MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies Shouldn’t Include Domonic Brown in Hunter Pence Talks

By now, it has been established that the Phillies are looking to upgrade in the outfield. Sports Illustrated‘s Jon Heyman reports that Hunter Pence is the organization’s No. 1 candidate and that Domonic Brown would get the Astros to pull the trigger. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is in a difficult position because of Raul Ibanez. In an ideal world, the Phillies would discard Ibanez, acquire Pence with a package of Jonathan Singelton, Jarred Cosart plus others and play Pence and Brown in the corner outfield positions. 

With the Braves and Reds also discussing Pence, Amaro cannot send Brown in the deal. The Phillies are still the favorite to win the National League Pennant, and Brown is a key to any future Phillies championship runs. Pence’s line of .309/.356/.472 is impressive, but Pence is due for some regression this season as he is closer to a .280 type of hitter. His .370 BABIP will regress, and troublingly, his fly ball rate has dropped each of the last three seasons to a career low of 31.5 percent in 2011. Furthermore, his HR/FB rate is currently a career-worst 11.1 percent. 

Pence provides an upgrade in terms of outfield defense, and he has a three- to four-win replacement value, but the package of Cosart and Singelton should be enough to acquire Pence. Buster Olney reported that the Braves are not willing to include any of their top pitching prospects, such as Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, and Mike Minor, in any deals. Furthermore, the Reds may not want to trade their top prospects when the club is 6.5 games back in the Central with three teams ahead of them. 

Brown has struggled with a .237/.318/.387 line and seven home runs over his first 270 career plate appearances, but he has already shown improvements in his strikeout rates and his 2011 on base percentage is only 12 points lower than that of Pence. Brown’s power grades are through the roof, and he would be projected to hit 20 home runs this season if he had as many at-bats as Pence. 

Pence will command the most value now, and the Astros are in no future position to make any postseason run over the next few seasons. The time to make this trade is now, and the price for Pence will eventually drop. He is a good player, but not worth mortgaging a future 30-plus home run power. The Phillies have enough now to make a push towards the World Series, and since Ibanez’s contract comes off the books this offseason, Amaro can find a right-handed bat in the offseason.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Is Mike Adams Still Under Consideration?

Phillies trade rumors have largely revolved around a right-handed bat such as Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence, however the rumors regarding a bullpen arm have been persistent and still seem to have life.

Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that the Phillies have not given up on Mike Adams. He cites three reasons why the Phillies prefer Adams to Heath Bell:

“Because he’s under control for next year; because he could set up initially then close next year if Madson signs elsewhere as a free agent; because they could build a larger deal around the acquisition of Adams and Ludwick.”

Of course, the specifics of this type of deal are unknown exactly, but the Padres have been scouting Lehigh Valley over the past week to probably get a look at Phillippe Aumont, Michael Schwimer and Justin De Fratus.

Although Ludwick is definitely not Hunter Pence, he has been a powerful right-handed bat during his career who should be able to pinch-hit effectively and platoon in right field. While he is only hitting .264 against left-handed pitching, it is better than most of the Phillies have been, and he could break up the line of left-handers in the lineup. While he may not be the ideal answer to Charlie Manuel’s request, he wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible addition or come at too high a price.

The Phillies are still reportedly the front-runners for the services of Pence, but it is definitely worth noting that the Phillies have not necessarily given up on acquiring another arm to supplement the bullpen.

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Philadelphia Phillies Lose to the San Francisco Giants: Deja Vu All over Again

OK, so the Phillies lost last night. It’s just one game, right? One series in July. No big deal.

Well, not so fast. It’s not just that they lost. It’s not even that they lost two in a row for the first time since June 3 or that it was the first time they have lost a series since June 17th at Seattle.

No, it’s not that they lost that worries me, it’s the way they lost.

It was way too familiar. Too uncomfortable, like another series they lost to the Giants. And that one did matter. It was last year in October and it ended the Phillies’ season. Too soon.

And although Kyle Kendrick against Tim Lincecum looked like a mismatch from the start, this loss can’t be blamed on the Phils’ pitching. It was the offense that let them down. That here-today, gone-tomorrow offense that for two games in a row against the world champions just couldn’t get the big hit when they needed it.

