Winter meetings, day 3
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Winter meetings, day 3
Andy Martino
UPDATE, 4:00pm
A few tidbits from Amaro's daily briefing with the media, his last of the winter meetings.
--The Phils will pick 26th in tomorrow morning's Rule 5 draft. The front office will rush out of town shortly thereafter.
--The Ross Gload signing is still not official, but Amaro said that his work retooling the bench was likely done (reading between the lines, Gload still needs to take and pass his physical before the team can comment). "He's got some versatility, because he can play the corner outfield positions, and he can play first base," the GM said of Gload. "He's a very good first baseman, and a good lefthanded pinch-hitter."
--Asked if there was any way possible he would get involved in a trade for a superstar starter (meaning Roy Halladay), he said: "Is there any way possible? I guess there is. Is there a likelihood that we'll get involved on anything that big? Probably not?"
Why not?
"I'm not going to get into the reasons."
Nevertheless, several major league executives expect the Phillies to be players for Halladay. This storyline has the potential to drag deep into the offseason.
--Amaro is still trolling for pitchers, more so for free agents than trades. While not ruling out finishing a deal before leaving Indy, Amaro said it was not likely. "Haven't got to the finish line yet, but we're making some headway."
--Still no movement in negotiations with Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre. "There is a possibility that we'll move past them at some point if we don't get something done," Amaro said.
Is that point approaching?
"I couldn't tell you."
Well, you could. It's just that you choose not to.
***
UPDATE, 11:23am
The Phillies met this morning with Keith Grunewald, who represents John Smoltz. The two sides have maintained contact regarding the veteran, but the team has not made an offer at this stage. Grunewald said that Smoltz has drawn interested from teams as a starter, late-inning reliever, and a hybrid of both (the Phils have needs in the back end of their rotation and bullpen). The pitcher is open to all those possibilities, and will weigh his options after completing this information-gathering phase of his process.
***
Good morning from the last full day of the winter meetings. The party breaks up after the Rule 5 draft early tomorrow.
The Phillies continue to explore ways to improve their pitching staff. According to a source, the Phils and lefthander Ron Mahay have expressed some mutual interest, though talks are only in the preliminary phase. As with all these names that surface, this does not mean that Mahay is likely to be a Phillie, but it does fill in some blanks created by Amaro’s general statements about “discussions regarding number of pitchers.”
Mahay, 37, is a lefthander who posted a 4.29 earned run average with Kansas City and Minnesota last year. The team could view him as a possible alternative to Scott Eyre, if that lefty does not reduce his asking price.
As we've been doing all week, we'll update as we learn things...
Comments (53)
John Smoltz is a seasoned veteran who Mr. Amaro will consider given the pitchers' experience as a reliever and starter, that is what smart GMs do. johnnyu
Wow...I kow I miss out on things being over here in Iraq but fom what I saw..we lost because our big hitters were absent when it counted. Yes our bullpen could have done better but even in 08 we always were able to answer any lapse by our bullpen (of which only Lidge was absolute lights out), with an offensive response. The mantra around the league for the last 2-3 years was "can you outscore the Phillies" the answer was no last year. Not so much this year. We need to go get Doc but I agree don't give up the farm (club). So I don't know how you make that happen. One thing I do know...Rueben won't do anything stupid. If the deal is there fine...if not oh well. If he leared anything from Wade it is not to mortgage the future. Yes we need bullpen help but when you can get quality starters to go at least 7 innings you actually can protect a weak bullpen. Go Phils!!!— coachjonesy- DennyP: absolutely right!! Smoltz is DONE. Enough with the elderly reclamations, simply because they can be had cheaply. Yankees just added Granderson and will doubtless make a run for Halladay. The real issue for the Phillies, however, is two-fold: Hamels and Lidge. If they return to form, Phillies have a great shot at returning to the World Series (although I prefer Feliz over Polanco at third defensively). If they continue their bad form of 2009, Phillies are cooked. Presumably, Phillies ownership fears the latter, which will eat into attendance and drive revenues down; hence the reluctance to go over their budget and chase Halladay.— chuckw
- One good thing so far with Ruben Amaro is that he says one thing (that we usually don't like) in the press and then pulls the trigger on a trade or signing that we didn't really see coming (that we usually wind up liking).— dasher
- Ruben will do thr smart things to prepare the 'fightens' for a return to the Series with a Championship as a result...johnnyu
- Smoltz? Are you kidding? Talk to the Red Sox. They'll tell you what Smoltz brings to a team -- ZERO.— jima
Comment removed.- I'm sick of this team acting all cheap! GET HALLADAY! You all got plenty of bread for it! It's not like they won't sell tickets!— Greg V.
