We've seen a touch of Phillies-related news over the past 24 hours: first, they traded Wilson Valdez to the Reds in exchange for Jeremy Horst (which the fans insist is addition by subtraction), and today former closer Brad Lidge was signed by the Washington Nationals. And they're still negotiating with Hunter Pence, which might limit their options until resolved.
Now Buster Olney is speculating that the Phillies could be looking for Valdez's replacement and points to a possible candidate: Ryan Theriot. However, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the club has limited options and presumably limited dollars to play with because of the distance between the team and Hunter Pence (reportedly $2.8 million):
- Twitter / @Buster_ESPN - "Don't be surprised if the Phillies look to add a utility man who can add a little more pop than Wilson Valdez--somebody like Ryan Theriot."
- Twitter / @magelb - "Phillies are really in limbo in terms of adding anyone else because of Pence. Two sides were $2.8 million apart. That's a big chunk."
Don't Be Shocked If John Mayberry Falls Flat on His Face - The Good Phight
"I want to be clear: I'm not saying that Mayberry is definitely going to fail. I'm not even saying that he's probably going to fail. But I am saying that the possibility that he'll fail is far from remote. And my subjective impression is that far too few Phillies fans these days, even in the saber community, are sufficiently cognizant of that possibility. YMMV, but I personally think Mayberry's chances of failing in 2012 are substantially greater than Domonic Brown's. A lot of people seem to be taking the reverse for granted."
-
John Mayberry Jr’s Strikeout Rate - Jeff Zimmerman | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball
"The problem for John was that he could not make contact with the ball. In all minor league levels, he struck out 22% of the time. It peaked in 2009 when it was at 26% in AAA. Since that point, he looks to have made an effort to bring the rate down." -
Washington Nationals Sign Brad Lidge - MLB Daily Dish
The Washington Nationals are closing in on a contract with former Phillies reliever Brad Lidge -
Reds Trade for Wilson Valdez; Phillies Get Jeremy Horst - MLB Daily Dish
The Cincinnati Reds have acquired Wilson Valdez from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Jeremy Horst, according to team. -
Philadelphia Phillies Complete Organizational Chart - MLB Daily Dish
A complete, live chart of the Phillies organization -- leadership, rosters, salaries, arbitration and options, as well as prospect rankings.