Phillies quick hits

03/23/2006
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Phillies' most significant offseason acquisition came in November, when Pat Gillick was named general manager. A proven winner at three previous stops, the 68-year-old Gillick enters his 25th year as a GM, having built nine playoff teams, including two World Series champions.
Gillick inherited a team that missed the postseason by one game in 2005, and he quickly addressed most of the items on the winter to-do list, notably unclogging a first-base logjam of Jim Thome and Ryan Howard, adding a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder and two pitching prospects in the process. He also moved quickly to replace Billy Wagner and Ugueth Urbina in the back end of the bullpen, signing Tom Gordon to close and trading for setup man Arthur Rhodes.
The acquisitions might not seem as appealing as those made by the Mets or other clubs, but the Phillies still have a potent offense and talented pitchers who could lead them to their first postseason appearance since 1993.
Team strength: Offense. The Phillies finished second in the National League with 807 runs, their highest ranking since leading the NL with 877 in 1993. They also finished in the top five in walks, on-base percentage, hits, batting average, total bases, slugging percentage and grounded into the second-fewest double plays.
Chase Utley, Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell became the first Phillies trio in 73 years to drive in at least 100 runs apiece, and Jimmy Rollins has an active 36-game hitting streak. Ryan Howard clubbed 22 homers in a little more than half a season and captured the NL Rookie of the Tear Award.
Achilles heel: Pitching. While the trio of Jon Lieber, Brett Myers and Cory Lidle combined for 43 wins last season, the back end of the rotation is a question mark. Ryan Franklin has lost 31 games over the past two seasons, and Ryan Madson has never been a Major League starter. Franklin has pitched OK this spring, while Madson appears to be on a mission. The same can be said about the bullpen, which took a hit. Gordon has had success as a closer, but he simply isn't Wagner. Meanwhile, Rhodes was limited to 43 1/3 innings last season because of a family issue. The Phillies also need to find an effective seventh-inning replacement for Madson.
Top newcomer: Rowand. With honorable mention going to Gordon, Rowand must live up to his billing. He's made friends quickly in the clubhouse, and he's already shown why he's viewed as one of the league's top defensive outfielders. Rowand will be counted on to make Burrell and Abreu better on the corners, and he'll need to strike a balance between his 2004 and '05 seasons. As a righty, he'll also be required to even out a lefty-laden lineup.
Ready to make the leap: Madson. The righty was 28-12 with a 3.40 ERA in his final two seasons as a Minor League starter. His fastball and changeup are already quality pitches and his curveball is coming along quicker than he expected. The organization is quietly optimistic about Madson's sticking potential as a starter.
On the hot seat: David Bell. The Phillies signed Abraham Nunez and Alex Gonzalez this winter in case Bell struggled or got hurt, so it's fair to say the veteran is in danger of losing playing time. His back has kept him from Grapefruit League action so far this spring and threatens his readiness for Opening Day. Gonzalez and Nunez played a lot of third base last season for their respective teams and could platoon in Bell's absence. If either takes off, Bell might be limited even when he returns.
You can bank on: Abreu. His subpar September aside, Abreu produces every year in the middle of the order, and he has played in at least 151 games in each of his eight seasons with the Phillies.
Litmus test: If Philadelphia avoids the injury bug this year, there's no reason this group can't remain in the middle of the playoff race. If Madson and Franklin carry their load and Gordon is effective at age 38, the Phillies can make some noise. The trick will be keeping their team in games long enough for the offense to carry them. If so, they might end their 12-year playoff drought.

Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/