Contreras had last been a top-line starting pitcher in 2006, when he went 13-9 for the White Sox. With his fastball velocity in free fall, he caught on with Colorado in late 2009, and was excellent in seven appearances, five from the bullpen. Those 17 innings were enough to convince the Phillies to plug Contreras into Park’s old spot in middle relief.

Contreras, despite originally stating a desire to start, took to his new role in middle relief with gusto. Contreras’ fastball averaged 94 mph in 2010, up 3.5 mph from 2008. With his velocity back, Contreras was able to work in hard breaking stuff to great effect, including a high-80s slider that was worth 8 runs above the league average. This translated to better than a strikeout an inning and, despite a midsummer hiccough (caused in part by some bad luck with strand rates and BABIP), the Big Truck finished second among Phillies relievers in innings pitched, third in ERA, and third in strikeouts.

With so much of the Phillies’ payroll tied up in a few superstar players, the key to building a successful team is filling in the gaps on the cheap, and this Big Truck certainly delivered.

Grade: 7.8/10–Contreras was an dependable, if not spectacular reliever all season long and earned his contract extension. He wasn’t Mariano Rivera, but it’s hard to go far in baseball without decent middle relief.

Q. You’ve texted some of your teammates since you left here about wanting to come back. Is this where you were most comfortable and is this where your heart is?

CLIFF LEE: I think for me to be here kind of says enough. I mean, I never held any grudges for being traded. I understand it’s a business and things like that happen.

But from the moment I got here, from the first day, I knew it was something that was special, something that I enjoyed. You know, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another opportunity to come back or not.

The way things played out, I got that opportunity and here I am. When you sit back and evaluate your options, you get a chance to pitch in this rotation, with Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, I mean, that’s all I needed to see right there. Give me a real option to do that, that’s it. That was the main thing, getting a chance to be part of that rotation with this team and what they’ve kind of established in the NL East, being the leader there. With this team, it was kind of a no‑brainer for me.

Q.  Cliff, the Yankees obviously offered you a nice deal, the Rangers.  At any time in this process did you tell Darek, Try to get something done with the Phillies, make this happen, this is where I want to go?

CLIFF LEE:  Obviously since I’m here, there was some point in the process where I decided to tell the Phillies, Let’s make something happen.

But, you know, there were a lot of variables, a lot of things going on there.  Obviously, I enjoyed my time in Texas.  We had a really good team.  We made it to the World Series.  That says enough for that team.

It’s tough.  Sometimes making these kind of decisions are tough.  But when you get your family involved, let them tell you how they feel about it, you weigh the pros and cons of everything, kind of sit back and look at it from a distance, let some time expire, you weigh all your options.

For me it became an easy decision with this pitching staff and with this team and what they’ve done over the past few years.  Getting a chance to play in the National League, I prefer the National League over the American League style.  I like to hit.  I enjoy hitting.  I like to face the pitcher versus the designated hitter.  There’s definitely an advantage to that.

It’s just a good team.  It’s a good environment.  They sell out every game here.  It’s a good group of guys.  It’s a close‑knit group.  That’s what you want to be a part of.  It’s going to be a special team.  None of that is going to be given to us.  We still have to go out there and earn it.  I think with what we’ve got on paper and with the personalities that are around, the guys on this team, good things are going to happen.

Q.  On the positive side, some folks have talked about the phrase ‘leaving money on the table.’  In a way, your contract ends here where you could sign another deal.  Is that an accurate statement that you left money on the table because it’s a very good contract here as well?

CLIFF LEE:  I guess I did.  I mean, I could potentially earn ‑‑ this is a shorter term, so whatever.  It’s plenty of money.  When you hit a certain point, enough is enough.  It’s a matter of where you’re comfortable, where you’re happy, where your family is most comfortable, what team gives you the best chance to win.

At this point it’s about trying to win championships.  That’s really the number one thing for me.  I think that team gives me the best chance to do that.  That’s really it.

Q.  Cliff, we’ve been hearing Rangers, Yankees for so long.  At the end the Phillies come in and get this done.  Was there a point in time where you were deciding between just those two teams or were the Phillies in it all along?

CLIFF LEE:  Going into the off‑season, I wasn’t sure how serious the Phillies were going to be.  I really didn’t know.  So I guess there was a point in time where it was just, in my mind, the Rangers and the Yankees.

This kind of developed just in the past four, five, six days I think.  I mean, there were some preliminary talks and stuff, but nothing really serious up until just the end of last week.  It kind of came together pretty quick.

In the back of my mind, I was always hoping that was a possibility.  I didn’t know how serious and how much of a possibility it was.

Q.  Cliff, you have been in a few cities in a short amount of time.  What is it about the city here, Philadelphia, maybe not so much the team, but the city itself, that brought you back?

CLIFF LEE:  I think the ‑ how do you put it ‑ intensity that you can feel when you get in the game.  You can feel the volume.  Every game has got an elevated feel to it compared to everywhere else.  It’s completely different.  I don’t know what the fans do to create that much more volume and excitement in the stadium, but it’s definitely something extra here.  I don’t know what it is, but it’s something they’re doing.

