Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 World Baseball Classic is now officially underway, and there have already been some fantastic contests. Still, many of the tournament favorites will not be taking the field until this coming weekend, when Pools C and D begin competition in San Juan and Phoenix, respectively. Pools C and D are comprised of: The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, Italy, and The United States. One primary reason why these pools should be so entertaining to watch is the quantity of star-power, particularly at the plate. Three of these lineups, in particular, stand apart from the others in the tournament. I rank them as follows.

#3 Venezuela

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Infielders

There is a whole lot of depth and flexibility here. It’s not just quantity, though, there’s quality as well. Miguel Cabrera and Pablo Sandoval will be manning the corners, while some combination of Asdrubal Cabrera, Elvis Andrus, Marco Scutaro, and Omar Infante will fill in the middle of the infield.

The Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera was the best offensive player in the MLB this past season, going by wRC+, while the Indians’ Asdrubal Cabrera was top 5 among Major League shortstops. Coming off an MVP season, Miguel Cabrera doesn’t need much introduction. Asdrubal Cabrera’s offensive prowess, on the other hand, may not be quite so well-known. In 2012, the only full time shortstops who put up better seasons with their bats were Derek Jeter and Ian Desmond. It wasn’t an isolated occurrence, either, as only Troy Tulowizki and Jose Reyes have been better offensive shortstops in the last three years combined.

The one player in the Venezuela infield who should be most interesting to follow, though, is Giants’ 3B Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval is coming off a down season that saw him miss significant time due to injury as well as posting an AVG/OBP/SLG line below his career averages in each category. Then there is the weight issue. Sandoval has struggled with his weight in the past, and those problems have reportedly resurfaced again this Spring. When healthy and in-shape, Sandoval is a great offensive third baseman. It will certainly be interesting to see how he looks when he takes the field for Venezuela this weekend.

The Outfielders

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the Venezuela infield possessing the best offensive player in the tournament, Miguel Cabrera, there isn’t much of a dropoff when it comes to the hitting capabilities of its outfield. The starting three will likely be Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez and Arizona’s Gerardo Parra and Martin Prado, all of whom had batting averages and on-base percentages above major league average for outfielders in 2012. Parra (the only player of the three to not to slug above league average) is not quite the offensive threat that Gonzalez and Prado are, but he mitigates some of his shortcomings in the power department by excelling on the basepaths.

Martin Prado possesses an offensive skillset which falls somewhere between Parra and Gonzalez. He is well-rounded offensively, possessing good contact and power tools in addition to adequate speed. Prado has good plate discipline as well, walking at a rate that was almost equivalent to that which he struck out, which helped contribute to a robust .359 OBP (32 points above league average).

Gonzalez was also significantly better at reaching base than league average, getting on base at a clip of .371. Where the Colorado Rockies’ LF really separated himself from the pack, though, was in the slugging department. Gonzalez slugged .510, a healthy 84 points above league average for outfielders. It should be noted that Gonzalez plays his home games in hitter-friendly Coors field, but even so, his park-adjusted numbers were still fantastic. Carlos Gonzalez’s offensive abilities are for real.

The Catchers

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Venezuela has the luxury of having two exceptional offensive catchers. In 2012, the Diamondbacks’ Miguel Montero put up a slash line of .286/.391/.438, while Kansas City’s Salvador Perez posted one to the tune of .301/.328/.471. Both catchers dwarfed the major league averages for catchers, .247/.319/.399.

It is worth noting that one could nitpick each of the two players’ performances, Montero accumulated his numbers while playing half his games in an extreme hitter’s park, while Perez impressed for only a fairly short amount of time, after beginning the season in the minors. Still, the performances remain impressive. Montero’s park adjusted offensive numbers last season were still above league average, and the young Perez should only continue to improve upon his fantastic half season as he continues to mature. Having two offensively gifted catchers will be of significant benefit to the Venezuelan squad.

#2 Dominican Republic

The Infielders

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The DR infield is stacked. It consists of the Jays’ Edwin Encarnacion at 1B, the Yankees’ Robinson Cano at 2B, and the former Miami Marlins duo of Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez at SS and 3B.

