Philadelphia Phillies Need To Re-Sign Chad Durbin Before He Signs Elsewhere

It is already February, 13 days until pitchers and catchers are set to report to sunny Clearwater, Florida. But one familiar face to the Philadelphia Phillies is not going to be with them. At least as of right now, anyway.

Chad Durbin, the workhorse who signed with the Phillies prior to the 2008 season and contributed greatly to their playoff appearances in 2008, 2009 and 2010, seems to be the odd man out in this situation. When the Phillies offered arbitration to Kyle Kendrick and signed him to a $2.45 million contract, it was not necessarily to be a starting pitcher on the Phillies staff.

Because the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Joe Blanton and fifth starter Cole Hamels, Kendrick is getting bumped to the bullpen. But with Danys Baez entrenched in the bullpen because the Phillies are paying him $2.5 million, there is no room for Durbin.

Durbin was not necessarily a long reliever or “mop up” man, but he could pitch multiple innings in the middle of a game and keep the game close. In one instance in 2009, Cole Hamels left the game in the fourth inning due to an injury. Durbin pitched the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, making way for the setup man and closer, and the Phillies won.

While I previously wrote that Greg Dobbs would be missed, Chad Durbin would be missed much more. Let’s hope the Phillies sign him and trade someone to make room.

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