Well, after weeks of speculation, the Phillies signed LHP Steve Kline to a minor-league deal and he will report to the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs next week. Considering how often pitchers go down with injury and/or are ineffective, Kline could very quickly find himself on the big league roster as long as he performs in Allentown. RHP Ryan Madson has been complaining about soreness in his pitching shoulder (the same injury that forced him to miss 2 months last year) and both Tom Gordon and Clay Condrey have been somewhat ineffective so far this season. Gordon had a streak of 4 scoreless appearances going into last night where he gave up the winning run in 1 2/3 IP. Granted that run came on a horrible call by the home plate umpire but a run is a run is a run and the Phillies always need more pitching.
In other news: RHP Kris Benson continues to throw off the mound in Clearwater and looks to start in a minor-league game in hopefully two weeks if everything goes well. Considering how poorly SP Kyle Kendrick has pitched thus far in the season, Benson could quickly find himself in the starting rotation.
Huge Surprise of the Year: SP Adam Eaton has pitched in two games so far and both have been quality starts (6 IP, 3ER or less). He has posted a 3.91 ERA so far. Perhaps this will be the year that he figures it all out and somewhat earns his $8 million a year in salary. Or perhaps he will give up 10 runs in his next start...with Adam you never know.
Its About Time: SP Brett Myers was quoted as saying that he will be a "Closer for 9 innings on Saturday". Basically he means he's gonna go out there and just rear up and throw fastballs. Hopefully the Cubs don't read the Daily News and just sit fastball on him but hey if he can bring it, let him. It would be nice to see him stop throwing 90 MPH fastballs and actually get some mustard on the ball.
Weekly Awards:
Player of the Week - LF Pat Burrell: LF Pat Burrell has simply been on fire this week going 9 for 21 with 7 BB, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, and 20 Total Bases. For that math impaired that's a .438 AVG/.571OBP. Burrell has been the most consistent hitter for the Phillies so far and he looks to build on excellent second half in 2007. Over the past couple season, Pat has cut his strikeout rate and raised his OBP each year and those trends seem to be continuing as he becomes a much more patient hitter than the free-swinging days of his early career.
Pitcher of the Week - SP Cole Hamels: SP Cole Hamels went 7 strong innings on Monday afternoon picking up his first win of the season snapping a two game losing streak and salvaging a 2-2 series split with the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out 4 and gave up 1 ER getting the win. Reliever Chad Durbin was a close runner-up pitching 5 innings in 3 appearances with no runs scored. He continues to be strong out of the Pen.
Goat of the Week - 1B Ryan Howard: Despite Victorino's struggles at the top of the order, Howard has actually been worse this week going 4 for 28 (.148 AVG) with 11 K. The only bright spot is that he has hit 2 HRs with 4 RBI but otherwise Howard looks lost up at the plate.
Showing posts with label Starting Pitching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Starting Pitching. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Adam Eaton Sucks and Other Phillies Thoughts
Adam Eaton sucks. He is perhaps the worst signing in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Sadly, barring an unforseen move by the Front Office to cut its losses with him, we have another 2 long seasons of watching him attempt to pitch to MLB hitters. Perhaps the Phillies could hold a raffle every fifth day where a lucky fan is named starting pitcher for that night's start. It couldn't possibly be any worse than trotting Eaton out there to pitch.
The biggest issue with Eaton isn't that he plays poorly, its that he's stupid. He has the ability to pitch in the Majors, he simply doesn't perform. His pitches are good enough, but his selection and poise at key moments always allows 1 run innings to turn into those game killing 5 run innings he is so famous for. Eaton can literally throw 95 pitches in a game and only miss on 5 of them but still lose by 10 runs because he truly is a moron with his pitch selection. He buckles under pressure like a belt. He is absolutely worthless and every time he starts a game this year, it will be another brick in the wall between the Phillies and a post-season berth.