Of all qualified 1B, only Prince Fielder had a better offensive season (again, using wRC+) than Edwin Encarnacion last year. At second base, nobody was better than Robinson Cano, and at shortstop, only three players put up better offensive seasons than Jose Reyes (though none of those three came close to the 40 steals Reyes added).

Third baseman Hanley Ramirez is the primary questionmark in the DR infield. After being one of the better overall players in baseball from 2006-2010, Ramirez has seen his production decline in a hurry. This past season, Ramirez posted his worst walk rate since 2007 and the worst strikeout rate of his big league career. The eroding plate discipline, combined with a dropoff in overall power, led to a subpar season by his standards. It will be interesting to see if Ramirez can recapture some of his old offensive ability, but even if he can’t fully return to form, the DR infield still remains the best in the tournament.

The Outfielders

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The dearth of outfield talent is the primary reason why the DR lineup landed at #2 on this list rather than #1. Though the Rangers’ Nelson Cruz and the White Sox’s Alejandro De Aza are good offensive players, they aren’t necessarily stand-outs with the bat. Furthermore, the lack of a legitimate third outfield option to tie it all together makes it difficult to rate the DR outfield highly. The final spot in the outfield will be given to either Ricardo Nanita, Moises Sierra, or Eury Perez, none of which possesses a significant amount of offensive talent. The DR outfield is not quite an offensive liability, but it certainly doesn’t compare to the immense talent possessed by the team’s infield.

The Catchers

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The DR is going with two catchers on their roster, but in reality, it is likely that only one will see any significant playing time. That man is Cleveland Indians backstop Carlos Santana. Despite what seemed like a disappointing 2012 because of a semi-low homerun total (18) and batting average (.252), Santana actually put together a very good offensive season. He walked at an extremely high rate, leading to a .365 OBP, and hit for some decent pop as well, finishing with a slugging percentage 26 points better than league average for catchers.

Because of his size, Santana will likely never have a great batting average on balls in play, which will likely mean low batting averages. Still, with his exceptional ability to draw walks in addition to his raw power potential, Santana remains a great offensive catcher who should only get better in years to come.

#1 USA

The Infielders

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The USA infield is a pretty intriguing bunch. It consists of Mets 3B David Wright, Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins, Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira, Reds 2B Brandon Phillips, and Rays all-around-everything Ben Zobrist. The USA infield is interesting in this sense, David Wright is the best offensive player in the bunch, but not by much. Why — one might ask — is this interesting? Well, because the only other USA infielder who is right there with him, Ben Zobrist, likely won’t even be starting.

With a slash line of .270/.377/.471 last season while playing his home games in an extremely pitcher-friendly ballpark, Ben Zobrist amassed an offensive season that equated to a wRC+ 37% better than league average. The men who will likely be starting over him at 2B and SS (Zobrist can play a little of each), for comparison’s sake, were only 1% better offensively than league average (again, using wRC+). That is not to say Rollins and Phillips aren’t great all around players — they are — but it does go to show how truly underrated Ben Zobrist consistently is.

One USA infielder who should be particularly interesting to keep an eye on is first baseman Mark Teixeira. Teixeira, despite still posting a good offensive season last year, has seen his numbers decline in each individual season since 2008. Much of this decline has to do with a consistently eroding batting average on balls in play. Teams have begun utilizing the shift to neutralize the pull-heavy Teixeira, and the power hitting first baseman hasn’t yet been able to find an answer. In addition to the struggles on balls in play, Teixeira only managed to hit 24 homeruns in 123 games last season. Because he’s on the wrong side of 30 years old, it may be too much to ask for Teixeira to recapture some of his vintage form, but if fully healthy, he should still be able to provide solid offensive value.

The Outfielders

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

This is where the USA team separates itself offensively from the other lineups in the competition. The unit consists of Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton, Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, Baltimore’s Adam Jones, and Boston’s newly-acquired Shane Victorino. The three men who will see the lion’s share of the playing time are Jones, Braun, and Stanton.

