Phillies reportedly close to deal with Dontrelle Willis

This morning, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweeted that the Phils were close to a one-year, $1 million contract with Dontrelle Willis.

The 29-year-old lefty is coming off a 1-6 season with Reds in which he posted a 5.00 ERA and a 1.520 WHIP in 75 2-3 innings. If it's any consolation, he went 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA during his time at Triple-A Louisville last season. If nothing else, Willis will add to the Phils' already stellar stable of hitting pitchers. In 34 major-league plate appearances last year, he hit .387 with a homer, a triple and three doubles (1.032 OPS).

Kendrick, Valdez tendered: As expected, the Phillies tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players late Monday night. Cole Hamels, Hunter Pence, Kyle Kendrick and Wilson Valdez are all eligible to have their 2012 salaries determined by an arbitration panel in February. Of course, the players could reach agreement on contracts with the team long before then – and that’s what usually happens.

Comments

[phils and nova]

like the signing bc it adds depth to the staff...who knows, maybe working with dubee will get him straightened out. his career has been such a roller coaster that he maybe he slides in as a lefy bullpen guy.

[RedBurb]

Willis pitched pretty well against lefties last year. If he's the LOOGY, you could do much worse.

[phils and nova]

also, ruben should probably check the address line in his emails before hitting send --

http://deadspin.com/5867604/phillies-sign-dontrelle-willis-reports-some-guy-who-says-he-accidentally-got-forwarded-an-email-from-ruben-amaro

[NEPP]

As a starter or LOOGY?

That matters...

[Alex]

He's almost as wild as Romero.

[CJ]

David Hale reports:
Willis vs. lefties last year: .127/.169/.200 with a 20-to-2 K:BB ratio.

[Sil Campusano]

Might work as LOOGY if he can get his control problems fixed. Otherwise, you have J.C. Romero.

[phils and nova]

ruben should check the address line like i should proofread my posts before hitting post.

let's try that last sentence in my first post again -- his career has been such a roller coaster that maybe he slides in as a lefty bullpen guy.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Under $1mil apparently. As a LOOGY it's a pretty interesting idea.

[Ryan]

Very tough on lefties, legit pinch hitting option in extra innings, decent spot starter

What's not to like

[MG]

Fits the Phils mold of turning a veteran starter who just isn't a capable starer anymore into a reliever.

Not surprised at all they did this given the past success they have had with Durbin, Park, and Contreras recently.

At the worst, the Phils picked up a veteran LHP at about the cheapest price they were going to because even a guy like Sherill I would imagine will command at least $1.5M and maybe more since he had a good year last year.

[MG]

I am looking to the inevitable Willis PH appearance in extra innings this year too after Cholly has completely burned through his bench except his backup catcher by the 10th inning.

[Rauls grandpa]

Interesting to note he is somewhat friendly with a certain missing SS who went to the same high school.

Let's hope he gets his "anxiety" in order. I seem to recall he was diagnosed with said anxiety after a "peculiar" blood test. Don't know what it means.

[Jbird]

Dontrelle Willis to 3rd base?

[lorecore]

What don't I know about Kuo? Did he suffer a career-altering injury of some kind? How does 1 bad stretch fo 30 IP in 2011 get him canned after 3 very good years prior?

[awh]

Wills can hit? Great, now they can sign Micah Owings too.

With those teo guys in the bullpen it will give Charlie multiple PH optons late in a game and he wont have to waste a hitter or pitcher.

Imagine this scenario:

Owings and Willis in the 'pen. Worley gets knowck out early and Charlie subs Kendrick for him. Through various PHs and subs, the Phillies tie the game and it goes extra innings, Charlie has tun through all his other pitchers besides those two, and he's out of PH as well.

With Willis and Owings in the 'pen in extra innings, how much do you lse at the plate when their turn comes up?

[I know, it'll never happen, but hey, it's fun to blather sometimes. :)]

[Jbird]

MG: tried to do it with Ryan Franklin too, but he didn't buy into it until he went to the Cards.

[awh]

(damn typos)

[RK]

This is one castoff I like he was great at one point and I didn't realize he is only 29. This is a reclamation project worth pursuing.

[NEPP]

Meanwhile, Joe Savery is off muttering in the corner cursing Dontrelle's name.

