Make Room For Pedro: The Case For Moving J. Happ To The Pen
August 2, 2009 by Rob McFadden
Filed under Fan News
With the top of their starting rotation set and playoff ready, the Philadelphia Phillies now have two months to fill out the rest of their postseason pitching staff. Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and trade deadline acquisition Cliff Lee will most certainly be the top three starters for the Phils, but the fourth starting spot will be the subject of speculation and debate for the rest of the regular season.
Of course, the Phillies don’t necessarily have to have four starters in the postseason. Hamels, Lee, and Blanton are all innings-eaters that would likely be effective on short rest. But manager Charlie Manuel went with four starters last season and after the way that run ended, it seems reasonable to think that he would keep the same strategy this year.
However, the real reason Phillies fans are assuming there will be a fourth starter is because of the impressive stat line of rookie left-hander J.A. Happ.
Happ, a 26-year-old who started the season in the bullpen, is 7-2 with a 2.97 ERA and a WHIP of 1.16. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his last eight games and in 10 of his 13 starts. His calm demeanor on the mound and knack for working out of a jam have won over Phillies fans, who are now questioning reports that Happ may be moved back to the bullpen.
The reports are based on the impending debut of new Phillie Pedro Martinez, who is currently working his way back up to speed in the minors. Martinez, despite having expressed a willingness to contribute in any way, is probably best-suited to fill a starting role. Likewise, veteran Jamie Moyer has pitched out of the bullpen just once in the past 12 years.
This reasoning doesn’t sit well with many Philadelphia fans, who argue that Happ is clearly a more effective pitcher and shouldn’t be pushed out of the way just because of his age (or lack thereof). But fans need to step back and look at the big picture.
Following the trade for Lee, what is now the Phillies greatest area of concern?
Clearly, it’s the bullpen.
If Happ were to continue in his role as a fourth starter for the rest of the season and into the playoffs, the Phillies might very well get better production from him than they would from Martinez or Moyer. But if Moyer or Martinez can be effective in that role and Happ can be effective out of the pen, the Phillies would be killing two birds with one stone.
The Phillies need to know exactly how much gas Martinez and Moyer have left in the tank and they need to move Happ to the bullpen in order to find out. If it turns out that neither can produce consistently, the Phils can go back to Happ. But if one of the veterans can step up and perform at a high level, the Phillies would actually be a better team with Happ in the bullpen come October.
Another thing to consider is that Happ is in his first full season as a major-league pitcher. He is currently on pace to finish the season with around 200 innings pitched, which would shatter his previous high of 166.2 recorded last year between triple-A and the majors. Moving him to the bullpen would help keep his innings down and hopefully keep him fresh.
It’s understandable that some would grumble if Happ switches roles, but reasonable fans should be able to understand that there is a method to the madness.
Roy Halladay: Why Philly Should Literally Sell the Farm
July 13, 2009 by Rob McFadden
Filed under Fan News
It wasn’t so long ago that the thought of the Philadelphia Phillies landing one of the best players in baseball via free agency or trade was nothing more than a fantasy.
Philadelphians knew the club would never write a big enough check or part with a talented enough prospect package to get the deal done. Rumors were dismissed without further thought and pure speculation was considered grounds for commitment to the nearest psych ward.
Oh, how things change.
As baseball enters the 2009 All-Star break, the whispers of incredulity in the City of Brotherly Love over a potential trade for Roy Halladay have given way to a delightfully exciting hubbub. Will the Phillies actually pull the trigger? Should they?
For once, the possibility is definite and the probability is what is being debated.
The Phillies are generally considered to be the front-runners in the Halladay sweepstakes, not just because they need a starting pitcher, but because they actually have the prospects to acquire him.
Lefty J.A. Happ (already in the majors) and 2006 first-round pick Kyle Drabek are the most prominent names being tossed around, while other minor leaguers like catcher Lou Marson, shortstop Jason Donald, and outfielders Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor are also considered potential future stars.
Jayson Werth, who was just named to the all-star team, may also be available, though I’m not sure of Toronto’s interest.
With Philly’s ability to land Halladay pretty much taken for granted, the conversation in Philadelphia has turned to the next logical question: “Is he worth it?”
