The Zo Zone

again, like i said yesterday. why not increase payroll, which they can certainly afford to do and retain rowand, who is a great presence in the clubhouse and they retain the big right handed bat in the lineup

Get Kris Benson in here ASAP. We need some Anna in town to dial up the drama.

I'm sick and tired of reading and hearing the management of the Phillies cry poor. Now is the critical time to step up and spend some additional dollars to fill in the obvious gaps. This team has a realistic chance to go all the way, but they need a starter, another reliever, a third baseman with right-handed power and either Rowand or a solid center fielder.

Saying they can't afford it is a farce and they know it.

At least we signed Romero. Could u imagine what we'd be saying next year if they didnt?? We would be killing the Phils for not signing him, and if he doesnt pitch well next year, we will be killing them for signing him lol Lets just hope he dominates again!! The Phils are just being plain cheap! We all know they are making some serious loot, enough to increase the payroll a measly 10-15 million, but they insist on puting out an incomplete product for us all.......

Can they afford to NOT bring back Rowand?
I don't mean financially, I mean offensively.
The pitching will certainly be better than last year but with a drop off in production in CF can they expect to repeat? Assume a typical Burrell year from LF and about a .250 batting average from center and right and keeping with Helms at third. Gillick is saying that they can sign one high priced free agent and stay within budget, and, that they're focusing on pitching. I say spend it at third and go with the pitching you have. You'd have a team that I'd pay to see play. If you don't sign Rowand and stick with Helms at third, I'll go to some games but only if the tickets are free.

Can they afford offensively to not sign Rowand? Yes. An OF of Burrell/Victorino/Werth will probably be better offensively, in fact, than one of Burrell/Rowand/Victorino, given that in 2007 Rowand was playing a contract year, Victorino is still growing, Burrell WILL be playing a contract year in 2008, and Werth will surely do better with more playing time than his already excellent 2007. I like Rowand and wish him well, but the Phils won't miss him much, especially given that the pitching will be significantly better. And for those saying they'll miss his leadership and clubhouse presence, I admit that'll be a loss, but I think they have enough guys of that caliber now that they'll keep the flame without him.

I must admit I always get a chuckle out of those who say "just increase payroll". Since it's not your money, that is SO easy to say. The Phils' payroll is competitive with everyone's except Boston and NYY. Maybe those complaining about the payroll should be rooting for the Yankees instead; ya think?

Marty ... hmmm .. sure you aren't Monty?

As in David Montgomery?

The support the Phillies got from phans last season surely put some extra dollars in the coffers. The front office now needs to repay the favor by increasing payroll, as needed.

Those cheapskate options Todd outlines above won't cut it.

Marty ... hmmm .. sure you aren't Monty?

As in David Montgomery?

The support the Phillies got from phans last season surely put some extra dollars in the coffers. The front office now needs to repay the favor by increasing payroll, as needed.

Those cheapskate options Todd outlines above won't cut it.

Sorry for the double post.

I was annoyed.

Sorry for the double post.

Just goes to show you shouldn't type angry.

Suze -- you might be angry, but you're correct. Phils owners are cheapskates given the size of the market and fanbase that they have. Now is the time to spend.

Marty, you're an optimist which is not the norm for a Phillies fan. Burrell being in a contract year and hitting better out of career necessity and Victorino putting up better numbers than a .250 isn't a stretch.
I'm not so sure about Werth. Hope you're right.
Rowand batted something like .311 this year and won a gold glove.

You can bash Phils ownership for being 'cheap,' but that's not really the whole story. For $105 million, you can put together a winning team if you have stronger talent from WITHIN the organization. You don't have to chase all the high priced 'talent' like Silva, Lohse if you can bring up young pitchers to fill the gap. Or if you have tradeable pieces to entice a team like Florida to give up Dontrelle Willis (or Minnesota to give up Santana). So the problem for the Phils is on two fronts: we won't overspend on mediocre talent, but we don't have the talent in the farm system to make bigger deals.

Is resigning Randy Wolf a viable option? Would he come back to Philly for a 1 or 2 year deal?

What about Mike Timlin for a middle reliever?

Is resigning Randy Wolf a viable option? Would he come back to Philly for a 1 or 2 year deal?

What about Mike Timlin for a middle reliever?

