Categories: Posts

Stark: Moyer, Phillies Nearing Crossroads

Jayson Stark is reporting the talks between Jamie Moyer and the Phillies have taken a turn for the worse:

Moyer has re-enlisted his former agent, Jim Bronner, to begin calling other clubs to see how much interest they would have in the 46-year-old left-hander. Sources indicate that while there continues to be mutual interest in having Moyer remain a Phillie, the two sides continue to haggle purely over dollars.

Two years ago, Moyer took a below-market, two-year, $9.5 million deal to remain with the Phillies, with a low $3.5 million guarantee in the second year. But after leading the World Series champs in wins, he’s looking for a significant raise. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told ESPN.com the difficult negotiations have been “a little disappointing.”

So the Phillies don’t want to pay the 46-year-old Moyer too much to return. And I agree. He’s no sure thing. And while you can’t say Derek Lowe or Jon Garland or AJ Burnett is a sure thing, at 46 and a year removed from a 5.01 ERA, you can’t exactly sell yourself on Moyer for a good chunk of your offseason budget.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.