OK – there is entirely too much going on at the Winter Meetings for me to do a post every time I hear or read a rumor. So I’m going to try to keep them all organized here and we’ll have one thread for them. Here goes…
- Update (2:48pm): Jayson Stark reporting that the Phillies are in “hot pursuit” of Raul Ibanez. Sources had said previously that we were his first choice. With the DeRosa deal dead, I imagine the Phillies moved quickly on their 2nd option, Ibanez. He would be a good addition to the squad I think, and I have a feeling this deal might actually get done.
- Update (1:15pm): FoxSports is reporting that the Peavy to the Cubs deal is totally dead. I’m reporting that these Winter Meetings have been one giant tease for Phils fans.
- Thursday Morning Update
- The Phillies made a trade! Jason Jaramillo for Ronny Paulino! Huh? This trade really doesn’t mean anything, but it is confusing nonetheless. The Inquirer reports that Paulino was acquired to compete with Chris Coste for the back-up catcher position. But, Coste played just fine, and we have a fellow named Lou Marson ready to compete for that spot. So now we have four catchers? I could see the being done if they traded Coste to the Padres, but not yet.
- The Yankees offered A.J. Burnett a 5-year deal and he might take it. If he does, they will no longer be interested in Derek Lowe, leaving the Red Sox and potentially us. Neither team wants go over 3 years with Lowe, so it’s POSSIBLE, though very unlikely, we could still get Lowe, and not at a ridiculous price.
- The Inquirer also said that the Phillies had made an offer to a relief pitcher that would likely fill the spot left by Rudy Seanez. Rumors are this is Chan Ho Park. The same person reporting the deal is also saying we might let him try being a starter again. This would be a mistake. In the bullpen, he’s fine. If he’s a starter, we might as well throw J.D. Durbin in there again.
- Update (6:25pm): According to Jayson Stark, the Phillies are no longer involved with Derek Lowe and never made an offer. In fact, he inferred that we were NEVER involved. I’m glad that all these reports are so consistent. I mean, does Jon Heyman see something like that and just say “What the hell?” to his source?
- Update (4:33pm): Apparently the Cubs are saying the DeRosa will absolutely not be dealt. That would leave the Peavy trade with no one I want to acquire. Kendrick for Marquis with the Cubs paying his salary would be OK, I guess.
- Update (3:05pm): Jayson Stark write that while the Yankees are not close to signing Lowe, they will likely extend a big offer to him and now the Red Sox are pursuing him as well. Sorry guys, if it’s a Yanks/Sox battle, we aren’t getting him. Reported asking price is 4 years, $72 million. A bit overpriced for someone who couldn’t even win a game against us in the NLCS.
- Update (12:40pm): Many local NY papers are reporting that Derek Lowe is much more likely to sign with the Yankees than the Phillies, despite the $160 million they just shelled out for CC. The NY Times said a Phillies official said it was “unlikely” they would sign Lowe.
- Wednesday Morning Updates
- The Yankees have signed CC Sabathia to an absurd 7-year, $160 million deal. They increased their offer by $20 million, and he accepted. You would think that this would help us with the Derek Lowe sweepstakes, but I read yesterday that if Yankees want to sign Sabathia, Lowe AND Teixiera, they probably have the money to do so. Maybe an exaggeration, but I wouldn’t count them out for Lowe, they still have 2 rotation spots open.
- The Inquirer reports that the DeRosa deal isn’t dead. It seems like this Peavy trade is going to take awhile, so we probably won’t get closure on this for a bit. New name in the mix? Jason Jaramillo. No problem letting him go as we have 3 quality catchers in the minors. Again, if it’s Kendrick and whoever, I do this deal, if it’s Happ, absolutely not. It seems many other in the Philly media agree. I think Amaro will get skewered if he makes that move.
- The Daily News reports a completely different scenario, with us getting Jason Marquis and Jerry Hairston Jr. I’d rather have DeRosa.
- Manuel got a 3-year extension. Can’t really argue with it. He’s improved greatly as a manager since his first season. I hope losing Jimy Williams doesn’t affect his decision making as much as I think it will.
- Two more pitching names the Phillies have contacted: Andy Pettitte and Randy Wolf. I’d be fine with either on a short deal.