In other news, JD "Real Deal" Durbin was put on waivers. Likely he will stay with the club anyway as I expect that no one in their right mind will be willing to take him off the Phillies hands. This means he will probably start the season in Allentown along with Travis Blackley (who also cleared waivers) playing for the IronPigs. This means that the Phillies could start the season with only 10 pitchers on the 25 man roster and go up to 11 when Lidge is activated from the 15-day DL after the first week of the season. It also means that the Phillies will be able to keep both Chris Snelling and Wes Helms on the 25 man roster at least in the short-term. This will be helpful in efforts to trade Helms instead of outright releasing him and being on the hook for around $3 million in future salary. However, it also means the Phillies are likely expecting to be able to pick up another pitcher off the waivers scrap heap between now and Sunday afternoon when rosters need to be set for Opening Day. This could mean that borderline players like LHP Steve Kline (who was mentioned in earlier trade rumors) may be available on waivers in the next few days, alleviating the need for the Phillies to give anything up for another arm.
Bold Prediction for the year: Pat Burrell will have a huge contract year in 2008. Pat will be looking to sign one final long term deal after this season and he will need to come up huge to make it happen. Likely, the Phillies will not be resigning him for a couple of reasons. First off, he is dreadful defensively in LF and he has never recovered from the series of ankle and foot injuries he has dealt with in the past few years. Secondly, they are leary of long-term deals for 30+ players like Burrell. Finally, it would make sense for Pat to go for a DH role on an AL club which would lengthen his career considerably with far less wear and tear on his already fragile legs. I could easily see him ending up somewhere like Toronto where Frank Thomas's contract will be up or the Yankees who have around $60 million coming off the books next year as well. Burrell has been very underrated as a Phillie and he has provided a very solid right-handed bat for them for the past 7 years. He will be missed in the middle of the lineup. Left field is a different story though. Predicted line for Pat Burrell this season:
G: 151
AB: 525
Avg: .279
OBP: .415
HR: 35
RBI: 109
BB: 110
K: 120
The biggest issue with Eaton isn't that he plays poorly, its that he's stupid. He has the ability to pitch in the Majors, he simply doesn't perform. His pitches are good enough, but his selection and poise at key moments always allows 1 run innings to turn into those game killing 5 run innings he is so famous for. Eaton can literally throw 95 pitches in a game and only miss on 5 of them but still lose by 10 runs because he truly is a moron with his pitch selection. He buckles under pressure like a belt. He is absolutely worthless and every time he starts a game this year, it will be another brick in the wall between the Phillies and a post-season berth.
In other news, JD "Real Deal" Durbin was put on waivers. Likely he will stay with the club anyway as I expect that no one in their right mind will be willing to take him off the Phillies hands. This means he will probably start the season in Allentown along with Travis Blackley (who also cleared waivers) playing for the IronPigs. This means that the Phillies could start the season with only 10 pitchers on the 25 man roster and go up to 11 when Lidge is activated from the 15-day DL after the first week of the season. It also means that the Phillies will be able to keep both Chris Snelling and Wes Helms on the 25 man roster at least in the short-term. This will be helpful in efforts to trade Helms instead of outright releasing him and being on the hook for around $3 million in future salary. However, it also means the Phillies are likely expecting to be able to pick up another pitcher off the waivers scrap heap between now and Sunday afternoon when rosters need to be set for Opening Day. This could mean that borderline players like LHP Steve Kline (who was mentioned in earlier trade rumors) may be available on waivers in the next few days, alleviating the need for the Phillies to give anything up for another arm.
Bold Prediction for the year: Pat Burrell will have a huge contract year in 2008. Pat will be looking to sign one final long term deal after this season and he will need to come up huge to make it happen. Likely, the Phillies will not be resigning him for a couple of reasons. First off, he is dreadful defensively in LF and he has never recovered from the series of ankle and foot injuries he has dealt with in the past few years. Secondly, they are leary of long-term deals for 30+ players like Burrell. Finally, it would make sense for Pat to go for a DH role on an AL club which would lengthen his career considerably with far less wear and tear on his already fragile legs. I could easily see him ending up somewhere like Toronto where Frank Thomas's contract will be up or the Yankees who have around $60 million coming off the books next year as well. Burrell has been very underrated as a Phillie and he has provided a very solid right-handed bat for them for the past 7 years. He will be missed in the middle of the lineup. Left field is a different story though. Predicted line for Pat Burrell this season:
G: 151
AB: 525
Avg: .279
OBP: .415
HR: 35
RBI: 109
BB: 110
K: 120
Thursday, March 27, 2008
And Then there were 11...
