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The phrase “age before beauty” can be applied to the decision that the Philadelphia Phillies will have to make on veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu. The former All-Star has an opt-out clause in his minor league contract that allows Abreu to be granted his release if he is not placed on the Phillies’ MLB roster by March 26.

Abreu spent nine of his 17 major league seasons with Philadelphia. Before sitting out last season, he spent time with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros.

Abreu, 39, hit .322 with three homers, 28 RBI and a .877 OPS in 50 games in the Venezuelan League this winter, which was a big reason why Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. wanted to take a look at him.

Early on in spring training, Abreu is hitting .133 in 21 plate appearances. A veteran with two hits this spring doesn’t look like a good option to have on the bench heading into 2014. However, Abreu still does one thing very well, which he’s done his entire career—he gets on base.

Abreu currently has five walks in those 21 plate appearances, giving him a .381 on-base percentage. The veteran outfielder is a .292 career hitter but is also the owner of a .396 career OBP, which ranks among the top 100 all time, according to Baseball Reference.

Philadelphia has struggled getting guys on base over the last couple of seasons, which is part of the reason the Phillies have struggled so much offensively. This is why Abreu made it past the team’s first cuts of the spring. Knowing this, manager Ryne Sandberg will be able to get more looks at Abreu as the spring progresses.

In fact, Abreu is making an impression on the Hall of Fame player, now manager.

“He’s having quality at-bats,” Sandberg said to CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury. “He’s battling pitchers. He’s been a base runner quite often.”

Abreu is replicating on the field what Sandberg has been preaching since he was given the managerial job. Getting on base as well as running the bases effectively are important parts of the game. From day one, Sandberg preached this method.

Now Abreu, a proven veteran, is proving why Sandberg‘s message makes sense for the Phillies.

“Working counts and getting on base is a big part of the game,” he said in the same interview with CSN Philly. “I just try to put the ball in play and if they don’t throw me a strike, I don’t swing.”

So what should Phillies fans look for from Abreu until a decision needs to be made?

Expect him to go out and have quality at-bats. Be sure to not put an emphasis on the batting average. Instead, look at the amount of pitches he is seeing per at-bat. Look at his OBP, see if he still has a keen eye at the plate.

If Abreu can play acceptable defense and continue to have a consistent arm in the outfield, then the coaching staff will need to put Abreu on the MLB roster. He would likely be their go-to, left-handed bat off of the bench as well as a designated hitter during interleague play.

Abreu is making it tough for the Phillies to cut him, which is not a bad thing for a determined ballclub. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies are dealing with some problems right now. Their lineup cannot hit, their ace is dealing with shoulder tendonitis and the team is a combined 1-8 this spring. All of those things have put Philadelphia in a state of shock and worry for the upcoming season.

There has been a bright spot, though—actually a few bright spots—for the 2014 Phillies. The Philadelphia bullpen looks like it will be the team’s biggest asset after years of inconsistency.

The last time Philadelphia had a consistent bullpen? 2008.

Obviously, the 2008 Phillies were a different ballclub and had other strong points, but being able to have reliability in relief makes manager Ryne Sandberg’s job easier. Early in spring training, the Phillies are finding an embarrassment of riches in their bullpen.

Jonathan Papelbon, Antonio Bastardo and Mike Adams are the household names that the Philadelphia faithful know, and they are prepared to anchor the back end of the pen. But these five players could round out a bullpen that could have a chance to be one of the best in the National League if its production remains consistent.

Jake Diekman

Jake Diekman made his MLB debut in May 2012, immediately making an impact. Diekman struck out three batters in 1.1 innings pitched. He was arguably on of the Phils‘ best pitchers in the bullpen, going 1-4 with a 2.58 ERA in 45 appearances last season.

The mid- to upper-90 mph-throwing left-hander struck out 41 hitters through 38.1 innings pitched with the Phillies in 2013. Diekman, 27, held left-handed hitters to a .148 batting average with a .221 on-base percentage as well.

He jokingly attributed his success to chewing bubblegum on the mound, telling CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury that the gum makes him “think less” on the mound.

So far this spring, Diekman has given up two runs but has struck out three hitters in three innings of work. The Phillies bullpen could use a hard-throwing lefty in late-game situations. Diekman could be the man for the job.

Brad Lincoln

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was looking to build depth in the pen at the beginning of the offseason. As a result, he traded catcher Erik Kratz to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for right-handed reliever Brad Lincoln.

Lincoln was one of the reasons the Pittsburgh Pirates were competitive in 2012, going 3-0 with a 2.80 ERA in 47 relief appearances. But he struggled in 2013, posting a 4.77 ERA in 46 games. However, the 28-year-old reliever is confident that he will get back to the basics. 

He sat down with Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News to discuss the the transition from life with the Pittsburgh Pirates to Toronto.

“I never felt that comfort after I got traded,” Lincoln said. “I don’t know if it was because of the new surroundings, feeling you have to impress a whole different group or something like that. I don’t know. It just hadn’t worked out. But I’m looking forward to turning it around.”

To start the spring, Lincoln has yet to give up an earned run in his 3.2 innings of work. The Phillies like his body of work, and it could make him a viable lock to make the Opening Day roster.

