The Phillies and pitcher Kyle Kendrick came to a contract agreement today on a 1-year deal worth $2.45 million, just about $2 million more than his $480k salary last season. Kendrick's role on the Phillies staff remains to be seen. If the team decides to deal Joe Blanton, Kendrick would likely be the favorite to be the team's fifth starter. Vance Worley would also be a candidate. Otherwise, KK could transition into the long-relief role that Chad Durbin had been penciled in for for the past few season.
Over the weekend, the team also avoided arbitration with right fielder Ben Francisco who inked a 1-year deal of his own worth $1.175 million.
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By my unscientific calculations, the Phillies now have something in the vicinity of $164.825 million tied up in 21 players for the 2011 campaign.
That old "the Phillies don't spend" excuse certainly won't work this year.