Since 2008, Adam Jones has gotten consistently better each year in both WAR and, more pertinent to this offense-based discussion, wRC+. In 2012, his best season to date, Jones saw a significant improvement in the slugging department. He had both his best line drive rate and home run rate since becoming a full time player, leading to a robust .505 slugging percentage. Offensively speaking, Adam Jones is the worst starting USA outfielder, and that speaks volumes to how good the USA outfield is.

Ryan Braun, since the day he became an everyday player in 2007, has been a force at the plate. His career slash line is an obscene .313/.391/.595, and he’s only getting better, besting all three of those career averages in each of the last two seasons. In fact, according to wRC+, over his career, Braun has been exactly 50% better than league average at the plate. Throw in his back to back 30 steal seasons in ’11 and ’12, and it’s safe to include Braun in the discussion of best all-around offensive player in the game.

Now we get to the player whom I consider the main event when it comes to entertainment value at the plate, Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton, as a 22 year old, led the majors in both slugging and isolated power (SLG – BA). He hit 37 homeruns in only 123 games, an extremely impressive feat in MLB’s current, low run-scoring environment. The huge HR and K rates that Stanton puts up might lead a person to believe that he is merely a hacker, and might not provide much in the way of offensive value aside from his massive homeruns. Don’t be fooled, though. Stanton’s .290 batting average last year as well as his .361 on-base percentage were both well over league average. Make sure you keep an eye on the big boy, he can do it all.

The Catchers

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Team USA’s group of catchers consists of Minnesota’s Joe Mauer, Milwaukee’s Jonathan Lucroy, and Toronto’s J.P. Arencibia. More than likely, Mauer will see the strong majority of the playing time, while Lucroy will be first in relief. Mauer is coming off a quietly terrific offensive season. Though his numbers didn’t quite compare to his extraordinary 2009 campaign, his slash line still managed to read .319/.416/.446 — elite numbers when it comes to catchers.

Mauer walks more than he strikes out, and consistently enjoys great on-base numbers as a result. His slugging percentage has never returned to the lofty .587 mark he put up in ’09, but his .446 mark last season was still good enough for roughly 50 points above league average. Mauer plays his home games in a very tough offensive environment and still manages to hit for good power. There are many good offensive catchers in this tournament (Santana, Montero, Molina), but Joe Mauer is likely the best among them.

Closing Thoughts

All three of these lineups (Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and USA) possess a wealth of talent at the plate, and are separated only by a thin margin. Venezuela has great depth, but aside from Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Gonzalez lacks the amount of truly elite bats that the Dominican Republic and United States have. The Dominican Republic’s stacked infield/catcher combination is what positions it just ahead of Venezuela, but its lack of impact outfielders is what keeps the team’s offense from being quite as talented as that of the United States.

Team USA has no real weak spots on offense, and its multitude of elite bats coupled with great all-around depth is what earns its lineup the top spot on this list. However, strange things happen in small samples, so don’t discount any country’s potential for an offensive explosion or drought. Still, if I could choose one lineup to manage out of any competing in the World Baseball Classic, I’d go with Team USA.

Shane Victorino isn’t the answer for the floundering Red Sox. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Well, that’s how things seemed, anyway. A recent flurry of free agent signings show that maybe the team didn’t understand flaunting their financial resources wouldn’t necessarily translate to wins if done in the wrong way, and it’s puzzling that the Sox are headed back in a similar direction. A team that should have been concerned with filling holes relatively cheaply and developing young talent has instead once again turned to the ugly free agent market, and it’s hard to tell whether GM Ben Cherington really believes this plan will work or ownership simply demands big, veteran names to give the public a perception of immediate contention.

Whatever the case, I can’t imagine there are a whole lot of Sox fans out there pleased with the direction the team has decided to take. Sure, there’s plenty of money off the books with the previously mentioned trio now donning Dodger uniforms. But, at the time, the move seemed like a signal that the team wanted to start with a clean slate, not muddle up that very clean slate with more regrettable signings.

The Red Sox decided to answer their terrible 2012 with a few free agent signings, chiefly among them outfielder Shane Victorino and catcher/first baseman/DH Mike Napoli. Both players received three-year, $39 million deals that don’t make a whole lot of sense for the club. Victorino is coming off the worst season of his career, and the only guarantee he offers is good work defensively and on the basepaths. At the plate, his overall numbers are falling and he simply can’t hit right-handers. Given that the majority of pitchers are in fact right-handed, this poses a huge problem. In 2011, Victorino posted a .906 OPS against lefties but just a .629 OPS against righties. Since 472 of his 666 PA came against right-handers, Victorino’s overall numbers suffered immensely.

