Jayson Stark is reporting that the Phillies are “bearing down” on left handed relief pitching. He says that the top guy right now seems to be 41 year old Arthur Rhodes, who had a great year with the Reds last season pitching to a 2.29 ERA. Still, he is 41 and has already had one awful season in Philadelphia in 2006. In 2006 he went 0-5 with a 5.32 ERA and needed Tommy John surgery afterward.
The other option is former Met Pedro Feliciano. As Stark points out, the best thing about signing Feliciano would be that Chase Utley and Ryan Howard wouldn’t have to face him anymore, the two have hit a combined .208 in 80 at bats against him.
Buster Olney also hears the Phillies are hot for a lefty reliever, but says that would prefer not to sign one that they’d have to surrender a draft pick for like Feliciano.