- A reliever that has been mentioned in Brandon Lyon. 75 hits in 59 IP last year, no thanks.
- Update (6:33pm): Jayson Stark reporting that the Phillies are not going to wait for the Cubs and Padres to get their act together. They are still interested in Raul Ibanez, and we appear to be the team he would prefer to sign with (maybe give us a slight discount?). Also, we are working on a 3-year extension with Charlie.
- Update (2:39pm): Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting that it appears that the Yankees and Phillies are the leaders for Derek Lowe. He said the bidding is going as high as 5 years, $80 million, and that teams like the Mets and Red Sox have bowed out because it’s too high. That just doesn’t seem right, now does it? That would be only slightly less than the record-breaking (by Phillies standards) Jim Thome deal and more on an annual level. I guess if it’s down to us and the Yankees, we hope that Sabathia signs in the Bronx. I still can’t see the Phillies going that long or that high for a pitcher. I would be happy, but also shocked.
- Update (1:59pm): Several outlets are now reporting that the Cubs are “not close” to a deal for Peavy, despite several reports this morning and today to the contrary. If the Phillies part in this is Happ for DeRosa, let’s hope the deal stays dead.
- Update (12:33pm): Jayson Stark is reporting that the Phillies, Cubs and Mets have “separated themselves from the pack” in the pursuit of OF Raul Ibanez. This is getting very confusing. It seems like we are in on a whole lot of people. Hopefully this doesn’t mean we are getting Marquis, not DeRosa in the Peavy deal.
- Tuesday Morning Updates
- The big talk is that the Cubs and Padres are very close to finalizing a deal for Jake Peavy and that the Phillies are likely the 3rd team. The rumor is that the Phillies would receive Mark DeRosa from the Cubs and send JA Happ to the Padres. Personally, I wouldn’t like this move, but I’ll write a post on that if it happens.
- There are many conflicting reports on Delmon Young. Ken Rosenthal said last night that the Phillies were interested, while a local beat writer in Minnesota said there was nothing to it. My guess is that the Phillies asked, the Twins wanted too much, and that was the end of it.
- An interesting rumor, again from Rosenthal, has the Cardinals trying to sell us one of their outfielders (Rick Ankiel or Ryan Ludwick) for a relief pitcher (Madson would be my guess). You would certainly have to think about Ludwick, who was ridiculous last year with 37 HR and 113 RBI. However, he is 30 that was the only good year of his career and you’d have to consider it a fluke right now and expect a big drop-off. I doubt anything comes of this.
- Another outfield option is still Raul Ibanez. The Inquirer reported today that the Phillies are still in contract with his agent.
- Apparently the offer on the table to Jamie Moyer is 2 years, $14 million dollars. Apparently he wants more. I personally can’t believe it. I think that the contract on the table is way too much to give a 46 year old who is only one year removed from a 5+ ERA. Please, please, please take that money put it in the Derek Lowe offer.
- Speaking of Lowe, Jon Heyman of SI.com says that the Phillies are still aggressively pursuing him. I really hope this is true, as you all know.
- Finally, the Phillies have met several times with Nick Punto, who Phillies fans will know from being traded with Carlos Silva for Eric Milton (ouch). I imagine if DeRosa is not involved in the Peavy deal, the Phillies will go with Punto as a back-up.
- In important NL East news, it looks like the Mets are going to land K-Rod, and that they are only going to have to give him 3 years. So much for the 6 year, $70 million dollar deal his agent bragged about during the season. A disappointingly reasonable deal for the Mets.
I will put any updates I find below and feel free to put anything you hear or read in the comments field.
What do you guys think of the rumors we’ve heard so far?
How does Moyer walk away from $28 million ?? that is bizarre, I can’t believe there is another bidder out there who will top that. Phillies should sit tight on that offer. Especially in light of how little K-Rod is getting, everyone should realize salary is going down, not up. Moyer should jump at that offer before it starts heading down!
Why is this blog so much more informative that anything else out there on Philly sports? Keep up the good work guys.
MD-
$14 million is the total contract, not per year. $7 million per year.