They get excited.  They’re passionate fans.  They understand what’s going on.  They don’t need a teleprompter to tell them to get up and cheer, to do that.  No, it’s exciting.  It’s an historic town.  I didn’t realize until I got here how interesting the city is.  My family really liked it.  I mean, that played a big part in it.

Yeah, you know, the feeling of playing on the field feels different than anywhere else.  I don’t know how to explain it other than you can feel the volume that’s created by the fans and their intensity.

The 20-year-old Cosart has excellent command and a superior fastball that regularly hits 97 MPH. As a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws in 2010, Cosart posted a 7-3 record with a 3.79 ERA and 77 strike outs in 71 1/3 innings pitched. He projects to be the type of pitcher whose presence could effect the odds involved in sports betting some day, much like Cliff Lee did when news leaked that the Phillies were preparing to sign him this week.

Cosart missed much of the 2010 season with an elbow injury, but the Phillies did a superb job of catching the injury, before it was too late, and shutting him down to prevent further damage. Cosart was was back to 100% in time to spend the month after the season pitching in instructional ball at the Phillies spring training facility in Florida. While there, he experienced no hindrances. The Phillies were satisfied with the progress he made, despite being a bit rusty following the period away from game action. “There were absolutely no setbacks in instructional league, just a little bit of rust having not thrown to live competition for a few months. The arm felt great, though. And overall, the coaches were very pleased with my outings and, obviously, that the arm felt good,” Cosart said in an exclusive interview.

Despite missing time, Cosart was able to improve on various aspects of his game. The Texas native developed a better curveball and refined his delivery to enhance deception when it came to his change up. His focus on conditioning, resulting from his rehab work, is likely to keep him in better shape going forward as well.

Cosart, a 38th round draft selection in 2008, did not appear in a game after June 26th last season, when he left a road start after 2/3 of an inning with the elbow discomfort that landed him on the disabled list for the remainder of the season. Looking forward to 2011, Cosart is squarely focused on having an injury-free season and developing himself further. “The biggest goal is staying healthy. I’m 100 percent confident in my pitching ability. I just need to get over the little setbacks I’ve had. I want to establish myself as one of the best and get better each time I take the mound, every fifth day, as well as the days in between,” Cosart said.

The Baseball America list of Phils prospects also included six other players that appeared with the Lakewood BlueClaws championship club in 2010. The opportunity for so many of Philadelphia’s best young talent to have bonded together while getting used to the postseason at such an early age could be beneficial to all of them in the long run, as the players move closer to the big show, according to Cosart. “I can’t even express the brotherly love that we had in Lakewood. From the coaching staff to the players, everyone got along and we all wanted to win. It would be an honor and a great experience to (some day) put on a Phillie uniform with some of the same teammates I won a South Atlantic League championship with,” Cosart said.

With plenty of minor league players’ eyes aimed toward the ultimate goal of the big leagues, it’s surely a positive thing when those hungry individuals can get to see big league talent up close in the same dugout. During the 2010 regular season, home grown Phillies stars such as Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Howard, both former BlueClaws, made rehab appearances in Lakewood. Ruiz and Howard were an inspiration to the Lakewood players as each one serves up proof of the organization’s ability to draft and develop key talent for the parent club.

“It’s exciting to everyone to see that the Phillies like to develop their Major League team from the minor leagues,” Cosart stated.

The off-season has brought down-time for Cosart and resulted in him missing the game of baseball. He missed the roar of the crowd so much this off-season that he set up an account on Twitter, in order to interact with baseball fans via the internet. In addition to chatting with the Phillies faithful on a regular basis, Cosart is staying busy this off-season by working out with a trainer and has continued a steady routine of stretching exercises, which he feels is key for a pitcher’s health. His throwing routine will begin this week, leading up to an early arrival at spring training on January 15th, where he hopes to prove himself worthy of a move upward in the Phils’ system.

Looking forward to rubbing elbows with some more big league talent, Cosart cites the opportunity to work closely with the parent club’s premiere pitcher in Clearwater as too good to pass up.

“I wouldn’t say I’m heading there early because I missed time, but because I’d like the opportunity to…be able to be around guys like Roy Halladay to learn anything I can that will help me become a better person and player.”

____________________________________________________

Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor.  You can read more from Jay on his site, PhoulBallz.com, and hear him on 97.3 ESPN’s Weekend Sports Guide with Tyrone Johnson on Saturday afternoon.

First off, the Phillies have built this brick by brick – they’ve used solid scouting and a stocked farm system to accomplish their goal of a World Championship while becoming a threat to win more every year. By extending their talent to long-term contracts at the right time, they’ve been able to keep a relatively modest payroll all the while.

The list of Phillies that were brought up – and not bought up – are as follows: Utley, Howard, Rollins, Ruiz, Madson, Hamels, Kendrick. Each have had their hand in the reformation of the Phillies as a legitimate contender year after year.

On the other side, the Yankees have attempted to buy their way into World Championships, and who can blame them? It’s a system that works in their favor – they should be allowed to spend all the money they want. Major League Baseball is built on a structure of revenue sharing, meaning the top teams filter down big money to the teams that don’t make as much. The Yankees are an exceptional franchise and that has benefitted the pockets of many lesser teams and their owners. So spending over $200 million every season is fine.

