Phillies Taking a Step Backward?

Written by Matt Ryan | 03 December 2009

[updated with thoughts from Benny B & Mike below]

According to a recent tweet by Jon Heyman, the Phillies are expected to finalize a 3 year, $18 Million contract with Placido Polanco today.  As much as I hate the Phillies, I really have to admire the way they've handled business the last 2 seasons.  The combined efforts of Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro Jr. helped transform a team that finished 12 games back in 2006, into a true champion, and possible perrenial powerhouse.  They did almost everything right.  The free agents they brought in (Pedro Feliz and Raul Ibanez) exceeded all expectations.  The players they let go (Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell) underachieved tremendously with their new teams.  They swung two of the better trades in the last decade by acquiring Brad Lidge and Cliff Lee for essentially nothing.  And they showed confidence and patience with their home grown players which has paid dividends.

That being said, I can't help but feel that the Phillies are heading in the wrong direction in 2010.  Enormous salary increases to their "core" has worn the budget thin.  And with huge question marks surrounding every pitcher not named Cliff Lee, Ruben Amaro Jr. has his work cut out for him.  In my opinion, the Phillies have already made one glaring mistake this offseason.

I absolutely hate the Polanco signing.  He has great value as a second baseman, but he simply doesn't have the bat to play third.  He is one dimensional singles hitter with little speed and above average defense.  Polanco registered an OPS of .727 in 2009, which would rank sixth lowest among third baseman.  His homerun total (10) ranks third lowest, sadly tied with David Wright.  You can make the argument that Polanco will be a better fit to a Phillies lineup that already has its fair share of power hitters.  And when you put his numbers side by side with Pedro Feliz, it appears to be a push.  But Pedro Feliz is a gold glove caliber third baseman.  Polanco is no slouch with the glove, but he is a true second baseman.  And you can't look past the fact that Feliz was a member of the 2008 championship team.  It's also hard to overlook the fact that better free agent third baseman are on the market.  As far as I'm concerned, this is a big mistake.  The Phillies do have a fantastic track record when it comes to making moves like this one, but I feel like they are moving in the wrong direction this time.

Added by Benny B.:

Couldn't agree more Matt. I actually was just about to do a post saying as much, but you already did the heavy lifting.

The Ibanez signing looked like the best deal since the Yankees acquired Babe Ruth. He was absolutely unstoppable pre-allstar break and was on pace to hit like 80 home runs. Then what happened? His production & power fell off a cliff and wound up hitting .270+ with 34 home runs and is now recovering from off-season surgery. I said it once and will say it again: Phillly will ultimately regret the Ibanez singing, and they will ultimately regret this one as well.

My prediction for 2010: Look for both Ibanez & Polanco to have extended stays on the disabled list.  It's your turn for a taste of the injury bug Philly; a prospect made more likely by taking a page out of the book of Omar and giving aging stars in their mid-late 30's multi-year deals.  I mean you guys also just signed Brian Schneider for 2 years!?  Yea he will be the backup, but you better pray that Ruiz remains healthy, or you will see just how "proven" Schneider's bat is.  A lineup without Ruiz, Ibanez & Polanco is going to be much easier to navigate.  Schneider was also dubbed a defensive specialist that works well with pitchers, however I can't remember another Mets catcher that allowed so many passed balls or if he ever threw out a base stealer.  Good luck with that one.

Regardless, this bodes well for the Mets.  They won't have to take as many steps forward this year if the Phillies keep taking steps backward.

Added by Mike:

I like the Mets side of this signing, but I'm not with you guys on the argument.  I am not excited, per se, about the Polanco signing, however I do think it's a good signing even slightly above value.  Yes, Polanco does produce the power needed from a thirdbasemen in today's MLB, but having a 2B who vastly outhits the average second basemen (especially on the power end) you can afford a light hitting third basemen.  Also, Polanco fills a void that the previous Phillies rosters lacked: a guy who gets on base in the bottom half of the order.  It may seem futile to have somebody get on base for Ruiz and the pitcher, but it is much better than the 7-8-9 three-up-three-down parties that we had last season.

Would I have preferred DeRosa? Yes -- he's a Penn guy and a good player.  Would I have preferred a smaller contract?  Absolutely.  However, the Phillies have showed a willingness to go out and get the guys they want and that is something that I admire from this organization.