Also, look for Michael Rushton's season outlook, which will cap the offseason look at the Phillies on Opening Day -- April 2nd against Atlanta.
DAY 1 : JIM ED WARDEN
By Michael Rushton
The Philadelphia Phillies appear to have struck gold after grabbing feisty outfielder Shane Victorino from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004 by way of the Rule 5 Draft.
Victorino is now penciled in as a starter this season for the Phillies, so the club tried again to find diamonds in the rough when they selected three players in this year's edition of the Rule 5 Draft.
One of those players was 6-foot-7 pitcher Jim Ed Warden.
Warden comes to the Phillies from Cleveland. He spent the 2006 season with Double-A Akron and finished 5-2 with a 3.05 earned run average and 11 saves in 55 games. Warden held opponents to a .167 batting average last season, a campaign that featured a season-best 14-inning scoreless streak from mid-June until late July.
A former sixth-round pick in the 2001 draft by the Indians, Warden found his callling in the bullpen in 2004 after spending his previous seasons as a starter. In '04, Warden made 40 relief appearances and was 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 13 saves.
Scout.com compared the tall pitcher to Chad Bradford in December because of his sidearm delivery and mid-90 velocity. However, given his experience level and the fact that he is right-handed, Warden should be considered a long shot to crack Philadelphia's Opening Day roster.
Tomorrow: Clay Condrey
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