The Zo Zone

Phillies merchandise has been a hot seller since late summer.

It should get even hotter after the Phillies introduced a new alternate home uniform yesterday at Citizens Bank Park. And just in time for the holidays, too.

"It's on fire, unquestionably," Jim Belbruno, vice president of marketing and advertising for Modell's Sporting Goods, said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I think it's been fueled mostly by their late-season play. There was a ton of momentum built in October, and people are excited. And the introduction of a new jersey at the right time, heading into the holidays, will only continue to fuel that. It really has not tapered since the late summer. It's pretty amazing stuff."

Belbruno said the new jersey, which retails for $189.99, should be a top seller.

"You definitely see a strong spike in sales whenever a team tweaks or modifies a jersey," Belbruno said. "There is a definitive spike in business. The core fan and even the casual fan, during the holidays in particular, want to have the latest. And certainly the avid fans need to have the latest and greatest, whatever it is they're going to be wearing on the field."

The authentic jersey business is a pricey one, but the hard core fan buys them. So I imagine they will sell. And sell well.

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A source said yesterday there is absolutely no chance the Phillies are trading for Melvin Mora, as had been reported elsewhere. It's kind of like the Scott Rolen rumor, although the Rolen rumor had even less chance than the Mora rumor. It sounds to me the Mora talk is wishful thinking on the Orioles' part. Mora has more than $17 million remaining on a contract that runs through 2009 and his numbers have been in decline since 2004.

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Pat Gillick continues to maintain the team's priority is finding another starting pitcher. The winter meetings begin Monday in Nashville. Maybe the Phillies get something finalized there. But Gillick warned the reporters who get to attend that there probably won't be a lot of action next week.

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The Phillies unveiled their new alternate home uniforms today at Citizens Bank Park.

I like 'em.

Of course, maybe I'm a little tired of the red pinstripes, red cap, red socks and red shoes. There's some variety in these uniforms, plus they're old school. Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels both said they like the new uniforms, which will be worn on day games.

Regardless, I'm sure they'll sell well in the stores.

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By the way, the "Melvin Mora to the Phillies" rumor reported elsewhere is bunk.

Not gonna happen.

The Phillies yesterday claimed lefthander Shane Youman off waivers from the Pirates.

Not exactly earth shattering, but it's a little more depth for the pitching staff.

The Phillies announced yesterday that Tom McCarthy is returning to the Phillies' broadcast booth.

Is he being groomed to be Harry Kalas' successor?

All signs point to yes.

First, Kalas is 71 and the Phillies at least have to plan for that eventuality. And yesterday Kalas sounded like retirement has at least crossed his mind: "I'm taking it year by year. We'll see how I feel. I have no timetable, really." Second, McCarthy signed a five-year contract. That's believed to be unprecedented for Phillies broadcasters, considering Kalas said he has never been on more than a three-year contract. Other broadcasters like Larry Andersen and Chris Wheeler typically work on one-year deals. So the Phillies just made a major, major committment to McCarthy. It seems to me they made that committment because they a) like him b) want to have somebody ready once Kalas steps out.

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Cross the Chicago White Sox off Aaron Rowand's list. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Sox and Rowand were far, far apart on contract terms, most notably length of contract.

Years also seems to be an issue with the Phillies.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have made an offer to Japanese righthander Hiroki Kuroda. They're one of many teams who have made offers -- the Phillies have made an offer -- or expressed strong interest. But everybody in baseball seems to think the Seattle Mariners will sign Kuroda.

After the Phillies honored Jimmy Rollins with a champagne toast yesterday in the Diamond Club at Citizens Bank Park, Pat Gillick and the rest of the Phillies front office made their way to the party.

Gillick even spoke for a few minutes with reporters.

To summarize:

- He remains optimistic the Phillies can improve their pitching before spring training.
- He prefers a starting pitcher before anything else.
- He thinks next week's winter meetings in Nashville will be slow for the Phillies. But he doesn't see a lot of trades happening in baseball in general.
- The Phillies continue to talk with the agents for Aaron Rowand and Kyle Lohse.
- He would not say Torii Hunter's five-year, $90 million contract blew them out of the Rowand sweepstakes, but he certainly did not say their chances were not effected by it, either.

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A source yesterday told The Inquirer that the Seattle Mariners are the clear-cut favorite for Hiroki Kuroda. But the Phillies remain in serious talks with Randy Wolf.