Napoli offers very formidable power, and he can certainly draw a walk, but there are other aspects of his game that leave a lot to be desired. His batting average is traditionally low thanks to high strikeout rates and a lack of speed; normally it’s good to have players who don’t depend on average for their OBP to be respectable, but Napoli’s can sink down around the Mendoza line if he’s not careful. This wouldn’t be nearly as much of a problem if he could actually catch as he has in the past, but Napoli doesn’t seem likely to get much time behind the dish. He’s dealt with injuries, he’s getting older, and he was never exactly Johnny Bench back there in the first place.

These moves aren’t going to make Boston the team to beat in the competitive AL East. There are too many other organizations making better decisions and thus sporting better rosters. The Yankees are largely unchanged from their solid season in 2012, and even if they’re aging there is a lot of talent on that roster. The Rays are always consistently good, and the nucleus there will be competitive so long as the holes in the lineup are filled in some capacity. The Blue Jays managed to get a blockbuster deal done with the Marlins and have supplemented the talent they already had with a whole lot more. Even the Orioles are better than they have been in recent years and coming off a rare playoff berth. If the Red Sox want to contend, they aren’t going to do it with injury risks, veterans past their prime, and desperation moves. Then again, shouldn’t they already know that?

If Brian’s writing strikes your fancy, read his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @vaughanbasepct.

Also added in recent weeks has been Jonny Gomes, no doubt seen primarily as a back-up outfielder and back-up designated hitter. He is a guy who can be valuable in certain spots.

Free agent Mike Napoli has left the Texas Rangers for a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The 2012 season was one of the great disasters in recent franchise history. The manager and the players didn’t get along. Players didn’t get along with other players. The team had more injuries than it had suffered in 40 years. Management decided that new faces and a new attitude were needed to revive a team that already seemed to be feeling a hangover from the sour finish of 2011 when the squad blew the playoffs that September.

Bringing aboard Mike Napoli with a three-year, $39-million deal seems like a very solid hire. Catching was not a Sox strong point last season. Smart, good move. Bringing in Victorino, also with a three-year, $39 million deal, is less scintillating, but potentially useful. Not a slam dunk either way.

The real thing I wonder about is why the acquisition of Victorino means that Jacoby Ellsbury must go. There’s been a lot of chatter about that the last couple of days. If Victorino is in and Ellsbury is out I’m not sure the Red Sox are any better off. Keeping both of them seems to be a much better idea.

Unless the Red Sox really go all in on chasing down and capturing Josh Hamilton. Hamilton could create mayhem in Fenway Park and his arrival would stir things up big-time in the American League. The main problem with Hamilton is that he wants too much money for too long a time. Last I heard he was sitting on a seven-year, $175 million contract request and not budging when reality dictates that he should not be signed to a deal longer than four years at the most. Hamilton is 31 and turns 32 early in the 2013 season.

Word leaked out from the winter meetings this week that the Red Sox and Hamilton met, although autographs were not exchanged. Hamilton had to at least talk to the Red Sox. He owed it to his swing to explore Fenway Park. I’m not sure what team out there is willing to go to seven years for Hamilton at an annual rate of $25 million. Typically, only the Yankees would be crazy enough to cut a deal of that sort. But the Yankees don’t seem up to such showmanship right now with all of their older, rich players with injuries complicating matters.

There is no other comparable position player prize on the market, so Hamilton does have that going for him. He would do well in Boston, and after dispensing with Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and others the Red Sox do have the money in the war chest. Some might prefer they spend it on a couple of pitchers and keep their options open for later, at the trade deadline if this team has actually jelled and is threatening to win something in 2013.

October 2, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Shane Victorino (8) advances to third on a triple in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Free agent outfielder Shane Victorino had narrowed his choices down to just a couple of teams and the bidding had escalated. According to multiple outlets, the Boston Red Sox have won out and agreed to sign the switch-hitter to a three-year, $37.5 million contract.

