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Coming off a very disappointing 2013 season that saw their record dwindle to 73-89 and manager Charlie Manuel fired, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be one of the busiest teams this offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the team is currently exploring creative and innovative ways to add valuable pieces to their roster for next season.
Rosenthal notes that one option the team is considering is a potential trade for left-hander David Price, who may be moved by the Rays before next April. He cautions that the talks are currently not too serious, because teams discuss all types of moves at this time of the year and the Phillies are unlikely to be willing to part with young players like Jesse Biddle or Domonic Brown in a deal for Price.
While the team could make another big splash like acquiring price or signing outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, they are much more likely to make a serious of mid-level transactions similar to those of the Red Sox after the 2012 season. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that the team has already made offers to "several free agents", signaling that the team is trying to make waves early on in the offseason. Potential targets for the Phillies include Nelson Cruz, Carlos Beltran and Michael Morse, although it is currently unclear if those are some of the players who have been extended offers to this point.
At the moment, the team's main priority seems to be addressing their catching situation with an attempt to re-sign Carlos Ruiz, who is drawing significant interest from teams around the league. Ruiz is the team's top choice among the available catchers, but the Rockies are planning to make the soon-to-be 35-year old a multi-year offer later in the week, and Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com notes that the Red Sox are showing preliminary interest in him as well. If the team is unable to re-sign Ruiz, they could have interest in free agent catchers like Brian McCann, Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Dioner Navarro.