Philadelphia Phillies 2012 Preview

Coming off another NL East title the Phillies will be poised for big success in 2012 again.  The pitching staff is going to be a very solid bunch for Charlie Manuel to send out there and the offense does not lack any fire power.  The only question for this team is how long will Ryan Howard be out for as he recovers from his Achilles injury, if Howard has to miss a lot of time it will take its toll on this club.  The team did a great job in acquiring Jonathan Papelbon to be the closer, after having so much success in Boston, Papelbon will look to secure a lot of wins for this team.  Everyone knows about the three aces the staff has in Halladay, Lee and Hamels but the pitching off the four and five guys will be important to this team.  This team is getting up there in age so if they are going to make a run at another World Series, the time is now.  Let's take a look at how the Phillies will look come Opening Day.
Staring Rotation- Not very many managers have the option of picking between three aces for a front of the rotation guy, but Charlie Manuel has that here, look for him to go with Roy Halladay.  Halladay should easily get to 20 wins and another possible CY Young year.  The number two man will be lefty Cliff Lee, who surprised everyone by going back to Philly and will look to build on a good first year there.  Cole Hamels will be the number 3 man, and since he is the youngest of the three horses, the Phillies will need to find a way to keep him from hitting the free agent market after the season.  Youngster Vance Worley, who had a great Rookie year will be the fourth guy on the staff.  Joe Blanton should be the number five, but there have been a lot of rumors that the team will try to move him for another starter, so this spot is still a question mark.
Bullpen- Losing Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge would be very difficult for most teams to recover from, but Philly acted fast and landed Papelbon to replace Madson.  Veteran Chad Qualls could be the 8th inning setup man, but given his inconsistency in the past could give way to youngster Michael Stutes.  Antonio Bastardo will also be a setup man for this team.  Kyle Kendrick and Jose Contreras will be long relief options for the 'pen.  Given how deep in the game these starters go, this bullpen unit will have plenty of time to sit around and play cards.
Catcher- Veteran Carlos Ruiz will be behind the dish come Opening Day and will try and play in as many games as possible.  On the few off days Ruiz does take look for journeyman Brian Schneider to fill in and should be great with this staff.
Infield- Chase Utley will be at second and will look to finally get back on the field for a full season, if Utley can stay healthy the team will benefit greatly.  Shortstop will go to veteran Jimmy Rollins, who can still play great even with his age rising.  Third base will go to veteran Placido Polanco, who has had some great success throughout his career.  The question for this infield will be if Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton can shoulder the load vacated by Ryan Howard.  Once Howard returns to the field, probably in June sometime, the infield will be one of the best in the game.  Utility man Michael Martinez will get some looks up the middle and at third when someone needs a day off or goes on the DL.
Outfield- Shane Victorino will be in CF and will look to be a catalyst for this team, but he is another guy that needs to avoid the injury bug.  Hunter Pence will get to experience his first full season playing for a contender and should have great success.  Left field will be a Spring Training battle of who wants the job more between Domonic Brown and John Mayberry.  Both have a great amount of potential and versatility so look for both of them to see the field a lot.
Lineup-
1. Shane Victorino- Great spark plug for this team.
2. Jimmy Rollins- If he stays healthy should hit around .300.
3. Chase Utley- If at full strength, potential MVP.
4. Jim Thome- Veteran who will needed to provide a lot of power.
5. Hunter Pence- Funky swing, but will notch around 200 hits.
6. John Mayberry- If he plays to his potential, look out.
7. Placido Polanco- Been around the block a bit, could slide up a few spots.
8. Carlos Ruiz- One of the better hitting catchers in the game.
9. Pitcher's Spot- Just Bunt!

Going into the season a lot of the "experts" are going to pick this team to win the NL East yet again.  But they are aging very fast and can't seem to keep all their guys on the field at the same time.  Injuries will be the thing that prevents this team from winning, but with the staff that they possess they should easily get to around 90 wins.  With health being there Achilles tendon, sorry Ryan Howard fans, this team will not repeat as division champs, but should compete for the Wild Card.  One of the big questions for this team will be what happens after 2012?  With so many guys getting up there in age and injuries taking a toll, this team will need to start focusing on the future.  Best of luck in 2012 Phillie Fans!

-Buddy