Phillies Nation

Right-handed pitcher Kevin Walter recently made his Class A debut after a considerable wait, having dealt with a lengthy recovery from Tommy John Surgery.  A Phillies’ 20th round draft selection out of Legacy High School in Colorado, back in 2010, Walter had been limited to very minimal game action over the three years after signing his first pro contract until he was promoted to Lakewood from extended spring training a couple weeks back.

In two starts since joining the BlueClaws the 21-year-old is 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA while striking out seven and walking five batters in nine innings pitched.

I recently spoke with the six-foot-five 215-pounder about his recovery, his admiration for other players, his pitch repertoire and plenty more.  Read ahead for my full interview with Kevin.

- What was your excitement level to finally get a call for a promotion an join the Class A BlueClaws roster?

It’s both excitement and relief.  It’s kind of getting back into real baseball.  It’s kind of- it wears you down, when you’re down in extended spring and it’s very monotonous.  So, it’s good to play in front of some people and play with a real team and play some real baseball.

- I know you got paired up with catcher Justin Dalles for your first start with Lakewood.  You two seemed to have a good rapport.  Had you two worked together before?

I was very pleased to hear that he’d be catching me here (for my debut).  I mean, Chace (Numata) is solid, but I’ve worked with Justin in extended, so we were on point together, it seems like. Continue reading PN Interview: RHP Prospect Walter Speaks of Tommy John Recovery

Righty reliever Colby Shreve entered his 2013 campaign with a 19-14 record, six saves and a 3.54 ERA along with a 7.25 K/9 mark and a 3.24 BB/9 mark in 110 games at three levels, but hasn’t been as sharp this season. In 15 games (14 with Class A Advanced Clearwater and one with Double-A Reading), the Las Vegas native has a 0-2 record, a 4.44 ERA and has struck out 19 and walked 16 in 26 1/3 innings pitched.

The 6-foot-5 210-pounder was sidelined with an elbow injury and required Tommy John surgery when he was selected in the 6th round of the 2008 draft by the Phils and did not make his pro debut until 2010.

Shreve, 25, altered his arm angle a bit last year and improved the velocity of his fastball which was clocked at 95 MPH during his time with Reading in 2012.

Last month, I talked with Colby, during his most recent stint with Reading, for Phillies Nation TV. He spoke about working to climb the developmental ladder, getting drafted by the Phillies and his impression of the rebranding in Reading. This segment went unused on the TV program, but I definitely wanted to bring it to the viewers anyway.

Check out the interview in the media player below and be sure to tune into PNTV every Tuesday at 6 PM on The Comcast Network. The program also replays throughout the week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet, so check your listings.

John Lackey wasn’t at his best Wednesday night but he has pitched effectively for the Red Sox this season. Lackey, signed to a five-year, $82.5 million contract prior to the 2010 season, had a rocky start to his Boston tenure. After posting solid peripherals with poor run prevention marks in 2010, he posted a 6.41 ERA in 2011 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2012 campaign and is now finally combining the solid peripherals and run prevention the Red Sox expected when doling out the lucrative contract.

However, the Red Sox understood that Lackey, like all pitchers for that matter, represented an injury risk. In order to hedge against that risk the Sox included a clause in Lackey’s contract that, if he underwent Tommy John surgery, an option for 2015 would automatically trigger at the league-minimum salary. With five years and $82.5 million on the table, that clause might not have seemed all that important to Lackey’s camp, as he is guaranteed that money regardless of his health status. But now, with the surgery on the backburner, that 5-yr/$82.5 million deal effectively became a 6 yr/$83 million deal.

There are two implications here that impact, or could have impacted the Phillies in their subsequent big-ticket free agent signings.

First, if Lackey remains effective beyond next season, the Red Sox could have a league-average or better pitcher at a pittance. Second, the automatic triggering of the option reduced the average annual value of the contract. Most option years are not included in the average annual value calculation for luxury tax purposes, but if a future vesting option is triggered before the existing deal expires, the contract itself changes.

The original contract carried a $16.5 million AAV while the “new” deal has a $13.8 million average annual value. That reduction would prove significant if the Sox were up against the luxury tax threshold.

It’s impossible to know how contract negotiations with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels went down without having first-hand knowledge, so we’ll never know if similar clauses were discussed. But for a team consistently concerned about the luxury tax because of large annual sums paid to players at an inherently risky position, that type of creative clause could have gone a long way towards hedging risk.

Continue reading Lackey’s Contractual Quirk and Phillies Deals

FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi reported on Sunday that the Phillies have signed free agent RHP Zach Miner to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training.

