Five Things From the MLB Offseason You May Have Forgotten About

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Major League Baseball offseason began following the last pitch of the World Series Game 7 matchup on Nov. 1, and ended upon the official reporting of pitchers and catchers to spring training camp, Feb. 14 for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 105 days that came and went between these two events — accounting for 28.8 percent of the calendar year — allowed time for players to relax and spend valuable time with their families. In between, there were also annual awards announcements and dinners, Hall of Fame ballot results, winter meetings and important deadlines for salary arbitration and non-tendering of players.

Thus, the Major League Baseball season essentially never stops, and there may have been some moves that occurred in between that you missed or forgotten about as a result. The following are five transactions, or the lack thereof, that occurred this past offseason involving current and former members of the Phillies organization.

1. Ruben Amaro Jr., First Base Coach, New York Mets

Former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. signed with the New York Mets on Thursday, Nov. 2 to be their first base coach. Amaro spent seven seasons as the Phillies general manager from 2009-2015 following a decade working in the club's front office. Amaro Jr. served as the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox in each of the last two seasons, but was let go following the firing of manager John Farrell on Oct. 11.

Amaro Jr. is wearing No. 20 in Mets camp, the number his father donned as a Phillie from 1960-1965. Amaro Jr. first wore No. 20 as a member of the Cleveland Indians in 1995 where he batted .200/.273/.300 in 28 games and 68 plate appearances. The Phillies retired Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt's No. 20 in 1990, hence likely why Amaro wore Nos. 33 and 37 with the Phillies in 1992-1993 and 1996-1998, respectively.

The Mets and Amaro Jr. will enter the 2018 season as one of three National League East teams under charge of a rookie manager — Mickey Callaway — joining the Phillies' Gabe Kapler and the Washington Nationals' Dave Martinez.

2. Matt Stairs, Hitting Coach, San Diego Padres

Former Philadelphia Phillies World Series champion, broadcaster and hitting coach Matt Stairs joined the San Diego Padres as their hitting coach on Oct. 30. Stairs spent one season playing for the Padres in 2010, following his two-year stint with the Phillies from 2008-2009.

The Padres have already benefited from Stairs' expertise, with manager Andy Green saying on Feb. 14 that the 19-year Major League veteran's message "resonates" with the club. "He’s incredibly positive and communicates well," Green said. "I think he is going to have an impact on our guys.”

Stairs will have a couple of familiar veteran faces from the Phillies to work with this spring — shortstop Freddy Galvis and catcher A.J. Ellis. The club acquired Galvis from the Phillies on Dec. 15 for right-hander Enyel De Los Santos, and signed Ellis to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp on Feb. 14. Galvis, 28, avoided arbitration with the Padres in his final year of eligibility by agreeing to a one-year, $6.825 million contract on Jan 12. 

As the Phillies' hitting coach in 2017, Stairs helped the Phillies to a 10-point and 14-point increase in batting average and on-base percentage, respectively. Galvis has already credited Stairs this spring with helping him to a career-best .309 on-base percentage last season, per The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee.

3. Pat Neshek, Philadelphia Phillies

Remember the Phillies' lone All-Star in 2017 — right-hander Pat Neshek — who was later dealt to the Colorado Rockies on July 26 for minor-leaguers Jose Gomez, J.D. Hammer and Alejandro Requena? Well, it appears the Phillies netted four players out of the transaction heading into the 2018 season, as they reunited with the 37-year-old to a two-year, $16.25 million contract on Dec. 13.

In 43 games with the Phillies last season, Neshek's 1.12 ERA (5 ER, 40 1/3 IP) was the club's third-lowest single season ERA in club history, minimum 40 innings pitched. The sidearmer did not allow a run in any of his 23 appearances at Citizens Bank Park, and was the club's first non-closer reliever to be named an All-Star since Joe Hoerner in 1970. He threw scoreless appearances in 41 of his 43 outings overall, holding opponents to a .199 average (28-141).

Entering 2018, Neshek will again provide veteran leadership this season for a young Phillies bullpen. He will be aided in that process with 31-year-old veteran RHP Tommy Hunter, who also signed to a two-year deal with the Phillies on Dec. 15, worth $18 million.

Neshek was a member of the 2017 World Baseball Classic champions, Team U.S.A., tossing five scoreless innings in as many games. In 28 games as a Rockie, Neskek went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings. 

