Evaluating Options at Third Base

November 11th, 2009 | by joeb03 |

On Sunday night, the Phillies announced that they will decline Pedro Feliz’s $5.5 million dollar option for the 2010 season. This was the only big decision that Ruben Amaro Jr. had to make after the season, as he only had until Monday to make the call. His other decision, whether to exercise Cliff Lee’s $9 million dollar ‘10 option, was a no-brainer. So Amaro declined the option and has to fork over a $500,000 buyout to Feliz.

Now that leaves the only open (starting) position on the Phillies offense at third base. The first thing Amaro said was that he is open to having Feliz come back, “This doesn’t preclude us from bringing Pedro back next season, while this allows us to explore other opportunities, we will continue to keep the lines of communication open with Pedro and his representative.”

This is another smart move by Amaro. The $500k buyout is a small price to pay considering Feliz was (arguably) the weakest bat in the lineup. Now the Phillies can explore other options at the position, where they are some interesting free agent options. Here is what Amaro had to say about the third base free agent market,

“There are going to be a lot of free agents, and I don’t know how many teams are going to be pouncing on the third basemen, I don’t know how many third basemen are needed around the league . . . I just think there are more players than there are seats in this offseason. We could have misread the market, but we feel like there are more third basemen available than there are third-base positions to be filled.”

If the Phillies have correctly read the market, then declining Feliz’s option and searching for an upgrade is the obvious move. Who could man third base for the Phightins next season?

Pedro Feliz- In his two years with the Phillies, Feliz provided Gold Glove caliber defense with a very average bat. In the 2008 World Series run, Feliz has some big hits. During these playoffs, Feliz was mostly absent except for a game-tying solo shot in the eight inning of Game 4 of the World Series. Before the All-Star break, Feliz batted .293 with 45 RBI’s. Post All-Star break, he batted just .236.

With this being the only opportunity to upgrade the offense, I do not see the Phillies resigning Pedro to play third. He is 34, has limited pop (26 home runs the past two seasons), and grounds into a ton of double plays. His 2009 OBP (.308) was better than only Jimmy Rollins (.296). And would he take less than the $5.5 million dollars that the Phillies declined to pay him? Pedro is a good guy and knows how to play the game, but has likely played his last game for the Phightins.

Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News thought the move to decline Feliz’s option was the wrong one, but the guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about anymore. Most in Philly agreed with Amaro’s move.

Chone Figgins- Coming off his best year, the 31-year old Figgins enters free agency as a hot commodity. The LA Angels still are in the running to re-sign their leadoff hitter, but there is a very real chance he enters the free agent market. Would his price tag be too high for the Phillies? I think, in the end, it will be. Figgins is a very solid player, an on-base machine (.395 in ‘09). The initial price tag for Figgins is reportedly five years, $50 million. While that is certain to go down a bit, it is likely that the Phils will look at options other than Figgins.

Besides, where would you bat him? He is a typical top-of-the-order hitter, and the Phillies already have Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino there. One of those three players would have to move to the seven hole, making for a dicey situation. If that is the case, however, you have to strongly considering removing Rollins and his .296 OBP for Figgins’ .395.

Adrian Beltre- Due to various injuries, including a a DL stint with a bleeding testicle, Beltre played in just 111 games in 2009. He batted .265 with eight home runs and 44 RBI’s, his worst statistical year in his 11-year career. Beltre is still just 30, compared to Feliz at 34, which will come into consideration. Before last year’s injury-plagued season, Beltre was a power-hitting third baseman with a great glove. In 2002 with the Dodgers, he hit .334 with 48 home runs and 121 RBI’s. Hitting in a pitcher-friendly park in Seattle from 2003-07, Beltre managed to average about 24 home runs and 88 RBI’s.

So while he had a down year (mostly due to injuries) last year, his bat is a clear upgrade over Feliz’s. The knock on Beltre has been a lack of plate discipline, an area in which Feliz was even worse. Another area where Phillies fans would look is defense, something we would surely sacrifice in replacing Feliz. Well, it terms out that Beltre is better defensively, too. His Ultimate Zone Rating places him among the top three third baseman in baseball for five of the past six seasons. And only in ‘07 did Feliz outdo Beltre in defensive metrics.

