Tag: Raul Ibanez

Philadelphia Phillies: The Resurgence of Raul Ibanez

Recently voted by his peers as one of the nicest players in baseball in a Sports Illustrated poll, Raul Ibanez is the type of guy that people want to see succeed.  And he is type of player that the Philadelphia Phillies need to succeed.

But 2011 did not start out the way that either the Phillies or Ibanez had hoped.  In the month of April, Ibanez hit only .161 with 10 RBI and one home run.  His on-base percentage was .247, well below his .345 career average.

Things got so bad for Ibanez at the plate that he even endured a near record setting 0-for-35 slump.  That streak tied the second worst hitless streak for a Phillie; Joe Morgan went 0-35 in 1983 and Desi Relaford still holds the number one spot with his 0-36 in 1998.

Ibanez finally broke the streak on May 3 and has been on a tear ever since.  He is hitting .323 in May with five home runs and 15 RBI.  And the month is not over yet.

Ibanez’s resurgence is likely due to a combination of things.  According to Mandy Housenick of “The Morning Call,” he started a brand new routine this offseason with a new trainer and even a new diet.  After discovering that he had severe food allergies back in the 2009 offseason, Ibanez sought the help of a nutritionist to adjust his diet.

It turns out that the dairy and gluten allergies were causing Ibanez muscle soreness and exhaustion. Once he eliminated the allergens from his diet, Ibanez began to feel healthy again.

This discovery led Ibanez to completely change his offseason training routine after the 2010 season.  The change in both diet and exercise plans seem to be major contributing factors to his turnaround at the plate this year.

The slump in April, therefore, could be the result of Ibanez adjusting to his new routine.  If that is the case, the Phillies can look forward to a lot more production from their left fielder.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Best of the Best: Top 7 Seattle Mariners Team Commercials

Every year the Mariners come out with a new set of five or six commercials in which they feature their most exciting players.  This year we got to meet Larry Bernandez and watch Ichiro hit tic-tacs.  The marketing team always comes up with something pretty clever.

Here’s a look at some of the best:

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MLB 2011 Fantasy Baseball: Value RBI Options

When the top RBI guys are off the board, there are still value picks that can help you in that category.

Average Draft Positions are from Mock Draft Central.

Catcher

Kurt Suzuki, Oakland A’s: Suzuki had 71 RBI last year and 88 in 2009. Both years he had the fourth RBI among catchers.

With an ADP of 171, there are ten catchers that are (on average) going before him in fantasy drafts.

Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals: Molina had the eighth most RBI (62) last year. He was 11th in 2009 (54) and 12th in 2008 (56).

He’s not going to win the RBI category for you, but he should be a nice value with his 189 ADP.

 

First Base

Adam LaRoche, Washington Nationals: LaRoche had the 10th most RBI (100) among first basemen last year. He has averaged 89.2 RBI over the past five years.

Despite his consistent solid performances, he has an ADP of 178, which is 15th among first basement.

Carlos Pena, Chicago Cubs: Pena had 84 RBI last year and has averaged 101.8 the past four years.

He has an ADP of 181, which makes him a pretty strong value.

Gaby Sanchez, Florida Marlins: Sanchez is a boring pick, but he did manage 85 RBI last year. He has an ADP of 187, so he’s worth a look.

Ike Davis, New York Mets: Davis had 71 RBI in 147 games last year and should only get stronger.

He’ll turn 24 later this month and he has a ton of upside. Davis has an ADP of 201.

Derrek Lee, Baltimore Orioles: Lee had just 80 RBI last year, but has averaged 90.8 the past four years.

His ADP of 228 is a great value.

 

Second Base

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays: Hill had 68 RBI last year, despite a .196 BABIP. With 108 RBI in 2009, he is definitely worth a look, especially with an ADP of 160.

Juan Uribe, Los Angeles Dodgers: Uribe had 85 RBI last year, which ranked third among second basemen.

He likely loses some value with his move to the Dodgers, but makes up for it with multiple position eligibility. He’s worth a look with his 240 ADP.

 

Third Base

Ty Wiggington, Colorado Rockies: He’ll play a little bit of this and a little bit of that. He had 76 RBI last year, and his move to Colorado should be a favorable one.

Wiggington’s ADP is 215. Jose Lopez (ADP 199) should also get some work. Both should have value right away, as Ian Stewart will likely start the year on the shelf.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, Oakland A’s: Kouzmanoff had 71 RBI last year and has averaged 79.3 the past four years.

