MLB Trade Deadline: Best Non-Kevin Youkilis Options for the Phillies at 3B

Third base is not a position of strength or the Philadelphia Phillies.  Placido Polanco is an adequate-to-excellent defensive third baseman, but as father time has taken his toll, his lack of power and consistency with the bat have made him an offensive liability. 

If the Phillies find themselves in contention upon the returns of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard—a huge “if” given the current landscape of the National League East—then an upgrade at third base is probably on the short wish list for GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

While that’s all well and good in theory, though, a pretty bare market coupled with an exhausted farm system might make the task significantly more difficult. 

The first name I’m crossing off the list is Kevin Youkilis, a name that’s been discussed a lot.  That’s not necessarily to mean that I don’t think it could happen, but despite his struggles offensively this season, he will no doubt be the target of many teams if things continue the way they’re going.  So this piece is written from the standpoint that he is no longer available. 

All of the stars at third—guys like Chipper Jones, Evan Longoria, Miguel Cabrera, Adrian Beltre, and Alex Rodriguez—find themselves on contenders.  They won’t be going anywhere before July 31. 

Other bigger names—David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, and Hanley Ramirez, to name a few—are on teams playing above expectations, with chances to be buyers at the deadline for the first time in a while.  Don’t expect them to sell off cornerstones (pun intended) without crumbling first.

Then there’s the young guys—Will Middlebrooks, Mike Moustakas, Kyle Seager, Pedro Alvarez—that would demand far too much in return, and are more building blocks than trading chips.

So what’s left?

A mix of journeymen and poor defensive fits is what this market will consist of.  While some may be upgrades over Polanco in terms of power, they might be inferior on defense, or might not be as good at getting on base.  But for a team that’s fourth in the NL in hitting and second in fielding, it might be a trade-off worth taking.

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‘The Man’ to the Man Who May Never Play Another Baseball Game

Chase Utley is a fan favorite. He will always have the hearts of the Philly faithful and deservedly so. That being said, we are far from the days of Chase Utley being an All-Star, or even seeing the diamond at all.

In the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees, Chase Utley was the best player on the field. He may have been the most complete hitter in baseball.

Since then, Utley has battled multiple debilitating injuries, including chronic chondromalacia in both knees.

The Phillies‘ lineup has not been the same these past three seasons. Utley’s presence has clearly been missed both on the field and in the clubhouse. He is a quiet leader who plays with passion. Unfortunately, that passion may have been his demise. Utley played so hard and with so much heart that he wore out. His body simply could not handle the wear and tear any longer.

For the Phillies, this is devastating. Whether or not Utley can return to the field is one thing, but whether or not he can return to All-Star form is another. The Phillies have a lot of money invested in him and thus far it has been all for nothing.

If we have seen Chase Utley for the last time, it was a great run. This was the greatest run of success in the history of the Phillies franchise. We all became spoiled over the last six or seven years. We should look back with a great deal of honor and happiness that we got to see a player like Utley for as long as we did. In professional sports, there are not too many players who leave it all on the line like Utley did for so long.

As the great Harry Kalas once said, “Chase Utley, you are the man!”

 

 

 

 

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One Tell-All Stat About All 25 Philadelphia Phillies Players

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ season has had more twists and turns and ups and downs than a roller coaster built into the side of a mountain range this season, and the truth of the matter is that, with some of their big names still out of the lineup, we haven’t seen anything yet.

So while the Phillies have been anything but predictable this season, the one thing they have been is interesting, and we all knew that was going to be the case.

After all, they have the pitching. Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels have been stellar, but did anyone expect to have to keep an eye on Roy Halladay? How about Joe Blanton’s hot start or Jonathan Papelbon’s saves streak?

We knew that the absence of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard would hurt the Phillies’ lineup, but who expected Hunter Pence’s streaky year or Carlos Ruiz’s MVP-like campaign?

To say that the early part of the season was a struggle for the Phillies would be a drastic understatement, but now, right in the thick of the month of May, it sure seems as though this club is starting to fire on all cylinders as they wait for the return of their All-Star, right side of the infield.