With Amaro recently speaking about the lack of a solid third base prospect in the minors, their is a strong chance that the Phillies looks to do something longer term with this signing. That would mean that age would be a strong consideration point in the search. With Beltre being just 30, he could be the guy that Amaro targets. Even more so because he is coming off a down year in a third base market that is operating at a surplus. Not as many job openings as players available, a huge advantage for the Phils.

Mark DeRosa- It seems his name is always floated around because of his Philadelphia ties. The former UPenn standout ballplayer and quarterback is on the market once again after starting ‘09 with the Indians and finishing it with the Cardinals. He combined to bat .250 with 23 home runs and 78 RBI’s. The 34-year old DeRosa has been an incredibly flexible player since becoming a regular in 2006 with Texas. However, I don’t see the Phillies targeting the New Jersey native for the third base opening. What I could see happening is Amaro gauging his interest on being a bench player.

A weak link this season was obviously the bench. Pinch hitters Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett, Miguel Cairo, Chris Coste, and Paul Bako were basically atrocious when called upon to hit late in the game. That is a definite need as Amaro begins to shape the 2010 roster. A guy like DeRosa would be the perfect fit, as he is capable of playing about every position but center field. The question becomes, would DeRosa accept a bench role with the Phillies. Given the current market, I believe there is at least some possibility of landing the utilityman. He wil likely command a salary between $3-5 million, which may be a bit much for a reserve player.

Placido Polanco- The Phillies have always been a fan of Polanco, who previously had held off Chase Utley from taking over second base for a few years. When they finally decided to move him, he continued his strong play for the Detroit Tigers. Since that trade in ‘05, Polanco has averaged a .313 BA. Entering the market at age 34, Polanco is looking for maybe one last contract. A n obvious concern is that the recent (announced Tuesday) Gold Glove winner has been playing second base.

Would he make sense at third? That is unknown, but he has always been great with the glove and should be able to make the switch without too much trouble. I would consider Polanco a longshot, but the guy is a solid player and a consummate professional. His asking price would be presumably lower than Beltre or Figgins, and in the same ballpark as DeRosa.

Miguel Tejada- Can you believe that Tejada will start his 13th year in the Major Leagues in 2010? The 35-year old came up with guys like Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra, who combined to change the face of the shorstop position. No longer were they relegated to being slick defenders and marginal batters. Tejada led the charge, smacking over 24 home runs in seven consecutive seasons from 2000-06.

Since joining the Astros in 2008, his power numbers have dwindled. The most likely cause? Steroids! And maybe a little bit of old age, as well. Despite a dip in home run totals, Tejada has continued to produce with the bat. He hit .313 with 86 RBI’s this past season, where he earned just under $15 million. If the Phillies want a chance to sign him, his price tag will have to fall well below that number. Oh, and he would have to move from shortstop to third, something he has balked about in the past but has recently softened on.

If the Phillies enter next season with Miguel Tejada batting seventh and playing third base, I would be completely satisfied. The guy may not have a ton of mileage left, but he hasn’t batted under .278 since 2001. In case your wondering, Feliz has never batted over .278 in any season where he played more than eight games.

Analyis

I think the Phillies are certainly in an enviable situation with their offense heading into 2010. The only position of need happens to be the position with the most quality free agents available. With no internal options, the only way the Phillies would plug this need is through a signing or via trade. Amaro, who recently said that “I’d say it’s more likely we end up with a free agent at third,” will take a close look at the players I’ve mentioned and more in hopes of making the best decision.

My guess would be that Adrian Beltre joins the Phillies on a three-year, $22 million dollar contract. Also, I’m throwing it out there that Mark DeRosa will also be joining the Phils, on a one-year contract of $4 million with a 2011 team option of $4.50 million. That sounds good to me.