Yomiuri Giants eye Bowker to replace Ramirez

A pair of Japanese news outlets, Sanspo and Sponichi, are reporting on red-hot negotiations between the Yomiuri Giants of Japan and Phillies spare outfielder John Bowker. Bowker, 28, appeared in 12 games with the Phils and failed to collect a hit, but he's a Triple-A beast with a lifetime .922 OPS who would probably mash in the Far East the way Aka-Oni (Charlie Manuel) once did. The Giants are seeking a replacement for Alex Ramirez, who walked away from the team after four seasons, a pair of MVPs and a Japanese Series championship. The Giants were the team that inked Scott Mathieson to a deal a few weeks ago. Bowker's departure would reduce the 40-man roster to 38. [Link]

Comments

[gobaystars!]

Trade him for Tetsuya Utsumi straight up.

[BloodStripes]

A bowl of Miso soup.

[curt]

Young cost-controlled guys have no shot with this team.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

curt: Cheap and young is nice, but talent is needed as well.

Clout: I'm with you on Lowrie. He's the type of guy I would've liked the Phils to bring in, especially if they thought Rollins wasn't coming back. There's risk there, but some actual upside, as opposed to Keppinger types.

Right now, looks like a nice move by the Astros.

[Iceman]

In the last thread AT said that Amaro failed this off-season by making Rollins a priority. Did I miss the press-conference announcing his re-signing? How can you simultaneously make someone a priority and yet not make an inch of headway in almost two weeks of negotiations with his agent? Just a really stupid criticism that has no basis in fact.

In reality, Amaro shocked all of us by making Papelpon the priority and almost right away handed him a virtually unprecedented contract for a relief pitcher. If you want to call the off-season a failure, you can start there. For me, the jury is still out until shortstop is settled- as shrewd as Rube has been in basically daring Rollins to shop around, there is absolutely no fallback plan left via free agency and unless the framework for a trade for someone like ACabrera or HRam is being worked on, then it's safe to say Rube has had a poor off-season. But that chain of events has yet to play itself out.

I will say that Rollins might want to consider, if he's got 4 or 5 years on the table from another team, that when he's hitting .220 with an average glove and declining speed at age 37, a town like Boston or any other big market will boo the living crap out of him because he means nothing to the franchise. In Philadelphia, he'd be treated like a king in the twilight of his career as a Phillies legend (I believe this to be true despite the legion of haters he has on BL). In Boston, Detroit or wherever else, not so much.

Heather also mentioned that no one here just wants J-Roll gone regardless of what kind of contract it will take. Along with that being unequivocally false, I also consider those that say some variation of "I'd sign Rollins if and only if the contract is *some ridiculous lowball offer* with a clause that he doesn't hit leadoff, and if he's not OK with it, let him walk" to be part of the group that just doesn't want him on the team. Saying you'd sign him to a contract you know there is no way in hell would ever sign is the functional equivalent of saying you want another shortstop. Let's be honest about that.

It reminds me of my late-grandmother's obsession with The Price is Right and her attitude towards the crappy showcase. If they were offering some unattractive package of a bedroom suite and a jukebox or something of that nature, she'd say "I wouldn't bid anything for that stuff. It's awful." When I'd ask if she'd refuse it if she won, her response was "Well, if they're going to just GIVE it to me..."

[bay_area_phan]

As game shows go, it just didn't get any better than The Price is Right. When I was like 8 years old, I watched it every single morning when I wasn't in school. I especially liked the game where the little mountain climber went plunging over the edge of the mountain when the contestant was way off the mark in guessing the right price. Come to think of it, that game might make a good metaphor for the coming season if the Phillies end up with a starting left side infield tandem of Valdez & Polanco.

[J. Weitzel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSAeyAV85UM

[Robby J]

Can't win a fur coat on that show though BAP.. Bob Barker was a card-carryin' PETA member.. :)

[bay_area_phan]

jw: Great find. That is exactly the game I was thinking of.

[Meyer]

Bowker can hit Mathieson. Maybe a rival to the Yomiuri Giants should sign him.

[phargo]

Bowker for a bottomless bowl of kitsune udon.

Just catching up here.

If Jimmy Rollins goes to Boston I will take to my bed and cry.

[Rauls grandpa]

PTL. Bowker, of all sh8tty players in the whole world. It is a Christmas miracle.

[Jbird]

Can we make this a 3 team trade and get Yu Darvish?

[NEPP]

This time we can throw in Kyle Kendrick for real.

"Sorry Kyle, we've traded you to Japan".

"Haha guys, good one but I'm not falling for that again."

"No, seriously."

~Kyle hangs head~

[Iceman]

BAP- Cliffhanger was one of my favorites as well. As far as baseball analogies go, I felt like I was playing this game the day we traded for Halladay. Every hour a new prospect was added in and by the end of it all, we had traded Lee for nothing and the hiker plunged off the mountain.

[Bad News Boars]

Our long national nightmare is over...

[3r0ck]

Our long national nightmare is over...

Posted by: Bad News Boars

The Iraq War?

[Jbird]

Speaking of the Price is Right, has anyone watched it recently? Drew Carey is skinny now.

[Lake Fred]

"Yomiuri Giants eye Bowker to replace Ramirez"

The news of Bowker leaving the Phillies 40 man roster is cause for celebration. Break out the good Sake to toast to this great move. I hope that it doesn't sour international relations between the US and Japan when he stinks up the joint over there.

[pb]

I heard they think his posting fee could be go as high as 3 dollars

[Bad News Boars]

3r0ck,

No, the prospect of Bowker ever playing in Phillies uniform again.