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The Phillies will unveil their alternate home uniform Thursday.

I'm sure this has been posted elsewhere, but it hasn't been posted here ...

Baseball America's Dec. 2 issue lists the Phillies' top 10 prospects, so I thought I'd share them for people who might be interested:

1. Carlos Carrasco, RHP. BA says, "With Cole Hamels entrenched as the Phillies' No. 1 starter, Carrasco could make a nice compliment as a No. 2 by 2009.
2. Adrian Cardenas, 2B. Some scouts believe, as BA writes, "Cardenas' ultimate destination is to left field, where he'll have more than enough bat."
3. Joe Savery, LHP. BA says, "He'll open 2008 in low Class A and could move quickly if he performs well ... he could make his big league debut by 2009."
4. Josh Outman, LHP. BA says, "Outman will begin 2008 back in double-A, but he could make his debut at Citizens Bank Park before September. He profiles as a No. 3 starter."
5. Kyle Drabek, RHP. BA says, "A potential frontline starter, Drabek has been right on schedule with his rehab program ... Philadelphia won't rush him."
6. Dominic Brown, OF. BA says, "He opened 2007 with three games in high Class A, and Brown might return there ... based on how he handled that initial experience."
7. Michael Bourn, OF. Traded to Houston for Brad Lidge.
8. Mike Costanzo, 3B. Traded to Houston for Lidge.
9. Greg Golson, OF. BA says, "The Phillies think he can play a big league center field right now, and if everything clicks offensively, he could make the final leap quickly."
10. Lou Marson, C. BA says, "The Phillies suddenly have several options behind the plate, so there' no reason to push Marson."

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Jimmy Rollins was honored today at City Hall. He's been busy in Philly.

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National League games averaged 2 hours, 48 minutes last season.

Games at Citizens Bank Park averaged 2:57, the highest average at any NL ballpark. The Phillies' road games lasted 2:59, also the highest average in the league. That's a product of the league's highest-scoring offense and one of the worst pitching staffs in the league.

As a beat writer who writes on deadline every night, these numbers did not surprise me. Not a little bit. For a comparison, the San Diego Padres' road games averaged a league-low 2:43, while games at AT&T Park in San Francisco averaged a league-low 2:38.

Torii Hunter is loving life after he agreed to a five-year, $90 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

That's $18 million per season.

That's $10 million more per season than NL MVP Jimmy Rollins will make in 2008.

Now I could be wrong, but I think Hunter's contract means there's little chance Aaron Rowand re-signs with the Phillies. Rowand's agent entered the off-season seeking a lucractive multiyear contract -- about six years, $14 million per season -- and Rowand just might get it. Rowand could be considered the consolation prize to teams that lost the Hunter sweepstakes: the Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals.

Will they make a play on Rowand?

Somebody will.

The Phillies have had talks with Rowand's agent on a regular basis, but just because they made a four-year, $48 million contract offer for Mike Lowell doesn't mean they're going to go six years, $84 million for Rowand. I think that's partly because the Phillies feel they have some depth in the outfield to cushion Rowand's loss, while they have nothing in terms of third basemen. And it's also partly because $84 million (or $60 million or $70 million or whatever he ultimately gets) is much more of a committment than they want to make after finally getting Pat Burrell's contract off the books after next season. And remember: the more money the Phillies commit to Rowand, the less money they have to offer Ryan Howard for an extension, or go after a stud free agent in the future.

This typically is the time when a fan e-mails me and says, "But they can spend more money if they want! They're printing money at the ballpark! There's no salary cap in baseball!" Yes, I know this. But I write understanding the Phillies -- like almost every team other than the Yankees and Red Sox -- work within a budget. The Phillies' payroll will be around $105 million next season, which puts them in the top 10 in baseball. So I'm writing based on that reality. Not on the reality fans want them to have.

So, that said ...