I personally would have offered him something like 1 year, $9 million, with a $5 million team option for a 2nd year. Not 2 years guaranteed.
Mike…Moyer wants 2 years/$18 million(not $14 mil per). I read somewhere that Moyer felt he already gave us a bargain on his last 2-year deal so he wants more this time.
thanks Stu
Seems like money, not hometown pride is driving his thought process right now. Not sure why he would balk at that offer. His and anyone else’s best chance to win a title this year would be with the defending champion Phillies as the team is still (for the most part) in tact from last year. Granted Moyer was a large part of our success, but I do not believe he will have an equal to or better year this year. He won or kept us in some big games last year, but when he was off (NLDS game 3), he was off. Does he really want to go pitch for some team who finishes 20 games under .500 just for an extra couple million dollars?? I know that sounds ridiculous as I would do almost anything for a couple million $$, but after a long as prosperous career, why not end it at the top with a competitive team, whom you highly enjoy playing with, and a fan base that absolutely has fallen in love with your pitching and would back you till the day you retire in 2 years? Just don’t see the arguement from his side of the table.
Could it be that all that ‘hometown boy’ PR was schlock? Is Jamie’s mind greedy, not divine? Did he actually enjoy his Philadelphia ride to the degree that is assumed? Does he prefer star bucks over Phils’ “dunkin’ donuts.” Would Cole (and others) wither some without him? What are the chances he’ll get ya 16 again at age 46+. His initial contract a bargain?? – - he’s got Phils buffaloed if they buy into that. One thing he is: wily. Is throwin’ that junk off the plate; no pitches for Phils’ brass to hit – at least yet. Replaceable. Throw the money elsewhere, my suggestion.
re post #7: ‘?’ belongs at end of 4th statement.
Baseball question: David Wright or Ryan Zimmerman? Whom would you pick of the two if building a team, and why?
Moyer gave the Phils a home town discount and won a world series here. Now it is time for him to go for the money before he retires. makes sense he wants to stockpile money, now that he has a ring, before he retires
Moyer better be careful what he wishes for as retirement may come sooner than expected when you are playing for a bad baseball team.
jjg…I would select David Wright if given the choice between the 2 with no other variables invloved. I think Wright is a better leader to start building a team upon and both are studs at 3B in my mind. Wright just has the extra something that is needed to win championships in baseball. I also believe that Chase Utley and Cole Hamels have that extra something as well. It is not a statistic you can track, its more like something that you have to watch a guy to see it. Maybe its a combination of confidence/respect/clutch plays? I don’t know exactly. I just know that with the bases loaded and 2 outs, I want whoever is on the mound to be facing Zimmerman over Wright in my opinion.
Please excuse me for this digression. It’s just something that has been swirling in my brain lately.
Over the last few weeks I have read several times about the player’s union putting pressure on CC to take the highest offer and “set the market” for his fellow free agents (as opposed to taking less money to pitch somewhere he prefers).
I probably view this differently than most, but I don’t think this (a top level player taking the highest offer) is the biggest contributor to the continually escalating salaries we see. Nolan Ryan becoming the first $1 million man or Kirby Puckett becoming the first $3 million man is ok with me. In fact, if anybody gets that kind of precedent setting deal, it should be just this type of player who gets it.
I could be way off and this will probably sound counterintuitive, but I’ve always felt that the contracts given to the top level talents in the game actually place a ceiling on salaries, thereby holding down what the lesser talents can get. I understand that the top level talents jump over one another from one year to the next and, in the process, continue to raise the ceiling, but there is a small pool of these guys (much smaller than the less talented masses) so, again, I really don’t see this as the biggest issue.
On the contrary, I’ve always felt that huge deals given to mediocre (or worse) players are the primary cause of wildly escalating salaries and, as such, are far more damaging to the economic structure of the game. When a decent player (and there are a lot of them) gets a major deal then everyone who is better than him is in line for a big raise at some point. There is always some team that is either desperate or stupid enough to lay out big money for an average (or worse) player, especially a pitcher. Then the CC’s and Manny’s of the league show how much better they are comparatively and cash in.
