Phils make a move: Myers to bullpen

WASHINGTON - The Phillies had talked about this possibility for months, but yesterday they finally made it happen:

Brett Myers to the bullpen and Jon Lieber to the rotation.

"I'm a team player," Myers said before last night's game against the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium. "I'm not going to be selfish about it. If this is what it takes to get us to the playoffs, then this is what I'm going to do. If I can be a part of it, that's great."

Unexpected? Both righthanders said they were surprised.

Rare? Absolutely. It's not often that a team takes its opening-day starter and moves him to the bullpen, much less only 13 games into the season. In fact, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last opening-day starter to make at least one relief appearance during the same season was Mike Remlinger with the Cincinnati Reds in 1998 (although he later rejoined the rotation).

"I think this is a way of us trying to fix our pitching staff and have the best possible staff we can have," said manager Charlie Manuel, who swears this isn't a move of desperation for a 3-9 team.

"It was twofold," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "One, we think Brett will have a bigger impact on our club. We'll be able to use him 60 to 70 games, as opposed to 33 to 35. I think he's got a chance to really help us in a lot of ways. From Jon's standpoint and our club's standpoint, a more familiar role will help him be the pitcher we think he can be."

The 26-year-old Myers, who is 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA, will be the team's setup man, pitching anywhere from the seventh to ninth innings. He also will be the closer when Tom Gordon is not available.

Myers pitched a scoreless eighth inning last night.

The Phillies said they expect this to be a permanent move for the rest of the season. Myers expected that to be the case, too. He said once he's in the bullpen, he doesn't want to shuffle back and forth unless a starter suffers a serious injury.

"If I'm going to get my mentality set on being a setup guy, that's what I want to be," he said. "I don't want to jump back and forth like [Ryan] Madson last year."

The 37-year-old Lieber, who had an 11.57 ERA in two relief appearances, will start tomorrow night in Cincinnati.

"It was a little bit difficult," Lieber said of his adjustment to the bullpen after not pitching there regularly since 1996. "But this whole move totally caught me off guard. I had no clue this was going to happen."

The Phillies are banking on a couple of things:

1. That Myers can shore up a weak bullpen. Myers said in February that he would not mind closing because he thinks he has the mentality to do it and likes the idea of being involved in more games.

2. That Lieber returns to form. He went 17-13 with a 4.20 ERA in 2005, but went 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA last season. But he also went 5-3 with a 3.38 ERA in his final 11 starts of 2006.

"I'm not happy because of the situation we're in," Lieber said. "Obviously, if the record was turned around, we wouldn't be in this situation right now. I still believe Brett is our No. 1 starter. I think he deserved that role."

So Lieber had better pitch well if he's taking his place, right?

"The only high expectations that should come from anybody [are from] myself," he said. "I'm not worried about what anybody else thinks."

Myers and general manager Pat Gillick talked about a potential move to the bullpen in the off-season, and the talk continued between Manuel and Dubee in the spring. The talk became serious in the last few days before the Phillies finally approached Myers yesterday.

"They left it up to me," Myers said. "I told them that whatever helps the team, I'll do."

Myers said he is open to becoming a closer in the future.

"It's always out there," he said. "It depends. If I can succeed as a closer and that's what's in the cards, then that's what I'll do. I like having the ball in my hand. Any chance I get to go out there and pitch, that's what I like to do. I don't like waiting for that fifth day."