One of the Phillies unseen/unheard of owners, the Middleton fella, just sold his family cigar business for $2.9 billion. Let that sink in, folks -- Two Point Nine Freakin' Billion Dollars. Why not sink just a little of that bling (say 10 percent) into the baseball team you've owned since 1981 and try, for once in your silver spoon life, to be a Winner on the baseball field. Isn't 26 years of losing enough?!? Bring a World Series championship to this title-starved town and you will be held up as a god for as long as baseball is played here. Just do it, Middleton. Be a hero.

Unless the Phillies are have their own T.V. network like the Yankees & Mets that we don’t know about then calling them cheap seems a little ignorant. This team did spend 105 million dollars last year, be happy you aren’t a fan of the Twins, Marlins, or any number of teams that can’t sniff what the Phillies can do payroll wise. The payroll has been in the top 6 or so for the last few years.

As far as pitching goes, what about Bartolo Colon? I’d imaging he could be had on a short deal and for less money then the top guys. He’s had injuries but he also has a Cy Young award. It just seems like he might be low risk / high reward.

It IS our freaking money. We pack the place. We buy their over-priced concessions. We pay their monopolistic parking fees. And we watch those god awful WB Mason commercials.

If you raise your tickets prices (which they did BTW), we should expect a raise in payroll.

Do you understand now Marty Mcfly.

Payroll _is_ going up, geez.

Opening day payroll for the Phillies in 2007 was in the neighborhood of $89M, if they're upping the financial commitment to around $105M that's a 17% increase. And you are going to complain?

The thing that's hurting the Phillies is the Adam Eaton salary. The guy is making $7,800,000/year and well, his first year of this salary was absolutely God awful.

This year's FA market stinks. Yeah, the team needs to plug some holes but good tools to do so just can't be found. Best not overpay for 2008 and when, say, 2010 comes around we can't afford to because we're riding out on big salaries for small performers.

James you took the words out of my mouth. Let us remember the Phillies didn't get swept by the Rockies because the Rockies outspent them.

The Rockies payroll last year 54.5 million and The Diamond Backs payroll was 52 million. Payroll ain’t the problem. Money means nothing if you don’t spend it right… ask your local Yankees or Mets fan.

Also, if the Phillies improve their pitching and then can’t score enough with Rollins, Utley, & Howard in the lineup because we let Rowand go, then the team has much bigger issues then any of us can fathom.

Let someone over pay for Rowand and give me the draft picks.

Does anyone know if we gave up on Iguchi?

Iguchi's gone. He was nice on the bench, but he won't play 3B and the Phillies have superior SS and 2B. I liked the guy but he fit in one spot there wasn't a hole.

Timlin was a disaster - like Todd Jones, Turk Wendell, Tim (or is it Todd??) Worrell, etc - when he was here a few years ago. He came over in the Rolen trade, I think. Keep him and Gagne as far away as possible.

And I actually think Eaton will have a pretty good year.

I'm also of the thinking that spending more is not the solution.

Mark R., I believe Middleton is genuinely interested in doing that, but before he can he has to acquire more ownership.

Anyone else want to see Pedro Feliz playing 3B for the phils next season? He plays excellent defense , doesn't strike out much, and can hit 20HR 80RBI albeit with a .250 average but the Phils can use the savings to invest in much needed pitching. Dobbs can play corner OF and the phils can lead the league in scoring again.

Pedro Feliz wouldn't be bad fit, but I don’t think it will happen. I heard Amaro Jr. on the radio yesterday and it seems the team really feels the Wes Helms will rebound.
Also, from what I heard yesterday there seems to be no doubt that the team is going to get another starter.

If they do bring in Feliz then Dobbs becomes your 4th or 5th outfielder and I think the team should avoid that if possible.

John in LA, I can’t imagine Eaton having a worst year so I think we can pencil him for most likely to improve. :)

Hamels, Meyers, Kendrick, Moyer, Eaton and another starter? Who goes to the bullpen? Myers as closer again with Lidge as pre-closer 8th inning? Romero as 7th inning? Each starter will only have to pitch 6 innings.
I like it, from a pitching dearth to a pitching surplus.

Spend this year and win--sign Rowand, get a pitcher and sign Lidge past 2008. Next year I believe Thome's payments end and I believe, Burrell's big contract ends and no way will he be paid what he has been. Spend now, win, get extra revenue and reap the benefits long term with winning and get cash back in 2009 from Thome and Burrell.