Phillies Nation

79 Responses to “Year In Review: Eric Bruntlett”

1. Manny Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:25 am

   0.5!! haahahahha poor guy

   I kinda feel bad for him now.

2. bfo_33 Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:38 am

   Seems like a good clubhouse guy, great grizzly adams beard, decent fielder at multiple postions, ok baserunner, but a slap hitter who can’t hit. Nothing personal against him, but to get back to the ws next year, we need a bench guy who can spell Utley and Rollins more than 2 or 3 times a season, and has at least a reasonable chance of getting a hit.

3. Geoff Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:46 am

   One of the worst seasons I have ever seen by a utility player. Must upgrade this position. Which is why the Phillies were linked with De Rosa.

4. Geoff Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:48 am

   Even if they go and sign a 3B, it is essential to get DeRosa, because he can actually play enough to not get rusty. Manuel needs to do better giving his stars a break. They overworked Raul and Chase Utley, but in his defense there really wasnt anyone on the bench who was good enough to spell Rollins or Utley enough to not suck.

5. Ed R. Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:50 am

   Geoff you are right that the Phillies have been linked to DeRosa but from what I am hearing, it is as a starting 3B, not a super utility guy, which I think would be an awful move. He can not be depended upon to be an everyday starter.

6. Pat Gallen Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:53 am

   Manny, I kind of agree with you. He’s not a great player, but something about him, I just feel bad how this season played out. Seems like a good guy.

7. Geoff Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:56 am

   I agree. He is also like 34 going on 35. It would be stupid to sign him as an everyday player. I’d have to think they would choose Beltre as the everyday 3B, and try to sign DeRosa as the Rover. That is the most logical choice.

8. Ed R. Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 10:00 am

   That would be a fantastic move. If they can pull that off, with Dobbs and Francisco already on the bench, I would be pretty happy with things. If they can manage to get Yorvit to back up Ruiz then all the better.

9. Don M Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 10:07 am

   Let’s take a look at the Phillies 25th Man the past few years:

   Tomas Perez.
   Ramon Martinez.
   Abraham Nunez.
   So Taguchi..
   Eric Bruntlett..

   Obviously, none of these guys are All-Stars.. Nunez was very good defensively, but also couldn’t hit his way out of a brown paper bag

   Of all these guys, Bruntlett is the most useful “UTILITY MAN” .. can’t really hit, but he can play multiple positions, is an slightly above-average baserunner and basestealer

   Cut the guy a break.. people need to stop expecting great things from every player on the entire roster every year, because that isn’t the reality of baseball

   Give him at least a 1.387 on the scale

10. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 10:10 am

    Dude, whoooooooa. A 1.387? What are you his cousin?

    Id give him like a 1 even. He did a few memorable things. But they need to upgrade and move on.

11. The Dipsy Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 10:54 am

    As much as I hate Bruntlet, and I do, anyone that pulls an unassisted triple play garners at least a 1.

    The Dipsy

    Hamels for Halladay, eh?

12. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 10:58 am

    I wouldn’t trade Hamels for Halladay. But that’s just me. I would however trade Happ and one of our two MLB ready OF prospects.

    Personally, if I have to go through a few more weeks of Halladay banter I am going to go crazy. It was bad enough the first time around.

13. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:03 am

    I really hope that either they grab Halladay quickly at these GM meetings or announce before the Winter Meetings that they wont do it. I completely concur that I dont want to hear it for weeks and weeks. Just like, either do it this week or forget about it and move on and go out and trade for someone else.

14. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:06 am

    NO Hamels for Halladay. You dont trade 25 year old former/once again maybe aces if you want to try and keep winning….

15. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:06 am

    I agree Geoff. If it is going to happen it has to happen at these meetings. I can’t handle more of this. I really can’t. I understand some people’s hesitation in not wanting to further empty our farm system for someone who may be gone next year but at the same time, Halladay is a proven ace, minor leagues are unknown. They could be great, they could be garbage. More often than not they are garbage. The Phillies have to think win now because who knows what will happen in a few years.

    I would however trade Drabek over Hamels. I really think Hamels will win 15-18 games next year. Drabek could become the second coming of Carlton and so be it. But he already has arm issues and that scares me a bit.

16. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:09 am

    Also, it goes without saying that Lee or Halladay has to resign. I think Halladay would be more likely to stay to be honest with you.

17. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:13 am

    Id go Happ, Brown or Taylor, filler prospects: Final Offer. Take it or leave it then move on.

18. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:17 am

    That seems about right. Though I wouldn’t be shocked to see Happ, Drabek and Taylor be what is needed to get it done.

19. joedad Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am

    Bruntlett couldn’t hit all year… until the end of August when he went on a 3 game tear and went 5 for 10 if I remember correctly. Then suddenly he wasn’t given an at bat until October. Why that happened, I have no idea but it impossible to go that far in between at bats and expect anything but failure.

20. psujoe Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am

    Derosa is perfect, but won’t he be real expensive for a utility player? Love his power against lefties. He doesn’t play much SS though.

21. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:25 am

    Aren’t pitchers usually safe once they’ve already had Tommy John surgery?

    I wouldn’t trade Drabek OR Hamels

    Look how much it costs to get pitching, either Free Agents, or via Trade… so when you already have above-average pitching on your team.. you can’t get rid of it, for one year of “better pitching” ..

    Because there is no gaurantee that Halladay is going to better than Hamels over the next 3 years .. I would bet my life that Halladay is better NEXT year, but you can’t go all-in and gamble with pitchers when you already have good ones

22. joedad Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:26 am

    If the Phils wouldn’t give up Happ, Drabek and Brown for 2 seasons of Halladay, they won’t give up Happ, Drabek and Taylor for 1 season of Halladay.

    Hamels for Halladay would be idiotic. I heard that on WIP this morning and couldn’t believe what I was hearing…because it is not true.

23. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:27 am

    I don’t think DeRosa will be terribly expensive, and given that he can play 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF, I would be willing to pay a little extra. Especially since he hits lefties for power.

24. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:28 am

    Lest we not forget that DeRosa’s wife is smoking hot and I wouldn’t mind seeing her in the stands/ on tv.

25. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:29 am

    If the Phillies get DeRoas, it would be to play full-time 3b …

    You can’t spend crazy money on your bench, because our regular 8 are so strong, that you don’t want to be taking them out of the lineup just to keep your bench players sharp … its tough

    On one hand, you want your bench players to play enough to remain game-ready..

    on the other hand, you want your regulars to play so well that you just can’t take them out of the lineup (which is what happened last year)

26. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:32 am

    Well said Don. Well said. By trading Happ in the deal you sell high on Happ and still have room for a mid season Drabek call up at the 5th slot.

    Trading Hamels for one year of ANYONE is retarded. Pencil him in at the 3rd slot, and try and trade for a righty to balance the rotation.

27. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:33 am

    Kyle Drabek will not be traded.. not even for the guarantee of a 2010 World Series TROPHY

    He’s in their plans for the long-term, and he’s not going anywhere…

    Happ and one of the OF’s (probably Taylor) are the trade bait that we’ve got

28. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Speaking of hot wives, I just read that Burrell’s wife Michelle was in the Marines for 5 years. I had no idea.

29. The Dipsy Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Hamels, Moyer, and a nice minor leaguer (Galvis, etc.) for Halladay. Done.

    The Dipsy

30. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:37 am

    And If Im moving Taylor I want more than one year of someone. unless you can guarantee me that one of Hallday or Lee will decline arbitration and the team taht signs him will have an unprotected first round pick to net the Phillies two extra picks (their first rd, and sandwich pick) AND that the one the Phils decide to keep signs a long term extension.

31. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:39 am

    No other MLB team wants Moyer.

32. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:40 am

    Taylor is closer and its safe to say that he will be a good powerhitter for some MLB team. So you know more what yorue losing. Brown is still a year behind Taylor I feel, but may have higher upside as a top of the order hitter.

33. psujoe Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:43 am

    Ed R, you weren’t joking.

    http://www.fantasybaseballdugout.com/2008/11/11/hottest-baseball-wife-heidi-derosa/

34. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:48 am

    Trade Galvis, and then you don’t have a legit SS to take over for Rollins in 2-3 years ..

    Galvis is said to be MAJOR LEAGUE READY.. DEFENSIVELY .. (which you’ll take from a SS, if your 2b hits 30+ HRs the way Utley does) . .

    Can’t trade Galvis.. he’s close to untouchable because of the value of that position, and the lack of depth there in the organization

    …
    I would trade Happ and Taylor …for Halladay in less than one second

    Taylor will be ready to play this year, and we don’t have a spot for him.. Domonic Brown will seemingly be ready to play in 2011 (when Werth might be gone?) .. but they can’t hold Taylor back if he’s ready to play … get value for him if you can

35. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:51 am

    me and Geoff agreeing on things… weird

36. psujoe Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:54 am

    Galvis actually started hitting a little better this year for a while. Nothing great, but he did show improvement.

