06 December 2005

Slew of Recent Moves, What Gives?

Since the trade of Jim Thome, the Phillies have been very busy with pitching, and not much of it is good news for improving the team.


Exit the Sandman
First, Billy Wagner bolted for the Mets, and who can blame him when the Mets are throwing money around like George Steinbrenner. $43 Million is way too much for a closer, even one as dominent as Wagner, but that's what you get in a free agent year that has mediocre talent all around. It's really a shame that Ed Wade didn't sign Wagner to the 3 year $24 Million contract that Wagner wanted during the season. Seems like quite a bargin now. Wagner will be impossible to replace and to make it worse will be facing off against the Phillies several times next year. The only plus to that is Wagner's track record with past teams, he didn't look like much against the Astros last year, so we can hold on to that hope.


Enter the Old Man
To make up for the loss of Billy Wagner, the Phillies promptly turned around and signed Tom "Flash" Gordon. While the Phillies weren't willing to guarantee a 4th year for the 34 year old Wagner, they had no problem guaranteeing a 3 year $18 Million contract for the 38 year old Tom Gordon. Did I mention how strange this free-agent season has become? If not, this deal epitomizes it. Kyle Farnsworth BTW signed a 3 year $17 Million deal to be Gordon's replacement in the Bronx. Yes, very strange indeed.

Had this deal been made 7 years ago, it would be great for the Phillies. You see, Gordon hasn't actually been a full-time closer since the 2001 season when he was with the Cubs. In fact, Gordon has only been a closer for 3 or 4 years of his 19 year career, he was great in '98. That said, Gordon has been a fabulous setup man the past 3 years, registering a 2.62 ERA and 18 Saves -- albeit in 36 chances, giving him a 50% success rate.

Gordon will probably be a competent reliever in 2006 -- read that to mean better than Mesa -- assuming he can improve his save conversion rate, beyond that, it will be up to his conditioning to decide if he stays effective, or becomes a high priced setup man. It seems to me that Trevor Hoffman would have been a better option, but the Phillies got the man they really wanted!? Hopefully Gillick knows something we don't and he can do the job.

Actually, if he can come through in the big games, that would be better than Wagner did for the team last year. As great as Wagner was, blowing an easy win against the Marlins and 2 against the Astros late in the year sealed the Phillies fate last year.


Phillies Sign No Name Relievier
Looking to bolster a depleated bullpen, the Phillies went out and signed Julio Santana. Who is this guy you ask? I don't really know either. Apparently Santana has been floating around the league since 1997, and started out last year in the minors after a stint in Japan the year before. As a role player in the Phillies bullpen, he might not be all that bad as he strikes out more than 1 batter per inning and managed a .221 BAA last year, both very solid stats. It seems that control is what plagues this journey-man reliever.

Speaking of a "depleated bullpen" I can't say that I quite understand that thought. Yes, the team lost Wagner and probably Urbina, but they still have Geary, Fultz, Madson and (ugh) Cormier. But, they also have Tejeda and Brito who have lively arms and can spot start. Hmm, maybe Urbina can get out of jail and help us out, then you could make an argument that this bullpen is better than last years, even without Wagner.


Phillies Sign No-Name Catcher
Yes, today's blog is centered on pitching and the aftermath of Wagner leaving, but the Phillies also signed a new backup catcher, which directly effects the pitching staff. While I don't know much about Sal Fasano, another journey-man who has been around since 1996, the wrap on him is that he is a good defensive backstop, which is a good thing to have. However, this signals the end of Todd Pratt's time in Philadelphia, which might not be a good thing. Pratt was Lieber's personal catcher last year, and Lieber credits Pratt with making him a more effective pitcher. For whatever reason, Lieber isn't as comfortable with Mike Lieberthal, which could lead to a drop off in production for the Phillies (cough) ace.


Random Thoughts
A lot of rumors have been going around recently regarding Abreu being traded. How can this be a good thing for the Phillies next year? Take away the teams best hitter and Gold Glove right fielder for a middle of the rotation starter. The big rumor around the Cardinal's Jason Marquis makes no sense what-so-ever. Why would we want the Cardinal's worst pitcher for our best hitter? Maybe we are making up for the Steve Carlton trade...With all the emphasis on rounding out the pitching staff and staying within budget, why aren't the Phillies jumping on re-signing Vicente Padilla. While Padilla had some issues last year, he was the most dependable pitcher the Phillies had over the second half. He also happens to be the best available pitcher on the market after Javier Vasquez, and it would take a trade of Abreu to get him...As for the 5th spot in the rotation, people seem to be pushing Ryan Madson into that role. Has everyone forgotten about Robinson Tejeda, Eude Brito, Gavin Floyd and Cole Hamels. One of those guys can surely get the job done, why not get all of them into the mix, Tejeda and Brito can both strengthen the bullpen if they don't start. And, don't forget that Randy Wolf should be back after the All-Star break, though he would be a better option for filling in for whoever is hurt by then, and of course we can't be sure how he will pitch after his surgery. Though recent history with this procedure suggests that he should be just fine.