The Phillies have signed righty Jerome Williams to a one-year, $2.5MM contract extension that will keep him off the free agent market in advance of the 2015 season, the club announced. The contract includes incentives that could boost its value to $4MM, per Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter).
Williams, who is nearing his 33rd birthday, was quite productive in a short stint with the Phillies this year. Over nine starts for Philadelphia, he logged 57 1/3 frames of 2.83 ERA ball. Of course, that was his third MLB club on the year, and Williams did not put up very attractive numbers in his first two stops with the Astros and Rangers, combining for a 6.71 ERA over 57 2/3 frames.
All said, Williams finished 2014 with 6.4 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9, while posting a cumulative 4.16 FIP, 4.09 xFIP, and 4.03 SIERA. Those numbers provide some reason for optimism, though the Phillies may hope that five better rotation arms emerge from the spring, allowing them to stash Williams as a long man.
Unsurprising, considering the more than respectable numbers he put up after he went there.
That said at 32 hes probably lowered the Phils average age by around 8 years.
Anything that lowers the life insurance premiums on the roster is a win. Maybe Williams will be able to get the clubhouse remote on the days he starts and change out that Matlock
Ok move. It’s about the same as the Roberto Hernandez signing last offseason – but with less money attached. No problem with it, seeing as how our rotation has about 1 certainty in it (Hamels) – and even he is on the block.
Good depth signing for the Philiies.
…as I Giants fan, I am so grateful that my GM has more important things to worry about today than re-signing a fifth starter.
True….they have Lincecum signed long term
My bad…its only one more year on that $35M two year deal they gave him.
…i was thinking more along the lines of… “We are in the World Series chasing our third ring.”
Got it
Good move. Williams is a solid, if unspectacular, contributor. 150 innings of mid 4’s ERA still deserves to be in most rotations. A couple million bucks isn’t much.
Exactly so. If he’d taken more, or if there was a vesting option, it’d be another story… But a 1/$2.5MM+ for a back-of-the-rotation guy? I’ll take that every day of the week.
Considering Hernandez got $4 million last year, I’m suprised we got Williams for this cheap. Last year there was reportedly a minor scale bidding war for Hernandez, so its good to see we stepped in before the market settles.
Also, bye Kyle Kendrick!
In this case Williams wasn’t a free agent (not until after the WS), so there was no possibility of a bidding war yet.
That said, I could see KK coming back (at reduced salary) if Burnett retires, and they decide to funnel his money into another position (such as signing Tomas). Nola probably should be a mid-season call-up at soonest, and more likely an August or 2016 candidate.
I like Jerome. Good guy, never lost his cool. Been though some tuff times, and still has an admirable demeanor. Good enough pitcher too. Hope he has an epic season next year.
Good Deal for the Phils, much rather have him than Kendrick and Buchanon (though he still may make the rotation). I’m sure Burnett will exercise his option and hopefully Lee is healthy and has something left. I don’t trust Rueben to trade Hamels and get a good return so hopefully he’s here to start the season. The big move will be getting Howard off of the roster–one way or another.
If you don’t have KK, you still need Buchanan, because Hamels/Lee/Burnett/Williams only makes 4 starters.
I’m hoping they can find someone better than Buchanon unless he has an impressive spring training. I sonder if there’s any possibility of stretching out one their hard throwing bullpen arms into becoming a starter?
Buchanan averaged close to 6 IP/start, with a WHIP below 1.3, a K/BB ratio of 2.22, a GB rate above 50% and a 73% strand rate.
Now, admittedly, his K rate was low, and over 10% of his fly balls turned into HRs, but that’s a far-from-shabby rookie season. He outperformed his FIP, xFIP and SIERA, but not ridiculously so, and his BABIP was a little low but nothing drastic (.284).
If you don’t want KK, then that’s pretty much your best bet on a 1-year deal, unless you think MAG can be successfully converted back into a starter.
Great guy. Loved him on the Angels. Oh, and he follows me on Instagram…
I didn’t want him back because I thought he’d cost a lot more than a 1 year, 2.5 million deal… but because it is for that, I applaud it. Had he ever reached free agency, he would have gotten more. I will have no problem with Burnett coming back for 1 year either – he wasn’t healthy pitching with that Hernia.. and it looks like anyone close to his talent level will be getting 3 years / 36 million deals like McCarthy and Peavy. I’d be up to signing Masterson to a 1 year deal too. I hope Lee comes back healthy, then we can flip everyone at the trade deadline. 2016 FA Pitchers rock…. that’s needs to be our focus, 2016 Pitchers and Outfielders.
