Philadelphia Phillies: Has Charlie Manuel Finally Worn out His Welcome?

In 2005, Charlie Manuel replaced Philadelphia Phillies legend Larry Bowa as the manager of a team with a rabid fanbase in desperate search of a World Series victory.

In his first season as skipper, Manuel led the Phillies to an 88-74 record, missing the playoffs by only one game.

The Phillies just missed the playoffs again in 2006, but in 2007, Manuel kept his team focused enough to go 23-11 over their final 34 games and overtake the New York Mets in order to win their first division title since 1993.

Then, in 2008, Charlie Manuel found his way into the hearts of Philadelphia fans forever by leading the Phillies to their second-ever World Series win; their first since 1980.

Manuel will forever be known as the coach who led the team that broke Philadelphia’s “Curse of William Penn.” But, is it time for the Phillies to move on from Uncle Charlie?

The Phillies have made the playoffs in every year since 2007, a streak that, barring a miracle, will end this year. The team is getting a bit of a makeover—trading Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton and likely moving on from Placido Polanco in the offseason. Now may be the best time to change managers.

Manuel is under contract through the 2013 season, so the Phillies would have to buy him out if they choose to move on, and that’s exactly what they should do.

Manuel’s loyalty to his players has gotten in the way of the team’s success.

In September of last season, Manuel left his starting pitchers in for what many fans believed was too long.  

 

Cliff Lee averaged about 106 pitches in five starts last September, and when it was his turn to pitch in the NLDS against the Cardinals, Lee gave up five earned runs in six innings.

Had Lee been used with more caution in September, would he have been in better shape to pitch well in October?

Manuel’s loyalty to shortstop Jimmy Rollins is another issue that Philadelphia fans have with their 68-year-old manager.

Manuel repeatedly states that Rollins is his leadoff hitter, despite the fact that the Phillies went out and signed prototypical leadoff man Juan Pierre in the offseason.

Rollins is hitting .245 this season and has an on-base percentage of .304. Pierre is hitting .307 and has a .349 on-base percentage.  

Not that hitting Pierre at leadoff would have made the Phillies a playoff team this year, but based on statistics, Pierre clearly should be at the top of the order every game.

Under Manuel, the Phillies have relied on the home run ball to carry their offense. With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley out of the lineup for the majority of the season, it became clear that Manuel could not adjust to a team that wasn’t full of power hitters; he refused to play small ball.

Manuel’s loyalty to Rollins as a hitter and his inability to play small ball both showed in the Phillies’ August 12th game against the Cardinals.  

It was a 7-7 game in the bottom of the 11th and Erik Kratz was on second with nobody out. Jimmy Rollins came to the plate in a clear bunt situation, but Manuel allowed him to swing the bat. Rollins hit a chopper to the left side of the infield and Kratz was called out at third.

The Phillies went on to win that game, but they could have very easily not have scored in the 11th.  

It’s time for the Phillies to bring in a manager that has no loyalty to these players. Someone who can come in next season and play the best players in optimal spots in the lineup.

The man for the job is already in the Phillies system.  

Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg is the manager of the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  

Sandberg was named the 2011 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America after leading the IronPigs to their first-ever playoff appearance and the International League championship series.

Despite a relatively weak farm system for the Phillies, Sandberg has the IronPigs in the thick of the playoff race again this season.

Charlie Manuel will forever be a Philadelphia hero, but it’s time to move on. It’s time to get younger players and a younger manager. It’s time for the Ryne Sandberg era to begin.

 

Follow @TimStoeckle on Twitter

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Players the Team Can Build Around Long-Term

Since the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East in 2007, long-term hasn’t been in the vocabulary of their fans.  Anything less than a World Series win was considered a failure year after year, but it has come time to plan for the future.

Looking at the current Phillies roster, who can they be built around long-term?