- No, it is time for the Phillies to stop being so cheap and go after a top end starter. Go after Halladay or someone we can bank on for the future. Smoltz is done or he would still be signed.— Horlet
- Comment removed.
- Moyer and Smoltz together on the same team? You gotta be kidding? The club house will have to start offering early bird specials! If the Phils want old men, then keep it at 1 and sign Pedro.— ozone
- Give up on Smoltz now. While he would be a good pickup (despite his age, he's a fierce competitor and would be an awesome clubhouse presence), he's been extremely vocal about how CBP is such a bandbox and what a nightmare it would be to pitch here. Can't see him coming unless no one else wants him.— ejc527
- i can't stand that whining pig!! he has complained about citizens bank park just like candy wolf....why bring him here?????— mightyonk
- Since last year - the Phillies have raised ticket prices - and are comping off a year where they sold out the vast majority of games. So, why are they sticking to about the same budget as last year??? They are a perfect match to get Halladay. They have a glut of OF's in the majors - who aren't going anywhere soon - and a surplus of young outfielders at the minor league level. It's a perfect match. The championship window is open now - lets go for it. Just look at how the Yankees rode 3 top starters to the championship. With Halladay we'll be able to do that. The future is now.— terryharmon
- They've made some good moves already (including jettisoning Myers), all they need is a trade for Halladay, and that puts them back on top - Yankees or not. Make it happen, Ruben!
- why smoltz and not pedro?
Smoltz = NO I'm glad we've had this little chat, Rueben...— ColKurtz- rube LOVES those 40SOMETHING PITCHERS,he signs them, then WE PRAY they don't break down, a 1000 times over--- NO ON SMOLTZ, i'd rather hae MYERS back, this makes ruben look DESPERATE— dfrancis1958
- Smoltz couldn't pitch for the Red Sox, so why could he pitch here? Is Rich Dubee that good? No he isn't.— davekrieg
- Letting Park walk would be a big mistake. He held that bullpen together last season. I'd love to have Eyre back as well. I don't think he gets nearly as much credit as he deserves. He's been extremely reliable and has served a valuable role as a left-handed reliever. You're not going to be able to adequately replace Park and Eyre with a few bargain-basement arms.— phillyfan412
- So far, I like what RA has done to improve the team. I think he's right on. My only concern, like everyone else, is pitching. I've read somewhere, that it's not uncommon for pitchers to have on and off seasons... how that holds true with our current staff? I don't know. But I do know we need help. I would be nice to bring in Halladay, even at the price he's asking, but I don't think that's gonna fly...— chazjr
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- For you people that want to keep saying why the Phils lost in 09. "its the starters fault" "Its the bullpen's fault". NO. Its never ONE thing. Some starters stepped up, some didnt. And moreso than the bullpen alot of the blame is on the offense. 3 players showed up offensively in that series. The rest were pretty much non existant. Utley, Werth and Ruiz were the guys that came through offensively on that team.— philliekev04
- Smoltz would be a waste of money. He couldn't cut it in Boston, what makes you think he would cut it in another real fan demanding city such as Philly?— wolfburn
- I think Amaro has done an excellent job during this off-season. Polanco, Schneider, and Gload are great fits. That being said, I hope the Smoltz meeting is nothing more than due diligence. For years Smoltz has talked about how CBP is a joke when it comes to pitchers giving up home runs. That should send up a red flag that the park is already in his head. I would go with Martinez if his contract demands are reasonable before I would consider Smotlz.— riles1875
- 3 years and 29 million for Randy Wolf? Save your money Reuben cause that is nuts. Kudos to Wolf who I always liked but no way is that a good deal for the Brewers.— lancastermike
- IgglesPhitinPhils3: You must have been one of those fans who didn't mind losing. The rest of us aren't ready to give up the feeling of rooting for a winner we have stuck by for so long. Now you want us to believe they have no more money? What happens in the next 2 years when the entire core becomes free agents? They will tell us we have no choice we can't afford to keep these guys and back to losing we go. We must voice our opinions even though they get ignored and people like you criticize us for them. We want to win we don't want to be the Brewers or the Marlins.— Bob Crogan
- John Smoltz has had a Hall of Fame career. But like all stars past their prime, his ability to contribute is limited. Expecting Smoltz to start is unrealistic. Therefore, the Phils must look at how he might help the club as a reliever. It doesn't make a lot of sense to acquire Smoltz and hold back future stars like Bastardo and Escalona in the process. Nor does it make a lot of sense to hold your breath every time Smoltz pitches at the Bank because, by his own admission, he doesn't like pitching there. If I'm in the Phillies' front office, I congratulate Smoltz on his outstanding career, thank him for his interest in the organization and quickly proceed to resign Park and Condrey. All this Smoltz talk is just a front office smoke screen meant to draw everyone's attention away from other pitching deals that are about to happen.
