One year ago, the Orioles officially signed Miguel Tejada, bringing him back for his second stint with the club. Unfortunately for the O's, the veteran infielder couldn't match the numbers he'd previously put up in Baltimore, posting a .670 OPS before a July trade sent him to the Padres. While we wait to see what January 23rd will bring this year, here are a few links to browse:
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman would prefer to run a small market team, opines Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, who is beginning to think Cashman may walk away from the Yankees when his contract expires following the 2011 season.
- ESPN's Adam Rubin provides a breakdown of the Mets' 2011 payroll following Jeff Wilpon's statement that the team payroll will be in the $145MM-plus range.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer makes a case for Joe Blanton's value, then says the Phillies need to sell that argument to just one other team. Brookover opines that shedding some money by dealing Blanton could give the Phils a little wiggle room to address other potential areas of need.
- Within a multi-sport mailbag, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer addresses the Indians' third base picture, which could include Jason Donald, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Jared Goedert.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at what the Giants can expect from Mark DeRosa this season. DeRosa is entering the second and final year of the $12MM deal he signed last winter.
- In their newest blog entries, the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck and MASN's Roch Kubatko each discuss the most recent Orioles rumblings, with a focus on Vladimir Guerrero.
Amaro should call up Reagins, he’s apparently in the mood to pick up overpaid under performing players.
He may as well take Ibanez too while he’s at it
Sure does seem that way. Why give Crawford an annual 20.3M salary when you can get Wells at 23M one year and 21M for 3 years. Why go after Cliff Lee when Amaro is looking to shed some payroll with Blanton! Would not suprise me if they looked into it. The Angels make me wonder. Glad I’m not an Angels fan. Incase no one noticed, everything before “would not suprise me” is sarcasm. I understand sarcasm is hard to sense over a computer.
The Mets prayers have been answered.
Oliver Perez and Louis Castillo for Scott Kazmir !
Gee, if I was making an argument to trade Blanton, I’d talk about how he’s cheaper and younger than similar comps like Pavano, Westbrook and De La Rosa, had a higher K-rate than Pavano and Westbrook and a higher K/BB rate (top 20 in the majors!) than all three of them last year. Has a history of being catastrophic injury-free unlike those Pavano and Westbrook. Has averaged more innings per season than De La Rosa’s max effort. If he had a .280-.290 BABIP like those 3, he’d have had an ERA under 4. The perception is that Blanton’s worse than he is, partly because of his bad BABIP last year, and partly because we’ve jerked him around between starting and relieving in the playoffs the last couple years.
Fact is there’s a lot of pitchers that Blanton compares well against. He may not be measurably better than Westbrook, Pavano, Brett Myers, Scott Baker, etc, but he’s not measurably worse either. He’s easily a 2 or 3 on a non-playoff team, and a solid 3-4 on a contending team. The market has proven that’s worth at least $8MM a year.
Totally agree. If you are a team that thinks you can win and you need a starter Joe Blanton is worth a good prospect or 2. If nothing else he’s gonna go out there and eat innings.
A good prospect or two? I don’t think so. Not if the team is going to pay off of his salary which Philly would want.
I dont why the Orioles dont trade Pie and Tillman for Blaton, Leandro Castro and Zagurski. The orioles get a starter and the lefty they need for the bullpen. The Phillies cut payroll. Then the Orioles should sign Vlad. Vlad plays DH for 2011 and Scott in LF. Then in 2012 Scott plays DH and Castro plays LF.
Pie has a nice upside and in rebuilding mode hoping he becomes the player his skills project him to be is probably a better move than having Blanton. Same thing with Tillman. Realistically 2012 is probably when they can hope to contend and then they can sign Blanton or someone in the same mold. I think Tillman and Pie are alot to give up for players they can sign later or players they can sign later who will be the equivalent. It will always be a very tough division with the Yanks and Sox so I think there best shot is to go the Rays route and hold onto and build around their young talent.
YOu don’t know why? How about because the O’s are a rebuilding team and the last thing they need to do is trade away good young pitching.
