Phils break camp with light pitching, heavy headaches
Adam Eaton is in mid-season form, reminding us, once again, that results don’t matter. He’s an ace in his own mind, inside his own champagne-room fantasy.
Eaton allowed 11 hits and six earned runs over 4 2-3 innings yesterday, assuring reporters “The way I feel and the way my stuff is, I’m very happy. I’d take what I had today out there, and I think I’d fare pretty well.” In the meantime, the rest of us look forward to the day when the universe he dwells in realigns with our own dimension.
Today, Adam Strange and the Phillies pack up their prairie schooners and migrate home for a mock game with the Blue Jays. Our headcount says they’re shy. Ain’t that a daisy. They’re carrying 10 pitchers. At this late stage, the best they can hope for is to round up a two-bit drifter with a ten-cent fastball, roasting weiners in the burn barrels of Value Village.
Transaction news: According to a couple reports, outfielder Chris Snelling has been exposed to waivers, with the Phillies waiting to see if another club puts in a claim.
Eaton and Dutch would probably get along pretty well.
Posted by: ZT | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Eaton's got one thing going for him - blind, optimistic confidence.......
That, or he's clearly in need of some counseling.
Posted by: Willard Preacher | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Well, I've been nuked. I have been identified as a "rat-bastard poseur".
In light of that maybe I should consider changing my moniker to RBP. I'll have to think about it.
Regarding the thread topic, Tampa Bay is reportedly considering trading a starting pitcher - Edwin Jacson has been mentioned - for an outfielder.
Is there any outfielder the Phillies should consider trading for someone like Jackson?
I wonder (nah, blind hope) if the Rays would be willing to take a lesser outfielder if the Phils included Golson?
On second thought, forget it. The Phils would never do it. The brass seem to think Golson is the second coming of Andre Dawson.
Posted by: AWH | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:11 AM
The Team Page still lists Olmedo, Snelling, Helms and the Deal as on the active roster. We know our friend J.D. has dearly departed. But the other three leave us at 10 and 16.
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Who would you rather have: Edwin Jackson or Jason Hammel? I don't have much faith in Jackson to reach his potential, but have seen Hammel pitch a few times in AAA here in Durham. He has strikeout potential but needs to limit his walks allowed. Both pitchers are not much as prospects and I do not see how either would help the Phils.
Posted by: Josh M | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Reading between the line on Murphy today in the DN and I have a bold prediction:
Eaton will go on the DL to start the season and either C. Durbin or Happ starting on next Saturday. The former if the Phils acquire another reliever, the latter if they don't.
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Andy, Olmedo won't make it. That seems pretty certain.
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:28 AM
kdon: Agreed. The real question, though, is that it still is 10 and 15. That's a ridiculously low number of pitchers. What is this - the seventies?
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Mike Myers was released today.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:35 AM
AWH (RBP):
I do believe that Golson has a 75% chance of only ever benefitting the team as trade-bait. I just don't think that the deals you suggest are the best way to use that chip.
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
MLBTraderumors also confirms the Reds are shopping Ryan Freel as an outfielder. Given that the Phils have no one to shop like Freel, it seems the Reds and Rays have a fit. I've kept half an eye on Jackson since he came up with the Dodgers. Talk about unfulfilled potential. The Dodgers converted him from the outfield to pitching and he's never been able to put it all together.
I'm still keeping an eye on Rudy Seanez. There's no excuse and he still has it, even at age 39.
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
What to make of Eaton - he's just not that bright, is he?
As has been mentioned here by several posters looking ahead, we really don't need a 5th starter all that much the first month of the season. So why pitch Eaton?
I understand it would be nice to give the other 4 starters an extra day of rest early in the season, but I don't see how we could afford to do that.
Posted by: Morty | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Mike Myers = frisbee thrower.
A guy that the fans will either rally behind (a la Sal Fasano) or boo the hell out of (a la Adam Eaton) because of his weird pitching motion.
Posted by: Crazy Jon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Out of his 72 appearances in 2007, Myers was successful in 40. (Meaning, he did not give up a run, his or anyone elses nor did he let the only batters he faced on base without getting an out. Call it the "clout measure" of reliever success.) 40 good, 32 not so good.
He had two extremely bad streaks of about 5 games each. Without those he would have been a stud middle reliever.
I think he would be better than a lot of LOOGY options; but he's been better against righties over the last couple years. As I look at the stats, I believed that he's kinda cooked.
.
.
.
Which means Gillick oughta love him!
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 11:59 AM
If Myers throws strikes, he could have a noodly appendage for an arm and nobody will care...
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Mike H.: Was that a pastafarian reference?