37. psujoe Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Hamels isn’t going anywhere. The only shot of trading Moyer would be to the Mariners at the deadline for the minimum $$$.

    It’s simple. Happ/Taylor and another minor league player for Halladay. I agree with those that say if it’s turned down, move on.

38. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    Thats true, Galvis is really being positioned to replace Rollins, however, he needs to develop his bat a bit more. Kyrell Hudson is too raw, he could end up being moved to SS as well, but you cant tell with those guys that early. They made the mistake of holdign Howard back in the exact same situation and they lost years of potential production and more wins because of it. Werth will be a free agent after next season, Victorino has another year beyond Werth, and we know Ibanez technically does. Victorino said that he wants to remain here long term, but that was in the middle of the regular season I think. There will be one sure spot when Werth walks, and I presume it will be filled by Brown unless they can keep Taylor happy until then.

39. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    That is wierd….

    I would be SHOCKED if you could get another team to take on ANY of Moyers salary. Totally shocked.

40. The Dipsy Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Geoff. I believe the Blue Jays would throw in a little extra with Halladay for Hamels, given that Hamels is young and signed. That said, that little extra I would want was for the Blue Jays to take Moyer, which they won’t want to do. But then Galvis is the sweetener to make it happen. Look, Galvis can’t hit. If he can’t hit now, lets not wish on a star that he will hit “eventually”. There are a million slick fielding infielders in San Pedro de Macoris. Put me on a plane and I’ll bring you back three.

    The Dipsy

41. psujoe Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    Geoff, Believe it or not Moyer had a 3.77 era in July/August and September. Granted he didn’t last long. He was in Seatlle for 11 years. His family lives there. If Seattle is out of it who knows. Long shot I agree.

42. bob Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    I am a fan and defender of Cole. I think he will bounce back from his 2009 season.

    I do think Amaro would need to consider Hamels as part of a deal for Halladay under the following conditions:

    1. Lee or Halladay contracts are extended.
    2. The farm stays in tact, meaning that they get maybe Taylor OR Brown. Nothing else but a filter or 2 after that.

    I personally think that Cole will walk after his contract is up. If we could put Halladay in our rotation next to Cliff Lee, that is deadly. And it’s more deadly if we can keep 1 of them beyond 2010. And it better be a guarantee before I am thinking of putting Hamels in a package for Halladay.

43. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    Id argue that this is the year (reading) that you will be able to tell if Galvis can hit enough to be an everyday player or if he is just a utility bench player. He will be in the majors because of his fielding ability, but his role is entirely up to him THIS season at Reading.

    What else does Toronto have that you even want? They have a LOT, a LOT of junk. A couple nice young arms, but a lot of them are left-handed. They would not give up Hill or Lind, so dont bother. They have a lot of washed up guys floating around there.

44. bob Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    In this scenario we are looking at

    Lee or Halladay (most likely Lee), Drabek and Happ as 3 pieces of our rotation for years to come….Hamels is a steep price but this is something to consider if we can extend Lee’s contract.

45. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    Hamels is definitely walking, but his current contract makes him EXTREMELY valueable to the Phillies or any team.

46. George Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    Tommy John surgery doesn’t always last. Scott Mathieson has had two of them. There are others who have as well. Let’s hope Drabek has no problems.

    Amaro has indicated a desire to possibly shake up the lineup, which would indicate to me an interest in Figgins, because none of the other options are really much different than Feliz. He also indicates signing relief help, but that doesn’t mean no starters are in the mix.

    You don’t trade Hamels, you trade Happ, if anyone, along with one outfield prospect and a second tier guy. There’s no need for two outfielders yet.

    I, too, feel the rating for Bruntlet is a little low. He’s a bench player, and you can’t expect all that much. He got almost no playing time, which can’t help anyone’s skills. Still, you can’t rely on a sub-.200 hitter, and he should, and probably will, be replaced. I doubt it will be DeRosa, though–he’ll be too much in demand to be cheap enough.

47. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    There is only on guy Id consider trading Hamels for that I MAYBE think MIGHT happen (as it it has greater than zero odds, but like only barely): I would trade him for Zach Greinke.

    Obviously, the Giants would laugh at us if we called about Lincecum.

48. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    COLE HAMELS IS NOT GETTING TRADED.. FOR ANYONE IN BASEBALL…

    He’s going to win Cy Young’s and throw No-Hitters, etc in his future.. and we’ve got control of him (at a reasonable price) for the next 3 years or something

    he’s not going anywhere.. neither is Kyle Drabek

    lets squash the rumors before they start.

