The Phillies are concerned about Chase Utley's injured right knee but, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com they hadn't called the Rangers about Michael Young as of this morning. Here's the latest on the Phillies and notes from around the league:
- Phillies scout Charley Kerfeld had been watching the Rangers and may have been scouting Young.
- Chris Davis has an option left, so the Rangers are expected to send him down to start the season in the minors, despite his strong spring performance so far.
- 22-year-old Dodgers prospect Rubby De La Rosa is impressing with his upper-90s fastball and command.
- Though the Padres would like Bengie Molina to return to action at a bargain price, they're under the impression that the backstop is in "retirement mode." The Padres expressed interest in Molina earlier in the week, after Gregg Zaun retired, but they don't have much left in their budget.
- It remains unlikely that Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo will break camp with the Mets, even though the team doesn't have tremendous depth from the left side out of the bullpen or at second base.
Utley should just get the surgery now. I have heard that it would probably keep him out 2 months at most, but everyone heals differently. If he is to miss 2 months, that puts him back sometime in May probably. As far as Michael Young. Theres no fit there. Phillies cant afford the contract and when Utley came back then they would have no where to put him. Even if Utley misses the whole year, they still cant afford Young. Wilson Valdez proved last year that he can hold his own for 2 months.
2 months?
Carlos Beltran has that same bone on bone bruise. He had clean up type surgery in Jan 2010 (bone chips, etc.). And he’s still not ready to play. He opted to go that route, rather than the major microfracture surgery. In his case, the odds turned out not so good.
Need to prepare for life with Utley on extended DL.
Carlos Beltran is a met. The DL is like a comfy chair with his butt-groove permanently imprinted on it.
Microfracture? What are you talking about, this is nothing like Beltran’s case. This is patellar tendonitis, even if he needs a procedure, its a 15 minute job. Here is from an interview with a sports doc this morning:
DH: Brandon Inge, a player for the Tigers, reported similar problems and said that, after surgery, it took him a year to get back to being completely healthy. Is this typical? What does the surgery entail?
DR: First of all, surgery is rarely, rarely, rarely appropriate for this condition. You rarely do it. If you look back at the typical sports medicine doctor’s practice, and you look at the number of times he operates on cartilage tears or ligament tears vs. the number of times he operates just on a kneecap problem like this, it’s really rare. The plain and simple reason is most people do get better. If you are forced to operate, there’s two reasons: First, it portends that this is a worse condition. The second thing is the surgery is incredibly simple – it’s called a patellar chondroplasty, you simply smooth out the cartilage. You make the rough ends smoother. The procedure itself is like a 15-minute operation. So when you talk about a professional athlete who says, ‘Boy, it’s taking me a year to get back,’ you start to wonder if it’s the actual procedure or more likely it’s the underlying condition that’s still bugging him.
more from that interview:
DH: And if he does have surgery, what’s a typical recovery time?
DR: The typical recovery time is, just in general, very quick procedure, on crutches for just a couple days, taking it easy the first week, beginning exercise at one week, and then it’s what we call ‘as tolerated.’ That means if a guy within four weeks after that, from the time he begins his exercises, can run, can cut, can do everything with minimal swelling, good range of motion, a little pain, he could play. So we don’t limit people after this type of surgery as opposed to an ACL or rotator cuff where we say six months or however many months. It really depends on how the patient does, and some people are quicker than others.
It remains unlikely that Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo will break camp with the Mets, even though the team doesn’t have tremendous depth from the left side out of the bullpen…
The only place where Oliver Pérez provides depth is in the junk yard.
Uh, the Mets have Daniel Murphy and Brad Emaus at second base. Either of them are better than a range less, legless 35 year old. I’ll give him the lefty part, even though Tankersley and Byrdak are there.
Oliver Perez is that rare pariah of a player who might be able to keep fans out of the ballpark just based on his presence on the bench/in the bullpen. He might be making 12 million, but the kind of fanbase hatred his behavior and performance have earned is priceless.
I think a Young trade could work and then you could move Polanco to left after next year when Ibanez’s contract is up… (He used to replace Burrell defensively back in the day… Maybe Young could go to left?) Maybe if the Rangers eat most of this year’s contract. (About 6-9 million…?)
This sounds like one of the worst ideas i’ve ever heard
Not really… Ruben said moving Polanco off third was a possibility when they signed him… Is it a good idea or even likely… probably not I’m just saying that its a possibility.
Polanco played 29 innings in left field 6 years ago, besides his bat isn’t ideal for left field, and he’ll be 36 next year. Not exactly the best time to learn a new position.
I think he’s athletic enough to do it… I mean if guys like Burrell can do it and a guy like Lance Berkman is going to play right at this stage of his career…
Again I don’t want to come off as I think this is a great idea or anything or that they would even do it… I’m just trying to be creative with how they would all fit together.
Chase Utley will be the Phillies Left fielder in 2011. It’s the only way he’s going to be able to continue to play in the National league.