Just don’t say the Phillies do business the same way because they were able to land Cliff Lee.

Lee, like Roy Halladay and, to an extent, Roy Oswalt before him, took less money to play in a place he knew was a baseball hotbed. Halladay chose to take a shorter term deal and Oswalt re-worked some conditions in his contract to win here. Lee, apparently, has done the same. Instead of settling for a six-year deal worth a reported $137 million with a seventh-year option, Lee felt a connection with Philadelphia and will take a reported $120 million over five years with a sixth-year option. Not chump change by any means, but still a large sum left on the proverbial table.

Add up the numbers and you’ll see that the Phillies wrangled Cliff Lee AND Roy Halladay for roughly $180 million. The Yankees paid CC Sabathia by himself $161 million. Two is better than one.

New York, while able to entice him with riches and the thought of playing in the biggest market, could not offer Cliff Lee peace of mind. Texas fell short as well in courting the prized piece of the free agent market. As an aside, it’s pretty hilarious to see how up in arms Yankees fans are about losing Lee. Over the past 36 hours, there’s been a lot of “we didn’t want him anyway” talk. Sore losers, indeed.

So before you listen to the outsiders rip the Phillies for being like the evil empire – a team that overpays for talented players as often as person brushes their teeth – realize this club has put itself in this position by making noble maneuvers.

“I’m sitting in the Temple computer lab right now. If this is true, I’m going to scream out the news, tear off my clothes, and run down the hall stark naked, urinating everywhere from sheer joy. Until then, I’ll reserve judgment.”

You can imagine my reaction when the news broke late last night that the Phillies had signed one Cliff Lee, the Anointed One, whose brief sojourn in red pinstripes in 2009 generated the kind of devotion among Phillies fans usually reserved for prepubescent Canadian pop stars. Whose departure, the cost of acquiring the best pitcher in baseball, led to a firestorm in this area the likes of which had not been seen since the Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house in 1985.

On one hand, this move doesn’t make much sense–the Phillies, far and away the oldest team in baseball with several holes to fill, gave the richest free agent contract in team history to pitcher in his 30s. After all, this team won the division in 2007 with Kyle Kendrick as its No. 2 starter and won a World Series with Cole Hamels and three other guys who got hot at the same time. This season, it wasn’t the starting pitching that failed the team in the playoffs, it was the offense–an offense that saw its best performer in 2010 follow the money down I-95 when free agency hit. So why splurge on a fourth top-line starting pitcher?

It turns out, this move isn’t really about rationality. This move is about parking the Death Star in orbit of Alderaan. It’s about Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt showing up for Spring Training, looking at each other, and giggling and the sheer preposterousness of what has been wrought. This is about Ruben Amaro indulging his inner 14-year-old and putting together a rotation the likes of which are ordinarily only seen in video games. Perhaps most of all, this is about Cliff Lee, once again, doing what he wants, and to hell with everyone else’s expectations.

A few quick bullet points about the Cliff Lee trade:

• The Phillies will field two Cy Young winners in the same rotation for the third time in team history (Steve Carlton and John Denny, 1984-1985 and Lee and Pedro Martinez, August-October 2009).
• Hamels, Halladay, Oswalt, and Lee are a combined 108-66 in a Phillies uniform, including the postseason.
• Cliff Lee is the first pitcher to leave the Phillies, make an all-star team, and come back to the team since Andy Ashby.
• Courtesy of Dave Cameron of FanGraphs: over the past three seasons, Halladay leads all starting pitchers in wins above replacement. Lee is second, Hamels 16th, and Oswalt 21st.
• Each of the Phillies’ top four starting pitchers has led the league in WHIP at least once.

It did not seem like a smug, shady answer like those typically given by Godfather Ruben Amaro, it seemed like a genuine quote. He was too expensive. The Phils could not compete with seven-year offers or $150-$160 million deals.

So, what happened? How did such an improbable fantasy turn into reality in the span of one day?

The “Mystery Team”

For a little over one week, Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated and the MLB Network mentioned that, in addition to the Yankees and Rangers, a third “mystery team” was expressing interest. Some did not believe Heyman, most thought that even if a mystery team existed, it did not pose a serious threat.

The entire ordeal reminded me of the WWE. It was as if there was a triple-threat match for the Heavyweight Championship, with the champion and challenger known to all, and the mystery opponent being a big name star making his return.

When the dust settled, the Phillies turned out to be the “mystery team.” But, didn’t Proefrock say mere days ago that the ship had sailed? What explains the late surge made by the Phillies after weeks of nothingness on the Cliff Lee front?

Who Called Who?

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported early Tuesday morning that his feeling was that the Yankees and Rangers made their offers, but Lee subsequently decided his heart was in Philadelphia. Grant’s thinking is that Lee came to this realization and, along with agent Darek Braunecker, “put out feelers” to the Phillies, who simply reacted. Ruben Amaro did not “act” as he did to get Lee (the first time), Roy Halladay, or Roy Oswalt. He “reacted.”

