Mr. Gillick's To-Do List

One Phan's Thoughts on Getting the Phillies to the Next Level

RUBEN AMARO Jr. may be calling his favorite printer and asking her to ready new business cards, but for now Pat Gillick remains the man charged with returning the Phillies to the postseason and advancing them further than a three-game, first-round sweep. Now that the euphoria of the division title has faded, it's time to compile Gillick's off-season to-do list. In no particular order:

1. Decide on Brett Myers's role once and for all. With Joe Torre gone from the Yankees, Mariano Rivera says he'll look to leave the Bronx, and there are whispers that the Phils may be interested. If Rivera ended up in Philadelphia, Myers would return to the rotation. I think he did a good enough job in the closer's role to warrant keeping him there, but with only one starter who was a reliable option for the entire season, the Phillies could certainly use Myers pitching seven innings every fifth day as well. Either way, they need to figure out what he is so that he can prepare himself mentally and physically beginning in spring training.

2. Fix the bullpen. Tom Gordon's injury history makes him unreliable. J.C. Romero is going to want big bucks based on his second half, and while I'd hate to see him walk, relievers -- especially those that don't close -- are simply too inconsistent from year to year (see Madson, Ryan, and Cormier, Rheal) to warrant breaking the bank on. And then there's the issue of who fills the gap between the chronic fifth inning fade by the starter and the Romero/Gordon appearance in the seventh or eighth. The Phillies have juggled a lot of different guys in this spot over the last few years and have never gotten it just right.

3. Hire a goddamn chiropractor. If the team's only reliable starter, a guy who could play on All-Star teams for the next decade, who's a consensus pick to toss a no-hitter at some point, says that he'll stay healthier with the help of a chiropractor, then for Christ's sake get him a chiropractor. Cole Hamels is the future of the rotation; keeping him healthy and happy should be a priority.

4. Bring back Aaron Rowand, but only if the price is right. The hard-nosed center fielder had a terrific season, one which he's highly unlikely ever to repeat. If he wants the kind of scratch his career number would warrant, pay up. If he wants the kind of scratch last season alone would warrant, let someone else overpay him. But how, you ask, would the Phillies replace his offense? Easy:

5. Sign or trade for a real third baseman. The paltry production the Phils got from the hot corner last season has been mitigated by Chase Utley's atypically high contribution from a position that's usually more defensively oriented. Letting Rowand walk in favor of, say, Shane Victorino would be mitigated by the offense the team would get from Mike Lowell or Garrett Atkins, the two names mentioned most often. Lowell would be the sexy choice, given his terrific 2007 and his World Series MVP performance, but I'd opt for Atkins -- he's younger and has more upside.

6. Deal Pat Burrell while you can. Burrell rediscovered his hitting stroke and seemed to have fun last year, and he's entering his walk year, which means the nice numbers should continue next season. Take advantage of that and deal him now, while you can get something worthwhile for him. Burrell just turned 31 but moves as if he's 10 years older; injuries and moodiness are likelier in his future than home run titles.

7. Make a play for Curt Schilling. Ed Wade's famous quote that Schill was a horse every fifth day and a horse's ass the other four rings true, but if he's healthy -- a big if, and one I'm not sure the Freddy Garcia-hoodwinked Phillies can adequately address -- he's a better option than, say, Adam Eaton. He's smart, he wants the ball, he knows how to pitch, and he could join Jamie Moyer in mentoring the younger members of the staff, Myers in particular.

So there you have it. Seven easy steps to a pennant next year. If Mr. Gillick is reading, you're welcome for the advice, and feel free to send complimentary tickets my way any time.