Jimmy Rollins: Is the Phillies SS Going to Have a Big Second Half of the Season?

Money can motivate human beings to do many different things, especially when you are a professional athlete and millions of dollars are on the line.

This could be the case for Jimmy Rollins, who has played improved baseball as of late.

Rollins is due for a new contract at the end of the season when he will become a free agent. He is currently the sixth-highest-paid player on the Phillies roster with a price tag of $8.5 million.

With 65 games remaining, he will be trying his best to show he’s worthy of a new deal. Since returning from the All-Star break, he has shown glimpses of his MVP form and should have Phillies fans excited for what may come for the remainder of the season.

In the Phillies 9-1 win and series-clincher against the Charlie Manuel has sporadically shuffled the lineup from time to time this year, but now has Rollins back in the leadoff spot. It seems as if Rollins is beginning to find his groove and could be cashing in in the end. 

Also on Phillies101.com 

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MLB Trade Rumors: Philadelphia Phillies in Serious Talks for Melky Cabrera

For the last few months, the narrative in Philadelphia has been that the Phillies need to pick up a right-handed bat, specifically one that plays corner outfield.

Yet never has the name Melky Cabrera been mentioned.  Instead, the choice du jour has primarily been Hunter Pence.  The thoughts are he is only 28 years old and that he is the right-handed power bat needed to protect Ryan Howard.  He is a strong defensive corner outfielder and is under club control for two more years, so he can replace Raul Ibanez next season.

Recently, though, the thought process shifted to consider the acquisition of New York Mets All-Star Carlos Beltran.  Beltran is a switch hitter, so he fits the tab for right-handed power.  However, at 34 he is older and only a rental as his contract expires after the season.

The upside is that he should cost less to acquire and would be exactly the type of hitter to protect Howard that fans feel the Phils are missing.  Furthermore, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has reportedly been aggressively pursuing Beltran.

If the past is any indication, what Amaro wants, Amaro gets.

So here comes the curveball.

Apparently, Amaro and the Kansas City Royals have exchanged names and are in serious talks about a deal involving Melky Cabrera.  Now Melky doesn’t exactly appear to be an imposing name to any Phils fan who watched him suffer through a rough season on the Atlanta Braves last year.

But Melky has bounced back strongly this year, is a switch hitter and has defensive flexibility.  Melky would likely come much cheaper than either of the other two and would still be under contract with the Phillies next season for about a million dollars, so he provides financial flexibility as well.

So the question remains, what is the best option for the Fightins?  Should they get the rental in Beltran, pay more to get a solid corner outfielder in Pence for a few years or go in the bargain bin and get a solid but unspectacular Melky?  A closer look at their season numbers should help provide some clarity.

*sOPS+ is the batter’s OPS relative to the league average for that split. Anything over 100 is above average, anything below 100 is below average, and 100 is exactly average.

Carlos Beltran

Split	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	sOPS+*	BABIP
vs RHP	.319	.427	.525	.952	157	.354
vs LHP	.232	.296	.547	.839	122	.206

 

Hunter Pence

Split	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	sOPS+	BABIP
vs RHP	.329	.372	.502	.873	156	.408
vs LHP	.275	.330	.429	.759	104	.299

 

Melky Cabrera

Split	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	sOPS+	BABIP
vs RHP	.296	.336	.477	.812	118	.324
vs LHP	.290	.321	.412	.734	98	.313

 

After looking at the numbers, the answer seems pretty clear. If the Phils are looking for the best player to get right now, then Carlos Beltran is clearly the answer.  He provides the most value against southpaws and is hitting right-handers just as well as Pence.

In fact, he can even be expected to improve some against lefties as he is suffering from a little bit of tough luck right now on balls in play.

The numbers are not as kind to Hunter Pence.  It shows he has been incredibly lucky against righties as he is hitting over .400 when putting the ball in play.  That simply is not something he can sustain, no matter how well he keeps making contact.  Sooner or later, the ball will start finding gloves.

But more concerning is that he does not appear to be the right-handed power bat everyone thinks he is.  He is just about an average hitter when it comes to facing portsiders. Most of his damage is against righties. That simply will not be a deterrent for teams bringing in a lefty specialist late in games.  The Phillies will be paying for a right-handed bat who can mash lefties and end up with only an average hitter in those situations.

Melky, on the other hand, is putting up numbers very similar to Pence against lefties. He too is just about league average.  Against righties, while not as dominant as Beltran and Pence, he has been a very good bat nonetheless.

