The Winter Meetings ended yesterday, and here’s what the Phillies have to show for it:

LHP – Travis Blackley
RHP – Lincoln Holdzkom

The two “who’s that?” pickups were taken in fhe Major League round of the Rule 5 Draft, baseball’s annual pickup game of “we’re gonna take your team’s crummy close-to-being-prospect guys.”

The Rule 5 has been around for a long time; in fact, Christy Mathewson was a Rule 5 pickup. Amazing, huh? The game doesn’t have instant replay, yet we’ve had this hodgepodge Minor League castaway draft for 100 years.

Anyway, Blackley is your run-of-the-mill last chance pitcher. He’s a Seattle farmhand (of course) who last pitched with the Giants. He spent much of 2007 with AAA Fresno, recovering from shoulder surgery:

2007 – 162.1 IP, 10-8, 4.66 ERA, 121 K, 68 BB

In San Francisco, he struggled during two starts, but not as badly as the time he spent in Seattle in 2004. There, as a 21-year-old, he managed to post a 10+ ERA and a WHIP over 2. That’s hard to do. He managed to do it.

Holdzkom, meanwhile, had Tommy John in 2003, but since, has been relatively strong in the Boston farm system. In 2007, the 26-year-old pitched fine for AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket:

2007 – 63.2 IP, 5-1, 2.96 ERA, 54 K, 44 BB

Both players would need to be on the Phillies 25-man roster for the entire season to remain Phils. So what are the chances? Probably slim; however, it’s possible we could see one of these guys on the Big League roster all year.

Looking at the rotation, this is the current setup:

SP – Cole Hamels
SP – Brett Myers
SP – Jamie Moyer
SP – Kyle Kendrick
SP – Adam Eaton
RP – Brad Lidge
RP – Tom Gordon
RP – JC Romero
RP – Ryan Madson
RP – Shane Youmans

There’s probably two more spots up for grabs, and even Youmans isn’t penciled in yet. I’d think Mike Zagurski and Scott Mathieson have the inside track, but I could see Holdzkom get a good shot at the ‘pen, considering the guy can pitch. Meanwhile, Eaton’s potential injury could spell him more time than originally planned, giving Blackley a chance to make the roster. He’s been said to get a tryout for the fifth spot in the rotation — he’ll be up against a healthy Eaton, JA Happ and JD Durbin, unless no one else is acquired.

Still, I couldn’t see these two making it all year. Money for nothing.

***

Of course, “money for nothing” has been the mantra of Pat Gillick, Ruben Amaro and the brass upstairs. They don’t want to just throw around dollars to free agents and trading chips. So they’ll take fliers on question marks, has-beens and unproven youth. Now, just to put it out there, these guys do cost money too.

Bottom line is no matter what, winning costs money. Whether you’re signing Andruw Jones to an absurd $18M/year deal, or picking up ex-Pirates, you’re spending. Having one breakout player that could change your team’s position is the same as having six guys who might slightly change your team’s position.

It’s amazing to me how the Yankees and Red Sox, despite all their spending and trading, somehow have the best chips required to grab Johan Santana. How did they get Phil Hughes, Jacoby Ellsbury and Melky Cabrera? How did this happen?

I’ll tell you how — scouting, drafting, coaching.

The Phillies don’t have a great base of prospects. Carlos Carrasco figures to be a solid No. 3 starter; Adrian Cardenas could be an above-average second baseman; Josh Outman has No. 4 starter potential; Kyle Drabek and Joe Savery have huge upsides, but the risks are real. Everything else is a crapshoot — from Golson on down to Carpenter.

The stark truth is the Phillies won’t have Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, Pat Burrell and Kyle Kendrick much longer. These guys are all (excusing Victorino, a Rule 5 guy) draftees, all Phils prospects, all guys made into stars (or close) through the system.

So figure those last two paragraphs — we don’t have the talent in the low levels; we have the talent in the highest level. Repeat that: We don’t have the talent in the low levels; we have the talent in the highest level.

In 2006, the Phils won 85 games. In 2005, they won 88. In 2004 and 2003, 86. In 2001, 86. This team is close. Damn close. And last year they broke the bubble. This year — this year — is the year they’re supposed to break the next bubble. They’re at least — at least — supposed to win the National League. And we’re playing cautious?

We’re worrying about the future?

Newsflash: This team won’t be the same next year. It won’t be the same in 2010. Judging by what’s down in the system, it may very well be worse. So the time is now.

The Winter Meetings showed the Phils lack the cajones to piece together a champion. Instead of going all in for Kosuke Fukudome; instead of putting together a package for one of the higher-tier pitchers (maybe Bedard could’ve been had?); instead of offering Hiroki Kuroda, they did nothing. Now they’re looking to maybe get Kris Benson. Maybe Nate McLouth is part of their plans.

Yes, the market isn’t great this year, but this team won’t be great for much longer. The chemistry is tremendous; the talent is tremendous. It’ll take years to rebuild the farm system no matter what’s the case. It’s still not a good farm system, and it wasn’t four years ago.

I’m worried the Phils are letting the boat drift off without ever giving it enough reinforcements. They could’ve grabbed David Riske for cheaper than JC Romero; instead, he’s a Brewer, and the Phils have Shane Youmans in the bullpen.

Maybe Youmans becomes a stud in 2008. Maybe these Rule 5 guys are lights out. Maybe. But to often the Phillies rely on “maybe,” and too often we get the same results:

89
85
88
86
86

Jimmy Rollins is saying 100 wins for the Phillies in 2008.

100?

Maybe he’s counting Spring Training.