The NL East: Philadelphia Phillies

Image via Wikipedia

Even teams that seem to have everything have issues develop. The supposed already 2011 National League champion Phillies are just that team.

When the Phillies pulled off the coup in signing Cliff Lee, many in the baseball world were resigned to giving every piece of hardware to anyone or anything wearing a Phillies uniform. Then, the injuries started to creep in. Domonic Brown, Chase Utley, Brad Lidge. The list continues to grow.

But if these guys are healthy, there can be little question that on paper, the Phillies are a hard team to overlook.

The news that Chase Utley's bad knee is becoming a tad bulky has led to speculation that GM Ruben Amaro may be ready to make a deal...already. The names of Ramon Santiago of the Tigers and Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs have been rumored as targets. The knee doesn't bother Utley when hitting. It's in the field and Utley may actually be more valuable there that at the plate.

The other middle infield position is manned by former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins. Rollins has also suffered through a couple of sub-par seasons at the plate especially. Posting back-to-back years of hitting .250 and .243 have forced Phillies manager to put Rollins in a different slot in the lineup.

The corners appear safe, right? Not necessarily. Both first baseman Ryan Howard and third baseman Placido Polanco spent short stints on the DL in 2010, too. Howard does tend to stay pretty healthy, though. And the Phils need him to be.

No one could question the offensive potential of this foursome. It's about as good as any infield in baseball. The defense is pretty darn solid as well. Health will be the ultimate factor. And that is already being tested.

The biggest question coming into 2011 was who would be in right with the departure of Jayson Werth? The answer appeared to be highly rated prospect Domonic Brown and it still could be. Brown will be out for at least another month after having surgery on his wrist. In the meantime, Ben Francisco will be in right. John Mayberry will be his backup. Non-roster invitee Delwyn Young may have something to say about all of this, though.

Left and center see the now common faces of Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino.


The pitching staff has changed and it's all for the better from a starters view. The Phillies already had the likes of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Now add Cliff Lee. People are touting this as the best starting staff ever. And those four will tell you not to forget Joe Blanton. I encourage you not to either.

While Blanton may be baseball's highest paid #5 starter, he's also one of baseball's most overlooked. No, he won't dazzle you with stats...except one. He wins. And people tend to forget that with Blanton. He's just a winner.

The question will revolve around the bullpen. Closer Brad Lidge is currently dealing with tendinitis in his right bicep. Lidge isn't over concerned and will just toss for a couple of days before going through a bullpen session. The Phils and Lidge will have a better understanding after those events take place.

If Lidge's injury becomes an issue, either Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras could step in the role on a temporary basis. Madson has more experience in the role and Contreras could most likely assume the setup role. Danys Baez and J.C. Romero are also in the mix and both has closed before as well. Phils manager Charlie Manuel has options if the need arises.

The most important thing to remember about the Phillies is that while they are both explosive and pitching rich, they are getting a bit long in the tooth as well. With that comes a larger possibility of injury as we've already seen.

If Philly can avoid the DL and extensive time with the trainer, there's no question that they can make a severely deep run into the postseason. Will that end with another World Series appearance and/or win is never a guarantee. If any of the main guys go down for extended periods of time, they are in serious peril.

Health should be the main goal. The rest will fall into place.