Tillman-22 yo- 2009 Top 25 prospect-Less than 120 mlb IP
Pie- He’s been around for a while but he’s still only 26. He’s expendable though.
Castro- Hasn’t played above low A yet and is probably at least 3 years away from being anything. Still, he is very, very raw.
Zagurski- Other than a cool name, what’s the big deal? He’s a 28 yo bullpen arm that has been unable to stick in the majors. He’s a 2 pitch loogy at best.
I could see a possible Pie and fringe prospect for Blanton but not much more w/ the O’s paying all of Blanton’s contract.
caus Pie hits left handed, and Philly wants a right handed hitting outfielder. If Baltimore had a right handed hitting outfielder not named Adam Jones that was ML ready, I think Blanton would already be wearing Orange and Black.
No team(aside from the Angels maybe) is going to give up any warm bodies and pay for Blanton’s salary…..
Nolan Reimold is a right handed ML ready outfielder, but the O’s aren’t trading him to the Phillies for Blanton. Despite his really bad year last year due to slow recovery from surgery the year before, Reimold has too much potential for the O’s to trade him for a high paid #4/5 starter. Phils may want someone with more of a track record anyway, even though that would be a good deal for the Phils if they could pull it off.
Take out Castro and substitute Pie for Reimold and it’s something that the Phils would do.
If the Orioles offered Pie and Tillman for Blanton, Castro and Zagurski, I’d jump on that faster than Blanton and Zagurski in a pie eating contest.
Bucholtz, Lester, Beckett, Dice K and Lackey- I hear some Sox fans talk about the strength of this rotation and in those discussions I have not heard any information of why they would need Blanton. What is the real story here and who do the Sox have concerns about out of the 5 I have mentioned. Outside the first 2 all have some concerns but Lackey and Beckett both have contracts that nobody is going to take on so they are not getting dealt. To me this means that they either have a major concern about on of their starters or they really do want to trade Dice K or both. I dont see how Blanton replacing Dice K makes them better if Dice K is healthy- they know what they have with him and I give them the edge or every team in baseball at fifth starter if that is his spot and he is healthy. Sox fans what is the deal and what is the reasoning behind their interest in Blanton. Another opinion is Bard was lights out, they are in a position to win it all in 2011 and I would hold on to Papelbon hope he is healthy with Bard being a great bridge again rather than taking the chance of Bard becoming the closer a year early or allowing Jenks to do it. I dont think there is a Sox fan on the planet who wants Dan Wheeler closing games for them.
The only rumors I heard about the Sox interest in Blanton was the day after the Phils signed Lee. My guess is Amaro called up Theo and asked about his interest level in Blanton and Theo didn’t immediately hang up. Unless injuries very quickly pile up, I don’t see Blanton in Boston happening.
As for Paps, the rumors of the Sox open to trading him whenever kinda boils down to the fact that any player on any team can be had for the right price. I’d be surprised if any team offers enough to make Theo move him.
Thanks. As a Yankee fan I would love to see them get Blanton as I would rather them face him on a regular basis than any of the other 5 when healthy. I just dont see him as an upgrade over anyone they have. He also will not come cheap so they would have to give up legit talent especially because other teams will be interested and the fact Amaro has to be thinking there is a good chance these two teams can meet in the WS and he does not want Blanton coming back to bite him like the Lee trade amost did.
Hey, I know the feeling, I want to see Blanton in the AL East… in pinstripes. But if Amaro wants legit talent for Blanton he’ll have to eat salary which will kinda make the point about dumping him for salary relief pointless. Blanton is an over paid #5 pitcher, I don’t see anyone giving up talent and taking on his salary.
