Beer nuts: Phils should consider locking up Lidle

The Phillies should think about having themselves a sit-down with their steady right-hander on his future with the organization.

In Lidle, they’ve received a quality pitcher who will give up hits, but never big innings because he largely keeps the ball in the yard. The 34-year-old right-hander is in the middle of the second season of a 2-year extension worth a guaranteed $6.3 million.

It’s something to consider. Age is an issue, but he’s not a hard thrower or someone you would expect to break down. So far this season, he’s 3-3 with a 4.17 ERA and leads the team with 38 strikeouts. The future of the starting rotation is also at stake. Obviously, Cole Hamels would factor into the mix, and possibly Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson. Brett Myers would seem to be a lock until he becomes a free agent. Jon Lieber has a year remaining on his contract, but could still generate interest in a trade.

Too early to think All-Stars?
Chase Utley was named National League Player of the Week yesterday. Utley had fourteen hits in 29 at-bats last week, three home runs, eight RBIs and nine runs, in addition to more crafty work in the field.

Fans can start voting for the all-star game, and so far Utley should be the clear favorite to start at second for the National League. After Utley, the field gets a little cloudy for the Phillies position players.

Here’s a crude breakdown of the top National League OPS hitters by position. Keep in mind, the ballot is a pick-three for outfield, but broken down by position here:

2B
1. Utley: .961
2. Vidro: .878
3. Biggio: .825
Comment: Utley and Biggio should carry the voting.

1B
1. Pujols: 1.261
2. Berkman: 1.065
3. Dunn: 1.019
8. Howard: .903
Comment: Cardinals typically earn plenty of votes. Pujols could bring record totals.

SS
1. Renteria: .886
2. H. Ramirez: .867
3. Wilson: .866
7. Rollins: .773
Comment: Hanley Ramirez also leads all shortstops in runs. Jose Reyes, not listed, will pull votes (.759 OPS, 11 SB, .272 BA)

3B
1. Ensberg: 1.045
2. Cabrera: 1.025
3. Encarnacion: .955
10: Bell: .721
Comment: David Wright (.928 OPS), will probably entice more votes than overlooked Ensberg.

LF
1. Lee: 1.071
2. Dunn: 1.019
3. Burrell: .996
Comment: In a crowded outfield, Burrell needs your votes, and was right on the cusp last season, too.

CF
1. Beltran: 1.112
2. Jones: .929
3. Sullivan: .877
4. Rowand: .867
Comment: Rowand actually leads this group in BA (.311), but is a longshot for outfield.

RF
1. Hawpe: 1.065
2. Kearns: .962
3. Abreu: .942
Comment: Big-time impressed with Hawpe when he faced the Phils. Abreu will be helped by his performance at last-season's derby.

C
1. Miller: .942
2. McCann: .916
3. Ausmus: .868
7. Lieberthal: .735
Comment: Tough position to compute this early, but that’s how I see it.

Comments

[gr]

i was thinking about this the other day. the way lidle's pitching now -- the progress he's apprantly made this season by improving his splitter -- he might end up being a nice bargain for another 2 years. seems a bit of a stretch that he'll greatly improve on his annual league average output at this point in his career, but it's worth a thought. he's a pretty well-suited pitcher for CBP and it would be good to have at least one vet in the rotation with the new kids.

[That Dude]

Utley, JRoll and Abreu should be locks. Utley because he deserves it and Abreu and Jroll on rep (this would be Jroll's 4th appearance). If Pat stays hot he should make it since I can't imagine Hawpe stays this hot.

[George S]

Regarding re-signing Lidle, it is not a bad investment based on what he brings and how much he would cost.
Hwr, I think Gillick needs to see what might be available on the FA and trade market before he ties up the $$ with Lidle.
For example, there have been rumors about the Marlins possibly trading Dontrelle Willis. That would probably require the Phillies to negotiate a new deal with him if they were actually able to acquire him. (I heard the Mets were trying to get him..a rumor, no more no less)

Not sure who or how attractive the FA market will be this offseason as yet for starters.
If Gillick commits to Lidle now, he is possibly killing any chance of getting someone better later.