    …
    GALVIS can’t hit .. but he’s only like 19- or 20 or something right? He’s got plenty of time to learn how to be a small-ball player in the NL .. plenty of time

49. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    Id agree. I really dont want to hear Hamels for this or that. They wont trade him. They wont Trade Drabek either. Its freakin annoying sometimes. THEYRE NOT GOING TO DO IT, so why keep beating it to death?

50. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    Early reports is that Figgins is seeking 5 years, $50 Million …

    good luck, Chone..

    …
    I would have to imagine the favorites for 3b are:

    A. Feliz to return
    B. Beltre
    C. Mark DeRosa

    DeRosa isn’t as good defensively as Feliz.. Doesn’t have that much more power.. and will have more teams seeking his services, so he will probably cost more than Feliz

    Which to me means Beltre has to be their #1 choice right now … and you have Tejada and Polanco as plan B’s

51. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

    The things in DeRosa’s favor are..

    the fact that he wants to play for the Phillies..

    and he is a .299 lifetime hitter vs. LHP,
    with a .368 On-Base%

52. psujoe Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    I would love derosa’s bat against Lefties. Feliz actually hit righties better this year and wasn’t much help against the lefties.

53. NJ Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    The only thing people saw of Eric Bruntlett this year was the fact he still had one sexy beard.

54. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:18 pm

    For his career though, Feliz is slightly better against LHP though

    No question that DeRosa is an upgrade with the bat.. especially vs LHP

    but I don’t think he’s better defensively (but does his offense outweigh that?)..and I think that he’ll get more money than Feliz ..

    Can we afford that for the downgrade in defense, but the upgrade in offense..

    ..
    Let’s just trade Happ and Taylor to the Cubbies, for Aramis Ramirez since they have Josh Vitters coming up soon

55. Dave Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    Sign Placido Polanco…not because we never should have let him go the first time…but because he’s probably the most versatile 3b on the market. He can move over to play 2b and allow us to rest Utley (while Dobbs gets his ABs while playing 3b vs some RH pitchers and maintains his effectiveness as a PH). Polanco can play some SS as well. Decent speed, great glove…smart…doesn’t strikeout and knows how to play. He’ll lend balance to our offense whether he’s top or bottom of the order. By the way, he’s a few months younger than DeRosa, a better all around player, and coming off a 600+ AB season: .285 BA/72 rbi/.331 obp. He can still get it done.

56. Maverick Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    I just read something very disturbing about Victorino on Philly.com

    “TMZ.com reports that Berks County baby-daddy Jon Gosselin will attend the wedding. We know that he and the Flyin’ Hawaiian are good friends.”

    WTF…. seriously…good friends with this D-Bag.. how…and…why..

    I was completely blindsided by this….

57. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Yeah he should be traded just for that, seriously!

58. Hugh Stacks Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

    I meant to post this a few posts ago but that time has come and gone so I’ll do it here. It’s good to see the World Series loss hasn’t made the Phillies fan base jealous to the point of being blatently biased and blindly angry at the Yankees organization. Well guess what? Get in line and don’t bite the hand that feeds you. If you think any front-office (from ownership down) is complaining about what the Yankees spend on team salary you are walking around with blinders on. They make more money for some franchises than the actual franchise spends on players. They sell out every ballpark they visit even with the majority of teams charging more money for tickets labeling Yankees games as “Premium Games”. Not to mention Revenue Sharing and the luxery tax, the Yankees are the main drive and source of revenue for all of MLB. Now many on this website are lobbying the Phillies to go out and raise payroll to around 160 million. How hypocritical is that? Poor Phillies fans, how could they ever compete with the big bad New York Yankees. Heck, many on this very website were saying “I wouldn’t want to take down any other team on the way to our repeat than the Yankees”. Well you got your wish and you lost, now stop being sore losers.

59. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    Ignoring that Mets fan and moving along now…

60. Matt Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    Eric Bruntlett for Roy Halladay, straight up. Blue Jays are getting a guy with an unassisted triple play under his belt. It’s really a steal for the Jays man

61. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    Yankees are a big draw BECAUSE they have an traveling All-Star team …

    I don’t want the Phillies payroll to go over $140.. .which is extremely high

    but the funny thing is, that it’s high because we’re paying market-value for our own players.

