The confetti has finally been swept off the streets, the Phanatic has been dormant for several weeks now and Philadelphians are just now taking off their team gear for the first wash of the off-season.
Hard to believe it has been a month since the Phillies captured the city's first championship in 25 years and today the organization gets back to business.
Despite various off-season rumors of acquiring big name superstars, the Phillies will focus in-house and decide what to do with their remaining free agents.
Pat Burrell, Jamie Moyer, Tom Gordon and Rudy Seanez will be in the hot seat Monday as the Phillies decide whether or not they will offer their four free agents salary arbitration.
Before we dive into the pool here, it is important to know that there are several types of free agents.
Moyer and Burrell would be considered Type A agents because they rank in the top 20 percent of the league. If a Type A agent doesn’t accept arbitration, a contract, then the team is compensated with two drafts picks.
The Phillies have no Type B agents, which rank in the top 40 percent and are compensated with one pick.
Seanez and Gordon would just be free agents and the team would get nothing if they fail to sign them.
That being said, it looks as if the Phillies will offer Moyer arbitration and you can bet he will accept. Expect a one-year deal because as much as the organization would love to have the hometown boy back he is at the ripe old age of 46.
If Moyer accepts arbitration by next Sunday’s deadline he would be signed for the 2009 season. If not and he decides to go elsewhere, the Phillies would be compensated with the two draft picks.
As far as Burrell is concerned, it looks as if his chaw chewing, stiff legged roaming of left field is over in Philadelphia. There seems to be too many alternatives to left field that could fill in for Pat the Bat at a heck of a lot cheaper price. As of now, it looks like Raul Ibanez and Rocco Baldelli are the two front-runners.
Even if the Phillies do offer Pat arbitration and he accepts, they would have to shell out over $14 million, which is what he earned in his 2008 campaign.
To lose Burrell’s bat will hurt the everyday lineup but in all honesty, for that type of money, the Phils might as well bring back Lenny Dykstra and let him be the main dude in left.
The Phillies bullpen was near the top in baseball in 2008 so expect the team to retain its consistency by resigning Seanez. As for Gordon who missed most of last season, he’ll be out the door in a flash.
This should be an interesting week because now teams will see who’s in the open waters for trading and signing.
Although the Phillies have expressed interest in pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe, don’t expect the franchise to make a blockbuster deal because these guys will want big bucks, and unlike the store, there are no returns.