Ryan Howard is 32 and has been almost invisible since his return from the DL in early July.  Howard is under contract through 2016 with a club option including a $10 million buyout in 2017.  He is a power bat in the middle of the Phillies lineup, but at this point in his career, he isn’t a player that you build your team around.

Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins used to be considered centerpieces for the Phillies, but that is no longer the case.  Utley can’t seem to stay healthy for an entire season, and Rollins, although solid in the field, is not the type of hitter that can carry a team.

Fan favorite, Carlos Ruiz, is a free agent after the 2013 season and it is unlikely that the Phillies will re-sign him after that.  Ruiz is currently 33 years old and having the best year of his career.  The chances of him replicating these numbers (or anywhere near these numbers) is highly unlikely. 

Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are still aces, but as for long-term, let’s just say they aren’t going to be in Philadelphia after their contracts expire in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

The Phillies’ long-term options may not be on their current roster.  

By trading Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, the Phillies freed up some cap space for the offseason.  Placido Polanco and Juan Pierre will be gone after this year, freeing up even more room to add pieces to build the franchise around.

These are five players, two currently on the roster, three who may be in the near future, who the Philadelphia Phillies can build their team around.

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Why Trading Hunter Pence Was Phillies’ Biggest Mistake at the Deadline

A little before 2:30pm on July 31st, the Philadelphia Phillies traded right fielder Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league catcher Tommy Joseph and minor league right-handed pitcher Seth Rosin.

This deal went down shortly after the Phillies had already traded center fielder Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever Josh Lindblom and pitching prospect Ethan Martin.

With Victorino and Pence gone, the Phillies’ outfield now consists of Juan Pierre, John Mayberry, Domonic Brown, Nate Schierholtz and Laynce Nix; a clear sign that the Phillies have officially quit on this season.

When the Phillies acquired Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros last year, he made an immediate impact and quickly became a fan favorite.  “Good Game, Let’s Go Eat” shirts flew off the shelves and number three jerseys and t-shirts filled the stands at Citizens Bank Park.

Now, just over one year later, Pence is changing teams once again.

Pence is eligible for arbitration next year, which is why the Phillies felt the need to deal him; they’ve decided to save some money.  But in doing so, they’ve traded away their best hitter.

2012 has been a down year for Pence.  But, when a player’s down year consists of a .271 average, 17 home runs and 59 RBI, then maybe he’s a guy who is worth keeping.

Pence is a career .290 hitter, and he hit .324 in 54 games with the Phillies in 2011.   

Carlos Ruiz has been the best hitter for Philadelphia this year, but how likely is it that the 33-year old catcher will replicate these numbers in 2013?  

 

As for the other Phillies offensive players, Ryan Howard is a career .274 hitter who hasn’t hit over .280 since 2006.  He is the guy who drives in the runs for Philadelphia, but the team needs someone to get on base. That player is now gone.

Now that the Phillies have freed up all of this money, what are they going to do with it?

Anything less than a huge free agent signing or two would be unacceptable.

Philadelphia is a city that has grown accustomed to winning, and another year like this one will cause a rebellion.

With the team as it is, the offense isn’t good enough to get them into the playoffs in 2013.  Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins aren’t the hitters they used to be. Ruiz will not have another season like this one, and the outfield—as mentioned before—is nowhere near playoff caliber.

The 2013 free agent class isn’t deep, but it has some names that would make the Phillies contenders next year.

Obviously, Josh Hamilton is the biggest name on the market, but don’t expect to see him in red pinstripes next year.

26-year old Delmon Young will be a free agent, and he can hit. But his attitude problems have been well documented.

Cody Ross and Nick Swisher will both be free agents, but Ross isn’t great and Swisher would just be another low-average long-ball hitter.

Center field is where the Phillies will have the most luck in the offseason, as former Phillie Michael Bourn is a free agent. Melky Cabrera and BJ Upton, who are both solid, young players would also be great additions to the Phillies.