Miner, 30, has not appeared in a big league game since 2009.  After being sidelined with an elbow ailment, Miner underwent Tommy John Surgery and missed the entire 2010 season.  Since then, the former Detroit Tiger has been trying to reestablish his previous form.

During his time in the majors, the 6-foot-4 215-pounder posted a 25-20 record with a 4.24 ERA in 157 games (35 starts).

Last season in 29 minor league contests, Miner posted a 2-0 record along with a 2.79 ERA while striking out 23 and walking 22 in 42 innings pitched.

Even if Miner doesn’t impact the big league roster right out of the gate, he’s the type of hurler that is valuable to the organization.  He can act as a backup to the 25-man roster with the Triple-A IronPigs, while helping younger pitchers grow and adapt to the higher levels of the game, much like Brian Sanches and Nelson Figueroa have done in recent years.

Could Madson return to Philly? (PHOTO: NJ.com)

-Cody Ross is expected to ask for a three-year, $25 million deal as he becomes a free agent. The Phillies are thought to be interested in the 31-year-old corner outfielder, who hit 22 home runs with the Red Sox, but splits much better against lefties than righties. I’ve been a big proponent of Ross to the Phillies, as he would provide some much needed middle of the order power. I’ll be talking more about Ross at-length in the next week or so as to why I believe he fits.

-David Herndon was picked up by the Blue Jays on October 23 after being let go by the Phillies. Now, he’s a Yankee, according to the Yankees website. He wasn’t going to be a part of the Phillies long-term plans, so they let him walk. If he can ever figure out that sinker…

-Ryan Madson wants to be a closer. He would have been the closer for the Reds in 2012, but blew out his elbow and had Tommy John surgery. According to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Madson is being sought out for that role by several teams, so says his agent, Scott Boras. If that’s the case, the pipe dream of Madson coming back to Phillies cannot be a reality. If the market closes on Madson much the way it did prior to last season, he’d make a great eighth inning option.

Through six relief appearances in the Arizona Fall League righty hurler Colby Shreve has posted a 1..35 ERA while holding opponents to a .167 average.

At three levels during the 2012 regular season, the 24-year-old College of Southern Nevada product tallied a 6-3 record with a 3.69 ERA and a 7.38 K/9 mark.  A slight adjustment to his arm angle this year helped the 6-foot-5 210-pounder to upgrade his velocity, which was steadily clocked at 95 MPH in 2012.

The Phillies’ 6th round draft selection in 2008, Shreve had Tommy John surgery and missed his first full season following signing a professional contract, as he recovered.

Recently, Colby took some time to offer his thoughts on the AFL and what he’s working on while there.  Read ahead for that interview.

-How did you find out you’d be competing in the Arizona Fall Lg and what was your reaction?

I found out I was coming to the fall league about 10 days before our regular season ended. I was excited to come to the fall league, just as I was last year. It is a great opportunity to compete against the best competition in the minor leagues and showcase yourself in front of every MLB team. Continue reading PN Interview: Colby Shreve, Fall League Edition

After a season which was mostly lost to an injured elbow, David Herndon will head north. He has been claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays off waivers.

Herndon, 27, pitched in just five games in 2012 with the Phillies before suffering a flexor pronator strain in his pitching elbow, which led to Tommy John surgery in June. In 97 career appearances in the big leagues, Herndon is 2-8 with a 3.95 ERA.

It looked like Herndon was finally beginning to figure it out before the elbow injury derailed him for good this past season. The heavy sinker the Phillies saw in spring training prior to the 2010 season never fully materialized.

Tuesday marks the beginning of another baseball season…the Arizona Fall League season.  This year, as the league celebrates its 20th anniversary, representatives from the Phillies organization will team with players from the Reds, Padres, Twins and Mariners to make up the Poeria Javelinas roster.

Led by 2012 Double-A Reading Phillies manager Dusty Wathan, the club will feature seven Phils minor leaguers.  Righty relievers Kyle Simon, Tyler Knigge and Colby Shreve, who each manned a key bullpen role for the R-Phils into the playoffs this season, will solidify Peoria’s relief corp.  Left-hander Jay Johnson will also be serving as a reliever for the team.  Additionally, catcher Tommy Joseph, who was acquired by the Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade this year, will see considerable playing time.  Third baseman Cody Asche, who made an impact at two levels in 2012, his first full year of professional baseball, is also on the roster along with outfielder Zach Collier, who was the Phils’ supplementary 1^st round draft choice in 2008.

