Manuel knows Phillies thinking about deadline

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DETROIT -- The Phillies appear to have come to the crossroads. With Wednesday’s trade deadline looming, the shape of the Phillies’ roster could look a little different next week.

Understandably, that has a few folks on edge around the ballclub. Come July 31, a few players could be on different teams and manager Charlie Manuel says some players are thinking about it.

“It’s different nowadays than it used to be,” Manuel said before Friday night’s game at Comerica Park. “I think guys think about that and where they’re going to be, and that bothers them. I understand that to a certain degree. But yeah, they definitely think about that.”

According to reports, the Phillies will listen to offers on players like Michael Young, Jonathan Papelbon and Carlos Ruiz. They could listen to an offer on All-Star pitcher Cliff Lee, but it would have to be a really good one (see story).

Still, with a 49-53 record and an eight-game deficit to make up in the NL East, it’s not completely over for the Phillies. But it’s not going to be easy, either. Last season, the Cardinals captured the second wild-card spot in the National League with 88 wins, while the Rangers and Orioles needed 93 wins to get the wild-card slots in the American League.

With 60 games remaining, the Phillies have a lot of work to do.

“We have guys hurt and things like that, but I don’t know if that makes any difference or not,” Manuel said. “We have some holes and we have to get better.”

If the Phillies unload some of their veterans, it will make it difficult to contend for a playoff spot, says Manuel. The idea had been for the team to hold the fort until Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay were able to return and then roll the dice.

But if the Phillies break it, there might not be anything to wait for.

“If we have a sell-off, what does it matter if Howard or Halladay [come] back?” Manuel said.

Then again, Manuel does not seem surprised about the Phillies’ predicament.

“I’ve always known what we’ve had. I don’t like to talk about it or criticize a player or anything like that because I think he should play and get a chance,” he said. “If we play right and have the right mindset and attitude, we can do more things than we realize.

“I’m a positive person, but I’m realistic too. I’ve always known what kind of team we’ve had. At one time I think we’ve had some of the best teams I’ve ever been around -- attitude-wise and playing-wise.”

But maybe the Phillies weren’t designed for the long run. Manuel says even the great teams in baseball history were able to sprinkle in some young players with the veterans to ensure that the lineup didn’t get too old all at once.

The Phillies just haven’t had that influx of young talent coming up like they did with guys like Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels.

“Most teams would have one or two young players,” Manuel said. “For four or five years, we had the same lineup. Actually, that was pretty nice for me as the manager. But you look and you’d see a couple of young guys coming up.”

Manuel also hasn’t had much say in the shape of the Phillies’ roster, either, he said. From talks with managers around the league, it appears as if the input from the field has been muted.

“There has been a change in the last five or 10 years,” Manuel said. “You used to have more say as a manager -- you could pick some of your bullpen or pick some of your bench players. Over the last five or 10 years, the front office picks the team and that’s kind of how it’s been.”

The front office also picks the manager and Manuel is coming up on the end of his current contract. Though he says he’d like to manage the Phillies past this season, Manuel knows he’ll have a job somewhere next season. Whether it’s adding to his total as the all-time winningest manager in team history, though, remains to be seen.

“I’ll be somewhere. I have good options,” Manuel said.

“I have to have money like anyone else, but I’m not a money guy. I don’t have to be the highest-paid manager. I just want to be treated fair.”

Quintero a free agent
Backup catcher Humberto Quintero cleared waivers and has elected to become a free agent, the Phillies announced on Friday.

Quintero was designated for assignment this week and could have accepted an assignment to Triple A after clearing waivers. Instead, Quintero will take his chances on finding a job elsewhere.

In 24 games with the Phillies this season, the 33-year-old catcher batted .250 with two homers and nine RBIs. He batted .292 with two homers in eight games for Lehigh Valley.

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