- Hey Phillies! Profits!!!! Money!!! Profits!!!!! This New Year will bring you a lot of money and profit if only you make it a great Halladay Season for us fans!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Joe WS - I was going to say the same thing to sla6er... the 'pen was one of the least problems in the WS (though Durbin gave up 3 runs in Gm 6 and Lidge lost Game 4). Starting pitching and hitting both underperformed. My only disagreement is that Cliff Lee was the only good starter in the WS... Pedro's Game 2 start was actually better than Lee's Game 5 start.— JesseH
- jim g hit the nail on the head. sellouts dont mean our payroll is unlimited. big money is in TV deals. also, why give up a big chunk of the future for halladay when even if we did, you can only afford to sign him or lee long term. who do you pick. let halladay stay in the AL and beat the yankees. as for the fella that said we"re saving $12 million from myers being gone.... look at the raises across the board.— referees
- Smoltz = bad idea. Concentrate on Eyre & Park.— TerryW
- IgglesPhitinPhils: I'm on board with Cole Hamels coming back to form, but what makes you so sure that JA Happ can be counted on next year? The Phillies used to get in a lot of trouble by building a team on paper, but reality can be cruel. Roy Halladay is a must add.— booman55
- Relax, whiners. Every team has a "budget", even the Yankees. It doesn't mean our budget is cheap. We had one of the highest payrolls last year and we will again this year. Our opening day payroll last year was $113 million so if we start off this year at $140 million then that's a significant increase. Yes, our attendance has been great, but we also don't have the same extremely lucrative local TV deals that the Yanks, Red Sox and Mets have which is what allows them to spend more money than anyone else in baseball.— JimG
- We need a hard thrower in the pen who can come in and get strikeouts in the 6th and 7th innings. Guys like Durbin and Condrey are ok but do not have the ability to come in and dominate. I am fine with us resigning Pedro as our 5th starter. Everyone seems to have forgotten him after his off game in game 6 of WS. The guy was great for us last year. I'd like to see us go after Gonzalez or Sherrill as the bullpen peice we need.— bradco
- I don't see bullpen as an immediate need. The key components of our 2008 bullpen are going to be back. If Lidge, Romero and Madson all pitch to their capability bullpen won't be a need. If any of them flop you can fill it during the season. I think starting pitching is a bigger need. Having a horse like Halladay will take the load off the 7th and 8th inning guys.— booman55
- Essentially Smoltz is being considered for the same role that Park fulfilled last season. Can't believe there's any great $$ savings in signing Smoltz so, unless Park is absolutely INTENT on becoming a starter, PLEASE resign him!!! Let the Martinez' & Smoltz' retire and wait until the HOF calls.— CarpGuy
- What's Eyre bargaining for? Wasn't it supposed to be "return to the Phils or retirement" for him? Are the Phils low-balling him, offering him a dollar more than he'll make from his pension, or is Eyre willing to extend his career in another city for a significant pay raise? I hope the guy comes back for one more year.— frankenslade
- IgglesPhitinPhils3: I don't think it's "irrational" not to want a washed up 43 year old pitcher. If wants to play for the veteran minimum + incentives and fight for a roster spot then maybe I'd agree we should kick the tires. Smoltz absolutely sucked last year which is why Boston released him. He only had minimal success at best in St. Louis but only b/c the NL is inferior to the AL. They were lucky they caught lightning in a bottle with Pedro. Let's not push our luck. We're already paying wasted money to a 47 year old. Moyer helped get us a ring so I don't begrudge him the appreciation award/contract, but let's not kid ourselves that that wasn't a bad contract.— DennyP
