Phillies Nation

Oh, Joe, Joe, Joe. Your agent is crazy. Shane and Carlos will settle. Now how does that 2y/11m contract look for Shane?

The Dipsy

My thoughts are we have to bolt down Ruiz (shipped out 2 C prospects already) and Victorino. I think we can let Blanton walk as I do not think he is worth $10.25M per.

while he isn’t worth 10 mil. i can see why they offered it.

good clubhouse guy, decent in postseason, was great for pretty much all of the 2nd half of last year.

lock down shane and chooch though

Blanton is out of his ****ing mind!
With that said there is nothing wrong with asking. I want to see Chooch get a nice raise. His playoff production alone is worth $1 mil. (see Matt Stairs). When he and Lidge presented Charlie with the WFS game ball it showed a lot of class too.
GO PHILS!!!

And hey, maybe Amaro can find some way to convince the Giants to trade Lincecum away for some package including Blanton. Not likely at all, but come on…Lincecum for only $8M is a HUGE steal, and Fat Joe wants over 10 million?

HAHAHA

No way Blanton should be paid more than Lincecum. His is definitely out of his mind asking for that much money. Chooch and Vic seems like they’ll work a deal out.

The huge disadvantage about Domonic Brown taking Werth’s spot is that he is left handed. Then you would have 4 straight left handed guys in the middle of your lineup with Chase, Howard, Raul, and Brown. That’s why I think that they should do whatever they can do to keep Werth, or sign a free agent that’s has his capability. If they have to get rid of Vic to do that, then do it.

Werth looks great in center. Werth looks great in any outfield position. Now if he could only break .300, he would be the complete unassailable package.

For anyone who cares, the Phillies former good luck charm and handyman, Eric Brunlett, was signed by the Nationals to a minor league contract. He will have an opportunity to make the Nationals’ roster out of spring training ready to execute triple plays and score decisive World Series runs while hitting less than .200.

If you can sign Vic for even 2010 and ’11 without it tying their hands on Wreth I think you do that. IMO most of these prospects in the outfield could be brought up as Platoon guys in ’11 and start in ’12

I hope the Phils don’t sign Blanton long-term. He was an asset when he wasn’t making a ton of money but he’s losing value now that he’ll be making upwards of $7mil. Let him leave after ’10 and use the money elsewhere.

Unfortunately, I don’t see how the Phils are going to be able to re-sign Werth. Werth will get at least $12mil per year on the free agent market.

Blanton should have been non-tendered after the season ended. For a guy who’s really just an above average(but little more) pitcher, he sure asks for a lot more money than he is worth.

Blanton must be hoping he can settle “in-between’ with the Phillies. At this point the Phillies know they are going to lose him after this season and should not even try to negotiate. Who cares if we hurt his feelings, he is pitching for a new contract not for the team.

Ruiz should probably never earn more than $3M per year. He is an average starting catcher. For cost certainty (and lack of depth) I think they should try to get a 3 year $8M (1.75, 2.5, 3.25) contract with an option year at (.5 buyout) 5M.

Victorino could probably earn about $10M as a unrestricted free agent. Since he is still in arbitration he will not make that much but he is likely to win his case. The Phillies may be able to get 3yr at $19M (5, 7, 9) if he is willing to sacrifice potential earnings for security. Without power or high OPB he is replaceable. Speed guys do not get big $. {I really wish they would have tried to sign him to a 5yr ~$25M contract last year (3,4,5,6,7) because at worst he would be an outstanding 4th OF.} He may also be a guy who makes more revenue for the team than expected due to his hustle and Hawaiian background.

Vic must really want to play for Philadelphia, because his asking price is low, and doesn’t allow for much negotiation. I think he’ll get a two year contract, because the Phils’ center field prospects won’t be ready for that long.

Ruiz is perhaps asking a little too much, and Blanton definitely is. But these are not figures set in stone, they are positions to negotiate from. Neither side really wants to go before the arbitrator. I expect Ruiz to sign about halfway between his and the Phils’ numbers, maybe for two years, but Blanton will have to come down a lot or Amaro will just let him lose out in arbitration. They’d have been fools, though, to non-tender Blanton, because someone would gladly trade for him– just not with the kind of prospects given up for Lee.