He has an ADP of 363, which means he’ll likely go undrafted in your league.

 

Shortstop

Alex Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves: Gonzalez won’t match the 88 RBI he had last year, but he should be a nice source for his position. His ADP is 147.

Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers: Peralta isn’t a sexy pick, but he’s averaged 84.3 RBI the past three years and 78.5 the past six.

Not a bad option at shortstop, especially considering he also has third base eligibility and an ADP of 251.

 

Outfield

Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles: Jones had 69 RBI last year and 70 the year before, but the Orioles have made improvements to their lineup.

He’ll turn 26 in August, so this could be the year he fulfills his promise. His ADP of 180 puts him at a nice value.

Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox: Quentin had 87 RBI last year. He always seems to be an injury risk, but his ADP of 193 makes him a good gamble later in your draft.

Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins: Cuddy could be easy to overlook as the Twins seem to move him all around the field. Still, he remains productive.

He’s averaged  87.5 RBI the past two years and has first base eligibility. Cuddy has an ADP of 224.

Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies: I have no idea how he has anything left in the tank, but Ibanez had 83 RBI last year and has averaged 100.5 RBI over the past six years.

He’s worth a look with an ADP of 198.

Travis Snider, Toronto Blue Jays: You’d be drafting on potential if you chose Snider, but with an ADP of 247, there isn’t much risk involved.

 

Designated Hitter

Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays: He could possibly have first base or outfield eligibility, but with 186 RBI over the past two years, he’s a solid utility option. His ADP is 166.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox: He is slow out of the gate, but Big Papi has averaged 96.7 RBI the past three years.

Not bad for someone with an ADP of 173.

Hideki Matsui, Oakland A’s: Matsui left the Bronx, but still managed 84 RBI with the Angels.

I doubt he’ll be as productive, but he’s worth a look with an ADP of 261.

Also check out:

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MLB Spring Training Files: Five Burning Questions for the Philadelphia Phillies

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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Phillies: 10 Reasons Domonic Brown Will Start the Season in the Minors

Dominic Brown’s future in the Major Leagues is bright.  He’s 6’5, has speed, quickness, baseball instincts, and is looked at as a “five-tool” player. 

However, the Phillies need to recognize where Brown is at in his career before they throw him into a starting role, or should I say the lion’s den.

Here’s some reasons why Brown will start the season in the minors.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Top 10 Players To Fill Holes In Outfield After 2011

I know that it is way to early to be thinking about the 2012 season, as the 2011 season has not even started yet, or is it? Some teams as of right now know that they will not have a chance for the World Series, and some of those teams are probably already eying players who are due to hit the free agent market after the conclusion of the current season. It is wise for all teams to look at this point in time at the holes that may be left in their current roster after this season and see who will fit into that hole.

This offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies lost Jayson Werth to free agency, which has left a big question mark in the Phillies lineup to see who will replace Werth. Initially, there was talk about seeking the free agents to fill this hole. Names like Matt Diaz, Jeff Francoeur, and, the much coveted, Carl Crawford. The potential for all of these players sifted away when the Phillies signed Cliff Lee, which is perfectly fine with me and most Phillies fans.

In this coming offseason, Raul Ibanez is due for his contract to expire. Ibanez may be turning 39 years-old in June, but he still proved to be within the top three offensive producers for the Phillies in 2010, with the second highest on-base percentage following the All-Star break. So will the Phillies resign him or let himgo and find an in house replacement or seek free agency.

This list will contain outfielders that are due for free agency or are within the Phillies organization already that could fill the hole in the outfield.

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Raul Ibanez: A Top Ranking Offensive Tool But A Subject Of Unjustified Criticism

When people take a look at the roster of the Philadelphia Phillies, there are certain players that are often targeted with criticism. I find that much of this criticism is unfounded against most of the players. Right now the Phillies are perhaps the strongest, or at least almost the strongest, that they have ever been.

Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Brad Lidge have often been the target of criticism, especially after last season. Utley and Rollins both spent a large amount of time on the disabled list, which caused them to have down years. Some of the critics claim that this trend will continue, but I would not count them out. 

One down year does not mean that the following years will be of the same caliber. I would expect both Utley and Rollins to have bounce-back years for this coming season. Lidge had a down year early in 2010 but showed strength and great improvement in the second half of the season. Lidge should be on form again come spring time.

