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Posted on Mon, May. 12, 2008

Phillies Notes: Phillies might talk to Burrell, Lidge

SAN FRANCISCO - It's not official Phillies policy. It's a preference.

General manager Pat Gillick prefers not to talk about contract extensions until after the season, which was the case last year with centerfielder Aaron Rowand. Gillick believes in-season talks can become a distraction, so he prefers that players and managers concentrate on the job at hand.

But the Phillies and Gillick are in a unique situation. Gillick has said this is his final season as GM. The Phillies also have two players who might be worthy of in-season talks: Brad Lidge and Pat Burrell.

So, will Gillick remain steadfast in his preference not to talk in-season, even though he won't be back next year? It is believed the Phillies will remain inside the organization and replace Gillick with one of their assistant general managers, Ruben Amaro Jr. or Mike Arbuckle. What if everyone else thinks they should move forward and lock up Lidge or Burrell before they hit the open market?

"If I'm not going to be back and the organization thinks that they would like to move ahead, then it would be something that we would have to consider," Gillick said before yesterday's 4-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Lidge and Burrell could fit that description.

"I'd say at this point they're both having above-average seasons," Gillick said. "They probably would be somebody we would have to consider retaining."

The Phillies have not had talks with them yet, but Burrell already has said he would like to return. Lidge so far is happy in Philadelphia.

Think pink

A couple of Phillies used pink bats, and even more wore pink wristbands for Mother's Day and to promote breast cancer awareness. The pink bats will be auctioned to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Flamethrowers

Entering yesterday, three Phillies minor-league pitchers ranked in the top five in strikeouts in the minor leagues. Single-A Lakewood righthander Drew Naylor, who signed as an amateur free agent from Australia in 2004, led the minors with 62 strikeouts. Double-A Reading lefthander Antonio Bastardo, who signed as an amateur free agent in 2005, was second with 58 strikeouts. (He started the year in Lakewood.) And triple-A Lehigh Valley lefthander J.A. Happ, the team's third-round pick in 2004, was fifth with 55 strikeouts.

Happ, who made a start for the Phillies last June 30 against the New York Mets, has mixed a cutter into his repertoire, which has helped. He is 0-4 with a 2.97 ERA for a terrible Lehigh Valley team. He struck out 13 in seven innings Friday against Columbus.

"A lot of it is about performance, and he's performing," said Amaro, asked if Happ's stock has improved. "If you keep performing at that kind of level, it certainly would put you on the radar."

Extra bases

Ryan Howard hit his fourth career triple in the fifth, scoring Chase Utley to tie the game. It was Howard's first triple since June 20, 2006, when he hit one against the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park. Howard finished the game 1 for 4 with two strikeouts. . . . Giants third baseman Jose Castillo had hit into three double plays before he tripled off Tom Gordon in the eighth inning. . . . The Phillies are off today. They open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow night at Citizens Bank Park, and they will face three lefthanders: Jo-Jo Reyes, Tom Glavine and Chuck James. The Phillies are 8-6 in games when they face lefthanded starters.

- Todd Zolecki