    The Yankees pay well above market value for other teams players.. to the point where the players recieve pressure from the Player’s Union to take the most money, so that other Free Agent contracts will follow suit

    Yankees played within the rules.. that doesn’t mean people can’t complain about the rules though

62. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    Nobody would go watch the Royals roster wearing Yankees uniforms..

    the Yankees sucked in the late 80’s, early 90’s

    people still recongized the Logo, it was a familiar thing.. but it wasn’ the International Symbol it is now … Props to Jeter, Mariano River, Posada, Pettite, etc.. but the fact that baseball doesn’t have a salary cap hurts the game overall

    must be nice to get to play the Padres, Royals, Pirates, Orioles, Nats, etc.. lots of times per year (some teams get to play them more than others).. the whole system is out of whack

63. Manny Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    The rotation isn’t the problem here!! Enough about Halladay.. if he eventually gets he’re fine, but we don’t really NEED him. Third base first (Beltre or Feliz), strong bullpen arms (two hopefully… we’ll have a post-surgery Lidge and Eyre/Romero).. and a bench player that could play at least once or twice a week like DeRosa. Then you see if you can extend Lee’s contract. Those are our priorities, and I’m glad that our GM has made that clear. After that, I doubt that you’ll have enough money to go and pay Halladay…

    People b!tched about the Yankees payroll and look at us, here we are asking for similar things (as if that’s THE only way to win the WS)… the difference is that for a team like the Phillies this type of short-term thinking is unsustainable and could kill us for the next decade or so.

    First things first.

64. Chuck Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    Interesting posts here…..especially Geoff and Don M agreeing….Am I really on the right blog!!!

    I agree with the Hamels thing…..I can’t see him going anywhere. I have to believe that the guy will bounce back strong and be a major contributor next year and in the future. At least I hope so..

    Mark DeRosa… When it’s all said and done, is he really THAT much of an
    upgrade over Feliz??…If you factor in the offense and defense.??

    ___

    Who cares about Jon Gosselin?? So what??

65. Georgie Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    The sad thing is, most of us probably agree with Manny on an ethical level, but realistically, NO ONE is going to be able to compete with the Yankees and their obscene payroll. If we start letting our payroll creep up towards $200M, we’re just buying in to what Phillies fans were criticizing the Yankees for, as Manny said. Don is also right, this is bad for baseball in general, not fair to teams like the Pirates and O’s. I’m almost tempted to say, ya know what? Let the freakin’ Yankees win the WS every year, with less and less competition, see how long MLB lets that go on. Ratings would crap, it would be a disaster for baseball. Something needs to be done before our national pasttime becomes the YBL.

66. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    Shane Victorino is a genious… invite a guy that will guarantee Paparzzi at your wedding.. means that your name gets out there

    you already play a great baseball team, so baseball fans know your name.. now the general public (at least those who care about celebrity gossip) .. and by Christmas, Shane Victorino’s name will be known by x % of people in the US

    all of a sudden he grabs more endorsement deals, etc..

    give some props to the Flyin Hawaiian on a smart business move

67. Manny Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    Thumbs up, Georgie!

68. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 3:00 pm

    Hi Georgie, well said young lady!

69. Chuck Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    Wow…never thought about that…..Shane creating a genius business move…

    As far as the payroll issue, sad thing is that only 10 years ago or so (late 90’s) the O’s had one of the HIGHEST payrolls….guys like Ripken, Bobby Bonilla, Roberto Alomar, Palmeiro, etc….it’s amazing how that landscape can change that quickly….and it goes to show just how poorly run a team like the Orioles is…

70. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    Personally I am ok with the Yankees spending. Does it suck for other teams? Yes but if you look at some of the teams that blow year in and year out, they also have some of the highest profit margins because their owners choose to pocket money instead of investing it back in their product. The Pirates come to mind. Afterall, what is wrong with the Yankees doing whatever it takes to win? It’s not like they are cheating. They are functioning within their means, don’t we all do that? Though to a lesser extent?

    That being said, the difference with Halladay and what the Yankees did was that we are taking a risk in trying to trade for him? We lose something in a trade. If Halladay resigns, then that lose decreases, but if he walks after one year, then really, unless the Phillies won a title then the trade may not be considered that of a success. Maybe it would be, I guess thats a matter of opinion. But that is different than what the Yankee’s do which is identify the best free agents and then pay them more than their market value dictates simply to deter other teams from even trying to sign that guy.

    And lastly, whoever said that the players union pressures these guys is absolutely right. People make out players to be the bad guy because they chase the money, maybe some do, but they don’t all. A lot of times the Players Union has as much of an impact as anyone or anything else. Remember, the Sox almost traded for A-Rod but the Union blocked it due to A-Rod having to take a pay cut. Doesn’t seem fair from an outside perspective but the Players Union is a business too.

