Phillies' pitchers Kendrick, Worley ready for anything

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Vance Worley spent the winter working out at a 24-Hour Fitness near his home in Sacramento, Calif.

Kyle Kendrick spent the winter working out at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. - in addition to getting married, going on a honeymoon, and taking his parents on a trip to Mexico. Both players entered the offseason thinking they had a legitimate shot at winning the final spot in the Phillies' rotation.

So when news broke that the Phillies had signed Cliff Lee to a 5-year, $120 million contract to fill that spot?

"I was happy," Worley said.

"I was excited," Kendrick said.

Such is life for a young player on a big-market team. You think you have a job. Then you have no idea. And you don't even have the satisfaction of convincing yourself that your bosses messed up. Put Kendrick and Worley in charge of the Phillies' offseason strategy, and what could they have said? No thanks, Cliff, we'd rather give the kids an opportunity?

But all is not lost for the Phillies' young righthanders.

Kendrick enters spring training with the security of a $2.45 million contract he signed after filing for arbitration. Although the contract is not guaranteed until the start of the season - the Phillies would owe him 30 days' termination pay (about $427,000) if they release him before March 15, 45 days' pay if they released him after - the team sounds confident that there will be a role for him somewhere. As long as all five starters remain healthy, the role will likely be in the bullpen, where there are one or two spots open behind the five veterans who have guaranteed contracts for 2011.

"I think Kyle could fill a lot of roles for us," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "He can be that long guy, he can be a spot starter. That's all stuff we'll sort out as we get into this."

Kendrick has spent his entire career as starter. Last year, he went 11-10 with a 4.81 ERA in 31 starts. Factor in a couple of relief appearances and he finished with a career-high 180 2/3 innings pitched. Kendrick's most extensive experience as a reliever occurred in 2009, when he went 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA in seven appearances. He spent most of that season in the minors working on his changeup and slider, two pitches he will need to execute if he hopes to fill the role that was held by current free agent Chad Durbin for the last 3 years.

"I want to work on my slider this spring, keep developing that," Kendrick said. "If I had to pick one [goal], it's keep developing my slider. I've been working on it this winter and it feels good right now."

Worley's slider is his second-best pitch (he's known for his fastball command). In order to break camp with the team, he will likely have to convince the Phillies that he is a better bullpen option than either Kendrick, lefthander Antonio Bastardo or veteran righthander Danys Baez. Worley and Kendrick both have options, meaning they can be sent to the minor leagues without first going through waivers. Kendrick, though, has much more major league experience, having spent 2007, 2008 and 2010 as a starter (he would also be paid his full major league salary in the minors).

Worley, who went 10-7 with a 3.36 ERA in 27 starts at Double A and Triple A, made three relief appearances for the Phillies last season, allowing two baserunners and striking out four in three scoreless innings. He also made a couple of starts, allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk in a 7-1 loss to the Marlins on Sept. 6 before pitching five scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a 7-0 win over the Braves on Oct. 2.

"Anything can happen," Worley said. "All I can do is prepare myself and whatever happens happens. If I don't make the club as a starter, hopefully I'll make it as a reliever. If not, I go down and play in Triple A and wait until something happens. Maybe someone gets hurt and I get an opportunity. You just never know."

Kendrick knows that as well as anybody. Late last spring, the Phillies sent him to minor league camp, but quickly called him back up after Joe Blanton suffered a strained oblique that sidelined him for the first month of the season. Kendrick returned to Lehigh Valley in July but returned without missing a start after Jamie Moyer suffered a season-ending elbow injury.

"I'm used to it," Kendrick said. "Nothing's ever given to you in this game. I'm just ready to go. I feel good. I'm just excited to be here and be part of this team somewhere."

Yesterday, Dubee said Blanton is the definite No. 5 starter, meaning that for the first time in recent memory the Phillies won't have an open starting-pitching competition in spring training. Nobody can blame them. Kendrick and Worley included.

For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at www.philly.com/HighCheese. Follow him on Twitter at

http://twitter.com/HighCheese.