Victorino is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career and at age 32, Boston is hoping it was a fluke and not the start of a sever downturn in production. He’s a two-time all-star and can play left or center field. He also shows a good process at the plate as evidenced by his career .341 OBP.

Victorino was drawing serious interest as well from the Cleveland Indians and Indians manager Terry Francona had personally reached out to the former Phillie. In the end, Boston’s willingness to go to three years at such a high average annual value won out. There had been talks earlier this week that Victorino was seeking at least $10 million per year.

Nearly $13 million per year for a guy on the wrong side of his prime and coming off a terrible season? Welcome to the new economics of baseball.

With Victorino in the fold, Boston is likely no longer in pursuit of free agents Josh Hamilton and Cody Ross.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants are six other teams involved in the sweepstakes to add one of the top free agents in the 2012 offseason.

Despite a down year, Victorino was still worth 3.3 WAR due to his continued excellence on defense and on the basepaths. He was one steal away from 40 and played good defense in center field (never easy to do), and that trumps a .321 OBP. He’ll bounce back at the plate, because his BABIP was down from his usual totals. His numbers were actually not bad for a center fielder, but they were still a bit below-average (94 wRC+).

Victorino could even sign before the end of the Winter Meetings given all the interest surrounding him, and it is interesting to hear that the Indians have serious interest in Victorino. We’ll see how things move during the next few days for both sides, and the star outfielder certainly has plenty of options and plenty of money to be gained this offseason.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

It’s almost easy to forget that Victorino played in LA last year. Judging from the .316 OBP he put up, the Dodgers may prefer it that way. Image: US Presswire

Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald says the Phillies have turned their attention away from Victorino, who is looking for $10 million per year, but Jon Heyman tweets that Victornio has plenty of suitors left in the mix.

Victorino has several 3 year offers and at least 1 for 4. many good options.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 3, 2012

Of course, Heyman says nothing of the money being offered and I’d have to assume (or at least hope) that none of these teams would go to $10 million per year for a 32-year-old coming off a .225/.321/.383 campaign. It should be noted that he is just one year removed from a .847 OPS season. Still, Victorino’s main attribute is his speed, not his power, and a three-year deal won’t end until he’s played his age-34 season. Any team giving him a deal of that length is gambling quite a bit that his 2012 was a fluke and not the beginning of a regression stage to Victorino’s career.

Victorino has drawn interest from as many as seven clubs this Winter and is being seriously pursued by Cleveland and Boston. Texas, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay are among the other clubs said to have had some level of interest in obtaining the switch-hitter.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

While Victorino’s numbers did fall short of his norm this past season, he’s still a very productive big league center fielder with game-changing speed on the bases and a very reliable glove in the field. Thanks to these positive attributes, he still managed to contribute 3.3 WAR in 2012 despite a paltry .310 wOBA, and there are few teams who wouldn’t benefit from adding a 3.0 WAR outfielder to their roster over the offseason.

While there’s no telling at this point where Victorino could end up, one thing seems certain: it’s extremely unlikely he returns to the Dodgers. Los Angeles seems to have their outfield planned for next season barring a trade of Andre Ethier, something the organization has explicitly stated they aren’t looking to do. The Reds, Indians, Rangers, and Red Sox have all been linked to Victorino, who will doubtlessly look to make a big splash.

Can’t get enough of Spencer? Check out his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @shendricks221.

The bad news culminated on Tuesday at the trading deadline when the Phillies officially waved the white flag of surrender to their fans and the baseball world by shipping out Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence to other teams accompanied by deep sighs and the recognition that the 2012 season is not going to end in the World Series, but more likely in last place in the National League East.

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Shane Victorino, the Flyin' Hawaiian, has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE)

Phillies to the Dodgers yesterday before the deadline for Josh Lindblom and Ethan Martin.  Victorino has been a mainstay of the Phillies, but Philadelphia is going a different direction and trying to rebuild without spending too much more money.

Victorino is a two-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner.  He is hitting .261/.324/.401 with 9 home runs this year.  He hit 17 home runs last season.  In his career, Victorino, a 31-year old outfielder, has hit .277/.342/.434.