Kind of like that October series in 2010 that ended with a called third strike to the Phillies’ big piece.

Now, I don’t mean to be overreacting here. Really. The Phillies do still have the best record in baseball and a five-game lead over the second-place Braves in the NL East. But I don’t think Ruben Amaro added Cliff Lee to this lofty pitching staff and now equally lofty $170 million payroll just to win the division.

We all know they have their sights on a bigger prize this year. And all the pitching in the world can’t win without runs. It’s not the pitchers who are expected to drive in those runners in scoring position.

At least the Giants aren’t that good offensively, either. That’s some consolation, right?

Well, not so fast. That, too, changed a bit last night when they obtained the Mets’ Carlos Beltran to add to the heart of their lineup.

Now, Beltran won’t turn the Giants into an offensive juggernaut. (He really wasn’t a factor last night offensively, although he did make a great catch in right field that squelched a potential rally. And don’t get me started on right field defense. That’s a post for another day.) But he is a career .310 hitter at the Giants’ AT&T Park. He also hits very well against the Phillies and in the playoffs.

So where’s the good news? Well, if the Phillies’ recent winning play had silenced the cries for a right-handed hitter, now they are back and we can hear them loud and clear. Ruben may need to pull yet one more bat out of his hat, preferably named Hunter Pence, before the trade deadline on Sunday.

Yes, I know I’m the one who’s always preaching that we should all remember to enjoy the ride. And I am.

I guess what I’m saying is that I just don’t want the ride to end too soon.

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Philadelphia Phillies: July 29 Has Shown To Be a Big Day for Past Trades

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline now just three days away, the Philadelphia Phillies will have to make a tough decision or two.

The Phillies are in need of players at two positions: they need a relief pitcher, but more importantly, they need an impact right-handed hitting outfielder.

Today could be the day the Phillies acquire one of these players. But why today?

It is often said that history repeats itself. A famous case includes United States presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and if you look at their comparisons, some of them are eerily similar.

However, in this case, July 29 has been a day to remember for the Phillies in each of the last two seasons.

July 29 is a special day for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2009, it was the day that they finalized a deal with the Cleveland Indians that sent prospects Jason Donald, Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco and Lou Marson to the Indians in exchange for outfielder Ben Francisco and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee.

Lee ended up being the ace the team needed down the stretch, and he led them to their second straight World Series appearance. Unfortunately, they lost to the New York Yankees in six games, but the two games the Phillies won were both started by Lee, including a shutout in Game 1.

It was also the period of time in which Cliff Lee discovered his love for the city of Philadelphia and the Phillies, a huge factor in his decision to re-sign with the team this past offseason, snubbing both the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, both considered to be the front-runners for his services.

July 29 is also the day that the Phillies acquired Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt for left-handed starting pitcher J.A. Happ and prospects Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose.

Oswalt ended up being the recuperation for losing Lee last year, going 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his starts through the end of the regular season and he was a big reason why the Phillies retook the lead in the NL East over the Atlanta Braves and captured their fourth straight NL East division title.

Oswalt was also one of the Phillies’ most reliable starters in the postseason last year, especially in the NLCS, which the Phillies ended up losing in six games to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

July 29 has shown to be a good day in the recent past for the Phillies, and such a trend could possibly continue. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has publicly stated his shopping list for this year’s trade deadline, and his top targets are Houston Astros right fielder Hunter Pence, Chicago White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin and San Diego Padres setup man Mike Adams.

Pence, who is the biggest offensive name on the trade market since New York Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran was officially traded to the San Francisco Giants yesterday, has been speculated to be a trade target by the Phillies at the deadline since the beginning of the season, but it hasn’t been until the last few days that talks for Pence at all have surfaced. They’re starting to heat up fast.

However, it won’t be easy to acquire him. The Phillies have already offered their two best prospects in Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart, along with another prospect, and the Astros declined the Phillies’ offer.

Among the other teams in the hunt for Pence are the Atlanta Braves (who have tons of pitching depth in the minors, which could be very attractive to the Astros), the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Indians, and the Texas Rangers (who are pursuing Padres closer Heath Bell much more than Pence). The Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have also been in the mix.