Proefrock was giving accurate information when he said the ship had sailed. But, when he and Amaro were confronted by Braunecker with his client’s wishes to return to the city that treated him like a saint 18 months ago, it was simply too incredible an opportunity to pass up.

Comfort Over Dollars

The actual offers of the Yankees and Rangers have been widely circulated. We know that Cliff Lee chose happiness over the largest offer. At first, it appeared that he had given up $50 million to choose Philly over New York. But with word coming out that his easily reachable vesting option in 2016 is worth a whopping $27.5MM, that number is realistically closer to $13MM.

The Spit Factor

Cliff Lee’s wife was reportedly spit on at Yankee Stadium last season. I think $150 million can dry the residue of any loogy, but Philadelphia author and sportswriter, Randy Miller, was told that Lee’s wife was the main reason he did not choose New York. She “wanted no part of New York.”

Amaro the Magician

For a year, we complained about the trade of Cliff Lee to Seattle. The Phillies rushed and did not get enough in return. It was a bad trade. The end. Thankfully, Ruben Amaro more than made up for it by not only re-acquiring Lee, but also obtaining Roy Oswalt via trade.

In reality, Amaro has acquired:

• Roy Halladay
• Cliff Lee
• Roy Oswalt
• Ben Francisco
• Phillippe Aumont
• Tyson Gillies
• J.C. Ramirez

for

• Kyle Drabek
• Michael Taylor
• Travis d’Arnaud
• J.A. Happ
• Anthony Gose
• Jonathan Villar
• Lou Marson
• Jason Donald
• Carlos Carrasco
• Jason Knapp

Three aces – two of which have won Cy Youngs – for the price of one highly touted pitching prospect (Drabek), one third starter (Happ), and eight question marks. This does not happen every day. GMs are not capable of this.

How has Amaro done it? Well, by being creative, flexible, assertive, deep-pocketed, lucky, lucky, more lucky, and lucky again. Amaro has had the backing of a notoriously frugal ownership group and has made the most of the wealthiest era in Phillies history.

He has also benefited from the fact that the Phillies have been not only successful, but they possess a beautiful stadium, unbelievably passionate fans, and a gregarious group of players.

Hanley Ramirez may outhit Jimmy Rollins, but he does not have his personality. A year ago I’d tell you that the previous sentence serves no purpose, that, in baseball, personality does not matter as much as talent. That even if Jimmy is the proxy for the Phillies attitude as a whole, that intangible is less important than dozens of other skills.

But how can you say that now, when a player said “no” to two larger offers to come back to Citizens Bank Park?

Just a few years ago, no pitcher wanted any part of CBP. Now, guys are giving up guaranteed years and trust funds for their grandchildren to pitch in Philadelphia.

Truly remarkable times, these are.

This afternoon Jayson Stark stated on ESPN.com that the Philadelphia Phillies were the rumored “mystery team” in the mix, along with the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, for the services of a free agent known as Cliff Lee.

Later in the evening, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal cofirmed via Twitter that the Phillies are involved in the pursuit of Lee.  Other info via the likes of Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman (yes, the real one) and others state that the Yankees still have the edge on the monetary value of the contracts offered.  However, if location means enough, as Lee stated in the past that he loved his time in Philadelphia, the Phils are certainly a contender to be high on Lee’s list of desired destinations.

Other reports state that the Phillies have touched base with multiple teams in an effort to trade Joe Blanton, which would help to free up money in the team’s ever-rising payroll.  Blanton is owed $8.5 million ($17 million total) in each of the 2 years remaining on his contract.

If the Phillies do re-acquire Cliff Lee, plenty of Phillies fans will be overjoyed.  However, it will still stand to be mulled over by some that the Phillies gave up several top prospects for Lee, later gave Lee away for very little to Seattle and then spent more money than they’ve ever given any pitcher to bring him back.

UPDATE, 10:20 pm: The twitter comments are coming too quickly to keep posting on here from the big guns, but in summation, it seems to be getting closer and closer to become a reality. Let’s not jump ahead of ourself because NOTHING is even close to done. However, by the sounds of the tweets from Jon Heyman and others, the Phillies may have jumped into the lead.

These “sources” are saying that it is probably not going to happen tonight, but there are so many factors at work tonight. Heyman has said Lee could leave as much as $70 million on the table to sign with the Phillies. Wow. We’ll have more as it comes.  -Pat Gallen

UPDATE, 11:35: Do yourself a favor and read the twitter of Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He’s summing up everything beautifully over a series of tweets (so make sure you read them backwards, of course). – Pat Gallen

UPDATE, 11:55 pm: Jon Heyman says the Yankees have been told they are out of the Cliff Lee dealings. – PG

UPDATE, 11:58 pm: Sources tell T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (Rangers beat writer) that Cliff Lee is coming to Philadelphia, it is a done deal. – Pat Gallen

UPDATE, 12:04 am: The deal is done! Cliff Lee is a Philadelphia Phillie according to multiple sources. Unbelievable. Welcome to the big time, folks. Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Lee. Have fun and Happy Holidays all! – PG

UPDATE, 12:17 am: The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but word is it’s a five-year, $100 million deal. Lee reportedly leaves a seven-year deal on the table from the Yankees that would have been worth more than $150 million. -PG

UPDATE, 12:35 am: Todd Zolecki of MLB.com says the deal is for five years with a vesting sixth-year option. The deal could be worth up to $120 million. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets that the Phillies are working to trade Joe Blanton to free up some salary space. – PG

UPDATE, 1:28 am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Lee left a seven year, $154 million pact on the table from the Yankees to join the Phillies. – PG

UPDATE, 10:32 am: Jerry Crasnick has crunched the numbers and this is what it comes down to.

