Phillies receive poor grades from Sports Illustrated
Those of us with far less optmistic worldviews had our fears confirmed when Sports Illustrated released the team's off-season report card.
Phillies receive poor grades from Sports Illustrated
Justin Klugh, Assistant Sports Producer
Some people have convinced themselves that Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay will bounce back and have healthy, productive years; that Michael and Delmon Young will provide cheap, adequate power in the middle of the order; that somehow, through a combination of willful ignorance and changing the channel, the Phillies' defense will work itself out.
Those of us with far less optmistic worldviews had our fears confirmed when Sports Illustrated released the team's off-season report card and saw a big red "D."
"Though the trade for Revere gives the Phillies a cost-controlled centerfielder to grow on, they’ve taken steps backward with most of their other moves," the article states. "[The Phillies] are more likely to repeat last year’s middling showing than contend in a division where the Nationals and Braves have upgraded in impressive fashion."
Sure, this was just one media outlet's opinion. But by using "information" and "facts" to back their arguments, SI painted an inarguably hideous picture of Amaro's winter tinkering.
On Delmon Young: "The money is inconsequential enough, but it looks like an overpay for a player who hit .267/.296/.411 with 18 homers last year with a −0.9 Wins Above Replacement Player mark even while being limited to just 31 games in the field, all of them in left."
On Michael Young: "He’ll take over third base in place of Polanco, who to be fair is a year older and about half as durable, but at least able to do something besides imitate a matador at the hot corner."
On Ben Revere: "Amaro did actually acquire some youth in the form of speedy 24-year-old center fielder Ben Revere, who stole 40 bases last year but hit a thin .294/.333/.342 with just 19 extra-base hits..."
Grim stuff.
Perhaps there are others in the media who took a more sympathetic angle, or were at least not paying as much attention.
"[The Phillies' defense] Could be comically bad. Howard? Michael Young? Delmon? Domonic Brown? My lord." [David Schoenfield, ESPN]
"I get why the Phillies think they can still compete. I don't get why they're punting half of their defense and adding more offensive question marks to a growing pile." [Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation]
"Amaro might have been wise to pass up on overpaying for an outfielder, but unless Young bounces back into the player who led the American League in hits and finished eighth in MVP voting in 2011, a sizable hole remains in the middle of the lineup." [Ryan Lawrence, The Daily News]
"It has been a different kind of offseason for the Phillies, and it's impossible to say that they caught the Nationals and Braves based on where the teams finished last season and what they've done this offseason." [Bob Brookover, Inquirer]
"On paper, it seems the Phillies will once again be unable to contend with the two teams they finished behind in the standings last season. While the Braves and Nationals got better, it’s hard to argue that the Phils did the same." [Phillies Nation]
At least one man has both faith in the Phillies and the means to share his opinion with a large audience.
"I better not say a whole lot about it, but at the same time I know Ruben is really working hard and trying to improve our ballclub, and anything that goes down I think will help us." [Charlie Manuel]
Of course, that was back around Christmas. According to Sports Illustrated, the Phillies' GPA has taken a few hits since then.
I think Amaro has guaranteed this is his last year as GM. Like Andy Reid, he was kept around too long. There's almost nothing left of the Gillick team that won the '08 WS, just some aged names remain. Amaro took over after the WS win and it's been downhill ever since.— Xyzzyx- AMEN. Hope you are right ... and I hope the Phillies go and get a guy who will use the advanced analytics being used by other clubs to evaluate players. You know - the kind that Rube said he doesn't consider. We need a GM who understands the value of a walk (Amaro: "I don't care about walks"); a GM who understands that good pitching needs good defense (not Michael Young, Dom Brown, Delmon Young); a GM who doesn't let good young talent walk away (Moss, Vogelsong). And we need a GM that won't trade away the farm for the likes of Oswalt, Pence and Revere. We need a GM that won't saddle us with un-trade-able "name" players (JStroll, Howard, Pap). Downhill is where we will continue to go with Ruin Tomorrow Jr.at the helm. — Copper34
- how does Amaro always get the blame and Dave Montgomery never held accountable for the organizations decisions Montgomery and the other owners made choices that led to the scouting director to leave during a pennant winning season citing the lack of money commited to the drafting of players to replenish a depleted farm system ?— typpy1
@Copper. I completely understand that you do not like Ruben Amaro. I think however that 1,000 posts about your feelings is still way behind the Biscuit. If you are trying to catch him, give it up. You're not even close.
