Philadelphia Phillies: Will They Depend on the Bullpen More Than They Thought?

Ever since the Phillies signed Cliff Lee back in December, fans immediately began to come up with nicknames: “R2C2,” “The Phab Phour,” “The Four Aces,” you name it.

As fans reflected on this signing more, many began to wonder whether it was worth utilizing the bullpen often, aside from the closer (Brad Lidge) and the setup men (Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras).

Originally, the question leaned towards the answer “no.”

But after seeing the Phillies’ first two games this season, could that answer change to yes?

On Opening Day, Roy Halladay was dominant as ever, pitching through six innings and striking out six, giving up only one run on five hits. His pitch count, however, was high—through those six innings, he had thrown 101 pitches.

For those of you that don’t understand pitch count, think about this: Brett Myers, the opposing Astros‘ Opening Day starter, pitched just 85 pitches through seven innings of work. That’s impressive.

Although Halladay claims this was due to batters fouling off many of his pitches, he says that he’s confident that it was just a one-day thing and that he would have liked to pitch further into the game, though he understands the thinking behind pulling him after six innings.

After Halladay left the game, J.C. Romero, David Herndon, Ryan Madson and Danys Baez (who picked up the win) each contributed their pitching. The Phillies won 5-4 after a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, which was summed up by a walk-off single by John Mayberry, Jr.

In Game 2—Cliff Lee’s 2011 Philadelphia debut—Lee was more dominant than Halladay was the day before, striking out 11 batters in seven innings of work. He allowed three runs—all hit by Carlos Lee—but those runs were allowed on just four hits.

After Lee left, Baez pitched in the eighth and Jose Contreras closed the game, though the 9-4 win was not a save situation for Contreras. Lee picked up the win, and opposing starter Wandy Rodriguez took the loss.

Although Lee was less dependent on the bullpen, neither Halladay nor Lee pitched more than seven innings. Many fans, however, assumed that they would consistently pitched for eight innings or more in almost, if not all of their starts.

Could this assumption be proved false?

If Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt (who starts against Bud Norris today to sum up the series) and Cole Hamels are unable to live up to this expectation of going deep in games, will the bullpen matter more than the fans originally thought?

Currently, their seven bullpen pitchers are Danys Baez, Antonio Bastardo, Jose Contreras, David Herndon, Kyle Kendrick, Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero. Herndon, a rookie last year, is on the roster due to starting closer Brad Lidge’s shoulder injury, which landed him on the 15-day DL. It is currently unknown as to when Lidge is expected to return from the injury.

While the Phillies’ pitching rotation is one to be reckoned with right now, they could be more dependent on the bullpen then many fans thought. Of course, if the offense can provide comfortable run support, as they did in Cliff Lee’s start last night, then pitchers can be lifted earlier in games.

But if situations are more like they were last year, where the offense often failed to produce runs (like in Halladay’s Opening Day start this year), the Phillies could be more reliant on the bullpen after all.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts.

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Philadelphia Phillies: As Opening Day Approaches, Many Fans Still Have Questions

The beginning of the Philadelphia Phillies’ most anticipated season to date starts tomorrow afternoon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Citizens Bank Park at 1:05 p.m. EDT when Roy Halladay starts for the Phillies against their former “ace” Brett Myers, who will be starting for the Houston Astros to begin a three-game series.

This season is undoubtedly one that all Phillies fans are looking forward to, and one that they hopefully will never forget for all the right reasons.

With the addition of Cliff Lee back in December to their already-stellar pitching rotation consisting of Halladay, Roy Oswalt, who was acquired from the Houston Astros at last season’s trade deadline, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton, the Phillies have the best rotation baseball has seen for a while, they are favorites to win the NL Pennant, and they are favored by many to win it all as well.

First, the obvious: will the Phillies rotation live up to the hype?

Assuming all goes well for the rotation this season, there shouldn’t be any issues with the rotation. Even if one of their pitchers was injured, the Phillies can still perform extremely well. They didn’t even have Cliff Lee last season and they still led the major leagues in wins, with 97.

Then comes the question of whether the Phillies will be able to win the World Series, as many people believe they will. It is definitely possible, though their biggest threat in the World Series (assuming they make it there, but twists can always occur) would be the Boston Red Sox. They enhanced their strong lineup by signing free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal and by acquiring power hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres. This, along with their pitching rotation, poses a huge threat for anyone who faces them.