Does anyone else see it this way?
jjg-
Joe Ok, I agree - his time to see what he can get (again). “Just don’t gimme the ’happy as a clam in Philly’ bit in Oct. when you’re jumpin’ to highest bidder in Dec. (should that eventuate)” is my position on Moyer.
In defense of Moyer, the dude is facing retirement with 7 kids at home. Yes I know he’s already a hell of a lot better off financially than most of us. But still, it makes sense for him to go after one more big payday before he hangs ‘em up.
That said, I’d also suggest he look at the handwriting on the wall (or the print on his birth certificate) and understand he’s better off going for a one-year big payday with an option instead of a multi-year deal.
One other thing. I don’t know if I like the idea of dealing Happ for DeRosa. I can see DeRosa being a nice fit here but I thought the name of the game was “pitching, pitching, pitching.” Happ was a bit raw but I thought he showed glimpses of tantalizing potential in the heat of a pennant race.
I think that right now, Happ has more to offer than Kendrick and the promising young guns (Carrasco, Drabek, etc) who aren’t quite ready for prime time. My money’s on him to win the battle for the 5th starting spot. And we’re on the verge of getting rid of him for a solid but not spectacular utility player? Am I overvaluing Happ? Could someone explain why Happ-for-DeRosa would make sense?
Drolz...I don’t like the idea of dealing Happ for LaRosa either. We have too many question marks in our starting rotation to take the chance, IMO. Chances are we won’t get Lowe. Even if we do sign Moyer, there are no guarantees he can continue to deliver for us. We have no idea which Brett Myers we will get in 2009, which also happens to be the final year of his contract. Hamels threw the most innings of his career last year, so can we count on him being completely healthy next year? Finally, Carrasco, along with any other starter we have in the minors, is a year away from being ready for the bigs. Add to that the fact that we won last year with pitching.
Specifically because of these concerns, I do not want to deal anyone who can fill a spot in our big league rotation now if need be.
If they trade Happ (and I heard Coste) for DeRosa they’d better have a pen in Lowe’s hand to sign a contract.
I wonder if they are trying to get DeRosa and Marquis?
I say one Wright doesn’t make a Zimmerman if I’m drafting a team as I prioritize defense in any sport: .962 to .953 fielding pct., 2.9 to 2.8 chances/gm and .227 to .154 DP/gm. Zimmerman’s a little slower afoot, will pop one out of the park less frequently but I like his look in ‘showdown’ time over Wright’s. Nearly 2 years younger also. Pete, compare their 162 gm avg hitting stats; not as great a disparity as you’d think, though Wright is the better offensive player. Surround Zimmerman with better hitters, numbers could jump some.
jjg…I agree about Moyer. The Phils should stick to their offer and just leave it on the table. If Moyer picks it up before we make a deal with someone else, fine. If we can make a better deal with someone else first, then that money will have been spent more wisely. (Although Amaro did say that signing someone else would not preclude the Phils from also keeping Moyer)
Funny you should mention Marquis, Pete:
Phil Rogers says the key to this potential four-team Peavy trade would be the Phillies or Orioles taking on Marquis and some of his contract. Rogers says “it will be a stunner if the Cubs don’t acquire Peavy.”
J Dubbz Enjoyed reading your Wright over Zimmerman response. Yours is probably the MLB consensus, though it would be interesting to hear insiders’ views.
Pete 1 position player – Ian Kinsler (Pedroia’s caddy at college); love his game. If you’re talking NL only, Longoria’s not a bad place to start. I’m thinking future.
jjg -
interesting choice. i’m assuming you meant AL, not NL, with Longoria.
would be a tough decision for me. gotta go young, otherwise Pujols would be a slam dunk. But I love me some Hanley Ramirez. If not him, maybe Joe Mauer, Longoria or Grady Sizemore. or even Tim Lincecum if his windup didn’t look like his arm is going to fly off.
jjg….I’m still thinking on Wright vs Zimmerman. Let’s see. I think Zimmerman is the better fielder (not by a lot but by more than a bit). I also think that Zimmerman’s offensive numbers suffer from hitting in a crappy lineup, not to mention hitting in Nationals Park for 81 games (I realize that Shea isn’t CBP, but it’s better than Zimmerman’s home park. Also, can’t dispute that Wright hits in a better lineup.)
