Ryan Howard To the DL: Fantasy Options

While 2010 has been the year of the pitcher, it’s also becoming the year of the injury. The Philadelphia Phillies placed slugging giant Ryan Howard on the DL today to the dismay of many fantasy baseball owners.

He joins the ever growing list of injured All-Stars including teammate Chase Utley, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Troy Tulowitzski, Ian Kinsler, Justin Morneau and Jason Bay to name a few (trust me there’s plenty more).

Although scans were negative on his ankle, he will still be out for at least two weeks. So who do you pick up to pick up the slack? Lets take a look…

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Five Most Memorable Starts by J.A. Happ as a Philadelphia Phillie

It has been less than a week since J.A. Happ was dealt to the Houston Astros with Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar for Roy Oswalt. Unlike minor league prospects Gose and Villar, however, Happ was once a key piece of the Phillies’ starting roster, particularly in 2009, when he finished second in Rookie of the Year balloting to Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan.

Happ’s odd career as a Phillie saw him go from organizational spare part in 2008, to rookie sensation in 2009, and then back to spare part in 2010.

His forearm injury and subsequent extended DL stint led Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. to feel that Happ was expendable in a deal for a top veteran pitcher such as Oswalt.

However, in his short career as a Philadelphia Phillie, Happ became a fan favorite for his composure on the mound, and for his unexpected run of dominance in the summer of 2009. While Phillies fans have been generally ecstatic about acquiring of pitcher of Roy Oswalt’s caliber, many fans also have expressed sadness that Happ had to be included for the deal to be completed.

Let’s take a look back at some of the games that made Happ such a popular player, in both the clubhouse and the stands.

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Ryan Howard on the DL: What the Doctor Ordered…for Ruben Amaro?

Sometimes during the course of a general manager’s career, there are seasons where he does everything right and still can’t win.  He might spend his money wisely, develop good talent, and make all the right, smart, and crafty trades to get talented players for little in return.  Yet somehow his team hits a streak of bad luck and misses the playoffs.  

When an injury bug bites a team, there is nothing the GM can do but cry into his hat about what could have been.

The good news regarding Ryan Howard’s injury, at least for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, is that if Howard hits the 15 day disabled list, Amaro will have everything he needs to convince the baseball public, both inside and outside of Philadelphia, that the above paragraph describes the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season.

Because make no mistake about it: The Phillies have had a run of luck that would knock out even the most articulate built teams in baseball.

A team can survive an injury to a crucial player, or even to two crucial players.  But when every essential player on a team gets injured for some significant portion of the season, it becomes simply unreasonable to expect that team to pull it all together.

Phillies fans don’t need reminding, but if Howard does hit the DL, then the list of prominent Phillies to be sidelined for significant portions of the season by injury looks like this:

Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco, Carlos Ruiz.

It might be easier to look at the list of players who haven’t been injured this season:

Roy Halladay, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Cole Hamels.

It would be preposterous to think that the Phillies could have survived with all the injuries that they’ve suffered and made the playoffs.  That injury list comprises the first four hitters in the regular everyday lineup, the complete middle-of-the-field defense, the back two-thirds of the rotation, and the primary set-up man and closer.

And this could be Ruben Amaro’s saving grace.

By now, it is pretty clear that Amaro probably should not have traded Cliff Lee, and it is crystal clear that he didn’t get enough in return for Lee.  The 25-man roster has the least depth it has had in three years, and the bullpen is in shambles.  To make up for trading Lee, Amaro may have bungled the team even more by sending Happ to the Astros for Roy Oswalt.

Meanwhile, the outfield still has more question marks than positions with Ibanez looking over the hill, Werth needing a new contract, Victorino’s future in limbo, and Domonic Brown apparently ready to contribute right now.

Plus, on top of all that, Amaro extended Ryan Howard with one of the richest contracts of all time a year-and-a-half before his current deal was up.

In essence, before Howard’s injury, the only way Amaro was going to get a pass for the moves he’s made this season was for the Phillies to at least make the World Series, if not win the thing.

