Impact of Recent Acquisitions Mike Adams and John Lannan

Mike Adams will look to sure up the 8th inning for
the Phillies—a place where they struggled in 2012

On Saturday (12/15), Ruben Amaro made large strides by filling two much needed holes in his team with the additions of reliever, Mike Adams and starting pitcher, John Lannan. Both Adams and Lannan are expected to have important roles in the 2013 squad as the Phils' GM continues to piece together a respectable roster.

Mike Adams will provide late inning
support for closer,
Jonathan Papelbon

With the addition of Mike Adams, the Phillies acquire a 34 year old, right-handed reliever with a wealth of experience, most recently in San Diego and Texas. In his last three seasons, he has had more holds than any other set-up man in baseball. The Adams' deal, which started to surface on Friday night, was confirmed by multiple sources on Saturday morning. The two year, $12 million contract is currently pending a physical and is said to have a vesting option for a 3rd year if Adams surpasses 120 total appearances with 60 of them needing to be in 2014.  Adams is currently recovering from sugery that was performed to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome though he is expected to be ready for spring training. With his primary role being a bridge to closer Jonathan Papelbon, Adams may also be able to provide support in non-save situations, a spot where Papelbon struggeled heavily in 2012. This addition is a good move for the Phillies because it solidifies the back of the bullpen while adding experience to a mostly young group of relievers. With Adams, it all of a sudden seems like the bullpen has plenty of depth and many options to get the game into the hands of the newly created "two-headed monster" in the 8th and 9th.

Lannon went 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA
in 2012

    Shortly after the announcement of the Adams signing, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported that the Phillies had come to terms with veteran left-hander, John Lannan. The deal is reportedly for  $2.5 million over 1 year with some cash incentives. Ruben Amaro said he was looking for a "low risk- high reward" starter and it looks like he found his guy in Lannan. The southpaw has spent his entire career with the Washington Nationals and has experienced many ups and downs through his 6 years of service. This contract all but guarantees a spot in the rotation for Lannan, though he will have many young arms waiting in the minor leagues ready to take over if he begins to struggle. This signing does have a little bit of a twist with the history that Lannan has against his new team. The Phillies have flat out destroyed Lannan in his carrer, as he sports a 3-13 record with a 5.53 ERA against the team. Another interesting note is the incident in 2007 where Lannan plunked Chase Utley on the hand, sending him to the disabled list late in the season as the Phillies were making a push for the postseason. Both being professionals, it is unlikely that Utley or Lannan will look back on this event but it could be something to keep an eye on.

These new additions go a long way in finalizing a pitching staff that will have to compete with very strong Washington and Atlanta teams in the division. It seems like the only other priority left on the agenda is securing a corner outfielder. With Josh Hamilton signing a mega-deal in Anaheim, the focus has turned to Nick Swisher and Cody Ross. Swisher may have a little more value, but his price tag may put the Phillies over the luxury tax. There are already reports that the Phillies are "intensifying" pursuit of Ross, who can be had for less money and would add some much needed power from the right side of the plate.

Ruben Amaro's To-Do List (12/7)

On Thursday, December 6th Ruben Amaro completed a trade with the Minnesota Twins in which the Phillies received center fielder Ben Revere in exchange for right hander Vance Worley and prospect Trevor May. With Revere now in pinstripes, fans are beginning to speculate what this 2013 lineup will look like. This Minnesota trade appears to be a move designed to free up money that can be better spent elsewhere. When looking at the current state of the team here in December, it is fairly obvious that there are other holes on the roster that need to be addressed.

1.     Corner Outfield- While the Phillies have Domonic Brown, Darin Ruf, and John Mayberry Jr., it seems as if Amaro’s goal in bettering the offense may come in the signing of a corner outfielder as the position seems to have the highest number of quality bats in the market.

Potential Candidates: Nick Swisher, Cody Ross, Josh Hamilton

2.    Starting Pitcher- Before the Ben Revere trade, starting pitching did not appear to be an issue. Now without Worley, the back of the rotation would most likely consist of Kyle Kendrick and Tyler Cloyd. While some may see those two fitting in nicely, there is already speculation that Amaro is on the lookout for a veteran starter.

Potential Candidates: Ryan Dempster, Shaun Marcum, Kyle Lohse, Edwin Jackson

3.      3^rd Base- While the 3^rd base market seems to be getting smaller by the day, the Phillies are currently set up to play a platoon of Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis at the hot corner. There is no doubt that Amaro would like to improve at the position but there are very few options for the Phils GM.

Potential Candidates: Michael Young, Kevin Youkilis, Chone Figgins

On Friday, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com said he had
a good vibe that the deal for Michael Young will in fact get done

     While it is unlikely that Ruben will be able to address all three holes, it seems feasible that at least two of them could be sufficiently filled. The thought of bringing in extra bullpen help has probably diminished for the time being but don’t be surprised if Amaro finds someone before the Phillies head to Clearwater for Spring Training. Only time will tell what the final pieces of this team will look like, but Ruben has a reputation of being sneaky when going about his business, and the outlook of the 2013 Phillies has potential to drastically change in an instant.