If these two teams face off in the World Series, it sure would be one to remember.

However, while the rotation is a huge plus, not all is well for the Phillies. Injuries have plagued them this past spring training, including Chase Utley’s right knee tendinitis, Brad Lidge’s bicep tendinitis and now rotator cuff strain, and Domonic Brown’s hand fracture, among others. Here are some questions that the Phillies and their fans might (and probably do) have about their injured players.

Will Chase Utley make a full, fast recovery?

Unfortunately fellow Phillies fans, the answer to this question is most likely no. Chase Utley has been battling this issue for quite some time, but not until recently did it become serious enough to bench him. He’s currently on the DL and the timetable for his return is uncertain at this point. Utley hopes that he can make it back by the All-Star break, if not earlier. Regardless, they’ll be without their star second baseman for quite some time.

Another question looming is this: With Brad Lidge on the DL, who will take his place as closer and will he succeed?

I wrote an article about this yesterday, which speaks about the extent of Lidge’s injury and his likely fill-in, Jose Contreras. Brad Lidge has a strain in the posterior of his right shoulder rotator cuff. This is the equivalent of a tear, though it is still referred to as a strain, and though the amount of time Lidge will be out is at least until May and his return could be as late as July. Phillies fans are hoping for a speedy recovery and, in the meantime, a good effort by Contreras.

Related to Domonic Brown’s injury, one of the biggest questions Phillies fans are asking is this: Who will be replacing Jayson Werth in right field, and will he be able to fill the void Werth has left?

In case you haven’t already heard, since Brown broke his hand after getting his first hit in spring training, he will be out until at least mid-April. For now, Ben Francisco will be the everyday starter in right field.

This, for the moment, is a good decision. This spring, Francisco posted a .361 batting average, five home runs, 14 RBI, an on-base percentage of .439 and a decent .667 slugging percentage, which amounts to a 1.106 OPS. That’s pretty darn good.

John Mayberry, Jr. will be the primary backup right fielder to Francisco until Brown returns, and he is a great option as well. Overall, there shouldn’t be any major problems in right field this season. 

Granted, Werth was a fantastic offensive and defensive producer for the Phillies, and Francisco in all likelihood won’t be able to completely fill the void, but he should still be able to hold his own.

A final question for now: How is Pladico Polanco doing following his injury troubles?

Polanco is doing fairly well. He had surgery in the offseason to remove bone chips from his left elbow. All was well until Polanco hyper-extended the same elbow in spring training. He says he should be fine for Opening Day, but the injury is still nothing to laugh at. Polanco is one of the Phillies’ most productive hitters, and he is needed more than many give him credit for.

All things considered, the Phillies will be the team to beat in the National League and potentially the majors as a whole. The million dollar question is whether they can live up to their expectations.

It all starts tomorrow when Halladay delivers the first pitch of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2011 season.

Please share your thoughts and/or ask any unanswered questions.

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Brad Lidge Out 3-6 Weeks: Can Jose Contreras Handle the Closer Role?

After receiving an MRI yesterday, it was determined that Brad Lidge’s injury woes will continue: He has a strain in the back of his right shoulder rotator cuff.

In other words, according to Courier Post Online, this is equivalent to a tear and he could even be out until July.

This is far from good news that the Phillies have received throughout this year’s spring training.

Domonic Brown broke his hand after ending a hitless streak of over 15 at-bats; Chase Utley is out indefinitely with tendinitis in his right knee; Placido Polanco hyperextended his left elbow, on which he received surgery this offseason; and Roy Oswalt suffered a scare when he was hit by a Manny Ramirez line drive.

Now, after returning from bicep tendinitis, Brad Lidge—who was healthy for spring training for the first time in a long time—remains on the list, which at this point seems endless.

With every injury comes a fill-in and in this case, like all others, the Phillies’ closer role is currently vacant.

While the temporary replacement of Brad Lidge has yet to be finalized, manager Charlie Manuel thinks that the role should and will go to Jose Contreras. Ryan Madson was in the running, but Manuel, among others, believes that he will do better in the set-up role for now, where he has consistently pitched well over the past few seasons.

Before we think more on this likely decision, let’s take a look at Contreras’ role with the Phillies last season.

