Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the team is "actively exploring alternatives" to third baseman Pedro Feliz before deciding whether or not to pick up his option, according to Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"More than anything else, we want to see what options may be out there for us and decide whether picking his option up is best suited for this club to try to move forward," Amaro said.
"He had a solid year for us," Amaro said. "I like the man personally. He's a great person and a great teammate, but I also believe in trying to improve, and sometimes change can be for the better. It doesn't necessarily mean we're going to, but it's just something that we're thinking about."
The Phightin's must decide whether to pick up Feliz's $5MM option or buy him out for $500K by Monday.
There are several third base options on the free agent market that could pique Amaro's interest. Both Adrian Beltre and Chone Figgins would represent a significant offensive upgrade at the position, and according to UZR/150, they'd even provide a defensive boost over Feliz's already sterling glovework. I'm just throwing two names out there, we haven't seen the Phillies connected to either Beltre or Figgins yet.