[awh]

Question for the board:

Do you think Jimmy might have "suggested" signing his buddy Dontrell might be conducive to him accepting the Phillies offer?

[Scotch Man]

ALL ABOOOOOOOOOOOOOARD!

[derekcarstairs]

Since 2008, Willis has thrown 264 2/3 innings with 212 walks. That's 7.2 BB/9.

[NEPP]

***Do you think Jimmy might have "suggested" signing his buddy Dontrell might be conducive to him accepting the Phillies offer?***

Rube's response should have been, "Sure, and that's 1 less million we will be offering you now"

[Andy]

I'm okay with this as long as they get helmets for the Phanatic and ballgirls.

[Len39]

Love this signing. Real outside-the-box and he can become a cheap, valuable loogy. If it fails it's not much of an investment.

I'm a little disappointed to see Valdez tendered. I think he's redundant with Martinez and would have liked to see a guy like Theriot instead.

[awh]

NEPP, IMHO Joe Savery needs another half season coming out of the bullpen to prove last year wasn't a fluke.

[mm]

.387, really? Screw that, get him an infielders mitt and have him start taking grounders. He can learn ss in 4 months right?

[Dickie Thong]

Can he play 1st base?

[Buddy Ryan in 2008]

Do you think Jimmy might have "suggested" signing his buddy Dontrell might be conducive to him accepting the Phillies offer?

No, this is fantasy. That's not how negotiations in the real world work.

[awh]

Buddy, how does a "question" become fantasy?

[vince9663]

The leaked e-mail on Deadspin is surely fabricated.

Excerpt:

"Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks

Ruben

Sent from my iPhone"

Missing: Blackberry, smugness

[awh]

Len, who's the better fielder, Valdez or Theriot, and how do the Phils rate them in that department?

[Chris in VT]

From what I read they view him purely as a bullpen piece. If true, I like the signing. He has legit potential as a LOOGY.

[Buddy Ryan in 2008]

AWH: framing a stupid thought as a question doesn't change the fact that the thought is lunacy. What do you think about going to watch the unicorn races tonight?

I can only imagine the interaction between Rube and Jimmy:
J: You know, Ruben, it would sure make my return easier if you signed my good buddy Dontrelle.
R: Well, Jimmy, whatever it takes. It will cost a million dollars and burn an even more valuable roster spot, but let's do. See Jimmy, that's how badly we want you back.
J: Cool. Thanks man.
R: Oh, wait, I forgot, my job is to win a championship. Maybe going around and signing players because they're your buddy isn't an effective way to achieve that goal. What's your goal, Jimmy?

Next thing we hear is that Halladay wants the Phils to sign his sister. They've always been really close, you know.

[We Should Be GMs]

Can't wait to see D-Train's straight brimmed crooked-ass hatted head on the mound...so gangsta!

[Bedrosian's Beard]

vince: What you can't infer from that is if the receiver of that email actually goes to Amaro with a question, he/she is terminated on the spot. There is no questioning Amaro. He doesn't even mean "thanks".

[ColonelTom]

Dontrelle gives the Phils a lot of flexibility. He can be a second bullpen lefty (he's legitimately tough on LH batters), possible 5th starter if Blanton can't answer the bell or Kendrick gets traded, and even an extra bat off the bench. Terrific move at that price.

[bay_area_phan]

Willis has been washed up for so long, it's hard to believe he's still not even 30. I actually like the signing. The Phillies have a history of converting failed starters into effective relievers & Willis still has enough going for him (tough on lefties, good at inducing ground balls) to make him a good candidate for the conversion. The walk rate has been truly ugly over the last 5 years, but he did get it down to a bad, but manageable, number last year.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

At 1y/1mil there is absolutely no downside and a bucketful of potential usefulness.

MLBTR has the Phils as saying he will be out of the pen in '12. His career numbers vs lefties give the Phillies another good Loogy option to pair with Bastardo. Throw in his bat, age, and ability to spot start and you have to give Rube props.

[The Uber Dude]

I think y'all have it backwards. This wasn't a demand on Jimmy's part...it's a deviously clever move on RAJ's part to help give Jimmy another intangible reason to consider coming back. It's really f'n smart.

These guys played little league together. Jimmy described D-train as "That annoying younger kid nobody wanted on their team" when they'd play wiffle ball in the street. Then they were on the same HS team. And shortly after Willis won Rookie of the Year, they did an interview in which they both said how much they'd love to play on the same team together someday. That this was "a dream" of theirs.

