Phillies improved but still missing a strong lefty arm in bullpen

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Paredes signed as a free agent and has pitched well this spring

The best Phillies teams of the last half-century, a period of time in which bullpen usage has become more and more critical in Major League Baseball, have featured strong left-handers helping the team get through the late innings and close out tight ball games.

Most famous of all was the late screwballer and Phillies Wall of Famer Tug McGraw. The popular Tugger blew a fastball past Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals to close out the 1980 World Series.

That 1980 team also got 40 appearances from Kevin Saucier and dealt for veteran southpaw Sparky Lyle, who was a tremendous help during the push to the NL East crown in September.

Three years later, the ‘Wheeze Kids’ reached the World Series with a trio of lefties in McGraw, Al Holland and May trade acquisition Willie Hernandez.

In 1993, a surprising Phillies club captured another National League pennant with lefty Mitch Williams as their closer. That club also featured left-hander David West coming out of the bullpen to appear in a staff-high 76 games.

The Phillies emerged in the early 21st century from years of losing, beginning a run of more than a decade as a postseason contender. Lefty Rheal Cormier was a key member of the bullpen during the entirety of the first-half of that decade. Veteran Dan Plesac joined him to close out the Veteran’s Stadium years in 2002-03.

Can the 2018 Eagles do what the 2009 Phillies could not?

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Despite Utley's heroics the Phillies fell just short in repeat world title attempt

Tonight is the 2018 NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. That would be the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, by the way. Those words still look and sound so glorious, do they not?

The Birds and their fans will celebrate their title one final time with the raising of the first-ever Super Bowl banner at Lincoln Financial Field this evening. But after that, the game will begin. The football calendar will officially turn to a new season.

In that new 2018 season the Eagles will be defending an NFL championship for the fourth time in franchise history. It marks just the second time in the last 35 years that a Philadelphia major pro sports team will attempt to repeat as a champion.

Philly fans remember well the last time it happened Just nine years ago the Philadelphia Phillies played the 2009 season as defending champions of Major League Baseball.

The long playoff run and Fall Classic triumph had been punctuated by a Halloween parade around City Hall and down Broad Street to Citizens Bank Park.

The Eagles experienced pretty much the same thing. A long playoff run, early February Super Bowl, parade this time up Broad Street from the stadium area and out the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum.

There was a shorter than normal off-season as the Phillies did the banquet and awards circuit that winter and then returned to Clearwater for spring training in February 2009. The Eagles had a month shorter off-season as well. While the Birds and their coaching staff were prepping for the Patriots, the rest of the NFL was already getting a jump on 2018 preparations.

As far as personnel were concerned, the 2009 Phillies returned largely the same cast of lead characters who had won the crown. The only change among starting position players came with Raul Ibanez replacing Pat Burrell as the left fielder.

On the mound, the biggest change at the start was that young lefty J.A. Happ stepped into the starting rotation in place of the Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton combination from the previous year.

Lee arrived at the July 2009 trade deadline to provide a needed shot in the arm.

Those Phillies had to make a big injury adjustment when Brett Myers hit the DL for three months in late May. You probably won’t recall that they gave Antonio Bastardo five June starts, or that they signed Rodrigo Lopez and plugged him in for five July starts. But you will recall that they traded for Cliff Lee and signed Pedro Martinez in July, bolstering the rotation for August and beyond.

There was a World Series hangover at the beginning of the season. Six weeks in, the Phillies went through a stretch in which they lost six of eight games. On Friday, May 15, the 2009 Phillies woke up with a 16-16 record. And then it all changed.

Following that mid-May rough stretch, the Phillies went on a five-game winning streak. It began a stretch that saw the club capture 19 of their next 26, moving them to a season-best twelve games over the .500 mark and to a four-game lead in the NL East.

And then the bottom seemed to again drop out. A loss on Friday, June 12 began a horrendous stretch in which the club dropped 11 of 13 games. Despite falling to just three games over .500 they remained atop the division, but barely. With just a half-game lead, they once again turned things around.

From June 27 to the MLB All-Star Game break the Phillies went 11-4, hitting the break with their lead back up to four games. They didn’t let up when play resumed, winning their first five. It kicked off a 10-2 run that pushed their record overall to 58-40 and stretched their division lead out to seven games.

Phillies 2016 Closer Options

With the trade of Ken Giles to Houston, the Philadelphia Phillies have a few options for the 2016 closer role.

Giles was always considered the heir apparent to Jonathan Papelbon, took over that role when the veteran was dealt to the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline this past season, and succeeded as most evaluators believed he would.

In fact, Giles was so impressive as both a setup man and in the closer role that he became easily the team’s most valuable remaining trade piece following the deals involving Papelbon and ace Cole Hamels.

