Philadelphia Phillies: Sore Elbows, Folding Chairs and the Exxon Valdez

Who would have thought that the most indispensable part of the Phillies infield would turn out to be Juan Castro?

When Jimmy Rollins tweaked his calf muscle in mid-April, he was batting .391 with a .516 OBP, and a wOBA of .527. Impressive numbers, ones that he certainly would not have been able to keep up over the course of the season, but clearly he would be very hard to replace.

He was replaced by Juan Castro, who provided solid defense, in addition to at least moderately adequate offensive numbers, batting .258 with a .255 wOBA.

But when Castro came down with a strained left knee, the Phillies had no choice but to insert Wilson Valdez into the starting lineup.

Doing his best Exxon Valdez impression, Wilson Valdez has been about as helpful to the Phillies offense as the oil spill was to the Alaskan wildlife.

Valdez is currently batting .152, but more impressively has somehow managed to ground into five double plays in the last week alone.

It takes a sincere concerted effort to provide such a debilitating presence in a lineup.

The penguins and seals that had the misfortune of making their habitat off the coast of Alaska in 1989 may have had their ecosystem destroyed by millions of gallons of oil, but at least they didn’t have to deal with rally-killing double plays.

While the injuries to the position players have been irksome, the injuries to the Phillies bullpen are now bordering on the macabre.

Brad Lidge had finally returned from his off-season knee and elbow surgeries, and at least initially seemed to be vaguely resembling the pitcher who saved 48 games in 48 chances in 2008.

This brief tidbit of good news was of course followed by reports that Lidge is yet again feeling tightness in his elbow and has been consulting with team doctors.

But the Lidge injury cannot even come close to rivaling the unfortunate and cataclysmic event that happened to Ryan Madson.

Perhaps dismayed with his inability to dominate opposing batters in the ninth inning of games so far this year, upon blowing yet another save, this time against the San Francisco Giants on April 26th, Madson returned to the dugout, where sources say he was rudely, irresponsibly, and vulgarly, verbally abused by a particularly sassy folding chair.

Now being a man of supreme pride, and impressive martial arts abilities, Ryan Madson defended himself by issuing a swift roundhouse kick to said chair.

Unfortunately because of his aggressive self-defense, Madson managed to fracture a toe and now currently resides on the 60-day DL.

But such a small price to pay for reducing a sarcastic chair to mere splinters.

While on the plus side the Phillies have still managed to chug along with a 20-13 record, one can only hope their days of rash decisions and unfortunate injuries are behind them.

But then again, this is baseball, and as long as there are games there will be injuries, and in Ryan Madson’s case, as long as there are chairs, there will be blood. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Stealing Baseball Signs Is Not Cheating

Exactly what does “cheating” mean?

One dictionary definition is: “to act dishonestly; practice fraud.” That sounds good .

A second definition is: “to violate rules deliberately, as in a game.” That sounds good too.

In 1951, the New York Giants won the National League Pennant, overcoming the Brooklyn Dodgers’ 13.5 game lead.

In January 2001, an article in the Wall Street Journal claimed that the Giants had an elaborate sign-stealing scheme that allegedly used a telescope in the scoreboard, and a system of bells and buzzers that allowed Giants’ reserves Sal Yvars and Hank Schenz to tip off hitters.

No Rule Against Stealing Signs

If it is true, were the Giants cheating? Well, they were not acting dishonestly. They were acting surreptitiously.

Were they violating any rules? Absolutely not .

There was nothing in the baseball rulebook in 1951 that prohibited stealing signs by any methods a team choose to employ. There still isn’t.

Baseball’s Statement About Sign Stealing

When those in charge became aware of the allegations that besmirched the greatest miracle in sports history, they did what bureaucrats do. They made a statement.

On March 31, 2001, executive vice-president of baseball operations Sandy Alderson sent teams a memo that restricted the use of electronic equipment during a game.

Such equipment and technology “could not be used for communications or for the purpose of stealing signs or conveying information designed to give a club an advantage.”

Does the Method Matter?

Alderson mentioned nothing about using eyes, limbs, head, or any other part of the anatomy to obtain signs—only electronic equipment.

