Philadelphia Baseball Review: Questions loom as Phils prepare for 2012

Moving forward: Key questions

loom as Phils prepare for 2012 BY Patrick Gordon November 1, 2011 pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com ______________________________________ With the offseason officially underway, the Review tackles some of the bigger questions surrounding the Phillies this winter. How far will the Phillies go to retain Jimmy Rollins? There is no doubt Rollins is one of the top shortstops in the majors, but he will turn 33 this month and has had three stints on the disabled list in the last year and a half. He has made it clear he wants to sign a five-year deal and is willing to return to Philadelphia. The issue, however, is that Amaro does not want to commit to anything beyond three years. I believe some team will offer Rollins the five-year deal he is looking for, but I doubt it will be the Phillies. With a top-prospect in Freddy Galvis about a year away from making an impact at the major league level, I think Amaro uses free agency to bring in a shortstop in 2012. Possible names include Rafael Furcal, Alex Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and Edgar Renteria. What are the chances Ryan Madson remains in Philadelphia? Like Rollins, the Phillies would prefer to keep Madson, but compensation may become an issue. He is represented by Scott Boras and that means big money. Amaro has made it clear he wants a proven closer at the back of the bullpen, and he likes to get things done quickly. I cannot see Amaro getting into a bidding war to keep Madson, especially if it does not happen early during the free agency period. Amaro has said, however, that the internal candidates to jump into the closing role (De Fratus and Aumont) are still a few years away. Top closers on the free agent market include Jonathan Papelbon, Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, and Joe Nathan. What is the future for Domonic Brown? To say 2011 was a disaster for Brown would be an understatement. One of the top-prospects in all of baseball a year ago, Brown looked overmatched at the plate and in right field. Amaro has said he would like to see Brown get a couple hundred at-bats at Triple-A, so it is unlikely he will be given a chance to win a roster spot in Spring Training. Brown still has all the tools to succeed at the Major League level, but at this point he is far from being an everyday player. This season will dictate where and if he fits into Amaro’s future plans. With Ryan Howard sidelined with a torn Achilles, who will open the season at first base? Howard had his stitches removed late last week and has begun a rehabilitation program. A source within the organization said Monday he believes Howard will be healthy enough by the end of Spring Training to start Opening Day. Given the complexity of the injury, I cannot see that happening. The likely scenario is that John Mayberry Jr., who has experience at first base, opens the season there and moves to left field when Howard returns. The problem with this plan is that you create a void in left field. Ben Francisco is eligible for salary arbitration, but it is likely Amaro will pursue some other options via free agency. A realistic return date for Howard is somewhere between mid-May.