Ken Rosenthal deserves some sort of award for his offseason so far. He’s scooped pretty much every major trade or signing. Given that it’s entirely free and has better writers, I’m starting to gravitate towards Fox Sports more and more.
Anyway, the Phillies signed Tom Gordon for three years and $18-21MM. It ain’t pretty, but they did what they had to do (a.k.a., Plan C). I’m sure Beer Leaguer will weigh in and let us know how Phillies fans are feeling.
Me, I’m a bit taken aback by a team giving three years to a man who just turned 38. Save the $20MM, pour it into a superstar. A guy who plays 160 games and can impact your team by eight wins. Not 80 innings of an aging closer.
Of course, Flash Gordon is a top-notch reliever. The Phillies snagged the best one left on the market; why wouldn’t they? Everyone expected this. I can’t find anything worrisome in his stats besides his age. Current Mets hitters have hit .096 off Gordon in 52 at-bats. For the most part, he’ll be new to the National League hitters he’ll face regularly. I just can’t get past the three-year commitment, especially knowing the Phillies’ history with overpaid relievers.