Quentin has been linked to the Phillies for a few days now, but White Sox GM Kenny Williams has stated that Quentin might be off the market. However, recent reports have surfaced that he might be on the market again, with the Phillies’ division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, being considered the front-runners due to their huge minor league depth.

Adams is the Phillies’ top target in the bullpen department, but he would be difficult to get given the fact that the Padres have little interest in moving him, especially since he’s inexpensive and is under team control through next season. He could be a good fit in Philadelphia, and if all else fails with Pence and Quentin, the Phillies could also try to get Padres left fielder Ryan Ludwick in a deal along with Adams.

It is often said that history repeats itself. But will that be the case with the Philadelphia Phillies? They have made big trades in the last two years on July 29, acquiring aces Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt in 2009 and 2010 respectively. And while the Phillies aren’t pursuing a starting pitcher this season, they are still going after the top names on the trade market in Hunter Pence, Carlos Quentin, and Mike Adams.

But will the Phillies get who they covet most, or will they have to settle for less than what they would like? Or, if nothing goes according to plan, will the Phillies ultimately stand pat at the deadline this season?

If the past has been an indicator, which it seemingly has, then the Phillies will go all-in and try to get Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros.

And today, July 29, could be the day that such a trade could happen.  

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Philadelphia Must Stay Away From Carlos Quentin

The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing to put a vice grip on the National League East, National League and major league.

They have toyed with the ideas of bringing in a veteran right fielder to cement their lineup with Names such Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence being thrown around of late.

In wake of Beltran being shipped off to the Bay to join the Giants, the Phillies are looking to the Windy City for a new target.

“Source: Phillies have done background work on Carlos Quentin, who could be middle-of-the-order bat they covet,” according to ESPN’s Buster Olney on Twitter. 

I don’t disagree that this would be a power move for the Phils. I also don’t disagree that he would make a nice fit in the heart of the lineup because let’s be serious, you and I could do some damage in this lineup.

Yet the Phils must stay away from Quention until they exhaust all of their resources trying to land All-Star Hunter Pence from Houston. Now that would be the power move to give the Phils a stranglehold on the majors.

I’m sorry, did I say stranglehold? I meant death grip.

No team could compete with the Phillies if they land Pence over Quention because his defense is simply far superior.

Quentin is inferior in the outfield as he is slower and has a weaker arm than Pence. Though he displays fine power, he has been inconsistent during his career.

Is this man ready for the bright lights and pressure of Philly? I’m not so sure, considering he couldn’t even handle it in the Windy City.

The soon-to-be 29-year-old is in the prime of his career and has 20 homers and 62 RBI on the season. Unfortunately, he does not hit for average like Pence does.

Whereas Pence is currently hitting over .300, Quentin is hitting .265 and is a career .254 hitter. He has not lived up to his expectations since exploding on the scene in 2007 with 36 HR and 100 RBI.

Obviously, Quentin is a fine acquisition. Nobody would dispute that he could do damage in Philly’s lineup, but it’s all about Pence’s combination of defense and offense. Domonic Brown has the defense Philly wants in Quentin while Quentin has the offense Philly wants in Brown.

Why not exhaust your resources to land the man who can do it all? Philly has the ability to woo Houston into a deal for Pence because they have quality prospects a team like the Astros would covet.

Pence has every tool necessary to dominate for this team and he is younger with an affordable contract.

If Philly doesn’t do everything in its power to land Pence to secure a dynasty its fans have never seen before, they may have to consider this a disappointing trade deadline.

-Brandon Galvin is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist and Syndicated Writer. Follow Him on Twitter.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Trading for Carlos Beltran Isn’t a Good Option

Philadelphia has gone crazy, folks, and it’s all Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Vance Worley’s fault. Ruben Amaro’s, too.

Listening to the Philly masses lately you’d have thought the Phillies were struggling to keep above .500. Everywhere you go it’s, “Who should they go after at the trade deadline?” and “The Phils need a right-handed bat desperately to balance out their lefty-filled line-up.”

Call me crazy, but since when does the team with the best record in all of baseball desperately need anything?

Every year Philadelphians are used to having something to complain about this time of year. Now that the Fightin’s are sitting atop the National League East with the largest division lead in the majors, nobody knows what to do with themselves.

This lost feeling of “What do we do now?” has virtually created the idea that the Phillies have the worst offense in the history of baseball (at least that’s how it seems), when in actuality they’re seventh in the National League and 14th overall in runs per game.