Lee’s deal includes a $27.5 million option that vests if he pitches 200 innings in 2015 or a total of 400 innings over the 2014-15 seasons. If the option doesn’t vest, the deal includes a $12.5 million buyout.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems as though the five years equal out to $107.5 million with the guaranteed buyout in 2015 pushing the grand total to $120 million. The sixth year option, should it vest, would make the deal six-years, $135 million or the same as what the Yankees and Rangers offered as their base salary before options were included.

So yes, it’s a deal. However, Lee is still making plenty of bank, bro. -PG

UPDATE, 11:00 am: Crasnick tweets that he may not be leaving much on the table after all. -PG

Jon Heyman of SI.com has just tweeted a few minutes ago that Blanton to Boston is all but done.

We’ll keep you posted on this as Blanton is clearly the odd man out in the wake of the Phillies acquiring Cliff Lee last night.

At the time, the town was up in arms about losing Lee at the expense of Halladay. So enticing was the thought of a Halladay/Hamels/Lee trio – however, it wasn’t to be.

And then it was. Exactly one year later – December 14, 2010 – Cliff Lee rejoins the Phillies. It’s the circle of life, except no one saw it coming. During the baseball Winter Meetings, the Phillies lost their starting right fielder after being outbid by the Washington Nationals, of all clubs. It appeared Amaro had run out of tricks to pull out of his sleeve.

And then he did this. He was able to sway Cliff Lee away from the bright lights and bigger bucks of the Big Apple to join a crew of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt and in the process, assembling perhaps the greatest rotation in baseball history. Let that sink in for a second. This rotation could be the best in major league baseball history. Here in Philadelphia.

Remember when the biggest free agent signings were Lance Parrish, Gregg Jefferies, Benito Santiago, and Danny Tartabull. Those days are long, long gone. This is a special time to be a Phillies fan.

Welcome back, Cliff Lee.

For the second straight year, Brown was named the organization’s best, topping a list of prospects that has seen its share of turnover in recent years. Brown, who hit .327/.391/.589 in the minor leagues in 2010, is the favorite to inherit the starting right fielder’s spot for the big league club out of spring training.

Second on the list was teenaged rising star Jonathan Singleton, who turned heads with a white-hot start to his 2010 season. In fact, spots two through seven on the list are all guys who played on the Lakewood BlueClaws in 2010, further cementing that team’s stacked legacy.

Jesse Biddle, the team’s first-round draft pick this past June, debuted at number eight. None of the prospects from the Cliff Lee trade made the list.

The entire list can be found after the jump, as well as BA’s “Best Tools” picks and 2014 projected lineup.

Best Tools

Best Hitter for Average: Domonic Brown
Best Power Hitter: Jonathan Singleton
Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Jonathan Singleton
Fastest Baserunner: Jiwan James
Best Athlete: Jiwan James
Best Fastball: Jarred Cosart
Best Curveball: Phillippe Aumont
Best Slider: Josh Zeid
Best Changeup: Austin Hyatt
Best Control: Justin DeFratus
Best Defensive Catcher: Tuffy Gosewich
Best Defensive Infielder: Freddy Galvis
Best Infield Arm: Freddy Galvis
Best Defensive Outfielder: Jiwan James
Best Outfield Arm: Domonic Brown

Projected 2014 Lineup

Catcher: Sebastian Valle
First Base: Ryan Howard
Second Base: Chase Utley
Third Base: Placido Polanco
Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins
Left Field: Jonathan Singleton
Center Field: Shane Victorino
Right Field: Domonic Brown

No. 1 Starter: Roy Halladay
No. 2 Starter: Cole Hamels
No. 3 Starter: Roy Oswalt
No. 4 Starter: Brody Colvin
No. 5 Starter: Jarred Cosart

Closer: Ryan Madson

Yesterday in an open thread, Weitzel talked about Carlos Quentin being on the open market and what it might take to reel him in. Ryan Madson was one of the names that clearly stood out. A few weeks ago we approached the subject on Phillies Nation, giving the Quentin-to-Philly rumor six out of 10 “Ruben Heads”, meaning it was very possible the Phillies could add him. But for Ryan Madson, one of the finest arms in baseball? Can’t say that should even be discussed.

Due to his impending free agency after the 2011 season, Madson could be an expendable piece, although some would argue he’s the real anchor of this bullpen. I agree with that sentiment – Madson is far too important to lose now or in the near future as he’s been a true stabilizing force. The only real question surrounding Madson is, can he close? That’s been the only blemish on an otherwise stellar resume built in Philadelphia.