Travis Blackley, the Rule V draft pick from San Fran, has been sent packing. It is no guarantee that he won't end up back in Allentown with the IronPigs but for now he has been placed on waivers. Once, and if, he clears waivers he will be offered back to the Giants who may or may not take him. If they decide to not reclaim him, he will have the choice of taking a minor league deal from the Phillies or becoming an outright free agent. That being said I hope he somehow makes it through all of that and ends of in Allentown because he has the talent to pitch in the big leagues even if the control is not quite there.
With his departure, the Phillies are down to 11 "healthy" pitchers in camp. One of these is J.D. Durbin who has no business being in a major league uniform with the Spring he has had. Once a good possibility for the 5th starter position or even a bullpen slot, he quickly pitched his way out of either. Only an injury to Lidge and horrid springs by several other pitchers in camp have prevented his departure.
Right now it looks as if the Phillies may begin the season with only 11 pitchers on the 25 man roster. This will allow them to hang on to either Wes Helms or Chris Snelling. Neither player can be sent down without being exposed to waivers and it is likely that they would be snagged by other clubs that have issues in their infield such as SF or the LA Dodgers. Hopefully the Phillies will bite the bullet and end the Wes Helms experiment and hang onto Snelling who has shown glimpses that he can be a solid utility player and pinch-hitter on this club.
On another note, thankfully Spring Training is almost over. The Phillies Spring started off in a dreadful fashion as they went 5-11-1. After that dreadful start, Manager Charlie Manuel essentially ripped the clubhouse a new one and they began to play much better ball. The starting pitching turned it around and they have struggled back up to a 12-15 record with 4 games left to play. Hopefully the Phillies regular season will not have a similar start as the Phils cannot afford to have another sub-.500 April with two other strong teams in the division this year in the Mets and Braves. More so than ever, the Phillies need to get off to a strong start if they are to repeat as NL East Champs.
Closing Thoughts: Brett Myers had another very strong start against the Yankees yesterday, giving up no runs in 5 IPs. SP Andrew Carpenter of Single-A Clearwater fame had a strong outing as well and he may well have opened up some eyes in the Front Office in doing so. Carpenter will start the season in Double-A Reading and is a real possibility for a 2nd Half call up if two things happen. First the Phillies need to have a spot in the rotation or bullpen for him which means either ineffective or injured starters on their part. Second, he has to perform in Reading much like Kendrick did last year. Both are real possibilities. It is almost a guarantee that the Phillies will get a major contribution from one of their pitching prospects this season. Between LHP Joe Savery, RHP Carlos Carrasco, LHP Josh Outman, and RHP Andrew Carpenter, the Phillies have several good mid-level pitching prospects in their system and all 4 are almost ready for Major League action. The door is wide open for any of the 4 to prove themselves. Opening Day is 4 days away!!!
With his departure, the Phillies are down to 11 "healthy" pitchers in camp. One of these is J.D. Durbin who has no business being in a major league uniform with the Spring he has had. Once a good possibility for the 5th starter position or even a bullpen slot, he quickly pitched his way out of either. Only an injury to Lidge and horrid springs by several other pitchers in camp have prevented his departure.
Right now it looks as if the Phillies may begin the season with only 11 pitchers on the 25 man roster. This will allow them to hang on to either Wes Helms or Chris Snelling. Neither player can be sent down without being exposed to waivers and it is likely that they would be snagged by other clubs that have issues in their infield such as SF or the LA Dodgers. Hopefully the Phillies will bite the bullet and end the Wes Helms experiment and hang onto Snelling who has shown glimpses that he can be a solid utility player and pinch-hitter on this club.