Victorino is a free agent at the end of the season and the Dodgers will owe just about $3.5 million of the $9.5 million he is making this year.

The Dodgers gave up Lindblom, a 25-year old reliever with a 2.91 career ERA, and Ethan Martin, a 23-year old minor league pitcher.  Lindblom has tossed 47 2/3 innings this season and has a 3.02 ERA.  He’s already been worth almost 1.0 WAR according to Baseball Reference.  Martin has pitched in four minor league seasons.  This year, he has started 20 games and has a 3.58 ERA.  In his minor league career, Martin has a 4.91 ERA.

The Dodgers, under new ownership, have been spending plenty to improve their team this year.  They had already acquired Hanley Ramirez and Brandon League prior to yesterday’s deadline.  Now, with Victorino’s addition, they have again improved their offense.  Los Angeles is in the midst of a three-way pennant race with the Giants and Diamondbacks in the National League West.

A long-term deal for Cole Hamels means other changes need to be made in Philadelphia. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports via US PRESSWIRE

Keeping a star like Hamels around is always a plus, but doing so likely means that the Phillies will need to give him a five or six year deal with an average annual value north of $20 million. Considering that awful Ryan Howard contract is just now in the infancy stages and other names like Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence will need new contracts of their own soon, would worrying about Hamels be the right thing to do? I think so. Aces Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are aging and won’t be around forever; Hamels offers the organization a starting pitcher in his prime with the skill set to age gracefully. Even if Hamels does experience a drop in velocity as he gets older, his success is so contingent on an excellent change-up that it’s doubtful his level of performance would dip much over the next half-decade.

Obviously there is no way the team will be able to afford long-term deals with Hamels, Victorino, and Pence. Hamels and Victorino both find themselves without a contract at season’s end, while Pence hits Super Two status and is nearly done with his arbitration phase. Of these three players, all of whom have big names, Hamels is the most valuable and should be the priority going forward. Since his breakout in 2007, Hamels has asserted himself as a consistent 4-6 WAR player when healthy, and his injury troubles are well behind him at this point. Still about 17 months shy of turning 30, Hamels is a good bet to provide this kind of production for the length of contract he is expected to command.

As for Victorino and Pence, there is plenty of evidence to suggest neither possesses the skill set their names might suggest. Victorino will turn 32 before the start of the 2013 season, and he’s having what is easily the worst season of his career thus far. Just a year removed from a fantastic 2011 (.279/.355/.491, 5.2 WAR per Baseball Reference), it’s important to realize that Victorino’s last campaign was actually the only one in his career that was markedly above average for his position at the plate. Much of the buzz generated around Victorino centers around his personality, speed, and defensive ability. As he ages, much of his value is likely to deteriorate.

Hunter Pence is just 29-years-old, and while he’s been consistently above average (at least per OPS+) for his position, there are certainly other factors to consider. Pence is not an elite player; he owns a career .829 OPS, UZR has his defensive work slipping across the last two years, and he will likely be in line for a contract above what his abilities warrant. Plus, do the Phillies really need to invest in any more offensive players as they plod along past their primes?

Victorino has already been mentioned as a possible trade candidate as the deadline approaches, and I think the Phillies should seriously consider actively trying to ship out Pence as well. The team has no chance at recovering in 2012, and a solid return for these two players could net much-needed help for the farm system. While the Phillies have the resources available to them to spend big on the free agent market, they could maximize their damage by regrouping and growing from within. Imagine what this team would look like should they develop a few homegrown prospects (much like they once did) to go with their expensive veterans?

Cleaning house on the offensive side of the ball could open up room in the Hamels negotiations, allow the farm system to return to relevancy, and even allow the club to take a look at other avenues. Why not kick the tires on intriguing free agents at positions in which there is no immediate sign of help? You know, make offers to guys who are likely to actually earn or exceed the money the team is paying them? The Phillies don’t need to rebuild; their rotation will still look pretty good next season, especially if Hamels is re-signed. But they do need to re prioritize and retool. Cashing in a few of their chips now could be a big step in the right direction.

If Brian’s writing strikes your fancy, read his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @vaughanbasepct.