Knowing that Brad Lidge also comes off the books in a year, it would be downright silly to trade such a vital piece of the bullpen puzzle. Madson is not clearly the closer-in-waiting, but he is next in line at this time.

To trade him for an enigmatic outfielder who has struggled with injuries would be unjust. In a time when back-end bullpen arms are hard to come by, Madson’s value far exceeds that of Quentin’s. And while I’m a fan of Quentin and would like to see him come to Philadelphia, at that price it’s certainly not worth it.

And again, this is no shot at Beerleaguer, whom I admire. This is simply a counterpoint to what I believe would be a lopsided trade and a bad one for the Phillies.

Prior to that deal, many were unsure how the market would unfold for the talented, yet aging, hitter. Ordonez, soon-to-be 37, is coming off a fractured ankle that ended his 2010 season prematurely. With Detroit last year, he batted .303 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI in 84 games. His .852 OPS was slightly below his career average, although his .378 on-base percentage was slightly above his usual levels.

Boras understands the free agent crop of outfielders is thin and he’ll do his best to cash in on that, even though Ordonez is slowly headed toward being at least a part-time DH. In ’10, he played 71 of his 84 games in the field, however, his age will soon make him a liability with the glove. Ordonez has never been flashy out there, anyway. And, in three of the last five seasons, his UZR has been a negative number.

Now, to that contract he and his agent will be angling for. Early word is, the Ordonez/Boras team want somewhere in the two-year, $20 million neighborhood. The Tigers are considered the front runner, but the Phillies absolutely have to make an inquiry. An issue moving forward for the Phillies would be their surrendering of a first round draft pick due to Ordonez’s type-A status. Is Ruben Amaro willing to give that up for a 36-year old outfielder that has a slowly fading bat and isn’t all that great in the outfield? Seems unlikely at this point. Still, don’t count them out entirely.

The need for a right-handed bat is fairly high after Jayson Werth defected to Washington. Is it high enough to spend $10 million per season, plus bring in another older player? Ordonez could very well have two more solid seasons left in him, especially playing in a smaller park than in Detroit and in a very good offense.

It’s not an easy decision. Ordonez could bring them middle of the order stability on a short-term contract. After all, he has hit .300 or better in each of the last four seasons and hasn’t hit less than .290 since his rookie year of 1998.

On the other hand, Ordonez could easily age quickly like Raul Ibanez, leaving two obstacles to overcome in the outfield. Basically, it all comes down to the asking price and the loss of a draft pick.

Chances: He’s one of the better, more talented hitters on the market, but his age is clearly an issue. So is the contract he wants. We’ll settle for 4/10 Ruben Head’s just because Ordonez is so potent with the bat.

While it may still be safe to say the Phillies are in their “golden age,” it’s always prudent to keep a diligent watch on the team’s future. How will the aging core of veterans hold up? Is there really anything wrong with Domonic Brown? Are Jarred Cosart and Jon Singleton for real? We can speculate all we like, but to get a professional opinion, I asked Mr. Law for his take on a few things.

Traveling back in time to June for a second, we remember the Phillies having the 27th overall pick in the Rule 4 Amateur Draft. At the time of their pick, a few high-profile picks had slipped and remained available. The Phillies bypassed those players, including LSU righty Anthony Ranudo, picking local high-school left-hander Jesse Biddle instead.

“[Ranaudo] cost twice what the Phillies were going to pay at their slot,” Law said. Ranaudo, being a Scott Boras client, came with the stigma (of sorts) of having his representation be one of the most powerful men in sports. “When you draft a Boras player, you don’t immediately get the player, you get Boras.”

For a team that deals mostly in young, projectable talent with raw tools, Biddle seemed to be the more natural fit. After signing for $1.16M, less than half of Ranaudo’s $2.55M bonus from Boston 12 picks later, and posting some solid appearances in rookie ball, Biddle looks to be a very early bargain.

That wasn’t always meant to be, though. The hometown kid has a chance to play for the local club, but he wasn’t the Phils’ first choice.

“I know for a fact the Phillies wanted [Westlake H.S. 1B/OF Christian] Yelich. If the Marlins didn’t take him a few picks before, the Phillies were going to,” Law said. Yelich, who went 23rd to Florida for $1.7M, hit .362/.400/.468 in 47 professional ABs in 2010.

As for the most popular Phillies prospect, things have been a bit rougher. Domonic Brown was recently shipped back stateside after batting an ugly .069/.182/.103 in winter ball, though in just 29 ABs. Coupled with similarly lackluster play in an equally small sample at the Big League level, this cold streak of Dom’s has caused some panic, in spite of its relative lack of meaning, but Dom’s early departure from the winter league is not all that uncommon or damning.

“It happens all the time,” Law said. “There’s nothing to worry about.

“You get these sorts of struggles with power hitters…The guy is still a top-five player. He has a swing that should produce 20-plus homers.”

At just 23, Brown is easily the youngest position player on the projected 25-man roster for 2011. His struggles, while not good, certainly don’t spell doom-and-gloom for what should be a very bright future.

