Antonio Bastardo News

After a 3 1/2-day search, maybe the Phillies found bullpen help at the winter meetings, after all.

The Phillies are focused on improving their pitching staff, but they do not expect to make any moves before leaving the winter meetings on Thursday.

A few more tidbits from Amaro's briefing: --Amaro on the trading players to free up payroll: "It's possible.

The Phillies have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday to add players to their 40-man roster to protect them from next month's Rule 5 Draft, but there were no expected last-minute additions.

Domingo Santana, of The Phillies also have used prospects in trades, as was the case in 2009 with Lee, 2008 with Joe Blanton and after the 2007 season with Brad Lidge.

The conversation was brief and largely one-sided. Brett Myers was ticked last week over not making the Phillies' National League Championship Series roster, so general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

Before the Phillies ' final workout at home before traveling to New York for the World Series, manager Charlie Manuel continued to deflect questions about his starting rotation.

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Charlie Manuel just spent nearly a half-hour taking questions from the media, and amazingly, we don't have any more concrete answers about the makeup of the Phillies' World Series roster.

Here are the player development origins of the 2009 National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Right now, the Phillies are in evaluation mode. Ruben Amaro Jr. admitted the obvious yesterday, that he and the rest of the decision-makers in the front office and on the coaching staff will not be able to make any final roster or rotation decisions until the conclusion of the American League Championship Series.

Phillies infield coach Sam Perlozzo does not believe that Chase Utley is injured, and worked with the second baseman on throwing mechanics during Tuesday's optional workout.

The Dodgers added all sorts of cool and vital pieces this season. Key reliever George Sherrill .

As Scott Eyre hobbled out of the Phillies' clubhouse late Sunday night, the severity of his sprained right ankle wasn't known.

A young catcher with the Milwaukee Braves, Joe Torre was in his first full season in the big leagues in 1961 when a veteran lefthander, now in the Hall of Fame, boiled down the art of pitching to him in one sentence.

Charlie Manuel made the slow walk to the mound, reached out his hand, took the ball, and patted Cole Hamels on the back.

When Charlie Manuel said his bullpen was his palette for improvisational managing, he wasn't kidding.

Bruised and battered, the Phillies took the fight to the last out, but fell 5-4 to Colorado, who couterpunched their way to a split in Philadelphia.

Lefthander Jamie Moyer checked into Thomas Jefferson University hospital with a blood infection, according to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

Suddenly, the Phillies have an asset, one with a titillating future. Charlie Manuel handed the baseball to lefthanded rookie Antonio Bastardo and told him, "Your best pitch is the fastball." He left the mound and told catcher Carlos Ruiz, "Make him throw the fastball." The bases were loaded with Rockies.