Phillies Looking to Bolster Bench

Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the team will address defense when working to improve their bench this off-season.

With righthanded-hitting outfielder Ben Francisco and lefthanded-hitting infielder Greg Dobbs under contract for 2010, the Phils will seek three additions to their bench: a replacement for Matt Stairs; a utility infielder more productive than Eric Bruntlett; and a backup catcher.

The team is not opposed to bringing back Stairs, Paul Bako, and infielder Miguel Cairo for spring training next season on minor-league contracts, but they are looking for more of an everyday rotational player. Some of the names mentioned include Juan Uribe (San Francisco Giants), John McDonald (Toronto Blue Jays), and Bobby Crosby (Oakland Athletics).

The team is set at every position so getting a player like Marco Scutaro or Mark DeRosa will not work.

More on the Phillies bench depth needs here.