Gillick On Eaton: Oops, My Bad
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Tue, September 02, 2008 01:25 PM | Comments: 19
Posts
Pat Gillick confessed Monday he made a mistake signing Adam Eaton to a three-year/$24.5MM deal in the 2006-07 offseason.
Since becoming a Phillie, Eaton has gone 14-18 with a 6.10 ERA.
Gillick, via Scott Lauber:
“You go back and you look at it, and you kind of evaluate how you may have screwed up. I don’t think Adam is happy with what has gone on. Certainly, we thought he’d pitch better. But you kind of have to forget about it and move on.”
From a fan’s perspective, it’s not easy to just “forget” about a $24.5MM player who is posting an ERA over 6.00. It’s not easy to forget about how his one-year salary could’ve been used in other places. Eaton has been an all-out disappointment, and remains Gillick’s biggest failure as Phils GM (although the Freddy Garcia trade is looking worse with each Gavin Floyd start).
What can the Phillies do with Eaton in 2009? Cut ties? Hope he can become a fifth starter? Turn him into a reliever? Hide him in Lehigh Valley? Trade him for a bucket of David sunflower seeds? The best and most feasible option might be the first.
Posts: 0 Brian
Obviously Eaton isn’t what we hoped for. With that being said, I believe turning him into a reliever is the next feasible move. He needs to work some stuff out but he’s another arm in the pen’. Also, the guy can hit for a pitcher, keep him around for when a bat is needed in extra innings.
He doesn’t want to perform like he is (who does?) Hey at least he’s good in the highlight reel. Whenver there is a walk off, he’s the first one out of the dugout showing support.
Posted: 01:30 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
The thing that sucks about Eaton is he CAN pitch alright at times.. to start the season he pitched well, a couple quality starts, with no run support… but I think to release him is stupid.. if you are paying the guy anyway, might as well keep him around in case someone gets hurt, or whatever the case may be. I hope to god he doesn’t pitch anytime soon for us though.. unless we’re wininng 15-0 one game, he better keep his sneakers on
Posted: 01:33 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie
What can you do? We are paying him 8mm next year, you can’t just cut him. He knows he stinks right now, and so do we. Shut him down for the rest of the year, send him to AZ or something to work things out and bring him back next year as Clay Condrey, hoping that he thrives in a new rolelong enough to get a utility player for him in a trade.
Posted: 01:37 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Oh yes you can. You can definitely cut him. He is Matt Morris basically.
Posted: 02:11 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Brian
You can cut him, but they won’t. The FO has too much pride and value their millions too much. Even though Gillick finally said it was a mistake, you can rest assured they will try to get some use out of him.
Posted: 02:24 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Thats actually the obvious and most logical conclusion. Its a waste of money, accept it (check), admit it (check) and move on (still waiting..) to open up room for someome else to have an opportunity. thats what needs to be done here. its blatantly the right choice.
Posted: 02:25 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Chris
I’d have to agree with Geoff. We have to pay him 9 million next season. We need money for Howard’s, Hamels’, and Victorino’s arbitration. Also, if we hope to resign Burrell for a few more years we’re gonna need the money. Cutting him seems the only good choice. Why would you put him in the bullpen? Hope he regains his bad talent? Give him a chance to ruin a few more games?
Posted: 02:38 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 TJ
Chris, I think we pay he regardless. The MLB isnt like the NFL where you can just cut players for money reasons. MLB is liable.
Posted: 02:51 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
They do have to pay him. whatevers owed, unless theres a buyout for the year year which i dont know if there is or not. still, get him out of here
Posted: 02:55 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Chris
Wow, my fault. Like in the NFL there is a fee for cutting a guy but usually it’s not much. Still I would say cut him. Don’t give him a chance to lose more games next year. And what does Gillick really think. He won’t be around next year anyway.
Posted: 03:05 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 philsphan
Try to trade him a la Wes Helms earlier this season. I doubt it will work but its worth a shot. Sure we would be paying 8 million, but we have to pay it anyway, might as well try to get him out of our organization that way.
And if that doesn’t work just cut him. Admitting his deal was a mistake was the first step. So just cut him after the season.
Posted: 03:13 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Ben
i say trade him in the division and hope he pitches against us. thats about the most sure fire way to get positive results out of him…
Posted: 04:06 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
Here is my biggest nightmare….we cut him and next year Duncan in St Louis turns him into Cy Young
Posted: 04:41 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Matt Kwasiborski
I am sure they can trade him to someone who needs another arm or in SP when starters go down. They will buy into what we thought, good stuff, is up and down, needs a change of scenery! I mean he has some quality in his starts, they just aren’t for us anymore.
While the Garcia trade is pretty bad, at the time, it looked pretty solid. I mean Garcia pitched great down the stretch even with his velocity down. Obviously, he didn’t juice back up when he arrived due to the crack down on steriods.
Also, Floyd- glad he is doing well far away from the NL East. He was never going to make it here because he had no stomach to pitch in pressure situations. The real test will be to see if the ChiSox start him in the playoffs if they make it. I bet he does not get the call in the 5 game series of the first round. And Gonzales isn’t exactly lighting up the AL since being called up in OAK.
Posted: 04:55 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
So Gavin Floyd cant pitch in Philly because here its pressure…and in Chicago its heaven….and only is it pressure for him if Chicago gets into the playoffs?…I still dont understand that.
Posted: 05:01 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike B.
Gavin Floyd apparently is just a guy that took a little longer than most to work the kinks out and develop in the majors. Maybe the Phils should have been a little more patient with him.
Posted: 05:45 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 J-Man
We can pray that Eaton pitches good this last month of the season in any of the games he comes in and maybe it will be possible to trade him to a team like the Nationals or Pirates…The Phils will most likely have to agree to pay the last year of his contract though…I say just give him what he is owed and get him out of town he’s a waste of a spot on the roster.
Posted: 06:18 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg V.
So if Eaton was such a mistake, why did we call him back up?
Posted: 09:13 PM on September 2, 2008
Posts: 0 craig
Hell if Eaton even pitches another game for the Phils and happens to do well they’ll be touting him as next years opener!
Posted: 05:29 PM on September 14, 2008