9:15am: Smyly could make a start for the Phillies as soon as this weekend, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. That’d certainly suggest that his agreement with Philadelphia is of the Major League variety.
6:56am: The Phillies have agreed to a contract with left-hander Drew Smyly, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter). Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported last night that Smyly, who opted out of a minor league deal with the Brewers yesterday, was drawing interest from the Phils.
Smyly opened the season with the Rangers, who acquired him at the beginning of the 2018-19 offseason when the Cubs needed to shed his salary in order to exercise their option on Cole Hamels. Smyly had signed a two-year, $10MM contract with Chicago, knowing that his first season would be spent rehabbing from 2017 Tommy John surgery.
At the time, the deal looked like a potential high-reward pickup for Texas. Smyly had solid career numbers prior to his surgery — 3.74 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 — and had shown a penchant for missing bats while limiting walks. A return to that form would’ve given the Rangers at least a solid trade chip and at best could’ve fueled a surprise postseason push.
Instead, the Rangers received a worst-case scenario. In his first MLB work since that Tommy John operation, Smyly was hammered for an 8.42 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 6.0 BB/9 and an eye-popping 3.33 HR/9 mark. Home runs have always been a bit of an issue for Smyly, an extreme fly-ball pitcher, but the league-wide home run boom has proven particularly problematic for the southpaw. Texas ultimately released him last month, and Milwaukee picked him up on a minor league deal on July 1.
His time with the Brewers was brief but a bit more encouraging. Smyly made three starts with Milwaukee’s top affiliate in San Antonio, where he allowed seven runs on 10 hits (two homers) and three walks with 18 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings of work.
Philadelphia currently has an all-right-handed rotation, and they’ve received particularly shaky work from fourth and fifth starters Nick Pivetta (5.74 ERA in 69 innings) and Vince Velasquez (4.97 ERA in 50 2/3 innings). The Phillies have also gotten 10 starts out of Jerad Eickhoff (5.40 ERA) and three from Cole Irvin (5.60 ERA) with little success to show for it. While Smyly himself is somewhat of a shot in the dark at this point, there’s little harm in taking a look to see if he can help the big league club. The Rangers are on the hook for Smyly’s salary, so the Phillies need only pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the active roster.
Boom!
Is that the sound of the ball leaving the bat before traveling over the wall? Or phillies fans’ heads slamming against the table, game after game? :p
Lol
i expect both
As a Phillies fan, I can confirm…both
Just smacked off a guys head standing in line at Tony Lukes in Asburn Alley
You think it can’t get any worse than Nick Pivetta, but you’re not really sure.
Hopefully they can help straighten him out. Control is the last thing to return post surgery and that definitely seems to be the issue here. Obviously his penchant for giving up bombs is far from ideal (this staff gives them up in droves already) but at least he’s a lefty.
obviously they want to get a lefty starter, and that’s why its so annoying that they need bullpen arms and therefore cant stretch Suarez out. he’s looked pretty strong lately as the long man.
Maybe the Phillies will have more lunch but he was awful in Texas this year!
Definitely talent there – but_______
Mmmmmm more lunch…../drools
Yeah, but has he heard of second lunch?
more of that “stupid money” i see
What stupid money? They’ll pay him a prorated portion of the MLB minimum contract.
How original. The stupid money punch line is 6 feet under.
So are our playoff hopes
Nope, still funny.
Since the Phillies are only on the hook for the prorated MLB minimum, it looks to me like Texas is spending the “stupid money” paying him for nothing.
Texas saved mone too, they took a shot on Smyly as part of an agreement with the cubs to pick up Hamels option (and save Texas $$ from the buyout)… so it was really a discounted rate to take a shot on him.
Very original
a major league deal on smyly? yeah it is
“more of that “stupid money” i see”
Poor CrewBrew can’t let 2008 go. He has to make a snide comment on ever piece of Phillies news to make himself feel better.
If you call this signing news then i actually feel bad for you and your pathetic fanbase lol. Keep bringing up 2008 like it means something lol. Pretty funny how the only thing you can say is “yEaH 2008 PhILs bEAt tHE BrEWerS”. we are in 2019 bud quit living in the past. You’re just like the kid who talked about how he was an all american football player in hs when hes 30 lol. let it goooooo man.