He is capable of playing all the outfield positions and is a very experienced postseason veteran.  While he may feel like he has been around forever, Melky is only 26 years old and may be just hitting full stride as a ballplayer.

So this is the decision the Phillies face.

Get the best player available but risk trading prospects to your division rival, get Pence who is a good player but will likely cost the most in both money and prospects or get the solid Melky Cabrera who, in costing the least of the trio to acquire, will save the farm system while providing nearly identical production to Pence against southpaws.

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MLB Trade Rumors: Carlos Beltran and Potential Landing Spots for Top 5 Players

Ten days remain until the MLB trade deadline, and some of the biggest names in baseball have been involved in rumors for weeks.

Baseball has seen some blockbuster trades at the deadline the past few seasons with names like Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Matt Holliday being shipped to teams with world championship aspirations.

Division races are heating up and some of the best teams in baseball are rumored to be pursuing top-flight talent that they believe will push their team over the top.

Which players are available, and where will they land?

Some teams have made it known that they will charge a king’s ransom for their players, so what would it take to acquire one of the names being mentioned in trade rumors?

Here are five potential landing spots for players involved in trade rumors.

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Philadelphia Phillies: No Pain, No Gain

Wednesday was the kind of Phillies game I like.  High scoring, low stress.  

Pretty much right from the start you knew that this one would go in the win column for the fightin’ Phils.

In fact, the Phillies have continued their streak of winning series since their return from the All-Star break.  They won two of three from the Mets and two of three from the Cubs.  

Who won those four games?  Vance Worley won two, Kyle Kendrick and Michael Stutes each won one. Worley, Kendrick, Stutes—just who we thought would be winning games for the Phillies, right?

And what about offensively?  The leader in RBI since the All-Star break has eight. It’s not Ryan Howard or Chase Utley, not Shane Victorino or Raul Ibanez, either.

The Phillies RBI leader since the break is Michael Martinez.  Now, Jimmy Rollins is second with six (Did you see him hit home runs from both sides of the plate yesterday??), but third is John Mayberry with five.

And while Rollins leads in runs scored with eight, tied for second? Domonic Brown and Michael Martinez.

So let’s review, the Phils are 4-2 since their return from the All-Star break, and the major contributors to this early second half success are Vance Worley, Michael Stutes, Michael Martinez, Domonic Brown and John Mayberry.  

Oh yeah, there have been two saves as well, recorded by—you guessed it—Antonio Bastardo.  

None of these players, except maybe Brown, would even be in the lineup if it were nor for injuries (that’s the no pain, part.)

In fact, the Phillies have been decimated by injuries so far.  Half of their starting lineup has missed significant time, and they lost their No. 3 and 4 starters and their top three bullpen closers.  

Yet, they sit atop the NL East at 61-36.  That’s 25 games over .500.  Twenty-five games!  And they lead the second place Braves by 4.5 games.  

Yes, we expected this team to be good, but if someone had said they would have all of the injuries mentioned above, I don’t think anyone thought they’d be this good. 

No, no one wants injuries, but the silver lining to losing your starters is learning something about your backups you might never have known.

In the case of the 2011 Phillies, we learned that there are some young pitchers and position players that could be a big part of this team’s future.

And not only the future, they might play significant roles this year as well.  Thanks to the unexpected playing time they are getting now, these young players will be battle tested for the stretch run and the playoffs should the Phillies get there.

In a long baseball season, every team needs to expect the unexpected. Almost every winning team can point to players not in the Opening Day lineup who still played big roles in their success often because of injury, and the deeper your roster, the better your chances.  

So let’s hear it for the boys, and I mean boys.  

Worley is 23, Brown and Stutes are 24. And Martinez, Mayberry and Bastardo are all under 30, all younger than the average age of this veterans Phillies lineup.

Thanks to bad backs and sprained thumbs, numb fingers and tired knees, the Phillies are actually a better team than they were when they started this 2011 season.  

And let’s not forget, they were pretty darn good to start with.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Each of the Uniforms in Phils History

Since 1883 the Philadelphia Phillies have used more versions of the letter “P” than any team should ever feel the need to wear.

From uniforms that would make Frank Rizzo proud, to pieces that would make Versace roll over in his grave, the Phillies have experimented with combinations that bring back both fond and repressed memories.

Before their current uniform, it seems like the Phillies had their best success in some of their worst looking uniforms, and vice versa. 

However, the one saving grace for even their worst uniforms has been the players who have worn them.

Even if they looked like they were found at the bottom of Santa’s closet.