In his first season with the Phillies last year, Contreras also pitched in his first season as a reliever. He made 67 appearances in relief last season, more than any other Phillie. In 56.2 innings of work, Contreras posted a 6-4 record with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He also recorded 13 holds and yes, four saves. He also struck out 57 batters who faced him.

Not bad, considering his age (38 last season) and amount of appearances, is it?

Although the closer role is much different than a relieving or even a set-up role, let’s take a look at Brad Lidge’s stats from last season.

Lidge, who spent a long stint on the DL last season, had a record of 1-1 in 50 appearances comprised of 45.2 innings of work. In that amount of work, Lidge posted a 2.96 ERA and struck out 52, posted a 1.23 WHIP and 27 saves.

Take a look at the ERA, strikeouts and WHIP. These stats between the two are oddly similar. And while innings pitched, record, appearances and saves are incomparable (due to injury and different roles), the comparable stats are very close to each other. Although ERA is a bit more distant that Ks and WHIP, 38 points isn’t too far off.

So the question now is this: will Jose Contreras be able to handle the temporary role of closer?

There are arguments on both sides.

One could argue that he can because he did so well as a reliever and closer last season, and the fact that he was 38 years old shows he’s durable and can continue posting such stats. In fact, both pitchers allowed the same amount of home runs (five) and Contreras actually allowed fewer walks than Lidge in more innings of work—Lidge allowed 24 walks; Contreras allowed only 16.

On the other hand, Contreras only has one season of relief work under his belt and his ERA is a bit too high for a reliever.

He could also be drilled this way: There is only one closer on the team, and there are four or five relievers. Relievers can be split up by day and batter; closers must face all batters in the ninth inning in order to record the save.

And then there’s more. Since the rotation will most likely go deep into games—at least seven or eight innings per game—only a reliever or two will be used, and the closer will be used often.

If Contreras had to pitch three or four out of five games, would he be able to handle such stress on his arm? Remember that he was a reliever for the first time last season and would be called upon maybe every three days. Starters are called upon every five days.

An average closer could be called upon four of five days. That’s a lot of work.

If the cons ultimately outweigh the pros, Ryan Madson could look like a great option. He’s in a contract year and he’s got to deliver. If he shines and Contreras falls, then this might be the golden opportunity for Ryan Madson to nab the closer role and more money for the 2012 season.

Madson, who’s been a reliever for most of his career, knows how to handle the eighth (and somewhat the ninth) inning situation through much experience. Could he end up as the Phillies’ closer?

For the meantime, Phillies fans’ minds are wondering whether Contreras is the right decision for the closer role.

Is it the right move?

Only time will tell.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Players Who Could Fill In for Chase Utley

News of Chase Utley’s tendinitis in his right knee has spread around the baseball world over the past few weeks. While Utley doesn’t look like he’ll need any serious treatment, he’s already received a cortisone shot in the knee, but it didn’t have any effect.

He’s rested and stayed off the knee as much as possible, but that was to no avail. He’s even suggested that he could receive either a steroid injection or lubricant injection to speed up the process, but neither are certain as of yet.

Regardless of whether it’s been because of being hit by a pitch or simply overworking himself, Chase Utley has definitely felt the impact of an injury on playing time. Over the last few seasons, Utley has been riddled with injuries, from the broken hand to the torn thumb ligament last season and now the tendinitis.

ESPN’s SportsCenter recently showed a statistic about second basemen that displayed the amount of additional wins a team has when a second baseman plays every day over his replacement. Chase Utley led this statistic with roughly 21 wins. Boston’s Dustin Pedroia came in second, but by a long shot, only providing roughly 14 wins.

Even though this statistic is both astounding and heartbreaking to Phillies fans, it’s not like they’ve seen replacements at second base in the past. If Utley won’t be ready for Opening Day or even beyond, someone will have to replace him temporarily.

Utley is doing all he can to avoid surgery to help his tendinitis, chondromalacia (cartilage deterioration), and bone inflammation.

But if surgery becomes inevitable in the future, which is still extremely rare, who would fill his shoes?

In no particular order, here are five players who are the most likely to fill in for Chase Utley if needed. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Charlie Manuel Hasn’t Signed a Contract Extension

Charlie Manuel is undoubtedly one of the best managers in Phillies franchise history. He’s brought the team one of two franchise World Series championships, and he’s won the NL East division each of the last four seasons, making it to at least the NLCS in three of them. He’s compiled a 544-428 record since becoming the skipper in Philly, which amounts to a .560 winning percentage. That is the third best record for any Phillies manager.