A contradiction exists. Keeping things simple, there must be no cheating in baseball. That is the premise that those in the game must accept. We all know the chances of successfully enforcing such a position.

What difference does it make if signs are stolen by an individual located in the center field scoreboard, or by the runner on second who sees the catcher’s signal to the pitcher?

Both are considered cheating, but some individuals refer to the latter as “gamesmanship.”

Mick Billmeyer

Philadelphia Phillies bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was using binoculars in a game against the Colorado Rockies a few days ago, allegedly watching Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo.

Billmeyer claims he was watching Phillies backstop Carlos Ruiz set up, and that he was not stealing the Rockies’ signs.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told reporters, “We were not trying to steal signs, Would we try to steal somebody’s signs? Yeah, if we can. But we don’t do that. We’re not going to let a guy stand up there in the bullpen with binoculars looking in. We’re smarter than that.”

Two Choices

Stealing signs has been part of the game since the games began. It is not cheating because stealing signs does not violate any baseball rule. To allow stealing signs when technology is not involved is ridiculous.

If those who run the game are sincere, then they must either allow stealing signs by any methods sign-stealers choose, or they must add a rule not allowing it.

If stealing signs using technology is allowed, every baseball park will look like AT&T’s secret wire-tapping room in San Francisco.

If a rule is added to prevent sign stealing, a rule that is impossible to enforce will make a farce of the game.

Everyone knows that the success of prohibition during the Al Capone-Elliot Ness has been surpassed only by the success of the War On Drugs .

References:

Major League Baseball Rules

Marazzi, Rich. “Baseball Rules Corner: How Baseball Teams Steal Signs From Each Other in the Past and Present.” Baseball Digest . June 1, 2001.

Definition of Cheating

Phillies Deny Stealing Signs

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Carlos Ruiz Day-to-Day with Sprained Knee

The injury bug continues to bite at the Phillies as another starter is down and could miss a few days after Carlos Ruiz sprained his right knee Wednesday against the Rockies.

Ruiz initially injured the knee making a tag at the plate, then aggravated it trying to run from first to third on a base hit by Wilson Valdez in the fourth inning. He made it to third safely, but immediately began grasping at his knee and had to be replaced by Paul Hoover.

Hoover then caught the rest of the game because Brian Schneider, originally the backup catcher, is on the 15-day DL with a strained left achilles.

Ruiz, however, doesn’t seem worried about it, saying, “It is not serious, it’s sore.” The slight sprain isn’t expected to land Ruiz on the DL and it’s possible he won’t even miss a start.

“We have an off-day tomorrow, so this is good news,” Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “We’ll just have to play it by ear, but it’s not a DL situation.”

The Phillies also said there are no plans to bring in another catcher if Ruiz is unable to go. Were they to be faced with the worst-case scenario of Hoover also going down, Jayson Werth would step in as the emergency catcher.

Ben Francisco would likely take over at right field.

Ruiz joins Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, J.A. Happ, Jimmy Rollins, Juan Castro, and Schneider as the guys bit by the injury bug. If it gets loose on anyone else in the Phillies’ locker-room, it could mean trouble—especially with the Nats and Mets playing well so far.

But, if it was going to bite at any time, May is certainly the time to do it rather than August or September.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Sore Elbows, Folding Chairs, and The Exxon Valdez

Who would have thought that the most indispensable part of the Phillies infield would turn out to be Juan Castro. 

When Jimmy Rollins tweaked his calf muscle in mid-April he was batting .391, with a .516 OBP, and a wOBA of .527. Impressive numbers, ones that he certainly would not have been able to keep up over the course of the season, but clearly he would be very hard to replace.

He was replaced by Juan Castro, who provided solid defense, in addition to at least moderately adequate offensive numbers, batting .258 with a .255 wOBA. 

But when Castro came down with a strained left knee, the Phillies had no choice but to insert Wilson Valdez into the starting lineup. 

Doing his best Exxon Valdez impression, Wilson Valdez has been about as helpful to the Phillies offense as the oil spill was to the Alaskan wildlife. 

Valdez is currently batting .152, but more impressively has somehow managed to ground into five double plays in the last week alone.

