Roy Oswalt Returns: Should the Philadelphia Phillies Go With a 6-Man Rotation?

With Roy Oswalt returning to the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting rotation earlier this week, it’s time for the Phillies to utilize a six-man rotation. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Vance Worley, Kyle Kendrick and Oswalt would be arguably the best six-man rotation in MLB history.

When the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee in the offseason, we knew that they would have an excellent starting rotation, and they have not disappointed us fans.

The team has a season ERA of 3.04, 14 complete games, 15 shutouts, 78 quality starts and 282 walks—all of which are the best of any team in the MLB.

While these numbers suggest that the team has not had any problems with their rotation, that is not entirely true.

Roy Oswalt has had two leaves from the team: the first for personal issues ad the second for an injury. Joe Blanton was supposed to be the fifth starter—and one of the best fifth starters we have ever seen—but he struggled at first, and he was injured when he seemed to be getting back on track. Blanton was replaced by Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick.

Kendrick was coming from the bullpen and needed time to adjust, while Worley was coming from Triple-A and was ready to step up. The two have been starters in the rotation at times, and they have recently been the fourth and fifth-starters in the rotation. The two have both done very well as starters this season. Worley is 8-1 with an ERA of 2.85 and a WHIP of 1.17, while Kendrick is 7-5 with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.27 as both a starter and a reliever.

Worley has been stellar all season, while Kendrick has turned it on as of late, including an eight-inning shutout in his last start.

With Oswalt coming back, the team is looking to their $16 million pitcher to return to form as an ace. That meant that either Kendrick or Worley needed to be removed from the rotation. The Phillies decided to return Kendrick to the bullpen, but that is not their best option.

Kendrick has proven that he is a viable option at starter. He would in no way be a weak link that would hold them back from the playoffs, or even the best record in the MLB. This means that the Phillies have six pitchers that would be a third-starter or better on most rotations, and they need to go with a six-man rotation for the rest of the 2011 MLB season.

A six-man rotation would work just as well as a five-man rotation, but obviously that is not the only reason that the Phillies should switch to a six-man rotation.

The Phillies must switch to a six-man rotation in order to rest their best starters. Of their four aces, Lee is 32, Oswalt is 33 and has had injury problems and Halladay is 34 and does not have the same stamina as he has had before.

Oswalt surrendered 12 hits and two walks in only six innings pitched. He had a WHIP of 2.33, and he was hit pretty hard by the San Francisco Giants, who have only scored only 405 runs and are hitting only .241 this season. Oswalt struggled, and he certainly needs more time to rest while recovering from his injury so that he does not re-injure himself.

Halladay has been working incredibly hard this season by throwing a lot of pitches. He is going to need some rest so that he does not burn out in the playoffs. Halladay has made 24 starts, throwing less than 100 in only three, and less than 97 in only one. He has worked hard for years, but he seems to be working even more this season than in the past, and he is obviously the oldest he has been. Aging leads to a lack of stamina for most people, and Halladay is going to need some rest. It would be preferable for him to get that rest now instead of in September.

While rest is something that older pitchers definitely need, it can go a long way for younger pitchers too. Pitching on five days’ rest instead of four produces great results, and it could be good for younger pitchers like Hamels who is 27, Kendrick who is 26 and Worley who is 23.

These three pitchers need rest almost as much as Halladay, Oswalt and Lee do. A six-man rotation would be a great way to save the pitchers’ arms from wear and tear that occurs during a 162-game regular season. They would be well-rested for the postseason, and that is what matters most to the Phillies right now.

The Phillies are almost guaranteed to make it into the postseason. They lead the NL East by 8.5 games over the Atlanta Braves, and they would lead the NL Wild Card by 13.5 games if passed by the Braves. Their pitching staff and newly-enhanced offense will carry them to the postseason no matter how many pitchers are in their starting rotation, so it is important to rest their pitchers for the postseason.

It appears that going to a six-man rotation would give the Phillies the best chance to win in the postseason while saving their pitchers from injuries that could hurt their seasons or their career. It is the best thing that the Phillies can do right now.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Baseball: Are Phillies’ Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge Worth Owning?

