IS NO FAN OF JERSEY'S DAD VAIL HEIST
. . .not that it matters for Cliff Lee. The Phillies clubhouse was buzzing after Cliff Lee's complete game Phillies debut, when he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished allowing one run on four hits. Lee also singled and doubled, despite entering the game with two career hits. He scored a run on a sacrifice fly by former Indians teammate Ben Francisco, who has also impressed in his first two games.
First, here are what some Phillies had to say:
Brad Lidge: "At this rate, the bull-pen is going to be unemployed."
Matt Stairs: "Me and Dobber just got knocked down a notch."
Pete Mackanin: "A shut-out would've been nice."
Cliff Lee: "I'm kind of glad I didn't throw a no-hitter. If I do that on the first time out, I'd be having to live up to some high expectations. Just to get to the win, I'm pleased."
Now, some observations:
1) Just about everybody I talked to in the clubhouse was impressed with the tempo Lee brought to the mound. After each inning, he ran off the mound and into the dugout. Before each inning, he ran onto the field and directly toward the mound. In between, he pitched with a rhythm that was really fun to watch. Ruben Amaro Jr. watched part of the game from the press box. "He's a charger," Amaro said. I think that description fits perfectly.
2) The part of the game that sticks in my mind the most was the seventh, when Lee walked Eugenio Velez on four pitches, then threw three straight balls to Pablo Sandoval. Lee attributed the wildness to the previous half inning, when the Phillies scored three runs and sent eight batters to the plate. He wasn't as loose as he needed to be. But he responded by charging back to get Sandoval swinging on a high third strike, then recorded the next two outs to escape the jam.
3) Lee's double in the eighth inning bounced off the wall in left-center. In Philadelphia, it would have been a problem. "You know what the only problem with that is?," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We're not in Philadelphia." Regardless, Lee went on to score on a sacrifice fly.
4) Lee did a great job of mixing up his pitches, not only challenging hitters with his fastball, but with a devilishly effective slider as well. "Tonight, he was throwing some hard, high sliders and the right-handed hitters were sort of swinging through them, or swinging by them," Manuel said. "He's got a pretty good one that really bites when it goes down. I think that's an out-pitch for him."
5) Francisco went 1-for-4 with an RBI, but also hit a sharp ground ball at Sandoval at third base that could have been ruled a hit, particularly considering the fact that Chase Utley was charged with an error on a ground ball that hit his glove in the ninth. Manuel said he has been very impressed with Francisco in his first two games. I'd expect to see him get significant playing time throughout these final two months. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get two or three starts a week in order to give the regular outfielders a break.
^
Pedro Martinez made his Triple-A debut tonight, allowing four earned runs on three hits in five innings at Lehigh Valley. The way Martinez was talking afterward, he hopes it will be his last start in the minors. Amaro said the team has not decided on his next step, except for a bullpen session that he will throw on Sunday in Lakewood.
“It’s a process,” Martinez said, according to ace Daily News intern and rising journalism star Frank Seravalli. “I’m not totally clear on the rules. They either put me on the DL again – which I don’t need, I don’t need 15 more days – or they send me back down, which I don’t think I would like."
Martinez was asked whether he would be willing to pitch in the bullpen.
"I'm an employee here," he said. "We all are. When you're an employee, you do what your boss asks you."
I don't know why, but whenever Martinez says something like that I picture him wearing a button-down white shirt tucked into pleated khakis and putting a cup of Ramen noodles in an undersized microwave while Dwight Schrute takes his frozen squirrel out of the refrigerator.
Well, the trade deadline has passed. And as usual, the moves you heard least about were the ones that ended up going down. Cliff Lee makes his Phillies debut tonight. I thought I'd look into the crystal ball a little bit and take a look at how the Phillies' new-look rotation stacks up against the teams they could face in the playoffs.
First, here are the Phillies stats as of tonight:
HP Cliff Lee (7-9, 3.14 ERA, .278)
RHP Joe Blanton (7-4, 4.11, .262 BAA)
LHP Cole Hamels (7-5, 4.42, .278 BAA)
LHP Jamie Moyer (10-7, 5.32, .292 BAA)
LHP J.A. Happ (7-2, 2.97, .228 BAA)
Now, here is a look at the projected head-to-head match-ups in the playoffs, as of right now. I've included a couple of players who are projected to return from injury (Ted Lilly, Randy Johnson) and excluded John Maine, who could miss the rest of the season.
Phillies vs. Cubs (54-46)
Phillies vs. Cardinals
Phillies vs. Dodgers
Phillies vs. Giants
Phillies vs. Braves
Phillies vs. Mets
Phillies vs. Florida
Phillies vs. Rockies
As you can see, there are lots of tough match-ups here. The toughest would have to be the Dodgers, who could throw two tough lefties against the Phillies. The Phils have had mixed results off of both Kershaw and Wolf. Obviously, no team wants to face the Giants in the playoffs.
Any thoughts? Who scares you the most? Who has the best rotation?
I'm not sure whether it was the shadow of the Cliff Lee story, or whether it was the weariness of West Coast travel, or whether last night's 7-2 Phillies loss was exactly as it seemed: unexciting. A normally sure-handed team committed two key errors, and the Phillies suffered a rare second straight off-night. It was their first back-to-back losses since July 1-2 in Atlanta.
The one piece of action that did occur - other than Pablo Sandoval's personal quest to show Charlie Manuel that he was wrong for leavin ghim out of the All-Star game - was a sixth-inning at-bat between Chase Utley and Giants lefty Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez's first pitch of the inning sailed screamed directly at the head of Utley, who ducked out of the way. Although it didn't seem like a situation in which Sanchez would be throwing intentionally -- Manuel said he thought Sanchez deserved the benefit of the doubt -- Utley reacted the way many of us would if another grown man unleashed a deadly object at our noggin. He took a step toward the mound and glared menacingly -- although, having been around Utley, that might have been his version of smiling -- before returning to the batters box. Later, he stepped out of the box as Sanchez was getting set to start his wind-up.
Gamesmanship?
"I wasn't ready and he started his wind-up," Utley said, "so I just wanted to make sure I was ready to hit."
Utley might have cracked a mischievous half grin when offering that assessment. But, again, it is Utley, so it is difficult to tell.
"The adrenaline is always flowing," Utley said. "The last thing you want to do is let that affect your at-bat."
Utley got the last laugh, connecting on a solo home run to end the at-bat. Phillies reliever Tyler Walker later hit Ryan Garko with a pitch, prompting a warning to both benches.
Otherwise, it was a fairly ho-hum game, at least from the Phillies perspective.
In a side note: Carlos Carrasco makes his Triple A debut tonight for Columbus at Lehigh Valley. He will be opposed by Pedro Martinez, perhaps making his final rehab start before being ready for a return to the big leagues.
Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Carlos Carrasco did not have to go far to join their new team.
The trio moved from the home clubhouse to the visitors clubhouse at CocaCola Park in Allentown tonight when they were traded from the Phillies to the Indians yesterday in the Cliff Lee deal. The Clippers are in town for a series against the IronPigs.
The three prospects along with Class A pitcher Jason Knapp were sent to Cleveland for Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco.
"The deal really came as a shock to me," Donald told the Daily News before the game. "You hear different things, but it's funny that you never want to believe it until it happens."
Carrasco pointed to a trade just being part of the game: "It's business and something I have to get used to."
Marson politely declined to speak to reporters before the game.
Donald was in the Columbus lineup and hitting eighth, Marson was batting ninth. Carrasco was scratched from his scheduled start for the IronPigs yesterday. It had not been determined when he would pitch for Columbus.
More to come ...
Cliff Lee will make his Phillies debut tomorrow against the Giants.