It takes a sincere concerted effort to provide such a debilitating presence in a lineup. 

The penguins and seals that had the misfortune of making their habitat off the coast of Alaska in 1989 may have had their ecosystem destroyed by millions of gallons of oil, but at least they didn’t have to deal with rally-killing double plays.

While the injuries to the position players have been irksome, the injuries to the Phillies bullpen are now bordering on the macabre.

Brad Lidge had finally returned from his off-season knee and elbow surgeries, and at least initially seemed to be vaguely resembling the pitcher who saved 48 games in 48 chances in 2008.

This brief tidbit of good news was of course followed by reports that Lidge is yet again feeling tightness in his elbow and has been consulting with team doctors. 

But the Lidge injury cannot even come close to rivaling the unfortunate and cataclysmic event that happened to Ryan Madson. 

Perhaps dismayed with his inability to dominate opposing batters in the 9th inning of games so far this year, upon blowing yet another save, this time against the San Francisco Giants on April 26th, Madson returned to the dugout, where sources say he was rudely, irresponsibly, and vulgarly, verbally abused by a particularly sassy folding chair. 

Now being a man of supreme pride, and impressive martial arts abilities, Ryan Madson defended himself by issuing a swift roundhouse kick to said chair.

Unfortunately because of his aggressive self-defense, Madson managed to fracture a toe and now currently resides on the 60 day DL.

But such a small price to pay for reducing a sarcastic chair to mere splinters.

While on the plus side, the Phillies have still managed to chug along with a 20-13 record, one can only hope their days of rash decisions and unfortunate injuries are behind them.

But then again, this is baseball, and as long as there are games there will be injuries, and in Ryan Madson’s case, as long as there are chairs, there will be blood. 

 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies’ Closer Brad Lidge To Visit Team Doctor, Who Will Replace Him?

Knee and elbow surgeries during the off season delayed Brad Lidge’s 2010 debut. After recording his first save of the season on Monday, it appeared as though the Phillies’ closer was finally back.

Following a light game of catch at Coors Field on Tuesday, however, Lidge is heading back to Philadelphia to visit the team doctor.

“It really didn’t go as well as I would have liked,” Lidge said, speaking of Tuesday’s throwing session.

Lidge will be unavailable for the next few days as he’s being examined by team doctors in Philly. It’s not yet known if another DL stint is in Lidge’s immediate future.

Ryan Madson would normally fill in as the team’s closer in Lidge’s absence. A broken toe, however, will keep Madson on the shelf for the next two months.

Jose Contreras has been the Phillies’ most impressive reliever thus far, making him the favorite for saves. In 11 2/3 innings this season, the 38-year-old has a 0.77 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and one walk. He may be unavailable for Wednesday’s doubleheader, however, as he pitched on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Phillies management hinted on Tuesday that Danys Baez may get a chance to close as well. Baez is 1-1 with 6.43 ERA and 1.36 through 14 innings thus far, but has the most closing experience with 114 career saves to his name.

Chad Durbin’s performances makes him a candidate to close as well, but Contreras is the guy to add for now. Keep an eye on this situation as more information surfaces. If Lidge is forced to the DL again, Contreras becomes a must add in all leagues.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Follow Fantasy Baseball Insiders on Facebook & Twitter

Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight updates:

• 5/10: Who The Heck Is Brennan Boesch?
• 5/4: Is Yankees’ Pitcher A.J. Burnett Really This Good?
• 5/3: Red Sox’s Mike Lowell Turns Back the Clock
• 4/28: Who The Heck is Luis Atilano?
• 4/27: Who The Heck is Cliff Pennington?

More from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• What’s Wrong With Josh Beckett?
• Padres’ Kyle Blanks, Reds’ Drew Stubbs Headline 2010 All-Breakout Team

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ Prospect Report:

• Does Rangers’ Justin Smoak Have Fantasy Value in 2010?
• Does Mets’ Ike Davis Have Fantasy Value in 2010?

More 2010 Fantasy Baseball Insiders Player Projections:

• Cole Hamels
• Livan Hernandez
• Mike Pelfrey
• Delmon Young
• Drew Stubbs
• Nolan Reimold
• Jay Bruce
• Geovany Soto
• B.J. Upton
• Shin-Soo Choo
• Matt Wieters

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ Inbox:

• Trade Astros’ Carlos Lee for Blue Jays’ Vernon Wells?