But now, with Howard on the cusp of going onto the disabled list, Amaro may be able to take a pass on all of those moves.  If Howard is out for any significant time, Amaro will have carte blanche to write off the entire 2010 season as a sign that bad luck can strike even the best teams and, that some years, it just isn’t your year.

Basically, if the Phillies miss the World Series, or even the playoffs, with a roster full of superstars but a few glaring holes that could have been filled with relative ease, it is going to be a long winter for Ruben Amaro.

But if the Phillies miss the playoffs, while suffering a significant injury to every important player on the roster, well, the single reason for missing the playoffs becomes bad luck.

Because even the most efficiently run teams in baseball can hit a spell of bad luck.

Luckily for Amaro, Ryan Howard going on the disabled list allows Ruben Amaro to gloss over the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies are not, in fact, currently one of the most intelligently run teams in baseball.

 

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs and the 10 Craziest Box Scores Since 1950

The Milwaukee Brewers obliterated the Chicago Cubs on Monday Night by a score of 18-1. During the course of the game both Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder collected five hits with Corey Hart only getting four, seven players scored two or more runs, and Fielder and Casey McGehee combined for nine RBI.

Meanwhile, the Cubs’ side of the box score was as bleak as the Brewers side was special. The Cubs managed only four hits (or, put another way, less than either Fielder or Braun had) and one run.  Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo kept the Baby Bears in check, striking out 12 in just six innings while allowing two hits, one walk, and one run.

As a baseball fan, this was one of those box scores that you want to cut out of the newspaper and tape to your wall.  It’s not very often that you see so many threes, fours, and fives in single box score.  Indeed, to see a box score in which one team had 26 hits is incredibly rare, as it has only happened 33 times since 1950.

And it isn’t like this is the first such box score the Cubs have put up this season, or even within the last week. On Friday night the Cubs allowed the Colorado Rockies to set a major league record for most consecutive hits on the way to allowing 12 runs in the eighth inning of a 17-2 blowout .

That got me to thinking about crazy box scores, and how often the Chicago Cubs seem to be on the losing end of things in crazy games. So I decided to take a look at 10 of the craziest games since 1950, and see how well the Cubs are presented.

Turns out, they’re represented pretty well.

 

Honorable Mention: May 4, 1999: Rockies 13, Cubs 6

As a total box score, this one isn’t all that amazing except for one feat: the Rockies scored in every inning of this game, and coming off of a game in which they had scored in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, this gave the Rockies at least one run in 13 consecutive innings.

All against the Cubs, of course.

11. June 8, 1950: Red Sox 29, Browns 4

Here’s what’s bad-ass about this game: the game was never in doubt, as the Red Sox led 8-0 after two innings, then 13-3 after three innings, then 22-3 after five innings.

Nevertheless, the Red Sox never made a single substitution. The starting lineup played every inning, and starting pitcher Chuck Stobbs pitched a complete game.

Naturally, the BoSox were prolific. Bobby Doerr had three home runs and eight RBI; Ted Williams and Walt Dropo each had two home runs and combined for 12 RBI; Vern Stephens fell a home run shy of the cycle. Seven of nine Red Sox scored three or more runs.

Stobbs, the pitcher, went 2-for-3 with four walks and three runs scored, and the Red Sox walked 11 times and struck out only twice.

10. September 14, 1987: Blue Jays 18, Orioles 3

While we often remember 1996 as “The Year of the Home Run,” 1987 was bizarrely prone to home runs and stood out as a uniquely great home run season in an otherwise ordinary period from 1978 to 1992.

This game between the Blue Jays and the Orioles at old Exhibition Stadium in Toronto was emblematic of that season as Toronto hit a Major League record 10 home runs off of the O’s.  Ernie Whitt had three himself, and soon-to-be AL MVP George Bell had two on his way 47 that year.

Notice that no pitcher made it through more than two innings for the Orioles, on Kelly Gruber failed to get a hit for the Blue Jays.

9. April 17, 1976: Phillies 18, Cubs 16

One of those crazy days at Wrigley Field. The Cubs led this game 12-1 after three innings and 13-4 after six innings. Nevertheless, the Phillies scored 11 runs over the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, and the Cubs actually had to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth just to send the game to the 10th.

Yet the Phillies scored three in the top of the 10th and held on to win the game.