Sean O’Sullivan

In December, the Phillies brought in right-hander Sean O’Sullivan as a non-roster invitee for the spring. O’Sullivan has been short of disappointing thus far. In 5.0 innings of work, the right-hander has only allowed three hits while striking out five hitters.

With Cole Hamels dealing with an injury, O’Sullivan could find himself as one of the long men in the bullpen. He could also split time as the fifth starter if needed.

David Buchanan

David Buchanan is the wild card for the Phillies bullpen. The right-hander was a Rule 5 selection by Philadelphia back in December. Buchanan, 24, has made 79 starts in the minor leagues, but only six have come with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

If the Phillies were to keep him with the club, they would have a pitcher who is effective on the mound, getting hitters to ground out. In a hitter’s ballpark, that is the type of production Philadelphia needs. Look for Buchanan to find a job as a long reliever.

Jeff Manship

Jeff Manship has been impressive in the minor leagues, but a 6.42 ERA in 52 career big league appearances should be something to worry about.

Manship is vying to add depth to the Phillies pen, especially in a fifth- or sixth-inning role. He currently has been lights-out this spring in the bullpen. 

As you can see, the Phillies bullpen has more depth than it has had in a long time. Though it is early in spring training, the Phillies’ bright spot has been the arms coming out of the bullpen. The health of the starting rotation is in question, but these players can fill voids. If there is one key to Philadelphia’s 2014 success, the consistency of their pen is it.

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Former 2008 World Series MVP and Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels has been sidelined with shoulder tendonitis, putting him behind schedule in getting ready for the 2014 MLB season.

The injury has gone from a positive outlook to a cause for concern in a matter of a week. Hamels’ health should scare fans in the Philadelphia area.

Earlier last week, Hamels spoke to CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury about progressing with his rehab:

“I’m feeling like my body is ready to make a big jump. I feel right where I usually am about Feb. 1 going into spring training. That’s about the time I’m usually ready for my first ‘pen. I’m happy where I am.”

On Thursday, however, Hamels spoke to the Philadelphia Daily News‘ Ryan Lawrence. The injury has began taking a turn for the worst:

I believe I threw 35 pitches. To my body it felt like a thousand. I think I pushed it a little too hard too quickly. And I wasn’t able to recover the way I obviously use to or would be accustomed to. I didn’t feel like it was safe to push it in that direction because I think that would have led to injuries. So I’m just really trying to allow my body to catch up. I’m trying to build the biggest base of strength that I possibly can to throw. And in the short period that I have had, I wasn’t able to build it the best I could to face hitters.

To top it off, the Phillies starting rotation is not panning out to what it was projected to be. Hamels was supposed to anchor a rotation that featured innings-eater A.J. Burnett, former Cy Young Cliff Lee, Kyle Kendrick and a combination of veteran Roberto Hernandez and offseason acquisition Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez.

Lee has been impressive in his brief workload this spring.

Burnett surrendered six runs on seven hits in three innings of work on Friday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles.

Kendrick bounced back after a rough first appearance against the New York Yankees.

Hernandez has been decent, and Gonzalez has struggled mightily, which has caused room for speculating if he is good enough to be in the starting rotation come April.

Where do the 1-8 Phillies go from here if Hamels can’t be ready till April or later and the rotation is undecided?

There was also a report from the Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo, regarding the status of free-agent starting pitcher Ervin Santana:

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer later refuted the original report via Twitter:

But should Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. take a look at the veteran starter?

Santana is reportedly looking for a one-year deal from a ballclub prior to Opening Day, via Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (h/t MLB Trade Rumors). Signing him to a deal would cost the team a draft pick.

The team could also look to youth in the rotation, but again, there are not many positives to look at.

Jonathan Pettibone went 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 18 starts during the 2013 season for Philadelphia. David Buchanan, a Rule 5 pick from December, is impressing on the mound but has made only six starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley prior to this season. Jeff Manship has started 10 games in his major league career and owns a 6.42 ERA. Ethan Martin went down with an injury the first day of spring training.

What originally started out as a minor injury, resulting in a few missed starts, has turned into a major scare for the Phillies.

A team that needs a plethora of things to pan out for it has experienced failure from the rotation early on this season. There are a bunch of “ifs” to help fill the voids, but zero reliability. Because of these reasons, the city of Philadelphia should be concerned with the health of its ace.

The team’s success dwindles in the shoulder of Hamels.

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The Philadelphia Phillies were a team to be reckoned with from 2007-2011. They were an example of what a franchise should embody with their ability to develop prospects, build chemistry and fill voids efficiently through free agency. Those teams won five National League East division titles, two National League Championships and one World Series.

The 2012 and 2013 seasons were anything but fun for the Philadelphia faithful. The bats have slowed down, players are getting older and the young crop of prospects have yet to pan out.

There have been changes throughout the organization since that time. Charlie Manuel is no longer manager, old faces have returned and a few prospects are in the everyday lineup.

The Phillies could be a surprise team in 2014—or they could fail miserably, depending on whether all of their “ifs” pan out correctly. There are 10 players that will be significant to the team’s success once the season starts.

Each player on the 40-man roster was evaluated by the following criteria: career consistency, key skill and importance of position.

Philadelphia will need to watch these 10 players closely. The team’s success depends on their production.

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