While their offense cooled a bit in 2008 compared to 2007, the Phillies still managed to score the second most runs in the National League in 2008 (799, tied with the Mets). The only positional battle could be at second base and will be between prospect Jason Donald, utility-man Eric Bruntlett, comeback-candidate Marcus Giles and Chase Utley's surgically-repaired hip.  If Utley is ready for opening day, and indications at this point say he will, Donald and Giles will head to AAA Lehigh Valley and Bruntlett will return to the big club's bench.

The starting rotation is also fairly set with Cole Hamels as ace and Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton falling in after that.  The fifth slot, however, is up for grabs.  Kyle Kendrick faltered mightily in the second half of 2008 and lost his spot in the rotation.  He'll get a chance to earn it back this spring, but he'll have to compete with J.A. Happ, a 26-year old lefthander that led the International League in strikeouts with 151 in 135 innings pitched.  Carlos Carrasco, a 22-year old right-hander with a fantastic changeup will be given the chance to earn the fifth spot as well, but more than likely he'll be sent to AAA for a little more seasoning before debuting with the Phillies later in the summer.  Theoretically, Chan Ho Park and Adam Eaton are possibilities for the fifth slot as well, but both are considered long shots at best.

Following the theme of "fairly set", the bullpen that led the league in ERA in 2008 will return largely intact.  Scott Eyre is expected to fill in for J.C. Romero as the situational left-hander, and in all liklihood one or two of the "losers" for the fifth spot in the rotation will head to the bullpen.  Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson will serve as the "Bridge to Lidge".

What To Expect: In recent years, the Phillies have been all about offense, but 2008 was a different story and the Phillies became a well-rounded club.  The pitching staff, both in the rotation and in the bullpen, came up big and was the real difference in bowing out of the first round of the playoffs in 2007 and going all the way in 2008.  If the pitching can maintain that level of performance, or even if it declines just slightly, the Phillies should be a 90-plus win team again in 2009.

Doc is the author of Balls, Sticks & Stuff ("Phillies, Eagles, golf and other matters of great importance"), and the creator of Baseboogle, a site devoted to searching the web for baseball research and analysis.