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Hot on the heels of the Cliff Lee acquisition, the Philadelphia Phillies entered spring training as favorites to reclaim the National League crown. With Lee joining Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton, the Phillies should have the rotation locked down.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, the team isn’t without questions as it prepares for the regular season. Turnover in the bullpen, spring training injuries, and the loss of key players and coaches during the off-season has left the team with several potential headaches to sort out.

The better the Phillies do at sorting out these five key issues now, the easier that long-projected path to the World Series will be.

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About a month ago, an enormous percentage of the Philadelphia Phillies faithful were making bold proclamations about World Series appearances and World Series wins.

With the semblance of an amazing starting pitching staff, there was not much reason to think anyone was being completely unrealistic. 

Optimistic?  Perhaps. 

Completely unrealistic?  No.

All of a sudden, the team has one spring training injury, and everyone hits the proverbial panic button.

Yes, it is Chase Utley, and yes, Chase Utley is one of—if not the—best players on the team. 

Let us try to remember, however, that this team has got some other pretty good players, like Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Carlos Ruiz, etc. 

The Phillies also still have those four guys at the top of their rotation.

Please do not take this the wrong way: Utley is an amazing player, and a presence in the lineup that is not easily replaced—if replacement is possible at all.

But here’s my question: Why even try?

I’ve been hearing for days that the Phillies should pick up Michael Young, who is, admittedly, a really strong player and a very good right-handed bat.  

I know how Philadelphia fans are, and thus, I let it go—until today.

Earlier today, I heard on a Philadelphia sports-radio show (the epitome of sports-fan “mental midgetry”) that, and I quote, “The Phillies should trade Roy Oswalt for Michael Young.”

Are you serious?  We do not even know the extent of Utley’s knee problems (not yet, anyway). 

It is this panic that forces hands into very bad moves.  Thank goodness Ruben Amaro Jr. is not quite so rash.

What happens if you trade one of your four aces for Young?

You’ve got a stopgap who is still a borderline All-Star, but you’re down one pitcher from what had been your biggest strength.

Now, what happens if Utley returns by mid-May or earlier?  I’m certain the Phillies would have no problem finding at-bats for Michael Young, but again, would the move be—in retrospect—a good idea?

Of course, it could go the other way. 

Oswalt’s sometimes balky back could go awry, and he could miss two-thirds of the season, and Utley could not come back at all.

The point I’m trying to make is that the team will cross that bridge immediately before it burns, and so to all the fans out there coming up with these hasty ideas—please chill out!

I understand that it’s something to talk about. 

I also understand that Utley is not your everyday player, and that his importance to the team should never be underestimated.  I also understand that he deserves every chance in the world to right the ship that is his own body. 

I personally believe that he will. 

I’d love to hear your take on this subject, Phillies fans.  If you think that I’m the one who is off his rocker, please, by all means, tell me.  I can handle it! 

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On December 15th, 2010, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Cliff Lee and in the minds of baseball enthusiasts all around the world, Lee’s signature was the kiss of death for the division rival Atlanta Braves.

However, a lot has changed since December 15th—most importantly, Chase Utley‘s knee.

Before Braves fans gallop triumphantly into a busy street, toss confetti into the air and order their “Atlanta Braves: NL East Champions” t-shirt on eBay, they must wait and hear whether or not the heart and soul of Philadelphia will require surgery.

The bad news? Nobody knows the answer to that question.

Nobody.

Let’s pretend for a second that Utley will require surgery and misses, say, 10 weeks. How would that affect the National League East?

Utley missed significant time last year—he finished with only 115 games—and the Phillies obviously suffered from not having their No. 3 hitter. However, Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard were able to carry the lost weight in the lineup and Philly was able to score just enough runs to win the division.

Now Jayson is sipping lattes in D.C, playing for a last place team and making bank, while big man Howard sits at home, wondering how he is going to produce all the runs in 2011.

Sure, the Phillies have some firepower left in the arsenal with Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Placido Polanco, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino (no, not Jimmy Rollins) but if you take a closer look, that isn’t really firepower—more like a few old BB Guns and one big bazooka that jams at the wrong time.

Polanco is pushing 36 and posted stats well below his career average in just about every offensive category. Sure, he’s a class act and a sure thing in the field, but Polanco is famous for his injury plagued seasons and can not be relied heavily on.