“He’s so gifted, and if he were 25 or so, it may be different,” Law said. “But at 22-23, it’s far too early to think about writing him off.”

Speaking of youngsters, teenage sensation Jon Singleton turned heads this summer when he hit .423/.494/.704 for Lakewood in May, and wasn’t going to turn 19 until the middle of September.

“I like his swing,” Law said. “I think it will produce contact and power, and he has the potential to be a well-above-average Major League player.”

The big question surrounding Singleton, though, is where he’ll fit on the Big League club, should he still be around when the time comes for his promotion. Ryan Howard’s contract extension carries him through the 2016 – and possibly 2017 – season, so Singleton would need to learn a different position if he were to be ready for a call-up before age 26. Can he handle the outfield? Law thinks so.

“I like to think he can handle left field. He’s young and athletic enough.

“He could probably handle right field, too, but the Phillies probably won’t try him there because they’ll have Domonic Brown.”

So, for a couple of players, at least, the future still seems bright. As for one member of the core, things may need to change in order for him to stay on the field and stay effective.

Chase Utley has now endured two hand injuries – including one that needed surgery – and hip surgery since 2007, two vital components in a hitter’s swing and power stroke. Utley, when healthy, is likely to still be an elite player in 2011. Even when he’s been dinged up in the past, Chase has found a way to remain among the top position players in the league. As Utley turns 32 this month, his health becomes even more of a concern than it has in the past, and handling his workload becomes critical.

“Maybe he should only be playing 130-135 games in the field,” Law said. “They should take the approach that the club should decide when he gets time off, not his body, and consider giving him one game off per week, minimum.”

That strategy seems a little jolting, considering how accustomed Phillies fans have become to seeing Utley in the starting lineup every day he’s healthy, but seems prudent upon reflection. Perhaps Charlie Manuel has ridden Utley so hard because of the lack of a suitable backup in the past, but even if that remains the case in 2011, the preservation of Utley’s career should be a priority.

“I don’t know if we’re past the point of calling him a top-five player,” Law said. “But there are questions about being able to keep him on the field.

“I’d like to say he could bounce right back and have an MVP season, but I’m trying to be realistic.”

Things look a bit brighter for another star, 2010 N.L. Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay. Though Halladay will turn 34 next May, there seems to be little thought that he’ll be slowing down soon. For starters, his legendary work ethic and conditioning programs seem to have Doc set up for a continued run of success.

“He’s durable and he’s athletic, but his body control is even better than his athleticism,” Law said. “He knows and controls every muscle in his body.”

It’s not every day you hear talk of pitchers being in such advanced command not only of their stuff, but of their bodies. Halladay, in his 250.2 innings pitched this season, walked just 30 batters. He’s just the seventh pitcher since 1901 to pitch at least 250 innings in a season and walk 30 or fewer batters in the process, and it’s all a result of this sort of “total command” Doc seems to have.

Halladay and his shiny, new Cy Young Award are two of the bright spots for this coming Phillies season. In a season that’s sure to have its questions – surrounding Brown, Utley or others – and celebrations – another “H2O” year of Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt in the starting rotation – the Phillies will look to retain their hold on the N.L. East as the teams around them make moves to catch up.

You can read more from Keith Law on his Insider blog on ESPN, as well as his (mostly) weekly chat archive. You can also check out some non-baseball thoughts and musings on food, music and board games at his personal blog, The Dish. Our thanks to Keith for his time and answers.

We’ve all experienced the nightmarish scenario of going down to the Sports Complex on a day where more than one venue has been billed for events at nearly the same time. In recent history, the Phillies playoffs and Eagles games on Sunday nights come to mind almost instantly.  But, imagine a situation where a sporting event is going head-to-head against a concert. But not just any concert – a concert featuring Michael Jackson - in 1984.

This was one of many situations that had the city, the Wilson Goode administration, The Phillies, and the concert promoters – Bill Sullivan and Don King – at odds until that fateful weekend in 1984.

Phillies v. Michael Jackson

Initially, Philadelphia wasn’t slated as a tour stop for the Jackson’s Victory Tour. That soon all changed when former Eagles owner Leonard Tose called Bill Sullivan in June of 1984. Sullivan (also owner of the New England Patriots) was referred to Mayor Goode, where they brokered a deal on July 5th, that would bring Jackson to Philadelphia on October 5th – 7th.  Sullivan wasn’t satisfied with the October dates, in an outdoor stadium, on the East Coast. He thought that it would be best for the tour if they arrived in Philadelphia to have three concerts on Labor Day weekend. What should have been an early sign of the concerts poor management, he wanted to make the change despite having dates already booked in Buffalo during Labor Day.  The city agreed in principle to the change. But, there remained a problem – a huge problem.

Back in those days, the Phillies had exclusive rights for use of the Sports Complex. The Phillies would be in the midst of an eight game home stand from August 27th through September 4th with two night games on Labor Day weekend both Saturday and Monday. There wasn’t going to be a concert if the Phillies didn’t want one happening in contrast to their games during these dates. While the city was prepping itself for the Jackson-mania, the Phillies Executive Vice President David Montgomery showed no intention for letting the show go on as of August 17th.

