My prediction on the Phillies 2010 roster and off-season moves

My prediction on the Phillies 2010 roster and off-season moves. This roster includes 12 pitchers and 13 position players. Charlie likes to keep a lot of pitchers around.

We know Lee, Cole, Happ, and Blanton. The fifth starter position comes down to Antonio Bastardo, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Drabek, Andrew Carpenter, Kyle Kendrick, or a free agent. I think Bastardo is the most ready now and with upside and ML experience. I love Jamie, but maybe it's time for him to take a position in the organization. Carp and Kendrick are right in Lehigh Valley when needed, and Drabek will be a starter, this season or next, depending on injuries and how the staff pitches. I would also like to see Rubén trade Blanton for someone serviceable, and then give Drabek a shot in the rotation or keep Jamie (28 wins in the last two seasons people) starting. And Cole needs a battery of sessions with a sports psychologist, and an early trip to spring training to work on his curveball.

Starting Pitchers
• Cliff Lee
• Cole Hamels
• J.A. Happ
• Joe Blanton
• Antonio Bastardo

Lidge and Madson still anchor the bullpen. My hope for Lidge is that after his surgery, he will have an excuse for 2009. If he can point to his elbow and say ‘oh, ok, that’s why I sucked’, he can psychologically move past 2009, so he doesn’t have to blame his actual pitching. I still think a visit to a sports psychologist is a good idea. Park and Eyre are free agents that I think the Phils should resign. Both of them, and Romero, need to get healthy, and I’m satisfied with a bullpen that mirrors last season, and looks a lot like the one that was stellar in 2008. God bless Scott Eyre who said "I promise you, I'll either wear a P on my hat next year or (pitch) nowhere else”.

Relief Pitchers
• Brad Lidge - R
• Ryan Madson – R

• J.C. Romero - L
• Scott Eyre – L
• Chad Durbin - R
• Chan Ho Park - R
• Clay Condrey – R

We love Ruíz, and so do Dubee and the pitching staff. Paul Bako is a free agent, and I’m not really sure why he was here in the first place. He certainly wasn’t any better than Coste. We need to get Carlos more rest though. Rod Barajas was not the answer, and neither was Sal Fasano. I think that Jason LaRue of the Cardinals is a gettable free agent and a righty bat off the bench.

Catchers
• Carlos Ruíz
• Jason LaRue – R

Pedro Feliz, and his glove (excellent despite the most errors for him since 2006 for him), is gone, at least for now, and there are quality third basemen to be had. Chone Figgins is an all-star and a free agent that can be had for a reasonable price because at 31, he’s not a youngster anymore. Figgins becomes your lead-off hitter and Jimmy moves down to 7th with a great bat to protect Raúl, with speed at both ends of the lineup. The Phils keep Dobbs as their primary left-handed bat off the bench, mainly because Charlie loves him. I don’t see any way Charlie let’s Rubén dump Dobbs. And if he can find what he had in 2008, he’s a link again. And even more importantly, Utley and Rollins need someone on the bench to spell them because if it was up to them, they’d play 200 games a season. Mark DeRosa, a free agent from the Cardinals, is an excellent righty bat off the bench that can play all the infield positions, and a serious upgrade from Eric Bruntlett. Toronto free agent Marco Scutaro can fill that void too. They were both starters last season, but I think the time has come for both to find a home as key bench players.

Infielders
• Ryan Howard
• Chase Utley
• Jimmy Rollins
• Chone Figgins

• Greg Dobbs - L
• Mark DeRosa - R

The starting outfield can stick around for another four years as far as I’m concerned. It’s the best in the NL. Hopefully surgery and rest will put Ibáñez back to where he started the season. And Shane is only going to get better. Remember how people thought that he’d never be able to replace Aaron Rowand, much less Bobby Abreu? Ben Francisco will stick and is a decent fifth outfielder, both offensively and defensively. I love Matt Stairs, and so does Charlie, but I don’t see him being resigned. And I think that John Mayberry Jr. has a lot of upside, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him traded in a good deal for another need (maybe in a package with Blanton?). Michael Taylor and Domonic Brown are both quality prospects that deserve a shot at the majors, depending on who has a better spring. I think that player will be Dom Brown, especially considering that I think the Phils would prefer to have Taylor play every day in the minors and learn rather than sit on the bench.

Outfielders
• Raúl Ibáñez
• Shane Victorino
• Jayson Werth

• Ben Francisco - R
• Domonic Brown – L

So who’s gone? Both Pedros, Feliz and Martinez. Brett Myers, and thank god. Probably Moyer. The Kyles, Kendrick and Drabek, go to Lehigh Valley for future use, as do Sergio Escalona, Drew Carpenter, and Drew Naylor. You’ll be definitely hearing from Scott Mathieson again, and possibly Mike Zagurski. And if Tyler Walker wants to stick around and take an assignment to Triple-A, I’d love to have him available, same with Jack Taschner.

Shed no tears for Eric Bruntlett. If I remember correctly, he had two errors replacing Rollins in his first game as a Phillie. I will miss the beard though. I will be sad to see Matt Stairs depart, but seriously, he’s a 42 year old bench DH. He’s a folk hero here, but last season was poor. Thanks for the homer against the Dodgers, Matt. Go retire back to the Maritimes. No more Pedro Feliz, and Miguel Cairo, although Cairo was a good pick-up and did what he needed to do. Andy Tracy, John Ennis, and Paul Hoover were roster-fillers. And I think we finally get Antonio Alfonseca, Adam Eaton, Jose Mesa, Geoff Jenkins, and Jim Thome off the books this season to free up free agent money.

And despite giving up a lot to get Cliff Lee (and worth every penny and every Marson), there is still a ton of talent in the minors, and even in the high minors. This is how I see it as of a week after the Series.