The Animals look to be contenders once again, after posting two straight 90+ win seasons, and 3 out of the last 4.Positional battles: After John Maine's dismal spring (1-1, 16.20), management lost confidence in him and brought in Newark castoff David Bush. Bush pitched solidly in his only spring start as did Chris Sampson, a reclamation project from Vancouver. One of the two could claim the 5th starter job, but Philly is likely not done scouring the scrap heaps.
Pre-season surprises/disappointments: The Animals have to like what they've seen from trade acquisitions Scott Kazmir (2-1, 2.28, 36 K in 27.2 innings) and Shawn Marcum (2-1, 2.09, also 36 K, but in 38.2 innings). The bullpen combo of Dan Wheeler, Octavio Dotel, and Francisco Cordero has been lights out, surrendering only 2 earned runs in 28.1 innings. Matt Cain has struggled so far with an 8.10 ERA in 5 starts.
Catcher John Baker leads the team with a .391 average to go along with a nice .968 OPS. Brian Roberts locked up the second base job by hitting .375/.445/.510 with 15 runs scored. His backup, Jose Lopez, has been impressive in his limited at bats, hitting 4 homers in only 35 at bats (.743 slugging also).
Roster outlook: The Endzone Animals have been the most active team on the waiver wire. They've claimed four players off other teams' waivers and signed another four players. They have 37 total players, including 5 ineligibles. A few of those ineligibles will likely be cut, with keeper Yovani Gallardo the only sure thing. Once Philly sorts out their rotation, expect several starters to be cut as well. Waiver claims Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Sweeney are also on thin ice.
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