Ruiz, arguably the MVP of the Phillies in 2010, had a career year last year. However, the catcher has never played more than 121 games, so it remains to be seen what Ruiz can do with the bat while being behind the plate for a full season.

Ibanez is almost 39 years old and is obviously on a decline in his career. The vet will provide a decent bat at times, but his age has to catch up with him some time.

Victorino is really, really fast and a really, really, great defender. Offensively, there isn’t much to say. In 2010, the Flyin’ Hawaiian’s BA, OBP, OPS, SLG and hits all decreased dramatically while his strikeout totals increased.

Victorino is an average hitter at best.

Ryan Howard is a paradox. Howard goes from hitting 45 home runs and driving in 141 in 2009, to posting Corey Hart numbers in 2010—31 homers and 108 RBIs. Obviously, Howard is still one of the best hitters in the game, but Phillies fans have to be at least a little bit worried about the “slugger’s” decline.

Maybe 2010 was just an off year or maybe it was a preview of what the rest of Howard’s career will look like—only time will tell. No matter what the case, Howard can not score all the runs for this team.

Fun fact: Every player I just mentioned will be above the age of 31 by season’s end.

If Utley does miss significant time this season, his replacement will be Wilson Valdez. 

I imagine everyone in Philly cringing when they read that sentence, so I’ll say it again: If Utley does miss significant time this season, his replacement will be Wilson Valdez. 

Let’s just say that Valdez, a career .240 hitter, is not the right-handed force the Phillies need in their lineup and unless Amaro Jr. goes out and signs David Eckstein or trades for Michael Young, the absence of Utley will greatly diminish all the high hopes that began on December 15th, 2010.

The Atlanta Braves’ offense was already better than Philly’s before Utley and “phenom,” Domonic Brown got banged up. Atlanta’s offense is young, powerful and deep and no matter what happens to Chase, they will score the most runs in the division, but a scalpel in Utley’s flesh will be the icing on the cake for the Braves.

No matter how many aces there are on a pitching staff, offense is equally—if not more—important than the depth of the rotation and a Phillies offense without Utley just doesn’t cut it.

Pun intended.

Don’t get me wrong: Halladay, Hamels, Lee and Oswalt will win a good amount of games for Philly in 2010, but as I look into this magical crystal ball of mine, I see a lot of no decisions in their futures.

The future of the NL East—and probably all of baseball—relies on those lucky doctors giving Utley their “second opinion.”

Bad news Philly fans: It’s not always sunny in Philadelphia.

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After thumb surgery in July of 2010, Chase Utley was limited to only 115 games last season.

This is a bit of a concern because, prior to becoming a significant part of the Phillies in 2005, Utley had only played in 137 games through his first two seasons.

From 2005 though 2009, Chase averaged 150 games per year, so a 35-game drop in 2010 definitely shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Heading into 2011, Utley has yet to play in a spring training game after receiving a cortisone shot in his right knee.

The reason for the shot was the abnormal longevity of pain that Chase has felt in his knee.

In an article by the ESPN.com news services, Utley said:

“I’ve had it maybe in terms of pain here and there. But this is lingering longer than it has in the past. So with that said, there is a little bit of level of concern. But I think we’re doing the right things to try to get it better.”

So, baseball fans, has the City of Brotherly Love seen the best of Chase Utley?

Well, we need not worry about the glove, because the Phils’ starting pitching staff (Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt and Blanton) makes his job that much easier.

However, Utley’s bat may be of concern since his average has been gradually on the decline since 2008.

He has also seen a decrease in home runs, doubles, hits and RBI since 2008 as well.

With all this being said, it is expected that his numbers will also decrease in 2011, especially if his knee doesn’t get better.

But, even in that event, his intangibles are second to none, which play a pivotal role in the dugout.

At age 32, Chase Utley may be on the back nine of his career; however comebacks can happen, and don’t be surprised if 2011 acts as a lead into a healthy/sensational 2012.

Therefore, how will Chase Utley fare in 2011 Philly fans? Play ball! (Or, I mean, debate.)   

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So, who would you say is the Philadelphia Phillies team MVP?

By this, I am not asking Who is their best player? Rather, who can they least afford to lose for long stretches, if not the entire season?

Truth be told, I would rather be asking, “Will the Phillies win 100 or 105 games this year?” Or, “When they win their 11 postseason games, will they lose five games or fewer?”

