The Fan Hub

The contract situation of starting pitcher Cole Hamels has received the bulk of the attention regarding the future of the Philadelphia Phillies, and deservedly so. As a former NLCS and World Series MVP who is coming off of a career year, and also happens to be the Phillies only stud pitcher under the age of 30, retaining Hamels after his contract expires this year is crucial for the Phillies to remain contenders going forward. But he’s not the only pending free agent, as All-Star centerfielder and fan favorite Shane Victorino is also due to hit the open market after the 2012 season.

Victorino will be 31 this season and is in the final year of a 3-year, $22 million deal. He’s also coming off a career season in which he reached career highs in triples (a league-leading 16), slugging (.491), and OPS (.847) despite only playing in 132 games due to injuries. But while the Flyin Hawaiian has endeared himself to fans with his hard-nosed play, he will likely end up commanding a significant raise come the offseason, and might not be worth another long-term deal.

Victorino, despite winning three Gold Gloves, has always been a bit overrated as defensive centerfielder, and is coming off of a season in which he was dead-last among all centerfielders with a range factor of 2.32. And as an offensive player he is extremely reliant on his legs, which are always the first things to go as a player ages. It all adds up to the Phillies probably not trying to extend Victorino during the season (unlike Hamels), though they could certainly bring him back if the market for him doesn’t produce any big offers.