Trade Ideas.. YES or NO? and why…
1) Dom Brown and Bastardo to Reds for Heisy & Cingrani?
2) Dom Brown to White Sox for Viciedo?
3) Marlon Byrd to Mariners for Elias?
4) Hamels to Dodgers for Pederson, Guerrero and Zack Lee?
5) Hamels to Cardinals for Piscotty, Miller and Martinez?
6) Hamels to Red Sox for Webster, Craig and Coyle?
7) Revere to Cubs for Ruggiano?
8) Howard & Papelbon to Yankees for Teixeira & A-Rod?
1. No.
2. Maybe.
3. Eh, sure.
4. No.
5. No.
6. Absolutely no.
7. No.
8. Lol.
sooo you think the Red Sox are content with trotting out 5 unproven MLB starters this year? Oh,…I mean 4…I forgot about Joe Kelly. If they don’t sign Lester back–a very real possibility according to their reluctance to Lester’s impending pay day–I think they will definitely be willing to give up top prospects for Hamels. If Cole is dealt this offseason it will be to Boston or Chicago (NL)
If I had to guess, I’d say the “No”s and the “Absolutely no” were for the returns. Is Cole Hamels going to net an enormous prospect haul? No. Can he net better than Allen Webster, Allen Craig, and Sean Coyle? Almost definitely.
So because the Red Sox need an ace, the Phillies should give them Hamels for .5 cents on the dollar? That trade is a horrible return for Hamels.
I do agree, and think if they added Ranaudo to the deal with Webster, Craig and Coyle.. it should be a yes.
I want Betts and Bogaerts – but that’s not gonna happen.
I still think that is way too light. I don’t think Ranaudo or Webster are anything more than back end starters and Craig is an expensive question mark. I like Coyle.
You don’t have to get both but you should be able to get 1 prospect from their top-tier, 1 or 2 from second-tier, and whatever else is needed to get the trade done.
The Yankees/Phillies swap isn’t as bad as it would appear… The money is just about equal, we want Howard gone, they want A-Rod gone… and we want Papelbon gone too, and the QO they will offer Robertson will be 15.7 million… Papelbon makes 13 million. I think the only way to trade Howard is to take on another teams huge contract. This would not be a bad trade for either team really… no, Really!
The Phillies will be hurting themselves more than helping.
They take on two undesirable contracts for one undesirable contract and Papelbon. Teixeira and Howard are basically a wash leaving Papelbon vs A-Rod. Papelbon may be somewhat unlikable but he is putting up good numbers though he is declining. A-Rod is a big expensive question mark. I still think he can put up average 3B numbers but his playing availablity goes in to question. Can he handle 3B until the end of his contract? There isn’t a DH in the NL. If he deteriorates in the field there is nowhere to hide him.
Not worth the risk for the Phillies.
Actually, Papelbon is improving more than declining, as his 2014 was better than any of his seasons since 2009 – by quite a bit.
As much as I’d like to see it, I don’t think Hamels will net a return as good as your #4 Dodgers trade package. I’m not sure if there is any one player out there that LAD wants bad enough to trade those three in the same deal.
As a Phillies fan, I would be fine with either of your first two proposals for getting Dom Brown out of town. I hate to say it because I like the guy and I think he’s got some kind of offensive potential somewhere, but it just doesn’t show itself enough. Time for a change of scenery there. I don’t know how many stadium outfields are smaller than Philly’s, but Dom surely would need to go to one of those defensive environments.
I’d actually rather keep Revere over Ruggiano. Revere is an odd player in his lack of power but that lineup needs at least one guy consistently hitting over .275 (even if they are all singles).
I don’t think the Cardinals rotation is in any immediate need of another top starter in Hamels. With Wainwright, Wacha, Lackey, Lynn, Miller I dont think there is really a sense of desperation or urgency to trade top prospects. Hamels goes to the Red Sox or Cubs.
some interesting possibilities here I think…
Okay… so what’s the return if Hamels is traded to either the Red Sox or Cubs?
I mentioned both the Dodgers and Cardinals because perhaps their exits out of the Playoffs is because they lacked that one last Ace.