These questions may, hopefully, still be asked down the road, but admittedly all the talk about second baseman Chase Utley’s patellar tendinitis and rookie rightfielder Domonic Brown’s hook of hamate injury has me wondering whose loss would impact the team most negatively.

While we’re on the subject, I liked H20 much better when it did not mean Hook of Hamate, and yes, I’d much rather talk about Hamels’ hook (and how frequently he throws it) than this new hook that I would prefer not to know anything about.

But let’s not get hooked on semantics here.

Which player could the Phils least afford to lose for an extended period of time?

I was going to do this in a slideshow format, but I’ve been fighting carpal tunnel syndrome from all the grueling typing I’ve done on my last few shows, so here is my list in a standard article format.

As one of the five most valuable members of my household, I can’t afford to be disabled.

Before reading my list, please note that I gave some consideration to who each player’s backup is.

So, without any more hemming and hawing, here is how I would rank the 10 Most Valuable Phillies in ascending order (of value) from 10 to one.

10) Roy Oswalt

Oswalt is considered a No. 3 or a No. 4 on this staff, but only on this incredible rotation.

He was absolutely brilliant with the Phils last season (7-1, 1.74 in 12 starts) and figures to have another strong season as a co-ace.

Then again, the squad has three other stud starters and a pretty good No. 5 as well.

9) Cole Hamels

Hamles rebounded in a big way last year, even if his won-loss record (12-11) did not do justice to how well he pitched.

Just like Oswalt, if it weren’t for the other three members of R2C2, his placement would be higher.

8) Shane Victorino

Shane is becoming a veteran, emotional leader for this team who contributes much needed speed and terrific Gold Glove play in center field.

If he thought more like a speed demon than a power hitter at the plate, he would be even more valuable.

7) Brad Lidge

We’ll never see him approach his amazing 2008 campaign, where everything worked out perfectly, but Lidge pitched quite well the last couple months of 2010.

And as well as Ryan Madson (just missed my list) has pitched as a setup man, Lidge is still the man for the ninth.

6) Jimmy Rollins

A few years ago, it would have been silly to have rated J-Roll this far down the list. After all, he won the National league MVP in 2007.

But Rollins, whether due to age, injuries or a combination of both factors, has not been that same compelling offensive player since. Still, his glove and his effervescent leadership are huge for this team, and when he does hit, the team wins a great majority of the time.

5) Cliff Lee

Lee, despite missing some turns with injuries, was second in all of baseball (to new teammate Roy Halladay) in complete games last year.

Given his postseason success, he merits a higher place on this list than either Oswalt or Hamels. Given the presence of the other three aces, it’s hard to rank him any higher.

4) Roy Halladay

If Halladay entered 2010 as the unofficial “best pitcher in baseball,” then last season only cemented this status in most pundits’ eyes.

Perhaps winning the Cy Young unanimously in your first year in a new league and throwing a no-no in your postseason debut will do that.

Funny how that works.

3) Carlos Ruiz

I actually thought of placing “Chooch” at No. 1.

My reasoning? I’m aware that he still has not won a Gold Glove or been voted onto the All-Star team, but the man plays the most important defensive position of the starting eight and does so brilliantly.

He calls a great game, throws runners out when given the opportunity, and he has developed into arguably the best No. 8 hitter in the league.

What other No. 8 hitter batted .302 with an OBP of .400 and a .293 batting average with runners in scoring position?

2) Ryan Howard

Yes, he still has a hole or two in his swing, and he still makes Phils fans nervous whenever he has to throw the ball to second base. I also realize that he had a down year—by his very high standards—in 2010.

But what other Phillie can give you his consistent production and inspire as much fear in opposing managers and pitchers?

That was a rhetorical question.

1) Chase Utley

The Phillies weathered the regular season storm pretty well last year when both Rollins and Utley lost significant amounts of games due to injuries.

Phillies Nation, obviously, hopes that the team—to say nothing of most pleasant surprise Wilson Valdez—is not put to such a test in 2011.

If you’re reading this column, I don’t have to sell you on Utley’s worth. The perennial All-Star is their only logical candidate for the vital No. 3 spot in the lineup, plays terrific (if slightly underrated) defense and spurs his team with his all-out, hardnosed play.

While the Phillies would not relish any of these 10 players (and others, including Ryan Madson, Rual Ibanez and Placido Polanco) missing significant playing time, the thought of losing Utley creates even more apprehension.