This game is most famous for featuring Mike Schmidt hitting four home runs, the last three of which came in the seventh, eighth, and tenth innings.  Schmidt finished the game with eight RBI.

8. April 23, 1955: White Sox 29, Athletics 6

In tying the then Major League record for runs scored in a game, the White Sox reached base an amazing 35 times.  Minnie Minoso and Chico Carrasquel became the fifth pair of teammates to each score five runs in a game, with Carrasquel reaching base six times in seven plate appearances.

Two White Sox managed to get five hits apiece, Bob Nieman had seven RBI, and even pitcher Jack Harshman got into the act, going 3-for-5 with a home run.

7. September 24, 1985: Expos 17, Cubs 15

In another crazy Wrigley Field showdown, Les Expos were leading the Cubs 3-2 after the fourth inning, and that’s when Montreal—and Andre Dawson—took over. After back-to-back singles by Mitch Webster and Vance Law, Andre Dawson came up and hit a three-run home run to put the Expos up 6-2.

Eight batters later, the Expos were up 10-2 and Dawson again came up with Webster and Law on base. Dawson connected for his second three-run home run of the inning as the Expos eventually scored 12 runs in the inning. Dawson would go 4-for-6 on the day with two home runs and eight RBI.

But this game was crazy to the end. The Expos actually led 15-3 as Harry Caray came out to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the seventh inning stretch, and just as sure as Caray urged “Let’s Get Some Runs!”, that’s what the Cubs did.  

The Cubs outscored the Expos 12-2 in the final two-and-a-half innings of the game, and had the tying run at the plate when Jeff Reardon came on to nail down the save.

6. June 18, 1950: Indians 21, Athletics 2

The Philadelphia Athletics went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning of this game against Mike Garcia, and then sent Lou Brissie out to face the Indians lineup. Brissie gave up a leadoff double followed by a line drive out, and then proceeded to walk the next five batters. A single and another walk later, Brissie was out of the game, and the Indians never looked back, scoring 14 runs in the first on their way to 21-2 drubbing of the A’s.

At the end of the day, the Indians had 21 runs on 14 hits and 16 walks.

5. July 27, 2003: Red Sox 25, Marlins 8

After one inning, the Red Sox led this game by a score of 14 to 0.  They sent 19 men to the plate in the first inning, and it took three different pitchers for the Marlins to get the first out of the inning.

The Red Sox would have sent at least 20 men to the plate if not for Bill Mueller registering the third out of the inning by getting thrown out at home plate on a Johnny Damon single. Damon’s single was his third hit of the inning, and he finished the first inning a home run shy of batting for the cycle.

By the end of the game, six different Red Sox had three or more hits, six Red Sox had three or more runs scored, and six different Red Sox had three or more RBI.

4. April 19, 1996: Rangers 26, Orioles 7

In a back and fourth game in which the lead had changed hands four times, the Orioles trailed 10-7 going into the Rangers’ half of the eighth. Armando Benitez came in for the O’s to try to contain the damage, but to no avail. Benitez allowed three runs on two walks and a hit, and was relieved by Jesse Orosco, who allowed eight runs on two walks and six hits.

Finally, the O’s brought in Manny Alexander, a reserve infielder who’d never pitched before. In the only pitching appearance of his career, he allowed five runs on one hit and four walks, but also got the final two out of the inning.

All told, the Rangers scored 16 runs in the inning on eight hits and eight walks.

3. August 22, 2007: Rangers 30, Orioles 3

In another Rangers-Orioles classic, the Rangers set the modern Major League record for runs in a game despite playing on the road and despite actually trailing 3-0 after three innings. The Rangers oddly scored in only four different innings, scoring five runs in the fourth inning, nine in the sixth, 10 in the eighth, and then six in the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Orioles used only four pitchers, the Rangers made only one offensive substitution, and the game took only three hours and 21 minutes.

Strangely, the bottom of the Rangers order performed better than the top of the order, as David Murphy, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Ramon Vazquez each reached base five times. Murphy and Saltalamacchia each scored five times, and Saltalamacchia and Vazquez each had two home runs and seven RBI.

