Comments on: Same Old Story For Phils With 11-6 Loss

By: typhoon

typhoon — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:39:10 +0000

The problem with Blanton is that he is a flyball pitcher and his career ERA is over 4. He is a good pitcher, but I don’t think he would be a great fit here. Better than Eaton of course, the prospects we would have to give up could end up being worse than the money we have to pay Eaton for what we are getting from him.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:18:51 +0000

Someone like Blanton, like good reliable number 2 on a good staff. They definitely dropped the ball but I think Gillick with make a splash at the deadline to leave his mark. Dunno what exactly it will be though

By: Bill B.

Bill B. — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:41:09 +0000

Doesn’t Blanton have injury and/or conditioning concerns?

I agree that letting Lohse go elsewhere was a huge mistake.

Typhoon: Those guys were all on my radar during the off-season as well. Riske, in particular, was a guy I’d like to have seen Gillick sign.

Per Cot’s Contracts, here’s what the relievers you mentioned signed for:

David Riske: 08:$4M, 09:$4.25M, 10:$4.5M, 11:$4.75M club option ($0.25M buyout); $17M total
Ron Mahay: 08:$4M, 09:$4M; $8M total
Latroy Hawkins: 1 year/$3.75M (2008)
Octavio Dotel: 08:$5M, 09:$6M; $11M total
Ron Villone: 1 year/$0.6M (2008)

Lidge: 1 year/$6.35M (2008) (also cost the Phillies Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, and Mike Costanzo)

Lidge is easily the most expensive of the bunch just for 2008. Depending on how you look at it, the fact that he’s a free agent at the end of the season either helps or hurts the Phillies. It can help in the sense that they’re not tied up to him, and it can hurt in the sense that the Phillies will have to go out and find another reliever anyway if he decides not to re-sign.

It’s risky signing Riske to the contract the Brewers gave him since relief pitchers are so unreliable from year to year, but he’s been very consistent since 2003 so it’s probably worth the $17M total he’ll be getting in the next four years.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:22:04 +0000

Kyle Lohse was grabbed for fairly cheap, he should be in this rotation over adam eaton and theres no excuse for that. theres nothing anybody can say about that or excuse you can give. Lohse can eat innings and provide decent starts. to let someone like the cardinals snap him up for cut-rate is totally unacceptable. Want to then risk waiting for Benson? Ok fine. I like Moyer but you cant keep sending a 45 year old man out there, Im sorry its just not going to be good enough at all. When the umps make him throw strikes hes out of the game by the third inning. I still think Myers is better as a closer because of his lunatic mindset. If Lidge turns out fine, then ok whatever, but why not have used those prospects on a play for a starter like Joe Blanton? The price would have been more than Bourn and a few throw-ins but it would be well-worth it to have a solid rotation, Id be OK with losing a good pitching prospect plus Bourn to make a move like that. Then you can send Hamels, Blanton, Kendrick, and Lohse out there. You make Eaton, benson, Durbin or anyone else battle it out for the 5th spot. Add some free agent arms in the bullpen then you have a decent setup. None of that is out of the question but they patently refused to do so. You have to spend the money and they wont do it until there is a serious shakeup in the front office/ownership realm.

By: Ashburn

Ashburn — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:08:38 +0000

I’m so pissed about yesterday’s loss … what’s the use? We have a piecemeal rotation at best and our bullpen is horrific.

And then … Santana … I want to vomit

By: typhoon

typhoon — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:04:04 +0000

Bill: I would have signed someone like David Riske or Ron Mahay and gotten a veteran like Latroy Hawkins, Octavio Dotel, Ron Villone, or Rudy Seanez (who the Phillies finally signed today!). Of course it is too late to get any of those guys now. THe bottom line is that there were plenty of guys out there would could have been signed at most for as much as Romero (or significantly less) who would have helped this bullpen. Now we are stuck with an old and injured Tom Gordon and Tim Lahey who has no major league experience. Not exactly a good way to start out the season. I would also cut Eaton and eat his salary and sign Claudio Vargas. There is no way Vargas can be worse than Eaton, And even if Vargas isn’t very good he could probably hold up until Benson or a minor league call-up is ready.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:55:22 +0000

hey NYC idiot, the mets are in second. And its after one lousy game. Go screw yourself.

By: Bill B.

Bill B. — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:26:47 +0000

For those of you criticizing the Phillies for not getting the correct bullpen pieces, I ask you, what should the Phillies have done specifically?

Should they have offered a nice package to the Twins before they signed Joe Nathan long-term?

After trading for Lidge, should the Phillies have tried to acquire another closer-type that would push Gordon to the 7th inning? Who, specifically? Eric Gagne (who is getting $10 million)?

The fact is that many teams, not just the Phillies, have bullpen issues. There’s not a lot out there. I was scratching my head when the Phillies passed on Aaron Fultz, but that’s one of very few players that would have both filled a glaring need in the bullpen and would have done so at an adequate level.

The reason I ask you all what they should have done is that people often complain but rarely have a better alternative.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:03:40 +0000

I know yesterday was only opening day, and I am not reading too much into it, but I want to be the first to put this out there. If Tom Gordon has a few more games like yesterday, he should be forced to change his nickname form Flash to Flush and his song should become the diarrhea song.

By: NYC PimP DaDDy

NYC PimP DaDDy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:33:03 +0000

Mets Win,

Mets Win.

Phillies Lose. HahAhahaha.

i Enjoyed every minute of opening day, you phools. Told ya your 2nd best.

Mets in first, phils in last