Like some others here, I also tend to feel that Wright is the better player overall, but I wonder if that is so or if I just think it is so. He is a NY media darling. He gets a lot of pub and they have built up an aura around him which, to a degree, may be unwarranted. Also, all the coverage he gets from espn and the rest as a result of playing in NY skews our perception of his true value, IMO.
I think Zimmerman could put up some nice numbers were he in a better situation, but I guess if I had to choose I would choose Wright.
Probably a biased decision here but I love the 110% and true grit of Chase Utley as my guy. He is not only the best player at his position, but I believe will compete to be one of the best hitters in baseball within the next few years. He is a little older than I would like to start a franchise around, but that is a good veteran quality that would be useful in the clubhouse.
Pete Yeah, my goof. Had momentarily put Marlin duds on Longoria. I thought of Hanley Ramirez too – great hitter, but just OK in field, though he shows flashy leather at times and has strong arm.
How about this from Heyman, posted at 2:03pm:
“The Phillies and Yankees appear for the moment to have emerged as the two most prominent contenders for star free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe, who seeks at least a five-year deal for about $80 million.
The 35-yer-old Lowe has been pursued by about 10 teams, but it appears those two have been among the more aggressive for Lowe. The Red Sox and Mets are among interested teams discouraged by the price. An official with one team interested in Lowe said he was “shocked” how high the bidding appears to be going.”
The Red Sox and Mets are discouraged by the price?!? We can’t be going that high, could we?
jjg.…Sorry to hear that Dick Allen missed out again. I’ve seen several “poor Ron Santo” articles today. If they only knew, right?
I found a good article on dugoutcentral.com about whether or not to offer your players arbitration. Here is their take as it pertains to us:
Pat Burrell and Jamie Moyer – PHI (Both Type A)
The World Champions are where the decision-making really starts to get questionable. New GM Ruben Amaro decided not to offer arbitration to LF Pat Burrell and SP Jaime Moyer, even though one more year of either player would be a perfect scenario for the Phillies. The Phillies would love to keep both players, but do not want to commit to either long-term. Sound like arbitration to anybody? Moyer wants one more long contract before he retires and Burrell is a first-time free agent eager to test the market. Even though both have expressed interest in staying in Philadelphia, both likely would have followed the dollars (or more importantly the years) elsewhere, leaving the Phillies with draft picks galore. Most importantly though, if they had accepted, it would fill the Phillies two most glaring needs with the exact players who just helped them win a World Championship!
It’s literally a win-win. Either return virtually their entire championship team or get compensated abundantly with draft picks. Is either a bad scenario? Amaro’s thinking had to center around the many returning Phillies players who are approaching arbitration themselves (Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, Jason Werth, Shane Victorino, among others), and the fear that that Burrell or Moyer accepting would push the Phillies payroll higher than owners would like. It’s a fear driven purely by financial concerns.
Also from dugoutcentral.com is 50 facts from the Greg Maddux file. I know he was a hated enemy from a despised rival for most of his career, but there is some really intersting stuff that deserves notice.
OK, one more update on the DeRosa deal:
“The trade that could send Mark DeRosa to the Phillies is still alive.”
“There is talk that the deal has expanded to four teams: the Cubs, Padres, Phillies and Orioles. Last night word had spread that lefthander J.A. Happ could be the key piece for the Phillies, who would send him (and possibly a catcher) to the Cubs. The Cubs would then send them to the Padres for Jake Peavy. But the latest in Las Vegas is that righthander Kyle Kendrick could be traded instead of Happ. The final call on this trade appears to be Chicago.”
I like the sound of Kendrick being packaged in this deal a lot more than having Happ in it, that’s for sure.
without moyer,no pennant,no world series,phils should split the difference..
The more I think about it the more it makes absolutely no sense to give up Happ. (Bski hit the nail on the head about this in post #15.)
When you think about injuries, we were very lucky last year. The only significant injuries I can recall are Rollin’s early season ankle sprain and Myers’ midseason brain sprain.
That our pitching staff made it through the whole season without any major injuries really made a big difference (see what happened in New York when Billy Wagner’s arm blew up?). It would be pushing the odds to hope we’ll be that lucky two years in a row. And for the reasons Bski pointed out, I’d hate to see the Phils mess with their depth by dealing Happ.
