Phillies Nation

Brad Lidge and Jayson Werth have gone south. (AP)

It is now common knowledge that Ruben Amaro Jr. was engaged in negotiations to essentially turn Joe Blanton into Bobby Abreu, then turn Abreu into AJ Burnett. I have a soft-spot for Blanton: the big Kentuckian was perfectly serviceable during the 2008 championship run and, like Cole Hamels, did not register a loss in the postseason that year.

Blanton is affable and epitomizes the imperfections of Philadelphia that fans can relate to. Is Blanton the biggest or strongest pitcher? No. Is he the fastest to the plate or does he have the best repertoire? No. But what Blanton does posses is an intangible likability and projects an image of a workman who packs his lunch. As a fan, it would have hurt to see Blanton, a member of said championship team, gone.

Then it hit me: they’re almost all gone already.

Continue reading The Turnover of a Championship Team

Who will win the battle for the last spot on the 25-man roster, Pierre or Podsednik? (Photos: AP)

Yesterday, we took a look at the 10 non-rostered pitchers the Phillies are inviting to Clearwater. Today, we’ll feature the 8 position players who have been invited to camp.

The storyline behind the non-pitching, non-rostered invitees to camp is a bit more exciting than that surrounding the non-rostered pitchers. A crowded, and very talented, pitching corp already existing on the 40-man roster limits the opportunities for just about all parties involved. Off the mound? It is almost guaranteed at least one of these players will break camp a member of the 25-man roster.

Continue reading The 2012 Non-Roster Invites: Position Players

Austin Hyatt is the non-rostered pitcher with the best shot to crack the Phils in 2012.

It’s almost here. The grass may still be brown for most of the greater-Philadelphia region, but the sun is staying out longer. It is getting a little warmer. Baseball is almost here.

Oakland and Seattle each received a week head start on the Spring Training process reflective on their trip to Japan, where they open the season on March 28 in Tokyo. All other clubs, including our beloved Phils, will have their batteries report on Sunday.

Not everybody gets invited to big league camp: of course, the 40-man roster reports, but so do select non-rostered minor leaguers and veterans auditioning for a role on the big club. This year, the Phillies are inviting 18 non-rostered players to workout with the big club. Some figure to fit into the Phils’ immediate plans, while others have been invited to train as they prepare for the future. The majority of the players, veterans seeking another shot, will play on two-way contracts hoping they can catch fire or be the beneficiary of an injury. Or both.

Because they are reporting first, the first of two features will take a look at the pitchers the Phillies are inviting. Unfortunately for non-roster invitee pitchers reporting to Clearwater, the Phils already have 19 pitchers on the 40-man roster and a plethora of young, talented arms that will make it near impossible for any one of these pitchers to crack the roster for any period of time. Continue reading The 2012 Non-Roster Invites: Pitchers

Is this 9-time All-Star a good fit for the Phils' bench? Photo: AP

$ 6.71 million dollars is a lot of money to a lot of people. For the Phillies, it is the approximate distance between their current payroll and them meeting the luxury tax threshold. There is no guarantee the Phils will spend this money between now and the end of the season in an attempt to bolster their roster, but there is every indication that they are still looking to plug holes.

Jayson Stark stated on Friday that the Rangers and Phillies are likely out of the Roy Oswalt sweepstakes despite the two World Series contenders being atop Little Roy’s list. While the $ 6.71 million available may not be enough to sign Oswalt, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo postulated yesterday that it may be plenty to woo a free agent right-handed slugger. Continue reading Phils Searching for Righty Slugger?

Could Oswalt return to the Phils?

According to Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi, Roy Oswalt‘s price tag is falling yet his preferred suitors remain strapped for cash and may not be able to sign the righty. It is no secret the World Series-winning Cardinals and runner-up Rangers are Oswalt’s top choice due to their proximity to his Mississippi home, yet Morosi reports that the Red Sox, Reds, and, yes, the Phillies have remained in contact with Oswalt as contract demands decrease. Oswalt is the best free agent pitcher available, yet teams looking for cheaper options are exploring trades, with Morosi mentioning the Nationals’ John Lannan and the Rays’ Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis being available with affordable, team-friendly contracts.

Of Oswalt’s interest in returning, Morosi says:

Oswalt had a positive experience in Philadelphia, where he went 16-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 221 2/3 innings after arriving in a trade midway through the 2010 season. Oswalt remains interested in returning to the Phillies, sources say. But they haven’t been aggressive in looking for rotation help this off-season, given the formidable – and expensive – cast of starters they currently possess.

