Phillies Leaning Toward Moises Alou
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Fri, January 23, 2009 08:34 AM | Comments: 127
Posts, Rumors
Jim Salisbury reports the Phillies are interested in outfielder Moises Alou, as they continue searching for a right-handed bench bat.
Alou, 42, is a great hitter for his career, with a .303 AVG, 332 HR and 1,287 RBI. But he’s perenially hurt, and hasn’t played a full season since 2004. Last season he only played 15 games for the Mets.
Word is Alou wants a significant amount of playing time, and might be looking more at deals from American League clubs who need some DH work. From the Phillies’ end, it’s not so much a risk since Alou would be used as a fifth outfielder and bench bat, but he’d be expensive for that role.
Posts: 0 Tyler
I don’t like this idea if it costs more than 1.5 M
Posted: 09:00 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Joe O'Phillie
No thanks.
Posted: 09:09 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
On one hand the Phils could use a righty on the bench. On the other hand Moises Alou is old as dirt and spends more time on the DL than actually playing. Is there no one better?
Posted: 09:09 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Pass.
Posted: 09:15 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Stuart
No way. this would be a joke
Posted: 09:18 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Names of interest: Nomar Garciaparra, Moises Alou, Mark Grudzielanek, Rich Aurilia, and Kevin Millar.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/phils-eyeing-ri.html
Posted: 09:19 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
MLB Network, and SI writer Tom Verducci (did I get his name right?) said that the Phillies are THE team interested in Nomar Garciaparra.. and that both Ruben Amaro and Charlie Manuel have spoken with him, and offered him the job of RH-bench bat, utility man if he wants it.
So if he doesn’t retire, we might see Nomar, who I’d rather have than Alou… but if Nomar either retires, or decides to stay with the Dodgers (because he lives in LA)… what better options are there for the Phillies than Moises Alou ?
Lets hope for Nomar, if that doesn’t work out, take the next best option
Posted: 09:20 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
I would take a flyer on Nomar or Alou… if the price was right. Alou made $7.5 million in each of the past two seasons and Nomar made $8.5-9.5 million. They would have to take huge pay cuts to play and I don’t know if those guys would be eager to do that at this point in their careers.
Posted: 09:24 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
For Alou and Nomar, its basically take HUGE pay cuts and/or minor league incentive deals or retire, so I really dont think those guys have much of a choice if they want to play. Nomar would be good for contact, as would alou. but nomar is hurt less than Alou, plus…I dont of would rather have a 35 year old guy that gets hurt a lot than a 42 year old guy that gets hurt a lot. but those batting averages look nice…nomar a former batting champ who needs to rediscover his form and alou a long time solid contact guy
Posted: 09:36 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Millar’s average has dropped to the point of no return, and he doesn’t really hit LHP all that great at all.. pass on him unless all else fails (Career .214 PinchHitter, .275 vs LHP overall )
Rich Aurilia would fit nicely, and hits LHP well, but I heard the Giants wanted him back?? I’d welcome him in a heartbeat. (Career .278 PH, .284 vs LHP overall)
Grudzielanek KILLS LHP… but he is a 2b/SS …. I don’t think he has the arm for 3b, and would never see any time at 1b.. so he would be there just for a PH (a career .185 PH, .297 vs LHP overall)
Nomar only 28 at-bats a PH, .250 avg, but lifetime .313 vs LHP
Moises Alou in 56 at-bats as a PH, .339 avg….but lifetime .332 avg vs LHP!
If you are just going by averages.. Alou is the hands-down favorite. Millar would probably be my last pick of that bunch.
Posted: 09:37 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Jason B.
If i had to pick, obviously I’d go with Nomar, but I think MR. HAMM wants to spend more time at home doing house work. As for Alou, I don’t want any part of the injury troubles he has. Also, If he wants more playing time, will he really be happy on the bench?
Posted: 09:37 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
i didnt realize millar was that poor of a PH…so if you can convince alou to accept a pinch hitting role to reestablish his health then that appears to be the way to go…followed by nomar and then grudz
Posted: 09:41 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Hugh
No, no, no and no.
Posted: 09:52 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Aurilia might be the sleeper of the group… wouldn’t cost a ton to get him, he’s efficient as a PH and vs LHP.. can fill in a 3b if needed.. and wouldn’t complain about playing time
Posted: 09:55 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Woodman
NO ALOU! NO NOMAR!
Posted: 10:06 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Jason B.
Don, I agree with you tha tAurilla is the sleeper of the group. I really don’t want any of the other 3 names mentioned. Aurilla is a veteren which is good for this club. I think Nomar and alou’s personalities are too strong to mesh well with this ballclub. Bottom line though, we need another right handed bat off the bench.
Posted: 10:13 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Nomar has been a part-time player (maybe mostly due to injuries), but I think he would be fine… Alou might fit the role the best, but wouldn’t be happy with it.
