On the same day that Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover of the Inquirer released how they ranked the prospects in the Phillies system, ESPN’s Keith Law released how he ranked the Phillies system relative to the competition.

The result? Fourth-worst.

From Law [ESPN]:

Their highest-ranked prospect on my top 100 (no team was shut out entirely) is the lowest of any team’s highest-ranked prospect. They do, however, have a number of intriguing, high-risk guys from low-A on down, especially on the pitching side.

Said “highest-ranked prospect” is, presumably, Jesse Biddle, who topped Baseball America’s pre-2012 Phillies list. Law’s Top 100 hits tomorrow.

Vesting much in such rankings are, obviously, iffy propositions. But considering some believe that the Phillies moves this offseason (low-risk, short-term) and impeding financial flexibility (off the books will be $54.5 million in 2013 commitments) were to make way for the future, it’s worth noting some scouts’ regard of said future.

In that line of thinking, Biddle would pad a rotation that at year’s end could lose Roy Halladay (free agency), and Lee at the trade deadline (if all hell breaks loose), as would Jonathan Pettibone (No. 5), Ethan Martin (No. 7) and Adam Morgan (No. 9). Either Maikel Franco (No. 3) or Cody Asche (No. 7) would replace 2013 third baseman Michael Young, 36, as would Tommy Joseph (No. 2), acquired in the Hunter Pence trade with the Giants, for Carlos Ruiz, 34.

And that assumes all would be big league-ready by 2014, which only seems the case for the pitchers, Asche and, maybe, Joseph.

Even then, though, rankings like this one from Law would seem to give pause to those hoping for a 2007-2011-like resurgence in an impending roster turnover.

Speculation regarding Chip Kelly’s decision on a defensive coordinator has long been that, per league rules, he had to wait until after the Super Bowl to make it official with an assistant on one of the participants’ staffs. There is, though, another possibility.

From Jeff McLane [Philly.com]:

The Eagles may have already hired a defensive coordinator from the college ranks and are waiting until after national signing day on Wednesday to announce the move.

Some college coaches would decline to take an NFL job this late in the process out of respect for the high school seniors they spent the last several weeks recruiting, but it has happened before.

If true, that would royally screw high school seniors committing the next four years of their lives to a program (say, Georgia) and coach (say, Bulldogs DC Todd Grantham) that may soon no longer exist as expected.

This would be different (i.e. “worse”) than Kelly’s decision to suddenly leave Oregon, in that this would be a premeditated ploy (along with the conspiring college level coach) to ensure a top recruiting class in a system Kelly might sympathize with.

Kelly said his about-face in January, 11 days after turning down the Eagles first offer, had a lot to do with owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman controlling communication regarding his decision — something he might want to pay forward.

But it wouldn’t be doing him any favors on the “Would You Pull A Nick Saban/Bobby Petrino”? front, as was heavily speculated at the time of his hire.

If true, this would seem to heighten that belief. At least it should.

The NFL has made its point clear about player safety.

If MLB wants to do the same, it will have to go to pretty great lengths to suspend players implicated in a Miami New Times report with ties to PED use.

Will they? (If they really care about cleaning up the game.)

At last night’s Philadelphia Sportswriters Annual Awards Dinner, Cole Hamels refuted a CSN Philly report of shoulder soreness that heavily quoted GM Ruben Amaro.

Maybe Hamels was playing games. Semantics. Blew the writers off. Enjoyed one last happy time for him and nice dinner with his wife before the season start.

Or, there’s a serious breakdown in communications between Amaro, head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan and players.

Kinda like there was with Chase Utley before last season.

That Charlie Manuel’s contract is up at the end of the year makes for a different set of “hot seat” circumstances. How the Phillies should treat this? It’s not about him doing enough to save his job. It’s about him doing enough to earn another one.

Then again, with the impending roster haul, the No. 1 criticism of long-tenured coaches — that their “voices grow stale” — wouldn’t really apply to a brandy new team.

According to Jason La Canfora, despite expectation, the Eagles won’t decide on Mike Vick’s fate with the team before Feb. 3, the mile marker guaranteeing him $3 million for the coming season.

