Phillies - 1/30/03
January 31, 2003
Latest Team Info
Unless you are living in the dark ages, you already know that the Phillies have brought in superstar Jim Thome by luring him away from the Cleveland Indians. They did lose out on signing Tom Glavine, but pulled a gem of a deal by trading catcher Johnny Estrada. They’ve also added David Bell and Tyler Houston. The David Bell deal allowed the Phillies to concentrate on resigning Placido Polanco. Polanco is ready to take over second base duties.
On a down note, the Arizona Diamondback signed Ricky Bottalico from the Phillies, thus weakening their bullpen.
F.I.C. Local Spin
Well, we’ve seen John Kruk return to the Phillies to perform for various promotional reasons. The season finale at the Vet is already a sellout, and season ticket sales are already up 20 percent from last year. Mike Schmidt will once again serve as a special hitting instructor with the team in Spring Training.
On the Farm
The big question in the offseason is what prospects will join the majors and help the Phillies out. Well, Doug Glanville is gone, and Marlon Byrd is ready to take over Center Field. He’ll contribute this year and down the road can provide some pop and speed with 20/20 potential that could see 30/30 someday. The franchise just likes him because of how hard he works, and they will give him every chance to shine. He could eventually be a .280-.300 hitter, but look for the freshmen struggles.
Quick View
If you had Pat Burrell in a keeper league, I sure hope you held on to him. He is ready to step in as one of the top outfielders from a fantasy perspective, and he now has Jim Thome to protect him in the lineup.
Bobby Abreu is a top ten outfielder who can be a stud on any team. Can help in average, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. This guy is a no brainer...
Randy Wolf was awesome last season. And if you look at his stats in the second half, he was 7-3 with an ERA just above 2.00. Now that he can move back into the 2nd spot in the rotation thanks to ace Kevin Millwood, look for a repeat of last season.
Kevin Millwood and Jim Thome can speak for themselves as stars in the league. You can ignore the hype about Thome struggling away from the Jake last year, but if someone offers you a good deal (such as youth) take it, as you might only get two more good years from him.
Placido Polanco looks like the team’s second baseman and can be a nice grab in NL only leagues. Marlon Byrd is worth a gamble as a fourth outfield or a bench spot.
Jose Mesa has saved 87 games over the past two seasons, and there is no reason to think he won’t save 40 plus again this year.
Vincente Padilla was overused last season and got burned out. He is another pitcher that will benefit from Millwood joining the staff. He might do well as a second or third starter on any fantasy team. If he does well early, keep an eye on those innings pitched and pitch counts. And yes, the Phillies still have pitching depth with Brandon Duckworth. He may be worth the risk for some fantasy owners in late rounds or when selecting pitchers for your bench. Duckworth is worth keeping an eye on.
