Charlie Manuel arrived at a January news conference at Citizens Bank Park not as a manager, but a symbol.
He had dropped 56 pounds. He was a better man for losing — and not just the weight. Lean Chuck, as he was dubbed, stands as the poster child for a slightly reshaped Phillies team determined to regain the World Series title after getting dethroned by the Yankees in November.
“Our pitching staff is in a lot better position going into spring. We are deeper on our bench as well,” Manuel said. “I am ready to go.”
Did we mention the Phillies acquired Toronto’s Roy Halladay? It cost them ace Cliff Lee, true, but no starting pitcher has been better than Halladay the past few seasons, and he’ll benefit from a move to the lighter-hitting National League. Here is a look at the top NL story lines entering spring training:
1 Can Halladay drive the Phillies to a third consecutive NL crown?Halladay is that rare pitcher who demands respect from teammates and opponents. The Red Sox used to love facing him, said Kevin Youkilis, because “you knew he would stay out nine innings grinding regardless of the stuff he had.” Halladay has never played in the NL. And after this season, he will wonder why he didn’t demand a trade sooner. If healthy, the right-hander from Arvada will make Cole Hamels better, win about 21 games and the NL’s Cy Young. He will also take pressure off a bullpen that needs a cushion. Cherry Creek High School alum Brad Lidge is coming off a terrible season — 11 blown saves — and underwent offseason knee and elbow surgeries. Lidge should be better. If not, it’s doubtful the Phillies will survive another bullpen fiasco this year.
2 Does Matt Holliday’s return make St. Louis the NL favorite?It’s hard to overstate the impact Holliday had after joining St. Louis. In just 235 at-bats, he hit .353 with 13 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .604 slugging percentage. Hitting behind Albert Pujols for an entire season will make Holliday the best MVP candidate besides, well, Pujols. His mind settled by a seven-year, $120 million contract, Holliday should go off for 40 home runs and 125 RBIs, helping steer St. Louis to the NL Central crown.
3 Can the Dodgers overcome front-office drama?The Dodgers insisted that when Frank and Jamie McCourt split up it wouldn’t affect the ballclub. Easy to say, but the offseason was like a bad episode of “Divorce Court.” There was mudslinging, of course, but more important, there was a tightening of the purse strings, which directly affects the on-field performance. The Dodgers can downplay the loss of Randy Wolf, Orlando Hudson and Juan Pierre all they want, but all three were huge contributors last season. Wolf led their staff in quality starts. Los Angeles’ big offseason acquisitions were infielder Jamey Carroll and pitcher Vicente Padilla, not exactly huge moves. That means young pitcher Clayton Kershaw needs to grow up quickly and veteran Chad Billingsley needs to finally light the fire in his belly, or the Dodgers won’t reach the postseason.
4 Will Adrian Gonzalez remain a San Diego Padre?No player has done more damage in the National League West over the past three years than Gonzalez, who has averaged 35 home runs and 106 RBIs. Playing in a hitters’ graveyard on lousy teams, Gonzalez has contended for NL MVP honors. But the lineup around him is about as protective as knit stockings. He walked 119 times last season, after all. With owner Jeffrey Moorad admitting he doesn’t have the money to sign Gonzalez long term, look for the Padres to trade him near midseason. Boston is the best bet to give up a truckload of prospects that general manager Jed Hoyer, formerly of the Red Sox, knows all too well.
5 Will the Mets remain a dysfunctional joke?
Apparently so. This was supposed to be the winter the Mets rebuilt their roster, if not their image. Instead, they took another step backward. They spent all their money on slugger Jason Bay, who proved convincingly in Pittsburgh that he’s a complementary player, not a star. With a ballpark built for flyballs to die, they should have overspent on right-hander John Lackey, pairing him with Johan Santana, grabbed ex-Rockie Jason Marquis and landed a catcher such as Bengie Molina or Yorvit Torrealba. Their alarming inactivity only widened the gap between them and their rival Phillies.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Top National League storylines:
Roy Halladay’s impact: The Phillies already were good, World Series good. Will the addition of the former Blue Jays ace put them over the top?
Matt Holliday’s impact: Will the ex-Rockies star make Cardinals fans forget his dropped flyball with an MVP-caliber season?
Dodgers’ drama: Much to Rockies’ delight, L.A. front office turmoil — pending divorce between the McCourts — kept team from spending on free agents.
Prize trade bait: Padres’ Adrian Gonzalez could be a prize come midseason. Boston has been eyeing the first baseman since last July.
Mets’ dysfunction: A bloated payroll and a miscast roster (Jason Bay leads the charge). What could possibly go wrong?
