Phillies receive poor grades from Sports Illustrated
Those of us with far less optmistic worldviews had our fears confirmed when Sports Illustrated released the team's off-season report card.
Phillies receive poor grades from Sports Illustrated
Justin Klugh
Some people have convinced themselves that Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay will bounce back and have healthy, productive years; that Michael and Delmon Young will provide cheap, adequate power in the middle of the order; that somehow, through a combination of willful ignorance and changing the channel, the Phillies' defense will work itself out.
Those of us with far less optmistic worldviews had our fears confirmed when Sports Illustrated released the team's off-season report card and saw a big red "D."
"Though the trade for Revere gives the Phillies a cost-controlled centerfielder to grow on, they’ve taken steps backward with most of their other moves," the article states. "[The Phillies] are more likely to repeat last year’s middling showing than contend in a division where the Nationals and Braves have upgraded in impressive fashion."
Sure, this was just one media outlet's opinion. But by using "information" and "facts" to back their arguments, SI painted an inarguably hideous picture of Amaro's winter tinkering.
On Delmon Young: "The money is inconsequential enough, but it looks like an overpay for a player who hit .267/.296/.411 with 18 homers last year with a −0.9 Wins Above Replacement Player mark even while being limited to just 31 games in the field, all of them in left."
On Michael Young: "He’ll take over third base in place of Polanco, who to be fair is a year older and about half as durable, but at least able to do something besides imitate a matador at the hot corner."
On Ben Revere: "Amaro did actually acquire some youth in the form of speedy 24-year-old center fielder Ben Revere, who stole 40 bases last year but hit a thin .294/.333/.342 with just 19 extra-base hits..."
Grim stuff.
Perhaps there are others in the media who took a more sympathetic angle, or were at least not paying as much attention.
"[The Phillies' defense] Could be comically bad. Howard? Michael Young? Delmon? Domonic Brown? My lord." [David Schoenfield, ESPN]
"I get why the Phillies think they can still compete. I don't get why they're punting half of their defense and adding more offensive question marks to a growing pile." [Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation]
"Amaro might have been wise to pass up on overpaying for an outfielder, but unless Young bounces back into the player who led the American League in hits and finished eighth in MVP voting in 2011, a sizable hole remains in the middle of the lineup." [Ryan Lawrence, The Daily News]
"It has been a different kind of offseason for the Phillies, and it's impossible to say that they caught the Nationals and Braves based on where the teams finished last season and what they've done this offseason." [Bob Brookover, Inquirer]
"On paper, it seems the Phillies will once again be unable to contend with the two teams they finished behind in the standings last season. While the Braves and Nationals got better, it’s hard to argue that the Phils did the same." [Phillies Nation]
At least one man has both faith in the Phillies and the means to share his opinion with a large audience.
"I better not say a whole lot about it, but at the same time I know Ruben is really working hard and trying to improve our ballclub, and anything that goes down I think will help us." [Charlie Manuel]
Of course, that was back around Christmas. According to Sports Illustrated, the Phillies' GPA has taken a few hits since then.
No one can grade an off-season until the entire season is played out. I'm sure the Marlins and Angels got really high grades last off-season. How did that work out for them? Especially the Marlins? This team could gel and be a major contender again if they can avoid major injuries and the top 3 SP are in great shape.— thegamepa- Really? The experts at SI can't grade an off-season? They have to wait until all 162 games are played? I didn't realize that ... Well - can we at least grade Amaro's last couple offseasons then? The ones where the seasons have already been played out? Let's start with the signings of Wigginton, Nix, and Thome. What is Amaro's grade for last off-season? Don't forget Chad Quals, overpaying for Pap - and doing so prematurely, when the Phillies were forced to surrender pick(s). Of course, he also failed to go after the corner outfielders that we could be counting on right now - Willingham, Beltran, or Kubel. He gets an "F-" for last offseason. He has just about ruined this organization. He has torn it apart - shredded it. We went from WS Champions with flexibility and a stocked farm system to this mess. RAJ has been a colossal failure as GM.
— Copper34 - I don't know why your so blatant and disprespecful daily on this site if someone does not agree with you. The point they were making is that people can predict all they want, but it will take 162 games to figure out who was right. SI was way off base last year, as are most pundits, becuase we can't predict how a season will play out.