According to Jeff McLane, contrary to popular belief, Vick will only get that money from the Eagles if he’s released and signs for less than $3 million (unlikely) or doesn’t get picked up by another team at all (impossible).

Even if the Eagles have more time, why take it?

Why one more year of Vick is one year too many.

Jose Canseco likely the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow (CSA Images)

A few notes on the Phillies, as they relate to the jolting Miami New Times report chronicling what’s been tabbed the East Coast BALCO:

(1) No Phillies were named in the report. Named were Alex Rodriguez, in a fashion that suggests he used PEDs after 2003, something he denied in a 2009 press conference; Bartolo Colon; Melky Cabrera; Gio Gonzalez and Nelson Cruz. All but Gonzalez and Cruz have reportedly failed drug tests. The Gonzalez in question here could be his same-named father.

Why that all matters?

Source: MLB did not have much of the information on Anthony Bosch’s alleged PED distribution. Could eventually hand out 50-game suspensions.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 29, 2013

Though according to Craig Calcaterra, who cites the “Joint Drug Agreement” in MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, they can’t [Hardball Talk]:

In the event that either Party has information that gives it reasonable cause to believe that a Player has, in the previous 12-month period, engaged in the use, possession, sale or distribution of a Performance Enhancing Substance (including  hGH) or Stimulant, the Party shall provide the other Party, either orally or in writing, with a description of its information (“Reasonable Cause Notification”), and the Player will be subject to an immediate urine and/or blood specimen collection, or a program of testing, as determined by the IPA, to commence no later than 48 hours after the Reasonable Cause Notification was provided.

No failed drug test, no suspension, it seems.

(2) None of the Phillies on the 40-man roster were born in or went to college near Miami. (Or in Florida for that matter.) All of those implicated in the report have strong ties to Miami. Doesn’t mean Phillies players couldn’t be involved. (Though, according to Calcaterra, it wouldn’t matter anyway.) But on the surface, it would appear they weren’t.

(3) The drugs doled out by the clinic, masquerading as an anti-aging center, don’t align with those that Phillies have failed drug tests for. Carlos Ruiz (multiple times, apparently) failed drug tests for amphetamines. Freddy Galvis failed a drug test for Clostebol. J.C. Romero, who failed a test in 2008 and was suspended in 2009, used androstenedione. The clinic’s drug of choice was HGH.

For those running the countdown for next Wednesday, Feb. 6, stop wasting paper.

Despite expectations, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, the Eagles likely won’t decide on Mike Vick’s future with the team before then [CBS Sports]:

Much has been made of the fact that $3 million of Mike Vick’s $16.5 million deal with the Eagles becomes guaranteed if he is on their roster come Feb. 6, but sources said that issue is not a concern at this time, and it’s unlikely Vick’s contract will be resolved before then.

New coach Chip Kelly is evaluating the situation and how Vick fits in his spread offense. The Eagles are determining how much they might be willing to pay Vick, if they do ask him to take a pay cut. Vick will not absorb any significant salary cut to remain with the Eagles, sources said, but there could be some wiggle room to work something out.

Neither side is being hasty in forcing a conclusion, and the Eagles still could wind up dealing Vick, for instance, once the league year begins March 13. They are not allowed to complete a trade before the Feb. 6 deadline.

Of note, it’s rare that players agree to contract reductions following trades. And if Vick reportedly isn’t taking a pay cut to remain with the Eagles, you’d be hard-pressed to figure out why he would for another team if traded.

If the Eagles were to release him, he’d go through waivers. If he cleared, the remaining $43.5 million on his deal — none of it guaranteed unless someone actually picks him up — would be ripped up.

The team’s ongoing evaluating is more likely on the play — and availability — of free agent, trade target and draft pick quarterbacks than it is on Vick. The thought being, if they determine they can’t get an Alex Smith-type or don’t fall in love with anyone in the draft, they keep Vick, and hope he agrees to a reasonable renegotiated contract.

If true, this development also tips the organization’s hand on Nnamdi Asomugha and Nick Foles.

If Foles had any shot at being “the guy,” no way would the team entertain returning Vick — and not for whatever reduced salary that, according to this report, Vick would actually agree to.