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

What Cole Hamels Can Learn from Roy Halladay

This just in: Roy Halladay is one of a kind.

He’s been baseball’s best pitcher over the past decade and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. With that said, most major league pitchers can probably improve themselves simply by watching Doc work his mastery on the mound like clockwork.

Halladay’s teammate, Cole Hamels, can probably learn a valuable lesson from Roy, too.

What lesson? Well, it has nothing to do with Cole’s release point, him learning a new pitch, or tweaking the precise degree of his arm slot.

It has everything to do with mentality.

In Philadelphia, it’s widely believed that Hamels’ drop-off in performance since the 2008 World Series is due to his lack of focus, composure, and confidence on the pitching slab.

Of course, sports fans love to play psychiatrist.

By nature, we love to try to get into the minds of athletes and try to explain their thought process at a given time. It’s fun, but ultimately impossible to know for sure. Yeah, former-athlete TV and radio analysts, who are paid to “analyze,” are guilty of this too, not just in baseball.

But the fact remains that only one person knows just how irritated Cole Hamels gets when the opposing pitcher reaches base, when a defensive play isn’t made behind him, when he gets “squeezed” by the umpire, or when a nut job fan runs onto the field when he’s three outs away from a complete-game shutout.

And that one person is Cole Hamels.

However, it does indeed seem that Hamels has been hampered by a shortage of mental toughness in handling adversity. The one thing that we know for sure is that he has constantly been victimized by the “big inning” since the start of 2009.

Hamels can look like Steve Carlton in his prime for five innings, but mutate into Bruce Chen during the sixth. Sometimes, Cole’s one bad inning costs him, and his team, a victory.

In 2010, Hamels has suffered through an inning in which he’s given up three or more runs in four of his eight starts…each time after he looked unhittable in the innings prior.

Those numbers are consistent with his 2009 performance, as he gave up at least three runs in an inning in 36 percent of his starts (13 of his 36 starts, including the postseason).

By comparison, Hamels surrendered three or more runs in a particular inning in just 23 percent of his starts during the 2008 season (nine out of his 38 total starts).

Of course, Roy Halladay isn’t nearly as susceptible to the big inning, in part because he’s emotionally indestructible.

Never was Halladay’s toughness more evident than in his May 7 start at Citizens Bank Park against the St. Louis Cardinals. Halladay won the game, 7-2, and improved his record to 6-1 because he rose to the occasion in the face of adversity and bad luck, which could have easily victimized a lesser composed pitcher.

With the Phillies leading 3-0 in the top of the second inning, Philadelphia’s defense committed two errors, including a three-base error on Jayson Werth. Of course, Halladay minimized the damage and allowed just one unearned run to score.

In the fifth inning (protecting a 5-1 lead), Halladay was every bit as much at odds with home plate umpire Mike Everitt’s interpretation of the strike zone as he was with the St. Louis hitters. Halladay uncharacteristically walked two during the inning, including a free pass to Albert Pujols that loaded the bases with two outs. Yet, Halladay struck out Matt Holliday to preserve the Phils’ four-run pad.

Immediately after recording the inning-ending strikeout, Halladay approached home plate umpire Everitt to question why several seemingly good pitches to Pujols and Holliday were called balls. Halladay appeared cool and calm throughout the discussion and, as usual, was in complete command.

Cole Hamels, on the other hand, has been repeatedly undone by instances of poor defense and “close” umpiring calls that don’t go his way. Halladay overcame both those obstacles in a four-inning span on May 7.

Over the past several years, Hamels has reportedly used 47-year-old teammate Jamie Moyer as his personal brochure to The Art of Pitching. Hopefully by now, Hamels has tried to learn a thing or two about mental resolve from Doc Halladay.  

Of course, no one can be as good as Roy Halladay.