Saw Amaro interviewed on Comcast and he implied the reason we haven’t signed Pat Burrell is because pitching is our number one priority. Right after that, Comcast moved on to the Happ for DeRosa rumor. The whole Phillies feature contradicted itself right there. It just doesn’t make sense.
The only way it makes sense is if 1) Happ is just part of a bait and switch – the Phils actually wind up sending someone else to Chicago or 2) Derek Lowe is about to become a Phillie (Even if Lowe signs I’d still hate to see Happ go). Pitching, pitching, pitching. You can’t have enough of it.
Drolz -
absolutely right. moving Happ makes no sense. even if we get Lowe, we need a 5th starter. Kendrick and Coste makes a lot more sense. Kendrick will never be as good as he was 2 years ago and Coste would open up a spot for Sweet Lou Marson.
sorry to interrupt the good feeling here but how do you much do you value Peavy? If Kendrick and Coste are supposed to be the difference in the deal that Chicago can’t bridge, u gotta be outta ur mind. Whats San Diego gonna do with an unproven rookie with moderate stuff (sinkerballer becomes redundant in PETCO park) and an aging veteran who was spent almost his whole career in the minors. Sorry bout that. I love ‘em both, was just trying to imply that it makes no sense for San Diego to go for something so low. Cy young winner? cmon guys we are talking Sabathia-class here.
jkay-
Peavy is going to the Cubs… we are the third team in the deal and would (likely) receive Mark DeRosa.
Some interesting news on the CC front:
One day after Brian Cashman traveled one mile up the Las Vegas Strip for a few words with CC Sabathia, the Yankees general manager escaped to the San Francisco area for an unscheduled meeting with the left-hander.
And according to the New York Post, the extra effort paid off. The paper reported on its Web site early Wednesday morning that the 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner has accepted the Yankees’ six-year, $140 million offer.
Does this now put Lowe into the Phils lap as us and the Yanks were the front runners yesterday? Also with the signing of K-Rod to the New York Dirty Mets, does that take them out of the running for a big name, big $$ SP? Interested to see where we go in the next 2 days.
J-Dubbz-
OK, now I’m reading that it most likely would be Kendrick and Jaramillo we would be sending to the Cubs for DeRosa. That’s much better than Happ and Coste, plus it makes sense as far as the normal course of things for the Phils. They seem to prefer bringing up their prospects one step (A-AA-AAA) at a time. Since Marson was in AA last year, clearing out Jaramillo would make him the every day catcher in AAA this year with an eye to the starting job in the bigs in 2010.
As far as CC, holy s***! Huge mistake by the Yankees (although someone was certainly going to make it so it might as well have been them). I’m just waiting to see how much of this contract they will have to eat, how soon they will have to start eating it, and if they will have won any title(s) to justify giving this kind of contract to a pitcher.
J Dubbz…I hope you’re right and Lowe falls (if you can call a 5-year, $80 mil contract—or somewhere thereabouts—falling) into our lap, but I don’t know. I’m thinking the Red Sox might feel pressured to keep up with the Joneses, I mean Yankees, and step up their efforts to get Lowe, you know?
We need to get a starter. As long as we get one of the guys we’re rumored to get I’m fine with that…Lowe, Moyer, Pettite. I think in the end we re-sign Moyer. Don’t think he’ll find a taker for his 18 mil asking price. If we get a less expensive starter than Lowe then I hope we get a starting LF instead of a platoon. I’d be fine with Ibanez, Burrell or I’d be fine with the Ludwick for Madson deal that I read somewhere on Philly.com, although I doubt that would happen. I also like Brandon Lyon in the pen because we wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick. I have been hoping that the Phils would go after him. He had a down year last year as a closer. Some guys just can’t take the pressure of closing, but as a setup man 2006-07 he was really good.
Great to hear the Yankees want to add Lowe and possibly Teixiera also (I’m being sarcastic). I saw this earlier today: “9:59am: Jon Heyman talked to people close to Hank Steinbrenner who say he wants Manny. Heyman says the Yanks are mulling a run at the slugger”.