The Giants are lowballing Lincecum, but will undoubtedly come up, again, to avoid the arbitrator. This is Lincecum’s first year of eligibility, and that makes a difference in what he’d be awarded, and therefore, what he should ask for. They’ll most likely work something out before the hearing date.

I’m sure that if Amaro could have traded Blanton for Gillies, Ramirez, and Aumond, he would have.

The Dipsy

I will defend this move, mikemike. Blanton was not going to gain the prospects Lee did. And get your information right! The Phils offered $7.5 million, not $8.

I don’t care if they have to pay him $8 million. I’ll agree here with The Dipsy. Joe Blanton is above average and will probably make $10 million sometime in the future. Considering the money being thrown around this year for second rate arms, he might even get it now. Randy Wolf has similar win totals, but isn’t the horse Blanton is: $9.5 million. Brad Penny of the questionable arm and bad last two years: $7.5 million. The injury risk Ben Sheets: asking $10-12 million. I don’t feel like looking up what some of the other “talent” (like Marquis) are being paid, but it’s substantial. Most of these arms can’t touch Blanton for doggedness and ability.

excuse me defend a stupid move if he doesnt offer arb,he has lee you must be kidding or work for the phillies nut. we are going for a pennant who would you rather have for 9 million lee or blanton. no matter what they do, a nut will try to defend there moves. George I have heard about die hard fans before, but they must have some brains you dont ,prospect a sore arm pitcher a fast outfilder who might not hit and a young not highly regard pitcher who got lit up and i read it 8 or if you somehow are right big deal 7.5 for blantron or 9 for lee . I am in shock how stupid you are to try to make a argument that they are right/

sign ruiz, the phils dont have a catcher of the future
sign shane to long term but who goes in the philllies current outfield when domonic brown comes knocking?
don’t sign blanton, there are some good prospects that are close to the bigs, and in the future when his contract runs up, that will free up money for other areas.

To be clear, my comment was sarcasm. Of course we would rather have Lee and non tender Blanton. But, you could have gotten SOMETHING for Blanton, just not what Amaro wanted, so that wouldn’t have been necessary.

The Dipsy

cliff lee was not a salary dump it was a move meant to restock the depleted farm system which was left with one top prospect after the original lee deal and the halladay deal. the phillies were well aware that cliff lee’s salary was a bargain and i’m sure if they could have gotten the same return in a trade for blanton the would have done that deal instead. blanton is no slouch. he’s asking for too much and will lose in arbitration. I think he may have lost his negotiating leverage too by asking for so much. I imagine the phillies must feel pretty confident that they will win in arbitration so there isn’t much incentive for them to sweeten the deal and work something out any higher than they have offered unless they want to sign him for multiple years.

Lets not open up that old wound.

The Dipsy

Anyone else finding mikemike as annoying as those Yankees trolls?

And I am tired of the unfair criticism that keeps getting heaped on Amaro. Sure I don’t like some of the moves he made, or how he made them, but the fact of the matter is the guy does the best he can, with the hand of cards he gets dealt. Would I have loved to keep Lee? Of course, but I also understand the importance of trying to restock the farm system. Amaro tried to shop Blanton, but didn’t like the offers he was given, so he moved Lee instead. Deal with it, and quit whining!

Joe Blanton is an underrated pitcher. He is one of the most complete mid-rotation starters in the senior circuit. But damn, 10 million is way too much. He might have doomed himself by asking for that amount. I would have previously expected him to look to sign slightly above or under 8 million, but 10 million will be met with a take or leave it arbitration with the Phillies generous offer. A two-year deal for 17 million would look great.

Carlos Ruiz deserves a lot more credit and a bit more money. This season he needs to be making more than our middle relievers.

I think Jayson Werth will walk from Philadelphia in the future.

Thereafter, signing Shane Victorino to a longer-term contract seems more likely and I like more for the team. Nothing against Werth, he’s one of my favorite Phillies of all-time, but he deserves a massive pay raise when he hits free agency.

I would love to have Chan Ho Park back, but I know Ruben is looking towards a lefty. At this point, we’re going to work with what we have and hope for the best.