Reliever Scott Eyre says he's retiring

It turns out the Phillies' offer of a minor-league contract wasn't the only sticking point for reliever Scott Eyre.

The 37-year-old lefthander decided to retire yesterday after 13 seasons in the majors, according to a report on the team's Web site.

Eyre told the Web site that even if the team had offered a deal similar to the $2 million he made in 2009, he probably still would have retired.

"I had most of this retirement thing planned out," Eyre said. "I think even if he would have offered me a better contract, I still don't think I would have taken it."

Eyre was 28-30 with a 4.23 ERA in 617 games with five teams - the Cubs, White Sox, Blue Jays, Giants and Phillies. In two seasons with the Phillies, Eyre was a key part of two National League championship teams. He was 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 61 games with the Phils after joining the team in an August 2008 trade.

The Phillies did not offer Eyre a major-league contract after he appeared in 42 regular-season and seven postseason games this season. He had off-season surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow.

J.C. Romero, once healthy, is expected to replace the majority of Eyre's innings as the key lefthanded reliever in the bullpen. (Romero had elbow surgery in October.) The Phillies also could sign another lefty or turn to Antonio Bastardo and Sergio Escalona for help.

Eyre told the Phillies' Web site that he planned to take his family on a trip out West in his RV.

"We're just going to drive through Utah, Oregon, Yosemite, Idaho," Eyre said. "We don't have anything planned. It's my wife, my two kids and four dogs in an RV."

Spring training invites. The Phillies named 13 more players who will be invited to spring training in Clearwater, Fla., as non-roster invitees. The list includes top prospect Domonic Brown and Phillipe Aumont, the key player the Phils received from Seattle in the Cliff Lee trade.

Brown, a 22-year-old outfielder, was named the Phillies' top minor-league prospect by Baseball America. He hit .303 in 66 games for single-A Clearwater and .279 in 37 games for double-A Reading.

Former No. 1 pick Joe Savery, a promising lefthander, will make his second spring training stint. Also invited is outfielder Tyson Gillies, who was acquired in the Lee trade, too.

The Phillies also invited infielders Ozzie Chavez, 26, and Freddy Galvis, 20; catchers Tuffy Gosewisch, 26, Kevin Nelson, 28, Dane Sardinha, 30, and John Suomi, 30; along with pitchers B.J. Rosenberg, 25, Ryan Voglesong, 32, and Ehren Wassermann, 29.