Juan Pierre makes sense for Phillies
UPDATED (11:55 a.m.): The Phillies have agreed to a minor league deal with Juan Pierre with an invitation to spring training.
Juan Pierre makes sense for Phillies
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
UPDATED (11:55 a.m.): The Phillies have agreed to a minor league deal with Juan Pierre with an invitation to spring training.
EARLIER: According to Comcast Sports Net, the Phillies have had "serious" discussions with Juan Pierre about bringing the speedy 34-year-old left fielder to Philadelphia.
The move would make sense because the Phillies do not currently have an experienced fall-back plan in case the combination of Laynce Nix and John Mayberry Jr. does not work out. Pierre has logged at least 400 plate appearances in each of his 11 full seasons as a major leaguer. The two current candidates to start the season at left field -- Laynce Nix and John Mayberry Jr. -- have reached 400 plate appearances once between them (and that was back in 2004, when Nix was a 23-year-old for the Texas Rangers).
But it would be hard to get too excited about such a move.
Pierre won't give you anything in the way of power, and he doesn't leg out nearly as many doubles and triples as he did during his prime with the Rockies and Marlins. Last season, he recorded a career-low 27 stolen bases and was caught a league-leading 17 times. You don't have to do the math to know that ain't a good rate. He'll be 34 years old, and his .277 batting average and .335 on base percentage over the last two seasons are both below his career averages.
Additionally, it would leave Charlie Manuel attempting to cobble together two everyday players with a variety of detached body parts. It would give him two left-handed hitters (Nix and Pierre) along with two right-handed hitters (John Mayberry and Ty Wigginton) for left field, and two left-handed hitters (Nix and Jim Thome) and two right-handed hitters (Mayberry and Wigginton) for first base (until Ryan Howard returns), with Nix having played sparingly at the position and Thome having not played there at all in five years.
Frankly, if it gets to the point where Juan Pierre is your best veteran option as an everyday left fielder, then you probably don't have much to lose by bringing Domonic Brown up and letting him play on a regular basis.
That said, if Pierre is willing to sign for minimal dollars to reunite with former Marlins teammate Dontrelle Willis as a speed/base-reaching threat off the bench (he has excellent career numbers against lefties), the Phillies wouldn't be any worse for the wear.
^
One other note -- ESPN is reporting that the Yankees and Raul Ibanez have some mutual interest in a deal.
Saying goodbye to Wilson Valdez was a puzzler ... money aside. Indicating that Martinez is a suitable infield b/u which he most assuredly is not ... at least judging from last year's efforts.
Why are the Phils phocusing on retread OF's when they have Brown and possibly Podsednick already in the system (to go with the other retreads)???
The team needs IF depth. Period!
— FishFryFrank- Unless Dom goes buck wild in Spring Training, the plan for him is to give him max time putting up serious numbers in AAA and giving him more time in leftfield, especially if he's working on a new stance he's experimenting on now in the Winter. — bearsfriend
- Unless Dom goes buck wild in Spring Training, the plan for him is to give him max time putting up serious numbers in AAA and giving him more time in leftfield, especially if he's working on a new stance he's experimenting on now in the Winter. — bearsfriend
- Is there a mandate from ownership that all players must be 34 and older?— scootch
- I guess you meant that everyone is 34 or older except for: Howard, Utley, Rollins, Lee, Pence, Hamels, Victorino, Papelbon, Mayberry, Chooch, Bastardo, Stutes, etc.? However, I guess since we have two key players over the age of 34 (Halladay & Polanco), that somehow proves your "point". I love how the clueless are always the most vocal. — The Pack Leader
- The guy was just being facetious. Although most are not over 34 – the point being made was that the team is old and getting older by the signing… — Bobphxville
- Here we go again: Hamels, Pence, Mayberry, Brown, Bastardo, Stutes, Worley all under 30. So, how exactly is the TEAM old? Thome and Contreras are old, Halladay & Polanco are getting old, but the rest of the team is there early thirties or younger. Again...a baseless argument that the clueless keep perpetuating. — The Pack Leader
- According to the ESPN Baseball Roster Analysis site, the Phillies have the oldest roster in the majors. So Pack Leader, why don't you apologize to everyone you insulted, and then be quiet for a while (lest you continue to prove your point that the clueless are the most vocal). — nydb
- There are no facetious boo boo birdies. Facetiousness requires a level of subtlety they are incapable of obtaining! — BEMiller
- Unless it's a non-guaranteed deal, I agree...why not try Dom and then make a trade deadline move if necessary. Or let's just trust RAJ that he's still got a move or three to make yet.— PhillySubsMac
- They'd prefer to have Dom regain his swagger and put up big numbers in AAA,thus building value. The "down the line deal" may invole Dom,but not with his present standing. — bearsfriend
- He's 34 going on 60. Doesn't matter if he didn't cost much, but he is not good anymore.— kozykoz26
- Sound's as if you're not very bright going on dead stupid.
The man hit .280 last year, and played 158 games with 700 PA's.
And, he's on a minor league deal to make the team or not.
If he can't do anything, he goes his merry way.
Where were you whiners when they signed Laynce Nix?— BEMiller - An empty .280 with a number of infield hits with absolutely no power and a below- average outfielder.
— mwcnabb - He's been invited to spring training to make the team. Why is that a bad thing?— beegal99