Another subject of criticism has often been Raul Ibanez for whatever reason. Early last year, Ibanez was showing the signs of a down year, but he recovered during the second half of the season. In fact, following the All-Star break, Ibanez was second on the Phillies in on-base percentage. 

So how does Ibanez rank when compared to the rest of the Phillies?

Offense is needed in Philadelphia, although perhaps less so now that the Phillies have the best rotation, which was strengthened by the addition of Cliff Lee. That being said, Ibanez did hold his weight at the plate in 2010 to help support the seventh-best offense in the majors. 

Besides his on-base percentage for the second half of the year, Ibanez was fourth in the number of home runs on the Phillies, and third if you remove Jayson Werth, who will be playing for the Washington Nationals for the next seven years.

Ibanez was also third with the number of runs batted in, which would be second without Werth. Ibanez also was second in doubles for the Phillies, lagging only behind Werth again. Overall, offensively, Ibanez had 16 home runs and 83 RBIs with a batting average of .275, an on-base percentage of .349 and a slugging percentage of .444.

Ibanez was also fourth in total bags, second in walks, third in hits, second in triples and fifth in runs, and he followed Werth in each of these categories except triples. 

Although analyzing these numbers shows how much production will be missed by Werth, it also shows that Ibanez produced numbers very comparable to the production of the departed outfielder.

With what the Phillies will be missing from Werth, I predict that Ben Francisco will be able to almost entirely make up for Werth’s offensive production once he wins the full-time starting position this spring (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/561129-cliff-was-werth-it-francisco-can-fill-the-hole-in-the-lineup-and-outfield).

Besides performing better than Werth with the number of triples, Ibanez was also better than Werth with the number of strikeouts, having about 40 less. Although those are impressive numbers, Ibanez also performed much better than Werth when it often counts, batting with runners in scoring position. 

Ibanez’s batting average with runners in scoring position was .304, whereas Werth’s batting average with runners in scoring position was .186.

This is partially why I think that Francisco is the perfect fill for Werth. Francisco will not be able to compare to Werth’s home run production, but everything will be nearly the same production that was seen from Werth. 

Francisco had a third of the at-bats of Werth and produced exactly a third of the numbers that Werth did, excepting home runs. However, Francisco will make up for Werth’s homeruns by the fact that Francisco’s batting average with runners in scoring position was .306 (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/564556-risp-a-key-factor-in-determining-philadelphia-phillies-wins-or-losses).

This article is not about Francisco filling in for Werth. It is about Ibanez and what production he brings to the Phillies. 

In the second half of the season, Ibanez improved his batting average by .066, his on-base percentage by .049, his slugging percentage by .097, and his OPS by .146.  Although his yearly numbers for these respective categories were .275, .349, .444, and .793, those numbers were .309, .375, .494 and .869 after the All-Star break.

If Ibanez can continue to produce the numbers that he did in 2010, particularly the numbers produced in the second half of the season, he will be well worth the $11.5 million he is due by the Phillies this season. 

Ibanez is going to be turning 39-years-old in June, and this is the last year of his current contract with the Phillies. Overall, he ranks towards the top of all of the Phillies in offensive production, and any criticism that he receives is unjustified when he is compared to the rest of the team. 

His future is unknown, but if his production continues to rank towards the top of the Phillies’ team overall, I would like to see him stay with the organization.

Ibanez’s numbers have consistently ranked him towards the top of the list for the Phillies’ offensive production, but critics still have negative things to say. However, there seems to really be only one number that stands against Ibanez: his age.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Too Soon To "Raul" Him Out: Raul Ibanez Poised for Improved 2011 with Phillies

The injury bug was biting in Philadelphia in 2010 and the fallout was dramatic. Over the course of the regular season, three quarters of the Philadelphia Phillies’ everyday regulars spent time on the disabled list for extended periods of time. With injuries to players like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz severely limiting manager Charlie Manuel’s ability to put his best lineup on the field daily, two regular players deserve credit for staying off of the disabled list in 2010—outfielders Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez.

However, with Werth having moved on to sign his mega-deal with the division rival Washington Nationals, the Phillies’ bill of health is looking fairly uncertain. Assuming that top prospect Domonic Brown emerges as the everyday right fielder for the 2011 season, he and Ibanez will be the only two Phillies that did not serve time on the disabled list last year, and even that could be a bit misleading.

