"Before the 2007 season, when there weren't as many banners flying in Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies made a decision: Chase Utley, already an All-Star second baseman, would be their centerpiece player. And they paid him accordingly, locking him up with a seven-year, $85 million extension, the longest guaranteed contract in franchise history.

Those were simpler times.

Three division crowns, two National League pennants and one elusive World Series championship later, the Phillies' nucleus has multiplied like an amoeba. There haven't been other seven-year deals, but seven everyday players, three starting pitchers and two primary relievers have reached multiyear agreements that leave them under contract or club control through at least 2011.

"How many All-Stars do we have now?" general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said recently. "We had five last year. [New third baseman Placido] Polanco was one. [New ace Roy] Halladay was another. You start adding All-Star-caliber players, it's obvious you're going to increase your core group."

Eventually, though, you have to make some tough choices, too.

Over the past two winters, ownership has allowed Amaro to hike the payroll to nearly $140 million, a club record. So it was easy to expand that core group and stretch the window to win another World Series by replacing free agents Pat Burrell and Pedro Feliz with Raul Ibanez and Polanco and granting three-year extensions to Brad Lidge, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Halladay, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz."