Amaro on Happ: "He's going to help us this year."
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Amaro on Happ: "He's going to help us this year."
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
The Phillies have made no secret that they are looking to upgrade their rotation. The problem they face in doing so is two-fold: First, Roy Oswalt is the only top-shelf starter who is definitely available. Second, the Phillies will not part ways with Domonic Brown, their only major-league ready blue-chip prospect, making it difficult to acquire anything greater than a middle-of-the-rotation arm.
What they could really use is an addition that costs them nothing. Even better, an addition that costs them nothing and is 12-5 with a 2.91 ERA over his last 30 starts while averaging more than 6 innings per outing.
Enter J.A. Happ.
The 27-year-old lefty had his season derailed in mid-April when he developed tightness in his elbow that was officially diagnosed as a forearm starin. In his only two starts this season, he threw 10.1 scoreless innings against the Nationals and Astros. But he also walked eight and racked up high pitch counts, then admitted to some tightness in his elbow after his velocity dipped into the mid-80's against Washington.
After a two-month absence and six inconsistent rehab starts, the Phillies activated Happ from the disabled list and sent him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. At the same time, the Phillies increased their efforts to add a starter via trade.
In two starts since his demotion, Happ has allowed six runs on 11 hits in 10 innings. He has allowed two home runs and seven walks, and has struck out 14.
But general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the reports on Happ's latest start, when he allowed three runs in five innings with seven strikeouts and four walks against Louisville, were good.
"He started out a little tentative and then threw the (heck) out of it the last two innings," said Amaro, who added that his velocity sat between 92 and 95 MPH. "That was a good sign."
Is he a realistic option to bolster the rotation?
"Absolutely," Amaro said. "He's going to help us this year. I don't know when."
The two most positive signs out of Happ would seem to be the consistency of his velocity and his strikeout numbers in his two recent starts.
Last season, Happ went 10-4 wtih a 2.99 ERA in 23 starts after taking Chan Ho Park's spot in the rotation in mid-May. He averaged 6.1 innings per start and tossed three complete games. In his 21 starts from May 29 to September 29, the Phillies went 13-8. He pitched at least seven innings and held opponents under three runs eight times during that stretch.
"When he gets right, he's going to help us here," said Amaro, who added that the team "absolutely" is looking at Happ as a starter, and not a reliever.
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Placido Polanco went 3-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI for the Gulf Coast League Phillies early Friday afternoon. There is still a possibility that he joins the team in Chicago, although Amaro said before the game there were no definite plans.
"We'll find out how he feels after today and go from there," he said.
Could he help us today? Like, uh, now - in the 7th inning of another butcher job by Fat Joe? I can't watch much more of this garbage.— EaglesWest- Besides that genius, Mark DeRosa is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury.— richards4captain18
- Look, the reality is that it won't matter what they do this year. They over-valued their pitching staff which led to the Lee trade. When you trade a former 22 game winner/Cy Young recipient you deserve to have it ridiculed forever. Personally, I believe this will result in what will later be known around here as the curse of Cliff Lee. After that, Management simply crossed their fingers and relied on bounceback years from key players like Lidge, Ibanez, and Blanton, and hoped Dobbs would rebound to 2008 form. NONE of those players will EVER repeat their 2008 seasons and a savvy GM should have been looking to upgrade those slots in the off season. I mean, how long to you hold on to Greg Dobbs. There had to have been a younger, higher-upside bench player available? Add in the injuries, the fact that the Braves DID go out and get quality role players and bullpen help, and the Phils run is over.— 26Fan
- Tommy John.— PhillySubsMac
- No trades Happ-ening this year. The return of Polanco, Happ and Utley from the DL is all you're going to get.— Rick Wise Guy
- Unless this team really stirs the pot, they are done, done, done. They have locked into a bunch of stupid contracts which they refuse to unload. Until that happens, the only possibility is bringing up Brown to see if that might motivate these guys. It's not the pitching that is killing them, it's the lethargic hitting. Really tired of hearing the hitters comments about being a team and they are OK, when you consistently see the low hitting games they are producing. Trades would only take more away from the future right now and wouldn't help their problems. In any case it wouldn't hurt to bring up Brown and see what they have.— cedara
- Oswalt wants out of Houston, wants to be on a team with a chance to win it all for once in his career, and has a full no trade clause. Astros owner has said that he would pay some of Oswalt's salary and attempt to accommodate his trade wish. Ed Wade loves to trade for Phillies players. Houston needs not only reasonably priced pitching at the back of their rotation, plus players to fortify their current roster. In this no brainer scenerio, Ruben should package Blanton, Kendrick, Baez, and Werth and send them to the Astros for Oswalt and Pedro Feliz. Blanton, Kendrick, and Werth, who are all relatively reasonably priced would be an upgrade to what the Astros currently have and lighten the $16 million salary load of Oswalt. Oswalt would waive his clause to come to the Phils and provide the shut down starter replacement that they had in Cliff Lee. Feliz would provide the security blanket that Moyer needs at third base when Polanco is not available. They just need to get it done. A rotation of Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Happ, and Moyer. Such a rotation would put the Phils back on track. If Happ isn't ready, put him in the bullpen and get Pedro Martinez in here to stand in.— dross
- Bring back Brett Myers! At least he had FIGHT in him (figuratively and literally). LOL— acerulli
....an addition that costs them nothing. Even better an addition that costs them nothing.— KINGOFZED- The only thing worse than Ruben's public statements, are his roster decisions. And of course, we are stuck with him as GM until at least 5 years after it becomes evident that he stinks (which became evident on December 12, 2009...the day he traded Cliff Lee for Groucho, Harpo and Zeppo).— acerulli
I think philly.com should ban posters who post ridiculous trades.
Comment removed.- it is obvious eilex is NOT a phils fan and proposes ridiculous trades! just ignore. in the alternative ban eilex!— liberty_bell
- Madson !! Nuf said.— mick314
- maximusud gets the best response to nonsense with his retort, well done sir. At some point, isn't Ibanez going to have to be sat down for Dom Brown, if nothing else to see what we got? I mean, seriously, can't we say he sprained his ankle and put him on the 15 day DL?— The Reddgie