Let’s end that debate right now. Yes. He absolutely is.
The Phillies are fortunate enough to have a group of outstanding players all in the prime of their careers at the same time. Chase Utley is 30. Ryan Howard is 29. Jimmy Rollins is 30. Shane Victorino is 28. Jayson Werth is 30.
With aging veterans Raul Ibanez (37) and Pedro Feliz (34) having career years, it is clear that the Phillies must be in 100 percent “Win Now!” mode and the number one obstacle standing in their way has been their pitching.
The bullpen hasn’t been as dominant as last season, but Philadelphia’s starting pitching was, at last check, third-worst in the league.
The Phillies have been presented an opportunity to remedy their biggest problem with arguably the best player at that position in all of baseball. This should be a no-brainer, especially considering Halladay is already under contract for next year.
Now, obviously there has to be some negotiating. The Phillies can’t simply hand over a blank check. My conditions for this trade would be:
- Toronto can have Happ or Drabek, but not both.
- Toronto can have Werth, but not in exchange for the bloated contracts of Vernon Wells or Alex Rios.
- Toronto can have Werth or Happ, but not both.
- Toronto can’t have Victorino.
- Toronto can have some of our top prospects, but not ALL of them. Come on now.
MLB Network’s “The Pen” Intrigues, Disappoints
June 15, 2009 by Rob McFadden
Filed under Fan News
There is only so much you can learn about an athlete by watching a baseball game. Sure, you get a chance to break down their swing or critique their windup, but it’s impossible to really get to know the person inside the uniform.
So as both a Phillies fan and a baseball fan, I was intrigued when I saw ads for the MLB Network’s new show The Pen, which debuted Sunday night.
With former Phillies closer Mitch Williams narrating, the show takes a closer look at the men who make up the 2009 Philadelphia bullpen and what it’s like to be a major leaguer.
The first show was interesting and covered a lot of ground. From the struggles of making the team in Spring Training to the distractions of being the defending champs, to losing beloved broadcaster Harry Kalas in April, there has been no shortage of story lines to begin the 2009 season.
In fact, my biggest complaint is that I felt the show’s producers tried to do to much. You can’t cram four months of life into one hour without leaving the viewers feeling like they just watched an extended highlight reel.
Rather then spend time on every player and every subject, the focus should have been narrowed.
For example, I didn’t think enough time was spent on the battle between veteran Chan Ho Park and young lefty J.A. Happ for the final spot in the starting rotation.
This was the biggest preseason storyline and continued to be an issue when Park won the job but failed to perform. Happ has now taken over as a starter while Park has been moved to the bullpen.
The show covered the topic, but failed to involve the viewer emotionally, quickly cutting from event to event without pausing to let the tension sink in. A stressed out Happ was shown talking on the phone to someone (never identified) for all of 10 seconds. Park was only interviewed once, speaking about 10 words.
Cameras were allowed inside meetings between Phillies staff and management as they discussed who to keep and who to send to the minors. Instead of cutting to all the relevant quotes, these scenes should have been allowed to play out naturally.
It’s a slow, difficult process to complete a 25-man roster. It should take longer than 60 seconds to show how the conclusions were reached.
I did like that newcomer Jack Taschner’s situation was fleshed out. The Giants traded Taschner to Philadelphia late in Spring Training and it was the first move of his baseball career. Adding to the difficulty of leaving the only organization he had known was the stress on his family.
The scene showing Taschner holding his infant daughter while his wife talked about how tough it was to leave home represented the inside look into a ballplayer’s life that I was expecting to see in The Pen.
Taschner’s situation remains up in the air, as his performance to this point has been less than stellar. Plus the Phillies may no longer have a need for another left-hander now that setup man J.C. Romero has returned to the club.
This is the kind of story I want to know more about.
Unfortunately, the majority of the show was not nearly as personal. Right-hander Clay Condrey received significant airtime, but other than his success on the mound and the fact that he’s from Texas, I learned nothing about him.
The segment dealing with the passing of the legendary Kalas did hit close to home. However, that may have been due to the memories it brought back rather than what I was seeing. The reality is that Harry Kalas was a part of my life much longer than he was for any of the Phillies’ relievers.