I agree. Maybe a team who needs a starter in the NL could take the risk- for some reason I think the Cardinals, maybe the Reds. I think he will be dealt with them not having to eat money and maybe getting a decent return if a team has an injury in Spring Training and they expect to contend and the injury puts that in doubt. If Burhle goes down for the Whitesox I think maybe they have to step up and take the risk. I would not mind Blanton on the Yankees because he would replace Mitre but I think the Yankees because of age, affordability, upside and CC Sabathia will favor Carmona and that is a deal that will eventually get done. I think they are laying in wait on that and Carmona would have to be dealt before they bite on Blanton.
I know Theo didn’t want it to be made public but obviously knew that it would come out that he tried to sign both Mo and Soriano this winter with the thoughts of moving Paps. I’m sure he probably made offers for others too (Bell and Soria). How do you think Paps handles that this year? Motivation or mopes?
Well there were rumors Theo tried to expand the AGon trade to include Bell but in the end Hoyer wanted to hold onto him. Don’t know about Soria, willing to bet he asked the price tag but it probably started with Kelly.
Paps has an alpha personality, my bet is he will need to prove something whether it be out of spite or honor. Hopefully Young has seen what he needs to improve on and Paps will listen.
Word! I’m not in the crowd writing him off after last year. He’s been one of the best closers in the league past few years. Like you said, he will be motivated this year and be back to his normal self for the most part.
Seriously, Wren? You passed on Jones for Cantu? His offense and defense both suck. There is also many other infielders that are better than Cantu and will cost the same.
I haven’t seen much of DeRosa since he went to SF. He would be a nice piece for the Yanks to pick up for the bench because he can play both OF corners as well as 2B and 3B. I know he’s not great at any 1 position, but his versatility and bat off the bench could be of use. Considering his money due he should be obtainable for next to nothing I would think?
giants aren’t going to trade for that exact reason. His versatility will be needed, especially at third.
Quick hit comment that has nothing to do with anything on this post. Is anyone else ready for March 31st because im dying over here?
You kidding?! I’m not even sure I’m gonna make it to Pitchers & Catchers! 😀
Opening day is the day I leave for florida/western carribean. I am going to be going crazy if I cant at least check scores/listen to something on the radio.
Well, don’t forget “La Serie del Caribe.” Maybe not the same level of ball as the majors but you’ll see some old & new familiar faces, and get warmed up for the MLB season. And you’ll be in good company ’cause you can’t beat Caribbean passion for béisbol. ;-))
Luke – – – stop saying ‘opining’, ‘opines’, etc in your posts. That is all.
honestly.. do people actually think that the yankees would give up montero for a bum like blanton? felix hernandez, yes. blanton, nooo.
I really hope not, but I’ve seen that ‘rumor’ from time to time since the Phillies signed Lee. It’s a completely absurd thought though and wouldn’t happen in a million years.
It’s essentially like saying the Braves should trade Kawakami for Moustakas, while the Royals take on Kawakami’s salary to boot.
King Felix is a horrible example. He is in the top 3 of AL pitchers, maybe all of MLB.
That’s kind of the point. Montero wouldn’t be used in a deal for a “journeyman” type pitcher like Blanton but would center a deal for a guy like Felix if he became available.
Montero is good, but nowhere near good enough to “center” a King Felix trade. No. Way.
I truly think that not many prospects would be good enough if centered for a King Felix trade.
Agreed.
Do ppl not understand what “centered” means? It means that you headline a deal.
Casey Kelly “centered” the deal for Agonz!!!!! Jeesh.
To say that Montero, the #1 or #2 rated hitter in baseball, and top 5 overall, wouldn’t ceter a deal for Felix isn’t even debatable. He DID center a proposed deal for Cliff Lee from the M’s earlier this year. He would easily be their #1 offensive prospect, and arguably their #1 prospect overall w/ the conversation being him or Pineda (regardless of what Ackley did in the AZL).
Lee is many years older, and would have required a big extension. His value was much lower than Felix’s is.