I think Aurilia is going back to the Giants, and this is the first i’ve seen his name even being looked at by another team.
Any of them is better than what he currently have.. so we can’t be too picky… its a bench player, its not like we’re asking this guy to carry us to the WS again
Posted: 10:15 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
no no no no no
Posted: 10:19 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
You guys who are all saying no no no no….um, look at the market and then look at the phillies payroll. Unless they unload Ryan Howard then they wont be able to afford guys like wigginton who think they can command all this money still. they are in teh market for a CHEAP right handed bench bat/spot starting position player. that list of guys is basically all you got to deal with…slim pickens to an extent but thats how things are…maybe a few other names out of the box but other than that there isnt muich else
Posted: 10:36 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
I think that someone from within the organization might have the tools to do this for us every once in a while. I rather see us giving the younger guys a chance. That being said, I prefer Aurilia over the rest. Nomar would be my 2nd option, but apparently Charlie and Ruben are really high on the guy.
Alou has great career stats, and batted .347 in 08 (15 games only)…but he’s 42 and may want too much money and playing time. I don’t know if that’s the right vibe for the clubhouse.
Basically, I just don’t see the need to spend over 2M for a position we could fill with one of our own minor league players.
Posted: 10:39 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
I’d take Alou on the cheap. The guy can flat out hit. He can’t stay healthy, but he’s the kind of low risk/medium reward guy that you should take a shot on. He’s also a good fit in the lineup-he kills lefties.
Posted: 10:39 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
You don’t put minor league players into roles that will hurt their development… minor league players are still there so that they can play everyday.. look at what happened to Michael Bourn… sat the bench, pinch-ran.. and now can’t hit to save his life
Posted: 10:41 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
I’m just saying: are we going to bring a bench guy / pinch-runner that makes the same $$ as Victorino and Werth? Can’t we just find someone that’s not expensive to fill this role… Bruntlett did a pretty good job, imo.
Posted: 10:50 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
I agree about the minor league thing, the problem is that GMs dont like to hand that role to guys with high ceilings or projections like John Mayberry Jr or Michael Taylor because they wont be playing everyday. That roles almost always filled with a veteran player like the ones listed. Guys liek Mayberry and Taylor need to be playing everyday as starters in the minors to hone their skills further until theyre ready to come up here and play everyday. Thats why when tehyre in am id-season injury jame they call up people like Mike Cervenak or Brad Harman who are either too old to be top prospects or who arent proejcted as high as guys liek Taylor.
They do the same thign with ptiching. Theyll never bring Carrasco up and use him out of the Bullpen. Thats why it was very unusual to see them flip-flopping JA Happ around last year like they did…thats usually not a good idea.
Posted: 10:51 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Ben
I don’t want Alou, I think the guy would be complaining about playing time while the team is winning. Thats a horrible me first attitude and I don’t really want that on this team.
If Nomar has any expectations of getting significant playing time he too should not be considered. With Nomar he at least has an opportunity to steal 3rd away from Feliz/Dobbs if he performs well. Thats a big if and Feliz is really good defensively. Which makes getting playing time even harder for Nomar.
I’m one that doesn’t see bringing in the ego’s of Nomar and Alou to ride the bench without any real opportunity to seize playing time as any benefit to this team. These guys want a chance to play fulltime. That is practically non-existant on this team.
Posted: 11:00 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
You would rather have Bruntlett as your RH pinch hitter instead of ANY of those 5 guys listed above? Seriously?
All the people that are screaming, “NO NO NO” about the possible players listed, outside of a minor league player… what options are there? Its easy to say no and to bitch about what the Phillies Front-Office is or isn’t doing, but not a whole lot of people are mentioning anything they would do differently
Posted: 11:01 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 pb
I feel like they need a RH bat that can also pinch run and play all OF positions… and none of the guys rumored fit that bill at all
Posted: 11:03 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Q: Who is the only major league hitter to have a Slugging Percentage under .300 over the last 2 years?
A: Eric Bruntlett
Since Alou hasn’t had 345 ABs since 2005, I doubt he’ll be expecting to play everyday. If he signs with the Phillies, he knows it’s as a backup. By all accounts, Alou is a great clubhouse guy.
Also, Nomar can NOT play 3B anymore. Age and injuried have sapped him of any range. Nomar would be a 1B/Corner OF
Posted: 11:05 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Who are you pinch-running for now that Burrell is gone?
That isn’t a real “need” until late in the season when you expand the rosters, because its a waste of a space to have a pinch-runner on your team full-time
Posted: 11:10 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Stuart
How about a pitcher, and maybe we shoudve gotten a good left fielder. why are we worrying about these old guys who cant really be a bench player.
Posted: 11:11 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
I’d sign Alou on the cheap and jettison either Jenkins or Stairs.