I, on the other hand, do not give a hoot about Amaro one way or another. And I care infinitely less about your feelings.
Have a nice day. :)— zubzub- I don't know RAJ. Can't say I dislike him. But, I do know for a fact that he has destroyed the Phillies -- taking them from W.S. Champions to this total freakin' mess we have on our hands now. He is in over his head. He has had a job for 4 years and has failed in almost every respect. For more evidence of the truthfulness of these statements, see warbiscuit's comments below (and over the last 2 years) ... and then take a look at the Phillies' OF. And you have a nice day too ... as you compile Hall of Fame GM Gillick's mistakes for you to use in your next post ... — Copper34
- so why was my comment taken down about Dave Montgomery and the other owners also being held accountable for the organizations decisions ?— typpy1
- hello censor !!! ,we are going to make you earn your thirty pieces of silver today ow much do they pay you for your chicanery or maybe your an intern— typpy1
- Dogbiscuit, the only difference between SI saying something and you saying something, even if it's the same thing, is SI is someone and you're just an anonymous poster nobody on a rag website (like me and everyone else here). Feel free to give yourself as much credit as you think you need and deserve.— PhillySubsMac
- lolol.. Myabe I'm the optimistic fool but the Phillies will fool a lot of people this year. The Young's will be on the bench by July if they last that long. Howard will be fine and isn't a bad fielder when healthy. The Phillies defense up the middle is and will continue to be very, very good. Ruf will provide the power in the middle of the lineup. Frandsen/Galvis will make the plays at 3rd. Mayberry will get a lot of reps in RF and he is a decent fielder. The Uptons will disappoint in ATL and the Nats and Phils will battle for the NLE title.— sfofan
- You are NOT a fool -- but it does sound like you may be overly optimistic. Agree w/ you that they should be solid up the middle defensively upon Chooch's return (he was a great receiver even before his hitting "surge"). And - I am not scared of the Uptons either. It would have been nice to trade for Justin, but Rube had already over-paid for Revere. I hope you are right that Howard will be fine -- but I am really nervous that he spent the offseason doing nothing to improve his hitting against lefthanded pitching and hasn't yet learned how to hit a breaking ball yet (something that was exposed by the Yankees in the W.S. over three years ago). Here's my optimistic post of the day: If Ruf is great, the Phillies may surprise some people in 2013!! But, Amaro still gets an "F-" for this offseason and last offseason as well. — Copper34
- When did the Nationals and Braves turn into the 1927 Yankees? Aren't these both the same teams who didn't make it out of their respective first rounds in the playoffs last year? I understand that they are good teams but they are not of the caliber where you can simply hand them the division. The Phillies are equally as likely to win the division as either one of those teams. The only difference between this year and other years is that it is not a sure thing the Phils will win it because those teams aren't god awful anymore.
Stop acting as if the Nats and Braves are these monster teams because they aren't.