Right now, Philadelphia is a city in panic mode and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the sellout streak at Citizens Bank Park comes to an end by the end of the year. After all, Ruben Amaro Jr. just traded away one of the last reasons for Phillies for fans to come to the ballpark for the last two months of the season.

 

Follow @TimStoeckle on Twitter 

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Cliff Lee Trade Rumors: 10 Possible Deals Phillies Could Pull Off by July 31

We’ve been hearing the trade rumors for weeks now; the Philadelphia Phillies will trade Cole Hamels.  The Phillies will trade Shane Victorino.  The Phillies will trade their entire roster and rebuild completely from scratch.

Okay, so that last one was a bit of an exaggeration, but the point is that the Phillies are in a position to be sellers at the trade deadline.

One name that hasn’t been thrown around that much is Cliff Lee.  The 33-year-old former Cy Young Award winner would be a great addition for any of the 20-plus teams that have a legitimate chance of making the postseason.

Lee is owed $25 million in each of the next three years which may scare some teams away from trading for him, but he could be the difference between a team missing the playoffs and winning the World Series.

 

Follow @TimStoeckle on Twitter

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10 Philadelphia Phillies Who Will Have to Sweat out the 2012 Trade Deadline

Sitting at 13 games back in the National League East and 9.5 back in the Wild Card, it seems that the Phillies are in position to be sellers at the trade deadline.

The season has been filled with disappointment and injury; come August, we may be seeing a much different-looking Phillies team.

Players like Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise if they got dealt.  The rumors have been circulating all year, and at this point it will be more surprising if they didn’t get traded.

Other players—like Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay—could be dealt, but it isn’t expected.  The value is there, but would the Phillies get enough in return to part with these aces?

Here are 10 Philadelphia Phillies players who could be getting called into Charlie Manuel’s office at the trade deadline.

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Philadelphia Phillies: First-Half Awards and Second-Half Predictions

The Philadelphia Phillies entered the All-Star break with a shockingly bad record of 37-50, which puts them 14 games back in the division and 10 games back in the Wild Card.  

If you would have told me that this would be the case before the season started, I would have laughed in your face.  

I mean, look at the talent.  

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels should be the best top three starters on any team in baseball.  Instead, the team has a 4.23 ERA, which ranks 22nd in the league.       

The offense should be hitting better with runners in scoring position, as the Phillies rank 15th in the league in runs scored with 368.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are back, which gives Phillies fans some hope, but it will take a whole lot of improvement and even more luck for this team to get into the playoffs.

A lot of things aren’t going according to plan for the Phightin’ Phils, which makes midseason awards a bit of a challenge, but I gave it my best effort.

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Cliff Lee’s First Win Will Propel Him to Huge Second Half

Cliff Lee was my preseason pick to win the National League Cy Young award. At the time it was a good pick.  

Lee was 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA in his first full season in Philadelphia, and the expectation was for him to put up equal numbers in his second year in the red pinstripes. But in baseball, you must expect the unexpected.

It took Lee until July 4 to win his first ballgame. That was his 14th start of the year. Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis got a win before Lee.  

Lee heads into the All-Star break with a 1-5 record and an un-Lee-like 3.98 ERA.

But, there is hope for Lee in the second half. A lot of hope.

The Phillies offense averaged just over three runs per game in Lee’s first 13 starts before his win. This includes a game on April 18 when Lee pitched 10 shutout innings, throwing only 102 pitches, and got a no-decision.

Now, the Phillies lineup is starting to get healthy. Chase Utley made his season debut on June 27 and Ryan Howard just came back on July 6. If everyone can stay healthy, the Phillies have a lineup that will be able to put some runs on the board and allow Lee’s win total to increase.

Lee entered June with a 3.00 ERA. He was 0-2, but pitching well. At that point in the season, you could blame the offense for his lack of W’s.  

The same couldn’t be said for what happened next.

Lee’s four starts before his win were rough: he allowed 20 earned runs and 35 hits in 24.2 innings pitched. In those four starts, 55 fly balls were hit off of Lee against only 27 ground balls. To compare this to a start where Lee pitched well, on May 15, he allowed seven fly balls and 10 ground balls.

