Beerleaguer: The biggest news of the day came from Todd Zolecki, who learned that Antonio Bastardo's winter in the D.R. was cut short when his elbow flared up again, an issue that's been nagging the left-hander for several seasons now. Bastardo's situation could open the door for someone like Dan Meyer or Mike Zagurski. The Phils also have a long history of adding players late in camp; remember they traded Ronny Paulino for left-hander Jack Taschner in the final days of 2009 spring training. So, Bastardo is a little behind. Meanwhile, Jose Contreras has a little behind. The reliever shredded 22 pounds this winter, according to CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury. Finally, congratulations to prospect Tim Kennelly and the Perth Heat on winning the Australian League Championship yesterday.
Joe Blanton better hope Rich Dubee isn't releated to Andy Reid with that last comment!
Posted by: Scotch Man | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Great to see Lee with the P back on his cap.
Blanton looks to be in mid-season form at 2:44.
Dude needs a manzier.
Posted by: slackerjoe | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:07 AM
Haha, Rich Bubee.
Posted by: David | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:23 AM
Ahhhhh, great to see baseball is on its way back!
Posted by: GBrettfan | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:34 AM
Fierce prediction- if Blanton is a Phillie all season, he wins 15 games.
Posted by: GM-Carson | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 08:14 AM
Trouble in St. Louis? Pujols for Howard?
Posted by: Jimmie J. | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 08:17 AM
Re: Dubee saying Blanton has #5 w/o compention...
Was there ever a time when the rotation was set at the opening of spring training? (excluding trades, injuries & the 1-5 order)
Posted by: Starving for baseball | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 08:22 AM
Bastardo is hurt.
In other news, water is wet.
Posted by: Will Schweitzer | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 08:32 AM
Does anyone know what time the rotation's press conference will be at? I need to set the DVR, no way I'm missing it.
Posted by: CK | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 08:50 AM
Kyle Kendrick is THIS close to crying.
Posted by: Shawn | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 09:20 AM
After watching that, I have a huge grin from ear to ear and I don't think it will be wiped off my face for quite sometime.
Posted by: Tim from Williamsport | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 09:37 AM
Ah, good to be back! How much weight did Cole lose this offseason?
I'll say this much, it's a major vote of confidence in Joe Blanton to declare that he won't be facing competition for the 5 spot.
When do the bats report? That's a more interesting story at this point.
Posted by: sneed | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 09:42 AM
The press conference is at 1:30 and will be streamed live online.
Posted by: GM-Carson | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 09:49 AM
Blanton DID look lithe. Next up, Joe in yoga tights with Jimmy.
Posted by: Meyer | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 09:55 AM
Looking forward to the season. Does anyone else think that Dubee (or Bubee as the caption read) looks like William Shatner?
Posted by: Rotcod | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 10:07 AM
"Bastardo is a little behind. Meanwhile, Jose Contreras has a little behind."
I can't believe you took this with out attribution.
"So Bastardo is a little behind and Contreras HAS a little behind.
We get all the news on BL.
Posted by: Andy | Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 07:34 PM"
Posted by: Andy | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 10:10 AM
"Does anyone else think that Dubee (or Bubee as the caption read) looks like William Shatner?"
S#!* my pitching coach says?
Posted by: Tim from Williamsport | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 10:21 AM
So, when is Bastardo's TJ Surgery scheduled?
Posted by: NEPP | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 10:28 AM
ZAGURSKI!
The answer to all you LHP quandaries.
How much weight did he gain...er..lose this offseason?
Posted by: R.Billingsly | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 10:48 AM
In all seriousness, Dan Meyer is my darkhorse to make a splash in the 'pen this season. He may not come north at the end of March, but I have a feeling he will give some quality innings at some point during the season.
Posted by: R.Billingsly | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Stop the "Pujols for Howard" posts. It ain't happening. Let's just enjoy what we have: a starting pitching squad that's the envy of the league.
Posted by: Kutztown Fan | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Bring back Cap'n Jack Taschner.
Posted by: Jack | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Werth in his new digs ...
Posted by: 3r0ck | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Well that didn't work ... let's try it again.
Werth in his new digs...
Posted by: 3r0ck | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:31 AM
Where will Werth bat in the Nats lineup? 3rd?
Or 4th with Zimmerman in the 3 hole?
Posted by: NEPP | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:32 AM
So...I'll be the first to say it:
Had we not extended Howard, he'd be a FA after this year...the same with Pujols. As the only Big Market club without a 1B, we would have been in prime territory to either bargain them against each other for the best deal or to simply sign Albert Pujols.
So basically, to open up a can of worms...we done fvcked up when we extended Ryno.
Posted by: NEPP | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:35 AM
NEPP if Howard wasn't extended already and with Albert asking for 10 years $300 mil do you really think that 1) we would have the money to pay Albert 2) that Howard would have signed a 5 year $125 mil extension?
Posted by: Reverend | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Honestly, I think we'd have the money to pay Howard.
Also, would Pujols be asking for $30 million if Howard hadn't gotten $25? Sure, they're pointing to AROD as the comp but Howard is the more accurate comp.