While the seventh best offense in the NL isn’t something you’ll be telling to your grandchildren someday, you can win with that type of production, especially in 2011. We saw it last year when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series, mostly off of stellar pitching with a few offensive heroics coming from players who stepped up when it mattered (Cody Ross, Edgar Renteria, Pat Burrell, etc.)

Yet, everyday we continue to see the rumors swirling that involve the Phillies looking to pick up a right-handed outfielder or extra bullpen help. Carlos Beltran has been the name most frequently mentioned, with Hunter Pence and Michael Cuddyer popping up every so often, as well.

On top of that, the team has reportedly kicked the tires on relievers such as Heath Bell from San Diego and Leo Nunez from intra-division rival Florida.

While a trade to acquire a needed right-handed bat or an extra reliever would certainly help the team, it isn’t as necessary as it has been perceived.

Carlos Beltran, if acquired, could not make any less sense for the Phillies. While he is a switch hitter that can add some more power into the middle of the order and play in right field where they need the most help, Cuddyer and Pence are far better options.

To begin with, the 34-year-old Beltran is far worse from the right side of the plate than he is from the left. Hitting right-handed this season he is .227, compared to .315 hitting lefty.

Using him to “balance” out the line-up could prove to be a liability more than an improvement. Opposing teams could use special relievers to force him to the right side of the plate, where he simply doesn’t produce as much.

Add to that his age, long history of injuries and the fact that he would only be a rental player for the rest of this season, and it’s clear that Beltran shouldn’t even be in consideration for the Phillies.

Pence and Cuddyer would both be suitable options for the Phils’ line-up. Both hit right-handed, both play right field, and both have shown a consistent ability to produce this season. Cuddyer has hit for a .299 average with 14 home runs and 47 RBI, while Pence has a .312 average with 11 HR’s and 61 RBI.

Pence would be the ideal player to go after, considering he’s only 28 and has another year left on his contract, meaning he would be able to replace Raul Ibanez in left after his contract expires at the end of the season. The snag in the deal is the price just might be too far out of Ruben Amaro Jr.’s  reach.

Ed Wade, ex-Phillies general manager and current GM of the Astros, probably wouldn’t give Amaro any hometown discount considering Pence is by far the most talented and most popular player in Houston.

That’s where they could turn to Cuddyer, who even though is on the last year of his contract, wouldn’t demand so much that he couldn’t be re-signed after the season. He’s a slight drop-off from Pence in production, but his experience and reputation of being a great clubhouse guy and fan favorite is something the Astros outfielder lacks.

The main thing to remember is that the Phillies don’t need anything.

An extra arm in the bullpen wouldn’t hurt, but they’ve managed to roll along through the first half of the season as one of the best bullpens in the league. Up until last week, they had been in the top two in bullpen ERA with division foe the Atlanta Braves for most of the season.

Michael Stutes has hit a slight bump in the road, but he’s been consistent and reliable since day one. The fact that Antonia Bastardo didn’t make the NL All-Star team is a travesty, and it’s even worse that seemingly nobody noticed.

Ryan Madson continues to be the team’s most intimidating and dominating reliever, and Brad Lidge is just now coming off the disabled list. Once Jose Contreras returns to the team, the Phillies will be locked and loaded on arms.

And while they could use another right-handed bat in the middle of the line-up, it won’t make or break them. This team can survive with an average line-up because of the consistent support from their stellar pitching staff.

The perception is that their offense is dreadful, when truly if the season ended today, they’d have scored the most runs of any NL playoff team. They have the best run differential in the NL by far, and the third best overall. In July they’ve averaged 5.7 runs per game with the best average in the NL.

Philadelphians are so instinctively used to needing something more to put the team over the top that we find the smallest holes and make them seem bigger. We should just be thankful for having so few needs rather than magnifying every little one we find.

If the Phillies pull off a deal to bring in Hunter Pence or Michael Cuddyer, even Carlos Beltran, that’s great as long as they don’t sell the farm system they’ve managed to rebuild. In no way am I saying these players would hurt the team.

But keep in mind that often enough it’s the Cody Ross’s of the world that step up come October, not the big name mid-season acquisitions. Role players down the stretch and in the playoffs are just as important as your stars.