Now that he is gone, the closer role would appear to be wide open. While that is likely to remain the case when the club reports to Clearwater for spring training, there is a clear frontrunner to fill the role.

Yesterday, on the same day that Giles talks were heating up and the deal being finalized, the Phils announced the signing of free agent David Hernandez to a one-year contract. 

That contract reportedly included incentives based on games finished. So it would appear that GM Matt Klentak was already thinking contingency plans with the Hernandez signing.

Antonio Bastardo Traded to Pirates

Antonio Bastardo was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Philadelphia Phillies have traded relief pitcher Antonio Bastardo to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Bucs minor league left-hander Joely Rodriguez.

As GM Ruben Amaro continues to dismantle what we here at TBOH have come to call the “Glory Era” roster, the players who helped win the 5-straight NL East crowns, back-to-back NL Pennants, and the 2008 World Series continue to move.

Bastardo came up in 2009, and despite pitching just 6 regular season games he got to make an appearance in each of the NLDS and NLCS that year. He would further pitch in the postseason for both the 2010 and 2011 Phillies.

Just this afternoon at the Phillies blog TBOH, I published an article titled “Antonio Bastardo a Hot Commodity” which specifically noted the recent Pittsburgh interest in the lefty. I knew he was ‘hot’, just not exactly how hot.

In 2011, his first full season in the big leagues, Antonio Bastardo was lights-out as a setup man for a team that won a franchise-record 102 games. That year he pitched in 58 innings over 64 games in which he allowed just 28 hits. That year he struck out 70 batters while walking only 26. 

Since then, Bastardo may have never reached that same shutdown level, but he has added three more excellent seasons on to his career resume. He consistently gives up fewer hits and strikes out more hitters than innings pitched.

Coming to the Phillies is Joely Rodriguez, a lefty who just turned 23 years old a few weeks ago. He has been used almost exclusively as a starting pitcher in the Bucs organization through 6 years, beginning as a 17-year old.

The Phillies might see him as a bullpen piece in the future. Before the 2014 season, Baseball America had him as the #30 prospect in the Pittsburgh organization, speculating that he might move to the pen.

Phillies 2014 Winter Meetings Preview

Baseball's annual Winter Meetings take place this week

As baseball’s Winter Meetings get underway this week in San Diego, the conferences, trade shows, and banquets will be a sideshow for the main event. That main event will be taking place in meetings behind closed doors, and in numerous phone conversations.

Player movement is what the average fan cares about, and Phillies fans are no exception. GM Ruben Amaro met with the Phillies front office staff last week in preparation for what could be a huge week in the team’s history. Or what could be a big nothing bust.

Amaro was asked to speculate on a possible trade of Cole Hamels. His response was telling, not just for Hamels, around whom trade rumors and speculation have swirled for weeks, but for any possible moves by the club. 

I REALLY CAN’T SPECULATE. I DON’T BELIEVE IN SPECULATION. I BELIEVE IN REALITY

As reported by Ryan Lawrence at Philly.com, Amaro stated: “I really can’t speculate. I don’t believe in speculation. I believe in reality.”

Actually, I have to say that this is one of the few statements made in recent months by the GM with which I am in complete agreement. I’ve never been big on wild speculation, and am more interested in reporting on and evaluating factual information and real events.

But with the Philadelphia Phillies these days, all we have is speculation. There is a publicly stated goal of getting younger, shedding salary, and moving on from the great 2003-12 decade of excellence.

This week, Amaro will continue to talk with rival GM’s, hoping to get back at least a couple of strong, young prospects in exchange for proven veterans, hoping to take the first steps forward in that rebuilding program. 

Here is a look at a handful of the names on the Phillies trade block that are most likely to get moved this week:

MARLON BYRD: there has reportedly been a lot of interest in the Phillies 37-year old outfielder. He is signed for a relatively inexpensive $8 million next year, and a 2016 option at another $8 million vests if he reaches just 463 plate appearances. Healthy the last two years, he has set career highs with 24 and then 25 homeruns.

JONATHAN PAPELBON: there is interest, but the Phils would likely need to eat an unknown portion of his contract. That deal is for $13 million next season, still expensive for a closer, even in the current market. And there is an option for another $13 million which vests if he reaches just 48 Games Finished, a mark he has surpassed in all of his full seasons.

LH reliever Antonio Bastardo is very marketable

ANTONIO BASTARDO: he may be the single most marketable player the Phillies control. Just offered arbitration, it is likely that the 29-year old lefty reliever will make between $2.5-3 million next season. He is in the prime of his career, is healthy, is left-handed, and he strikes hitters out. 