Simon, a 22-year-old, was acquired from Baltimore in the Jim Thome trade this year, posted excellent numbers after joining the Phils system.  In 20 contests, the University of Arizona product posted a 4-0 record with a 1.36 ERA while striking out 35 batters and walking just six in 39 2/3 innings.  Simon was the Orioles’ 4^th round draft pick in 2011. Continue reading New Arizona Fall League Season Kicks Off

The Phillies’ bullpen has been an unmitigated disaster in 2012.

Just look at these numbers:

The unit is better with the addition of Josh Lindblom, but the ‘pen still lacks a true eighth-inning reliever or a specialist from either side.

Hopes were high for Antonio Bastardo, but the pitcher we saw for the first five months of 2011 is gone, probably never to return. Bastardo since Sept. 1, 2011 has a 6.39 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP and 28 walks in 43.2 innings. He can’t throw strike one… he’s done it to just 83 of the 158 batters he’s faced this year.

What is the Phillies’ answer here? Do they sign a reliever or two this winter? Do they stick with the young guns?

Solving bullpen problems isn’t easy. Teams throw money around every winter at relievers coming off good and sometimes lucky seasons. Other clubs hope their homegrown parts develop. The Phillies took both approaches this season, paying a ton of money to one man (Jonathan Papelbon) and keeping the rest of the pen inexpensive with youngsters.

It hasn’t worked.

A free agent after the season, Mike Adams from 2009-11 had a 1.42 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP.

Look at all the games given away by early-year setup men Chad Qualls and Bastardo. Now imagine if that role was occupied by Ryan Madson or Mike Adams.

Both are free agents this winter. Madson is recovering from Tommy John surgery that will prevent him from making a single appearance this season for the Reds. Adams hasn’t been completely untouchable in Texas as he was in San Diego, but he still has a 2.97 ERA and decent strikeout and walk numbers.

The Phillies have money to spend this off-season, thanks to the deadline trade of Hunter Pence. They can afford to give Adams a three-year deal in the $18-21 million range, and that just might be the best option.

Before the new-wavy baseball community jumps down my throat for the mere suggestion that actual money should be spent on an actual reliever, consider the following points…

An 8th-9th inning combination of Adams and Papelbon would instantly be one of three-best back ends of a bullpen in either league. Adams from 2009-11 had a 1.42 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP and 192 strikeouts to 45 walks in 177.2 innings.

If you sign Adams to that type of deal, you’d have $19-20 million committed to two relievers, but you wouldn’t need to spend money anywhere else in the ‘pen. You could move forward with Papelbon and Adams, then piece together the rest of the relief corps with Lindblom, Bastardo and choices from the Diekman-De Fratus-Schwimer-Stutes-Herndon group. Sign a lefty specialist for about $1 million and you’re set.

Yes, Adams is 34 years old. But he’s a relief pitcher. These guys age differently. The best years of Darren Oliver’s career came in his age 36-40 seasons. And Adams has significantly less wear-and-tear than most elite relievers – he made only 61 major-league appearances before turning 29.

You also have to look at this winter’s free-agent class. You can spend money on an upgrade in center field, but there is practically nothing to choose from at third base and nothing worth splurging on in a corner outfield position. Considering that the only real way to upgrade third base is through a trade, would you complain if the Phillies’ two biggest signings this winter were Michael Bourn and Adams?

As far as interest goes, we know the Phillies have wanted Adams in the past. They pursued him at the 2011 trade deadline before unloading four prospects for Pence.

After what we’ve seen this season, you simply cannot overlook the need to vastly improve this bullpen. And Ruben Amaro has to be proactive… you can’t waste another year with this core hoping that young, unproven relievers pitch well. Ordinarily, I would never condone spending $19-20 million on two relievers. But the Papelbon hole has already been dug, and the Phils still need more help.

If you don’t want to commit that much money to Adams, there’s still Madson. He’ll have to take a lesser deal coming off Tommy John surgery and is really in no position to demand a closing job. The problem is that the Phillies have bad blood with Madson’s camp, most notably Scott Boras, after their reported handshake agreement for a four-year, $44 million contract fell through last winter. Unless the Phillies’ offer far exceeds what he can find anywhere else, it’s hard to imagine a scorned Madson coming back.

The top of the Phillies’ roster is still excellent, and it puts them in position to compete in 2013 if certain holes are filled and bad luck turns back to middling or good luck.

But the market dictates which holes can be filled, and Amaro won’t be able to solve every problem this off-season.

You can solve center field and the bullpen, so those should be the two priorities. And if you’re going to bring in outside help, you might as well pay for the best option.

I’d commit that money to Mike Adams to hold all the leads the Phillies lost this year in the eighth inning. Would you?