Posted by: sifl | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:09 PM
True Andy, and one of those pitchers is Eaton. That is just one sad group of pitchers...
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:13 PM
"he could have a noodly appendage for an arm and nobody will care..."
What, you're expecting him to be God?
http://www.venganza.org/
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:15 PM
It sure was, Sifl and kdon. At this point, to paraphrase Charlie, what the hell? If you're a reliever for the Phillies, you better have God on your side, whoever that God might be!!
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:20 PM
mmmm...noodles...
Posted by: Andy's 3 year old daughter Carol | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 12:29 PM
When Charlie was asked if Eaton was going to be the 5th starter -
"I don't know... We'll see when we get there. We've got plenty of time. [Next] Saturday's a long way off. Hell, I might be dead by then," Manuel said.
Posted by: Irishbornkiller | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:10 PM
If the team takes Helms north over Snelling it will be a major mistake.
Helms is simply a horrible player: he can't hit, can't run, has no plate discipline, and he is a *bad* defender at a position where the team already has better hitters (Dobbs) and fielders (Feliz, Bruntlett).
I can see with a contract like Eaton that you just can't cut bait, but this is 2-3M bucks for f*cks sake. The Indians, one of the poorest teams in baseball just ate 1.5M on Fultz. This is unbelievable if true; the angriest I've been all spring.
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:19 PM
kdon: I understand your frustration with Helms, but what role would Snelling serve?
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:24 PM
I wonder if "being dead by then" is some of the Charlie/Gillick tension we saw in the media last year. I do buy the argument that Charlie is POed that Ruben and Gillick didn't go out and get the tools he needs to win. It was that whole "You got me these warm bodies, now I'm gonna run them into the ground" idea that Charlie went with in the dark days of last year.
But hey, it's ok. Amaro says he's been looking for pitching since October. Why do I get the feeling that looking for pitching constitutes hanging around Kensington boxing clubs looking to give an unknown lefthander a shot at the title?
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:29 PM
As for Eaton pitching himself out of the rotation in the final game of spring training, with the trucks already loaded, I'm not buying it. He's the fifth starter.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Grant Balfour has lost the race for the final bullpen spot with Tampa. The Phils saw plenty of Chuck Lamar's old team this spring. He could be the no-name, previously unmentioned pitcher coming soon to press release near you. He isn't any good. Seems like someone the Phils' scouts would zero in on.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:34 PM
kdon: Not to rekindle yesterday's topic, but Snelling is literally a textbook example of the point I was trying to make. A guy like Snelling simply isn't going to beat out a veteran player unless he impresses at spring training -- and Snelling didn't. And, other than demonstrating the abililty to draw walks (a mostly useless skill for a guy whose main job will be to pinch hit), he also hasn't impressed in his other major league opportunities, which now total a not-insignificant 221 ABs.
Believe it or not, I actually share your opinion that Snelling could turn out to be a pretty decent player if ever given a chance. But I could also be very wrong, and he could just be another guy like Chris Roberson, who could hit minor league pitching but not major league pitching. Until he demonstrates at least some sign that he can hit real pitching, he's never going to, and doesn't deserve to, make the team over a veteran hitter with a half-way decent bat. And, based on career numbers, Helms DOES have a half-way decent bat.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:37 PM
"Amaro says he's been looking for pitching"
Mike H, you have the quote wrong - Amaro says he's been looking for pitchers.
There's a (cold, frothy) considerable difference.
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Jason, instead of seeing Bal-four, I'd much rather see the Out-man. Who cares how they pitch? The second name is just so much better for morale.
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:42 PM
Could Snelling be swapped for Balfour? Tampa is where the Phils got him from and they're reportedly seeking a fifth outfielder. Seems like a fair trade.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:45 PM
b-a-p:
You've said this a few times in different ways: "the abililty to draw walks (a mostly useless skill for a guy whose main job will be to pinch hit)"
While I agree with you on Snelling (though Helms may suck again this year), I have to disagree with the statement about PHs who walk. Most usually, they bat for the pitcher and are, then, followed by the top of the order. A runner on base already for Rollins is, actually, a pretty good thing.
It's kind of a situational thing. If there's two outs and a guy on second, you might want Helms (2006) more than Snelling because he has a better chance of driving in the run. If you're PHing for the pitcher leading off the inning (or coming up with one out and nobody on - which will happen frequently thanks to Senor Out), then you might prefer Snelling's OBP.
In either case, however, Taguchi kicks crap out of either one as a PH.
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:48 PM
Jason, do you really want Balfour in our bullpen?