Then, to top off one of the craziest games of all time, the Rangers’ Wes Littleton pitched the final three innings of the game for the craziest save of all time.

2. August 5, 2001: Indians 15, Mariners 14

The Indians trailed 14-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning against a Mariners team that was a simply-shocking 50 games over .500 at 80-30.  The Indians started chipping away, scoring three in the seventh to make it 14-5, and then four in the eighth to make it 14-9.

The Tribe then started the bottom of the ninth with a single to center and then two quick outs against Norm Charlton. The Indians then got a double from Marty Cordova, a walk from Wilfredo Cordero on a full count, and then a single from Einar Diaz on another full count to draw within three runs.

Kenny Lofton then hit a single to load the bases, and former Mariner Omar Vizquel hit a triple on yet another full count to clear the bases and tie the score. Two innings later, it would again be Lofton scoring, this time the winning run, as the Indians completed the greatest comeback in Major League history.

The look on Lofton’s face as he scored the winning run is a definite “Where were you when…” moment.

1. May 17, 1979: Phillies 23, Cubs 22

It would be harder to find a crazier game in baseball history than this match up between the Phillies and the Cubs at Wrigley Field in 1979.

This one was wacky right off, as Cubs starter Dennis Lamp allowed six runs on six hits while only retiring one batter. Mike Schmidt got the scoring started with a three-run dong, and the Phillies would bat around, aided along by a solo home run by starting pitcher Randy Lerch.

Then, the Cubs returned the favor, chasing Lerch, who gave up five runs on five hits while also retiring only one batter.  After the first inning, the score was 7-6.

The second inning passed quietly, but then the Phillies one-upped themselves, going for eight runs in the third. By the end of the third inning, every Phillies had batted three times.

The two teams slugged it out in the middle innings, with the Cubs outscoring the Phillies in innings four through six by a score of 13-6, and now the game was a very close 21-19.

The game turned tame in the seventh, with the Phillies scoring an unanswered insurance run, but the Cubs scored three in the bottom of the eighth on six singles and a groundout, and suddenly the score was tied at 22 all going into the ninth inning.

Closers Rawly Eastwick and Bruce Sutter kept the game scoreless in the ninth, but in the top of the 10th, Schmidt hit his second home run of the day off of Sutter and Eastwick closed the door for a crazy Phillies’ win.

The box score from that day is so loaded it might tip over.  A total of 11 players finished with three or more hits, including Larry Bowa, who had five, and Garry Maddox, who went 4-for-4. Bill Buckner went 4-for-7 with a home run and seven RBI, and Dave Kingman hit three home runs and finished with six RBI and four runs scored.

Kingman and Schmidt would finish one and two in the NL in home runs in 1979; Kingman had 48, Schmidt had 45, and no other player topped 34.

Future 1984 AL MVP Willie Hernandez gave up eight runs on seven hits and seven walks in only 2.2 innings. Four of those walks, though, were intentional, as he intentionally passed both Schmidt and Boone twice.

The teams combined for 11 home runs and 23 extra-base hits, while walking 15 times and striking out 11 times.

And in the end, staying consistent with our theme, the Chicago Cubs came out on the losing end.

 

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies First Baseman Ryan Howard to Meet With Team Docs In Philly.

Philadelphia, PA- Just when you thought it could not get worse for the Philadelphia Phillies the injury struggles increased and, pending results, could send another Phillie to the overloaded disabled list.

What was thought as a minor sprain for Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard could turn into something more severe as Howard was sent back to Philadelphia yesterday to meet with team doctors.

Howard suffered the sprain in the first inning of the Phillies game three extra-innings-win against the Washington Nationals. Howard was taken for an MRI and X-Ray immediately and neither test showed a fracture.

After the teams off-day Monday the decision was made to send Howard back to Philadelphia to meet with team physician Michael Ciccotti to address the situation.

When speaking with the media Howard seemed optimistic and hopeful the sprain was not severe.

“I guess once the swelling goes down, we’ll see what happens”

For the meantime the Phillies will rely on bench players Cody Ransom and Ross Gload to platoon at first base.

Missing out on Howard’s bat could be tragic for the Phillies as he is leading the NL in RBI with 81 and his 119 hits is a team best.

