So what's next?
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So what's next?
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
As Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. introduced his latest acquisition on Tuesday, reliever Danys Baez, the biggest news was what else Amaro said. Some of it was expected: Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre are likely finished as Phillies. And some of it was (a bit) unexpected: Jamie Moyer will likely not be ready for Opening Day.
The current pitching staff is thin.
So with 44 days until pitchers and catchers report, the Phillies are left with two lingering questions before the offseason ends:
1. Who is the fifth starter?
2. Who will replace Park's and Eyre's innings in the bullpen?
Right now, Kyle Kendrick is the fifth starter. And when it's all said and done, Kendrick might be the best person for the job. But at this point, the Phillies can assume nothing about Moyer's health and Kendrick's performance and need to bring in some competition for spring training.
Amaro said on Tuesday that Andrew Carpenter and Ryan Vogelsong are also potential No. 5 candidates. Yikes. Vogelsong, a Kutztown University grad, has spent the last three seasons in Japan before the Phillies signed him this offseason for depth.
So Amaro will be looking to add depth in the next 44 days. Injury reclamation projects like Ben Sheets, Chien-Ming Wang and Erik Bedard are a) too pricey and b) too much of a question mark. Former Phillie Brett Myers is apparently out of the question, according to Amaro.
Who does that leave? A few options: John Smoltz is one that the Phillies have been tied to earlier in the offseason. But interest from other teams could drive up the price. Ditto with Pedro Martinez. So how about Livan Hernandez, Braden Looper, Tim Redding or Eric Milton? No, we're not talking about Cy Young, but if the goal is to add depth and competition for the fifth starter's spot, this is the way Amaro could do it for relatively cheap.
Remember, the Phillies won't need a fifth starter until April 24 because of the usual plethora of off days early in the season.
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As for the bullpen, obviously Baez will have a key role. The Phillies will pay him $5.25 million over two years to be a set-up man. Coming off of shoulder surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2008 season, Baez struggled at times with his control for Baltimore last year. But he posted the lowest WHIP of his career (1.13) since his rookie season in 2001 with Cleveland, when none other than Charlie Manuel was his manager. Interestingly enough, Baez's most comparable pitcher through age 31 is Ricky Bottalico.
But Manuel developed an affinity for Park and by the end of the season he was one of the manager's most trusted options in the bullpen. Park pitched 83.1 innings in 2009 and Baez has never pitched that many in a single season out of the bullpen. (He did throw 165.1 innings in 2002 when he started 26 games for the Indians.) So those innings will be divided. The Phillies would probably greatly appreciate it if 2008 Chad Durbin showed up instead of the 2009 version.
And remember, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge could also miss Opening Day, leaving a few more holes. In this instance, the Phillies will turn internally to fill out the bullpen, which could be a smart move. Relief pitchers are the most fickle baseball players season to season. With the in-house options the Phillies have, there is no need to shell out more money for a reliever who has a decent track record only to see them regress in 2010. As far as right-handed relievers go, expect the now-healthy Scott Mathieson to be on the Opening Day roster, barring a disastrous spring. If Kendrick is not the fifth starter, he could become a swing man in the bullpen. And David Herndon, a Rule 5 pick from the Angels, could also have a shot.
With Romero possibly on the shelf and Eyre out of the picture, the Phillies need a lefty. One of Antonio Bastardo or Sergio Escalona will make the team. Both have put up decent minor-league numbers and showed some flashes at the major-league level. Bastardo made a huge impression in Game 2 of the NLDS by striking out Jason Giambi with the bases loaded. Mike Zagurski, with a good spring, could also move up the depth chart.
But Amaro said on Tuesday that he would like to bring in another lefty, which is understandable. Romero is behind Lidge in recovery, Amaro said, and that increases the need for another lefty. Joe Biemel and Will Ohman are probably the best options out there, but other teams might be in a better position to offer more. A guy like Scott Schoeneweis could be a decent flier as a non-roster invitee.
No, this is not Andy. He's on a well-deserved vacation, so for the next month I'll be taking you up to spring training. If there are topics you want to see discussed here on Phillies Zone, drop me a line at mgelb@phillynews.com.