Kershaw was used on short rest… and only Pederson is a guy they really don’t want to give up, but yet have no room to play him, Guerrero (also no place to play) and Zack Lee (bad year) are worth it to the Dodgers as long as the name Seager doesn’t come up, the Dodgers would have to think long on that one… a Rotation of Kershaw, Hamels, Greinke and Ryu would be soooooo Nasty.
Same approach to the Cardinals… Piscotty has no place to play, Shelby Miller while good, is no Cole Hamels… and Martinez is a bullpen piece for the Cards, but would be in our rotation.
Again, look at the rotation with Hamels with the Cards:
Wainwright – Hamels – Lynn – Wacha – Lackey / and just like the Dodgers, you allow St Louis to keep their Taveras and Grichuk.
Except for Baez being the headliner, who else does the Cubs give up for Hamels? Won’t be Soler or Bryant…. or Russell.
I don’t see Chicago dealing talent for Hamels with Scherzer and Lester on the market. Perhaps if they miss there
While I can see why Chicago wouldn’t want to trade its prospects, I don’t see why the Cubs wouldn’t want one of Lester/Scherzer and Hamels, which can be had fairly cheaply (considering what they’re getting) if they sign one and trade for the other.
I look at the Cubs as a team that has a need for Revere as a leadoff hitter and a LF. Ruggiano has a much better offense upside as he’s a 20/20 player with better defense than Revere, and actually would most likely be our 4th OF anyways. The Phillies need more pop and I think signing Colby Rasmus to a 3 year contract would help a lot as well as signing Tomas for LF – Trading Hamels gets you that RF taking Byrd’s place.
Or keep Revere and Byrd in 2015 and go hard after 2 of the many very good OF’s (Heyward, Upton, Cespedes, Jackson, Fowler) in the 2016 FA pool, as well as starters to replace Hamels (if traded), Burnett & Lee. (Cueto, Latos, Price, Zimmermann, Fister, Porcello, Kazmir, Kennedy, Medlin and Samardzija)
Jerome Williams has had quite an up and down career. From his days as a phenom as a Giants prospect pitching in the playoffs, to riding the train around the big leagues, he’s made a solid career. I respect him a great deal. On top of that, taking nothing away from him, he’s also enjoyed the serendipitous luck of pitching in a new dead ball era, which is probably extending quite a few pitchers’ careers today.
“Riding the train around the big leagues.”. Yeah…I’ll never forget when he got his first call up by the St. Louis Browns in 1948.
Makes sense given the uncertainty in that rotation, with Burnett/Kendrick, Lee’s injury status and the likely rumors to come with Hamels and the trade market
The #4 & #5 slots are now to be fought over by Williams, Buchanan, Pettibone, Gonzalez with Nola called up after we flip someone in July.
MAG is probably pure BP now. I can understand wanting him to be a starter, but his control hasn’t been good enough and his shoulder has already had issues – plus he’s not going to be throwing heat as much if he has to go 6 IP.
Nola probably gets a call-up in the event of injury, but otherwise I wouldn’t expect to see him regularly before roster expansion.
It’s about time, the Phils gave someone a spot on the roster because of what he accomplished as a Phil. Not what the Phils’ brass hopes he can accomplish or how much bad money they put into his pot already.
I find this comment confusing, because most of the big-money guys on the roster only got those big-money contracts after doing very well as a member of the Phillies (Rollins, Howard, Utley, Ruiz, Hamels, Lee), while a couple of the big-money FAs have actually been performing well enough to justify their contracts (Byrd, Papelbon).
This is a very reasonable extension, and I’m fine with it, but do you really think that Williams is going to post an ERA noticeably below 4.00 in 2015?
If his ERA is under 4.00 – Its a win. If he does well, he’ll be flipped for a couple prospects like Hernandez was, who wasn’t having that good of a season, yet we still got 2 decent prospects from the Dodgers. If Cliff Lee proves healthy and effective come July, we flip him too… and he would get us 2 good prospects no doubt, because if he’s healthy, he’s a top 10 pitcher still…
I’m not saying it’s a bad move at all, in fact I said the exact opposite. However, we lucked out with Hernandez because of the Dodgers’ particular situation, and there’s very low odds we get nearly as good a “haul” if we flip Williams unless his ERA is under 4.00.
Flipping Cliff is more difficult due to his partial NTC, high salary, and perceived injury risk. A dominant 3 months to start the season would quiet a lot of that, but any team that could afford him would probably have to guarantee his option year, which ain’t cheap.