Phillies Assistant GM Scouting Toronto

According to the Toronto Sun, Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. was in attendance on Saturday at the Rogers Centre.  Naturally, the speculation would be that Amaro was evaluating Josh Towers, the Blue Jays starter that day.

For the day, Towers threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.  On the season, Towers has a 4.97 ERA (92 ERA+) but sports a nice 60/14 K/BB ratio in 83 1/3 innings pitched.  Towers had good years in 2003 and 2005 before a disastrous 2006 (8.42 ERA).

What interests the Phillies, or at least it should, is that Towers can keep the ball on the ground, a key to success at Citizens Bank Park.  In addition, Towers is eligible for arbitration at the end of the season, so he would not be a long-term commitment if the Phillies decided to non-tender him.

Complicating matters, though it's a nice problem to have, is the success of Kyle Kendrick and J.D. Durbin the in the Phillies rotation, combining for a 6-2 record as starters.  Kendrick has turned in quality start after quality start and Durbin has allowed only one run in his previous two starts combined.  The likelihood of the Phillies making a deal is directly dependent on their confidence in these two pitchers.

No word on what the Blue Jays would be seeking in return for Towers.

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".  Recently, he teamed up with his brother to launch Roto Front Office.  He can be reached via email at trg at ballssticksstuff dot com.

Comments

[Guitar Hero]

Those two philly starters are smoke and mirrors. I think Towers would be good in the NL, he's having a nice season. I wonder if a low A shortstop could be had (blocked by 2b/ss at ML Level) named Adrian Cardenas. Could that happen?

[ae]

Cardenas is probably the best position prospect in the Phils system and is one of the better 2B prospects in baseball. for Towers, absolutely no way.

Durbin & Kendrick may be getting by on smoke & mirrors, but at least they're getting by. Towers - who has a 6.75 ERA vs the NL this year - is a minimal upgrade at best.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

LOL Cardenas for Towers? Towers is awful. Cardenas si rumored to soon be named a top 10 prospect in the whole league.

[Balls, Sticks, & Stuff]

Despite statements to the contrary, I have to believe Cardenas is available. He is a very good prospect at a position where the Phillies are already set until the year 2120 or something like that.

I agree that Cardenas is too much for Towers, but that doesn't mean Cardenas shouldn't be dangled out there.

[Guitar Hero]

Oh okay I didn't know much about him, that prospect, just heard it mentioned somewhere else but thought we do need an INF.

But that Towers vs. the NL is probably a small sample size. He has previous success and a good K/bb ratio. I think he could be a very good buy for an NL team in need of pitching, considering how expensive pitching is, could be a good buy low candidate.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I doubt Cardenas is out there. Only in an Oswalt/DTrain/Garland etc. type deal. They're talking about maybe making him a left fielder.

[Balls, Sticks, & Stuff]

In a recent interview, Asst. GM Arbuckle said second base is the only place he fits. His offense isn't good enough for a corner outfield and his arm isn't good enough for 3B.

[ae]

I agree that Cardenas is available in the right deal, but I think they'd be looking at him as the centerpiece of a blockbuster, not to get a fringe 5th starter.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I don't put a lot of stock into what Arbuckle has to say, but that's just me.

[no funny hats]

I don't put much into what Arbuckle says either. Everyone knows that if a player can hit enough that a team will find a spot for him.

[allabouthephils]

The fact of the matter is that the Phillies should be selling at this point... The question Gillick and lil Gillick (Amaro) should be asking themselves is whether they can beat the Braves and the Mets out for the Division because that's what they are going to have to do if they want to get into the postseason... Acquiring fringe, bottom of the runge, 5th starters that have 0 upside isn't exactly going to help make a playoff push... I'd rather take my chances on someone who has something to prove... Durbin and Kendrick have that... We should be selling and stashing our money for next year... This team isn't built to be anything more than .500 let alone a title contender... Why the hell would you want Towers ??? Man, that's ugly.... Go with the kids and see what they can do... They are younger, cheaper, have more upside, and more to prove... People are so eager to buy when the market is so dry and barren rather then cut your losses and try to build for next season... We don't need to be desperate... We just need to taste reality... Start selling...

[ae]

A) the Phils have nothing worth selling.

B) the Phils are only 3.5 games out of the WC. is it likely they win it? no, but it's hardly impossible.