Manuel is in the last year of his current contract, which was a contract extension he signed on top of a two-year deal signed (with a third-year club option, which was enacted last year), and he’s yet to sign an extension on his current deal.

This dilemma has many Phillies fans concerned that their skipper won’t be returning next year. While it may be too early to call whether Manuel will in fact come back in 2012, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has assured fans that he will be able to negotiate a deal if all goes according to plan.

As for Manuel, he previously said the same thing as Albert Pujols: he doesn’t want to negotiate anything during the regular season next year and wants to wait until the offseason.

There are many possible reasons why Manuel has yet to ink a new deal with the Phillies. Among them is the fact that this is the last year of his deal and many athletes and managers in all sports who are a bit older in age retire after a championship victory. Take a look at the Phillies right now. They are early favorites to win it all this season, and if that happens, Manuel might consider calling it quits and ending on a good note.

There is also the possibility that Ruben Amaro, Jr. has other plans. The Phillies probably didn’t choose Ryne Sandberg to be their AAA affiliate manager just because he was a manager for the Cubs‘ single-A affiliate. Sandberg has said that managing the Cubs has been one of his lifelong dreams, but when interim manager Mike Quade received the position, Sandberg was out of an option if he wanted any chance to manage a major league team.

This opportunity just might be his chance.

If Ruben doesn’t want Charlie Manuel to come back (which would result in a lot of controversy from fans), he could choose to promote Sandberg to become the next manager of the Phillies for 2012.

Sandberg has said that he enjoys being at spring training this year and the players (notably Chase Utley) have commented that they really enjoy working with him.

If Sandberg has already formed chemistry with some players this year, imagine what he could do as a manager for the Phillies in the future.

I’m not here to say that Sandberg would be a better option than Manuel. Manuel’s got the big-league experience with the Phillies and he’s already proved stable in the managerial position. Sandberg might be a risk to sign, but he could come cheaper and lead the Phillies to a future World Series, regardless of whether Manuel wins or doesn’t win the World Series this season.

Manuel would be a safer bet, but Sandberg could be a good investment for the future.

And seeing that Ruben knows about investments in players and with Charlie, only the sky’s the limit.

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Philadelphia Phillies To Sign John Maine? What This Could Mean For Joe Blanton

Earlier in the offseason, rumors arose that the Philadelphia Phillies would sign free agent starting pitcher John Maine.

At age 29, Maine was non-tendered by the New York Mets after spending the last four seasons there; however, he pitched in only 24 games in the last two seasons due to shoulder surgeries and issues resulting from them.

Although Maine would only sign to a minor-league deal at this point, there is always a chance that he could rise up on the Phillies‘ depth chart and become a reliever or even a starter.

Yes, that’s right, a starter.

You’re probably wondering, “How could be become a starter if the rotation is full?”

Well, there’s a three-word answer to that question: Trade Joe Blanton.

And while Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. stated earlier this offseason as well that he was “not comfortable” with trading Blanton right now, who’s to say that Blanton won’t be traded later on in the season?

If Blanton does well in Spring Training and during the first half of the season, he could become one of the hottest trade deadline targets this season, which would allow Maine, potentially, to become the team’s fifth starter.

The Phillies have been busy reworking their minor league system this off-season since it was depleted from trades of which they received Cliff Lee in 2009 and Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt in 2010.

They’ve signed outfielders Delwyn Young and Cory Sullivan to minor-league contracts with invites to spring training and acquired Albert Cartwright from the Astros. Infielder Michael Martinez was acquired in the Rule 5 draft from Washington.

They’ve also signed free-agent reliever Jason Grilli and former first-overall draft pick, starting pitcher Matt Anderson, both to minor league deals. The Phillies also have pitchers Phillippe Aumont and J.C. Ramirez raring to go, though Ramirez is more ready for the majors than Aumont.

Regardless, the Phillies have been busy this offseason in signing minor-leaguers.

And even though Matt Anderson is one of few, if not the only free-agent starter the Phillies have signed to a minor-league deal this offseason, who’s to say that some of the minor-league relievers couldn’t become starters or the other pitchers on the 40-man roster aren’t starter material?

If a Blanton trade were to occur, Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley would be the favorites to claim the vacant fifth spot in the rotation.