What’s going to decide this team’s fate is how well they decide to hit in the postseason. One right-handed bat isn’t going to greatly change anything. The other eight guys in the order still have to produce. The Phillies can win with the team they have assembled now, everything just needs to come together when it counts.

I know it may be a tad boring, Philly fans, but how about we sit out the trade deadline hoopla for just one year? We have the best team in baseball right now. Let’s just enjoy it for a while.

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Should the Philadelphia Phillies Make a Deal for Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence?

“I’m not talking about any trades.” These are the words uttered by Ruben Amaro Jr. on Friday night according to CSN reporter Jim Salisbury. In the end, this is probably just a defense mechanism for Amaro, but there is no secret the Phillies need to seriously consider a deal prior to the trade deadline, if they want to parade down broad street in November. 

So the question is, who should the Phillies target? The team has already been linked to numerous players such as San Diego Padres reliever Heath Bell, New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran and Houston Astros right fielder Hunter Pence. 

The Phillies’ most glaring problem is their offense and that is why their priority should be acquiring a bat. They have managed quite fine with Antonio Bastardo filling in for Ryan Madsen, not to mention rookie Michael Stutes who has performed well going 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA while Brad Lidge was activated on July 22 prior to the Phillies game against the Padres. Therefore, a trade for Heath Bell may not be needed. 

However, the bats of either Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence could provide an upgrade to the Phillies lineup and give Ryan Howard the protection he has been lacking since the departure of Jayson Werth. 

Beltran, age 34, has underachieved in New York after he signed a seven-year, $119 million contract which ends after this season. The career .282 hitter has turned in a good season thus far, hitting .289 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI. What makes Beltran so enticing is that the Mets will reportedly pay the $6 million remaining on his contract this season. This almost guarantees that some team will make a deal for Beltran even if it is only a rental for this season.

Hunter Pence is a four-year pro who has already made two all-star appearances (2009, 2011). The 2004 second-round draft pick has lived up to all the expectations. He is currently batting .312 with 11 home runs and 61 RBI. If the Phillies did make a move for Pence, they would owe him approximately $3.45 million (pro-rated portion of his $ 6.9 million per season) and he would remain under contract until 2013.

The biggest obstacle in the way of the Phillies is their second highest payroll in the majors at $175 million, which only gives them $3 million to maneuver with before the luxury tax kicks in.  They would most certainly have to deal a young talented player like Vance Worley or Dominic Brown (see here). All of this depends on whether the Phillies are poised to make a deal for the moment or if they have the future in mind. 

If they are thinking about right now, then trading Brown and acquiring Beltran would be the move—if they have the future in mind, then maybe a deal for Pence involving Worley would be the decision.

I’m sure there is a consensus that the Phillies must improve there offense and do it quickly.  

Also on Phillies101.com 

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Talkin’ Phillies: Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes, a Celebration

The 2011 Phillies’ season was supposed to be one for the ages. With the re-acquisition of fan-favorite Cliff Lee, the Phils claimed (on paper) one of the greatest starting pitching rotations in baseball history.

To shorten the premise for this piece, three of the four aces have lived up to their billing, but tons of injuries could have derailed this season, if not for the three biggest surprises of this (or any recent) Phillies’ season—pitchers Vance Worley, Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes.

So, let’s sing their praises with a big assist from Terry Cashman’s Talkin’ Baseball.

 

TALKIN’ PHILLIES

 

Brad Lidge is still unhealthy

Danys Baez stinks, though wealthy

Contreras and Fat Joe are feeling lame

Three of phour aces can’t be beat

Ryan Madson’s throwing heat

And half the Phillies’ regulars can’t find their game

 

We’re talkin’ Phillies

Chase Utley, Ryan Howard

Talkin’ Phillies

Can’t hit for any power

So who would save this season for the fans

To make good all those World Series plans

We turned to Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes

 

Well, Charlie’s not too happy

Our potent bats turned crappy

With injuries too frequent to ignore

Oswalt was in Ole Miss

Ibanez was getting dissed

And our once prodigious offense couldn’t even score

 

We’re talkin’ Phillies

Chase Utley, Ryan Howard

Talkin’ Phillies

Can’t hit for any power

Our much awaited season was in flames

Would Charlie or Amaro take the blame?

