The rumors of the Phils being interested in Chien-Ming Wang (and actually making an offer to the Yankees for him) are probably dead in the water after he left today’s game with shoulder issues.
So what are the chances, if any, that the Braves would deal starter Javier Vazquez to their heated division rival?
The Braves are getting to the point where they have decide whether they’re buyers, sellers, or stand-patters (is that a word?). Players who a year ago were thought to be cornerstones, like Yunel Escobar and Jeff Franceour, are said to be available—as is the recently acquired Vazquez.
They made a move earlier this season when they acquired outfielder Nate McLouth from the Pirates, but haven’t made tremendous progress since he came on board.
With young starters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson looking like building blocks for the next decade, the Braves might not be opposed to sending the soon-to-be 33-year old Vazquez north for some decent prospects, and look to compete in 2010 and beyond.
Vazquez is only 5-7 in 17 starts, but he has a stellar 3.05 ERA—and, even more impressive, a 1.07 WHIP. Pair that with his 130/23 K/BB ratio and you have a guy who could help a struggling rotation (taking away this weekend’s sweep of a terrible Mets team) in a big way.
Would you give up Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and maybe a Zach Collier for Vazquez?
He’s signed through 2010 (at the beginning of the season, Vazquez was signed through 2010 for a total of $23 million).
Furthermore, the Braves only gave up prospects—Tyler Flowers, third baseman Jon Gilmore, pitcher Santos Rodriguez and infielder Brent Lillibrigde—when they acquired him from the White Sox this past off-season.
None of them are expected to be stars.
As far as postseason performance is concerned, the jury is still out on whether Javier can be a big game pitcher. He
faltered down the stretch with the White Sox in 2008 and has been rocked in his three postseason appearances. He has a career 10.34 ERA in 15.2 post-season innings).
Still, the guy can get folks out, and he may be the most talented pitcher available this summer.
What would you give up for him? If you’re the Braves, would you sell him to a division rival? Do you even want him?
All good questions.
[firedforwinning.com]
Since 1983 the Fightin’ Phillies have participated in three World Series (1983, 1993, and 2008), culminating in last season’s glorious World Championship win over the Tampa Bay Rays. In between those appearances the Phils have generally been God awful.
Some of those teams I rooted for in high school and college were some of the worst collections of losers ever assembled. But they still managed to put a good amount of players into the baseball’s mid-summer classic – the All-Star game.
As bad as the Phillies teams were over the past 25 years the infield has been a particular sore spot. Players like Randy Ready, Juan Bell, Dickie Thon, Joe Millette, Dale Sveum, Kim Batiste, Tom Quinlan, Tomas Perez, Kevin Jordan, Gregg Jeffries, and Kevin Sefcik have haunted the infield for the better part of two decades.
But despite all the garbage the Phils have shoveled at fans the occasional light has shone in the infield. In fact, since 1983 a Phillie has started at every infield position in an All-Star Game, and 10 infielders total have graced the stage in July (not including catchers).
Can you name them all? Give it a try before you start the slideshow! Good luck.
It’s time for Jimmy Rollins to show some pride.
We’re now halfway through May, and he’s still hitting a paltry .200. He continues to roll over ball after ball, essentially playing pepper with the second baseman. Never can I remember a time in which he gave away so many at-bats by swinging at bad pitches and flat out missing the good ones.
Perhaps winning the World Series sapped him of the edge, fire, mojo, or whatever you want to call it that led to Rollins making bold predictions the previous two seasons—something he failed to do this past spring.
Let’s face it, the pulse of this team is, and always will be, Rollins.
As he goes, the Phillies go. The win-loss record is staggering in the games Rollins scores a run compared to those he doesn’t. Compound Rollins’ struggles with Victorino’s inconsistency and are you really surprised that the Phillies offense has vanished over the past week and a half?
Always steady in the field, despite how he’s hitting, Rollins carried his struggles into the field today, flat out booting a ball while trying to backhand it, leading directly to an unearned run.
A lot of people are going to point to the starting pitchers as the reason for the Phillies recent struggles, but the truth is that in three of the six previous losses, Phillies starters pitched at least six innings and giving up one earned run or less.
Joe Blanton, despite giving up six runs on Saturday, pitched eight serviceable innings—the deepest any starter has gone so far this season. So in four of the six losses, the Phillies starters have done their job, with the Jamie Moyer being the exception.
Yes, the bullpen has struggled as well, but once J.C. Romero returns the first week of June, every one will then fall into their customary roles, and hopefully lead to some much needed consistency from the relief corps.
Which takes us back to the offense. Yes, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth virtually disappeared this past home stand, but it all starts from the top.
Only when Rollins decides to show some pride and play the way he is capable of will this team have a chance to string a few series wins together and, hopefully, separate from the pack heading into the All-Star break. But until then, they have to somehow keep their heads above water and hope neither the Mets, Marlins, nor Braves get their respective acts together.
The Phillies are very fortunate to be 16-16 and just 1.5 games out of first place pending the results of the Mets-Giants game tonight. It’s time for Rollins to step up and help lead this team to some much needed W’s in what, up to this point, has been a division of mediocrity.
[firedforwinning.com]
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