RAJ has probably maxed out the $$$ and time offers to Jimmy. He's looking for more things to entice him back. If Willis gets any valuable innings, it'll just be a pleasant bonus, but given his track record and the fact that we JUST traded for a young local lefty arm yesterday, we're not interested in Dontrelle Willis for his ability to play baseball.

Like I said, really f'n smart.

[derekcarstairs]

Willis as LOOGY:

In his career, Willis has pitched in 205 games, only three as a reliever.

Would Willis be a pure LOOGY or Charlie's version of a LOOGY?

[lorecore]

When George Sherrill signs for arund $1M, this deal wont look so great.

[bay_area_phan]

I like the Dontrelle signing because I think he can be a decent LOOGY, and maybe even something more than that. But I don't buy the "he gives us options" line of argument. Of all the starting pitchers in the Phillies' organization who I'd want starting a game for us, Dontrelle ranks 9th -- behind KK, Misch, and Bush. And once he actually starts pitching relief and gets acclimated to pitching short outings, there is no chance whatsoever that the Phillies will call upon him for starting duty.

[Buddy Ryan in 2008]

Ueber Dude: This is ASININE.
If Willis gets any valuable innings, it'll just be a pleasant bonus, but given his track record and the fact that we JUST traded for a young local lefty arm yesterday, we're not interested in Dontrelle Willis for his ability to play baseball.

I sure hope you didn't bitch and moan about the Phils burning a roster spot on MiniMart last year, or Herndon the year before that. Especially given that MiniMart and Herndon actually logged some valuable innings, you're saying the Phils decided to burn a roster spot on someone for whom valuable innings would be a pleasant bonus.

Seriously, get your heads out of your a$$es. This was a nice move, for baseball reasons. LOOGY is a valuable, if erratic, commodity; the cost is right; he can spot start in the rotation; etc.; etc. It has absolutely nothing to do with sweetening the pot for Jimmy.

[NEPP]

Rube signing Dontrelle is the equivalent of Michael Corleone bringing Vincenzo Pentangeli to the Senate hearing in Godfather Part 2. Rollins will now sign a 1 year deal on a ST invite.

[3r0ck]

Am I the only one that would like to see Hamels locked down this year? This would avoid us having to be in a bidding war with the Yankees/BoSox next year.

[Buddy Ryan in 2008]

Am I the only one that would like to see Hamels locked down this year?

I think just about everyone here would like to see Hamels locked down. Why wouldn't you want to see this again?

[aksmith]

Looks like a good signing. The bench is looking a little lefty heavy still. But there are a lot of pinch hitters I would put behind Willis as a pure hitter.

But if they use him as a loogy, I don't see him hitting much. Makes me wonder if Charlie will try to use him for whole innings so he won't have to use another pinch hitter. That would be like Charlie. And it may be a problem. But it's a good signing at the price.

And about Valdez, I think there may still be room for Theriot. He can basically play everything but catcher if he has to. Not a great fielder at any position, but good enough to pass. And at the very worst, he makes Minimart superfluous. Probably won't cost much either.

[Colin_K]

I know why Ruben signed him...he went to Stanford right?

[The Uber Dude]

Buddy Ryan:

Martinez...valuable innings? What planet do you live on, and what color is the sky there? His OPS+ was 48. He hit for a .198 AVG. No power, no speed, no average...what tools does he possess, exactly? It ain't defense...his UZR was negative. His WAR was negative too...meaning he COST us wins.

Yeah, it'll be nice to have Willis's LOOGY abilities, since he's still somewhat effective against lefties, if his head is in the right place. (And it was only there for about half of the last few years) And his bat off the bench is pretty good as a backup option, but nothing to write home about. But don't kid yourself into thinking he's guaranteed a roster spot. This is a minor-league contract, no matter what the press release says, and he'll need to fight for every inning he gets. He's never really been a reliever before...it's a whole new role for him.

Before you go buy knee pads and stake out his hotel room in Clearwater, let's see which Dontrelle shows up to spring training: The one that we haven't seen in nearly a decade, or the one who can help us in a pinch against lefties in late innings...

[calendar for android]

I'll be tuning in. Thanks for the heads up! cheer!