Entering Tuesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Phillies maintained that they were not looking outside the organization for infield assistance. Then Michael Martinez was hit by a pitch that broke his foot. This incident has caused trade rumblings to heighten with several sources saying the Phillies are in fact in search of infielders.
Philadelphia already knew they would have to start the season without All-Stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. While Philadelphia doesn’t yet have a timetable in place for Martinez, they are under the impression that he will also begin the season on the disabled list.
Martinez hadn’t been forced into a starting role, but he was the Phillies utility infielder. With rookie Freddy Galvis already slated as Philadelphia’s Opening Day second baseman due to Utley’s injury, many around the game believe the Phillies will increase their efforts to acquire an infielder before the end of spring training.
Several names have been tied to the Phillies this offseason, most recently Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles. While that trade scenario may be more of a long-shot, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com offered a few alternatives yesterday following Martinez’s injury.
The Padres have a pair of infielders they’ve reportedly shopped this offseason in Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson. However, San Diego’s main reasoning for dealing the duo would be to clear salary, and the Phillies are not in a position to take on bad contracts at this point.
Beyond Hudson and Bartlett, Zolecki mentioned Los Angeles Angels infielder Maicer Izturis. The versatile player is a less expensive alternative, but the Phillies may not be convinced he’s that much of an improvement over Galvis.
For this reason, Zolecki speculated that the Phillies could start the season with Galvis as their starting second baseman. If Utley remains sidelined and Galvis proves he doesn’t warrant an everyday role, the Phillies could look to deal for an upgrade before this summer’s trade deadline.
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