The Philadelphia Phillies have been reunited with pitchers Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge after stints on the disabled list, but should you play either of them in your fantasy baseball league?

Oswalt made his first start since coming back against the San Francisco Giants, allowing only three earned runs in six innings pitched. These aren’t great numbers, but he is still working his way back.

Lidge, on the other hand, has pitched in seven games since July 25, allowing only one earned run. He has an ERA of 1.67 and five strikeouts in his 5.1 innings pitched, which are great numbers.

Many fantasy owners are wondering whether or not they should take a chance on these two since they are still getting back into the swing of things.

Fantasy owners are certainly willing to add the two to their rosters, with Lidge being the No. 9 most added pitcher in the last week, being added in 9.2 percent of ESPN leagues, and Oswalt being No. 14, being added in 6.9 percent of leagues.

However, a closer look at the numbers for these two shows that neither is to be trusted when it comes down to it.

Oswalt may have only allowed three earned runs, but he allowed 12 hits and two walks in his six innings. Oswalt was consistently letting runners get on base, and his WHIP of 2.33 is alarming to say the least.

Oswalt only struck out four batters, which shows that he was allowing a lot of solid contact throughout the course of the game. While allowing contact to a team with a potent offense can be acceptable, he was facing the Giants, who have scored the fewest runs in the National League (399), and are one of only two teams to have fewer than 400 runs scored.

Oswalt used to be an ace, but he is getting older, and injury problems make him seem older than 33. Despite being owned in 95.6 percent of leagues, with his best days behind him, Oswalt needs to be avoided. Try to trade him immediately if he makes a good start over the next week.

Lidge has posted good numbers so far. As I mentioned before, his 1.67 ERA and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched is impressive, but it does not tell the whole story.

Lidge has allowed five walks in 5.1 innings pitched. Walks ended up hurting him in 2009 and 2010, after going a perfect 48-for-48 in save opportunities in 2008. Lidge needs to have good control if he wants to be effective, and he still needs to attain it this season.

Another factor that will hold Lidge back is his pitch count. Lidge needs to be well-rested to be effective, but he can’t do that while throwing 92 pitches in 5.1 innings. Lidge is averaging almost 18 pitches per inning, and that spells trouble.

Lidge could still have a good month left in him this season, but that’s only if he can improve his control and lower his pitch count. If you are going to hold onto either of these guys it should be Lidge, and he is available in 70.5 percent of leagues.

The Phillies have been joined by their pitchers once more, but you should not have your fantasy team be joined by them. Lidge may prove to be a viable option in a deeper league, but Oswalt should be avoided.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Philles: 5 Reasons They’re Destined to Win NL East

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in the MLB this season, and they seemed to be destined to win the NL East.

We knew that the Phillies would be good with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels pitching for them. We knew they’d be great when they threw Cliff Lee into the mix. However, we did not know just how good they would be with four aces but many vital injuries.

The Phillies have not disappointed expectations whatsoever, which is ridiculous because expectations were sky-high. The team is on pace for winning about 105 games this season despite having injuries to almost every important position player, several relievers and two starting pitchers.

Winning 110 games is not out of the question because the Phillies’ pitching is so deep, and their offense is starting to heat up.

The Phillies are going to win the NL East, and here’s why.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Questions for the Second Half

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in the MLB at the All-Star break.

They have found ways to win behind their impressive pitching staff, including Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and more.

Despite injuries to Chase Utley, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge and just about everyone else on the team, they continue to win. But the team is not without fault.

The Phillies still have many questions facing them as we enter the second half of play. While the team is 57-34 this season, there is room for improvement and time for opponents to catch up to them.

The Phillies, like every other team in baseball, have dealt with injuries, tough losses and players who are slumping. The deciding factor at the end of the season is how a team copes with these setbacks.

With the second half of play beginning shortly, these are the 10 questions that surround the Phillies.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Bold Second-Half Predictions

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in the MLB this season, and they have had an impressive first half. Under Charlie Manuel, the Phillies have dealt with injuries to Chase Utley, Roy Oswalt, and just about everyone else on the team to go 54-32.

