The fifth and final outfielder

When the Phillies signed Jason Werth I thought they had found all of their outfielders. The Phillies proved me wrong when they traded Jeff Conine to the Reds for two Minor League prospects. The Phillies have a lot of confidence in Werth. Pat Gillick commented after the Conine trade that he thinks, “Werth is a better option for us at this point." The Phillies had Werth penciled in as the fourth outfielder even before they shipped Conine to Cincinnati. "We weren't going to be able to give Jeff the playing time that we thought we were a month ago, six weeks ago," said Pat Gillick explaining the trade. The Conine trade leaves the Phillies with a hole in their outfield.

The Phillies will be looking to add a left-handed hitting outfielder with power. It’s unlikely the Phillies will get that player in a trade. The Phillies don’t want to trade Minor League talent depleting their farm system, like they did last season when they sent Robinson Tejeda to Texas for David Dellucci. The Phillies one trade chip is Jon Lieber. The Phillies would like to trade him for a set up man, but they might get a trade partner to throw in left handed bat. Another possible solution for the Phillies is to promote from within the organization.

The Phillies have two talented center fielders in the farm system already. Chris Roberson and Michael Bourn are both prized prospects. They have similar tools; both have speed, good defense, and project to hit around .300. Roberson is further along in his development, but Bourn is considered to have a higher ceiling in terms of talent. Roberson who right now is playing winter ball in Mexico is hitting .277 with 5 HRs, 22 RBIs, 44 Runs, and 10 SBs in 231 ABs. Bourn hit .277 with 5 HRs, 41 RBIs, 96 Runs, and 45 SBs in 470 ABs at both AA Reading and AAA Scranton last season. Neither of these players provides much power, which will probably hurt their chances of making the team. While utilizing the farm system is a possibility the most likely source for the final Phillies Outfielder will be free agency.

There are a number of free agents who remained unsigned. Among those free agents Ricky Ledee, Steve Finley, and Jeromy Burnitz stand out. Ledee who struggled last year (batting .188) but played well for the Phillies from 2002-2004 (hitting 28 HRs in 581 ABs in a utility out fielding role). While not the most talented of the group, Ledee could be a solid fit. Finley and Burnitz have both chosen in past seasons to sign with bad teams where they could get more of an opportunity to play. Perhaps one of these players could be drawn to sign with the Phils if they want a chance to play for a winning team. Finley is a solid offensive player with 303 career HRs who can also steal a few bags. Finley a center fielder could play all three-outfield positions, potentially providing flexibility to Charlie Manuel. Burnitz is a power bat through and through. He will strike out a lot and also hit his home runs. Burnitz can play in the corner outfield positions. If the Phillies could convince either Finley or Burnitz to sign they would give the Phillies a strong left-handed bat, strengthening the Phillies bench.

Sources:
Phillies send Conine to Reds
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

Reds send pair of minor-leaguers to Philly for Conine
Associated Press

Picture of Jason Werth from ESPN.com