But perhaps the Phils young southpaw can mature just by discussing with Doc, and studying, his unflappable demeanor on the mound.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Expect To Have Jimmy Rollins Back Monday

According to assistant GM Scott Proefrock via Matt Gelb and his Twitter feed, the Phillies expect to have Jimmy Rollins back next week when they start a seven-game homestand beginning with the Pirates, then the Cubs, and ending against the struggling Red Sox.

The Phils have played well without Rollins in the lineup, so having him back will make them that much better. Juan Castro and Wilson Valdez have performed admirably, but neither has been able to replicate Jimmy’s offense.

Rollins has only played in seven games this year, but he was on a tear to kick the season off (before hurting his calf), hitting .391 with three doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBI, two stolen bases, and an OBP of .516.

Shane Victorino, who has been the target of recent trade speculation, has been batting well in Rollins’s place at the top of lineup, but being able to move him back to the seven-hole will give the Phils back some speed at the bottom of the order.

And with Carlos Ruiz hitting the way he’s been behind him, it could mean a much better offense all-around for the Phils.

However, the Phils better be 100 percent positive he’s healed up and ready to go. Valdez and Castro have been playing well enough, so there’s no reason to rush him back and risk another injury that could knock him out for the season.

Some injuries won’t get worse simply by playing, but a calf strain will. If he has not fully recuperated, playing again could strain the muscle even worse or, worst-case scenario, he could tear the muscle entirely; Which could not only mean an end to his season, but his career if the tear was serious enough.

A lot of Rollins’s game is predicated on being able to run and making the opposing pitcher fear him while he’s on base; If he can’t run the bases, then he’s of no use to the team anyway.

The original reports said Rollins might not be able to come back before the end of the month, but now that he is expected back next week it makes me think the team might be rushing him back a week or two too soon.

Cutting two weeks off the expected time of return is difficult to do, so hopefully it just means that he truly is ready to get back in the lineup and not a move the Phils live to regret come September and (fingers crossed) late October/early November.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies Rewind: Revisiting The Bobby Abreu Trade

At the 2006 trade deadline the Phillies, 49-56 at the time, unloaded mercurial OF Bobby Abreu to the Yankees. Not for a windfall of prospects but, to Phillies fans’ dismay, to simply unload an expensive player. Abreu was making $13.6M in 2006, and stood to make $15M in 2007. General manager Pat Gillick didn’t think Abreu was a piece of the puzzle worth the price, and in what Bill Conlin dubbed “the Great Gillick Giveaway”, he traded Bobby for a group of low-level prospects and a Triple-A lifer.

Matt Smith—RP

There was some hope the tall lefty could fill a need in the middle of the Phillies bullpen, but he could never find the strike zone. Smith walked 15 in only 12 2/3 IP during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He has never thrown a pitch in the majors since.

C.J. Henry—IF

Henry was the Yankees’ 2005 first round pick, and was only 20 years old at the time of the trade. He was released in 2007 later after batting a measly .184 for the Lakewood Blue Claws. His career then took a different path. He enrolled at Memphis in 2008 and was a walk-on with John Calipari’s basketball team. He redshirted that season (2008-2009) and then prepared to play with his younger brother Xavier, a top recruit, in 2009-2010. But before that could happen Calipari jumped ship to Kentucky and Xavier Henry was released from his commitment, choosing to attend Kansas for the 2009-2010 season. C.J. followed and was a reserve guard alongside his brother at KU. Xavier Henry will head to the NBA this year, so who knows what C.J. does from here. It won’t be hitting a curveball, that’s for sure.

Jesus Sanchez—C

Sanchez is the only guy still left on a Phillies’ roster, only now he’s a starting pitcher, not a catcher. He converted to the mound in 2008 and has done quite well for himself. In 2009 Sanchez struck out 120 batters in 136 IP, posting a very respectable 3.44 ERA for Low-A Lakewood. This season Sanchez is in the Clearwater starting rotation with some actual expectations. Should be interesting to watch.

Carlos Monasterios—P

Monasterios, signed as a free agent by the Yankees out of Venezuela, was 20 at the time of the trade. In 2009 as a member of the Clearwater Threshers Monasterios was named the Florida State League’s mid-season All-Star team. Before 2010 he was selected by the Mets in the Rule V draft and then traded to the Dodgers. Surprisingly Monasterios made the Dodgers out of spring training in 2010 and has been an effective relief pitcher.

