2007 Philadelphia Phillies Predictions & Season Preview


June 5, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

After the Phillies traded Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle to the Yankees in July, general manager Pat Gillick held a remarkably candid press conference. He basically wrote off the team for 2006, and advised Philadelphia fans to temper their expectations for 2007 as well. That lit a fire beneath the wings of the Phillies. A more feisty and competitive Philadelphia club, led by Most Valuable Player Ryan Howard, posted back-to-back 18-win months for the first time since 1997 and made a run at the Wild Card spot before losing out to the Dodgers.

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Gillick, architect of two World Series winners in Toronto, has a knack for upgrading his roster in increments, and he was in typical form over the winter. The Phillies signed third baseman Wes Helms to a reasonable contract, snagged catcher Rod Barajas at a reduced price after he backed out of a deal with Toronto, and acquired 17-game winner Freddy Garcia from the White Sox for two minor leaguers. Now Gillick has six legitimate starters, and he’s free to dangle Jon Lieber for bullpen help.

The Phillies have two potential aces in Brett Myers and young lefty Cole Hamels. Adam Eaton, signed to a 3-year, $24 million deal in November, just needs to stay healthy. Garcia should be awfully motivated in his free agent walk year. He allowed 32 homers at the hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field, and Citizens Bank Park won’t be any different. 44-year-old Jamie Moyer will dispense wisdom in the clubhouse and will also show how to get it done with a fastball that barely cracks 80 mph. The bullpen is definitely the Phillies’ biggest concern. The team’s primary need is an eighth-inning guy who can serve as closer insurance for Tom Gordon. Lieber might be the chip to land that commodity.

It would be hard to find an infield better than Philly’s with a combined 90 homers between Ryan Howard at first base and Chase Utley at second. Jimmy Rollins still doesn’t walk enough for a leadoff man, but he led NL Shortstops with 128 runs and ranked second with 25 homers. The Phillies might have pulled off a sleeper sign with Helms, whose slugging percentage has increased from .361 to .458 to .575 since 2004. He appears to be coming into his own as a hitter at age 30.

Pat Burrell has a lot to prove in the outfield. The Phillies would have dealt him over the winter if not for the fact that he has a no-trade clause. He is still guaranteed $27 million in 2 years and needs to improve tremendously on his .222 average with runners in scoring position if he wants to stay around. Shane Victorino covers a lot of ground in the outfield, has a grat arm, and plays with energy to spare. It’s up to new coach Davey Lopes to turn him into a stolen-base threat. Phillies fans love Aaron Rowand in centerfield for his hustle. He puts his body on the line, but Rowand needs to show more discretion around fences and upgrade that .746 OPS. The Phillies will make another run at a Wild Card spot in 2007 for sure.

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