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, other writings and public appearances, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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About a week ago, a MRI revealed that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley had patellar tendinitis in his right knee.  He was prescribed rest and expected to show improvement quickly.

But after a full week of rest, Utley reported that he did not feel any better.  So today, he was given a cortisone injection in an attempt to reduce the swelling.

The quiet and reserved Utley normally says very little in regards to his physical condition.  But in an interview today with Phillies beat-writer, Todd Zolecki, Utley said, ” There is a little bit of concern.”

Knowing Utley’s usual demeanor, to hear him utter the words “a little bit of concern,” is akin to a normal person shouting, “Fire! Fire!” and sounding a very loud alarm.  This is not good news.

Worse than Utley’s own words is the fact that a cortisone injection was needed.  If a week of rest did nothing to alleviate the pain, one could speculate that the condition is more serious than originally diagnosed.

Patellar tendinitis can lead to small tears in the tendons over time and weakening or tears of the knee cartilage.  If that occurs, surgery may be needed.  The minimum recovery time of such a surgery is usually at least six months.

While that may be jumping ahead a just a tad, the reality is that a cortisone injection to the knee is very bad news.  Any swelling that cannot be reduced by rest indicates a real problem.

Should the Phillies sound the alarm and start looking for help at second base?  It may be too early for that, however, it also could not hurt to have a back-up plan.

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Prior to the start of the 2009 season, the Yankees made a huge splash in free-agency by landing CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. They won 103 games and the World Series. Looking back, the Sabathia signing sent shock waves, but nothing like the Cliff Lee spectacle this past offseason.

The Phillies won a MLB high 97 games a year ago, and it was a down year. Players were falling down like flies, and many fans were doubting if the team could even make the postseason. During the summer, the Braves held a large lead in the NL East.

Now with the signing of Lee, the fans are dreaming big and rightfully so. In the end, the Phillies may be the World Series Champions on paper, but now they have to go out and earn it.

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Spring training games offer much for the baseball world.  They offer knowledge; they offer glimpses of the upcoming season; they offer looks at minor league up-and-comers; and they offer first looks at those recovering from injury.  

Spring training games are not your average games—they do not feature a team’s starters all the way through for the most part—but they do offer looks and lessons to be learned.

The first few days of spring training are in the books, and baseball teams and fans have already learned much.  T

he Yankees have learned that Bartolo Colon can still pitch, but he is very, very heavy on the mound. The Braves have learned that Chipper seems to be recovering fairly well from his knee surgery. The Twins have learned that neither Mauer, nor Morneau are completely healthy.  

The Rockies have learned that even spring training games can result in injury as a collision between Ian Stewart and Carlos Gonzalez showed. The A’s learned that Michael Choice is a baller.  The Padres and Mariners learned that minor league pitchers in spring training games can have some very, very bad showings that lead to massive run production—a total of 25 runs scored.  

The Phillies learned that their aces are on point, but Chase Utley has knee tendonitis. The Marlins learned that Mike Stanton has a strained right quad.

Spring training can also lull teams and fans into a false sense of success.

Teams get a good spring win/loss record, and everyone starts to see visions of the post season dancing in their heads, only to come crashing back to earth when the regular season begins.  

Spring training games have to be taken with a grain of salt—especially early on.  

While there is much to be learned from spring training games, the real story only starts to develop as opening day approaches; but that is still several weeks away.  

In the meantime, teams and fans can enjoy a little bit of what they might see in the regular season, and a lot of what they might see in the future from minor leaguers who get playing time.  

All in all though, every bit of knowledge is to be absorbed like a sponge for all those winter starved baseball lovers.

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Second baseman Chase Utley is a perennial All-Star and the best all-around player on the Phillies roster.  But recently, rumors have been flying about his physical condition.  Mentions of “soreness” in his knees and legs are raising eyebrows.  Utley missed both the exhibition game and the first official game this week after “intense workouts” during the first week of camp.  He may not play in the next game either.

Utley has been developing a pattern of injuries over the past several years which are becoming alarming.  Rumors of a hip injury followed him throughout the second half of 2008.  After winning the World Series, he did finally undergo surgery.

His health was questioned after that for much of the 2009 season, although he did not miss significant time.  In 2010, Utley sprained his thumb and was put on the DL in June.  The injury was more serious than initially disclosed, and Utley had to undergo surgery on the thumb.  He missed 47 games that year.

