Now that the Philadelphia Phillies have reached the pinnacle of their sport, what do they need to do to stay there? Following are the top three pressing issues for the team as they (finally!) start the off season.

1. Free Agency

Pat Burrell is the most notable name on the Phils' roster who will be eligible for the open market. Whether Philadelphia signs him depends on a number of factors, mainly how many years they are willing to pay him for and at what price.

Now that Chase Utley will be out of commission due to his hip injury for the early part of the season, the absence of Utley's bat in the lineup may lead the Phillies to reconsider bringing back Burrell. Burrell is attractive to a number of American League teams because he could be a designated hitter.

For his part, Burrell has expressed a desire to stay in Philly and also has said he likes playing in the field. However, he has lost a few steps in the outfield and was replaced defensively on numerous occasions. So, the Phils have a big decision to make regarding Burrell's future.

The Phils have locked up Scott Eyre as another left-hander out of the bullpen to help spell J. C. Romero. However, they still have to address whether to sign Jamie Moyer. Moyer was the winningest pitcher on the staff this year with 16 W's, and although he did not have good showings in the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers series, he threw a good game in Game 3 of the World Series. More importantly, he has served as a mentor to the younger pitchers on the Phils staff and his leadership would be sorely missed if the Phillies don't bring him back into the fold.

2. Big Paydays Due

Both Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard are arbitration-eligible and, especially in Hamels' case, will be looking to be rewarded for their contributions to the Phillies' post-season success this year. Hopefully, soon-to-be-named GM Ruben Amaro will not follow Pat Gillick's lead in his reluctance to lock up young stars.

Hamels was simply awesome throughout October and the Phillies should take steps to make sure he stays around for quite a few years. Howard will also be looking to bring home a bigger check and the Phils should work on a long term deal for him as well.

3. Chase Utley's Hip Injury

Although Utley, as well as the team, downplayed his injury, clearly the hip injury that Utley suffered affected the way he drives the ball while hitting and probably cost him a legitimate shot at a batting title. Now that the season is over, both Utley and the Phillies are admitting that there was a problem and that he will go under the knife to correct the problem.

Early in the season, Utley was on a tear and was being talked about in the same breath as Chipper Jones and Lance Berkman as the leading hitters in all of baseball. He was batting .321 with 21 homers, 53 RBIs, .408 on-base percentage and .684 slugging percentage the first two months of the season. However, his production dropped off noticeably and although he only had a .220 average in the postseason, he did have two home runs in the World Series.

Officially, the surgery is termed as "an arthroscopic evaluation with treatment of any labral or bony injury." Earlier in the season, it was thought that Utley had suffered a partially torn labrum. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Dr. Kelly performed similar surgery on Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell earlier this year.

The worst-case scenario is that Utley will miss the first two months of the season. The Phillies are already exploring options, such as signing Tadahito Iguchi, who did a commendable job at second base when Utley missed a month after getting hit in the hand by a pitch in 2007.

Another possibility is converting prospect Jason Donald to second base; Donald has been playing both third and second base in the Arizona Fall League. Even if the Phillies don't sign Iguchi, they still have Eric Bruntlett, who filled in for Jimmy Rollins at shortstop. However, the team is optimistic that Utley's recovery will be on the short end of the timetable projected by the doctors.