No complacency for Phillies and Rays, plus notes around camp

Ryan Howard dropped 20 pounds in the offseason, but still has a spring-high nine homers. Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images Jon Heyman's Mailbag Got a question or comment for Jon? Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jon Heyman on Twitter

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The world champion Phillies sure as heck didn't get fat this winter. Check them out: Joe Blanton lost significant weight. Scott Eyre lost 15 pounds. Brett Myers lost 30. Ryan Howard lost 20.

Howard's a sleeker version of himself, with no less power.

"That's what we need," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, pointing out Howard. "That's what I'm talking about."

The Phillies are showing no signs of complacency, and the new, sleeker version of Howard is Exhibit A. The former MVP, Rookie of the Year and now world champion (a pretty good early trifecta) has been powering the ball all over Florida, with a spring-high nine home runs. He looks primed for yet another huge season, even if he's not quite so huge. That's why he's my pick for NL MVP (OK, so I'm not exactly going out on a limb there).

"You want to be hungry," Howard said, meaning in a figurative sense.

To get leaner and lighter, he said he eats smaller and earlier. Howard signed a nice $54 million, three-year deal to give him plenty of security, so his new shape isn't about winning a paycheck.

"I know what it's going to be like this year," Howard said. "Teams are going to be coming after us. We're going to be the marked team this year ... If I can score from first on a double, that can change the outcome of a game."

With some championship teams, you can sense the satisfaction. With the Phillies, you sense they're ready to defend their title. "Good, real good," one scout said in assessing the world champions, not at all dissuaded by their 12-17 spring.

The Phillies did what they could this winter to give themselves their best chance, and that means the front office, too. New general manager Ruben Amaro, who filled the biggest free-agent shoes in the game as Pat Gillick's replacement, bought out the arbitration years of many of his young and productive players with multiyear contracts (including Howard and star pitcher Cole Hamels, who signed for a very reasonable $20.5 million over three years), giving everyone a strong feeling the front office backs them.

The Phillies' outside moves mostly made a lot of sense, too, though the call to sign Raul Ibanez for $31.5 million comes with a couple questions. Ibanez was a chic pick this winter, but the key for the Phillies is that he has more range in the outfield than Pat Burrell. (They won't say this aloud, but Ibanez is an easier personality than Burrell, who was still given a chance to return mid-year for $20 million over two years, but was only offered one year by the Phillies come winter.)

Ibanez is an upgrade, but one competing executive opined, "They're going to find Ibanez isn't a great defender, either." But that's nit-picky. This is still an excellent team

Amaro acknowledged that optimally they would have preferred a right-handed hitter in left field, but noted that Ibanez, who's a solid .268 career hitter against left-handers, had too many other things going for him to look elsewhere. Amaro, though, has spent the spring looking to replace left-handed bench players Geoff Jenkins (finally released Wednesday) and Matt Stairs with right-handed hitters, and Amaro revealed that he reached out to the agent of new free-agent Gary Sheffield. (My opinion: That wouldn't be a percentage call at all. Sheffield isn't even happy as a starter and could prove downright uncooperative as a role player.)

As things stand, their clubhouse is a winning environment, between dedicated stars such as Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley (who's ready and back sooner than anyone expected after winter hip surgery, though his bat speed is still coming) and great pros like Brad Lidge, Hamels (slated to start April 10 after an early elbow question and a slow spring), Shane Victorino, Pedro Feliz and Jayson Werth. They are solid enough that Sheffield probably couldn't hurt them. But he isn't needed, either.

"We're the same. I don't think we're any different," Rollins said.

"If we keep the attitude as last year. I think we're going to be all right," Manuel said. "I think we're ready for it."

Rays looking strong, too

In some ways, Rays manager Joe Maddon has an even harder job than Manuel. The Rays' 2008 season might be considered even more of a victory in certain aspects. So satisfaction could be a real enemy of theirs.

"We can't expect everything to break as great as it did last year. So we've got to build a new road this year," said Maddon, adding he sees no signs of complacency.

"The only sign I've seen is that guys are really motivated to get back [to the playoffs] again," he said. Though, about 10 days ago, he did notice one drill being run wrong. "I didn't like it," he said. "That might have been part of the culture of the past. But we don't do that anymore."

If Maddon likes his team -- and he does -- the scouts like it almost as much now. "They're real good, too" said a scout who's been following them all spring.

Here are some reasons they won't fall down ...

• Their defense is superb. Maddon said he has stressed defense this spring, suggesting they could play it even better than last year. "If we can repeat our defense last year, and maybe do a little bit better, that can get us back to the playoffs in and of itself," he said.

• They needed a right-handed hitter, and they got Burrell, who should provide needed power (33 home runs last year in Philly).

• They're a lot younger than the Red Sox or Yankees.

• They'll have Evan Longoria, generally viewed as an emerging superstar, the whole year.

• They'll have the great David Price for maybe 150 innings (after he begins in the minors, partly to limit his innings)