But baseball is a funny sport, and sometimes, words don’t tell the entire story. Stats do. So if you’re looking for one tell-tale stat for each Phillies’ player currently on the 25-man roster, look no further.

Here’s why certain guys are on fire and others are still struggling.

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Should the Phillies Wait to Extend Cole Hamels or Do It Now?

Cole Hamels is a World Series MVP, a world-class pitcher, left-handed and just 28 years old.  He’s got that SoCal cool about him, a slightly high-pitched and nerdy sounding voice and a smokin’ wife who once stripped for peanut butter during a challenge on Survivor.

He’s also going to be very, very, very rich very soon.

Many experts believe that the six year, $127.5 million dollar contract extension Matt Cain signed at the beginning of April set the market for Hamels’ extension.  I personally believe he’s worth even more, and that he could easily garner $150 million or more on the open market this winter.

And so the Phillies have a dilemma on their hands: Should they push to re-sign Cole Hamels as soon as possible, or should they wait until after the season to address the issue?

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Philadelphia Phillies: How the Phillies Can Sweep the Washington Nationals

When the baseball schedule was first released, not many expected a late May series between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies to be one with a lot of importance. While many may have expected the series to feature the division leader and the team in the cellar, it is a safe bet that not many expected the Phillies to be in the cellar and the Nationals to be near the top, a few games behind the Atlanta Braves for the division lead.

It may not have been the expected result but nevertheless that is how things have shaken out and that is likely what will be the story of the series.

For the Phillies, this series is almost make or break. They are coming off of a stretch which saw them win seven of their last 11 games, but which also included two back-to-back losses against the struggling, under .500 Boston Red Sox. During this stretch the Phillies got their record above .500 for the first time since their season opening win.

With the Nationals in a bit of a slide, the Braves have taken over first place. Their record is good enough for third best in MLB and as they keep winning, it is going to become harder and harder for the Phillies to catch up to them, especially if they do not manage to win this series against the Nationals.

It won’t be easy, but the Phillies have been a much better team in May. Also, with the injuries the Nationals have suffered, the Phils would be primed to take advantage. As the Nationals are a young and up and coming team, winning this series would be a small way that the Phillies could prove to their NL East opponents, that their reign at the top is not yet over.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Starter Vance Worley Likely to Require Offseason Surgery

According to a report by NBC’s HardballTalk, starting pitcher Vance Worley will require offseason surgery to fix bone chips in his right elbow. Like the Philadelphia Phillies, 21-21 and last in the NL East, needed any more bad news.

Worley was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday due to what he described as “soreness” in his right elbow. As the report dictates, an MRI revealed bone chips that will require surgery; even so, Worley plans to return as scheduled off of the DL:

“Man up…That’s the only thing I can do. I’ll just grit and grind out there.”

Doesn’t sound too reassuring.

There have been rumors that Worley has already been working to change his delivery in order to compensate for the pain he is feeling. Changing one’s delivery to avoid pain never ends well, and the long-term consequences for Vance’s shoulder could be serious. 

Even thinking completely in baseball terms, a change in delivery could mean a less effective pitcher. Worley has gone 15-6 with a 2.91 ERA thus far in his career with the Phillies, numbers that they can’t afford to lose at this point in time; they are five games behind the division-leading Braves.

The Phillies coaching staff is faced with a tough decision: hope for the best and allow Worley to do his thing, or play it safe, giving Worley surgery now and allowing him to recover, and possibly lose out on a postseason spot.

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Philadelphia Phillies: The Risks and Rewards of Pursuing Kevin Youkilis

Kevin Youkilis is almost definitely going to be out of Boston by the trade deadline.

Will Middlebrooks has been proving himself as the third baseman of the future at Fenway Park, and that leaves very little room for the man who was once deemed “The Greek God of Walks.”

These rumors have been circulating for a few weeks, but today Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reported on Twitter that the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Indians are among the teams keeping track of Youkilis on his minor league rehab.

My only thought in this situation is confusion about the potential risks and rewards.

In one sense, I appreciate the fact that the Phillies might be looking for a more powerful right-handed bat than Placido Polanco. Youkilis has hit at least 15 home runs the past five seasons while Polanco has only hit 10 home runs one time in the last five years. This could be a very high potential reward for a team that needs to generate some type of offense.