And while the Eagles seems willing to eat $3 million to ensure they find a serviceable quarterback, it’s similarly unlikely that they’d take an additional $4 million cap hit by cutting Asomugha. More likely is that they already think Asomugha would take a pay cut.

Foles is under contract, and for cheap. His job — even if there’s a demotion — is safe.

But if Feb. 6 passes and Vick isn’t yet released, only one of Vick or Asomugha would be off the team for 2013.

UPDATE (9:20 a.m.): About that…

From Jeff McLane [Philly.com]:

The Eagles quarterback is due that amount on Feb. 6, but the team is likely to buy time until the start of free agency on March 11 because of a provision in Vick’s contract.

The Eagles would only owe him the money if no one else picked him up or if someone signed him for less than $3 million, per an NFL source.

So no, the Eagles don’t stand to lose $3 million by playing wait-and-see, likely haven’t made a decision on Foles and aren’t at all influenced on Asomugha. But didn’t you enjoy the game of connect the dots?!

Like so many of us, Daily News Eagles beat writer Les Bowen likes it when stuff makes sense, and when said sense is figured to be what’s actually happening.

Like so many of us, he’s also pissed when something emerges to disquality stuff that makes sense and is figured to be what’s happening.

Hence, Bowen’s latest musing [Philly.com]:

Last week, a theory emerged about the Eagles’ defensive coordinator search that made perfect sense. It seemed likely there was a tacit deal in place with someone still involved with coaching one of the Super Bowl teams, and so the new guy couldn’t be announced, yet the team was able to make a number of defensive staff hires, though those remained officially unannounced. For proof, there was the fact that there was no news of anybody new being interviewed, all through Senior Bowl week.

The most likely name seemed to be that of 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell, a former D-coordinator in Green Bay and Atlanta.

Like so many things in this world that make perfect sense, that theory is now shot to hell.

Except, the news that the Eagles interviewed Browns linebacker coach Billy Davis this week doesn’t undermine the prevailing theory. You could just as easily make the argument that it furthers it.

After all, how better for a team in breach of NFL rules (the Eagles, if they in fact have hired Donatell, 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Ravens linebacker coach Ed Monachino or anyone on either staff before the Super Bowl) misdirect league gumshoes than to conduct further interviews as if the search is still wide open?

Gauging this reaction, the ploy works on some of us. (…)

Which is surprising, of course, given how the guy doing the interviewing came to that position in the first place. You’d think we’d have learned. Guess not.

According to CSN Philly last month, Cole Hamels experienced shoulder soreness in October, because he was over-aggressive with his offseason throwing program.

According to Hamels on Monday, not so.

Hamels spoke at Philly sportswriters banquet. Said he feels good. Said he never felt shoulder soreness this winter. Said he’s ready to go.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) January 28, 2013

More from Zolecki [MLB.com]:

“I don’t know of anything that happened,” he insisted. “I’ve been healthy. That’s the last thing on my list. … I haven’t felt anything of that sort. That’s the honest truth. I don’t know. I wasn’t the one that started it. I know I feel good and I’m ready to go. That’s all I can really answer. That’s kind of where it is. Same program, ready for Spring Training and finally getting out of the cold. That will be a lot nicer. I’m very excited.”

Hamels is headed to Clearwater next week and has already thrown three bullpen sessions in preparation. His fourth is tomorrow morning.

Of note, the CSN Philly report heavily quoted GM Ruben Amaro as its source.

Amaro confirmed that the issue arose early in the offseason and the GM disclosed that Hamels actually had some shoulder soreness at the end of the season. Amaro said that shoulder soreness was not uncommon.

According to Amaro, Hamels got aggressive with his throwing program sometime in October. The pitcher, according to Amaro, had some soreness and contacted head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan.

If untrue, that would seem to be the same player-team breakdown in communications as last offseason with Chase Utley. Or, given the detail there, worse.

Seeing as the initial report wasn’t necessarily a concern, just something to keep tabs on, this follow-up would seem much of the same — both with regards to Hamels’ shoulder and Amaro’s familiarity with his players’ health.