On another note, thankfully Spring Training is almost over. The Phillies Spring started off in a dreadful fashion as they went 5-11-1. After that dreadful start, Manager Charlie Manuel essentially ripped the clubhouse a new one and they began to play much better ball. The starting pitching turned it around and they have struggled back up to a 12-15 record with 4 games left to play. Hopefully the Phillies regular season will not have a similar start as the Phils cannot afford to have another sub-.500 April with two other strong teams in the division this year in the Mets and Braves. More so than ever, the Phillies need to get off to a strong start if they are to repeat as NL East Champs.
Closing Thoughts: Brett Myers had another very strong start against the Yankees yesterday, giving up no runs in 5 IPs. SP Andrew Carpenter of Single-A Clearwater fame had a strong outing as well and he may well have opened up some eyes in the Front Office in doing so. Carpenter will start the season in Double-A Reading and is a real possibility for a 2nd Half call up if two things happen. First the Phillies need to have a spot in the rotation or bullpen for him which means either ineffective or injured starters on their part. Second, he has to perform in Reading much like Kendrick did last year. Both are real possibilities. It is almost a guarantee that the Phillies will get a major contribution from one of their pitching prospects this season. Between LHP Joe Savery, RHP Carlos Carrasco, LHP Josh Outman, and RHP Andrew Carpenter, the Phillies have several good mid-level pitching prospects in their system and all 4 are almost ready for Major League action. The door is wide open for any of the 4 to prove themselves. Opening Day is 4 days away!!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Weekly Recap
Well, there's good news for Ryan Howard and decidedly bad news for the Philadelphia Phillies as Miguel Cabrera has reportedly signed an 8-year, $153 million deal with the Tigers. Despite being 4 years older, Howard will almost certainly demand that that deal be a starting point for any future long-term negotiations with the Phillies. What does this mean for the Phillies? Well, lilkely it means that the Phillies will end up having to choose between signing either Cole Hamels or Ryan Howard long term and they will go with Hamels. That means that Howard could be on the trading block after this year. Of course, they could also open up their wallets and admit that as a team in the 6th largest media market in the country with a new favorable stadium lease and 3 million plus in attendance they can afford to sign both to long-term deals. I personally doubt that will happen though.
In other news, the Phillies rotation and bullpen situation has become much clearer in the past couple of days. Francisco Rosario has been placed on the DL and will not open the season on the roster. Travis Blackley has likely pitched himself out of the rotation and Eaton has continued to be solid in his last couple of starts. As it stands now, this will likely be our starting rotation and bullpen:
Starters:
1. Brett Myers
2. Cole Hamels
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Kyle Kendrick
5. Adam Eaton
Bullpen:
RHP Clay Condrey
RHP Ryan Madson
RHP Chad Durbin
LHP JC Romero
RHP Tom Gordon
CP Brad Lidge
On paper, both are slightly better than the beginning of 2007. That is, assuming there are no injuries of course. The bullpen, if Lidge is solid, looks much better on paper.
In the field the Phillies will field an impressive lineup and a very solid bench and it will likely come down to staying healthy and performing up to the level that they are all capable of for the Phillies to repeat as NL East champs.
Closing Notes: CP B. Lidge pitched in another minor-league game and his velocity (without radar guns) was estimated around 91 MPH. Otherwise he was very solid. However, he needs to get his velocity back to the 95-97 range to be effective against major league hitters and to help make his slider more effective.
Prediction right now: 2008 Record: 90-72
In other news, the Phillies rotation and bullpen situation has become much clearer in the past couple of days. Francisco Rosario has been placed on the DL and will not open the season on the roster. Travis Blackley has likely pitched himself out of the rotation and Eaton has continued to be solid in his last couple of starts. As it stands now, this will likely be our starting rotation and bullpen:
Starters:
1. Brett Myers
2. Cole Hamels
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Kyle Kendrick
5. Adam Eaton
Bullpen:
RHP Clay Condrey
RHP Ryan Madson
RHP Chad Durbin
LHP JC Romero
RHP Tom Gordon
CP Brad Lidge
On paper, both are slightly better than the beginning of 2007. That is, assuming there are no injuries of course. The bullpen, if Lidge is solid, looks much better on paper.