No word if Howard will be sent to the disabled list but if that happens it will leave outfielder Jayson Werth as the only Phillies starter not to hit the DL.

The Phillies are currently three games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and three and a half games back in the wild card.

Ibanez optimistic about return.

After missing Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals outfielder Raul Ibanez seem optimistic he will be back in the lineup against the Florida Marlins. Ibanez was held out of Sundays game due to a sore left wrist.

Complete Phillies Coverage on Eternal Mulligan or Twitter.

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MLB Trade Deadline Winners

Now that we all have digested what went on at this year’s July 31st trade deadline, let’s take a look at the teams who improved themselves the most at the deadline.

Here are the five winners from this year’s trade deadline.

 

Winners

1. Texas Rangers. The Rangers acquired Cliff Lee, Jorge Cantu, Cristian Guzman, and Bengie Molina at or near the deadline and all of these acquisitions will certainly help the Rangers down the stretch.

The biggest move of all was of course, the acquisition of Lee. Lee gives the Rangers something they haven’t had in about 20 years—an ace. Cantu and Guzman provide infield depth for the Rangers.

 

2. Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were able to trade for the second best pitcher on the market and didn’t give up all that much to get him. The acquisition of Roy Oswalt gives the Phillies the best one-two punch in baseball with him and Roy Halladay.

 

3. San Diego Padres. I wasn’t that big of a fan of the Miguel Tejada trade, but I loved the Ryan Ludwick trade. Ludwick is a solid player, who should fit in nicely in the middle of the Padres’ lineup.

The Padres desperately needed an outfielder and Ludwick was a nice score for them.

 

4. New York Yankees. In terms of acquiring household names, the Yankees scored big time this trade deadline. Lance Berkman, Kerry Wood, Austin Kearns bring a lot of star power to the Bronx, but this also isn’t 2002.

All three players are at the back end of their careers, but each should fill a specific need in New York. Berkman will serve as the primary DH moving forward, Wood will be the eighth inning setup guy for Mariano Rivera, and Kearns will serve as a fourth outfielder/DH against righties.

 

5. Los Angeles Dodgers. I like what the Dodgers did acquiring Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot, and Octavio Dotel at the deadline. I especially like the acquisition of Lilly, who I feel will do very, very well pitching in LA.

Despite their acquisitions, I do feel it might be a little too little too late for the Dodgers. I think they have too many teams to pass in both the Wild Card and NL West to make the playoffs.

 

Those were the five teams that wheeled and dealed on July 31st. Later, I will look at the five losers.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Ryan Howard To Visit Team Doctor, Could Hit the DL

When it rains in Philadelphia these days, you can bet it’s going to pour.

With the Phillies’ No. 3 hitter, Chase Utley, already on the DL for who knows how long, the Phillies’ No. 4 hitter, Ryan Howard, could be joining him very shortly after spraining his ankle Sunday against the Nationals.

Howard and the team originally said a trip to the DL likely wouldn’t be necessary, but with Howard staying in Philadelphia to see a team doctor rather than traveling to Florida with his teammates to start a series with the Marlins, the optimism is starting to die down.

And to be quite frank, thinking Howard wouldn’t hit the DL was most likely wishful thinking to begin with.

Almost everyone has sprained their ankle at one time or another, and it’s never a quick recovery. It usually takes a few weeks for the swelling to go down completely and for the pain to subside.

It’s also an injury that can linger if not properly healed before it’s put through any kind of activity again.

So, with that in mind, it might be in Howard’s, and the team’s, best interest if he does hit the 15-day DL and allow his ankle to heal before the season really gets down to the wire.

If they hurry him back, his production will dip as he deals with the pain all season long. But if they find a way to tough it out and ride the storm while he misses a couple weeks and comes back at 100 percent, it could have a greater payoff at the end of the season.

It would certainly require some lineup juggling, but the Phils have become accustomed to that this season.

Charlie Manuel has a tough call to make, but barring some miracle, I would expect to see Howard hit the DL at some point later today after the doctor tells him that’s the best route to take.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Look To Gain Ground With Three Games vs. Florida

(Coral Gables, FL) – After a disappointing 1-2 in a three game set with the Washington Nationals the Philadelphia Phillies are heading on the road for a three game set with the Florida Marlins.

