Philadelphia Phillies Sign Pitchers Scott Elarton and Brian Sanches

File this one under the “He’s Still In Professional Baseball?” file.

According to The Sports Network, rhe Philadelphia Phillies have signed right-handed pitcher Scott Elarton, who hasn’t played in the major leagues since 2008, to a minor league contract.

They also came to terms with reliever Brian Sanches, also per The Sports Network.

The 35-year-old Elarton, once a very highly-touted prospect, has had a career marred by injuries and inconsistency. He last pitched professionally in 2010 and did not perform well—surely, anyone not named Scott Elarton thought his career was over after his unimpressive showing.

Well, he’s back—at least, until spring training.

The former first-round draft pick began his major league career over a decade ago in 1998 for the Houston Astros.

While with the ‘Stros, he had some pretty impressive seasons—including one in which he won 17 games—before imploding in 2001 by posting an ERA over seven and earning a trade to the Colorado Rockies.

He then missed all of 2002 due to injury and then spent the next six years bouncing around the major and minor leagues, making stops with the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals.

2009 was another missed season, and his 2010 was an abominable 16-game spell in the Rockies minor league system in which he posted an 8.24 ERA. He did not pitch in 2011.

Each year, while teams are busily looking to sign the top big name free-agents, they are also sifting through the detritus, seeking a hidden gem, searching for some long-forgotten name to give a look.

Scott Elarton, it appears, is one such name.

The Phils also signed a slightly more-well remembered name in 33-year-old relief pitcher Brian Sanches. The righty pitched for the Florida Marlins in 2011 and went 4-1 with a 3.94 ERA in 39 games, missing a chunk of the season to an elbow injury.

The Texas native, who began his major league career with the Phillies in 2006, had two excellent seasons with the Fish in 2009 and 2010, going a combined 6-4 with a 2.40 ERA in 108 games.

In six big league seasons, he is 13-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 189 games. He might be able to benefit the Phillies’ bullpen, as he has shown a solid strikeout ability in the past.

In other news, pitcher Scott Mathieson, who the Phillies recently released, was signed by the Japanese Yomiuri Giants, according to The Sports Network. It’ll be interesting to see if, like other pitchers before him, he will have success overseas and be able to return to play stateside. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Sign Pat Misch; Release Scott Mathieson

The Philadelphia Phillies have added left-handed pitcher Pat Misch to the organization, while bidding farewell to 27-year-old hurler Scott Mathieson.

Misch was signed to a minor league contract, while the right-handed Mathieson has become a free agent. Both pitchers are career minor leaguers, seeing action in only a handful of games at the major league level each season.

Misch, 30, pitched in the New York Mets organization in 2011, making six big-league relief appearances and going 1-0 with a 10.29 ERA in seven innings. At the minor league level, he went 8-9 with a 4.00 ERA in 22 starts for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

He had pitched in the Mets organization since 2009 and previously twirled for the San Francisco Giants. In six big-league seasons, he is 4-15 with a 4.80 ERA.

The Canada-born Mathieson, who had been in the Phillies’ system since 2002, appeared in four games in relief for the big club last season, going decision-less while posting a perfect 0.00 ERA. He spent most of the year with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, going 2-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 30 games, 12 of which he started.

He had spent parts of three seasons with the Phillies, going 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 games (eight starts).

In acquiring Misch, the Phillies are obtaining a pitcher who, according to The Sports Network, “is a crafty lefty that has also displayed the ability to dominate hitters in the minors. [He] is versatile enough to relieve or start.”

With the departure of Mathieson, they lose a pitcher who has “the versatility to pitch as a starter or reliever” and who  “can strike batters out,” per The Sports Network.

Misch is one of multiple New York Mets castoffs the Phillies have signed in recent years. Last season, they signed Luis Castillo, Les Walrond, Tim Redding and Aaron Heilman, all of whom had played for, or had been signed by, the Mets since 2008.

Other notable Mets’ castoffs they have signed in recent years include Nelson Figueroa, Raul Valdes and Brian Schneider.

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Jack Cust: Philadelphia Phillies Sign the 32-Year-Old Outfielder

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed 32-year-old outfielder Jack Cust to a minor league contract.

He will be assigned to the Phillies’ triple-A team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the International League.

It is unknown in what capacity the power-hitting Cust will be used, however if he earns a promotion to the major leagues in September, it could very likely be as a pinch-hitter off the bench. The Phillies’ bench has been rather unimpressive offensively in 2011 and Cust might provide a boost.

He could also be used solely as minor league depth, as he has always been a solid hitter at that level.

The left-handed hitting Cust began the 2011 season with the Seattle Mariners, but was released on August 4 after hitting a meager .213 with three home runs, 23 RBI and 87 strikeouts in 67 games.

A first-round draft pick in 1997, Cust did not become a major league starter until 2007, at age 28. With the Oakland Athletics, he averaged 28 home runs and 76 RBI a year from 2007 to 2009, leading the league in strikeouts each of those seasons.

He also led the league in walks in 2008.

Cust began his major league career in 2001, playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He then had cups of coffee with the Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, before settling down in Oakland.

He is a .242 hitter at the major league level, with 105 home runs and 323 RBI in 670 games.

In the minors, he has a .285 average, with 204 home runs and 718 RBI in 1,147 games.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Shortstop Brian Bocock to Pirates

Shortstop Brian Bocock is no longer in the Phillies organization—surely no Philadelphia fans are crying—as the infielder was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. He has reported to the Pirates’ Triple-A team, the Indianapolis Indians.

The 26-year-old, who had not appeared at the major league level for the Phillies this season, was hitting .226 in the minor leagues at the time of the transaction.

Bocock last played for the Phillies in 2010, after he was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays in February of that year. He appeared in six games and collected zero hits in five at-bats, spending most of that season in the minor leagues as well.

He has also spent time with the San Francisco Giants. The team’s Opening Day starting shortstop in 2008 due to an injury to team regular Omar Vizquel, he hit .143 in 32 major league games before being sent to Triple-A.

Well, those are the facts—pretty mundane stuff. Now for some editorializing.

Bocock is one of those players that makes you wonder how he has lasted so long in professional baseball—let alone reached the majors—because ostensibly, he’s just not that good.

In the minor leagues, the Harrisonburg, Va. native has never hit above .243 in a season. He has also never hit more than five home runs, slugged better than .344, or walked more than 51 times. He strikes out too much (his career-high is 124) and his on-base percentage is too low.

Well then, he must be a stud defensively—offense doesn’t mean everything, just look at Mark Belanger—right? That is true, to a degree, as he does have, “ … solid defensive skills and enough arm to play shortstop,” according to The Sports Network, but he has also committed as many as 31 errors in a season.

Though his defense may be adequate, it does not make up for his very poor hitting—which, I imagine, is why he has not spent more time at the major league level. 

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