“I don’t think having events at both places would be a desirable thing… …We’d hope the city would not schedule a conflict with our games.”

Montgomery had reason for concern. The Phillies were expecting at least 30,000 people over the weekend to attend each game. The Jackson’s concerts expected 60,000. Parking would be at a premium for the baseball games as the Phillies would begin a series with the National League East leading Cubs that Monday. Also, there was a WWF house show on September 1st.

Phillies owner Bill Giles saw the possibility of a public relations backlash if they prohibited the city’s plan of allowing the Jackson’s duality of the Sports Complex on Labor Day weekend.

“We are trying to work out something where we are not hurt and at the same time allow the city to do what they want. We don’t want Michael Jackson fans mad at us. We’re trying to make everyone happy.”

On August 21st the Phillies relented and the concert was set for Labor Day weekend. The Phillies would adjust their schedule by making their 7 pm game on Friday against the Giants a 6 pm start while moving the Cubs game that Monday from the night to afternoon. Saturday night’s game remained unchanged.

Why did the Phillies decide to play nice with Sullivan and Mayor Goode?

They received 22,000 tickets to sell in conjunction with their own tickets as part of a ticket package that weekend. The Phils cited accessibility and to ease crowd control measures as their motivation to couple the sale of the events together. According to ticket director Richard Deats, the club sold 8,000-9,000 Giants/Jackson tickets, dubbed ‘Phils and Thrills’, and planned to sell the remaining $29.75 tickets individually to the general public. In the Philadelphia Daily News dated August 31st, Larry Shenk said that the Phillies had less than 1,500 tickets remaining for the concert on Friday night.

If the Phillies thought they could rid themselves of MJ after Labor Day, they were wrong. The Monday show was washed out due to a torrential down pour. The Victory Tour came back to Philadelphia on September 28th and 29th to make up for the canceled show. The Phillies refused to alter any of their game times to accommodate the Jackson’s this time around.

From the Daily News:

[Sullivan Promotions Representative Jim] Murray said tour management does not anticipate a parking lot logjam, even though the Phillies will be playing at Veterans Stadium both nights, the Flyers will be at the Spectrum Sept. 28 and Alvin and Chipmunks will be at the Spectrum Sept. 29. Murray said there were no major problems when concurrent events were scheduled during the previous Jackson’s concerts.

The Phillies will not reschedule their game times, said Phillies spokesman Larry Shenk, nor will they offer concert tickets as they did before. The Phillies are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Pirates at 8:05 on Sept. 28, and at 7:05 on Sept. 29. The team changed its starting times during the previous Jackson[']s concerts, fearing traffic and parking snarls in the stadium area.

The Fallout

For all the trouble the city and the Phillies went through to allow the Victory Tour to take place, the concerts economic impact on the city were lackluster. The tour promoters would fleece the host city for as much as it could and survived on handouts from municipalities and local businesses. Free hotel rooms, meals, transportation and venue usage. Sullivan touted the spectacle alone would not only make the cities money back but would propel them into a profitable stratosphere. Philadelphia was never in the business of hand outs. They offered the concert a reduced venue rental fee of $25,000 a night which they accepted. On the Phillies end, they sold as many tickets as they could and then returned what they didn’t sell – instant profit with no revenue loss.

From the Daily News on September 4th:

The Phillies didn’t strike out on their stake of Jackson tickets, originally purchased to appease fans who might be angered at game time changes necessitated by the concerts. The team was able to sell (at $29.75) about 13,000 of the original 26,000 tickets purchased from tour promoters. But when the oddball double-header of Phils and Thrills didn’t make it out of the infield, the team was able to return its extra tickets to concert officials, according to Richard Deats, Phillies director of sales.

The city fell short of its profit goals but still made a ‘profit picture’ – a claim most cities couldn’t make. They hoped to make money on primarily through concession sales and parking revenues but their target goals were unrealistic. The Victory Tour posted dismal concession sales, especially food, as concert goers who came with families brought food along with them. The parking costs were $5 for the concert, but at the Phillies request, only $3 when going head to head with a Phillies game. In total, the Jackson’s competed against the Phillies for parking 2 of 3 nights, and then twice again for their make up concerts. Most people had taken the subway.

The Conclusion

The Victory Tour was marred by the mismanagement and incompetence of the concert promotion. The Phillies executives were quick to realize that and made the city and the Sullivan promotion jump through hoops in order to get the concert for Labor Day weekend. Wilson Goode and his administration were clouded by dollar signs and were unable to see the financial calamities that Jackson’s tour was leaving in it’s wake. For instance, the Philadelphia dates were announced 11 days prior to the concert! The tour constantly shuffled dates and cities to the point where 11 days notice seemed like 11 months. In the end, the Phillies came out as not only the nice guys for letting the concert go on but they made some scratch off of it too. Conversely, the financial mismanagement to the tour led to Sullivan selling the Patriots in 1988 and was one of the many bombs dropped by Wilson Goode on the city of Philadelphia.