- i love it,perfect fit,all smoltzy needs is innings,he still throws hard,he knows how to pitch,he is a winner,sign him ra— soliteryman
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- Hey sla6yer did you watch the playoffs at all? Our bullpen was not the weakest link. It was everyone except Cliff Lee in that starting rotation. Yes Lidge sucked, but as we come to find out he had everything torn in his arm. Romero was hurt and suspended all year. The bullpen held up well for all the injuries that they had. Everyone except Madson was on the DL and at the end of the year we had no one. We need all of them healthy and add maybe 2 relief pitchers. The main thing is getting Halladay or another really good arm. That is the way we will win. Starting pitching wins you championships.— Joe WS
- the phillies sold out how many regular season games in a row, and then 8 playoff games, and have an opportunity to win it all this year, so lets not be talking money...lets not be the eagles here...i mean, ross gload is a decent pickup, but on a day the yanks are about to bring in granderson....— jim715
- Make a deal for Roy Halladay already. He wants to pitch for the Phillies. There are no excuses not to get him with 81 expected sell outs next season, they have the money to pay him. Plus they are not paying Brett Meyers $12M next season. Get-R-Done Ruben.— BobbyD
- you guys are irrational. We have one of the most talented teams in the league. Our bench was weak last year, Dobbs, Stairs, Bako, et al came up empty in the post-season. We have solidifed the bench, substituted a good defensive third basemen who had a propensity to strike out with an equally good defensive player who is the consumate professional hitter, we have flexibility to give our stars rest, and we are now going after bullpen help. Amaro believes Hamels will rebound, so if we had Hamels and Lee, plus Happ and Blanton, that is arguably one of the best staffs in the majors. Even if we get somewhere in the middle with Hamels, we are still looking strong. We need bullpen help, but money is not limitless. Its called a budget. And with the increased salary of some of our key players, that means we need to find the right players at the right price. Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, etc were reasonable bargains at the time, and played significant roles for our team. Good work Amaro, keep it up. These fans will lambast you today for these "bargain" moves, and praise your foresight midseason when they prove to be beneficial.— IgglesPhitinPhils3
- Please God, no.— DennyP
- Note to Mr.Amaro you have to spend money to win in MLB. Stop talking about a tight budget the ownership has made a lot of money the last few years don't let us fade away like so many other organizations. Two really good year do not make up for decade of ineptitude. Make a deal sign some guys win it all again.— Bob Crogan
- well they actually lost as well due to a horrible bench. Check the numbers. See what the bench did for us in the playoffs. The changes made so far will add a lot of flexibility and will allow Chase, Jimmy and Ryan some days off. Keep them fresh.— luterow
- John Smoltz ? Another reclamation project ? Didn't he pitch with Chief Bender ? You need Smoltz like you need H1N1. Get real !— phineas
- The Phils lost the World Series because their starters gave up 16 runs in 20 innings for an ERA of near 7.00 in the four games they lost. That's why only with Halladay can they compete with the Yankees next October.— Dull
- Putz is one. Bring back Eyre— mick314
- Memo to Ruben: The Phils won in '08 because of a lights out bullpen. The Phils lost in '09 because of a weak bullpen. They need to aggressively address this weakness right now, because stop-gap solutions and reclamation projects (JJ Putz anyone?) are not going to shut down the Yankees in the late innings. It sure seems like the plan for the pen is riding on a hope and a prayer at this point (Lidge, Romero, Eyre). It's time to make something happen Ruben.— sla6yer
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