If I had to choose between Japanese righthander Hiroki Kuroda (The Inquirer reported last week the Phillies have made an offer to Kuroda) and Rowand, I'd probably take Kuroda even though he's an unknown. The Phillies led the NL in runs scored each of the previous two seasons, so even if they lose Rowand I think they should continue to score runs. But they had one of the league's worst pitching staffs last season, and it almost cost them the playoffs. And frankly, despite the fact they returned Brett Myers to the rotation, the rotation seems shaky. First, there's Adam Eaton. He had a 6.29 ERA with right shoulder problems last season. Those shoulder problems have continued into the offseason. Like I've written before, I'm surprised fans suddenly are so comfortable with Eaton in the rotation. He basically gave them no chance to win almost every time he pitched. Jamie Moyer is going to be 45, and he struggled for most of the season. In fact, he had a 5.65 ERA in his final 26 starts. Kyle Kendrick had a fine rookie year, but is he for real? Can he repeat his success? And let's not forget Cole Hamels hasn't been able to stay healthy.

This team needs pitching more than anything.

Of course, they also need Rowand.

But unless Rowand can't find the deal he wants, I think he's headed elsewhere.

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Talked yesterday to Harry Mayes and Jamie Yannacone (The Fanatics) at Sports Radio 950. Listen to the podcast here.

Jimmy Rollins is one of the most charismatic athletes I've covered.

He can be incredibly funny. He can be insightful. He can tell great stories. I'm not sure how much that comes across to fans -- fans obviously see his smile and flair on the field -- but I've tried to portray that side of Rollins whenever he cares to show it. He certainly brought out that side yesterday after the Baseball Writers Association of America named him the National League MVP.

Rollins talked about the impact he hopes he and C.C. Sabathia, who won the AL Cy Young, can have on the African-American community, where fewer kids are playing baseball. He joked about the impact the MVP might have on his personal life: "I'm still only 5-foot-7, so I can hide behind quite a few people." Asked for his 2008 prediction he joked, "I guess you'll have to wait until January." He praised Chase Utley, saying if he had stayed healthy he probably would have been MVP. And everytime somebody congratulated him during either of his two teleconferences yesterday, he said, "Thank you very much." He really appreciated the honor.

I thought Matt Holliday would edge Rollins, but I thought Rollins definitely deserved it. Holliday put up some sick numbers, but Rollins' season was historic. He became the first player in baseball history to have at least 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. He led his team to the playoffs, despite poor pitching and countless injuries.

And he predicted it would happen.

That's MVP material.

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Jim Salisbury points out that Rollins basically started and ended 2007 for the Phillies. He started it with his January prediction. He finished it with the MVP award. Everything seemed to revolve around him, and he never shrunk. He embraced it.

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Rollins received some nice bonuses for winning the MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

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Another look at Rollins' season.

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Click here for some Rollins photos from the season. Click here to listen to Rollins' teleconference with reporters at Citizens Bank Park.

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So what's next?

Everybody assumes the Phillies received a bump in payroll because they made an offer to Mike Lowell over the weekend. But that doesn't seem to be the case. It sounds like the Phillies still have around $10 million more to spend on payroll, which should be around $105 million next season. The Phillies could have structured Lowell's contract in a way that would have allowed them to add him and maybe one other pitcher. So a chance remains that Aaron Rowand could return next season. The Phillies continue to talk with Rowand's agent several times a week. But if I had to bet, I still think they end up adding another starter and reliever.

The Phillies have offers out to Japanese righthander Hiroki Kuroda and former Phillies lefthander Randy Wolf. There are other offers out as well. It doesn't sound like anything is imminent, however. It sounds like this will play out over the next month.

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Bugs & Cranks celebrates Jimmy Rollins.

Jimmy Rollins is the National League Most Valuable Player.

The man who proclaimed the Phillies the team to beat in the National League East in January beat Colorado Rockies leftfielder Matt Holliday, who led the league in hitting and RBIs, for the league's top honor. Rollins received 16 first-place votes for 353 points, while Holliday received 11 first-place votes for 336 points to finish second. Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder received five first-place votes for 284 points to finish third.

Check out the official tally at the BBWAA's Web site.

Listen to audio from Rollins' telconference here.

I had it pegged all along.

OK, so I didn't. I thought Holliday would get the edge once I heard most of the votes came after the one-game playoff between the Rockies and Padres on Oct. 1. As it turns out, Rollins still outvoted Holliday.

Ryan Howard finished fifth in voting and Chase Utley finished eighth. Aaron Rowand finished 23rd, receiving one eighth-place vote.

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The Phillies today acquired outfielder Chris Snelling from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for cash.

Snelling, 25, hit a combined .246 with one home run and seven RBIs in 30 games with the Washington Nationals and Oakland A's this season. He missed the majority of the year with a bruised left knee. A lefthanded hitter, Snelling has hit .311 in his minor-league career.

