Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 11:15 AM | 12 comments |
 

Phillies sign Contreras to 1-year, $1.5 million deal
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It's official: Jose Contreras is a Phillie. The team has agreed to a one-year deal with the 38-year old right-handed pitcher worth $1.5 million.

Contreras will likely figure into the Phillies' bullpen plans, but as manager Charlie Manuel said earlier in the week, Contreras may start some games in spring training to stretch out his arm. But it does not appear he is a contender for the fifth starter's spot.

“Jose is a versatile pitcher who will likely get stretched out in spring training as a starter, but our scouts feel he is best suited for a significant role in the bullpen,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a release. “His competitiveness and durability are pluses and what he showed in his brief stint as a reliever in Colorado gives us reason to believe that he makes our pitching staff stronger.”

If he is to be exclusively a reliever, the Phillies will be asking Contreras to do something he's never done in his career. In 191 major-league appearances, he has started 175 games.

Last season, splitting time with the White Sox and Rockies, Contreras was a combined 6-13 with a 4.92 ERA. He pitched well for Colorado after the trade, going 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in seven appearances -- five as a reliever.

Contreras' salary puts the Phillies' payroll at about $138.052 million for 2010 -- with contracts still needed for Kyle Kendrick, J.A. Happ and Ben Francisco.

Contreras and Phillies general manager Amaro will meet the media at 1:30 p.m.
Posted by Matt Gelb @ 11:15 AM  Permalink | 12 comments
12
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:28 AM, 01/28/2010
    Cliff Lee. Remember that name when the Phils are struggling in July and Lee is about 12-1 for the Mariners.
    — World
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:06 PM, 01/28/2010
    Get over it already.
    — PhillyFan127
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:13 PM, 01/28/2010
    What does Cliff Lee have to do with this post? Good God. Would you people get over Cliff Lee already? Yeah, he was great last year. Would it have been great to have him and Roy Halladay this year? Yes. But he's gone. Move on. This team is still the clear favorite in the NL and could easily win it all. Remember, Cliff Lee wasn't there for most of the season, and the Phils were still really good without him. Now we have Halladay for the whole season. You miss Cliff Lee that much, become a Mariners fan.
    — monty142
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:38 PM, 01/28/2010
    Just want to echo PhillyFan127 and monty142 .... Puh-leeze, get OVER it. It's done and can't be UNdone. Move along, nothing to see.
    — Nonsocialist
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:38 PM, 01/28/2010
    oohhh please World...give it a rest already... Lee is goooone!!!
    — nixman101
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:39 PM, 01/28/2010
    amen Monty!
    — wavydavy2000
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:44 PM, 01/28/2010
    I agree that Lee is off topic, however, I do not think the fans understand what not having Lee will mean. I could even buy having to trade Lee for Halliday. But trading Lee for a bucket of bolts is infuriating.
    — Bobphxville
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:55 PM, 01/28/2010
    Bob--yeah, it sucks that it went down that way, but it's not really fair to call what they got a "bucket of bolts". Too early. They dealt some good prospects for Halladay and got some back for Lee. Can't have a bare farm system, and all they'd have gotten back for Lee when he walked was a couple draft picks that wouldn't be ready for years, if ever.
    — monty142
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:24 PM, 01/28/2010
    Good signing with Contreras. There is no way Park would have signed a 1 year, $1.5 million deal to pitch only in the pen at the start of the off-season. Park may have overvalued himself. Who knows, if nobody else is willing to give him a good deal, maybe we can get him back too on a cheap, one year deal to pitch in the pen as well.
    — JimG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:34 PM, 01/28/2010
    Cliff Lee is becoming the Donovan McNabb of the baseball postings now...he has to be mentioned in every single comments section whether the article is about him or not. Starting rotation that won the World Series 2 years ago - Hamels, Myers, Blanton, Moyer and Kendrick. Starting rotation at the beginning of last season (another season with a World Series appearance) - Hamels, Myers, Blanton, Moyer and Park. So a rotation of Halladay, Hamels, Blanton, Happ and Moyer/Kendrick is a huge upgrade over the rotation that ended our World Series season and the rotation that started last year. Even if you compare it to the rotation at the end of last year, it's the same rotation except for Halladay in place of Lee. Let's leave aside the look of the rotation after this season based on the fact that we couldn't afford the $25 million per year for 6-7 years deal that Lee wanted and so we would have lost him after this year. If you look at this year's rotation compared to the end of last year, you'd have to be a moron to say that our rotation is WORSE with Halladay in it in place of Lee. There is absolutely no way that this is a regression. That's ridiculous. Would we all have loved to keep Lee and trade Blanton instead? Of course. However, not sure how that Halladay, Hamels, Happ, ?, ? rotation would be looking the next few seasons. We would have gotten 2 draft picks for Lee who we wouldn't see anywhere near the majors anytime soon. We'd have none of the prospects we got for Lee. We'd have a couple of lesser prospects that we got for Blanton. We'd have 2 holes to fill in the rotation instead of 1. We also got Francisco in that Lee deal and we've still got him as well. So while we all would have loved to keep Lee, contrary to popular belief, the sky is not falling. Don't forget to take your meds and relax, lol, the Phils will be fine.
    — JimG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:38 PM, 01/28/2010
    Puhleeeze, no more posts about Lee.
    — JBP
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:10 AM, 01/29/2010
    How can we not post about Lee when we let a top 5 pitcher in the game go for slightly above average prospects during a time when our team is aging and primed to win now. You will be hearing about Lee until it's a mute point next season (or if he get's hurt/struggles this year...). You get over it.
    — ORANGEBLACKGREENRED


12 comments
About Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover












Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.

This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.

Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
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