COLE HAMELS: any deal for Hamels will be complicated. He is a true Ace, a lefty, in his prime, and signed longterm at market value for his talent and experience level. You will need just the right combo of a team in contention, money to spend, and with multiple big prospects to give up. There are teams fitting the bill perfectly: Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs. All of them have been in rumors. More possible, such as the Cardinals, Angels and Giants. There is no rush, and if the exact right offer doesn’t come along, Hamels would become a big target again in the 2015 season at the trade deadline. The decision of free agents like Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, and James Shields may directly impact a Hamels deal.

JIMMY ROLLINS: don’t be surprised if a couple of teams jump up on the Phils all-time Hits leader. The shortstop has been a franchise icon for more than a decade. He can still play shortstop at a high level, and he still produces at the plate. But having just turned 36, the only way he waives his no-trade clause is for a perceived winner. The Dodgers and Yankees might fit the bill. He has already reportedly turned down a possible deal to the Mets, signaling he wants to win in 2015 if he leaves.

BEN REVERE: the Phils really don’t want to deal him. Revere is just 26 and goes to arbitration for the first time. He should be affordable, and a late-season ankle injury is reportedly healed. He hit .306 last year with 49 steals. And he is a really nice guy, the type fans will grown to love. All of which just makes him more marketable too.

THE FIELD: the team is on record as saying that anyone is gettable, but that is not likely true. Young players like Ken Giles and Maikel Franco are part of the future and going nowhere. The team would indeed trade Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee, Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Domonic Brown. But age or price or injury or production concerns make any deals involving these players unlikely. But you never know what another team might like, and Amaro will listen to anything. 

IT’S BEEN A VERY, VERY ACTIVE COMMUNICATION MARKET SO FAR

Amaro gave this nugget to reporters over the weekend “I’m actually probably optimistic about what’s been going on, dialogue-wise, some of the things we’ve discussed externally and internally. It’s been a very, very active communication market so far…there’s been a lot of dialogue in a variety of areas.”

That is saying a very little in a whole lot of words, and I think that’s just how Amaro likes it. The Phillies will be quiet until they aren’t. Until then, a great deal of speculation will swirl around the club during these Winter Meetings. That’s all it will be, even from the “insiders” crowd.

Phillies Countdown to the MLB Trade Deadline

Marlon Byrd one of several Phils on the trade block

There are just seven days until the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline, and for the Philadelphia Phillies, the number of potential trade partners is diminishing as teams make other deals. Last night, the Detroit Tigers agreed to acquire veteran relief pitcher Joakim Soria from the Texas Rangers for a pair of high-level prospects, closing one possible destination for Jonathan Papelbon.

This is a make-or-break point in the career of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr, at least as far as the increasingly disgruntled fan base is concerned. So with pressure on in the Phillies front office, the team disappearing to the bottom of the N.L. East standings, and the fans disappearing from the once-packed Citizens Bank Park stands, here areseven players that the Phillies could move in these next 7 days:

 JONATHAN PAPELBON

The closer wants to go. The team would like to accommodate him. He is an experienced veteran who has delivered at the highest levels in the most pressure-packed environments on the biggest stages. Who wouldn’t find that attractive?

Unfortunately there are two big negatives with Pap. First, his salary, which is exorbitant for a closer. He is owed $13 million for next season, and has a vesting option for 2016 for another $13 million that he is likely to reach.

Second, he is an eccentric personality, to say the least. Should money really be an issue for a couple of years in an industry bathing in cash? He has a limited no-trade clause, can block deals to 17 clubs. Says he would waive to go to a contender.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Toronto.

Antonio Bastardo. Image Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

ANTONIO BASTARDO

The reliever has a handful of key things going for him. He is cheap, making just $2 million this season, though he does become arbitration-eligible next year. He is relatively young, not turning 30 until September. And perhaps most of all, he is left-handed. He has also had success in a big market.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: every single team that is at .500 or above and thinks it is a contender.

A.J. BURNETT

He was coaxed to play by the possibility of joining Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and the 2008 leftovers in one last shot at contending. It hasn’t worked out here in Philly. But the 37-year old proven vet is already in playing shape, and is having another solid season. Not an “ace” but would strengthen most any rotation.

He is owed $15 million next year on a mutual option contract. A team could buy him out for $1 million, but he could respond by activating a $7.5 million player option. The contract shouldn’t be a hinderance. You only get him for this year. If you want him next, would likely have to talk him into playing.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: could be most any contender, but best bets may be Baltimore or Pittsburgh.

MARLON BYRD

What Burnett is to Phillies pitching assets, Byrd is to hitting assets. He turns 37 years old next month, and is a proven veteran having a solid season. He brings right-handed power to a lineup, an increasingly valuable characteristic.