“Chris has always had a great bat, but he has battled some injuries in the past,” assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. “We feel he will be healthy this coming year and adds a lefthanded hitter and some depth to our outfield.”

Jimmy Rollins learns at 2 p.m. today if he is the National League MVP.

I had a much better feeling about Ryan Howard's chances last year than Rollins' chances this year. I think the biggest reason is that most of the MVP votes this year came following the one-game playoff between the Rockies and Padres. Matt Holliday had a memorable game that night against the Padres, knocking in the tying run, scoring the winning run and winning the league batting and RBI titles in the process. That might have been enough to push Holliday over the top. Plus, I think Howard and Chase Utley could steal a few votes from Rollins.

I'm still picking Holliday to edge Rollins.

But I think Rollins deserves it.

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Here's a look at how Rollins stacks up against Holliday and Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder.

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Pat Gillick last week flatly denied an espn.com report that the Phillies planned to make a serious play for Mike Lowell.

He said something like, "Don't believe everything you read on espn.com."

Uh, OK.

The Phillies absolutely made a contract offer for Lowell over the weekend, but Lowell ultimately took a three-year, $37.5 million contract to remain with the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies reportedly offfered four years at $50 million.

I'm not sure why the Phillies suddenly decided to make a play for Lowell, other than maybe they realized they could get him for a fairly reasonable price and that the pitching on the open market isn't overly exciting. Ruben Amaro Jr. said yesterday their focus remains pitching. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Who knows at this point? Is Aaron Rowand truly out of the picture? I'm not sure what to think anymore.

Jimmy Rollins will learn at 2 p.m. Tuesday if he is the National League Most Valuable Player.

I think the vote will be incredibly close.

If I had to guess, I would say Colorado Rockies leftfielder Matt Holliday will edge Rollins. But I think Rollins' historic season -- he's the first player in baseball history to have 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season -- makes him MVP worthy. Plus, he backed up his preseason boast of the Phillies being the team to beat in the NL East and plays a much more demanding position than Holliday.

Jim Salisbury talked to the former Phillies scout who discovered Rollins, along with Rollins' high school coach.

Pat Gillick denied yesterday that the Phillies plan to pursue third baseman Mike Lowell.

"We're concentrating on pitching right now," Gillick said after the Phillies introduced Brad Lidge at a news conference. "We're not focusing on any position players at the moment."

At the moment.

Does that mean it could change? It's possible, but Gillick said "we're concentrating on pitching" so many times yesterday it would be pretty remarkable if he suddenly announced the Phillies had signed Lowell to a four-year, $50 million contract. Could the agent be using the Phillies' name to artificially inflate Lowell's price? It's possible. It happens all the time. But Gillick seemed pretty clear that the Phillies want to continue to improve their pitching, which ranked 13th in the National League last season.

The only way I see Lowell coming here -- if Gillick truly means what he says -- is if the Phillies suddenly bump payroll from $105 million to $115 million or more. Gillick indicated yesterday that has not happened.

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I've received quite a few e-mails lately from readers who don't understand why the Phillies feel they need to add another starting pitcher. They already have five: Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer and Adam Eaton. But let's not forget Eaton had a 6.29 ERA last season. He also has a bad shoulder, which Gillick said concerns the Phillies. Fans, who killed Eaton throughout the season and begged and pleaded for him to be pulled from the rotation, suddenly seem OK watching him allow six runs in 4 2/3 innings every other start. And J.D. Durbin and Fabio Castro are not considered full-time solutions should Eaton or another starter succumb to injury. In my opinion, the Phillies definitely need another starter. They need somebody who's an upgrade over Eaton.

But should they sign a starter, reliever and reserve outfielder (like the Phillies say is their current plan) or just go for Lowell? Personally, I'd take all four. Of course, that's not going to happen. And while I think the Phillies offense takes a hit next season without Aaron Rowand in the lineup, would Lowell's arrival be enough to overcome the lack of pitching?

The Phillies apparently don't think so.

It seems almost everybody here disagrees. I'm somewhere in the middle. If the Phillies only have $10 to $12 million more to spend next season, you might just want to go crazy on offense and simply continue to try to outblast everybody. But while that formula worked in 2007, can it work again?

