By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

Lou Collier batted .320 in 14 games for the La Guaira Tiburones. (Charles Krupa/AP)

Collier, who signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in December, batted .320 in 14 games for the La Guaira Tiburones. In 50 at-bats, six of his 16 hits went for extra bases, including four home runs.

The 29-year-old Collier appeared in four games for the Red Sox in 2003, and had one at-bat. He has batted .239 in 283 games during parts of seven seasons. His longest Major League stint came in 1998 with the Pirates, when he batted .246 in 334 at-bats.

While his chances of making the Phillies appeared slim before the Phillies signed Doug Glanville, they are even slimmer now. That said, a strong Spring Training could propel him into another team's plans, or he could play at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Collier was one of seven members of the organization to spend time in Venezuela this winter. An eighth, right fielder Bobby Abreu, lives there, but didn't play baseball.

Utility infielder Tomas Perez had another sizzling winter playing for the Caracas Leones, in his native country. He hit .306 in 206 at-bats. He played 51 games, mostly at shortstop. His six homers and 36 RBIs ranked third on the team, behind Minnesota's Henry Blanco and Colorado outfielder Rene Reyes.

Between appearing in a career-high 125 games and seeing 298 at-bats for the Phillies, Perez got plenty of work in 2003. He played 58 games at third, 26 at second, four at shortstop and nine at first. Of those appearances, 60 were starts. He generally entered games as a pinch-hitter, then stays in for defense.

Francisco Butto, a 21-year-old right-hander with a three big-league pitches, opened some eyes pitching for the Aragua Tigers. He went 6-1 with a 1.20 ERA in 20 games, allowing four earned runs on 17 hits in 30 innings. He also showed impeccable control, with three walks and 26 strikeouts.

A reliever for Aragua and during most of his time in the Phillies organization, the native Venezuelan started last season with Single-A Lakewood. He went 10-12 with a 3.03 ERA in 25 starts, and allowed 134 hits and 59 walks in 148 2/3 innings. The Phillies project him to continue as a starter.

Shortstop Anderson Machado struggled on the field. He brought his glove to the Zulia Aguilas and batted .200 through 27 games. He hit .196 for the Double-A Reading Phillies, and struck out 120 times.

While he is still young, the Phillies must see improvement this spring, as they would like to see him playing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2004.

Erick Arteaga (La Guaira Tiburones), Yoel Hernandez (Zulia Aguilas) and Jean Machi (Magallanes Navigators), all right-handed pitchers, also played in Venezuela. Right-hander Robinson Tejada played for Aguilas Del Cibao in the Dominican Republic, while outfielder Jorge Padilla (Caguas Criollos) and infielder Danny Gonzalez (San Juan Senadores) played in Puerto Rico.

Another Major Leaguer, outfielder Jason Michaels, had his Winter League season cut short in early December because of a cut on his right hand, but is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

He had been hitting .281 with a league-leading nine extra-base hits through 17 games for the Leones Del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.

The 27-year-old Michaels has made a living as one of Larry Bowa's main right-handed pinch-hitters the past two seasons, but will be in a battle for a roster spot this spring.

Michaels hit a career-high .330 with a .416 on-base percentage, while stroking five homers and driving in 17 RBIs in 76 games. His season highlight came June 27 in Baltimore, when his three-run homer gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead in the top of the 17th inning. Michaels entered that game in the 10th.

Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.