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Will the Phillies sign a big arm?

Cole Hamels had an excellent 2012 season, but the Phillies can no longer lay claim to the best rotation in baseball.

Jason Arnold

After a stellar 2011 season, the Philadelphia Phillies' starting rotation stumbled in 2012. Bob Brookover at the Philadelphia Inquirer provides a good look into some of Philadelphia's options.

The Phillies could choose to stick with their younger pitchers, like Vance Worley, Tyler Cloyd, and Kyle Kendrick. These three would be joined by veterans Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee.

Alternatively, the Phillies could look to sign a free agent starter. Brookover gives readers an excellent overview of the top free agent pitchers. Here's a sample:

Jeremy Guthrie, Kansas City. The 33-year-old righthander's strong finish with the Royals (5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts) makes the former first-round draft pick intriguing.

Pros: His velocity ticked upward after he moved to the Royals from the Colorado Rockies in midseason.

Cons: Guthrie struggled with the Rockies in the only National League pitching stint of his career.

Click here to read the whole article.