By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth + Payroll Expert – find his website here) Follow @prosportsroster

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The Phillies slide down the NL East Standings all started at the end of the 2011 NLCS.  Gruesomely, Ryan Howard pulverized his ankle running down to 1st, and the team has not been right since.

A late charge in 2012 preserved a 81 – 81 record – to extend a decade of .500 or better baseball, however 2013 held a cruel fate of a 73 – 89 final mark.

Injuries to ‘now retired’ Roy Halladay and Howard helped plague the team to its first losing season in 11 years.

Ruben Amaro Jr. and the brass steadfastly approach this season like every other campaign in the last few years, “we will be better in 2014, and still have enough to compete.”

Darin Ruf has 17 HRs and 40 RBI in just 284 Career AB heading into 2014. If he can double those numbers for 568 AB, you may be looking at a guy who cracks 30+ HRs and adds about 90 RBI this campaign. Ruf will back up Ryan Howard – with potentially playing RF or LF in 2014.  He is not even Arbitration Eligible until 2017 – and can’t be a Free Agent until the 2020 season.

The emergence of Domonic Brown in 2013 has at least saved them from contract hell.  Also look for another breakout from Darin Ruf this season.

These two gentleman can go a long way in saving their GM’s job – with just being paid entry – level deals while maybe cracking great production numbers.

The addition of A.J. Burnett should deflect the loss of Halladay, and returning Phillies player Marlon Byrd – should provide a little more stability than the 2013 version of Delmon Young.

This organization is in team salary chaos right now.  Ryan Howard will pocket $25 MIL in 2014 – and rakes in that very sum also for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

This contract is an albatross of sorts.  Even if the guy can play healthy all year, he may display about 60 – 70% of what they are paying him for.

Chase Utley‘s deal was a smart one of 2 YRs/$25 MIL – and 3 straight Vesting Options of $15 MIL per year from 2016 – 2018, with him just having to reach 500 PA’s each of the previous years to vest the next.  . 

Utley can also make an additional $5 MIL in 2015, if he can spend 15 days or less on the DL this year. This money does not cripple the organization and makes him perform.

Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels will make $25.0 MIL and $23.5 MIL respectively in 2014, but they can pitch like Cy Young contenders and warrant these type of contracts.

Lee also has a $27.5 MIL Option for 2016. What is troubling for Philly, is there is a $12.5 MIL Buyout if Lee can throw 200 IP in 2015 for that deal to kick in – or 400 IP for 2014-2015 combined.

With signing Marlon Byrd, A.J. Burnett, Miguel Gonzalez and bringing back Veteran Catcher Ruiz, Amaro JR. hopes these guys all miss the injury bug in 2014, or it can be the 4th installment series of the “Bad News” Bears. The Phillies are keeping their aging nucleus together in hopes of putting up one more run at the World Series – and keep attendance/TV ratings in the Philly area.

Amaro Jr. seems to be in love with doling out contracts that feature Vesting Options.  These are creative deals to be sure, but can inflict salary hell if a player is hurt after exercising one of these.

Jonathan Papelbon and Jimmy Rollins join the teams 7 total members of this $10+ MIL salary club.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that many of these players are also locked up for the 2015 year. 

Only Roberto Hernandez (AKA Fausto Carmona) is a Free Agent next season – and he was just insurance for the Starting Rotation at $4 MIL in 2014.

The ‘Fightins’ have a shot in the NL East if Howard and Utley can return to form at some level, meanwhile their Starting Pitching is extremely deep, and Papelbon is still a good Closer.

With the Marlins and Mets not having the best clubs in 2014, it is quite possible the Phillies can make some games up in their 38 games versus these two Division foes.

Philadelphia is 2nd in the National League for Budgeted Payrollat roughly $170 MIL (as only LA tops them).

The team has seen record attendances at Citizens Bank Ballpark over the last decade.  They keep pushing for TV Ratings as well, and that is why they are putting off an entire rebuild.

If the squad is in contention at the Trade Deadline – don’t be surprised for them to approach the $189 MIL Luxury Tax Threshold.

I am sure the management knows that this campaign represents their best chance to win for some time.

Contract Outlook From 2014 – 2016

A.J. Burnett authored a 26 – 21, with a 3.41 ERA in the last 2 years for Pittsburgh – and gave the Bucs a veteran presence. His price point was simply too much for what the Pirates could spend. The Phillies will pay the 37 Year Old RHP $15 MIL for 2014, with a $1 MIL Buyout for a 2015 Team Option of $15 MIL. If Philadelphia does forego the Option, than Burnett can exercise a salary of $7.5 MIL in 2015 from Philly or just become a Free Agent outright (accepting the $1 MIL.)  He is a perfect replacement for the departed retiree Roy Halladay.

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Other Authors for this post:

Jeff Kleiner:  “I have been a sports fan since the first Baseball game I went to at Comisky Park in Chicago in 1959, when baseball for me turned from black and white to color.

I have attended or watched thousands of games, always paying attention to statistics, rosters and salaries of all professional sports.

Luckily I had the advantage of watching WGN TV and seeing hundreds of games in the 60’s. Collecting Baseball Cards and then later dealing them gave me an extra sense of the sport, both good and bad.”

For all of your Salaries, Roster and Depth Charts for all 4 Major Sports (entire organization – Minors and Majors) click here or Follow Me on twitter  Follow @prosportsroster

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