I have no doubt that Chad Durbin, who was interviewed, was truly sad to see the great man go. But he only met Harry last year. I had known Kalas, through my TV and radio, for my entire life.
The bottom line is that after the show was over, I felt I hadn’t really learned anything or experienced anything new. Other than Taschner, little to no time was spent on the backgrounds of the players—not even closer Brad Lidge, easily the highest-profile player of the group.
Hopefully The Pen corrects these issues in future episodes, especially with Lidge and Scott Eyre on the disabled list.
The Phillies Are Three Moves Away From Another World Series
June 14, 2009 by Rob McFadden
Filed under Fan News
It’s early. The All-Star break is still a few weeks away. It’s impossible to know what will happen between now and October, let alone in the playoffs.
But after two full months of baseball, it’s clear that the Philadelphia Phillies are good enough to make another postseason run. It’s also clear that they are far from perfect.
Reports have indicated that General Manager Ruben Amaro is fully prepared to make a move (or moves) prior to the July 31 trading deadline in order to put his team in a better position to succeed. Specifically, the Phillies are in the market for a starting pitcher and a right-handed bat off the bench. I also feel they need an upgrade in the bullpen, but there have been no specific rumors to that effect.
How the organization addresses these needs is key to how far the team will go.
Move No. 1: Land a Starting Pitcher
Even before Brett Myers underwent potentially season-ending surgery, the Phillies were on the lookout for another starter. The entire rotation struggled out of the gates and only a recent run of quality starts has relieved them of the dubious distinction of having the worst ERA in the league.
Cole Hamels (4.62 ERA) and Joe Blanton (5.17 ERA) have both shown improvement in recent appearances and will be expected to step up their games for the rest of the season. The Phillies can’t afford to worry about their established starters with the question marks they have in rest of the rotation
Offseason acquisition Chan Ho Park narrowly beat out J. Happ in spring training for the fifth spot, but the Phillies pulled the trigger after he put up a 7.08 ERA in eight starts. Happ was given an opportunity to strut his stuff and is 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts, but is still an unknown commodity.
Rookie left-hander Antonio Bastardo was called up when Myers went on the DL and was impressive in his first two starts. But Bastardo is clearly a work in progress, as he showed in his last start against Boston (1 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB). The Phillies are comfortable with Bastardo for now, but appear to view him as a short-term solution.
Finally, the Phillies aren’t quite sure what to do with veteran Jamie Moyer. The 46-year-old had an ERA of 8.15 after seven starts and gave up seven or more hits in his first nine appearances. Though he’s given up only six runs in his last 19 innings, the Phillies have to be wary of the aging left-hander. Is he still good enough to pitch when it counts?
Finding a veteran starter who can step in as No. 2 or No. 3 in the rotation is the most important task facing Amaro. Fortunately, he has the pieces to do it.
Infielder Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson, both currently at triple A Lehigh Valley, are both highly sought after. Outfielder Michael Taylor is tearing it up for double A Reading. And there are a handful of interesting pitching prospects sprinkled throughout the Phillies farm system.
I can’t even speculate about what combination of prospects the Phils would be willing to part with or who they would expect in return. GMs get paid big bucks to figure that out. But I do know that the Phillies need to have confidence in more than just Hamels and Blanton this fall if they expect to compete for another trophy.
Move No. 2: Replace Taschner
There hasn’t been much discussion in the media about Phillies relievers not named Brad Lidge. The struggles of the closer and the starting rotation have turned attention away from the rest of the staff, which overall has been very good.
But Jack Taschner needs to go.
Taschner is essentially just a warm body in the bullpen, nothing more. In 17 appearances this season, only twice has he entered a close game. He pitched a scoreless 10th inning to record a win against the Mets and he gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Braves to earn a blown save and a loss.
His 15 other appearances have all been in games that the Phillies were losing or winning by at least four runs. Manager Charlie Manuel simply doesn’t trust him with a lead.
Consider that Sergio Escalona came into a one-run game in his first major league appearance (and got the win).
Taschner has the worst WHIP on the staff (1.81), having given up 25 hits and 16 walks in 22.2 innings. His WHIP climbs to a ridiculous 2.50 when facing lefties, who are hitting .292 off of him. These are hardly adequate numbers for a left-handed reliever.
Given the Phillies struggles with their rotation, they can’t afford Taschner taking up a spot in the bullpen. They should either stick with Escalona when Lidge comes back, or if they aren’t comfortable with the rookie, pursue other options through trade.
One option that comes to mind is Octavio Dotel, who may or may not be on the block for the White Sox. Either way, Taschner shouldn’t be here in August.
Move No. 3: Bring In A Right-Handed Bat
For the most part, the Phillies are happy with their bench players. Greg Dobbs has struggled so far this season, but has been one of the best pinch hitters in the majors since 2007. Matt Stairs is as legitimate a threat to homer off the bench as anyone in baseball. Chris Coste has been a solid, if unremarkable backup catcher. And Eric Bruntlett is a reasonable option as a late-inning defensive replacement in the infield or outfield.
The problem is that the Phillies are sorely lacking a right-handed offensive option off the bench to complement their left-handed strength. With Bruntlett hitting just .149, the Phillies have called up Paul Bako as a third catcher to free up Coste for more at bats.
The organization is high on outfielder John Mayberry Jr., who they brought up for a few games last month. But they want him to play regularly and probably won’t bring him back up until September.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what Amaro can come up with.
Move No. 4: Win The World Series
Alright, so it’s easier said then done. It took how many years for the Phillies to win their first two trophies? But they certainly have a shot to repeat.
The biggest reason for optimism? It isn’t their record or their three-game lead over the Mets. It’s their history. This team is nothing if not a second-half team.
Here is the Phillies starting lineup listed with career first-half and second-half batting averages:
- SS Jimmy Rollins (.265/.287)
- CF Shane Victorino (.271/.299)
- 2B Chase Utley (.302/.293)
- 1B Ryan Howard (.254/.302)
- LF Raul Ibanez (.284/.292)
- RF Jayson Werth (.257/.265)
- 3B Pedro Feliz (.262/.244)
- C Carlos Ruiz (.244/.253)
Defending Raul Ibanez: He Isn’t the First to Defy Age
June 12, 2009 by Rob McFadden
Filed under Fan News
Much has been made of the blogger who dared put the words “Raul Ibanez” and “steroids” in the same headline. Some people were outraged. Some people were outraged by the outrage. Most people just wondered if and when the shadow of performance-enhancing drugs will ever leave baseball alone.
No matter your stance on that debate, the reality is that Ibanez is having a career year at the age of 37. Naturally when a 37-year-old outfielder emerges from 13 years of relative obscurity in Seattle and Kansas City into the spotlight of Philadelphia, and does so with a bang (21 bangs to this point), it will inevitably draw attention.
Ibanez is currently second in the majors with 21 home runs and first in slugging percentage at .674. His career highs in those categories are 33 (2006) and .537 (2002) respectively.
With 58 games played so far this season, he is currently on pace to hit around 58 bombs. Should Ibanez hit 58 home runs (which is unlikely), that would represent a 60 percent increase from the 23 homers he hit in 2008. Remember that percentage. We’ll come back to it later.
All the hubbub surrounding Ibanez and his apparent discovery of the Fountain of Youth got me thinking. Is it rare for a player to peak in his late 30s? Absolutely. Most players don’t even last that long. But for a player who has put up consistently good numbers at the plate or on the mound over a number of years, is it that rare for success to continue or even increase at a late age?
I didn’t think so. We’re not talking about NFL running backs here. David Wells threw a perfect game at the age of 35 while overweight and hungover. Is it so far-fetched to think someone could reach career highs at 37 just by taking care of his body and utilizing 13 years of experience?
My research was by no means exhaustive, but I found a few notable examples to support my theory. And you can forget about Bonds and Clemens, some of the names on this list might surprise you.
These examples are presented for the sole purpose of showing that it is possible for a 37-year-old with a history of solid hitting to reach career highs that late in his career. Just throwing some more wood on the fire, if you will.
I’d love to hear your comments.