Phillies scout Charley Kerfeld was at the game and may have been scouting the hot dog vendor.
So Molina must weigh about 400 pounds now that he is in “retirement mode”
The Mets don’t have depth even with Castillo and Perez.
Also, congrats to Heyman for getting his one article per month quota out of the way early. Now he can just tweet everything until April.
no, Young at 3rd, Polanco goes to second. They should trade Blanton (obviously) and maybe Raul…MAyberry JR could play left field no problem.
Who wants Raul Ibanez at $11 mil? The Phillies would have to eat some salary of both Joe Blanton and Ibanez if they were traded. All to bring in a player with a $48 mil price tag?
And also… John Mayberry JR is nothing more than a MLB bench player at best.
Blanton/Ibanez for Young makes a lot of sense for both teams if you think Ultey might be healthy mid season, and fear him playing at 2B. If Utley is hurt or out for the season, I don’t see how Michael Young is a fit, not based on talent or need, but based on what the Phillies would have to move in terms of Salary to take him.
It would definitely mean moving Blanton (and possibly Kendrick) and even then you have another 6 million bucks you need. and Vance worley is your fifth starter and you have NO DEPTH.
Michael young ain’t happening.
Naw, I’m thinking Young at Third like he’s used to. Polanco gets moved to second, as that was his original position. I’m find with Raul getting thrown in the deal with Blanton, who I assume is the one the Rangers really want. That way the Rangers have an extra DH to go along with their new starter. I’m at peace with Mayberry and Gload playing LF.
Bring in Young for third, move Polly to second, get Chase 100% after surgery and move him to left field when he comes back. Dom Brown is your right fielder next year and Chase is in left. He’s an athlete and can play the outfield, right?
Are you nuts? I know his fielding % isnt stellar, but watch Utley play second, what he lacks in ability he makes up for in intelligence. He is a very good second baseman
I am getting tired on this new breed of Phillies fan. One that thinks he can have any type of player regardless of contract or salary or payroll consequences. Just stop it, nobody will take on Raul’s salary at his age. The Rangers will not take Blanton for Young, especially with Beltre’s status still uncertain. Howard will not be traded for Pujols. Polanco can’t play LF. In a sense, I kind of wish the Phillies did not sign Cliff Lee for it just validated every idiot’s argument on how to run a baseball team. As much as I appreciate the numerous Phillies fans and their support, please keep your dumb ideas to yourself, your making the level-headed fans look bad. More likely, Valdez will play the majority of games at second with Delwyn Young spelling him from time to time barring the acquisition of a free agent at the caliber of say David Eckstein or a cut player (i.e. Luis Castillo). No need for knee-jerk reaction here (sorry Chase).
As a longtime yet sometimes admittedly a “Cliff Lee infused, new breed” Phillies fan, I completely agree with Timothy C. (and also with Free AEC re Mayberry for that matter). RAJ will/can do no more than tweak before opening day.
Mayberry can’t hit the off-speed stuff. He’s really only a bench player who would get an at-bat now and then in certain fastball-likely situations.
And than k you guys for saying it before I had to. Stop with the ‘dream trade’ scenarioos, where we trade our least needed/out of favor/unwanted players for other team’s star players, who will ALSO just happen to eat some salary when they trade them to us. It Aint happening. Utley will either tough it out, or get surgery – but he will recover quickly, I think. Until then, we have the players to play the position until he comes back.
On a side note – Blanton isn’t unwanted, just expendable and overpaid if he’s a 5th starter. He’s a decent pitcher that keeps you in games and goes through a lot of innings. The Phillies haven’t traded him yet because they refuse to just give him away for nothing *and* eat salary. Sometime soon, someone will want him enough to make a decent offer for him.
Ya know, moving everyone to left field might be a fun thing to type, but it might not always work out as it would in your imagination.
Reality is that Chase Utley is likely out for at the least an extended period. The phillies will have to do something to replace his offense in the lineup, but it might not happen quickly.
Wilson Valdez is a SOLID defensive replacement. His offense is suspect at best. That said, you’re not going to see a move made to pick up a mid grade replacement. They’ll go with what they have, make a ridiculous splash like move, or find a competent utilty player with some pop. That’s not Luis castillo.
I’m still liking DeRosa. How has he looked in ST this year?
hamels, polanco, victorino, ibanez
for
young, cruz, borbon
money’s even
texas gets an ace and shorter contracts
phils get someone to bat behind howard
Col Hamels is less likely to be traded than Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay. Ain’t happening.
Between De La Rosa & Jansen, it’s looking like Broxton’s leash doesn’t even need to be that long this year (but if he’s effective, ouch!) Rubby shouldn’t be up before September unless this season starts to suck early in LA.
Looks like Phils found a sleeper of an ANSWER to the Chase quandry in BARFIELD Jr. today. I actually like Barfield more than D Young because of the height difference alone @ 2B.