More from the newly-acquired lefty shortly.
^
The first two roster moves to come as a result of the Cliff Lee/Ben Francisco trade are not a surprise. Steven Register, who allowed one run on three hits in two innings of his only appearance, was sent back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. John Mayberry Jr., who is 10-for-53 with four home runs, eight RBI and 22 strikeouts in 35 games, was also sent down. Mayberry has had four at-bats since the All-Star Break.
^
The more interesting transactions should come with Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey and J.C. Romero return from the disabled list. Durbin and Condrey are eligible to return Aug. 7. J.C. Romero is eligible to return Aug. 4.
Here is a look at the non-regular players currently on the Phillies roster:
Pitchers: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Rodrigo Lopez, Tyler Walker
Bench players: Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Paul Bako, Ben Francisco, Eric Bruntlett
Kendrick and Walker are the two obvious demotions once the first two relievers return. Beyond that, there is no clear answer to who the third will be. And assuming Pedro Martinez is ready within the next week to 10 days, there will have to be another roster spot cleared.
Here are your options. Remember, two of the following players will have to be off of the roster once Martinez arrives:
Rodrigo Lopez, RHP: Lopez makes his fifth start of the season tonight. He has been steady in his first four. It is obvious that he won't have a spot in the rotation. But he has pitched before as a reliever. In 26 career relief appearances, he has posted a 2.95 ERA and held batters to a .209 average. But the Phillies don't have much invested of him. They could designate him for assignment, hoping that he would clear waivers and accept a demotion to the minor leagues. If another team claimed him, or if he became a free agent, they would owe him nothing.
Eric Bruntlett, INF: It doesn't seem likely that the Phillies would go with four players on the bench for the rest of their season. While Bruntlett is hitting just .125 this season, he is the only option off the bench should Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley need a blow.
Clay Condrey, RHP: When healthy, Condrey has pitched well this season. And he is relatively cheap. If the Phillies designated him for assignment, there is a good chance he'd be picked up by another team. The Phillies need all the bullpen depth they can get.
Chad Durbin, RHP: Durbin is on a one-year deal, so he could also be designated for assignment. Seeing as though he is making $2 million, he isn't a likely candidate to be claimed. He would then have to accept a demotion and maintain his salary, or become a free agent and forfeit it. He's been solid for the Phils the last two years, and again, they need all the arms they can get.
Jamie Moyer, LHP: The most interesting piece to the puzzle. If the Phillies want to keep J.A. Happ in the rotation, where it appears he belongs, then Moyer seems to be without a role, unless the club goes to a six-man rotation. Moyer is not an ideal bullpen piece. But while it may not always look pretty, he is 6-1 with a 3.51 ERA in his last seven starts.
Cliff Lee is ready to come to the National League and glad it is as a part of the defending champions.
"I'm going to the defending World Champions, that's a good thing," Lee told Daily News contributor Steve Lowery after Cleveland faced the Angels this afternoon in Anaheim.
Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco were acquired in exchange for minor league prospects Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson (all at Triple A Lehigh Valley) and Jason Knapp (at Class A Lakewood).
The Phillies confirmed the move with a press release shortly after 7 p.m.
Lee was not sure when he would join the Phillies in San Francisco. The Phillies close out a three-game series with Arizona tonight and then face the Giants for four games.
Lee last pitched Sunday and his normal turn would come again Friday, but Lee said he did not know when he would make his next start. In Arizona, Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee also said he was unsure when Lee would make his Phillies debut. Joe Blanton is scheduled to start Friday for the Phillies.
"I'm anxious and excited to get there," Lee said. "It's the National League. I'm going to have to figure out how to get a bunt down more consistently."
To read analysis of the trade, the possible rotation and what it means for the Phillies, click here.
I've had a chance to sit down and make some sense of the pending deal that will bring lefty Cliff Lee and right-handed bat Ben Francisco to the Phillies for prospects Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Jason Knapp.