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:49 PM
"but Snelling is literally a textbook example of the point I was trying to make. A guy like Snelling simply isn't going to beat out a veteran player unless he impresses at spring training"
Yes, and this is exactly the point I disagree with. This "veteran" player idea is what gives the team Jose Offerman (05) Alex Gonzalez over Chris Coste (06) or Alfonseca over Germano or (almost!) Karim Garcia over Dobbs (07).
It's not that I think Snelling is so great, but that he has the chance to be a valuable player, and the fact that he will be lost because Helms has a gaurunteed contract (and let's not kid ourselves, that is the *only* reason he is still in contention) is frustrating.
Bap, you seem to have an odd sort of moralism which precludes an "underserving" Snelling or Blackley to make the team over "deserving veterans." I'm only interested, however, in the best 25 players.
"other than demonstrating the abililty to draw walks (a mostly useless skill for a guy whose main job will be to pinch hit)"
This is silly. A walk in a PH situation is as valuable as any other time. Considering these PH appearences would likely occur for the pitcher (and ahead of J-Roll) I would prefer they get on base any way possible.
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Andy: Nope. Just trying to predict how the Phils will address their bullpen before the season. Probably with someone like Balfour. It's always someone like that. Vague names like Chad Durbin and Shane Youman.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Goes to show you, Andy. When you comment angry on blogs, you're likely to get the quote wrong. As if I give a two shilling $h!t and a rolling doughnut what Ruben Amaro thinks or says...
Grant Balfour sounds like a Canadian Prime Minister from 100 years ago.
Poll on Metsblog says that 82% of their fans want the Mets to make at least the NLCS.
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Jason - gotcha.
Mike H. - now if we could only get him interested in Kirin Ichiban instead of that Schlitz he's been pouring it might translate into better prospects.
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:00 PM
Technical question, non sequitor: Has anyone else had a problem with phillies.com crashing their Mozilla Firefox browser?
Posted by: MPN | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:01 PM
"but what role would Snelling serve?"
Jason, I think having a second LH bat would be nice, and OF depth is pretty key with the way Cholly uses his bench.
If you assume Werth/Jenkins will be a strict platoon, that leaves Taguchi to serve as Burrell's caddie.
I have to think PtB will be getting lifted as per usual in the 6th and 7th inning again, so that mean Taguchi wouldn't be available to PH.
I also think the kid has massive talent (1000+ OPS in AAA at age 23), and think there is an outside shot he could be the everyday LF in 2009 if he recovers his form.
Again, none of these are locks, but I don't want to close off possibilities in order to fit Helms in, who, given his overall "talent" is the bottom 2 percentile of value in MLB.
Posted by: kdon | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:01 PM
In re: the Metsblog poll...
18% of their fans don't want them to make the NLCS?
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:02 PM
MPN: As a matter of fact, I have.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Andy - The poll is asking the fans about the lowest level they'd be satisfied with. So 82% of the fans are saying that anything less than an NLCS would be disappointing.
Posted by: stjoehawk | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:12 PM
I also think the kid has massive talent (1000+ OPS in AAA at age 23), and think there is an outside shot he could be the everyday LF in 2009 if he recovers his form.
he also had a .423 BABIP in AAA at age 23. and he had a .666 OPS in AAA at age 24.
Posted by: ae | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:14 PM
In a similar poll among Phillies' fans, 93% said that the lowest level they'd be interested in was..."Hey! Pass me one of those paper cups..."
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:16 PM
JW: Thanks. Just wanted to check with others as it has been happening on my home and work PCs.
Posted by: MPN | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Any chance we give Byung-Hyun Kim a tryout? He cant seem to stay on a MLB roster, but he's got experience. Plus his weird delivery might make him a decent change of pace middle reliever. Yes I am grasping at straws.
Posted by: El Capitan Obvioso | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:26 PM
Weitzel- that's almost the image I used on my blog today of "hobo" in reference to Pat Gillick's roster buidling technique. Instead I went with a "Hobo Soup" image.
Posted by: GM-Carson | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Everybody just needs to focus their psychic energy in Gillick's direction and think loudly: "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!"
Posted by: Andy | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:29 PM
To paraphrase Gus... keep on graspin'...
Posted by: Mike H. | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:30 PM
JW - Is that a picture of the latest Phils' bullpen pitcher?
Posted by: MG | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:31 PM
“The way I feel and the way my stuff is, I’m very happy. I’d take what I had today out there, and I think I’d fare pretty well.”
Wow. There are only two conclusions here you can reach about Eaton. Either he is absolutely delusional at this point or that his confidence is completely shot/he is trying to overcompensate by making bombastic statements like this one. Honestly I thought it was the later but I am not so sure anymore.
Has there been in athlete in recent Philly history who had made comments that have so completely disconnected with his onfield performance?
Posted by: MG | Friday, March 28, 2008 at 02:40 PM