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Gillick said yesterday Carlos Carrasco is "far away" from the majors. He's not on their radar screen at the moment. In fact, Gillick said Josh Outman is further along than Carrasco, and they don't consider him a serious option for the rotation.

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Barry Bonds has been indicted.

He took steroids? What? Where did that come from?

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Bob Ford doesn't think we should hold our breath waiting for an apology from Bonds.

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Former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent tells Jim Salisbury that he thinks Bonds will be convicted.

Pat Gillick said today the Phillies are not in the market for a third baseman.

His word comes after an espn.com report said the Phillies plan to make a lucrative multiyear offer to free agent third baseman Mike Lowell.

“We’re concentrating on pitching right now,” Gillick said at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies introduced closer Brad Lidge.

Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said earlier this week that the money the Phillies have left to spend has been earmarked for pitching.

Has that changed?

“No,” Gillick said. “Why would it change?”

Because the Phillies received an unexpected increase in payroll?

“No,” he said. “That hasn’t changed. We’re still concentrating on pitching. We prefer a starter and a bullpen piece. We’d prefer the starter.”

Charlie Manuel talked yesterday about finishing second for National League manager of the year, but the conversation quickly turned to his 2008 roster.

He said he likes it.

He likes Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero in the back of the bullpen with Tom Gordon and Ryan Madson. It's an improvement over Gordon, Madson, Geoff Geary and Antonio Alfonseca, which is what they opened last season with. He likes Brett Myers in the top of the rotation wtih Cole Hamels. He likes the fact that the Phillies front office intends to add more help to the rotation and bullpen.

But what about the offense?

Manuel said he is comfortable with Shane Victorino in centerfield and Jayson Werth in right field. He said he thinks Wes Helms can hit much better. And teamed up with Greg Dobbs, he thinks the Phillies can receive some production at third base. Do I think Manuel would love to have Aaron Rowand in center or Mike Lowell at third? Of course. Who wouldn't? But he said he thinks the offense has enough pop to absorb the loss of Rowand should he sign elsewhere -- which seems very likely.

But Manuel watched enough bad pitching last season to know how important it is.

He'd like more.

The Phillies are going to try to get it.

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Scott Rolen being traded to the Phillies? Forget about it. There's absolutely no chance it will happen. Why? Because a) Rolen has a no-trade clause; b) Rolen has said in the past he would not waive that clause to return to Philadelphia; c) he makes $12 million next season; d) the Phillies have about $10 million left to spend on payroll; e) the Phillies said they have earmarked that money for pitching help in the rotation and bullpen, plus a reserve outfielder.

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If the Phillies can't re-sign Rowand, it also means Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter are out of the picture.

Charlie Manuel this season helped the Phillies to their first National League East title since 1993.

Baseball seemed to notice.

Manuel finished second for NL manager of the year in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He finished with 79 points -- receiving seven first-place votes -- to finish behind Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin. Melvin finished with 119 points, receiving 19 first-place votes. Colorado's Clint Hurdle took third (58) and Chicago's Lou Piniella took fourth (25).

Manuel is the first Phillies manager to have three-straight winning seasons since Danny Ozark had four straight (1975-78).

The Phillies have committed almost $95 million in salaries for 2008, and that does not include the starting pitcher, relief pitcher and reserve outfielder they still want to add before spring training.

That seems to leave them with about $10 million to spend.

Give or take a few million.

Bob Ford thinks the Phillies should open their wallets a little more. He would like to see the Phillies re-sign Aaron Rowand and Kyle Lohse.

Not a bad idea, and it's not like Phillies owner John Middleton didn't just sell his cigar business for $2.9 billion -- so he could find some loose change in his couch to make it happen. But if the Phillies decide to extend their payroll, I see it happening for Rowand. Not Lohse. Not both. As well as Lohse pitched last season, he's 63-74 with a 4.82 ERA in his career. I'm not sure -- even if I was Middleton -- that I'd make a five-year, $55 million committment (a figure I can see Lohse's agent Scott Boras asking for) to Lohse. Yes, he pitched well here for two months. But where's the track record? Fans in Minnesota -- where Lohse pitched for several seasons -- are going insane knowing Lohse is headed for a big payday.

I'd rather re-sign Rowand than Lohse -- if I could pick between the two -- because Lohse, Carlos Silva, Kris Benson, Livan Hernandez, Randy Wolf, etc., are pretty much the same pitcher to me. They can eat up innings when healthy and win 11 to 14 games. Is Lohse going to give the Phillies that much more production for his salary than somebody like Benson, who would seem to be more affordable? I'm not convinced.

