Philliedelphia

Orr, Savery, and Stutes Make Phillies Roster

As Spring Training and exhibition play has finally come to a close, the roster for the 2012 regular season is beginning to become finalized.  Among those awarded a spot on the team are RHP Michael Stutes, LHP Joe Savery, and IF Pete Orr.

RHP Raul Valdes, IF Hector Luna, and OF Scott Podsednik have been sent down to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. 

Joe Savery, the 19th pick of the first round in the 2007 MLB draft, made his MLB debut last season on September 20th.  He should provide further depth in the bullpen as a left-handed specialist, behind Antonio Bastardo.

Scott Podsednik had a respectable Spring Training performance, batting over .300. Unfortunately, with Juan Pierre already making the team, there wasn't a huge need for an additional speedy outfielder on the bench.

The regular season gets underway Thursday afternoon as Roy Halladay opposes Erik Bedard and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Matt Rappa is a contributor for Philliedelphia.com Follow him on Twitter @mattrappa.

2012 MLB Season Predictions

By: Matt Rappa

It's always fun to ponder what the upcoming MLB season will bring. Here are my predictions:

American League

AL East winner - Yankees
AL Central winner - Tigers
AL West winner - Angels
AL Wild Card Teams (2) - Red Sox, Rangers

AL MVP - Prince Fielder
AL Cy Young - Justin Verlander
AL Rookie of the Year - Cespedes
AL Manager of the Year - Ned Yost

National League

NL East winner - Phillies 
NL Central winner - Reds
NL West winner - Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card Teams (2) - Marlins, Giants

NL MVP - Hunter Pence
NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay
NL Rookie of the Year - Yonder Alonso
NL Manager of the Year - Dale Sveum

World Series matchup - Phillies, Angels
World Series champion and # of games - Phillies, 5

Phillies Predictions

Total number of Phillies wins - 95

What date does Ryan Howard return to the Phillies lineup (if at all) - 6/8/12

Which Phillies ace has most wins and how many - Roy Halladay 21

To follow up "Good game, let's go eat," what will be Hunter Pence's next catchphrase? -

"Let's have a parade."

Matt Rappa is a Contributor for Philliedelphia.com. You can follow him on Twitter @mattrappa.

Report: Phillies Nearly Traded Joe Blanton for Bobby Abreu

Written By: Matt Rappa (@mattrappa)

It was revealed a couple days ago that the Phillies had interest in acquiring right-handed starting pitcher A.J. Burnett from the New York Yankees.  

Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted Saturday night that Phillies starter Joe Blanton would be involved in a three-way trade in order to land Burnett in red pinstripes.

In turns out, according to a recent report from Buster Olney of ESPN, the Los Angeles Angels were involved in the potential move.

What the Phillies tried to do last week, sources said today, was trade Joe Blanton for Bobby Abreu, then flip Abreu for Burnett.

Olney followed by saying the Phillies hoped Burnett would provide a safety net had Cole Hamels walked away in free agency. 

This trade that never came-to-be is intriguing on many aspects. Bobby Abreu would have returned to the Yankees, the team the Phillies traded him to during the 2006 season for prospects CJ Henry, Matt Smith, Jesus Sanchez, and Carlos Monasterios.  Burnett coming to Philly would have meant a reunion with Roy Halladay- teammates of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2006 to 2008.

The fact that the Phillies even considered moving Joe Blanton for another starting pitcher shows the low confidence the team has in him. All said and done, he is still a member of the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2012 season- for now.

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TV Deal Looming for the Phillies

Posted by Matt Rappa

The Philadelphia Phillies are in for a big pay day in the near future.  As their television contract with Comcast ends in 2015, Philly.com’s Matt Gelb (@magelb) speculates that the team has a "lucrative" deal looming.

For nine straight seasons, the Phillies' local ratings have risen. Over that period, the growth is 176 percent, according to Sports Business Daily......  So, yes, we are talking about a possible $5 billion dollar infusion beginning in 2016.

The New York Yankees have a network of their own, the YES Network.  The franchise earns somewhere between $60 million and $67 million annually from the network for broadcasting rights. The Phillies' 2010 television contract is barely comparable, as they racked-in approximately $24 million from their contract.

Whether the Phillies allow their current deal with Comcast to expire, and explore the possibility of starting their own television network, is still up for speculation.  The fact that this is even up for consideration shows how far the franchise has progressed over the past few years.

Here's a thought on a possible name for the new network: HKTV.

Matt Rappa is a Contributor for Philliedelphia.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@mattrappa).