Posted: 11:12 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
These “holes” could be filled later in the season. I’d prefer staying away from very old players now that 1. could be costly, 2. could break down anytime and we’d be stuck with for a whole season.
Posted: 11:16 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
you cant get rid of jenkins because of his terrible contract, you are stuck with him for one more year…stairs will be the odd man out
Posted: 11:21 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Which “good” leftfielder should we have gotten?
Lowe got signed for $15 M a year, for 4 years…. which people were fine with… but people are bitching about Howard asking for $18 M. …funny
Posted: 11:36 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
I like Jenkins’ attitude for our team… you always see him on the steps of the dugout, always the team’s biggest cheerleader. His 08 numbers were poor but I’m definitely expecting him to have a much better season this time.
Posted: 11:40 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
I was not fine with Lowes contract so im happy teh braves are desperately overpaying him. maybe in past years where contracts were inflated and times were better AND LOWE WAS LIKE 30 id say sure throw that money at lowe, but not now…
Ibanez is the exact perfect fit in terms of a hitter for this lineup so I dont wanna hear any complaints unless he falls off the wagon
Posted: 11:56 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 DD
Never been a fan of Moises Alou. Maybe I do not know as much about his worth in the clubhouse but I have seen him “dog it” way too much. Always the last guy out of the dugout to play defense (usually walking), rarely runs hard on a ground ball, and when he makes the last out of an inning, just watch him. I would rather see a young, hungry guy in that position.
Posted: 11:59 AM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Amanda
No thanks. He urinates on his hands.
Posted: 12:04 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Ryan
What about Luis Gonzalez? He sounds like a good fit to me
Posted: 12:05 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Ryan
Luis Gonzalez would be a better fit than Alou, imo
Posted: 12:06 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
Don I’m not saying “no no no no no” because there are better options out there, I’m saying I don’t want these guys because they are commanding too much money and they are injury risks. You saw what Alou just did to the Mets, he basically stole a few million from them every year.
And you talk about what’s available, but the Phils have kinda left themselves in this position, the low risk/high reward guys were signed for cheaper money earlier this off-season. Where were we? I mean hell, the BoSox got Penny, Saito, and Baldelli all for cheap, (barring incentives). I guess i’m just frustrated that while these guys came off the shelf, we waited and now are maybe forced into paying too much for a guy who wants to play in the AL so he doesn’t have to play the field and has only played in 102 guys over the past TWO seasons, and one who doesn’t even know that he wants to play. Look at the Giles interview, if you don’t know that you still want to play baseball, then you shouldn’t play baseball anymore. .
Posted: 12:07 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
Luis is a lefty, we need a righty…
Posted: 12:07 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Gabriel
anyone else hear about Cole Hamel’s new soda?
check this out…
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb243/pmunny_bucket/choke-1.jpg
Posted: 12:10 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Baldelli (you would want him to reach these incentives on your team):
It’s a one-year deal, with a $500,000 base salary, which is just $100,000 over the 2009 major league minimum. Baldelli can earn as much as $1.75 million in roster bonuses if he stays healthy and off the disabled list for the season.
Also, Baldelli’s deal includes plenty of performance bonuses, which start to kick in at 325 plate appearances, all the way up to 600 plate appearances. If Baldelli were to make 600 plate appearances — a highly unlikely figure, to be sure — he could earn as much as $5.25 million in performance bonuses in addition to the roster bonus.
Posted: 12:18 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
Here are a few other options:
1. Ty Wigginton – right handed , 31 yr old, 08 salary – $4,350,000 played 3b, and lf last year – Did play in 111 games last year so may require more playing time than we can offer
2. Jay Payton – right handed, 36 yr old, 08 salary – $5,000,000. Played LF last year and hit .243 with a .291 OBP and .346 SLG
I’m not saying they are better options, just other options.
Posted: 12:19 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
Don, wouldn’t you willingly pay Baldelli 5.25MIL if he earned those incentives? I’ll take that salary for him over any of these other guys on the list..
Posted: 12:21 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
Ty Wigginton wants a starting job and a multiyear contract worth at least what he made last year …last time i saw anything about him basically, he has no market because he wants too much money, forget about him
Posted: 12:22 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
And again.. you just said you don’t want these guys… The Phillies aren’t going to pay a pinch-hitter $5 or $7 M … so don’t worry about the money there. Stairs makes $1 M and he would be gone, so that saves you $1 M on whatever deal you’d replace him with.
Maybe these guys have been injured because they’ve been trying to play too much, and bench-role is exactly what they need?
Posted: 12:23 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
Id concur regarding people like aurelia nomar and alou, they need to settle into bench/occasional starter roles at this point..
Posted: 12:25 PM on January 23, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
nomar is a good option, and aurelia wouldnt be bad if he could play the outfield when called upon…rarely taht is
Posted: 12:26 PM on January 23, 2009