Nice job, Matt. I really like listing those possibly cheap starters. I also agree with you about the bullpen. Getting Escalona and Bastardo (and possibly Mathieson/Zagurski) some reps in the first half could really pay off, either in their performance or as trade bait at the deadline.— RichNC
This reminds me alot of how the Flyers conducted themselves in the offseason! Make a big splash landing a big name, then getting rid of established, important players in their lineup, and rounding it all out with reclamation projects. Knowing all this raises some serious questions. They are just HOPING that some of these mid level guys turn out to have big enough upsides to drag them into the playoffs where anything could happpen. Well...look at how well that has panned out for the Flyers. I SERIOUSLY hope I am wrong and this formula works for them. But who can you remember it working for in the past?— Neebo- Could it be more obvious that Amaro does not have a clue? He may go down as the worst GM in team history and there's lots of competition. Park and Eyre were the two most consistent guys in the bullpen last year. Lee is gone for worthless scrap. Just can't get excited for the upcoming season with Amaro making these ridiculous moves.
- I wish I had confidence any of the listed players or prior acquisitions this offseason would put us over the "Yankee hump" but I don't see it. There's a chance NY could self-destruct next season of course b/c it is an aging team still. Oh well. At least either way you know the Phils are going to compete night in, night out, and should be the favorites (barring injury) to take the NL again this year.— evolutionary
- Nice article, however Mike Zagerski is left handed, not right handed. I like the Bradon Looper option as a fifth starter because he can also relieve as well. I have seen enough of Schoenweis as a Met who blew games to the Phillies and don't want to see him in a Phillies uniform. D.J. Carrasco is a free agent option as well. He had two good years out of the bullpen with the White Sox and has also started before.— NickM
- This is a team that has been to the World Series TWICE in the past two years, and people are getting awfully up in arms over things. I don't necessarily agree with all the moves, but Eyre was going to retire anyway if he didn't come back and Park STILL wants to be a starter. It was a bad move signing Moyer to a two year deal, if we didn't, we probably could have kept Lee financially this season and been fine. You're not going to overpay for a middle reliever anyway, so why get worked up over a few of these guys. If they don't work out, you can always go grab one at the trade deadline. The tougher issue is going to be all the arbitration eligible players and what they come out with.— KingHoser
- I began this "Hot Stove" season hoping for something exciting to happen. When the Phil's signed Halladay I was elated. When they traded Lee I became deflated by the Phil's stupidity and their lack of respect for what he did for us last year. My enthusiasm for spring training to begin has waned. Lee, Halladay, Hamels and Blanton would have been the Fab 4. With that pitching and the Phil's lineup they would have been the Vegas pick for the 2010 World Series. Mr. Montgomery and Ruben, you are both a____ holes.— Wm Penn
- Talk about overreaction...the team will be fine.— Discostu
- nice listing of minor leaguers. It frustrates me that Moyer is not ready. Why were they counting on him. If they bought him out, they'd have nearly $8 million and could have kept Lee (due $9 million)and then your fifth starter is Happ. This $140 million budget is going to weaken them in some key areas, bullpen - they needed to do more to improve this area, a make over. That has not happened.— 76er
- LibertyNow - you can't be serious, right? Worst GM in history? Ed Wade's the worst GM in recent memory, even though he did essentially build the nucleus of the team that went all the way. Amaro moves: Ibanez, who's already been a good player for one more season than almost all of Ed Wade's free agent signings. Cliff Lee, whom he got for a song to ride them into the WS. Roy Halladay locked up for 4-6 years. Unless Halladay implodes and Placido Polanco lights some guy on fire, Amaro's a safe bet to be considered better than Ed Wade.— B in DC
- Sorry - I meant to say "tried to light some guy on fire". Apologies, Uggie.— B in DC
- I've always liked Livan Hernandez. At the very least he'll give you innings, and he seems to like playing for NL East teams.— KidCole35
- B in DC - yes, he got Cliff Lee for a song, but he gave him away for a dance. Matt - yes, Chan Ho Park pitched 83 innings last year, but over 30 of them were as a starter, so not quite as many bullpen innings to make up. Baez threw over 70 last year.— dawk2020
- Wm Penn is just another example of overreaction by a Philadelphia fan. The Phillies got better but not resigning Feliz. Polanco may not be as good as Feliz in the field, but he is no chump either. His bat is much better as well. And Halladay is the best pitcher in the game, enough said..— gallen024
- I will say that the Moyer signing in retrospect is a bad one, but for those who say the goal is for the Phils to 'get over the hump', it really is amazing that getting to the World Series isn't good enough for most people out there. And if the Phils get to the WS and lose again, please no comparison to the Buffalo Bills.— ESFjellin