All things considered, Ibanez had a good season in 2010, despite an unsettling decrease in his power totals. He posted an average slash line of .275/.349/.444, with 16 home runs and 83 RBI. For all of you stat buffs out there, that’s good enough for an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .793—eighth among qualifying left fielders in all of baseball.

As for his defense? Also relatively average. Taking a glance at standard defensive metrics, Ibanez played left field with relative ease. He made just two errors, helping him to a fielding percentage of .991—fourth among qualifying left fielders in 2010.

However, some advanced defensive metrics aren’t as fond of Ibanez’s play in the field. His ultimate zone rating (UZR) of minus-6.9 in left field for the Phillies was sixth among qualifying left fielders. Seeing as how the first five players on that list all posted positive ratings, being ranked sixth isn’t all too impressive.

Even still, the numbers Ibanez posted in 2010 were considered a down year to Phillies fans who expected him to replicate the highlights of his 2009 season—power and defense. With that in mind, he didn’t come close to matching the 34 home runs or 3.9 UZR from the year prior.

However, that isn’t the same as saying that the Phillies haven’t received their fair share of value out of the left fielder. According to the popular baseball statistics site, FanGraphs, the Phillies are actually getting what they paid for, and then some. By taking all stats—standard and advanced—into account, FanGraphs is able to calculate a player’s wins above replacement (WAR), and turn that into a player’s suggested value. Over the past two seasons, the Phillies have paid Ibanez $18 million. His suggested value over those two seasons? FanGraphs believes he was worth right around $24.7 million.

Despite that, fans were calling for Ibanez’s head by May after the left fielder got off to one of the slowest starts of his career. In the month of April, Ibanez posted an ugly slash line of .229/.341/.348, with just one home run.

While most people credited his slow start as being just that—a slow start—there was actually much more to it than that. Despite not spending time on the disabled list last season, Ibanez was far from healthy. Following the 2009 season, Ibanez underwent surgery to repair several abdominal tears, and was forced to train differently in the offseason as he recovered. He entered spring training before the 2010 season looking less than healthy, and his performance suffered.

By July, he was back on track. He posted a much better slash line of .337/.419/.533, with four home runs, before a wrist injury in August added yet another bothersome hitch to his swing. After a down month in the heat of the summer, he returned to being one of the Phillies’ most productive outfielders in September.

While some people were ready to write his 2010 season off as Ibanez being a streaky hitter, a couple of untimely injuries may have interrupted the flow of his game. In a recent interview with Comcast Sports Net in Philadelphia, he set out to put the 2010 season behind him, and prove that his new training regimen was going to put him back on the map in Philadelphia for the 2011 season.

When asked if he felt the pressure to perform in a contract year, the city of Philadelphia and with championship expectations, the bearded Ibanez told CSNphilly.com that he wasn’t feeling any pressure at all. “To me, pressure is a single mom trying to work two jobs trying to feed a family. I think that that’s pressure. I think that this is fun. Being in the situation that we’re in, it’s an amazing time to be a Phillie. It’s an amazing time to be a Phillies fan.”

He makes a few interesting points there. It certainly is a great time to be a Phillies fan. Having added Cliff Lee to a rotation that was already considered one of the best in baseball, high expectations are numerous. With those expectations come a certain amount of pressure, but like Ibanez said, the Phillies are handling that pressure in different ways.

As filmed by CSNphilly.com, Ibanez has taken to a rigorous training regiment to prove that he’s worth the $11.5 million the Phillies are set to pay him for his services in 2011. A healthy Ibanez could go a long way in helping the Phillies offense to rebound in 2011. Replacing Werth is not going to be a simple task, but a productive, bearded Ibanez is certainly a start.

Is he going to replicate his 2009 season? Probably not. That is a best-case scenario that the Phillies aren’t expecting. However, Ibanez is no longer an aging corner outfielder coming off of offseason surgery either. He’s training like he has something to prove this season, and like many members of the Phillies offense, he does.

While there’s certainly nothing he can do about that whole aging thing, Ibanez’s impressive offseason regiment has fans looking forward to the 2011 season, if they hadn’t been already. He’s positioned himself to put his 2010 woes behind him, and return to being one of the National League’s top left fielders in 2011.

