Potential Trade Partner for the Phils
Philadelphia's Daily News speculated this morning that a new possibility may emerge for bullpen help for the Phillies:
Veteran righthander Rudy Seanez might be an option if the Dodgers make him available. The Dodgers are planning to keep only 11 pitchers on their roster, and Seanez, despite his 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings this spring, might be the odd man out.
Seanez is in a way the classic veteran reliever available for trade. In his upper thirties? Check. ERA fluctuates from year to year? Check. More recent down years than up? Sigh. Check.
One has to believe that the Phillies can do better than this if they are patient enough. There are 29 other teams in the league who are just one bad elbow away from needing Jon Lieber.
Tom Goyne is the author of Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, a Phillies-centric site, and maintains the Phloggers' Pheeds page, a source for the latest commentary from around the "phlogosphere".
Watched every pitch he threw last year, and was hoping Petco could save his arse. It couldn't. He is a good person, a really nice guy to have a conversation with, or get drunk at a bar with, but a crap pitcher. Seanez was the plus arm, when you tried to understand the signing of a dude named RISKE.
Posted by: ArodSucksAtLife | March 27, 2007 at 09:56 PM
When Antonio Alfonseca's your setup man and first backup as closer, you take what you can get. Seanez would probably come pretty cheap, and he can still bring the heat when healthy (a big if, to be sure). He's only a year removed from this line:
7-1, 2.69 ERA, 60.1 IP, 49 H, 22 BB, 84 K
Those look a lot like Takashi Saito's numbers for the Dodgers last year. I'm not saying Seanez is as good as Saito, but if you can get him on the cheap, it's an absolute steal given the upside.
Posted by: ColonelTom | March 28, 2007 at 04:09 AM
"There are 29 other teams in the league who are just one bad elbow away from needing Jon Lieber." 29 other teams, meaning, the Phils too are just a bad elbow away from needing Jon Lieber.
Posted by: jonny | March 28, 2007 at 08:33 AM
What do the Phillies have that the Dodgers want? They can give Saenez and one of any number of pitchers from the surplus for someone decent.
Posted by: dan1to | March 28, 2007 at 10:42 AM
I could see the Phils being interested in Joe Beimel for their bullpen, or Betemit or Antonio Perez as infield backups. That said, I don't see a great fit, unless the Dodgers want Rowand for Betemit and Seanez. I think that's an awful lot to ask LA to give up for Rowand, though.
Posted by: ColonelTom | March 28, 2007 at 11:19 AM
I think it would be hilarious if the Hpils traded for Betemit and had him backing up Wes Helms, I find that very ironic. I think Betemit can really play and just needs a full year of playing everyday, which he still hasnt had. Wes Helms as a starter is just funny though.
Posted by: nrmax88 | March 28, 2007 at 02:58 PM
Not as funny at CBP, and not as funny as Jose Valentin at second, well, at least last year anyway.
Posted by: PeteRose | March 28, 2007 at 08:43 PM