1 With no Jayson Werth, who gets penciled in as the right fielder?
Think about it: Assuming Werth leaves, how do the Phillies re-arrange their outfield? Conventional wisdom says to re-sign Ben Francisco and platoon him with Domonic Brown in right field. A better option is to make Brown the everyday starter and platoon Francisco in left, with an aging Raul Ibanez.
2 Who does Charlie go to when games are in the balance?
Think about it: When Charlie Manuel called for Roy Oswalt in a crucial relief spot in Game 4, it showed just how much he trusted his bullpen. Not very much. With Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Jose Contreras and David Herndon all expected to walk, who does the dirty work? The Phils can’t afford to overwork Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge.
3 We know Jimmy Rollins wants to bat leadoff, but is that the best spot?
Think about it: Yes, he was slowed by injuries all season, but his pop and pitch selection seemed better positioned further down Manuel’s lineup card. Compare his .241 average out of the leadoff spot with his .357 in the No. 6 hole. And his on-base percentage was 72 points higher.