Any pitcher will tell you, if opposing batters are hitting the ball in the air to the outfield, eventually it’s going to hurt you.

But, in his win against the Mets, Lee looked like his old self, going eight innings, allowing only two earned runs and striking out nine batters. If this is any indication of what’s to come, Lee will have plenty of second-half wins.

In 2011, Lee’s second half was brilliant. He was 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA after going 9-6 with a 2.82 ERA in the first half.

If he could match last year’s first-half statistics in the second half of this season, Phillies fans will be more than pleased.

Lee is scheduled to pitch against the Rockies (twice), Dodgers, Brewers (twice), Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Reds and division opponents in the second half. These games are slightly less challenging than Boston, Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay, all of whom Lee struggled against in the first half.  

Lee is too good to continue pitching like this. If I had to make a prediction, I’d say Lee wins eight games in the second half and finishes with a record of around 9-8 and brings his ERA down to around 3.40.  

Looking at these stats alone, they’re not very impressive. But, compared to his first half, Phillies fans would take it. 

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Ryan Howard’s Return to the Phillies Lineup Spoiled by the Bullpen

It was a humid night at Citizens Bank Park, but that didn’t keep the fans away. The team’s big bat, Ryan Howard, returned to the lineup for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of last year’s NLDS.

His return gave some hope to a fanbase that is in need of some. Howard will come back, ignite this offense, and get this team back into playoff contention; that was the plan. But not only could the Phillies still not score in Howard’s season debut, the same thing that’s been plaguing the team all year struck again: the bullpen.

Ryan Howard received a standing ovation as he stepped up to the plate in the second inning. After ripping a double into deep right-center field, the crowd of 44,441 at Citizens Bank Park erupted.

This was going to be the start of the Phillies playoff run.

Not quite.

Phillies pitcher, Kyle Kendrick, threw seven shutout innings, but got no support as the game went into the 8th inning scoreless. Antonio Bastardo, a formerly reliable reliever, entered the game in an attempt to keep the Braves at zero.

Pinch-hitter, Matt Diaz, lead off the 8th with a single which brought Michael Bourn to the plate.  Bourn attempted to sacrifice bunt, but Bastardo walked him.  Bastardo then retired Martin Prado and Jason Heyward, giving Phillies fans hope that that their team would be able to escape the inning without surrendering any runs.  

Bastardo continued to struggle finding the strike zone and walked Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.  

Before the Phillies fans were able to finish yelling insults at Bastardo, Brian McCann hit a ball over the fence to make it a 5-0 game.

Bastardo left the game to the sound of boos and the sight of disgusted fans exiting the park.

The Phillies are 13 games back of Washington in the NL East and 9 games back in the Wild Card race.

44,441 fans showed up to watch the Phillies blow another game. They deserved better. I could have spent my Friday night relaxing at the shore after a week of work. Instead, I went to Citizens Bank Park, sat up in section 422, sweat through my Hunter Pence t-shirt and watched the Phillies blow another game.

To say I left the stadium angry is an understatement. I left feeling cheated.

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Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino for Josh Hamilton? Why It Would Work

Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino and Josh Hamilton are all in the final year of their respective contracts. The Phillies need someone who can drive in runs; the Rangers don’t really need much, but another pitcher could finally give them a World Series ring.  Why not make a deal?

The immediate reaction I’m expecting is, “why would the Rangers ever trade Josh Hamilton?” but think about it.  That lineup is loaded even without Hamilton.  Take him out and you still have Mike Napoli, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz and David Murphy.  Plus, this trade would send Shane Victorino to Texas to replace Hamilton.  

Add Cole Hamels, and the Rangers have perhaps the best rotation in baseball.  Hamels, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Yu Darvish and Roy Oswalt would be the starters and the team could move Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz to the bullpen to join Joe Nathan, Mike Adams, Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara—forming what could be the best relief corps in the league.  

