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2007 Baseball`s most famous aging hipster, Jason Phillips`s big season with the Mets in 2003 now looks like a one-year fluke; there hasn`t been much evidence before or since that he can hit better than your usual backup catcher. He`s been re-signed for next year as the primary backup to Gregg Zaun. 2005 His 2003 line was batting average-driven, and that it pushed the Mets into the Piazza-to-first mess was a big contribution to 2004's lost season. When Phillips' average collapsed, it took the rest of his offense with him. He's qualified to be a Mike Redmond-level backup catcher, with a little more pop than that. He's not Brian Harper, and even if he were, nothing would have justified messing around with the Mets' best player. 2003 Phillips’s misfortune is that while the Mets would love to have a catcher who could let them move Piazza to first base, it won’t be him. Because of nimble footwork and a snappy release, he controls the running game well, and he has decent power. He’ll make a great backup or part-timer, but that isn’t enough to get him 300 at-bats on a team that needs all the offense it can get. Right around now would be a great time to find another Ed Hearn buyer. 2002 Like Vance Wilson, Phillips is viewed primarily as a defensive catcher, thanks in part to an extraordinarily quick release. The Mets were encouraged by Phillips’s offensive growth in 2001 and see him as part of the team’s future. Keep in mind that by blocking off both infield corners this winter, the Mets effectively locked Piazza in at catcher for the next few years, blocking their catcher prospects. 2000 Phillips reached Binghamton on the strength of his arm and has reasonable power. If he can't or won't hit for a higher average, neither of those things will matter. 1998
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