Now you can go back to worrying about why Ruben Amaro's minor bullpen move of Chad Qualls and 4th OF addition of Laynce Nix didn't work out last year. Wiggington playedl like *gasp* the utility player he was signed to be. This was before Chase Utley got hurt and Polanco broke down, so he had to play more. How can you say that was a bad move? I mean, Nix was hurt a lot to, but Amaro should have given him a potion that kept them all healthy right? And I guess Amaro is the first person who has missed out when assembling veteans on one year deals for the bullpen? You have to have like a picutre of RAJ on a dartboard that your staring at every day right? Because you really think he's the ONLY problem/one to blame for any little thing that goes wrong. Phillies fans don't need misinformed loudmouths who call everyone idiots just because they don't agree with you bashing everything.— ryanrockzzz - Come on, Ryan. You aren't a Phillies fan. And you can't speak to what we need. Amaro has done a poor job as GM of the team I love. He has loaded us up with bad contracts and stripped the farms system bare. The only thing worse than his recent trades are his recent free agent signings. I am not "bashing everything"... I just want them to have a competent GM so that personnel decisions are made properly. GO PHILS!! Everybody hits (and, hopefully, catches) ... Whoo HOOOOO. — Copper34
Yup. SI has been around for a while. And prognostication is really fun. Let's check out SI Power rankings February 1, 2012 ... oh, and keep in mind that back then they were also using "information" and "facts" to back their arguments.
#3 Phillies ??
#10 Braves
#12 Nats
#15 SF Giants
#28 Baltimore
#29 Oakland
Yawn.— zubzub- You really do sound like an idiot ... You say "information" and "facts with such disdain; like Amaro talks about his hitters drawing walks. Not sure how S.I. could have given Amaro anything but an "F". Maybe a "Z-" would be appropriate. If the goal was to add guys that aren't that good at hitting, but really suck on defense, then Ruin Tomorrow Jr.'s offseason was pretty darn good. Revere would have been a decent pick-up as a 4th outfielder and if Rube-the-Boob hadn't given up so much to get him. HIDEOUS -- that's a perfect description of Amaro's offseason and, for that matter, his tenure as GM. — Copper34
- Good comments and on point. I agree that it will be an interesting year and a 'wait to see' season, but Amaro's moves aren't lost on all of us, he is setting the table for the future, and it's looking good.Of course it all depends on injuries and prospects. Yeah, the Marlins, gee, the bought big and dumped the next year, they are toast. Nat's and Braves are looking good, we will see...— TexasYankee
- so when SI says the same thing I and others have been saying it's newsworthy... where are all the "haters" hating on SI and ESPN and any half-brained baseball observer and all those who have the indecency to use their brains and express objective analysis instead of buying into a plainly stupid g.m. who "improves" a team by getting 2 guys named Young to be starters who can can't field at all (or hit much) and a center fielder who can catch but not throw and can't hit anything other than an occcasional single— warbiscuit
- at least the Rube watch has finally begun, as most objective observers finally realize that the g.m. is clearly incompetent— warbiscuit
- warbiscuit's favorite song- I don't wanna work, I just want to bang on the drum all day.— high water
- worst part of the off-season is that although it was clear that the team was hopelesss with such an imbecile as g.m., a least fans would be able to "root" for the 2 elite players left on the team: Hamels and Lee... now with the worst defense in baseball, Hamels and Lee will have an artifical 1/2 to 1 runs added to theor era's, the errors and questionable "hits" will prevent them from going long into games and picking up wins (and also erode Lee's trade value when Rube inevitably dumps him)... the remaining issue is how awful will this franchise be by the time the Dumb owners Monty and Co. realize that the Rube is an empty suit, a complete fraud, and is destroying the value of what they own— warbiscuit
- Watch the Hamel roll eyes when he gets pulled after a missed called third strike turns into a walk, then a 2 base error in the outfield, a botched double play somewhere or a Howard throw into left field. The eras will skyrocket because of quick yanks by the mgr. — dmn
- Hey this is great news - SI is usually wrong.— majpooper
- agree that SI is wrong --hard to give him anything but an "F"...indeed in 4 1/2 yrs, other than Rube lucking out in an acquisition of Lee from Cleveland and the value-for-value deal for Halladay, pretty much of every one of his 3 dozen trades and signings would grade as D's and mostly "F"s— warbiscuit
- Maybe you and Copper34 should boycott the games until Ruben is gone and you either have to find someone new to blame for all the years of success, or maybe you just start to make some sense.
Lucking out in the acquision of Lee? Seriously, how would you know if it was luck or not? And let's see....value for value for Halladay? I'm pretty sure the Phillies have won that one right? I mean Drabek hasn't done anything, and neither has D'Arnaud (although he may this year on the METS) All Doc has done is pitch perfect games and lead the team to postseason play.
I think anyone who is objective about the facts would argue that those are good moves in Amaro's corner. Certinaly you can bash the Qualls/Ross Gload type of signings if you want, but really that's just being nitpicky on someone filling out a roster, which is what EVERY GM would do. Some stick, some miss.
Amaro's big mistake was overestimating his offense last year. He could have tried for Willingham or bid higher for Cuddyer. That I do hold against him. This year he had no budget to work with, and had to compete for top players against teams that had a lot of money to spend.
Also, how about resigning Cole Hamels? Does he get an F for that? That's your big offseason move when you have to fator in payroll and budgets. Also, he may have paid a lot for Papelbon, but he was pretty good last year.— ryanrockzzz