[allabouthephils]

Adam Eaton is more valuable than Jose Contreras... 9-6 5.84 ERA.. At least, we could get out from that horrid contract... Someone would bite on Jaime Moyer in this market... Aaron Rowand ??? Alfonseca and the way he pitched in Myers and Gordons absence??? Romero ??? The Phillies could definately get some value out of their veterans with the lack of sellers... Have you watched the way the Phillies have played this year ??? They might be the most inconsistent team in baseball... I love them to death but man they're hard to watch... 3.5 games out of the wildcard :P ..... They'll be 2 out by the end of the week... Phillies nation will be in an uproar and then in another week and a half the Phils will fall to 6 games back... This team is not built to win... Sell sell sell... Then start to develop a winner by developing some decent pitching down on the farm... People keep thinking that your going to win by selling what few parts you have by killing your farm system every year.... It kills me to see that... Develop Carrasco, Happ, Outman, and the rest of the kids... hang onto Cardenas and let him develop... You never know when Howard will get butt hurt and decide that he doesn't want to resign with Philadelphia... Then Chase will have to move to first... Then Cardenas will have second to himself....

[no funny hats]

The phillies might not be in the best position to sell, but they certainly shouldn't be buying. This team will never get to the next level with the current management group and I think that a lot of the fans around here know that. They're just not willing to make the move(s) to put the team over the top to make them legitimate contenders. How many years did Ed Wade repeatedly use the defense of "This is a world championship caliber team"? I say stick it out with Durbin and Kendrick too. This team has shown no signs of being able to play consistent ball, beat the teams they need to (like KC after a HUGE sweep of the mets), or take care of business routinely.

Unfortunately, management will again refuse to mail this season away and prepare for next year. They won't make a decision to be buyers or sellers, and we'll be stuck watching this same incredible offense with a pitching staff that is schizophrenic.

I'd love to see if Durbin and Kendrick can actually keep it up though. What if Durbin turns into the player the Twins thought he'd be with the number two overall pick? And what if Kendrick keeps churning out quality starts? This team within the next two years will have a true abundance of pitching- not the crap this year (a la Lieber and Garcia)...but young, cheap, quality pitchers.

[PeteRose]

No Faith...

[allabouthephils]

I should be ashamed for having no faith in a team that hasn't sniffed the postseason since 93... Has played .500 for the last decade and half... Has less pitching then my beerleague softball team and then sticks with a manager that could be confused for having alzheimer's disease... Why should I believe they are going to make the postseason after having no life in the first half of this season ??? Or better yet, make the right moves to put the team in a position to make a run at the postseason ???

[no funny hats]

The no faith argument is really getting tired. Every time I want to believe in this team they give me a reason not to (just like I previously mentioned about not being able to win the KC series after sweeping the mets). Show me a few things that would make me believe this Phils club has ANY shot of making the playoffs, instead of making a heartbreaking run like they've seem to mastered over the last couple years.

[reldnahkram]

Who is there to sell? The only players who have any value are Rowand and Alfonseca. There's just not enough to be gained by selling, the franchise is better off rolling the dice and seeing if the team catches fire in August.

I'd rather see Kennedy than Towers. Even though the kids have done well, the team needs another experienced starter - what happens when a team (like, say, the Mets) sees them for a second time? But I wouldn't pay much for a pitcher.

[PeteRose]

"I should be ashamed for having no faith in a team that hasn't sniffed the postseason since 93....."

YES!! it sounds cleshayed, but its true... anything can happen, that's what makes baseball so fun to watch...what they've done in the past has no bearing on what will happen this year. and they've just barely missed the playoffs the last few years. the fact that they have come so close is enough evidence to have faith...despite any irrational gloom and doom beliefs you have about the Phillies ...they don't have a rain cloud over their heads.... they have as much of a chance as anyone...That's what makes the game great, but of course...you need to have patience the season is a marathon..... you never know when the stars will line up just right for a team......Last year the Cardinals nearly imploded at the end of the season and headed into the playoffs w/ the worst record of any team in the playoffs(even the Phill's had a better record.)
Or the Marlins knocking off the Yankees a few years back....anything can happen.
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"Has played .500 for the last decade and half..."

The Phillies have proved to be a second half team and in the second half they're an above .500 team....which is more evidence to have faith
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"Why should I believe they are going to make the postseason after having no life in the first half of this season ???"

because they are a second half team....and I wouldn't say no life ....the 1st half is over, what they did in the 1st half won't change or limit what they can do in the second...it's not going to stop them from winning now. Plus they had a ton of injuries in the first half...this team has yet to play w/a fulland healthy roster.....and w/ everybody in mid-season form.
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"Or better yet, make the right moves to put the team in a position to make a run at the postseason ???"

Myers is scheduled to come back this Friday. Gordon's already back and has looked fairly good. If both stay healthy that could be more than enough w/ what we already have...Kendrick has continued to pitch well...Durbin could be a big surprise( if he continues to do what he did Sunday, Moyer gets his second wind and Cole, well Cole is Cole....and Adam....he'll give you the occasional good start, but w/ this juggernaut of an offense... anything is possible....there are a lot of ifs, but there always is.....there is plenty of evidence though.....You've got to believe....say it w/ me ...I want to believe.

-St Pete Rose/saint of baseball's lost causes