For the Phillies a three game set with the NL East third ranked Florida Marlins is coming at the worst time. The Phillies are 25-31 on the road this season and with the Marlins only four games back of the Phillies for second place in the division the Fightin’s will need to gain ground in Florida if they want to catch up to the Atlanta Braves.

As I mentioned a week ago the Phillies have become the walking wounded . The team is still weeks away from getting Chase Utley back from a surgically repaired thumb, Shane Victorino is on the 15-day DL and to top it all off the Phillies are now putting Ryan Howard as day-to-day after he rolled his ankle as second base in yesterdays 6-4 extra inning win against the Washington Nationals.

The Phillies are sitting two and a half games back of the division leading Braves and are in the midst of a nine game stretch against divisional opponents. Luckily for the Phillies their pitching match-ups for the division side in their favor.

Game 1: Roy Halladay (12-8) v. Sean West (0-0)

Phillies ace Roy Hallady starts off the series against an unknown foe in Sean West. West has been called up from AAA-New Orleans where he was 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA. Halladay has done substantially well against the Marlins this season going 2-1 1.08 ERA, and oh, yeah one of those wins was a perfect game.

Halladay has controlled Marlins hitters as Hanley Ramirez, Cody Ross and Dan Uggla have gone a combined 10-40 against Halladay with eight strikeouts.

With the Phillies repleted lineup they will need to rely on players like Jayson Werth and Jimmy Rollins. Werth is hitting a lowly .182 against the Marlins, most of that on his much publicized hitting slump. Rollins, who has historically hit well against Florida will get his first outing against the Marlins as he was out of the previous series nursing his injured calf.

Game 2: Kyle Kendrick (6-4) v. Anibal Sanchez (8-6)

Sanchez is coming off a strong one-hit outing against the San Francisco Giants and looks to do the same against the Phillies. He is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA this season against the Phillies and has averaged on six and a third innings per outings against the Phillies.

Kendrick is 1-0 against the Marlins and has pitched pretty well since his three day stint in the minor leagues. In his last two starts he has pitched 13 1/3 innings recording eight strikeouts and has held opposing batters to only 10 hits.

The key to this game will be the run support Kendrick gets. If you look at his season numbers when the Phillies hit Kendrick shines.

Game 3: Roy Oswalt (6-13) v. Chris Volstad (5-8)

In the final game of this three game set all eyes will be on the newly acquired Roy Oswalt. After a not so stellar outing in his Phillies debut where he allowed five runs on seven hits in only six innings of work, Oswalt will look to redeem himself with the Phillies faithful.

The only thing that could hurt Oswalt are his career numbers at Sun Life Stadium. In three games at the Marlins Roy Oswalt is 0-2 with one no decision. In 2009 he was drilled for 10 runs in only six innings of work and the year before he was 0-2 with an 11.2 ERA.

Dan Uggla has suffered against the new Phillies going 2-15 with an .133 batting average, striking out five times.

As you can see, other then the Kendrick v. Sanchez match-up, the series could look very positive for the Phillies. It will be important for the Phillies to get wins in the series because as the number two and three teams in the NL face each other the Braves will attempt to distance themselves as they take on the sinking New York Mets.

The Phillies have an off say Monday with game one starting Tuesday night and hopefully that full day of rest will allow Ryan Howard’s ankle to heal and possibly make him eligible for games two and three.

Now that its August it is time for the Phillies to make one of their historical late season runs towards the playoffs. With Utley weeks away things are looking up but the Phillies are definitely showing signs of late season wear. Lets just hope, for our sake, all of the injury setbacks are behind them.

Complete Phillies Coverage on Eternal Mulligan or on Twitter .

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MLB’s Five Biggest Winners of the Trade Deadline

Every team had a different goal in mind as the calendar advanced to July 31.

Some teams approached the trade deadline hoping to make a big splash and shake up a playoff race.

Several contenders sought to add specific role players, while teams who had given up hope for the season tried to pawn off expensive veterans in exchange for prospects and salary relief.