The Phillies have been the most talked about team in baseball since they signed Cliff Lee in the offseason to give them four legitimate aces.

Their rotation was supposed to be historically good. It has been very good, but they have not been historic just yet.

Roy Oswalt has been injured twice (once during the time he spent away from the team), Lee struggled in the beginning of the season, and Vance Worley has picked up the slack.

It’s been an interesting first half of the season for the Phillies, and it’s time to make or predictions for what will be an exciting second half.

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Roy Oswalt Leaves Phils: Is the “Best Rotation in History” Struggling?

Recent reports have told us that Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Oswalt is taking a leave from the team for a period of unknown length due to tornadoes hitting close to his Mississippi home.

Oswalt is 3-1 this season with a 3.33 ERA. These numbers may seem good enough, but he is only averaging just over five innings per start.

Oswalt threw three very poor innings in his start Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He let up five runs on six hits and a walk, and he did not strike out a single batter Tuesday.

“His stuff wasn’t good,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “His stuff wasn’t crisp and his velocity was down. I figured there was no sense in leaving him out there.”

The Phillies are guaranteed to lose their second of three series (Brewers, Padres and Diamondbacks), and people are wondering: Are the Phillies really as good as we expected?

Let’s look at the Phillies’ rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt (gone), Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton.

Roy Halladay has performed well, posting a 3-1 record and a 2.41 ERA in 2011, and he tied his career high in strikeouts with 14 against the Padres in his last start. Halladay is definitely performing well.

Cliff Lee was the Phillies’ key acquisition this offseason, and he has some high expectations to live up to after his postseason success and signing a big contract. Lee has not lived up to the hype this time, however, with a record of 2-2 and an ERA of 4.18 despite pitching a shutout this season.

The former Ranger’s numbers are not good enough for the team, and he is looking poor, with an ERA a run higher than his ERA of last season. Lee’s expectations were higher than realistic, but he has not pitched anywhere near what realistic expectations would be.

Roy Oswalt has pitched poorly and has left the team for an unannounced period of time. However, the team has said that he MIGHT be back for his next start.

Cole Hamels had a terrible first start against the New York Mets, letting up six earned runs in 2.2 innings. Since then, however, Hamels has pitched at least seven innings in his starts and has only given up two earned runs in 22.0 innings pitched.

Hamels now has a 2-1 record and an ERA of 2.92 for the 2011 campaign.

Joe Blanton is the odd man out in the starting rotation, being that he is the only pitcher who isn’t an ace. Blanton has been, well, horrible. He is posting a 0-1 record and an ERA of 5.92. If the season ended today, that would be Blanton’s worst ERA of his career. Blanton is only pitching about six innings per game, and he is making the bullpen work a lot.

The Phillies’ starting rotation currently has a total record of 10-6 and an ERA of 3.54.

These numbers aren’t bad for a starting rotation; in fact, they are pretty good. The Phillies’ rotation gives the team a chance to win, and they are still one of the best in baseball.

Is Philadelphia’s rotation falling apart? No, it still has good pitching, and when Oswalt comes back and Lee improves his numbers, as he will, the team will still be terrific and a sure bet for the postseason.

Is Philadelphia’s rotation historically good, though? Probably not, but it is good enough to make it to the postseason with no problem.

The Phillies’ rotation is not falling apart—it is just not living up to the unrealistic expectations placed on it by the media and fans.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Reasons the Phillies Should Consider a 4-Man Rotation

In a December to remember, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired the most-coveted MLB free-agency gem in Cliff Lee.

The Phillies’ rotation now includes Roy Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton.

Lee gave the Phillies their fourth legitimate ace and the group was christened R2C2.  This group has the potential to be historically good, which has gotten a lot of people thinking: Why do they even need a fifth starter?

While the Phillies have not expressed any interest in a four-man rotation in the regular season, with four pitchers that are this good, talk has to be going around.

This list is devoted to analyzing why the Phillies might consider going to a four-man rotation in 2011.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Domonic Brown’s Injury Is a Blessing in Disguise

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ prospect Domonic Brown recorded his first hit of spring training today against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The at-bat was bittersweet, however, because Brown fractured his wrist, an injury that will most likely require surgery.