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MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Pros and 5 Problems of Phillies Trading for Carlos Beltran

The Philadelphia Phillies are considering possible trades before the deadline at the end of July. According to Sports Illustrated, the Phillies are at the top of the list of teams desiring a trade for Carlos Beltran.

Is this newest development in the Phillies’ trade status a good one?

I think it could be. It depends how the game plays out, really. Here I’ll tell you five reasons it would be good to have Beltran on the club and five problems with trading for him. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Demote Closer of the Future Bastardo?

Ryan Madson has finally returned from the disabled list, and will resume his role as the Phillies closer in the near future.  That could be today, or perhaps later in the week.  Either way Antonio Bastardo is going back to his role as the eighth inning man.  Or maybe even the seventh inning and situational lefty role when Brad Lidge returns, which is seeming closer and closer every day.

 It’s a nice problem to have for a contending team heading into August, trying to figure out which role to pitch your most effective reliever will pitch in.  It says something about the quality of the other guys in the bullpen.  However, does it make sense to move Bastardo around?  Should the Phillies leave him in the closer’s role?

Charlie Manuel is set in his ways as a manager.  Ryan Madson is his closer and will remain so, just as Brad Lidge did in 2009.  With four division championships and a World Series trophy under his belt it’s difficult to question his judgment, but in this case he might be wrong.  

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6 Relievers Not Named Heath Bell Who Would Help the Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies must shore up their bullpen at the trade deadline.  The Phillies bullpen has been decimated by injuries this year, which has forced youngsters Mike Stutes and Antonio Bastardo into more prominent roles.  The two have performed beyond expectations, but how will the increased innings or the pressure of the postseason break them? 

With Brad Lidge’s status as an effective pitcher in doubt when he returns, the Phillies cannot afford to pass on bullpen help.

The Phillies are repeatedly being linked to Heath Bell.  Bell would be a good option, but a pricey one.  The Cardinals, who find themselves in an unexpected dogfight in the NL Central, seem desperate to match the Brewers acquisition of Francisco Rodriguez.  St. Louis could drive up the price of Bell.

Here are six potentially available pitchers, three right handed and three left handed, who could help the Phillies bullpen at a cheaper price.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Marlins’ Leo Nunez Would Improve the Bullpen

Even though the Phillies are the first team to 60 wins, they are still looking for ways to improve their team. Particularly, the Phillies are looking for more bullpen help and a right-handed bat.

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN tweeted yesterday that the Phillies have been checking out Marlins closer Leo Nunez. He also reported that in return, the Marlins would want young starting pitching.

The Phillies happen to have a lot of young starting pitching.

This may be a very nice trade for both teams.

Nunez, 27, has been doing pretty well as the closer this year in Florida.

He has saved 27 of 30 opportunities with an ERA of 3.30. His WHIP is a little high for a closer at 1.19. Opposing batters are only hitting .223 against him, so this indicates that his slightly elevated WHIP is due to the fact that he does walk quite a few hitters.

He probably would not close in Philadelphia due to the fact that the Phillies are already overloaded in potential closer options. However, he is a definite upgrade over Danys Baez as a right-handed reliever.

Nunez would be more than a rental because his contract would keep him under team control for next season as well. This could give the Phillies another option if Ryan Madson departs as a free agent.

The main problem with any trade is what the Phillies have to give up to grab Nunez.

The price should not be that ridiculously high because the Marlins will definitely be selling. They are 13.5 games back and in last place in the East.

They want young starting pitching. The Phillies have a lot of high-potential starting pitching at the lower levels in the minor leagues.

I think that it would probably take one of the higher-ceiling prospects with potentially a player to be named later to get this deal done just because it is a very competitive market for relief pitchers this year.

I think that this could be a very nice trade for the Phillies at a lower price than either Mike Adams or Heath Bell. This also might allow the Phillies to have the flexibility to look for that right-handed bat as well and fill more holes.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Their 10 Greatest Players Never to Win a Title

Winning a World Series title.  To be the best in the world at what you do.  Ask any athlete about their ultimate goal and they all say the same thing:  to win a championship. 

For professional baseball players no matter how many individual achievements they may have earned from Cy Young Awards to MVPs, they all want to be forever known as World Champions and have the ring to prove it.

But only one team can win it all each year which leaves many superstar athletes without that crowning achievement.  In the case of the Philadelphia Phillies, the championships have been few and far between. 

Although they are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of American pro sports dating all the way back to 1883, they have only won two (count ’em TWO)  World Series titles, one in 1980 and the other, in 2008.

That leaves lots of choices for this top ten list.  And this is one list these Phillies would rather not be on: The 10 Greatest Phillies Players to  Never Win a Title.  

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