Phillies sign Polanco now back to filling out the bench

by Eric Schwartz

Thursday December 3, 2009 

Phillies sign Polanco now back to filling out the bench thumbnail

Man the Phillies are moving fast!

The Phillies filled their primary offseason need today signing Placido Polanco to a 3-year deal worth 18 million. Polanco’s primary position is second base, but he will shift over to third full time.

Palonco is the type of player the Phillies desperately needed – a .300 hitter, who takes pitches and doesn’t strike out.

With third base now taken care of we turn our focus to rounding out the bench. As we mentioned on Tuesday, the Phillies have four parts of the bench in place with Greg Dobbs, Brian Schneider, Juan Castro and Ben Fransisco under contract. The Phillies will likely us their final bench spot on a player that can give them depth in the outfield and possibly at first base.

Here is a look at some intriguing possibilities.

Mike Cameron – While Cameron would like to be a starter the Phillies could entice the aging outfielder with good financial offer to become their No. 4 outfielder. Cameron has some pop with 24 home runs last year, but is around a .250 hitter. He also provides excellent defense. The chance of this happening is slim, though.

Marlon Byrd – The former Phillie is coming off a career season where he hit 20 homers and had a .283 average. Like Camron, he would prefer to start, but a lucrative contract could bring him back to Philly. Chances are slim, but better than signing Cameron.

Jason Michaels – Another former Phillie, Michaels could be a great choice to fill out the bench. Michaels struggled last year in Houston, but is still a good fielder and has some pop in the bat. For is career he is a .269 hitter.

Randy Winn — Winn does not fill the teams need for a power bat off the bench, but does provide a veteran presence and would be a great fit in the clubhouse. At the end of his career, Winn would accept a lesser role to try to win a title.

Brain Giles – Injuries limited Giles to just 61 games last year, but he had hit double-digit home runs in his previous 12 seasons. While he is no longer the guy who hit 38 homers in 2002, Giles could provide the team with some pop in key situations.

David Dellucci – He is a career .256 hitter, who just three years ago hit .292 with 14 home runs for the Phillies in a limited role. If brought back, you could expect more of the same from Dellucci, who could be had for relatively cheap.

Garry Sheffield – This one is my own favorite. While never a fan of Sheffield and his past, he proved last season that he could still play when forced into action with the Mets. He hit .290 the first half of last season, before wearing down as an everyday player. With the Phillies he could be limited to late-inning pinch hit opportunities, where he could thrive. Even at his age, Sheffield has a fierce swing that will make pitchers think twice before bringing a fastball. To sum up: He is a more productive Matt Stairs. Sheffield has never been brought up by the front office though, so don’t cont on it.

John Mayberry – This is the most realistic option, as Mayberry showed promise at the major league level last year.  In 57 at-bats Mayberry hit .211 with fur home runs. The only thing that may hold him back is the club’s desire to get him everyday playing time in the minors.

So there you have it, a look at who could be a future member of the Phillies. Anyone you like? Anyone I missed?

Talk now because the way the Phillies are moving this offseason, a move to solidify the bench may happen anytime now.

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Comments

One Response to “Phillies sign Polanco now back to filling out the bench”

  1. BigGreek24 on December 3rd, 2009 6:10 pm

    I like the idea of Sheffield with the backup plan being Mayberry. Mayberry has big-time power. Cameron and Byrd are “no-shots” as both will start for someone, and Byrd wants so much money the Rangers were already priced out. Giles is washed up, and Michaels was traded out of town after his run-in with Philadelphia police.

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