So I re-sign Rowand to boost the offense and go after one of those pitchers I mentioned in yesterday's Inquirer.

But will Phillies ownership open their purse strings even further? You'll know they have if you suddenly hear how the Phillies are making a serious push to bring Rowand back.

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I've said this the last couple years: if you want to criticize the Phillies, criticize them for making poor baseball decisions with their money (i.e. Pat Burrell, Adam Eaton, Mike Lieberthal, Freddy Garcia, etc.) -- not for not spending money. You should be able to win with the type of money the Phillies have spent the past several years. If the Phillies hadn't committed so much money to Burrell and Eaton, they probably could re-sign Rowand and Lohse. Oh, the Phillies are spending money. They spent $95 million last season, which ranked ninth in baseball. They should be able to win with a Top 10 payroll.

And let's look at three of the four teams in the LCS this year and where they ranked in payroll, according to USA Today: Cleveland Indians (23rd at $61.6 million), Colorado Rockies (25th at $54.4 million) and Arizona Diamondbacks (26th at $52 million). My Lord, how did they possibily win with such cheap, terrible ownership? Oh, that's right. They made smart baseball decisions. They developed their own talent.

There's no reason the Phillies shouldn't be able to win with a $105 million payroll next season.

It's a matter of them spending their money wisely.

But that's just me. I'm crazy like that.

The Phillies could make offers to free agents beginning at 12:01 a.m. today, but I get the feeling they're not going to sign anybody anytime soon.

Based on what we know, the Phillies' 2008 payroll is expected to be around $105 million. According to my calculations, they already have committed around $95 million to players currently in their system. That leaves the Phillies around $10 million to spend -- give or take a few million -- on the starting pitcher, relief pitcher and reserve outfielder they still want. That means -- unless Phillies ownership gives the front office the green light to go waaaaaaaay over budget -- there's almost no chance Aaron Rowand re-signs with the Phillies. (About the only other way Rowand returns would be if he simply does not find the offers he wants on the open market and accepts salary arbitration.)

The Phillies have committed more than $68.5 million next season to Pat Burrell ($14 million), Brett Myers ($8.5 million), Jimmy Rollins ($8 million), Adam Eaton ($7.6 million), Chase Utley ($7.5 million), Jamie Moyer ($5.5 million), Tom Gordon ($5.5 million), J.C. Romero ($3.75 million), and Wes Helms ($2.1 million). That number includes $6 million still owed to long-departed Jim Thome.

The Phillies have six players eligible for salary arbitration: Ryan Howard, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Jayson Werth, Julio Mateo and Eric Bruntlett. Those six could push the payroll to more than $88 million.

Then there are the salaries for Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Greg Dobbs, Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste. Figure their salaries plus other players with little service time and the payroll jumps into the mid-$90 million range. Give or take a couple million.

So that means no Kyle Lohse, Carlos Silva, etc.

That means no Rowand, Torii Hunter or Andruw Jones.

Like I wrote in today's paper, here are some names that might fit for the Phillies in the starting pitching market: Japanese righthander Hiroki Kuroda, Kris Benson, Matt Clement, Livan Hernandez, Tom Glavine, Mark Prior, Jason Jennings, Joe Kennedy and Shawn Chacon.

The Phillies wanted Curt Schilling, but he's gone. So, based on what the Phillies have left to spend, those are some of the guys they're probably going to be looking at. Exciting? Not really, but I'm not sure how excited I would be to sign Silva to a four-year, $48 million contract after the Adam Eaton contract.

It's official.

The Phillies and lefthander J.C. Romero have agreed to a multiyear contract. It is a three-year, $12 million deal that includes a club option for 2011 that would make the value of the contract worth $16.75 million.

”I’m glad I didn’t have to go out and test the free agent market,” Romero said in a statement. “I had a great time with the Phillies and really wanted to come back. I’m excited and looking forward to next season and hopefully we come out and defend our NL East title the way I know we can. The nucleus has remained the same and we added the right pieces. We need to go out and do what everyone expects us to do, which is win a World Series.”

In 51 appearances with the Phillies, Romero went 1-2 with a 1.24 ERA and held opponents to a .130 average.