In the field the Phillies will field an impressive lineup and a very solid bench and it will likely come down to staying healthy and performing up to the level that they are all capable of for the Phillies to repeat as NL East champs.
Closing Notes: CP B. Lidge pitched in another minor-league game and his velocity (without radar guns) was estimated around 91 MPH. Otherwise he was very solid. However, he needs to get his velocity back to the 95-97 range to be effective against major league hitters and to help make his slider more effective.
Prediction right now: 2008 Record: 90-72
Friday, March 14, 2008
A Closer Look At Francisco Rosario
Up until today, Francisco Rosario had be having an excellent spring and there were rumors out of Phillies camp that he had a strong shot at the starting rotation if he could keep up his excellent play. He is known for having a mid-90s fastball, a good changeup and a nasty slider. The biggest knock against him has always been his control. He walks too many batters and he has trouble hitting his spots. When he's on, he can dominate but more often than not he simply can't locate his pitches. Also, at 27, he can no longer be considered a prospect but more of a minor league journeyman. That being said, he was given the start this afternoon against the Atlanta Braves. As with most the Phillies candidates for the 5th starter slot, Rosario was absolutely hammered by the Braves lineup. His line for the game was as follows:
Francisco Rosario
IP - 2.0
H - 3
R - 6
ER - 6
BB - 2
SO - 0
HR - 1
This outing transformed what had been an excellent early spring (1.04 ERA) to a typical Phillies 5th Starter (5.94 ERA in 10 2/3 IP)
So where do the Phillies go from here? If everything stays the same the Phillies will go into the season with a Starting Rotation of:
1. Brett Myers
2. Cole Hamels
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Kyle Kendrick
5. Adam Eaton
Both Eaton and Kendrick have been atrocious so far this spring but hopefully at least one of them can turn it around. Eaton has always had good stuff but has never been able to either stay healthy or be consistent for an entire season. Kendrick's secondary numbers do not suggest that he will put up a repeat performance of his 2007 effort (10-4, ERA under 4 in 20 starts).
It is still very early in Spring Training, and the Phillies still have 2 full weeks for a 5th starter to emerge from the pile of 6th and 7th starters they currently have in camp. At least the hitting has been decent so far this spring.
Francisco Rosario
IP - 2.0
H - 3
R - 6
ER - 6
BB - 2
SO - 0
HR - 1
This outing transformed what had been an excellent early spring (1.04 ERA) to a typical Phillies 5th Starter (5.94 ERA in 10 2/3 IP)
So where do the Phillies go from here? If everything stays the same the Phillies will go into the season with a Starting Rotation of:
1. Brett Myers
2. Cole Hamels
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Kyle Kendrick
5. Adam Eaton
Both Eaton and Kendrick have been atrocious so far this spring but hopefully at least one of them can turn it around. Eaton has always had good stuff but has never been able to either stay healthy or be consistent for an entire season. Kendrick's secondary numbers do not suggest that he will put up a repeat performance of his 2007 effort (10-4, ERA under 4 in 20 starts).
It is still very early in Spring Training, and the Phillies still have 2 full weeks for a 5th starter to emerge from the pile of 6th and 7th starters they currently have in camp. At least the hitting has been decent so far this spring.
Colon or Benson?
Pat Gillick and the Fightin' Phils had a choice this winter of several scrap heap veteran pitchers of which to sign for the 5th Starter slot. Many names were brought up in the course of the offseason to include Randy Wolf, Matt Clement, Jeff Weaver, Bartolo Colon, Kris Benson, and even the late great Sydney Ponson. Both Wolf and Clement made statements that they were not interested one bit in playing in the little league park known as The Bank in South Philly. Weaver was never really on the Phillies radar due to dismal performances over the past couple of years and Ponson turned out to be an unfounded rumor. However, both Colon and Benson were mentioned several times as top candidates to have bounceback seasons in 2008. Both were coming off major shoulder surgery (traditionally the deathknell of a starting pitchers' career) and both hadn't really pitched well since 2005. Most importantly, both were only looking for 1 year deals at the veteran minimum. However, whereas Colon was a Cy Young winner in 05, Benson has never been more than a 3rd or 4th starter. So logically the Phillies and Pat Gillick focused more and more on Kris Benson. They attended three separate tryouts to guage his progress in recovering from surgery and apparently were impressed each time. Finally, last month, they signed him to a minor-league deal with incentives for making the 25 man roster.