LMAO
I think you need a little self-reflection… you are the brewers fan trolling on a Phillies filler footnote signing … telling others to stop living in the past … you my friend, need to start living in the present … hint: you can start bu looking elsewhere than a Drew Smyly foot note.
Context is always key, something the media could learn. What is funny about this type of cheap swipe humor at the Phillies phan bAse is, that the swiper think it’s a bad thing!
What is wrong with having and owner who HAS stupid money and wants to spend it? I’m sure their are many teams who would like that “stupid money” … unless of course your one of those fans that thinks the teams payroll is your money … and well that’s just stuuu….
About 10-15% of pitchers never make it back from TJ surgery. Is Smyly one of them?
“About 10-15% of pitchers never make it back from TJ surgery. Is Smyly one of them?”
No technically he’s already “made it back.” Ryan Madsen didn’t throw a pitch for like 2 years and still managed to resurrect his career and thrive. Every case is different.
Can’t be much worse than the garbage they’ve been rolling out there four out of every five games.
actually he is. Pivetta and VV have been terrible, but at least SOMETIMES they give you a chance to win.
eugh…garbage
This must be that justified win now move you’ll just Mention
i mean, Phils spilt with the best team in baseball before Smyly, so i think that automatically makes them better now.
They split with them? Didn’t the padres just take 3 of 4 from them in LA before getting swept by the braves and losing 2 of 3 from the marlins. Phillies are not good.
The Phillies do have the ability to win a slugfest. It’s the lack of pitching that puts them way below the Dodgers’ level and that has made this season such a disappointing failure.
Lol win a slug fest? I think the padres would beat the Phillies in a slug fest
Yanks are the best team in baseball.
no, they arent. AL will be a crapshoot, and ur kidding yourself if u think otherwise….Houston is way scarier, my Tribe will win the Central and if Kluber and Carassco are themselves when they come back in a couple weeks, CLE pitching is next level and our 4 and 5 starters already shut your yankees down in cleveland not to long ago…now, NYY are dangerous in their kid park, no doubt….best homefield advantage in mlb, but the yankees are not best
Oh boy! Such anticipation! Like watching a new bottle of ketchup desperately trying to flow out. This move secures a Wild Card spot for them! Yipeeeeeeeee!!!!! Right! Next move!!!!
Mike Leake, come on down.
Who will Drew Smyly face?
In about a week the person at the unemployment office.
If only an opposing team had a batter named Drew Frowny…
While his ERA was 8.42, his FIP was nearly 1/3 of a run lower at only 8.05…
Glass half full, I like it.
You can chill the Phillies pitching rumors for sure. No team considering a deadline deal for a top pitcher brings in a a pitcher like this on July 19th.
The Phillies are what they are for 2019.
This is a sign of how desperate Phils are, at this time.
He performed quite well in 2014. This falls right in line with the rest of their acquisitions this year.
Hopefully Phillies fans won’t get too upset and throw batteries at him when he gets lit up.
Using a pic from the 2011 Pan-Am Games? His high school yearbook photo wasnt available?
Ha. It’s actually from the 2017 WBC when he last pitched well.
….whew – thank you
1 and 5 with a nearly 9 era this year. He should fit right in here.
Why? Why would you bring a guy like this to a park like that? He’s going to get lit up!
Waiting for the home run balls will keep the fans in their seats…..
It’s a way of letting the fans know that the 2019 season is over.
Talk about dumpster diving.
uh oh, the Phils makin their move! seems like it was yesterday when that brilliant FO signed a dude for THIRTEEN years and were claiming WS favorites. Meanwhile, Carlos Santana got to come home, is having a markedly better season than ol Bryce is and is on a contender again….. Sorry, i hate philly if that wasnt clear. and Harper outside his awesome mvp outlier, is an above average player..nothing more……
Holy cow, we all know how overhyped and rated Harper is of course, but I didnt realize just how much his 2015 historic season skewed and inflated his career numbers…this dude has not even gotten close to a 5.0 WAR year (outside the amazing 10.0 in 2015) and on average has been a 2.7 WAR player if u exclude the fluke mvp…..dear lord, a .250 hitter, with less value than a guy like Jose Ramirez with three years of over 6.5 WAR already and whos five year deal is what hairdo makes per season…philly will be haunted for decades over this clownshow