My Fellow Phans,
For the first time in a considerable amount of time, there is some Phillies news to report. It is not a breaking news story, but it is something notable to report.
The Phillies have avoided arbitration with outfielder Ben Francisco when both sides agreed to an 1-year contract worth 1.175 million dollars. Francisco, the other player acquired in the original Cliff Lee deal and one of my personal favorites, is expected to platoon with budding star Domonick Brown, or get a chance to be the everyday starter in right field this season for the Phillies replacing the recently greedily departed, Jayson
Werth.
From my view, this is a good deal for the Phillies. Francisco is a quality extra man and can provide a nice presence off the bench or as a starter. Last season, Francisco hit .268 with six homers and 28 RBI in 88 games last season, which included a .282 average coupled with 7 RBIs as a pinch hitter.
In other news, The Phillies did add a new member to their minor leagues recently. They signed Matt Anderson, a former No. 1 pick in 1997. He struck out 44 hitters in 44 innings pitched during his rookie year of 1998. However, the highly anticipated starter flamed out early and found himself out of baseball after 2006.
Now the 34-year old flamethrower is attempting a comeback with the Phillies. I don’t see him making serious noise in Spring Training, but if he comes back to his form, there is a very small chance he could make a positive impact for the hometown club. This is a small risk for the Phillies and we shall see how it turns out.
No matter how you slice it, this Spring will be quite an interesting one.
Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies!
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