The Phillies could certainly use that production, and Ibanez is ready to provide.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Philadelphia Phillies Second Annual Bucket List—From a Babe’s Take

As the title says, this is my second annual bucket list—Phillies style. I hate the redundancy of writing a totally self-explanatory title and then reaffirming the topic in my first sentence but with those darn search engines constantly looking for articles with relevance, I’m already at a disadvantage.

When it comes to blogging about baseball, I’m the master at having nothing relevant to say.

And I’ve proved that for two whole paragraphs.

First, I should let you know that unlike most bucket lists, mine isn’t composed of death-defying acts of irrationality like white water rafting. Hell, if I wanted to be tossed about by a current I’d call my husband in on the waterbed. Besides, I don’t need to do something daring—I got married. I don’t need another adventure to end with, “What the hell was I thinking?”

Now, on my first bucket list, I gave considerable thought to the organization—I thought about bullets or numbers or an alphabetical arrangement. I even tried little Shane Victorino silhouettes but I couldn’t get them to stand still. So eventually I settled for the rant. Not only is it my favorite form of communication, it’s the least effective one.

Anyway, I’m hoping you enjoy this more than your annual pap smear or your prostate check (although I might be discriminating against single people when I say that).

Here goes:

Until the day I die, I pledge to boldly go where middle-aged women have all gone before—into the pants of major league players. And to the dismay of many, the thoughts in my mind will flow senselessly through my computer keypad.

Yes, I still use a pc. No, I don’t have an iPad. That’s what I do to my bra.

I give a whole new meaning to the question, “Are those really yours?”

Sorry, I got off track.

Let’s try again:

I want a bladder that doesn’t leak when I sneeze.

I want a wrinkle cream that makes me look like a Hollywood hottie but not someone Hugh Hefner would boink.

I want Philly weather to go straight from fall to spring.

I want my cat to puke in a designated area.

I want my dog to find a way to tend to his genitalia before he comes to bed.

I want my husband to find a way to do that too.

I want to prove that Shane Victorino is a descendant of the Mexican jumping bean.

I want someone to find a way to keep Justin Bieber cute and little, just like a kitten.

I want the next Phillies charity event to have a Raul Ibanez kissing booth.

I want a Cliff Lee blowup doll giveaway at Citizens Bank Park (anatomically correct, of course).

I want spell check to be nominated for sainthood.

I want Carlos Ruiz to catch the next perfect game.

I want my husband to stop telling people that my remorse over Jayson Werth leaving is a passing phase.

I want to outlaw pimples, menstrual cramps, puking on people at games, throwing stuff at each other and mean people.

I want a Phillies t-shirt with built in boobs. They could come in three sizes: small ball, pitcher’s mound and grand slam.

I want sex to come in different sizes too.

Wait, it already does.

I want hair styles to come in a spray can.

I want Brad Lidge to pitch a slider so nasty they call it “The Bitch.”

I want to be carded again.

I want chocolate to be declared a food group. I also want someone to make it the official food group of the Phillies. Then I want it nominated for sainthood.

I want Charlie Manuel to live forever.

I want it to snow only when it’s convenient for me—like in a snow globe.

I want people to quit wondering who the fifth man in the rotation will be. Like at my house, we’ll just call him, “Pizza Night.”

I want people to stop thinking I’m making a funny face when I’m not.

I want forms to stop asking me if I’m male or female and I want traffic cops to stop that too.

And now that Cliff Lee is back I want to act like a typical woman and find something else to whine about.

That might take some time. Then again, maybe not. Like I often say to my husband, “I thought that would take longer.”

Most of all I want a guaranteed World Series win. I want to parade down Broad Street, I want Chase Utley to throw the f-bomb to fire up all those hypocrites who use it but don’t want their kids to hear it from someone else, and I still want Kevin Costner to give me a long, slow, deep, soft, wet kiss that lasts three days.

With those new stalker laws that last one might be tough. I sure hope they’re lenient on stalkers in heaven because when I die, I’m hunting down Harry Kalas and Robin Roberts. That might entail a small chase and some jail time but sooner or later they’ll have to talk to me. It’s not like we won’t have eternity.

Hey, is it a copyright infringement to have Chase Utley’s butt engraved on your tombstone? And is it a violation to spy on the Phillies locker room when you’re a ghost? It won’t be near as haunting as seeing me in person.