But what if John Maine signs with the Phillies, which is a likely outcome?

If Maine is signed, maybe Ruben Amaro, Jr. would be comfortable trading Blanton.

Put it this way: Maine is just a year younger than Blanton and his career ERA and winning percentage is eerily similar to Blanton’s. The difference between the two? Blanton is owed a majority of his $24 million contract over the next two seasons, but if Maine signed a minor-league deal with an invite, he could come dirt cheap compared to Blanton.

Let’s face the facts: Blanton is a guy that is great to have as a fifth starter in a rotation. There’s no better pitcher in the fifth spot in all of baseball. But Blanton is worthy of a second or third spot in a rotation on most other teams in the league; though Blanton will have the pressure off this upcoming season, he is more than capable of being at a higher rank.

If the Phillies want to shed some payroll—regardless if it’s Kendrick, Worley or even Maine—a minor-leaguer in their system could take the job and settle into it quickly.

Most, including myself, were surprised that Blanton was even a Phillie for the start of Spring Training.

Unfortunate as it may be, Joe Blanton’s days could be numbered in Philadelphia. 

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What Makes Roy Halladay the Best Pitcher In Baseball

Roy Halladay was absolutely dominant last season.

He had a 21-10 record (which would have been higher had he received more run support), a 2.44 ERA, and 219 strikeouts. He pitched a perfect game on May 29 against the Florida Marlins. He pitched only the second postseason no-hitter ever on October 6 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Although Halladay did not lead the MLB in wins, ERA, or strikeouts, he was among the most consistent pitchers in the sport—his WHIP was 1.04, he only gave up 30 walks all season, and his K/9 ratio was 7.86. That’s impressive.

What makes Roy Halladay different from all other pitchers, though, is his work ethic. While most people might know that he is always staying in shape, a lesser known fact may be that he started working out for the 2011 season on December 1, and has continued to do so, almost—if not every day—since. That shows determination.

Roy Halladay has already proved his worth as a pitcher. He has won two Cy Young Awards, one in both the NL (2010) and AL (2003), being among a select group of players to achieve the feat. In each of his Cy Young Award winning seasons, Halladay was also his respective league’s wins champion.

He pitched two no-hitters in the same season in 2010, becoming only the sixth-ever pitcher to accomplish this, and the first since Nolan Ryan in 1973. Doing the math, that amounts to 38 years ago. That’s quite a long time ago.

While Roy Halladay’s first season with the Phillies last year was arguably his best ever, he did have quite the career in Toronto. He amounted a 148-76 record in 11 seasons there as their ace for many seasons, and he came within one out of a no-hitter in just his second-career start. While he was sent down to the minor leagues again in 2000, he bounced back and quickly rose to greatness once again.

Among his career achievements are seven All-Star selections, most recently in 2010. He also won two “This Year in Baseball Awards” for 2010 Starting Pitcher of the Year and 2010 Postseason Moment of the Year for his no-hitter in his first career postseason start. He was also awarded the MLB 2010 Clutch Player of the Year award.

Roy Halladay is one of the best pitchers in the league today, and being backed by such a rotation as his current one is astounding.

He had a career season last year, but it will only get better from here on out.

Roy Halladay is, in my mind, undoubtedly the best pitcher in baseball and is the leading candidate to win the Cy Young Award next season.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Things Phillies Fans Can Look Forward To for 2011

The Philadelphia Phillies shocked the entire baseball world when they signed Cliff Lee last month to a $120 million contract. Ever since the fans in Philadelphia have been anxiously awaiting the start of the season. With the addition of Cliff Lee to their already-stellar rotation consisting of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies will be unstoppable and their opposition has the daunting task of facing two of the four aces every series.

Although the Phillies have seen the departure of fan favorite Jayson Werth, who signed a huge $126 million contract with division rival Washington, they have Domonic Brown and Ben Francisco to fill the void successfully. While the Phillies’ outfield has less depth with the departure of Werth, fans will be eager to see what Brown and Francisco can do.

The Phillies fans are ready to watch their team start the 2011 season and potentially make it to the World Series once again. After losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS this past October, the Phillies have much to prove to themselves: one with their rotation, and two by avenging their NLCS loss.

Expectations could not be higher for the Phillies and I believe they will live up to them.

These are the reasons why 2011 will be a magical year to remember.

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