That is a World Series team if I’ve ever seen one.

The Phillies would get a middle of the order guy who can single-handedly solve their run production problems.  Putting Hamilton in center field would give the Phillies a lineup of Juan Pierre, Chase Utley, Josh Hamilton, Ryan Howard, Hunter Pence, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz.

A lineup like that would enable the Phillies to find their way back into contention.

Even without Hamels, a rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Vance Worley, Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick would keep this team in most ballgames.  With a little extra run support, these pitchers can finally start putting up better numbers in the win column.

The Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball, and the Rangers have the sixth highest.  This trade would allow the Phillies to give Hamilton a long-term contract while the Rangers could sign Hamels and find a replacement for Victorino in the offseason.  

The Rangers are unlikely to give up their superstar player before the season ends, but this deal could make them a better team.

Will this happen?  No.  Would it benefit both sides if it did?  Yes.

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Philadelphia Phillies Should Consider Trading Cliff Lee

This season has been extremely frustrating for the Phillies and their fans.  The team that has won five straight National League East titles now sits in last place in the division and continues to find new ways to lose games.  

The Phillies are 28th in the league in runners left in scoring position per game.  Not only can the team not drive in runs, but their pitching staff hasn’t been as dominant as expected.  

Roy Halladay is on the DL, but even before that he was struggling.  Cliff Lee is still winless and has struggled to locate his pitches.  The man who used to go games without walking a batter now has put too many runners on base and then has allowed them to score.

The bullpen has been horrendous, ranking 25th in the league in bullpen ERA.  The team finally designated Chad Qualls for assignment, but he isn’t the only problem in that pen.  

In order to put together this team, general manager, Ruben Amaro, Jr., traded away the team’s future.  The team is getting older and doesn’t appear to have many players in the farm system who are anywhere near ready to come up and make an impact.  

It’s time to sell in Philadelphia.

Shane Victorino should be the first to go.  Victorino is a solid defensive center fielder, but he is a terrible baserunner and isn’t worth keeping for his hitting.

After dealing Victorino, the Phillies need to seriously consider trading either Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay.  By getting rid of one of these guys, they will be able to re-sign Cole Hamels after this season.

Roy Halladay’s injury and age could prevent teams from pursuing him, but you have to think that Cliff Lee is still a coveted player.  The only problem is, do the Phillies have the heart to trade the guy who turned down more money to play for them?

Let’s say the Phillies decide to trade Lee. Where could he go?  

Well, look at potential playoff teams that need pitching.  Let’s start in the American League.  The Yankees have pitching troubles as it is, but now CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte are injured.  Lee turned down the Yankees before signing with the Phillies, but he would greatly improve that team.  In return, the Phillies could receive outfield prospect, Mason Williams, and third base prospect, Dante Bichette, Jr.  

The Red Sox are another team that could use Lee’s services.  The Sox have the offense to make the playoffs, but they’re at least a pitcher away from being serious contenders.  In return, the Phillies could get outfield prospects, Bryce Brentz and Jackie Bradley.

The Detroit Tigers have a World Series-caliber offense as well, but a pitcher like Lee would give them a dangerous pitching staff.  Verlander and Lee would create an incredible one-two punch.  And how about third base prospect, Nick Castellanos, coming back to Philly along with another prospect?

In the National League, Cliff Lee would make the Reds the team to beat.  Cincinnati has a great offense, and if they added Lee, a rotation of Lee, Cueto and Latos in the postseason would be brutal for opposing offenses.  Pitching prospect, Robert Stephenson, and outfield prospect, Ryan LaMarre, would be great pieces for the Phillies to get in return.

It’s time for the Phillies to start preparing for the future, and it starts by being able to re-sign Hamels.  If the team trades Victorino and Lee, they’ll get pieces in return that will allow Philadelphia to have a playoff-caliber team sooner rather than later. 

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