This off-season, the Phillies have picked up a few role players whose salaries total what Oswalt may be asking for ($8-$10 million, 1 year). Phillies fans: is Oswalt someone you would be willing to go over the Luxury Tax for, do you have confidence in our fifth starter (Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick, or other), and are you disappointed that the money given to players like Ty Wigginton, Laynce Nix, Jim Thome, Chad Qualls, and others could have been used to re-sign Oswalt or does the strengthened bench outweigh fortifying what remains one of the most formidable rotations in baseball?

Click here for Phillies Nation’s Roy Oswalt 2011 Year In Review.

Game on Andy Feffer, game on.

The Washington Nationals stirred up some publicity earlier this morning by beginning the sale of single-game tickets for one singular series, May 4-6 versus our beloved Fightin’ Phils. It wasn’t the odd practice of only releasing one series’ worth of tickets to the general public that caught headlines, it was the fact that these tickets were limited to folks with credit cards from the DC-metro area, intended to “Take Back the Park” to block out Phillies fans.

The Nationals are quietly stockpiling nice, primarly young and developing talent to help them ascend to the top of the NL East. And that ascension may come quicker than Phillies fans realize: just yesterday, Buster Olney tweeted that the Phillies would win the NL East and that the Nationals would win one of the two Wild Card spots. As teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A’s have found, making the playoffs does not always fill up the stadium. But announcing a rivalry with the top dog and telling their fans they can’t come to the games? That will grab headlines and that will fill the seats.
Continue reading “Take Back the Park” Has Intended Effect

The signing of Chad Qualls means the Phillies are staring down the barrell of a loaded Luxury Tax gun. Photo: AP

The signing of Chad Qualls wasn’t one of the bargain basement signings like Juan Pierre or Joel Pineiro where a Phillies fan can argue if it doesn’t work out, we can stash the journeyman 33 year-old reliever in Triple-A. Instead, the signing of Qualls for $1.15 million was a little puzzling, perplexing, and pushed them right to the threshold of the dreaded luxury tax. And while my colleague Corey Seidman did a fantastic job illustrating why it wasn’t the best signing, I’d like to argue it was a good signing for reasons you may have and may not have anticipated.

In Jonah Keri’s piece on Albert Pujols’s contract, Keri says the going rate for 1 win is about $5 million. Corey praised Qualls for a nasty sinker-slider combo that induces groundballs and projected him as a .3 to .7 win reliever for 2012, which would be a bargain. Bill James has predicted Qualls somewhere between his very good 2009 and serviceable 2010, making Corey’s prediction spot on. Where I differ with Corey is how Qualls place on the team effects the young arms around him and how this signing reflects on the Phillies.

Continue reading Phillies Fans: Get Excited About Chad Qualls

Hunter Pence accepting the PSWA 2011 Good Guy Award. Photo by: Ian Riccaboni

On a night where Charlie Manuel claimed he felt like a “mosquito in a nudist colony”, myself and colleague Pat Gallen enjoyed a fine spread, a tribute to Smokin’ Joe, and a celebration of Philadelphia athletics at the 108st Annual Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSWA) Awards .

The Phillies earned three awards, with Ruben Amaro Jr. accepting the award for Best Team on behalf of the Fightins, Manuel winning Coach of the Year (Men’s), and Hunter Pence winning the Good Guy award. Former Lehigh Valley Iron Pig Ryan Vogelsong won the Native Son award.

Vogelsong was one of the first guests honored and the Chester-area native confessed he’s still a Philadelphia sports fan. “I really consider myself a huge Philadelphia fan. I’m an Eagles fan, a Flyers fan, a Sixers fan, and don’t tell anyone but I still love the Phillies,” confined Vogelsong to a crowd composed of nearly entirely Philadelphia sports writers. Sorry Ryan, the secret is out. Vogelsong continued, “I wasn’t going to bring this up, but since Ruben, Charlie, Hunter, and I were talking about it, I’ll go ahead and throw them under the bus. I wouldn’t be up here right now if it wasn’t for Ruben. He released me in 2010.” Burn.

Continue reading Ruben, Charlie, and HP3 Highlight PSWA Awards

Pat the Bat retires after 12 productive seasons with 2 World Series rings. Photo: AP

Pat Burrell is set to announce his retirement today according to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors. Burrell, also known as Pat the Bat and the Machine, was a beacon of hope for a floundering franchise scorned by JD Drew’s famous refusal to sign. Burrell was the number one pick out of the University of Miami in 1998 and provided solid production over nine years in Philadelphia. Drafted as a third baseman, Burrell was selected with high expectations and for his ability to reach the Majors quickly. Burrell joined the club in 2000.