"J.C. had an outstanding three months for us this year, particularly down the stretch,” Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. “He was an integral part of our winning the NL East and we’re very happy we could get him signed before he hit the open market.”

Check out the actual story -- which includes an update on the Phillies' next moves -- in Sunday's Inquirer here.

No matter what you think of the contract, the Phillies had to get Romero back. They had no alternatives in their system lefthanded pitching-wise. Amaro indicated on the phone last night that lefthander Mike Zagurski might not be physically ready once spring training starts, or maybe even once the season starts. Fabio Castro? I'd be scared to enter the season with him as the only lefthander in the bullpen.

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Some readers have asked recently about righthander Scott Mathieson. Amaro said they expected him to be physically ready to compete, but he might not be developmentally ready. He has missed a lot of time because of Tommy John surgery, etc., so at the start it sounds like they're planning for him to open the season in triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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Jim Salisbury talks about what could be interesting winter: lots and lots of trades.

The awards keep coming for Jimmy Rollins.

Rollins, who won a Gold Glove earlier this week, won his first National League Silver Slugger Award today. Chase Utley also won a Silver Slugger, the second of his career.

Rollins hit .296 with 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs and 94 RBIs this season. He is the first player in baseball history to have at least 200 hits, 20 triples, 25 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. He also set NL records for runs (139) and extra-base hits (88) by a shortstop.

“It’s nice to be recognized for my offensive prowess by the managers and coaches,” Rollins said in a statement. “I take a lot of pride in hitting and I really am honored to receive this award.”

Utley hit .332 with 48 doubles, 22 home runs and 103 RBIs. Despite missing a month because of a broken right hand, he led all big-league second basemen in RBIs, slugging percentage (.571) and on-base percentage (.413) and tied for the lead in doubles. Over the last three seasons (2005-07), Utley has led all major league second basemen in hits (525), runs (321), RBI (300) and home runs (79).

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Still no update on J.C. Romero. The sides remain close, but they are in a holding pattern for some reason.

The Inquirer's Jim Salisbury was in Orlando this week at the GM meetings -- instead of hanging at Magic Kingdom, he got to hang in a hotel lobby -- and learned that baseball people think the Phillies got the better end of the Brad Lidge trade.

I agree.

Michael Bourn could be a fine player in the future. He has ludicrous speed and can cover ground in the outfield like few can. If he can hit, he will be productive. If he doesn't, he's a one-tool player. In my mind, he makes or breaks the deal for the Astros. But it's worth the risk to bolster the bullpen and return Brett Myers to the rotation.

I believe the Phillies were more than happy to make Geoff Geary part of the trade. He made $837,500 last season and was due for another raise in salary arbitration. But the Phillies weren't happy with him. I think there was a very good chance they would have non-tendered Geary and made him a free agent, anyway. So if Geary helped them land Lidge, hey, bonus.

Mike Costanzo has promise, but so far he's been wildly inconsistent. He hasn't played good defense at third base and strikes out a ton for the type of power he has. You know what? If he turns it around and turns out to be a stud for the Astros, more power to them. But I think that's a long shot at the moment.

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So what's next?

The Phillies want more pitching. They are close to a multiyear contract with lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero. An announcement could come in the next few days. They also want to add another starting pitcher.

But if the Phillies re-sign Romero and add another starter, they probably will not re-sign free-agent centerfielder Aaron Rowand.

"We're still more inclined to add pitching than seek a centerfielder at this stage of the game," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Rowand is expected to command a lucrative multiyear contract on the open market, and the Phillies are comfortable with Shane Victorino in center field and Jayson Werth and Greg Dobbs in right.

The Phillies seem willing to take a hit offensively - they led the National League in runs the last two seasons, so they are confident they will be able to score enough - to upgrade a pitching staff that ranked 13th in the league with a 4.73 ERA. I can't blame them. The Phillies had the second-worst ERA of any playoff team in National League history. In other words, they played roulette and won this season with inferior pitching. Do they really want to take that chance again?

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Phil Sheridan takes a look at Lidge and other pitchers who have given up memorable home runs in the playoffs. He writes how Lidge is eager to rewrite his baseball legacy.

Lidge sounded like it yesterday.

The Phillies bolstered their rotation and bullpen yesterday when they acquired Brad Lidge from the Houston Astros for Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo.

The move makes Lidge the Phillies' closer next season. It also returns Brett Myers to the rotation.

But The Inquirer has learned