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Year		Comment
2008		Like Randy Wolf, Lieberthal departed Philadelphia as a free agent to sign a one-year deal with his hometown team. Unlike his phellow Phil, Lieberthal stayed healthy in 2007. His problem was Energizer Bunny Russell Martin, whose 143 starts left Lieberthal with just 17, including just four between July 3 and September 5. It couldn't have helped the backup's cause that the team went just 3-14 in those starts, no doubt due in part to the rust that had accumulated on Lieberthal's bat. On the other hand, a year away from the grind may have helped Lieberthal's assorted owies heal. A career .310/.381/.510 hitter against lefties, he could contribute to a team with a less durable backstop.
2007		This is what typically happens to veteran catchers; injuries devour their playing time. For Lieberthal, the knee, hip, back, and abdominal injuries he suffered in 2006 had him thinking about retirement, but he`s reached an agreement with the Dodgers to play a reserve role. He was still effective between his DL stints, and should have a better chance to stay healthy playing two days a week instead of five.
2006		At the point in his career where he should play against lefties and only selected righties, Lieberthal soldiered on as the regular because Ed Wade couldn`t put the pieces of the puzzle together. Since Lieberthal`s throwing began deteriorating three years ago, the Phillies have needed a lefty-hitting reserve who played decent defense. Admittedly, that`s not easy to find, but the comparatively clueless Reds came up with Javier Valentin. That`s what GMs get paid the big bucks for: finding the right players to address their team`s problems. The good news? Despite his six-figure odometer reading and his many physical problems, Lieberthal has not been put on the DL since 2001.
2005		Lieberthal has given the Phillies a lot of value over the years, but he's a 33-year-old catcher who doesn't handle the running game well, and the modest decline that his stats underwent last year is more likely than not the start of a downtrend. This is the last year of Lieberthal's contract, and the Phillies should survive it fine, but they'll need to turn outside the organization for a replacement as their motley crew of catching prospects all project as backups. Who'd have thought they'd miss Johnny Estrada?
2004		Lieberthal got a lot of credit for his hitting last year, even though he didn't provide any more offense than he usually does-the only thing that was better about his hitting was his average. His defense was way off; he allowed 84 stolen bases, tops in the majors, and only threw out 19. He still has two years and $15 million to go on his contract, and if his defense drops any further he won't be a credible catcher. With Thome around, if he can't catch, he can't play.
2003		Lieberthal returned from a gruesome knee injury to have an excellent 2002 season and was rewarded by a lengthy, expensive contract extension. That extension is an awful gamble. Very few everyday catchers retain their effectiveness past the age of 30 and Lieberthal has already demonstrated that he is injury-prone and a lousy hitter against righties. A few weeks after the season ended Lieberthal had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. Expect other problems to follow.
2002		Lieberthal’s season ended in April with a torn ACL, prompting all sorts of pronouncements that the Phillies’ season was over. It obviously wasn’t, proving once again that a good player is still only worth a few games on the margin. With Lieberthal expected to be healthy again in 2002 and Marlon Byrd just about ready, the Phils have a chance to sport a lineup without a major hole in it, which would go a long way towards bringing the NL East title to Philadelphia.
2001		In the first half of 2000, Mike Lieberthal proved that his 1999 production wasn’t a fluke, but his second half raised serious questions about whether he can hold up for an entire season. He was plagued by bone spurs in his elbow and a sprained ankle that knocked down his final numbers considerably. Because he really doesn't hit right-handers that well, finding a quality left-handed-hitting backup should be a priority. Once Ed Wade finishes signing all the lousy relievers, of course.
2000		The big question is whether his performance represented a breakthrough caused by finally being healthy or if it was simply a career year. Given his age, it was most likely a career year. Even if the projection is accurate and he slides most of the way back to his earlier level, his defensive skills are enough for him to be useful in a strong lineup. Unfortunately for the Phillies, they aren’t quite there yet.
1999		Felled by a strange pelvic injury that wiped out nearly two months of his season, and threw the Phils' grand plans for a trade into flux. He wasn't having much of a season to begin with, and at this point, the team should give Estalella the everyday job. With Estalella’s injury, the Phillies are saying Lieberthal will be fine by spring training, so it looks like he’ll be the starter.
1998		He started the year with a bang, launching seven home runs in April, and was a hitting star from June through August. But after a disastrous fade in September, possibly from overwork, the final results weren’t any better than in prior years. While he’s gotten kudos for his defense, he was only average at preventing base stealing, led the league in passed balls and was next to last in errors. I think he’ll keep the #1 job next year, possibly with more rest since Estalella figures to be a more capable backup than Parent, but I’m doubtful beyond that.
1997		A first round pick, he’s the favored starter now that Santiago’s been deemed too expensive. He’s better suited to a backup role.
1996		There are doubts about his glovework and his ability to stop the running game, but he's not worthless with the bat, he's young, and there are worse choices as a backup catcher. Injuries made his '94 worse than it should have been; he should stick as Santiago's caddy this year.

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