Burrell’s last game as a Phil was Game 5 of the 2008 World Series saw him reach base three times, including a lead-off double that helped the Phils clinch the title. Burrell’s double cemented him forever in Phillies’ lure and reflected his often-clutch performances. Burrell finished his career with a year-and-a-half each with both Tampa and San Francisco. Burrell finished 2010 with 18 second-half home runs and led the charging Giants past Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Texas to capture the 2010 World Series.

For many, Burrell never reached the unrealistic expectations set forth by many as the number 1 pick, but to me, Burrell’s double was the perfect exclamation mark to a terrific career. Playing mostly left field for the Phils, Pat the Bat appeared in 1306 games for the Phillies hitting 251 HRs with a triple-slash of .257/.367/.485.  Burrell finishes his career just shy of 300 (292) HRs, with a career triple slash of .253/.361/.472.  With so many moments to choose from, including many Shea Stadium bombs and his Game 5 double, what is your favorite Pat Burrell moment?

To discuss the Wilson Valdez trade to the Reds, we brought back an avid supporter of “Exxon,” former Phillies Nation contributor, Mike Baumann. He engaged in an email exchange with our own Ian Riccaboni, and this is what we have – a Blog Battle.

Do yourself a favor and check out Crashburn Alley, Mike Baumann’s new landing spot. Our old friend Paul Boye is also a writer there.

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Ian Riccaboni, Phillies Nation: Wednesday, the Phils shipped super-utility infielder Wilson Valdez to the Reds for lefty reliever Jeremy Horst. Valdez, cited after the 2010 season as Charlie Manuel’s choice for team MVP, became a cult hero for retiring the heart of the Reds line-up in the 19th inning on Wednesday May 25/Thursday May 26, 2011. I am joined by Crashburn Alley‘s Michael Baumann to discuss what this means for the team and its effects on the fan base, as we swap emails back and forth.

Mike, as you may or may not know, last Friday, I inferred Valdez avoiding arbitration with the Phils for $930K signaled the end of Michael Martinez, as Valdez’s presence on the team made Mini-Mart redundant. I speculated that because Valdez was kept on the roster, Martinez no longer had a place and was squeezed out in a number’s crunch by the signings of Laynce Nix and Jim Thome and the trade for Ty Wigginton. This trade changes everything, however. It’s worth noting that while Martinez provides less value with the bat, it is a marginal difference in a small sample (0 fWAR v. -0.4) and Martinez out-fielded Valdez at every position over the course of last season according to UZR/150. Warm and gooey feelings for Valdez aside, this appears to be a cost-effective move that you stated in your Tuesday piece you wished to see the Phillies do more of, as the move saves the Phils around $1 mil as they inch closer to the luxury tax.
I ask you this: With the seemingly fragile health of the aging Phillies infield, is the value of the saving ~$1 million worth the difference between the relative consistency Valdez has provided and the more unknown entity that is Martinez?

Mike Baumann, Crashburn Alley: I don’t think Mini-Mart is the answer. He’s an even worse offensive player than Val dez, and while UZR favors him this year, I don’t know that one season of part-time duty is enough to say conclusively that he’s a better defender than Valdez. Utility infielder is perhaps a more important position on the Phillies than on most teams, because the Phillies, in Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Placido Polanco, have three good two-way players to start, but all three will need to be spelled for significant periods of time to prevent injury as they get older.

I’m kind of happy to be rid of the cult hero aspect of Valdez, but if the Phillies’ utility infielder is going to make, for the sake of argument, 50 starts in 2012 (20 each for Utley and Polanco, and 10 for Rollins), he’s going to have to be better offensively than Martinez’s career 48 OPS+ or Valdez’s 20 double plays in 2010. Out of the names Pat suggested, I would probably like Ryan Theriot the best. He’s a better hitter than either Valdez or Martinez, and while he leaves something to be desired both on the bases and in the field, he can be a C- at second, third, or short on an interim basis. Or they could just bring up Freddy Galvis for the major league minimum and accept that he’s going to field but can’t really hit that well. So what do you think: Theriot, Galvis, some other option? Or will we wish the Phillies had just stayed the course?

IR: The availability of Ryan Theriot stuns me. He’s got a career triple-slash of .283/.344/.353, plays a good-enough middle infield, and has above-average base-running skills. He has very little power, but his competent glove and ability to get base hits outweighs that for me. For the amount of teams that entered this year looking for budget solutions at short, it knocks me out that he is still available this late in the off-season and likely will have to settle for a one year deal. I think Theriot is the kind of utility player that adds value to the team on a multi-year deal instead of an outfielder like Nix. If he’s cheap enough, I would have his agent on the phone immediately and figure out how to get him to Clearwater.

Continue reading Blog Battle: Wilson Valdez Trade