The Philadelphia Phillies have shown continued interest in right-hander Akinori Otsuka, who missed the final three months of last season with elbow soreness and wasn't tendered a 2008 contract by the Texas Rangers.

The Phillies completed some last-minute holiday shopping Sunday by signing outfielder So Taguchi to a one-year contract with an option for 2009.

The Philadelphia Phillies and free agent outfielder Geoff Jenkins have reached preliminary agreement on a two-year deal believed to be worth about $13 million, a baseball source told ESPN.

With the San Diego Padres trading for centerfielder Jim Edmonds, the Phillies are focusing in on Padres' free-agent centerfielder Mike Cameron and remain in the running for free-agent outfielder Geoff Jenkins.

The Phillies may have lost Aaron Rowand after he signed a 5-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, but they haven't lost sleep or focus on where their offseason priorities lie.

Aaron Rowand declined the Phillies' offer of arbitration, a procedural move that changes nothing about the free agent's status.

Aaron Rowand was offered salary arbitration prior to Saturday's 11:59 P.