Mayberry in 2012?

[Hornsby]

This guy has been pretty good since his recall...he's got 8 HR's and 26 RBI in 30 games. He's hitting .326 during that span and he's got 6 steals to ice the cake. Any chance that he gets the regular gig next year and pays off like a lottery ticket?

[fuhrdog]

I sure hope so...just picked him up in a 20 team mixer and have been pleasantly surprised.

[joncarlos]

I think the Phillies are going to give Dom Brown the job in left. But I think Mayberry will still have his role as a 4th OF/PH. If anyone gets injured he could be a monster.

[heyelander]

Yeah, he's been the backup CF and first basemen so far this year as well as corner OF. I also think the phillies will give Brown every chance to win the LF spot, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Mayberry pick up more than 300 ABs next year in a LF platoon and covering 3 OF spots and 1B.

[heyelander]

Just read a quote from Amaro saying that they would like to try Mayberry out at 3B in the off-season. Seems like a long shot, but it's interesting enough to hear.

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/rich_hofmann/20110824_Rich_Hofmann__Phillies_like_it_hot_in_Mayberry.html#ixzz1VwfQac6r

"I'm ready and hopefully will continue to be ready for whenever Charlie calls. I'm obviously not in charge of making the lineup. I just come to the ballpark ready to play every day."

He played left when Ibanez got hurt, and he played first base last night while Ryan Howard rested a bum foot. Amaro has raised the possibility, however distant, that Mayberry could get a look at third base in a future season.

When informed of this by reporters, Mayberry, who hasn't played the position since high school, did his best to hide his gulp and said, "Anything that gets me on the field."

[The Dane]

Am I the only one that thinks Domonic Brown is likely to be traded in the offseason? I think Mayberry's "arrival" makes it even more likely. I don't think anyone was all that pleased with what Brown showed in his time up and healthy. He has nothing left to prove in the minors, but he is starting to look like a guy that may need some seasoning to show his promise in the bigs... or worst case, be a AAAA guy. I don't think the Phillies will have the kind of patience with him that he may need. However, he still has enormous trade value. I think he's starting for someone else in 2012. Mayberry, on the other hand, may be permanently stamped with the 4th-OF label, but he is showing the skills growth while in the majors that Brown seems unable to show. You figure Victorino and Pence have CF and RF locked up, but LF is wide open, with all candidates looking somewhat 4th-OFish: Ibanez/Mayberry/Francisco/Brown. I don't think this is an easy call at all.

However, if Mayberry can play 3rd...

[willthethrill]

Yeah, he's been the backup CF and first basemen so far this year as well as corner OF. I also think the phillies will give Brown every chance to win the LF spot, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Mayberry pick up more than 300 ABs next year in a LF platoon and covering 3 OF spots and 1B.

I agree, but foresee 400+ at bats next year.

Brown has to come into ST to try to win a platoon spot. Otherwise, I would not be surprised to see Mayberry get full-time at bats.

[heyelander]

I'm still a big believer in Brown. I think this season was a combination of lack of ABs at the end of last year leading to a bad off-season, then the ST injury and the lingering effects of the injury.

I'm not sure what the Phillies are trading for in the offseason. They might need Bullpen help if Madson leaves, but if they are going to pay for a closer in a trade, they may as well resign Madson. I think this offseason is about deciding whether to resign Jimmy, paying Cole and shedding the contracts of Lidge, Oswalt and Ibanez. They will still have a huge payroll so I'm not sure what they are trading for to take on money. I can't imagine they let Jimmy go and then trade for a SS that is expensive which is the only sort of deal I could see Brown going in. Now if the Rays want to trade longoria or something...

[Erik]

I don't think the Phillies will have the kind of patience with [Brown] that he may need.

I don't agree with this at all. Brown is still valued by management and the coaching staff as a key to the team's future. There's a reason Amaro never traded him when he made all those blockbuster deals. They thought he was the real deal and still do. If anything, the Pence acquisition buys them more time to be patient with Brown, because the fate of their lineup in the near future no longer depends on him becoming a middle-of-the-order hitter immediately.

Brown is also important to the team financially, as it does not want to exceed the luxury tax threshold and needs productive low-salaried players to complement its big-money guys.

As he was in the past offseason, in this offseason he will be given every opportunity to win the LF job or platoon with Mayberry.

The player that Mayberry has made expendable is Ben Francisco.

[The Dane]

I don't agree with this at all. Brown is still valued by management and the coaching staff as a key to the team's future. There's a reason Amaro never traded him when he made all those blockbuster deals. They thought he was the real deal and still do. If anything, the Pence acquisition buys them more time to be patient with Brown, because the fate of their lineup in the near future no longer depends on him becoming a middle-of-the-order hitter immediately.

Brown is also important to the team financially, as it does not want to exceed the luxury tax threshold and needs productive low-salaried players to complement its big-money guys.

As he was in the past offseason, in this offseason he will be given every opportunity to win the LF job or platoon with Mayberry.

The player that Mayberry has made expendable is Ben Francisco.

You could very well be right. The Phillies are very much in WIN-NOW mode, and likely will be for a few more years. If Brown is going to need two years of seasoning to start showing his promise (not a completely outrageous proposition giving what he's shown in the majors so far), he WILL NOT be playing every day in the outfield for a contending team, especially the Phillies. They show real patience with struggling vets, but I don't see the same for young players. If he struggles, he'll sit, and the longer he struggles, the lower his trade value goes. If Brown struggles and Mayberry succeeds (which is merely asking the status quo to continue), I can't imagine the Phillies playing Brown over Mayberry. And Francisco is just cementing his future as a 4th/5th OF.

[Erik]

The Phillies are very much in WIN-NOW mode, and likely will be for a few more years.

Actually, I think they have joined the strata of the Yankees and Red Sox, where the concept of "windows" doesn't apply anymore. This too benefits Brown, as there is no OMG WE HAVE TO GET MORE PRODUCTION IN LEFT FIELD BECAUSE OUR WINDOW IS CLOSING mentality. Amongst management, anyway. Sports-radio callers, of course, are a different beast.

[The Dane]

Actually, I think they have joined the strata of the Yankees and Red Sox, where the concept of "windows" doesn't apply anymore. This too benefits Brown, as there is no OMG WE HAVE TO GET MORE PRODUCTION IN LEFT FIELD BECAUSE OUR WINDOW IS CLOSING mentality. Amongst management, anyway. Sports-radio callers, of course, are a different beast.

Again, you may be right. I am extremely impressed with the Phillies. They seem to just do it the right way. And you are right, this may benefit a potentially-slow-growth Brown. Keep in mind this is all just a negative assumption on my part; I'm not even convinced he's going to need that much time, just that if he struggles and Mayberry doesn't, I don't think the Phillies hesitate to play him over Brown.

We will see. But, with or without Brown or Mayberry, the Phillies will produce, and they will likely make the deals that keep them competitive.

[Erik]

Hmmm... Brown's defense has gotten worse in AAA, and his offense hasn't been good either. It's gotten to the point where he's being booed, which rarely happens at AAA games. Even Phillies AAA games.

If he's still like this in spring training, then Mayberry will definitely be the frontrunner to start in LF in 2012.

[Erik]

This discussion may have been rendered moot by Howard's injury. It's possible that Mayberry could play 1B next year, with Brown in LF, and the offseason dollars spent on Hamels, Rollins (or another SS), and RP.

[willthethrill]

This discussion may have been rendered moot by Howard's injury. It's possible that Mayberry could play 1B next year, with Brown in LF, and the offseason dollars spent on Hamels, Rollins (or another SS), and RP.

Lots of speculation that the Phillies will try to go after a 3rd baseman (no idea who) and move the aged and frail Polanco to a more utility-type role.