Then there are the clubs who are content to stand pat, but they’re boring.

It’s way too early to definitively judge any given deal; we won’t know what impact an acquired player will have on the 2010 season until a new champion is crowned, and it may be more than five years before a traded prospect makes his former team regret sending him away.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.

In this slideshow are the five teams who did the best job of meeting their various goals in the run-up to the deadline. They are the buyers who helped their playoff chances without risking the farm and the sellers who have raised their hopes for the future, or somewhere in between—clubs who successfully identified and exploited inefficiencies in the trade market.

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How David Herndon Is Killing the Phillies

No, David Herndon isn’t one of the main reasons the Phillies have disappointed thus far in 2010.

Not even close.

Obviously he doesn’t deserve the same amount of heat that teammates like Shane Victorino and Brad Lidge have been getting. But that doesn’t mean Herndon should be getting a free pass.

It’s safe to say that Herndon, the 24-year-old rookie sinker-baller, hasn’t exactly been a positive addition to the bullpen this season.

Not just because opponents are hitting a ridiculous .343 against him. Not just because he’s allowed nine out of his 14 inherited base runners to score since May 14.

But also because he is in part preventing the Phillies from giving some of their minor league prospects a shot in the majors. Herndon has hand-tied the Phillies.

How? Well, all season long the Phillies have been unable to send Herndon back to the minor leagues. They’ll have to keep him on their 25-man roster all season (barring injury, of course) or be forced to offer him back to his former club, the Los Angeles Angels.

Herndon was picked up by the Phillies in the 2009 Rule Five Draft, and his rule-five status requires that the Phillies keep him on their 25-man roster or must send him back to the west coast.

With the Angels’ Double-A affiliate last year, Herndon had a 3.03 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 50 games.

The young righty impressed the Phillies in Spring Training this season with a 1.42 ERA in 10 games. But he hasn’t been anywhere near as effective with the big club in 2010, despite pitching in 32 games so far.

It’s hard to imagine Herndon would have remained on the Phillies staff this long if sending him to the minors was a real option. The thing is, the Phillies have some fairly decent arms at Double and Triple-A that could have replaced Herndon already in the pen.

How about Drew Carpenter? The 25-year-old righty has been biding his time at Triple-A since 2008 and has amassed an 18-14 record and a 3.43 ERA overall with Lehigh Valley.

How about Vance Worley? The 22-year-old right-hander was 9-4 with a 3.03 ERA in the minors this season before pitching in one game for the big club on July 24.

OK. Both Carpenter and Worley are starting pitchers, so maybe the Phillies wouldn’t want to use them in the Citizens Bank Park bullpen.

But what about Scott Mathieson? He’s been the Phillies’ best “feel good” story since 33-year-old rookie Chris Coste made his major-league debut in 2006.

Mathieson made eight starts for the Phils four seasons ago before suffering through a string of severe injuries, including one that required Tommy John Surgery at the end of ’06.

It’s taken the 26-year-old Mathieson a long time to rise back through the minor leagues, but he’s now having a fantastic season as the IronPigs’ closer, posting a 2.85 ERA and 20 saves. He’s allowed only 34 hits in 47 innings, striking out 61 while walking just 17.

Mathieson, like Worley, has pitched in just one major-league game so far in 2010.

What about journeyman Nelson Figueroa? He actually did better than Herndon when given a chance with the Phillies this year, posting a 3.46 ERA and a .220 opponent batting average in 13 games.

Houston claimed Nelson off waivers once the Phillies designated him for assignment July 15.

Of course, there’s no guarantee any of those guys would have pitched much better than Herndon has. They might have been even worse. But we don’t know. And one of the main reasons we don’t know about any of them is because Herndon has been occupying a spot in the bullpen all season.

The Phillies like Herndon’s ability as a sinker-baller, but so far in 2010 the righthander has proven to be nothing more than a useful arm in “mop-up duty”—slightly more effective than Danys Baez.

Offering David Herndon back to the Angels might not be such a horrible thing. He hasn’t made the most of his generous four-month opportunity with the Phillies in the bigs, so it’s time to see if any of the Phils’ minor-league hurlers can do any better.

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