FREE AGENCY Phillies are active off the bat

Some teams are looking to shift money before they delve into the market.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- The Philadelphia Phillies started the free-agent season Tuesday by making offers to Jim Thome, Tom Glavine and David Bell. The three offers are believed to be worth more than $100 million.
General Manager Ed Wade didn't wait long, e-mailing an offer to Thome's agent, Pat Rooney, at 12:01 a.m. EST -- the first minute allowed. He also met with Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton, and talked directly to Bell on Tuesday.
"I'd like to get three voice mail messages tomorrow saying yes," Wade said Tuesday from the GM meetings. "But I'm not going to bank on it."
That's because some players are waiting to see if more teams will join the bidding.
The Phillies are believed to have offered Thome $75 million for five years, at least $10 million a year for three years to Glavine and a three-year deal for Bell, who hired Tom Reich and Adam Katz as his agents this week.
Expects to wait
Wade, who would only characterize the offers as "significant, sincere and sufficient," isn't expecting a quick response.
"This is an important decision for the players," he said. "They all have emotional and other ties with their old clubs. We remain hopeful this will be resolved in our favor."
The Indians offered Thome a contract that is worth about $45 million over four years and are waiting to hear back from Rooney.
"The ball is in their court," Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro said.
Part of the reason for the slow movement is a new labor deal that increases revenue sharing and places a luxury tax on payrolls over $117 million next season.
Many teams that are usually buyers at this time of year are first looking to free up money.
"I do think that the trade market is probably a little more active early than the free-agent market," Mets GM Steve Phillips said. "Teams are looking to reconfigure or shift money before they delve into the free-agent market."
The Phillies have already done that. They had the 16th-highest payroll last season, at just under $60 million. Wade said that would increase to about $70 million next season.
The Phillies, who will move into a new ballpark in 2004, freed up money when they traded Scott Rolen in July, and Robert Person, Terry Adams and Doug Glanville became free agents after the season.
Despite playing in one of the bigger markets, the Phillies' spending has been hampered by an unfavorable lease at Veterans Stadium.
Head start
"We should be between eight and 12 in revenue when the new ballpark opens," Wade said. "We should be there in payroll, too. We're getting a head start on using that money."
Coming off a 14th losing season in 16 years, Wade hopes to energize the fan base. The Phillies averaged just 20,484 fans a game last season -- third worst in the NL.
"If we do these types of things there better be a residual effect besides winning," Wade said. "I believe our fans are excited about this. They don't want to wait until '04."