Look, the point I’m getting at is Felix is one of THE best pitchers in baseball. He’s young, a healthy workhorse, and is still a few years away from free agency. The Mariners would definitely be looking for one or two young, established MLB players to “center” a trade. If Montero was a more balanced prospect, say, if he could catch as well, then -maybe- he’s good enough. But even for a monster masher such as Montero, the Mariners would have a hard time trading Felix. In the case of NY, I would guess the Mariners would need to see a Montero + Hughes or Gardner kind of package before they actually pick up the phone. And yes, that would be a LOT to give up. But I don’t see Felix going for less.
FIRST: I am not , nor did I ever suggest, that the Yanks or anyone will be trading for Felix. Let me make that clear.
What I DID say, was directed towards the guy who suggested the Yanks would trade Montero for Blanton by the deadline.
What I DID say was that IF Montero were traded it would be to center a package for a guy “like” Felix (feel free to sub out Felix w/ any other stud that was on the market recently or will be in the near future).
While I still insist that IF…IF… Felix were on the market, NO team would be trading an established mlb pitcher (as established as a 23-24 could be) or a guy like Cano (established all-star). I am almost 100% sure that it would be for 1 young mlb player already in the minors but not yet w/ a year under his belt PLUS a multiple of 4 or 5 prospects.
AGAIN…didn’t say the Yanks were trading for Felix, just that it would be someone “LIKE” him.
Yeah, I actually got that you weren’t suggesting an actual trade from the beginning, thanks. You say a guy “like” Felix…well, my point is that there aren’t many comparisons to him. I agree Montero for Blanton is an unfair trade, but suggesting he could centerpiece for Felix doesn’t work for me either.
Now, for what you think Felix would be worth on the market. First of all, I NEVER suggested Cano would be part of it, and I never will. And you say no team would trade an established mlb pitcher…well, you’re trading FOR an established ACE pitcher, who’s still only 24 going on 25. How do you expect to get him then? The package you’re suggesting works for someone like Adrian Gonzalez, who plays an already powerful position and has free agency looming, or for a Cliff Lee, at 32 and one year on the contract. But not for Hernandez. I still definitely believe you’d have to give up MLB talent for him. I only mentioned Hughes and Gardner cause, well, they’re the only young guys with talent in the right range for Felix. I agree Hughes would probably not move. But then again, I think NY has basically no chance at making an attractive offer right now. Again, I think a team like the Rays with loads of young talent could make the trade, but they’re one of few.
King Felix is 24, signed through 2014, and is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Montero for Lee would mean getting Lee for a one year rental and I believe Lee is 32? King Felix has many more great years ahead of him (barring injury) than lee does. So yes a deal centered around Montero for Lee makes sense, but not for King Felix. BoSoxSam’s comment below describes partially what it would possibly take to land him from a Yankees farm/team perspective.
I know you wrote this an 1 hour ago, but please read what I said. I never suggested Felix would be traded, nor did I say Montero would be enough for him.
or that you implied that I dont know what being centered in a trade meant. Felix is probably one of the only players to ever be compared to in trade talks like that. He is on a different level than everyone else. There are maybe 10 guys in the mlb that are like that and he is one of them. They dont call him king for nothing. If the original post talked about someone that wasnt Felix I dont think I would have even commented.
Montero is not good enough to center a deal for King Felix. You’d have to give up Soriano, Gardener, then maybe Montero, to get that done. Interestingly, despite having a top 10 farm system, you don’t have a trade chip, outside of Montero and Brackman, that could induce such a deal.
You are so clueles it’s not even funny. Betances, Banuelos and Sanchez are ranled higher than Brackman on most lists and on some other Noesi as well.
Diude, I’m not clueless. I fully understand the prospects the Yanks have. You are assuming that because they are “ranked” well, that everyone wants them. The Mariners have specific needs that your “ranked” prospects mostly DON’T fulfill. Perhaps if Cito Culver turns out to be fantastic, that would give you a trade chip that would be highly prized for such a deal. Remember, the Mariners have turned down a 7-player deal for King Felix. The talent offered were all relatively highly ranked. It wasn’t the size of the haul that mattered. It was scuttled because of how the pieces offered didn’t fit their needs. I don’t believe your farm system is a match for the Mariners’ needs. You might be able to pull this off using a third team to fill some of the Mariners’ needs.