So far this spring, neither has pitched all that much. Benson has been limited strictly to minor-league action as he continues to build arm strength. He has looked solid so far, throwing his fastball, cutter, and curve. His fastball has been clocked regularly at 86 MPH and he has hit 88 at times during his handful of starts. According to team doctors, he is right on schedule with his recovery and will be ready to start in the Majors by early May. All in all, good news for the Phillies and I was very happy with his signing until last night.
Last night, Bartolo Colon made his first spring start for the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. He pitched 2 innings, threw 26 pitches and looked outstanding. He changed speeds, threw all his pitches and hit 94 MPH consistently with his 4-seam FB. He was able to locate his pitches and he retired the final 6 batters on 10 pitches. Basically he looked to be in mid-season form. Now, Colon may never again be the 100 MPH Cy Young winner he was in 2005 but if he stays healthy he could easily win 15 games this year for the Red Sox. Benson will likely be the 5th starter for the Phillies from May onward and could possibly move up in the rotation if Kendrick implodes, Hamels gets injured, Moyer remembers he is 45 etc etc.
If both stay healthy, it is almost a guarantee that Colon will have the better year. He has always had the better stuff by far of the two and he is on a better team in the AL. He won't have to worry about hitting or being pulled for a PH in the 5th or 6th inning of a tie game like a NL pitcher would.
Ultimately, the Phillies refusal to spend money (even the bare minimum) and their refusal to take smart risks will hamstring their chances of repeating as NL East champs in 08. The smart play would have been to try and sign both and bank on one their 5 projected starters getting injured. It happens every year so why should 2008 be any different? Once again the Phillies will win around 85 wins and be competitive and we will all cheer them on as they fall just short of true greatness. Its only March, but its gonna be a long year in South Philly.
So far this spring, neither has pitched all that much. Benson has been limited strictly to minor-league action as he continues to build arm strength. He has looked solid so far, throwing his fastball, cutter, and curve. His fastball has been clocked regularly at 86 MPH and he has hit 88 at times during his handful of starts. According to team doctors, he is right on schedule with his recovery and will be ready to start in the Majors by early May. All in all, good news for the Phillies and I was very happy with his signing until last night.
Last night, Bartolo Colon made his first spring start for the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. He pitched 2 innings, threw 26 pitches and looked outstanding. He changed speeds, threw all his pitches and hit 94 MPH consistently with his 4-seam FB. He was able to locate his pitches and he retired the final 6 batters on 10 pitches. Basically he looked to be in mid-season form. Now, Colon may never again be the 100 MPH Cy Young winner he was in 2005 but if he stays healthy he could easily win 15 games this year for the Red Sox. Benson will likely be the 5th starter for the Phillies from May onward and could possibly move up in the rotation if Kendrick implodes, Hamels gets injured, Moyer remembers he is 45 etc etc.
If both stay healthy, it is almost a guarantee that Colon will have the better year. He has always had the better stuff by far of the two and he is on a better team in the AL. He won't have to worry about hitting or being pulled for a PH in the 5th or 6th inning of a tie game like a NL pitcher would.
Ultimately, the Phillies refusal to spend money (even the bare minimum) and their refusal to take smart risks will hamstring their chances of repeating as NL East champs in 08. The smart play would have been to try and sign both and bank on one their 5 projected starters getting injured. It happens every year so why should 2008 be any different? Once again the Phillies will win around 85 wins and be competitive and we will all cheer them on as they fall just short of true greatness. Its only March, but its gonna be a long year in South Philly.
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