Roy Halladay posted his third consecutive quality start last night against the Pirates, but relievers Antonio Bastardo, Mike Adams, and Jeremy Horst couldn't hold a lead and the Phillies fell to 9-13. The latest on the club:
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports spoke to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who said, "The next four months are very important for our organization. We have a lot of potential free agents — Chooch, Chase, Halladay, Michael Young, Delmon Young. Do we want to go younger, or do we move forward with the guys we’ve got We’re going to have to turn left or right. We have to decide." The trade deadline is about three months away, at which point the Phillies will be forced to make a choice. Amaro does, however, think the team's payroll will remain in its current range (around $165MM).
- The Phillies likely won't trade longtime second baseman Chase Utley, opines ESPN's Buster Olney, but the scribe does find the Orioles and Royals to be great fits.
- "I plan to keep managing — unless I decide all of a sudden I don't want to do it," manager Charlie Manuel told ESPN's Jayson Stark. Manuel is in the last year of his contract, but "I don't think the players give two craps about it," Amaro told Stark.
