The Philadelphia (pronounced Phee-uh-dee-fee-uh by my co-host at Andy & the J-Dogs) Phillies have undergone a transformation. They acquired Hunter Pence to compete in the NL East but suffered like the 1965 Yankees: they got old all at once. So, they shipped off Pence and he wins a World Series ring - go figure, right? Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton got shipped off to Los Angeles. Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco and Chase Utley got hurt. Jimmy Rollins put together a solid bounce back campaign. The bullpen was nothing short of a mess outside of closer Jonathan Papelbon. Luckily, the rotation held up for another year. The big three return, but Vance Worley was shipped off to Minnesota. So, let's take a look at the Phillies for this season:
Starting Line-Up
CF Ben Revere
SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
3B Michael Young
RF Delmon Young
LF Darin Ruf
C Eric Kratz
This line-up, I believe will be the most predictable. Manager Charlie Manuel would be silly to not use the newly acquired Ben Revere in the lead-off spot: extremely fast table setter. Rollins can still get on base, and I feel he'll be stubborn with Utley and Howard. The new Youngs will probably bat in the 5-6 holes. I'm going bold with Darin Ruf out in LF: I believe he'll hit too much and force the Phillies' hand into playing him. Kratz starts with Ruiz suspended. I prefer the line-up below: it splits it more evenly L/R than above and splits the older and younger players.
CF Ben Revere
3B Michael Young
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
RF Delmon Young
SS Jimmy Rollins
LF Darin Ruf
C Eric Kratz
Starting Rotation
SP Roy Halladay
SP Cole Hamels
SP Cliff Lee
SP Kyle Kendrick
SP John Lannan
A few changes. Worley was traded to Minnesota for Revere. Kendrick moves into the #4 spot. Lannan was stashed away in AAA for the Nationals last year - he's a solid #5. As for Halladay, Hamels and Lee, it should be business as usual. Halladay must return to form for the Phillies to compete.
Bullpen
CL Jonathan Papelbon
SU Mike Adams
SU Antonio Bastardo
SU Phillippe Aumont
SU Michael Stutes/Raul Valdes/Justin De Fratus
LR Chad Durbin
Papelbon was solid again last year, he should be good for another solid year. He finally gets a very good set-up man in Mike Adams. Bastardo had a poor year after a breakout in 2011. Durbin should be the long man and Aumont/Stutes/Valdes and De Fratus will battle for 3 spots. This bullpen was up and down and needs to be consistent to repeat.
This team is going to struggle with competing. I think they'll be around a .500 team, going about 85-79. The age to the middle of the line-up will keep them from competing for anything but the second Wild Card.
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