Phillies boss acts like 5th starter has been decided

After another competent showing by Kyle Kendrick in yesterday’s 8-7 win over Houston, Jamie Moyer stakes his claim against the Yanks. Asked if it’s an important start for Moyer? ‘Not really,’ says the skipper. [Link]

As the Phils delve deeper into spring training, and with total certainty that there will be three initial openings in the bullpen, even his staunchest critics must admit that Moyer makes the most sense to head north as the fifth starter. Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero’s stay on the disabled list will allow the Phillies to monitor Moyer, although I wouldn’t expect the Phillies to pull the plug until June, even if his ERA soars over 7. It also makes sense since Kendrick has options, as does Antonio Bastardo. So when Lidge and Romero are ready to come off the DL, they’ll have a few weeks to decide how to make room. April will also be an audition period for Rule 5 righty David Herndon.

Kendrick also makes sense as a long man, and with Lidge out of action, the Phils could actually use another righty. Although he filled the role effectively last year, the Phillies feel that at 48, Moyer isn’t a viable option for the ‘pen.

It’s also important to remember that history says Moyer, who had a 3.48 ERA after the all-star break, is a better starter than Kendrick, and can pitch deeper into games. Moyer has averaged 5.92 innings in 91 starts over the last three years. Kendrick has averaged 5.52 in 52 starts over that span, which isn't necessarily a small sample size.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with grooming a young pitcher slowly through the ‘pen. Just ask J.A. Happ, who was a year older than Kendrick at this time last year. A bullpen assignment would keep Kendrick confident and hungry.

Comments

[Greg V.]

I agree 100%. Plus let's face it, Kendrick will get a chance to start anyway. Didn't the Phils end up using 11 or 12 starters last season? He'll get his shot.

[Dan Kehl]

I agree completely that Kendrick would be better in a long reliever role.

[J. Weitzel]

Five-man rotations are more accurately 5.5-man rotations because of weather, injury, etc. Kendrick is a nice option. Better than Carlos Monasterios for sure.

[mikek]

when is the need for 5th starter?
sorry i know this has been gone over but when is halladays first home start?

[64 survivor]

I love Moyer, but he is 48 and out of gas.Keeping him in tthe rotation would be a financially inspired move which could hurt us at the end of the year when we look back on the 2-6 record that he developed before we removed him from the rotation. Hope I'm wrong, but I do not think I will be.

[Cipper]

Doc threw 98 pitches yesterday.... but thats all I could find... any stat line for him yesterday?

[Royale]

Phillies also open April with 9 games against the Nats and Fish. Moyer would be unlikely in the first series with the Nats, but after that, could pitch, maybe in the home opener April 12 against the Nats. Moyer has a good track record against those teams.

[NEPP]

Go with Moyer for now...KK will get his shot soon enough.

[NEPP]

Technically, this is Moyer's Age 47 season since he won't turn 48 until November.

So he's a relative young pup when you look at it that way.

[Chris in VA]

"... the Phillies feel that at 48, Moyer isn’t a viable option for the ‘pen."

This Phan feels that at 48, or 47, or however old he is, Moyer isn't a viable option. Period. The contract we gave him a few years ago was too much, and I feel like we're just fulfilling his self-denial about his age rather than turning our attention to the young guys who can and will take his job before the year is over.

[Bay Slugga]

Doc went 7, gave up 2 runs on seven hits, while striking out 7.

[JimmyToTheGap]

sometimes i think the Phils gave that two year contract to Moyer as an offering of good faith. i think the organization is angling to keep him around long-term in a coaching position and the two years was offered as an incentive to keep him happy. is that crazy?
that second year bothers me tremendously right now as a fan, but if it keeps Jamie around for more years in his wise-old-sage role, then i'm happy again.

back to the thesis.

[Ian no. 2]

I hope 64survivor will be wrong, but I don't think he'll be. The team needs to have their best five in the rotation. Moyer can get more practice as a lefty reliever from the start of the season. If he wants to be in the rotation, he can do that by pitching better.

[SteveW]

64survivor IS wrong. Dave Montgomery could be the fifth starter and the Phils would still cruise to the playoffs. No team in the NL East is even close.

[William Schweitzer]

Sadly, it appears the Phillies are back to their old ways of keeping unnecessary players to justify their salary.

I'm hoping this will be the last multi-year deal given to a man over the age of 45.

[PhillyBlunt]

yeah pile it on haters. Moyer gonna come back on y'all like this was moviepoopshoot.com.

[William Schweitzer]

I hope so.

[Bonehead]

Phils org is very thin on MLB-ready pitching. Phils have only 14-ish true MLB-ready pitchers in the org. Of those, only 6 MLB-ready starters. So, they need to maximize whatever production they can squeeze out of them.

Starting the season with Jaime as the #5 and getting everything from him seems to me the best way to do that. KK in the BP/#6 starter.

[Bubba]

You NEED to have at least 6 starters to keep a 5 man rotetion going through the year.
I hope both Jamie and Kyle are going to have good years because we need both of them for this team to be successful. It's less important who gets the 5th starter job in April than it is to have an adequate supply of MLB ready arms to reach well into October.
I don't uinderstand the need to root against one of our own pitchers because we second guess the GM for giving him his contract.
The media has to invent contreversy to have something to write about or talk about. We don't need to buy inti it.

[rupemaan]

I am far from a Jamie Moyer fan BUT, the man pitched really well leading up to the 08 playoffs that resulted in a WFC. He was a reliable starter last year and deserves a couple months to see if he can defy age again this season and see if there are enough young hackers in the game for him to be successful.
There are plenty of games for both Jamie and KK to have sucessful seasons as members of the 2010 Phillies.

[arbitropia]

I wish them both great success this year and agree it makes sense to start the season with Moyer in the rotation.

[Ian no. 2]

If Moyer's the best option due to an injury, then you use them.. but you don't make the playoffs til you play the season