Posted by: NEPP | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:47 AM
I mean, we'd have the money to pay Pujols if we didnt have to pay Howard. The difference in pay ($5 million) wouldn't break us.
Posted by: NEPP | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Cubbies will be in the market too (and Orioles if they ever decide to spend again). If Pujols had signed with the Cubs and Howard replaced him in St. Louis, we'd be high and dry hoping Adrian Gonzalez doesn't agree to terms with Boston. . . that's not to say it's not an overpayment for Howard. But, it's conceivable we could have gotten screwed worse...although ending up with Carlos Pena on a reasonable 2 or 3 year deal might have actually been an ok plan C when factoring in payroll flexibility. (2010 WARs 1.1 vs 2.1)
Posted by: Jbird | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:55 AM
The real problem with paying Pujols $30 million vs Howard at $25 is that Pujols wants to be making that much in his age 38, 39, 40, & 41 seasons too. What's he really going to be worth at that point even if he's still good? $15 million? $10 million?
Posted by: Jbird | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:02 PM
NEPP: I'm not sure that logic works. Howard's contract is probably one of the main reasons that Pujols feels justified in asking for 10 years, $300M. If it weren't for Howard's contract, Pujols might have already resigned for slightly more than A-Rod money.
For the record, this post should not be construed as either in favor of, or against, the Howard contract. It is just a commentary about how baseball economics work.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:03 PM
"So...I'll be the first to say it:"
And hopefully the last.
Posted by: Bedrosian's Beard | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:07 PM
Meyer and Zagurski:
If Bastardo is hurt or really awful in spring training, yeah Meyer does have an outside shot (say 10-20%) of making the opening day roster with a good spring. Zagurski has none.
It is much more probable the Phils will go with a single lefty reliever (e.g., Romero) and just start the season with a Herndon/Bonine instead too.
Posted by: MG | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:17 PM
The team that would give Pujols a 10 yr/$300M deal are utter fools. Some indications he has already started to decline a bit last year & that contract would happer even a team with deep pockets.
Hell, even a 7 yr/200M deal is pushing the limits of what a semi-rationale team should do.
Posted by: MG | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:22 PM
MG: If Howard is worth 5/125 2 years ahead of time, how is 7/200 not rational for Pujols? Or are you implying that Howard's deal was also irrational?
I think Pujols gets 8/230. Allows him to beat A-Rod for highest AAV.
Posted by: Jack | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:25 PM
MG is Beerleaguer's single biggest champion of Eddie Bonine.
Personally, I think even guys like Zagurski & Mathieson have more chance of making the 25-man roster than Bonine does. Bonine is pretty terrible.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:27 PM
"What's he really going to be worth at that point even if he's still good? $15 million? $10 million?"
IMO, having Pujols around for the next 3 - 5 seasons makes it worth overpaying him for age 38 - 41. With salary inflation, the amount a team would be overpaying a 40 year old Pujols will be a bit less.
In other words, a player that is comparable to Pujols abilities at age 40 (whatever that might be) is likely to cost more per season in 2020 compared to 2011.
Howard for Pujols will NEVER happen, but if the opportunity arose, the front office was willing to pay his demands (til age 42) and a contract extension was negotiated, I'd make that trade in a second...no hesitation whatsoever. Absolutely will never happen though.
Posted by: Will Schweitzer | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:28 PM
Early predictions:
AL: Red Sox, White Sox, Rangers, Yanks (WC)
NL: Phillies, Reds, Rockies, Braves (WC)
Posted by: Jack | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:33 PM
BAP - Somebody needs to be Eddie Bonine's champion besides his direct family/friends.
Zagurski stinks. Flat out. He only reaches 93-94 on his fastball but loses ability to command it at that speed. Otherwise, it is 91 or so. Hittable. His offspeed stuff is flat and fat too often. Just doesn't have a good enough slider to make it as a lefty specialist at the MLB. Stand by assertion he has zero chance of making this roster out of spring trainign. Hell, I would even go so far as to say that reclamation projects like Matt Anderson or Jason Grilli have a slightly better chance with strong spring showings.
No I don't have much love for Mathieson either. Just curious to see what he looks like this spring including whether he actually tries using the splitter as his main offspeed pitch. He has a remote shot to make this club if it looks decnet.
Posted by: MG | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:43 PM
If I were to take a longshot bet, I'd put money on Toronto.
Posted by: Will Schweitzer | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:46 PM
Totally off-topic, but possibly of interest to Pat Burrell fans. There was an article in my local paper yesterday about how Burrell had opted to resign with the Giants for far less than market value and without a guaranteed starting spot. Everyone has assumed it was because he's from the Bay Area. But Burrell says that one of the main reasons was because he wanted to participate in a ring ceremony where he was actually in uniform. He apparently hated the fact that, at his last ceremony, he was the only one dressed in a coat & tie. Good for him.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Poor guy had to wear a coat and tie!
Posted by: Bedrosian's Beard | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 12:53 PM
new thread, yo
Posted by: Jbird | Monday, February 14, 2011 at 01:16 PM