Not only have the injuries become a pattern, but so has disguising them.  A war of words ensued in 2008 when then GM Pat Gillick slipped and told a reporter that Utley was experiencing hip problems.  Utley vehemently denied the statement, yet in the offseason, it became apparent that Gillick was telling the truth as Utley had hip surgery.

The thumb injury was underplayed as well in 2010.  Now, when rumors of Utley’s health arise, most are inclined to think there is truth to the rumor.  Then when Utley drops coy comments to reporters like, “If there’s cause for concern you’ll be the first to know,” it leads people to wonder if they should be worried.

Utley is not a big guy.  His weight has been generously listed as 190 pounds on his MLB bio page.  His smaller than average baseball player frame has led to questions about his endurance for years.  When the previous injuries and previous denials about injuries are all mixed in, it is a recipe for trouble.

The current issue may just be a simple matter of Utley being over-zealous and working himself too hard in camp.  But until he gets into a regular spring routine, the questions will linger.

Chase Utley photo by Jenn Zambri

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Late February. Optimism fills the air in Major League Baseball.

The reason?

Baseball is back.

Granted, it is only a lowly beginning. Late February is the time for spring training games in Arizona and Florida. The exhibition games, though it is good to see that baseball has returned, are just that: exhibition games.

Spring training is mostly optimistic because of the fact that it is the time of the year when everyone believes they have the chance.

Obviously, there are pretenders. I’m sorry Pittsburgh, but it doesn’t look like the Pirates will be resurrected anytime soon. Likewise for many other teams.

The Phillies, as ESPN would put it, are not pretenders, but contenders.

With arguably one of the strongest pitching rotations of all time, the Phightin’ Phils seem to many people the inevitable 2011 world champions. There is already talk on the Philadelphia FM sports radio station, 97.5 The Fanatic, that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel will have a statue of him erected outside of Citizens Bank Park.

That statement is incredibly premature, but it is not far-fetched to say that the Phillies are favorites to win the Fall Classic.

It will not happen.

I’ve been trying to take this thought over the air onto Into The Night, Tony Bruno’s weeknight radio show, but I’ve been repeatedly told that I am too young to get on the air. So I decided to take this matter to the BleacherReport community.

Anyway, the main weakness that the Phillies roster presents to me is the fact that there are many holes in the offense.

I am a Yankee fan, so I have been ragged on this offseason by the “Phillies Phans” because of the fact that the Phils nabbed the jewel of the free agent market, Cliff Lee, away from my Bombers. The argument that I fought back with on that matter is extremely relevant to the reason why the Phillies will not be, as Chase Utley might say, world bleeping champions come November.

That argument is this: while the Phillies may have put up the gaudiest offseason on paper, they had a bad one in the sense that they did not acquire what they needed to avoid repeating the disappointing end that the 2010 season had for them.

Think about it.

The Giants, in the entire NLCS, scored an average of 3.3 runs per game. That is not much compared to the league average, which sits around four. This is an indication that pitching was not the problem.

The Phillies just could not hit with the Giants. That was with a good right-handed bat in the lineup, Jayson Werth, whose signing with the Washington Nationals will prove a decent to severe detriment to Philadelphia’s lineup. They will be exposed by left-handed pitching.

Compared to the rest of the NL East, getting to the playoffs should not present much of a problem for the Phils. The regular season is a test of depth and pitching throughout a 162-game grind. I predict that Philadelphia will take the division easily, posting at least 95 wins.

However, with that being said, the postseason is filled with teams that boast excellent pitching staffs, making the playoffs a battle of the team that can hit. The team that can effectively hit and manufacture runs consistently has the best shot at glory.

The team, as of now, that should win it all is the Boston Red Sox. Getting Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis back from injury-ridden 2010 seasons combined with excellent pickups Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford will help the offense emerge as the best in the majors. Combine that a pitching staff lead by John Lester which, although maybe not as prodigious as the Phils’, is excellent and the Red Sox should be the favorites.

Now, of course, nothing is ever for sure in the world of baseball. The injury bug can bite and midseason acquisitions can shake up the balance. For now though, the Phillies must add a consistent right-handed bat to their lineup to get them over the hump.

They’re right there, yet they need one extra push. For now, my prediction is a 101-61 record, an NL East crown, but a loss in five games to the Red Sox in the World Series.

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