Well, that’s my bucket list. You might be thinking it more closely resembles the one they give you when you’re about to puke; you also might say exactly what my husband says—she might look funny but she’s not. But you can’t argue that the 2011 Phillies’ rotation will be an amazing fan experience. It might not be the best rotation ever but it’s here and it’s now.

And to the dismay of many, so am I.

See you at the ballpark.

 

Copyright 2011 Flattish Poe all rights reserved

Stalk me on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


MLB Trade Rumors: Can and Should the Philadelphia Phillies Trade Raul Ibanez?

The Philadelphia Phillies left-fielder Raul Ibanez may be on the trading block. 

At the finish of the general managers meetings, Ruben Amaro Jr. has not made any significant moves.  There are no good signs for Philadelphia fans related to Jayson Werth and the team has yet to add a proven left-handed reliever. 

However, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com is reporting that Amaro may be attempting to trade Raul Ibanez

The Philadelphia general manager was talking up Ibanez and compared his numbers to those of Werth’s. 

Is Ruben trying to downplay the potential loss of Werth?  Or is he attempting to make Raul look more appealing to other MLB teams? 

“He was still a pretty productive player and when you look at his numbers, they’re not all that different from Jayson’s last year. What did he have, 83 RBI? Jayson had 85. He didn’t have as many opportunities as Jayson did to drive in runs. Clearly Jayson had more runs scored and his on-base percentage and stuff were better, but [Ibanez] had 37 doubles and five triples. The difference in their production was not all that great.” 

These comments may be directed to Werth’s agent, Scott Boras.  Several general managers and Boras are most likely having heated discussions about how much his client is worth, so it makes sense for Amaro underemphasize the importance of retaining Werth. 

Ibanez did have a great second half of the season.  In the 70 games after the all-star break, Raul hit .309 with nine home runs and 44 RBI.  Although, he did not play well in the playoffs.

Clearly, Ibanez has been a valuable piece to this Phillies lineup the last two seasons. Ruben just needs to compare that value to other needs on the team and decide whether or not to move him.


Should the Philadelphia Phillies Trade Ibanez?

Ibanez is due $11.5 million next season and the outfielder will turn 39 years old next summer.  He got off to a very slow start last season, but finished the second half strong. 

Which Raul should Philadelphia fans expect to see next season? How much will his production and skills diminish, if they diminish at all? 

Trading Ibanez could be beneficial to the Phillies in a couple ways. 

One, the team could use the now available $11 million to added left-handed relief and possibly a solidified No. 5 starter. 

Two, the Phillies could anticipate the loss of Werth and sign a right-handed outfielder that could play left field or platoon with Dominic Brown in right field.

Three, Amaro could use the extra money and attempt to sign Jayson Werth.  Boras is seeking a seven-year, $120 million contract for his client.

The ideal scenario would be to have Werth, Victorino, and Brown in the outfield next season.  Brown replaces Ibanez’s left-handed bat and the team still has Werth’s right-handed power in the middle of the lineup.

However, do the Phillies necessarily want to give Werth a seven-year contract?

If Ruben could pull off a miracle, he would trade Ibanez and sign Werth for a three or four year contract worth more money, especially in the first year.

I may be dreaming right now, but hopefully Werth feels some loyalty to the Phillies.  

The future of his career as a MLB player looked doomed before arriving in Philadelphia, as he has benefited from Philadelphia’s strong lineup that includes Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Raaaauuuullllll would certainly be missed by Philadelphia fans, though.  He is a great, hard-working guy whose performance has never lacked in effort.  


Which Teams Will Trade for Ibanez?

In Salisbury’s article, he mentions the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and San Francisco Giants as possible suitors for Ibanez. 

Once again, it will be a difficult task to move the 38-year-old outfielder.  He is due $11.5 million next year and he also has a partial no-trade clause. 

Ibanez can play in either the National League or American League.  He is not the fastest, most athletic outfielder, but he is still solid out there and hardly makes errors.

If he is moved to an AL team, he could switch game-by-game between either starting as the DH or in left field.

It should be pointed out, that Ibanez may be more much valuable to other teams than to the Phillies. 

Philadelphia does not need another left-handed power bat.  In fact, too many left-handed bats has been a liability.

However, other teams would kill for a player like Ibanez in the middle of their lineup.  His value should not be under-estimated, as he did hit for 16 home runs and 83 RBIs last season.

It would be a great move to trade Ibanez, as long as Amaro can re-sign Werth, add left-handed relief, or a solid, younger right-handed outfielder.

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