While they’re at it, they might as well pick up Burnett too. Not to worry though. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is a thing of the past and the game’s competitive balance has never been better, right?
Yeah it’s a shame that any team could sign that many star players in one off-season. Hey look at the bright side…we’re not in the AL and we aren’t in the payroll range of the Marlins. I kinda feel bad for the Rays. After this year everyone is talking about their bright future and they’re gonna have a really good team for the next few years but they might not even make the playoffs with the division they’re in. 19 games each vs. the Yanks and Sox…Blue Jays no slouch either.
4 yrs/$72mil is absurd for Derek Lowe. He is no spring chicken as if not even a #1 in a good rotation. Must be nice to have an unlimited amount of funds like the Yanks/Sox. Guess we’ll never know.
Looks like the Mets are serious about improving that terrible bullpen of theirs. Putz and K-Rod look to replicate some of our own Madson-Lidge magic.
Man am I gonna miss Heilman. He was Mr. Automatic. Anytime the Phils needed a big inning he was a willing to help out…
hey guys i know we’ve been distracted by the mets and red sox but dont u REALLY HATE THE YANKEES NOW?
aj burnett-torn labrum in spring training
cc-lingering tendonitis a la jon lieber
cmon voodoo doll.
@pete; i get the details of the trade. what i meant was that talent-wise the padres are better off taking cubs offer of prospects plus deRosa than the prospects with kendrick and coste. if they do want the young talent u need to get when trading a stud pitcher. or do they just want a pitcher and/or catcher? i wud do that trade in a heartbeat for phillies
How about this:
According to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, the Phillies are close to signing Chan Ho Park. He says the Phils may view him as a starter. Park’s average fastball velocity jumped from 88.4mph in ’07 to 92.6mph in ’08, leading some to label him a sleeper.
OH BOY!
Well, we cleared Jaramillo out (for Paulino, another OH BOY) of Marson’s way. I wonder if that means the DeRosa deal is off.
Also, I found this from Ken Rosenthal:
“Philadelphia is trying to give away underachieving right-hander Adam Eaton.
The Phillies will deal Eaton to any team that will take on $1 million of the $9 million he is due for the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract. The Phillies want nothing in return.
Eaton was 4-8 with a 5.80 ERA this season and spent part of the year in the minors. The Phillies did not include him on the postseason roster. –Gerry Fraley”
Let’s hope someone is desperate enough to take him off our hands.
I would give Adam Eaton away, and pay his full $9mil just to not have to look at him in a Philles uniform anymore. It’s a disgusting image.
Read that the Cubs would only consider DeRosa in a separate individual trade, not a combo. Any chance we go directly after him via the traditional 2 team trade?
Something to seriously consider:
http://www.delawareonline.com/blogs/2008/12/dec-11-atkins-for-carrasco.html
raro-
noooooooo way for me on that deal.
first – dont ever trade for Colorado hitter. Atkins hit .233 away from Coors last year, .342 there.
second – dont trade young, cheap, promising pitching unless you are getting a game-changer (Peavy, for instance) in return
Apologies ahead of time for the non-sequitor, and I know I don’t post in the baseball section often, but had to copy and paste this great media soundbite from Cole Hamels about the Mets:
“Last year and this year I think we did believe that [they were choke artists],” Hamels told the station, alluding to the Phillies winning the NL East in 2008 and ’07, in part, with the help of back-to-back September collapses by New York. “Three years ago we didn’t because they smoked everybody, and I think we all thought they were going to win it all. Unfortunately that didn’t happen…But, yeah, that’s kind of what we believed and I think we’re always going to believe that until they prove us wrong,” Hamels said. “For the past two years they’ve been choke artists.”
God I love sports.
Yeah, that’s fantastic. Add that to what Amaro said after the Mets signed K-Rod, <b>”I don’t think it affects us much. They had Billy Wagner for three years and we still beat them the last two years.”<b>, and now we’re talking. I love it when guys get away from coach/player-speak and actually <b>say<b> something.
Ibanez a Phillie.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3764268
$10 mil per year for 3 years. Great signing considering how much interest he had. Likely took a discount to play here. Now we can focus on pitching!