Here is how I see it:
I. The Rotation
1) Right now, here is how the Phillies rotation sets up:
Fri - Blanton at Giants
Sat - Lee at Giants
Sun - Hamels at Giants
Tue - Happ vs. Rockies
Wed - Moyer/Martinez vs. Rockies
Thu - Lee vs. Rockies
After some further review, I've adjusted this rotation. I figure Lee would pitch Saturday on five days rest, preceded by Blanton. After that, a lot depends on what the Phillies do in the bullpen. A number of people seem to think that Happ would head back to the pen. But we'll see.
2) If the Phillies go with Moyer, they'll have four lefties in their rotation. If they go with Martinez, it will be a little more balanced. Lee has struggled against righties this season. They are hitting .303 against him. lefties, meanwhile, are hitting .216. Last year, when he won the AL Cy Young, Lee held lefties to a .245 average. Then again, Lee pitches in the American League. In four interleague starts this season, he allowed eight runs in 29 innings, striking out 20, walking nine, and allowing 21 hits.
3) Forget about having four lefties in the rotation during the regular season. Let's look ahead to the postseason. Right now, a rotation would likely consist of Lee, Hamels, Blanton and Happ. That means three lefty starters. Last year, the Phillies had two lefties in their postseason rotation. The last time a World Series champion had three lefties in its postseason rotation was in 1996, when the Yankees tossed Andy Pettitte, Jimmy Key and Kenny Rogers in addition to David Cone. So it has happened before.
II. Roster moves
1) The Phillies are adding two players to their major league roster while not subtracting anybody. That means somebody has to go. The likely candidates are John Mayberry off of the bench and Steven Register out of the bullpen. But once Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey return, it will make for some interesting roster maneuvering. A lot depends on what the Phillies do with the Martinez/Moyer situation. I can't even begin to accurately speculate what might occur.
III. Ben Francisco
1) He is a 27-year-old right-handed bat. After this season, he will have two-plus years of major league service time. In 2008, he hit .266 with 15 home runs in 447 at-bats. This season, he is hitting .250 with 10 home runs and 308 at-bats.
2) Francisco hits .269 off lefties in his career, .258 off of righties. He doesn't have much pinch-hitting experience.
3) Francisco played one season with Phillies second baseman Chase Utley at UCLA in 2000.
IV. The Future
1) A big part of this deal is the money the Phillies save over adding Roy Halladay. Lee is due to earn $9 million next season. Halladay is due to earn $15.75 million. But just how will that impact the Phillies. Let's look:
2) Inclduing Lee, the Phillies have $103.5 committed to 12 players for next season. This year, their Opening Day pay-roll was right around $132 million. I'm sure there is some room for expansion, given the impressive string of sell-outs at Citizens Bank Park this year. And a postseason run would only add to those coffers.
3) In addition to the 12 players signed to multi-year contracts, seven others are under club control. Carlos Ruiz, Clay Condrey, Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino are arbitration eligible. Victorino and Blanton are in line for big raises. They'll definitely tender an offer to Victorino. And if Blanton continues pitching the way he has, there is a good chance he'll be worthy of the $7 to $8 million he could earn next season. Pedro Feliz has a $5 million club option with no obvious replacement in the minor leagues. Again, if Feliz continues to produce the way he has, $5 million seems like a bargain. Francisco and J.A. Happ are both under club control.
4) If the Phillies keep all 19 of their players under club control, I estimate that the they will have about $127 million committed to them, with three vacancies in the bullpen, one at back-up catcher, and two on the bench. So there would appear to be some financial room to make some additions.
According to several baseball sources, the only hurdle standing in the way of a blockbuster trade that will bring reigning American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee to Philadelphia is a thorough review of medical records.
The trade will bring Lee, 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA, and right-handed hitter Ben Francisco to Philadelphia in exchange for heralded pitching prospect Jason Knapp, infielder Jason Donald, catcher Lou Marson, and former top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco.