In fact,I would put the Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, and Reds above them in terms of potential this year. And maybe even the Diamondbacks.— The Moose is Loose - I love this off season. Amaro filled the necessary holes. Michael Young is much better than anyone we had at 3rd last season and he is not a defensive liability. Has anyone ever taken the time to watch people actually play before commenting? Stats do not ever say everything that needs to be said. A healthy Halliday, Hamels, & Lee give the Phils the best rotation in the NL. Healthy Utley & Howard fill the hole in the middle of the lineup. The Revere trade was a good one. With questionable defense in left and right, they have a horse in center that covers alot of ground. Ruf & Brown will be productive. If not, flexibility left by Amaro addresses this at the all star break. Adams was a good signing. A risk, but worth the risk. Bastardo will be the man again. He was great late last season after his dead arm got about a 4 week rest. I here all the Justin Upton talk, Juston Upton might be a worse right fielder than Dom Brown.. Plus he is lazy. Lazy doesn't win many fan votes in Philly. He would be about as solid out there as Pence.. Did you know the phils played .600 ball after riding themselves of Pence and Victorino. I have news for you, those two trades were NOT salary dumps. And Amaro would have taken less for both players if he had to. Neither one of them played a winning quality of baseball. Again, just watch the games..— FetchDixon
- @ryanrockjazz-special re-post to address your ignorance:
how Cluless Rube turned a championship team into a bad one with one of the highest budgets in baseball and never won in post-season:
1. signed an over-the-hill Ibanez for 3 yrs, $36 mil, 2. re-signed Moyer 2 yrs, 3. re-signed Bruntlett, 4. traded valuable backup catcher for nothing (Tashner), 5.did nothing to improve Phils bullpen in 2009 thus relying on a closer with an era over 7.0, 6. relied on an aged Pedro to be no. 2 starter in 2009 post-season, costing Phils World Series, 7. traded away Cliff Lee for peanuts, 8. traded away 3 top prospects for Halladay when could have kept Lee for same price, 9. signed Blanton to inexplicable $24 mil extension, 10. signed useless over-the-hill non-hitting Polanco (3 yrs, $18 mil wasted --no offense at 3rd base for 3 yrs), 11. signed Baez (2 yrs), 12. acquired Herndon and kept him on roster for all of 2010 so as not to "lose" him, 13. signed Schneider to 2 yr deal, then re-signed him, 14. failed to add a starter after losing Lee for peanuts thus requiring loss of 3 prospects to acquire Oswalt who provided only a half-season of half-decent pitching, 15. signed Gload and other worthless bench garbage, 16. gave Howard a $125 million extension almost 2 years before his current contract was due to expire--the worst extension in baseball history, 17. did nothing to improve worst bench in baseball in 2010, 18. did nothing to assist fading offense in 2010, thus costing Phils chances in 2010 post-season, 19. did nothing to replace Werth after 2010 thus having to trade 3 top prospects in July to acquire overrated Pence, 20. went into 2011 post-season with still suspect offense and bench, costing Phils chance in 2011, (that's just 2009-2011 so far)...— warbiscuit - FetchDixon LOVES this off-season ... Too funny ... Sports Illustrated gave it a "D" because Amaro did a poor job. Just like he did last offseason. Phillies fans should "give a hoot" about the GM of their team. Especially if the GM has driven the team into the ground. This will not get better until we have a real GM in there. We need someone who can evaluate talent better. Someone who can execute on a strategy.— Copper34
- further Amaro awful moves/non-moves 2011-2012:
21. kept Mike Martinez, 22. did nothing to replace Howard's lost production at 1b for 2011, 23. did nothing to replace Utley's lost production at 2b, 24. did nothing to replace Polanco's non-existent offense at 3b, 25. signed closer Papelbon for absurd price that could have acquired legitimate offense (Ramirez, Beltran, many other options) or more depth in bullpen, 26. wasted $50 mil on a closer who had been and remains awful in big spots; 27. signed over-the-hill d.h. Thome for NL team with no DH, 28. did nothing to add a lefty reliever pre-season other than sign a consistently awful Willis, 29. did nothing else to help bullpen other than awful Qualls, 30. acquired Wigginton, 31. acquired Nix, 32. let Moss go for nothing, 32. let Grilli go for nothing, 33. let Vogelsong go for nothing, 34. traded Pence away for useless trash, 35. traded Victorino for awful Lindblom and trash, 36. traded Blanton for nothing, 37. did nothing to strengthen 2013 outfield other than a slap hitter in cf, 38. did nothing to strengthen 3rd base except an over-the-hill awful fielding Young, 39 did nothing to improve starting pitching other than awful Lannan, 40. got no corner outfielder other than awful fielder/awful person/mediocre hitter D.Young, 41. kept Manuel as manager, etc....— warbiscuit
