I did this once and I decided to do it again. This is an update to the recap I did earlier this month. A whooooole lot has changed since then.

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November 6, 2009- The Phillies picked up Cliff Lee’s 9 million dollar option for 2010. The Phillies traded for Lee and Ben Francisco back in July for Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Jason Knapp, and Jason Donald. Lee went on to have one of the most dominant postseason pitching performences in history, going 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA, in 40 1/3 innings pitched with a strikeout to walk ratio of 11 to 1 (33 Strikeouts, 3 Walks). Needless to say, 9 Million dollars is a steal for the Cy Young winner of 2008.

November 24, 2009- The Phillies signed a 1 Year deal with utility man Juan Castro, worth less than 1 million with a 2011 option. Castro is a career .230 hitter, with 36 career home runs. He will be replacing Eric Bruntlett on the bench. The deal pends a physical, which will be taken Early December after Catro returns from vacation.  

November 25, 2009- The Phils signed a Quartet of players to minor league deals. DeWayne Wise (the guy who made the catch that saved Buehrle’s Perfect Game), Wilson Valdez (Shortstop for the Mets), Andy Tracy (Minor League 1B), and Paul Hoover (Minor League C).

December 1, 2009- The Phillies signed Catcher Brian Schneider, a long-time Phillies fan, to a 2 year 2.75 Million dollar deal. Schneider has been killing the Phils for the past decade, playing for the Expos/Nationals and Mets since his debut in 2000, and always seemed to play his best against the Phightin’. No more of that. Schneider is a lifetime .251 hitter with 59 home runs.

December 3, 2009- Utility man Juan Castro passed his physical, making his 1 year deal official.  

December 3, 2009- The Phillies signed Infielder Placido Polanco to a 3 year, 18 million dollar deal. Polanco was formally Philly’s second baseman before a certain prospect named Chase Utley came around. He was traded to the Tigers in 2005, and became a free agent this season. The Phillies swooped on him when it was announced he was not offered arbitration. The deal has an option for 2013. Polanco is only the third Phillie that is secured through the 2012 season. The other two are Chase Utley and Ben Francisco.

December 8, 2009– The Phillies completed their bench with the signing of outfielder Ross Gload. Gload hit .261 with 6 HR and 30 RBI in 230 at bats with the Florida Marlins. As a pinch hitter in 2009, Gload hit .318. He has played with the Cubs, Rockies, White Sox, Royals, and Marlins in his 8 year career.

December 15, 2009- Ross Gload passed his physical, making his 2 year, 2.6 million dollar deal official.

December 16, 2009- In the biggest trade in Phillies history, the Phillies shipped Cliff Lee to Seattle for Roy Halladay and 3 prospects. The Phillies gave up Lee (to Seattle), top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek (To Toronto), outfield prospect Michael Taylor (To Oakland), and top catching prospect Travis D’Arnaud (To Toronto). The Blue Jays also recieved Brett Wallace (From Oakland) in the deal. The Phillies recieved Halladay (From Toronto), pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont (From Seattle), pitching prospect J.C. Ramirez (From Seattle), and outfield prospect Tyson Gillies (From Seattle). It is, by far, the biggest trade in Philly history. I’m not too sure about Seattle and Toronto, but it must be pretty high up there at the least.