While the medical review is not expected to stand in the way of the deal, a source labelled it an "important part" of the process, given recent injuries to Donald and Knapp. As of early this afternoon, Knapp was still at a Lakewood Blue Claws team hotel in Greenville, S.C., while Donald, Marson and Carrasco were at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Carrasco was scratched from his start today. Donald and Marson did not play. Donald was not scheduled to play after returning last night following knee surgery. Marson did not catch, with an early day game after a night game.
Knapp, a 19-year-old righthander who throws in the mid-to-upper 90's, has been on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue since early July. He has been long-tossing, but has not pitched off the mound since July 11.
Word of the trade has already trickled down to Anaheim, where sources said Cleveland teammates were congratulating Lee on the deal. Lee, however, told reporters that he had no knowledge of the trade.
A Phillies source said no announcement was imminent. An Indians spokesman declined to confirm the trade.
Meanwhile, Roy Halladay took the mound in Seattle for Toronto against the Mariners.
Jays manager Cito Gaston was asked about the impending Lee trade.
“Is it official now? So what is Cleveland doing there?" he said. "I know they’re (unloading) but what are they doing?”
Gaston was then asked if it made him feel any better that one of Halladay's suitor was presumably off the board.
“Well, yeah. It tells me [Philadelphia] is not going to take him? Who knows? They might come back and get him, too," he said. "That would be a pretty good staff over there, wouldn’t it? Because from what I understand, they didn’t give up any of their [top] prospects, not the ones we [reportedly] wanted."
Then he started to laugh: "Hey, it’s still out there maybe. It’s better to have two than one, isn’t it? We’ll see what happens. Today’s the 29th. We’ve still got two days. So it’s still alive.”
More to come. . .
Some potentially interesting developments as the trade deadline approaches at Triple A Lehigh Valley this morning.
Pitcher Carlos Carrasco was scratched from his scheduled start this morning against Columbus. There is no indication that Carrasco is hurt.
Shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson also were not in the Ironpigs' lineup. However, Donald is coming off knee surgery and was not scheduled to play with an early day game after a night game. Marson caught last night and also might be sitting out for the same reason.
An earlier report that outfielder Michael Taylor was not playing for Lehigh Valley is incorrect.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com is reporting that the Indians have three scouts at the Triple A game, possibly pointing to the acquisition of Cliff Lee.
Phillies scout Charley Kerfeld watched Lee pitch Sunday. He was in Seattle last night to see Jarrod Washburn and is scheduled to be there again today to see Toronto's Roy Halladay.
In another move, the Phillies promoted Scott Mathieson from Clearwater to Double A Reading. Lefthander reliever Jason Mackintosh was placed on the disabled list. Mathieson's promotion does not appear related to a potential deal, but he could be a late-season bullpen option for the Phillies if his recovery is coming along as well as reported.
More to come ...
“I’m aware of them trying to get Halladay,” Martinez said. “I’m glad they’re trying to do that. That shows me they’re trying to win, for sure. A guy like Halladay will probably reassure that we have a very good chance to win.”
Pedro Martinez yesterday threw a smooth, 56-pitch bullpen session at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Nearly 2 hours later Martinez, showered and freshened, entertained a flock of media members as he addressed latest step in his path back to the majors. The next step, he expects: A start here Friday.
And then?
“I hope that if everything goes well, that will be my last step,” Martinez said. “I’m looking forward to making the next one, on Friday, the last one.
He’s got a million reasons to get going as soon as possible.
The Phillies signed Martinez July 15 for the rest of this season. He reportedly will make about $900,000 guaranteed – but he can earn another $1.275 in incentives if he spends the last 2 months on the active roster and starts regularly.
He wouldn’t mind if he fills out the back of a rotation fronted by fellow Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, whom the Phils are trying to pry from the Blue Jays before Friday’s trade deadline.
-- MARCUS HAYES
