J.C. Romero News

The newest bullpen addition could be veteran Danys Baez, who pitched for the Orioles last year.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said late last week that the Phillies probably would sign a reliever in a couple weeks, sometime after Christmas.

In between countless telephone conversations and meetings about Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, the Phillies had an important issue simmering on the back burner: The bullpen.

The Phillies made official what was pretty evident all along, exercising Jimmy Rollins' $8.5 million option for the 2011 season.

Baseball's annual winter meetings -- and the breathless innuendo attached to them -- came and went last week, and as usual, when all was said and done, much more was said than done.

One of the free agent relievers the Phils were said to have serious interest in, Brandon Lyon, has signed with the Astros for 3 years/$15 million pending a physical, Tweets FOX's Ken Rosenthal .

Before he met Monday with the agents for Chan Ho Park, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

The Phillies moved from meeting to meeting Monday in their search for pitching at the Winter Meetings.

Much of the Phillies ' attention at these winter meetings has been trained on upgrading a top-of-the-line reliever and a back-of-the-rotation starter, with general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

Ruben Amaro Jr. and his top lieutenant, Scott Proefrock, stepped into an elevator at the Marriott and headed across the street for what they described as a "trade meeting" with another team.

Having crossed third base, backup catcher and utility infielder off their shopping list before even picking up their winter meetings room keys, all that's left for the Phillies entourage now is to hum a familiar refrain.

Last year, when the winter meetings were held at the glitzy Bellagio in Las Vegas, Ruben Amaro Jr.

So, now that he has signed a backup catcher and a utility infielder , and secured Pedro Feliz's replacement at third base , what on earth will Ruben Amaro Jr.

Want to know what the Phillies clubhouse looks like on a Tuesday afternoon in December? It's kind of eerie, really.

Free agency begins in earnest on Friday, when teams are allowed to negotiate with and sign players from other clubs.

J.A. Happ already has been named the National League's top rookie by The Sporting News .

Each game is captured in analytical detail by Philadelphia Magazinea s 2008 a oeBest Sportswritera Jason Weitzel, along with photos, behind-the-scenes access and exclusive interviews by Michael McNesby, making this 370-page compendium a must-own for all fans.

Two years ago, the Phillies acquired Brad Lidge from the Houston Astros during the general managers' meetings.

Now that it's over, now that the parade has been canceled and there is no championship left to defend, the Phillies have to be honest with themselves.

Clifford the Big Red Dog was running loose on the mound again, and there wasn't a whole lot the New York Yankees could do to chain him.