    I say, bring on Halladay, Beltre and anyone else the Phillies can go after. Because as long as baseball will allow free spending, then why not take advantage?

    Oh and also, we do need Halladay to win another World Series. Successful baseball teams are like sharks, if they aren’t moving(wheeling and dealing) then they are dead. Standing pat is easy to do but it isn’t always right. Look at the Eagles. They went to the Super Bowl in 2004 and lost, the following year they did nothing in the off season, traded away draft picks I believe and now look at them. They over estimate their talent and that blinds them to the reality. Sure they owned the NFC for a while but the NFC as a whole was awful, while they stood pat, other teams built up their talent and surpassed them.

71. Dhall Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

    Wow…he got 18 hits? I don’t remember those.

72. Ed R. Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    Chuck…good point, just because you spend money doesn’t make you good. Look at the Met’s. A team can easily get hand cuffed by a bad contract or two…Flyers with Danny Briere and Sixers with Elton Brand.

73. shag beta sigma delta Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    I do not see DeRosa as an everyday third basemen. He would not last a full year playing everyday, and is no where near Pedro defensivly. He would be a great pick up for a bench guy. Raul, Chase, and even Vic and Wreth need some more time off during the year. So he would get some AB then the Beard did this year. Pitching and defense wins, the Phillies do not need to upgrade their offense in detriment to their defense.
    And as I said during trade dead line last year, you do not give up potential for a year or a year and a half of a guy. That is why I really think they will re sign Lee to 2 or 3 more years. Halliday is a pipe dream I think, if Hamels shows up at all next year the rotation of Lee, Hamels, Blanton, Happ, and X?(Drebek, Kendrick, Park) though I like Chopper in the pen. would be formidable. I also think some of the pen spots can be filled in farm within the Phillies farm system. Spend money on resigning Lee, and look for a back of the rotation guy if you do not think Drebek or someone else from the system can be the #5 this year.
    I like the idea of Placido Polanco, I know it is not the best way to go about it but which ever one is Cheaper between he and DeRosa, either would be fine with me. PP would be a big upgrade, and he has played here before, so the fit in the clubhouse would already be known.

74. Georgie Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

    Hey Manny and Geoff, thanks. Good to hear from you Geoff, especially the “young lady” part, lol!

    How old is Polanco? I always liked him, wouldn’t mind seeing him back here.

75. Biggie26 Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 5:00 pm

    I think Bruntlett’s biggest contribution was that I always knew I could go to the bathroom and not miss anything when he was at bat!

76. Dave Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 6:00 pm

    DeRosa is versatile but my premise on Polanco is he’s a lifetime .300+ hitter…plays second base at a gold glove level, and is very adept at 3b as well defensively. so he can be our everyday 3b guy but gives us the ability to rest Chase more while giving Dobss ABs and innings at 3B. This strengthens our bench (making Dobbs more effective with regular ABs) and upgrades our situational hitting which is a serious team weakness and a major area of strength for Polanco. He has a high baseball IQ and if you watched Damon and Jeter in the Series you know that matters. Polanco is a winning type of player. As for age:

    Polanco born 10/10/75
    DeRosa born 2/26/75

    Defensively:
    DeRosa’s lifetime fielding % at 3B is .955 (311 games). Polanco at 3B is .982 (322 games) and he’s a gold glove-level second baseman.

    I just think there is a DeRosa bandwagon now and I’m not understanding what he does better than Polanco except hit for some more power…which is not a necessity on this team…situation hitting is.

77. Don M Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

    I think the reason they didn’t keep Polanco before is that he doesn’t have the arm or quick-reflexes to play 3b

    he is a contact hitter, with sure hands … almost the definition of a 2b

78. Amanda Orr Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 8:58 pm

    Come on Rob, the beard doesn’t bring it up to a one?

79. shag beta sigma delta Says:
    November 10th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    Neither Polonco or DeRosa are everyday 3rd basemen, both would be good bench guys. I still think Peter Happy will be back for 3-4 million and a team option for 2011. I can still hope, if you can get him back and either Polonco or Derosa on the bench that would be huge.
    I also think The Beard suffered from limited at bats, but I don’t like dissing him on here, he was key in a WS win, if I remeber correctly did he not score the winning run in game 5 second half, I may have that wrong, was it Jenkins that got the double to lead off second half game five, I smoke way too much

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