You are clueless about the Yanks farm system if you say all the Yanks have that might interest the M’s arm Montero and Brackman, who is RHP, when the Yanks have 2 or 3 other RHP ranked higher than Brackman. But it’s a moot point since I clearly wasn’t suggesting that Felix was available or that the Yanks were going to trade for him. I said Montero would only headline a trade for a pitcher “LIKE” Felix (insert any other Cy Young caliber pitchers name).
You’re the one who is clueless. Montero is a one-dimensional prospect. His maximum upside is Adam Dunn, not Pujols. He’s never going to be an acceptable centerpiece for a “Cy Young” quality pitcher, and if you continue to think that, you are outright delusional.
Adam Dunn, a proven MLB commodity, couldn’t headline a trade for a Cy Young quality pitcher. No one dimensional player can.
As for Brackman, he is the best RH SP in your farm system that meets the Mariners needs, despite WHAT YOU HAVE and despite WHO IS RANKED HIGHER. He is the only one, I predict, that they WOULD want. You act like the rankings are God’s words. They aren’t. Get off that cloud. Come to your senses.
You have no idea what “centered” means. Doesn’t mean it would be a
Montero for Felix deal.
It means it would be a Montero + others deal, with Montero being the best of the bunch and probably the most desirable that the M’s would ask for.
No….I know exactly what you meant. I still stand by my comment. If Montero is the most desirable prospect of the bunch, then the deal isn’t worth it to the Mariners, plain and simple.
I think he would be a good centerpiece…he is probably the yankees best prospect and best catching prospect in all of baseball. Some lists also have him as the #2 prospect in baseball. Obviously some people dont believe he will remain a catcher but from what I have heard he is getting a bit better behind the plate. But he is ranked very high on many lists and I don’t see how he wouldn’t be a good centerpiece for an ace tyoe pitcher.
Just because he’s the Yankees best prospect does not mean he’s good enough for Felix. And Felix is not just an “ace type pitcher”. He’s one of THE best pitchers, plus he’s young, plus he’s affordable. He’s not going anywhere, and Yankees don’t have a chance without a Hughes/Gardner/Montero kind of offer.
Montero is just the Yanks top prospect, he is one of the top 5 in the game. Again…never said he was going anywhere.
Can we look at this totally w/o have a “man crush” on Felix?
MONEY-IF (cap, bold and italicized) the M’s decide to move Felix it will be for a reason. The fact that after 2011 he will earn $18, $19 and $20 mil means that most teams outside of probably 8-10 are going to be eliminated. As great as Felix is, so were/are Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Dan Haren, Johan Santana, Zach Greinke, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder when they were traded.
MOTIVE-If/when this time comes the M’s would be engaging other teams in a mutually beneficial deal. True, if any team were to approach them now then the M’s would be right to rape and pilage them for all they can. If the M’s are looking to trade them then the expectations change. Because if they are trading him, then it’s not because they can’t afford him (because they probably could) but because they might feel Felix won’t resign w/ them for whatever reason. They will also understand that they could easily get much more than the 2 1st rnd picks (assuming that’s what type A will reap w/ the next CBA) FA comp would bring. Teams will understand this as well.
MARKET-Back to Felix. Ppl often talk about how cheap and affordbale he is. He IS signed below market. As of 2012 he IS NOT cheep any longer, however. After 2012 the only pitchers more expensive than Felix will be Zambrano, Zito, Santana, Lee, Halladay, Verlander and Sabathia. He is better than all of them, but his price limits the market for him. He is not signed to AS friendly a deal as Lester, JJ or Jiminez.
I would say the Yanks, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Nats, Orioles, Rangers, Tigers, White Sox and Cubs are all realistic teams that can afford him.
CONTROL-Ppl reference how young he is. Yes, assuming he is traded before the 2013 season then a team aquiring him will have him for his age 27 and 28 seasons. Extremely young. But remember it’s for 2 years and there’s no reason to value him or his age beyond the contract service time left. Any extensions are done at the discretion or Felix and his new team therfore the M’s should receive no benefit of an extension since it will come closer to his real market value.