[John]

If Lidle is signed for another couple years, the Phillies could always trade him if they need to clear space in the rotation for a bigger fish. A locked-up Lidle might bring more in a trade anyway, since it would not just be a three-month rental or something like that. Of course, that presumes the deal is reasonable and Lidle is still performing well.

[Carson Book]

Utley better be the starting 2nd baseman for the NL squad. Rollins may get voted in because of all the hitting streak hype. Abreu is solid, and I wouldn't be shocked if he makes it as well. Count Tom Gordon as a near lock thus far in the season, I know he can't get voted in, but Phil Garner will most likely choose him for the bullpen. Burrell is hot and in my opinion is all-star worthy. If this team keeps winning, and playing like they should, then there is no reason the Phillies can't have 5 or so all-stars come July.

Lidle is nice, because he is consistent. You know exactly what you're getting with him. That's worth 3-4 million a year...give another year extension now, he'd probably do it.

[longwood]

Any talk of extensions now is way premature. We need to see if this team is going to be buyers or sellers at that trade deadline. They have three months to prove that. If they are sellers, someone like Lidle is more valuable as a rental to many teams with larger payrolls who need 4 or 5 to fill the void due to an injury.

[That Dude]

Locking up Lidle right now would be foolish. There is no need to do so with so many question marks that need to play out over the season...

1. Randy Wolf, will he come back?
2. Cole Hamels
3. Madsen and Floyd

[Adam]

And of course Gio Gonzalez is set to make an appearance in 2007.

I don't see how we could trade for any pitchers. We simply don't have the young talent to spare, and right now the farm system needs to be allowed to regenerate. The near future will rest mostly on the shoulders of Myers, Hamels, Floyd, Madsen, Gonzalez, and/or any other pitcher that steps up.

[Billy Mac]

Agree, talk of contract extensions for Lidle is premature. Too many unanswered questions on young pitchers and Wolf, and too little payroll flexibility. Likely, payroll will go down again next season.

[zach]

Well, we could still get a pitcher from a team in need of some offense, just not the Marlins. If a trade for Dontrelle were to happen, we would have to give up someone like Hamels, and besides pissing off the fans, it wouldn't fit with the Phillies' win-later philosophy.

But to say we couldn't get any pitchers at all is a little premature. Teams will have a better idea of where they stand around the trade deadline and we'll see what happens.

[RickSchuBlues]

Methinks Cory Lidle needs to have another one of those 10-run innings like the Dodgers handed to him last year, for people to be slapped back into the reality that he's just not all that good.

[dajafi]

I'd probably offer arbitration to Lidle, but I just don't see extending him outright given how much quality young pitching should reach Philly in the next couple years. If he accepted, we'd have a solid and affordable back-of-the-rotation guy; if he declined and signed elsewhere, we'd have picks.

I like Lidle, but as he gets deeper into his 30s I just don't think he'll give good value for his cost, compared to Hamels, Gio, Mathieson, et al. If the Phils want a veteran starter to go with Lieber and help guide the young guns, they should look top-of-the-line.

OTOH, if they did trade for Willis and had to part with one or more of their best young arms, keeping Lidle might make more sense. But that's pretty far-out speculation for now.

[Tom Goodman]

In eight plus years Cory Lidle has pitched to 138 decisions and has won 73 of them or roughly 53%. So, we are talking about a guy who goes out there and wins one and then loses one. This is not the stuff of legends. Lidle is looking relatively good when compared to the horrendous stats of everyone not named Brett Myers but his record proves he is going to break even when all is said and done. That should make him a fourth or fifth starter, not a number two.

[Carson Book]

all the hell with all this talk...bring on Hamels!!!

[That Dude]

Unleash King Cole.

[zach]

Who said he should be a number two?

[Tom Goodman]

Re: No. 2. I assumed from what he wrote that Jason saw Lidle as only behind Myers in the rotation at this point.