Brown saw some action up in the Majors in the second half of the 2010 season, batting .210 and recording three doubles and two home runs in only 62 at-bats.  Brown was in a fight for the right field spot in the Phillies‘ outfield this season, and it looked as though Brown would platoon with Ben Francisco, but with the injury Francisco should win the position outright.

With this recent injury, the Phillies and their fans are all disappointed, since Brown is the No. 4 prospect in the MLB according to ESPN.

Although many people believe it a tragedy, Brown’s injury is actually a good thing for the Phillies.

Brown is an underdeveloped player at this point, and he is not ready to come into the MLB.  Brown struggles mightily against left-handed pitchers, hitting a pathetic .077 against them.  Brown was absolutely terrible against lefties, and he did not have enough time to work against them last season.

If Brown and Francisco were to platoon as planned, Brown would have only batted against right-handed pitching.  While he may have done better against those righties, he would not have had any time to develop against lefties, and there would be no way that he could develop further like that. 

If that situation were to occur, Brown would not be able to become a better player.  Brown would have been talent wasted.

Because Brown broke his wrist, he will have to recover, and then rehab in the minor leagues.  It will be his time in the minors that will be the blessing.

The Phillies will not rush Brown back, and he will learn to hit those pesky lefties while in the minors again.  When Brown can hit both types of pitchers, he will have the potential to become a great player…the type of player everyone expects him to be.

In the meantime, Ben Francisco will take over the position.

Francisco has the potential to bat .275 and hit 20 home runs if he plays every game of a season, and he is a good right-handed bat…something that the Phillies are missing since Jayson Werth left.

Overall, from Domonic Brown’s injury, Brown will get more time to develop, Francisco will get the chance to be an everyday starter, and the Phillies will gain a powerful right-handed hitter.

While Brown’s injury seemed devastating, it helps the Phillies more than it hurts them.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Will Cliff Lee’s Small Injuries Lead to Big Problems?

If you follow baseball, you will know about Cliff Lee’s injury.  If not, then you should know that Cliff Lee, the prized acquisition of the Phillies’ offseason, suffered a side injury last week.  Lee’s injury was not as serious as, say, Chris Carpenter’s or Adam Wainwright’s, but it could lead to bigger problems.

Now that the scare of Lee’s injury is passing, it’s time to analyze how it will change things.

This is Lee’s second side injury. The first one caused him to miss a large portion of the 2007 season.  Lee also suffered another injury in 2010.  This has led some people to believe that Lee is becoming injury prone.

Since Lee went 22-3 and won the AL Cy Young in 2008, I have become a fan (I’ll be the first to admit I jumped on that bandwagon).  From observations throughout the last three seasons, I have come to several conclusions, and made predictions concerning Lee.

Based on these observations and some research on Lee, I have compiled this slideshow to answer some big questions about him.

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Philadelphia Phillies Preview: Will Roy Oswalt Struggle in ‘Lame Duck’ Year?

Philadelphia assembling their four aces over the last seven months they are early favorites to win the World Series this season.  Considering that Oswalt is 33 and turning 34 in August he is getting up there in age for a pitcher, and he might be going on the decline soon.

The Phillies are due to owe former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins AND former World Series MVP Cole Hamels huge contracts at the end of the season and there might not be enough room to pick up Oswalt’s $16M option for 2012.  If Oswalt’s option is not picked up then this could potentially be his last chance at getting a ring.

If Oswalt does not win with the Phillies this season he will most likely be let go into free agency and be signed by a mediocre team who has a lot of money.  This means that this is most likely Oswalt’s best and last shot at winning the World Series and capping off a stellar career.

When looking at the Phillies’ rotation it seems that Halladay and Lee are the front runners and Oswalt and Hamels are the wild cards and the deciding factors.  If Oswalt pitches well he very well may attain h the coveted World Series ring for the first time.

With all of this pressure on Oswalt’s shoulders the question is: will he sink or swim?

These ten reasons prove why Oswalt will rise to the occasion this season.

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