The Phillies have signed 34-year old righty starting pitcher Brandon Duckworth to a minor league deal. He pitched in 20 games (19 starts) in AAA-ball last season and he was 3-6 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Duckworth last pitched in the majors during the 2008 season with the Royals. He has now pitched in 134 games (84 starts) in his major league career and he is 23-24 with 1 save, a 5.28 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Duckworth began his major league career in 2001-03 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched in 65 games (58 starts) in his career with the Phillies and he was 15-18 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Duckworth will report to minor league camp instead of spring training so he will have to work very hard to make it to Philly at some point in 2010.

The Phillies have signed 31-year old righty reliever Jason Standridge to a minor league deal. He pitched in only 6 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last season and he was 0-0 with a 7.82 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP. He has not pitched in the majors since the 2007 season with the Royals. He has now pitched in 80 games (9 starts) in his major league career and he is 3-9 with a 5.80 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. Don’t expect much out of him in 2010.

3B Mike Schmidt played his whole career (18 years) with the Philles in which he was a 12-time All-Star who won 10 Gold Gloves. Schmidt played in 2,404 games in his career and he was 2,234 of 8,352 (.267 avg, .908 OPS) with 1,506 runs scored, 548 homers, 1,595 RBIs and 174 stolen bases. He is the all-time leader for the Phillies in games played, hits, runs scored, homers and RBIs. Schmidt led the N.L. in homers 8 times, runs scored 1 time and RBIs 4 times in his career. He also won three MVP Awards in the N.L. in 1980, 1981 and 1986. In 1980, Schmidt played in 150 games in which he was 157 for 548 (.286 avg, 1.004 OPS) with 104 runs scored, 48 homers, 121 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He followed that up in the strike year of 1981 by playing in 102 games in which he was 112 for 354 (.316 avg, 1.080 OPS) with 78 runs scored, 31 homers and 91 RBIs. In 1986, Schmidt played in 160 games in which he was 160 for 552 (.290 avg, .937 OPS) with 97 runs scored, 37 homers and 119 RBIs. Mike Schmidt was one of the best Philadelphia Phillies players of all time and that’s why he is in Cooperstown, N.Y. forever.

The Philadelphia Phillies will have the same line-up going into 2010 except at 3B where Placido Polanco is a upgrade over Pedro Feliz. Here is what the starting line-up would look like if the season started next week:

C-Carlos Ruiz
1B-Ryan Howard
2B-Chase Utley
SS-Jimmy Rollins
3B-Placido Polanco
LF-Raul Ibanez
CF-Shane Victorino
RF-Jayson Werth

This is the best offensive line-up in the National League without a doubt. The Phillies are ready to go as far the line-up is concerned for the 2010 season.

The Phillies have signed 29-year old righty reliever Ehren Wasserman to a minor league deal. He pitched in 43 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 7-3 with 1 save, a 3.68 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Wasserman has also pitched in 57 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. This was a good low risk signing as Wasserman has been a dominating pitcher in his minor league career.