Now, look at other Cy Young caliber pitchers who earned or were deserving of $20 mil deals for 2 year each and look at what they netted the team that traded him. Use that as a guide for reasonable expectations and add slightly more and that will most likely be the return.
Again….
Traded now= A ton in return short of proven mlb all-stars.
Traded after 2012= Expect something more reasonable like what we’ve seen for Halladay, Santana, Haren, Lee, Greinke, etc
If he puts up comparable numbers to what he has the last few years, he will net more prospects than any pitcher you named. I do agree with your stance that in a couple years it is more reasonable to trade him without taking the whole farm system but it will still be substantial in a couple years unless its 2014 mid season and the M’s know they wont resign him…..but who doesnt have a man crush on King Felix?
excuse my use on run on sentences.
I’m not even arguing prospects. That’s all debatable and according to what the M’s need vs what a team is offering. I’m saying that I doubt there will be a Hughes or Cano (which has been mentioned by other idiors whenever someone mentions Felix and Yanks) involved. The Yanks, and any team for that matter, are trying to ADD to the rotation not just upgrade one spot.
Somehow, I got dragged into this debate…hahaha. I wasn’t even suggesting that Felix was obtainable. I just said Montero would be dealt for someone “LIKE” Felix as opposed to Blanton.
Didn’t mean to ruffle feathers.
IF Felix were traded today the package will be obscene but likely devoid of a star w/ 2 or more years of service or a young pitcher with good success. A guy like Gardner plus 4 prospects is easy to see but I don’t value Gardner as being a star yet.
2 years from now, a Felix net is not going to be 2x what these other star pitchers were traded for.
Hes not just the yankees best prospect, hes listed as top 10 in all of baseball. Ive seen him as high as #2 on certain lists behind only Bryce Harper. Im obviously not saying Montero=Hernandez but I am saying that if they were to shop felix, the yankees can make a great package around Montero. That means Montero plus a bunch of other good prospects for Felix. Hughes/Gardner/Montero isnt even a good offer in my opinion but that might be because I dont think Hughes and Gardner are anything special.
You are delusional.
I sort of agree about Cashman and his situation. He get’s almost zero credit for the Yanks success and all the blame when they fail to win. I don’t see him being interested in a “tight wad” small market team but certainly a mid-size/larger market team with some media coverage to them.
Angels (especially if Reagin’s gambles fail and the Angels don’t make the playoffs)
Astros (No problem hovering around 80-100 mil. Major market. Winnable division. A complete mess of a farm that would allow him to rebuild from the bottom up. Expiring contracts like Lee coming off soon. Wade signed thru 2012).
Cubs- Major market. Willing to spend enough on the draft and can supplement with check book as needed. WInnable market. Ultimate challenge to bring a WS to the along suffering fan base. WOULD MAKE HIM LOOK GREAT IN HISTORICAL FASHION.
Dodgers- Big market. Can spend. Knows Mattingly quite well. Good press,fan base, Torre likes him and would probably put in a good word.
Giants- If Sabean is promoter to President of Ops I could see Cashman being brought in. They are good friends. Nice sized market, great fan base. Great history. Big enough to spend but relys on homwgrown talent too.
Orioles- Don’t currently have a GM. He went to school in DC. Might enjoy building a winner among the atmosphere of the Yanks and Sox. Nice sized market and they can afford to spend $100 mil or so.
Reds- Went to HS in Lexington, KY. May have followed the Reds? A small market team with ability to spend 75 mil in a winnable division.
Tigers- Nice sized market. Lots of money coming off books and a farm with a couple of pieces in it. Big media market but not glaring and white hot like NY or Boston.
White Sox- Only if Guillen is gone too. Big media market, spends money, would be loved if he brought WS rings to a city deprived of one since 2005 and 80+ years before that.
