The Phillies closed out the Tampa Bay Rays and won the World Series last night in five games. It was (despite being a Mets fan) fun to watch. After all, Brad Lidge was a guy that was left for dead not so long ago. Carlos Ruiz, Jayson Werth, Pedro Feliz aren't household names. In fact, the Phillies have a mix of stars and journeymen. It all came together for a fabulous run this fall, but for it to happen again, if it is to happen in 2009, changes need to be made.
First of all, the Phillies are likely to need a new GM. Pat Gillick has been rumored to retire for about six months now. One of his assistants, likely Ruben Amaro Jr., will take over. Among the things Amaro will have to do:
* Find a new leftfielder: Pat Burrell isn't going to be back. Despite the huge hit that former Brewer Geoff Jenkins had in Game Five last night, he's not the answer on an everyday basis.
* Find a new Third Baseman: Pedro Feliz is just a guy. Greg Dobbs is better off as a pinch hitter than anything else.
* Re-sign Jamie Moyer: He's going to be a free agent. He had sixteen wins in 2008. I know he's close to collecting Social Security, but the Phillies need him back.
* Bolster the rotation: Cole Hamels is one of the best in the game, but after that, the Phillies have question marks. Is Joe Blanton ever going to be the consistent pitcher the Athletics thought they were getting a few years ago? Which Brett Myers will show up next year? If it's the good Myers great. If not, the Phillies need to address that.
The Phillies are a great story. Guys like Jimmy Rollins and especially Brad Lidge are easy to root for. I'm happy for their long suffering fans. But, to stay at the top, they need to shore things up.
I'm not saying it was a fluke, but I am saying this World Champion has holes.
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