However, if there really could be potential competition in the market for Youkilis from the Indians for others, his price tag might become disproportionately inflated in relation to the risk that his new team would be absorbing.

Youkilis has hit .219 with two home runs and nine RBI with the Boston Red Sox this season. On top of that, while he has always been known for his high on-base percentage, he has struck out four times more than he has walked in 2012 (20 versus five).

2011 saw Youkilis start to fade, and he has not done very much to turn it around in 2012.

I am not saying that Youkilis has no hope and should hang up his spikes. He might rebound. Players have had worse seasons and continued their careers with great success.

Rather, if the Phillies are thinking about making this trade, they need to be very careful that they do not overpay for his potential reward. There would be a lot of risk, and the Phillies are not necessarily in a position to take more than they should.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Reasons to Believe the Phillies Can Still Take NL East

At the quarter pole of the 2012 season, the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in unfamiliar territory—staring up at the rest of the National League East.  And while the Phightins are off to their slowest start in the last five years, there’s still reason to believe Philadelphia can claim its sixth consecutive division crown.  

Here are five good reasons to believe.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Just Waive Jim Thome Already

In the offseason, with Ryan Howard out for an extended period of time, the Philadelphia Phillies grabbed Jim Thome for $1.25 million. 

That experiment has run its course, and it’s time for the club to part ways with the aging bat.

Here are six reasons why:

 

1.  He’s hurt

Thome has been on the DL all month with a bad back. In the past, he’s had troubles with his elbow and his legs. Even if comes back in a week or two, whether he will be 100 percent is doubtful.  

2.  He can’t field to save his life

Thome has 137 career errors, and career is 31 total-zone, total-fielding runs below average. He has a career -17.1 defensive wins-above-replacement and has 13 seasons of a dWAR of -0.5 or worse.  

Also, did I mention he has no legs?

3.  Nor can he hit anymore

This season with the Phillies, Thome has gone 2-for-18, hasn’t scored, hasn’t driven anybody in and hasn’t had an extra base hit. He’s had only three home runs and only seven extra-base hits in his last 103 plate appearances.  

4.  Philly already has enough first basemen

Off the top of your head, can you tell me how many people have played first for the Phillies in the last month and a half?

If you said “five,” you’re correct: the other four are Ty Wigginton, John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix and Hector Luna.

Of those five, the one with the lowest batting average at the position is…Thome.  The only one without an extra-base hit is…Thome.

To be fair, Nix is on the DL, and Mayberry is really more of a converted outfielder, but that still leaves Wiggington, who is batting .308 with 10 RBIs and an .814 OPS when at the first base position.

And journeyman Triple-A callup Luna to back him up rather than Thome.     

5.  Ryan Howard will be back soon

Howard replaced Thome at first base for the Phillies in 2005. Then, Thome replaced Howard at first at the beginning of this season. Howard has begun an extended rehab assignment in Clearwater and will be ready to again replace Thome before the All-Star break, possibly well before.   

6.  It’s time for Thome to retire

Thome will be 42 before the season is over. He hasn’t hit 30 homers since 2008. He hasn’t had 250 total bases or even played 130 games in a season since then either.

In the past seven seasons, he’s fielded a grand total of 55 innings. He’s stolen one base in the last decade. 

He’s either cemented his case for the Hall of Fame, or is at the point where he can’t do anything more to help it.

Bottom line: The Phillies need to waive Jim Thome.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Players Making Statements in 2012

After starting out 2012 sluggishly, the Philadelphia Phillies have put the pedal to the medal over the last week, winning six straight games and seven out of eight against San Diego, Houston, Chicago, and now Boston.

There have been plenty of disappointments so far—Chad Qualls, John Mayberry Jr, Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino—but plenty of Phillies have made inroads in their careers as they soar past expectations.

The offense seems back on track, with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley set to return within the next six weeks, the starting pitching is as solid as ever and the fielding hasn’t dipped since last year with the exception of a few extreme cases. Even though they are four games back and last in the division, this team seems poised to make a run thanks to a handful of players making the most of their playing time. 

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