Offseason Housecleaning and Trade Rumor
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Firstly, to catch on some blog housekeeping regarding the surgeries of 2nd baseman Chase Utley and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz, Jen of Phillies Phollowers reported in November that both players had successful surgery and Feliz’s rehab of 8-12 weeks should seem him back in time for Spring Training.
Utley’s rehab is slated to take a bit longer; 4-6 months which should see him back either by the season’s start or by sometime in May.
I mention this because it is looking more and more like the Phillies may be the 3rd team in a Cubs, Padres deal involving starting pitcher Jake Peavy. I’m really not sure that I like the Phillies possible involvement, particularly with the possibility of losing young lefthanded pitching prospect J.A. Happ and catcher Chris Coste as part of a deal including a mediocre righthanded starting pitcher in Jason Marquis.
The Phillies, who refused to offer arbitration to leftfielder Pat Burrell and lefthanded starting pitcher Jamie Moyer, could have a possible void at the 4th or 5th starter if Moyer is acquired by another team. I see this void as poorly filled with the possible acquisition of a younger, but closer-to-Adam Eatoneque than to Moyer ERA.
The upside, however, could be possible acquisition of righthanded hitting 2nd baseman/leftfielder Mark DeRosa, who had a standout 2008 with the Cubs, to spell Utley until his return.
But IMHO, the Cubs had better come up with talent better than Marquis in a deal for Happ. But the bottom line could well be “all about the money” in a bad economy which saw many clubs refuse arbitration for prime free agent talent.
All that having been said, Phillies Nation’s Tim Malcolm wraps up the first day of December general manager meetings and gives a spin on a possible DeRosa-for-Happ, Coste in his daily Nation Minute video as well as various updates.
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