4. Carlos Tocci, Texas Rangers

Outfielder Carlos Tocci, the once-ranked 16th-best prospect in the Phillies' organization by MLB.com, was plucked this offseason in the December Rule 5 draft. The Chicago White Sox selected Tocci with the fourth pick, and soon after dealt him to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations.

The Phillies signed Tocci out of Venezuela at age 16. In 130 combined games and 528 plate appearances between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2017, Tocci hit .294/.346/.381 with 19 doubles, seven triples, three home runs and 52 RBIs. In the recent 2017-2018 Venezuelan Winter league, Tocci produced a .314/.360/.443 slash in 18 games.

Tocci must make the Rangers Opening Day roster and remain on the big league club for the entirety of the season, or be offered back to the Phillies. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram describes how Tocci may fit in with the Rangers in 2018:

The Rangers could very well have a three-man bench and a six-man rotation. One of the bench players will be a catcher, and one will be a utility infielder who can play shortstop. …  That leaves one spot for a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter. No sweat, right? … Well, the catcher is non-negotiable and the infielder at this point is going to be Profar, who has no minor-league options remaining. The Rangers might not have an everyday player in left field, but a platoon instead. … In that case, Tocci would have to be the right-handed-hitting compliment to, presumably, Willie Calhoun or Drew Robinson, who can play center field. But the Rangers have always liked Ryan Rua, and Trevor Plouffe says that he can play left field, too.

With a logjam in the outfield, the Phillies did not find a need to protect Tocci and place him on the 40-man roster. Rhys Hoskins, Aaron Altherr, Odubel Herrera and Nick Williams will share time between the three positions in 2018. Dylan Cozens and Roman Quinn also are on the 40-man roster and are battling for bench positions this spring.

5. Ten Years Later: The Signed and Unsigned Players from the 2008 Phillies Championship Team

The 2018 season will mark the 10-year anniversary since the 2008 Phillies captured the second World Series championship in franchise history in defeating the Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite the decade-long gap since closer Brad Lidge's iconic strikeout of Eric Hinske, there are some players from the Phillies' roster that remain active this spring:

• LHP Cole Hamels, 34 years old: The 2008 World Series Most Valuable Player is preparing for his third full season with the Texas Rangers. In 68 starts as a Ranger, Hamels is 33-12 (.733) with a 3.68 ERA. The southpaw was 114-90 (.559) in 295 games with the Phillies from 2006-2015.
• LHP J.A. Happ, 35 years old: Happ poses to be the Toronto's second starter in the rotation behind RHP Marcus Stroman. He threw a scoreless inning on Sunday in his spring debut against the Detroit Tiges. The Peru, Illinois native has played for the Houston AStros (2010-2012), Blue Jays (2012-2014, 2016-2018), Seattle Mariners (2015) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2015) since leaving the Phillies, combining for a career 92-76 record and 3.93 ERA through 253 games and 228 starts. Happ finished sixth in the American League Cy Young Award race in 2016, with an impressive 20-4 record and 3.18 ERA over 195 innings.
• RHP Ryan Madson, 37 years old: Madson has only played in three seasons since last appearing with the Phillies in 2011 due to injuries. He was extremely effective for the Washington Nationals last season, going 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA in 20 relief outings. Madson will return for a second season in the nation's capital as the set-up man to closer Sean Doolittle.
• INF Chase Utley, 39 years old: Utley recently re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to a two-year, $2 million contract. Assuming he makes the club's Opening Day roster, Utley will be appearing in his 16th major league season and his third full campaign donning Dodger blue. The six-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner has appeared in 22 postseason games with the Dodgers from 2015-2017.

While four former World Series champion Phillies in Hamels, Happ, Madson and Utley are gearing towards another season, there remains seven players who have yet to retire and likely would still entertain latching onto another club if given the opportunity: Joe Blanton (37 years old), Ryan Howard (38 years old), Kyle Kendrick (33 years old), Jimmy Rollins (39 years old), Carlos Ruiz (39 years old), Shane Victorino (37 years old) and Jayson Werth (38 years old).

Read: Ryan Howard 'not officially retired,' yet focusing on life beyond baseball with SeventySix Capital

Perhaps some of these unsigned, former Phillies champions will partake in the Major League Baseball Players Association union-run camp in Bradenton. Kendrick is already reportedly among the "30 major league free agents" already reported to this camp, according to NBC Sports Boston.

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Clearly, a lot has happened this offseason around Major League Baseball as it pertains to arriving and departing members of the Phillies. Regardless of their final destination, the Phillies alumni group continues to grow, disperse and leave a positive impact throughout the league.