A downside? He can block deals to four clubs that would appear to be potential trade matches: KC, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Toronto. Should be able to be coaxed for the chance to win. An affordable $8 million option each of next two seasons that is likely to kick in if he stays healthy and productive.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Cincinnati, Cleveland, KC, NY Yankees, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay

Cliff Lee not likely to move before the deadline {Picture: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports}

CLIFF LEE

Any team would want a true “ace” caliber pitcher with Lee’s big game pedigree and veteran experience. Problem is, Lee spent a majority of the first half of the season on the DL. He just returned, and laid an egg in his only start back to this point.

Would a team be willing to roll the dice on the vet regaining form? Best bet probably would be for the Phils to get him through waivers and deal him in August, though it might now require an off-season deal to move the popular lefty.

Negatives? He turns 36 years old next month, and is owed $25 million next year, with a $27.5 million vesting option for 2016. The injury this year combined with his age may make that unreachable. Has limited no-trade protection blocking 20 clubs.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Atlanta, Cleveland, NY Yankees, Tampa, Toronto, Washington

GRADY SIZEMORE

Could the Phillies have possibly acquired Sizemore for anything more than the hope that he would play well in an audition for other teams before the trade deadline? He turns 32 years old next week, and missed two years with various injuries and performance issues. But he has fought back gallantly, and has looked excellent.

If a team can limit his exposure, his lefty bat, speed, and veteran experience would be very valuable. No real financial investment required, and could probably be had for a mid-level prospect at most.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Any team that thinks it is a contender and is willing to part with some type of organizational arm with any amount of potential at all.

 THE 2008 GANG

Cole Hamels. Image Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Cole Hamels is the crown jewel, but you likely can’t get him. This would be a blockbuster, and you would need to part with 3 of your best prospects in return. Not many teams have 3 prospects at the level it would take. But he is indeed a true “ace” that could make all the difference for any contender now and for the next few years.

Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins can still play up the middle, can still produce. Neither wants to go anywhere, the team wants to keep both. Odds are they finish their careers in Philly. But JRoll could be coaxed to go back to the west coast to a contender in the right deal.

Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz have had too many issues with injuries and non-performance to be attractive to teams, and Howard has a nearly untradeable contract, but the club would welcome offers on either.

Look Out Braves, Phillies Gettin' Healthy

The Phillies activated Shane 'the Flyin Hawaiian' Victorino today from the 15-day DL, optioning lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo back to AAA Lehigh Valley. It's a good news-bad news deal for the Phils, who really could use that 2nd lefty out of the pen to complement J.C. Romero. Bastardo has done well in his opportunities, has a nice arm, and will undoubtedly be back no later than September 1st for the stretch run. His demotion is the bad news.

The good news is that Victorino is back. He will be ready to go tonight vs. the Dodgers, though it is unclear as to whether Charlie Manuel will have him back in the starting lineup right away. I can't see why he wouldn't be manning centerfield and hitting either leadoff or in the #6 slot, however, because he proved in a pair of pretty strong rehab outings the last two nights that he was just fine.

Shane's return to the club continues the Phillies' return to overall health. Primary setup reliever Ryan Madson returned in early July after missing two months of the season. Starting shortstop Jimmy Rollins returned in mid-June and is still working his way back to full health after missing nearly two months worth of the season. Starting 3rd baseman Placido Polanco returned in mid-July after missing over three weeks, and starting catcher Carlos Ruiz returned in mid-July after missing nearly a month.

With the return of Victorino and his 15 homers and 20 steals production to the lineup, the Phillies have just two more big pieces left before they can call themselves truly, fully healthy. Those two missing pieces may be the two biggest pieces, and when they return it will be akin to the club signing two major free agents and adding them to the lineup.

Starting 1st baseman and cleanup hitter Ryan Howard has missed the last ten days with a sprained ankle, and he will likely be out another week. Starting 2nd baseman and #3-hole hitter Chase Utley has missed a month and a half, and was just cleared to begin hitting again. He is due to return in about two weeks.

Somehow through all of these injuries (none of this has even mentioned the loss for the season, possibly his career, of veteran lefty Jamie Moyer) the Phillies have managed to fight back into the East Division race and the NL Wildcard race. The club currently stands just 2 1/2 games back of the Braves in the division, and Atlanta is just now learning that it has lost veteran 3rd baseman and leader Chipper Jones for the season due to injury.

With the trade deadline acquisition of righthander Roy Oswalt from Houston, the Phillies rotation big three of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Oswalt should make them virtually slump-proof for the rest of the season, no matter what the offense does. But that offense should now begin to get significantly better with the return of the starting lineup. Not only will that everyday lineup be better, but the bench will then be deeper and even more ready with everyone having received increased playing time.

It looks like the Atlanta Braves and the rest of the National League are going to have a healthy and confident defending champion stomping around in September. The fans who have continued to fill Citizens Bank Park all summer long and kept the carnival atmosphere around the team going strong through the dog days should finally be rewarded as the season rolls into it's most exciting final few weeks.