Bski: With you 100%…and good to hear what Amaro said haha. I’m a big fan of when player’s don’t give corporate, machine scripted soundbites. I love when guys actually heat up and fan the flames of a rivalry, instead of the safe, PR answer of: “We treat them just like any other team.”
God I love friggin Cole Hamels. That comment just fuels my passion for this kid even more. Give him whatever $$ he wants and make him a career Phillie.
So the “Decade of Pat” if officially over? What will our lineup be like next year with another lefthanded bat in there?
L/R Rollins
L/R Victorino
L Utley
L Howard
R Werth
L Ibanez
R Feliz
R Ruiz
Does that seem like the most likely scenario at this point?
Even though Amaro is the GM, we are apparently still playing “Gillickball”, which is fine by me. Signing a 36-year old to a 3-year contract is interesting, though. A few weeks ago I saw a headline for an article about Ibanez’s unique training methods. I didn’t bother to read it at the time. What was it all about? I’m guessing whatever his methods are, the Phils are confident they will keep him playing at a high level for 3 more years.
Seems as though his stats are comparable to that of Burrell for half the price. Although he is 36, Burrell had the legs of an 86 year old, so he has to be equal to or faster than Pat.
You have to consider that Ibanez is not a traditional lefty hitter in that I believe that he batted over .300 last season against LHP. I think you stick him right into Burrell’s old spot with Werth and Victorino flip-flopping between 2nd and 6th in the order. Ibanez is capable of being an RBI machine and will be protection behind Howard.
L/R Rollins
R Werth
L Utley
L Howard
L Ibanez
L/R Victorino
R Feliz
R Ruiz
Gotcha. Seems like a good investment for the team. Losing about 10 HRs per year and gaining about 40 batting average points. And who knows, Ibanez may hit 30+ HRs in CBP? Just more of a consistent hitter and more clutch than Burrell, which is exactly what we need in that 5 hole.
Think we got a winner! Here’s the article.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/87757-ibanez-more-intense-than-most-about-training
Thanks, sfw. Believe it or not, I just found it myself. It drives me nuts when I can’t remember/find something. I wasn’t going to give up until I found it.
One very interesting thing I took from this article is that he talks with Edgar Martinez (as well as Royals hitting coach, Kevin Seitzer, and Chili Davis) a lot about hitting.
Here’s a quote from Martinez:
“Edgar (Martinez) is one of the guys I called when I turned 35,” Ibanez says. “I said, ‘Edgar, what is the deal with everyone talking about turning 35? I don’t feel anything. I feel great.’
“In Edgar’s super-wise way, he said, ‘The guys who hit 35 and decline are the ones who don’t work as hard as we do.’ He said, ‘To me, major-league prime is 34 to 38. That’s when I put up my best years.’”
“I happen to be turning 37. I don’t know if he looked at the media guide and said, ‘I’ll make this guy feel good.’ But I thought, ‘This guy rocks.’”
Man would I love to have Edgar Martinez as our hitting coach. He could flat out rake.
I like this guy already. Better work ethic than Burrell who’s offseason training was smoking Parliaments at the Irish Pub 5-6 sessions per week.
J Dubbz….I think you hit on it. More consistency from Ibanez over Burrell is what I’m looking for. Those offensive swoons that last for weeks are killer. I don’t know that it’s as much about clutch, though.
We can look at Burrell’s 90-ish RBI numbers and feel that he should have given us more, but there are a couple things to consider. First, hitting behind a guy who is driving in 140+ every year leaves fewer ducks on the pond for Burrell to get home. Second, coming out for a late-inning defensive replacement has robbed Burrell of numerous at-bats and RBI opportunities.
You are exactly right there. Its truely the .290-.300 batting average I am excited about. If this guy can keep that up over the next 3 years, he may have his career years here in Philadelphia with this lineup. Very pleased with this pickup thus far as he seems like a real standup kind of guy. No a head case like Milton Bradley or Manny would have been. Just a hard working professional hitter.
working on a post about Ibanez now, should be up soon.
Pete, your loyal readership is taking over this site in the comments section.
This is hands down the best and most intelligent Philadelphia sports site out there. The well written articles followed by the reader participation make it second to none.