But we had Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes

 

So now, it’s the summer

And we still can’t find our lumber

And Worley seems to grant our every wish

But Jimmy’s starting to Roll

Victorino’s back playing ball

And Chooch keeps flashing fingers from behind the dish

 

We’re talkin’ Phillies

Chase Utley, Ryan Howard

Talkin’ Phillies

Can’t hit for any power

So who would save this season for the fans

To make good all those World Series plans

We turned to Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes

 

Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes (say “k”, say “k”, say “k”)

Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes (say “k”, say “k”, say “k”)

We’re talkin’ Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes (say “k”, say “k”, say “k”)

Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes (say “k”, say “k”, say “k”)

Say Worley, Bastardo and the Stutes …

 

Printed with permission of author Matthew J. (Matt) Goldberg, www.tipofthegoldberg.com

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Philadelphia Phillies: Hunter Pence Worth a Gamble, but for Domonic Brown?

According to a report by Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com on Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies are keeping tabs on Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence.

“He’s the guy they want,” a baseball official said to Salisbury. “But the price is very high.”

So the question is, how high is too high?

The player Houston would be most likely to receive in return would be Domonic Brown, according to Salisbury. It is easy to understand why. Brown is an up-and-coming prospect whom the Phillies have been grooming to be an everyday outfielder. If the Astros are going to give up on Pence, an all-star outfielder, they would require a player with potential to replace him.

The Phillies and Astros have made a number of trades with each other over the years, especially since former Phillies general manager Ed Wade was hired by Houston for the same position.

For the most part, those trades have paid off well for the Phillies, including a couple of moves to acquire Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt. The Astros in turn have turned prospect Michael Bourne in to an all-star center fielder and have benefitted from acquiring Brett Myers. J.A. Happ has had his ups and downs in Houston.

Should the Phillies be willing to trade Brown if it means getting Pence?

Pence may give the Phillies a better chance to win this season than Brown will, but how many times can the Phillies trade away the future in order to increase the odds of winning now?

It is a tough debate with no certain answers. If Brown develops the way the Phillies would hope, then who is to say Brown does not give the team a better chance to win next year, the year after that and the year after that?

The Phillies’ general manager is known to make a bold move. Since taking over the job from Pat GIllick, Amaro has orchestrated deals to acquire Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Oswalt, Placido Polanco and Cliff Lee (again).

Compared to some of those moves, getting Pence on the roster would seem to be a piece of cake, even if his payroll is said to be maxed out. Nothing should be thought of as impossible with Amaro at the helm.

But should he pull the trigger on Pence for Brown, and likely another prospect or two?

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Philadelphia Phillies: Has Ryan Madson Returned As the Permanent Closer?

Although there was much excitement over the return of Brad Lidge to the active roster, he did not make an appearance last night due to a phenomenal outing from Cole Hamels and a shut down ninth from Ryan Madson.

The bigger question that this raises is whether or not Madson will remain as the full-time closer instead of Antonio Bastardo.

All signs point to yes. Charlie Manuel had said that Madson would return to close after his rehab, and that is what seems to be happening if last night is any indication.

According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Charlie Manuel had this to say about his overload of closers:

“We’ve got two good guys right now. That’s a good problem to have. I don’t mind those problems. We’ll see where it goes. We’ve got confidence in both. I’m not afraid to use them at any point in the game.”

He is right, it is great to have a very solid right-handed and left-handed pitcher to come out of the bullpen and be able to pitch at the end of the game.

Even if Bastardo is not pitching the ninth inning, he is going to be extremely valuable for the Phillies throughout the final push.

Ryan Madson himself was great outside of that closing role in 2008.

Also, being left-handed and not the closer could allow Charlie Manuel to use him whenever they need to get out some big left-handed bat.

The Phillies want to use him as more than just a one out left-handed specialist, but without being locked into the ninth inning, Manuel could have more flexibility to use Bastardo when they need those left-handed outs.

I think that Madson will continue the success that he had been having earlier this season as the closer.

He has a 2.08 ERA and has gotten 16 saves in 17 opportunities. Maybe he has finally been able to tack down that closer’s role successfully.

If he has, he will have quite a payday this off-season.

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