Indians- Only if Dolans agreed to a consistent budget for the payroll in advance.
The Orioles don’t currently have a GM? I think Andy MacPhail would be surprised to hear that.
Really? He doesn’t know his own title? It’s President of Baseball Operations.
He HANDLES GM duties, but most teams have a President Ops/CEO, GM, etc
Apparently Cash Man is only a G.M. in title because its obvious Hank is making the baseball decisions.
Yanks Hank makes all the decisions…Shut up.
Thought that’s what I said. I’ll ignore the last part of your comment.
Actually what I meant was a sarcastic “Yeah….Hank makes all the decisions”.
Cashman has had stuff shoved down his throat (see Arod, Soriano) but he’s still the GM.
..
The Reds have Walt Jocketty and the O’s have Macphail.
1) Tigers- David’s contract is up this year.
2) Mariners- Zurdenick came under criticism last year and may be on the hot spot.
3) Pirates- Huntington’s contract is up this year, though the Pirates Owners have had no problem with Neil’s moves (he has rebuilt their farm teams) and Cashman would probably be too expensive.
4) Angels- for your same reasons
Even w/ Fontenot and Sandoval @ 3b and Torres, Burrel, Roos, Rowand, Schierholtz in the OF?
Trading Joe now = big mistake. Not saying he wouldn’t/shouldn’t get dealt eventually, but what’s the rush??? A few of his interesting numbers over the last couple years include…..
– A career 3.93 era at Citizen’s bank park.
– 194+ innings in every season leading up to last year.
– During his time in Philly, he has been substantially better during the second half, including a 3.48 era last year.
Has he pitched well enough overall for his current salary? Probably a resounding no. But, the Phils spent all this money to put together the makings of an All-Time rotation. I really don’t think now is the time to get cheap and chance killing that dream by getting rid of the best insurance policy they have. With a bit more consistency, his overall success will become more in-line with his recent splits. With a major adjustment or two, perhaps he still even hits that potential he once had.
I definetly understand your desire to have depth and they should probably not throw him away just as a salary dump.
I think the Phills lineup is a little shakey to me.
Rollins
Victorino
Utley
Howard
Ibanez
Polanco
Francisco
Feliz
Pitcher
Still a top 5 offense and they don’t need to win 8 to 6 run games anymore but very shakey set up guys in Victorino and ROllins and the punch falls off after Howard.
Rollins – Started hot injuries derailed his season.
Polanco – Had bone spurs in his elbow from April – on and still managed to hit .296.
Utley – Serious hand injury during a hot streak in June.
Howard – Serious Ankle injury that affected his swing.
Ibanez – Carried the team in the second half. Horrible first half.
Victorino – A little too home run happy.
Fransisco/Brown – Fransisco has shown pop since being aquired and brown is one of the top 10 prospects in all of baseball.
Ruiz – Hit .300 in the 8th spot.
Last year was an aboration. They didn’t hit in the playoffs because the Giants bullpen shut them down and the Reds have better pitching than a lot of people thin,k. They were the best team in baseball in the second half besides their pitching and still finished second in runs scored despite all of their position players missing time besides Werth and Ibanez.
Wow……did I say the Phillies were a bad team or did I say I am concerned with their ability to consistently score runs? I think I pretty much showed how overall RUN scored rankings can be a little decieving.
You didn’t say they were bad I was just saying why I wouldn’t be concerned about them. Sorry if I came off as attacking you.
Testing 1,2
Rumor mill in Philly – Since the 08 postseason, Blanton has intrigued as a possible late inning reliever. Could be they’re considering him as a potential fill in or compliment to Lidge/Madson. Same manager moved Myers to the pen….
But I also think that 75% of those moves he doesn’t attempt to make with other teams because they are not under the same circumstance. Most GMs can afford to rebuild. The Yanks won’t allow that. So if you need pitching and Carl Pavano is the best on the market back in 2005 then guess what? He becomes a Yankee based on his recent history, whereas a team allowed to work a 5 year plan doesn’t make that same risk move.