Of course the Phillies went on after the Abreu trade to win three consecutive NL East pennants, appear in two World Series, and winning one. So his instinct that Abreu was going to be a the type of player they were going to win with has been proven correct. Whether he could have gotten more in return for Bobby is still debatable.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Why Carlos Ruiz Deserves Your Respect

No, I’m not saying he always did. Just that he does now.

I, like many Phillies fans, barely stifled a sigh of disappointment when old “Carlos Ruissss”(as PA Announcer Dan Baker refers to him) steps into the batter’s box. A dribbling grounder seemed inevitable, and then the pitcher was up. How thrilling.

At the end of last season however, an entirely new player had filled the squat, stubby body of the Phils’ starting catcher. He even called himself Carlos Ruiz. The nerve.

We all knew Carlos was a sub-par hitter, so who was this little bundle of right-handed power? I still believe it is an impostor, but so far have no hard evidence to back up my claims.

Whoever he is, he hit .385 over the course of the 2009 NLCS and .333 in the World Series loss to the Yankees. He homered once in both series’.

The stalwart backstop is proving that these performances were not flukes. So far this season he’s hitting .354, tops on the high-octane offensive team. Will his numbers stay this high? Probably not, but you sure don’t hear those groans from the bleachers when the number eight hitter shuffles to the plate.

While sharing the lineup with pretty-boy Chase Utley and the “Black Jared” of Subway, Ryan Howard, Ruiz is the least heralded, but one of the more productive, members of the team.

Ruiz is coming off of a four-hit game against the Rockies, and has tallied 14 hits in the past six games against tough opponents. He also has registered two homers and five RBIs over this stretch.

Ruiz has also shown a penchant for patience at the plate. He has walked 21 times this season so far, second only to Chase Utley on the team (which really shouldn’t count considering pitchers love to bean Utley and, let’s face it, he just loves to get hit.)

Ruiz’s newfound consistency helps more than just the stats on the box score imply. Having a solid threat at the bottom of the lineup changes a pitcher’s game plan and keeps him from getting comfortable after retiring the more highly-touted bats on the lineup.

It’s also a known fact that pitchers suck at batting, and reaching the top of the order with one out instead of two provides a team with a much greater opportunity to manufacture runs.

In addition, “Chooch” (Charlie Manuel’s pet-name for Ruiz, cute huh?) is about as good as you can get fielding-wise for his position. He has a perfect 1.000 percent fielding percentage and has recorded 18 assists from the catcher spot.

He also has been able to call some great games for the Phils’, whose pitching has not been as stellar as many had predicted.

So the next time your friends start going off about how hot Jayson Werth is, hitting-wise, or how hot Chase Utley is, not hitting-wise (it may be time to get some new friends as well), remind them that Carlos Ruiz is having just as big of an impact with his bat as well as his glove. If they ask you who Carlos Ruiz is, just send them the link to this article (I could use the reads.)

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

NL East Update: The One Where David Wright Can’t Stop Whiffing

Mets Blog is starting to get worried about David Wrights’ astronomically high strikeout rate, and (W)rightfully so, up until Monday he was in the midst of striking out in eight consecutive at bats.

Wright was pretty upset Sunday and it is easy to tell that not only he, but also the entire Mets team has been pressing since their eight game win streak. Wright is the type of player that when he argues a call or gets ejected, you know things are not going well, but seriously, eight consecutive strikeouts is unacceptable.

He is on pace to hit 35 home runs and collect 111 RBI for the season which is a very impressive season, but he is also on pace to strike out 213 times, so just think about how much better those numbers could be if he cuts down on the K’s.

Now in his seventh season in the bigs, Wright has enough experience and talent that he should at least be able to hit the ball into play, even if it’s a weak groundout, because at this point anything’s better then leaving the bat on your shoulders.

The Good Phight proposes a hypothetical trade worth looking at, which would shake up the Phillies outfield in a big way.

Obviously when looking at this one has to ask themselves what is the true value of Jayson Werth? The 31-year old is enjoying an MVP type season and has seen his numbers improve on an annual basis. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »