Phils New GM Makes First Moves

The Phillies new GM Matt Klentak has been busy this week making moves for pitchers and answering questions about a potential trade for his own pitcher, Kenny Giles.

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said this week, "There are a number of players on our roster that teams like.  It doesn't mean that we are going to trade them."  And: "I don't want to categorically say that we are or we aren't going to do anything."

In other words, 'I may trade him/anyone if I am offered enough in exchange.'

Reasonable enough from the first manager in a long time hired by the Phils to helm a rebuild.  Yet, more than a little negligent in the tenuous process of grooming fans.

Kenny Giles has become a fan favorite.  Not surprising.  The team is a last place team.  Giles is a first-class performer.  Giles offers desperately needed relief on the field-- and for fans.  His teammates appreciate it too.  They call him, "100 Miles Giles" (because he throws, at times, 100 mph).  He's called upon to save major league games by his coach.  He does, night after night, with almost impeccable consistency.

Giles offers desperately needed relief on the field-- and for fans.

Over the last two seasons, the only relief pitchers with a better ERA than Giles' (1.56) are Wade Davis (0.97), of the recently crowned World Series-champion Kansas City Royals, and the New York Yankees' Dellin Betances (1.45).

He is 24, but his poise says otherwise.  He has just completed his second year in the big leagues, but his resume bests most of his newbie teammates.

The Phillies' roster overhaul has left just four active pitchers with at least three years of major-league service time. Five of the team's 12 pitchers are rookies.

Shedding Giles would be lucrative if a significant package would be the return.  For example, two or three top-tier prospects from a team that needs only a closer to run deep next season.  However, the Phils need to caution against dealing Giles at any cost, because he is controlled for years to come at a modest salary due to his youth.  He is a rare thing.  A closer excelling at the major league level from day one, igniting fans and teammates alike, capable of galvanizing the next generation.

Saturday, the Phils signed right-hander Dustin McGowan to a one-year deal.  He had been released April 1 by the Los Angeles Dodgers after posting a 6.75 ERA in seven spring training appearances.  The 33-year-old began last season as a starter for the Toronto Blue Jays, going 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA in eight starts before being converted to a reliever in May. He went 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 45 games in relief, holding opponents to a .215 average.   

On the same day, Klentak made his first trade as Phils GM young tenure as the Phillies' general manager, adding a veteran pitcher to its young starting rotation.

The rebuilding Phillies acquired righthander Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitching prospect Sam McWilliams. Hellickson, 28, joins a rotation expected to include righthanders Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and lefthander Adam Morgan.

Bizzarely, Hellickson is the pitcher who inadvertently ended Phils Third baseman Maikel Franco's Rookie of the Year bid this past season.  Franco, the most exciting new Phillies player in a while, was hit by a Hellickson fastball back in August which broke his wrist and abruptly ended his season.

Now the pitcher and victim are teammates.

Hellickson, a former rookie of the year and gold glove winner, has a career 3.96 ERA over six major league seasons, the first five with the Tampa Bay Rays. He posted a 4.62 ERA over 27 starts last season, his first with Arizona. He is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility and set to become a free agent after next season. He made $4.28 million last year.

"We like what he has done in his career," Klentak said. "He's a good fit for us.  He's been a steady performer the last five years and he has some hardware on his mantel, a rookie of the year (2011) and Gold Glove (2012).  I think one of the things on top of the obvious is that he's a veteran guy but still just 28 years old. He'll pitch at 29 this season, so we're excited that he's still in his prime. And more than anything, he's a competitor. He wants the ball. We've talked about building an environment and we think he'll be a very positive influence on our staff."

Hellickson posted a 2.95 ERA in 2011, his rookie of the year season with Tampa Bay, and a 3.10 ERA in 2012 but has a 4.86 ERA over the last three seasons. He is known as a fly ball pitcher, having allowed 20 or more in each of his four full seasons.  That is a troubling tag for a pitcher headed to Citizens Bank Park.  Furthermore, despite improving his strikeout rate and improving his walk rate from 2013 onward, his results got worse.  Additionally, from 2011 to 2013 Hellickson's 'hard-hit rate allowed', according to FanGraphs, increased from 23.2 percent to 34.9 percent.  All this spells a hard road uphill for a successful year with the Phils. 

The Phils also got James Russell, who turns 30 in January, posted a 5.29 ERA over 34 innings with the Chicago Cubs last season but posted a 2.97 ERA over 572/3 innings the previous year. He has spent most of his six major-league seasons with the Cubs but logged 241/3 innings for the Atlanta Braves in 2014.

Nine days prior, they claimed Dan Otero, a 30-year-old reliever, who had been a highly-productive contributor in Oakland from 2013-14. The control artist put up a cumulative 2.01 ERA in 125 2/3 innings in that span, with 5.2 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9. He was used particularly heavily in ’14, when he made 72 appearances and logged 86 2/3 frames.

Though he maintained that K:BB ratio in 2015, however, Otero was torched for 35 earned runs in 46 2/3 innings. There was some poor luck in the BABIP (.354) and strand rate (59.5%) arenas, but the righty also saw his groundball rate drop to below 50% while allowing a 14.9% HR/FB rate.

Wednesday, the Phils announced that they had signed five players to minor-league contracts. All of the players received an invite to major-league spring training camp and they are expected to provide depth at the Triple A level during the season.

Two of the players – right-handed pitchers Chris Leroux and Reinier Roibal – spent time in the Phillies' minor-league system during the 2015 season.

Here’s a quick look at the five players:

RHP Chris Leroux, 31 – The reliever had a 3.90 ERA in 85 1/3 innings in the Brewers' and Phillies' organizations in 2015. He has pitched in the majors for the Marlins, Pirates and Yankees.

RHP Reinier Roibal, 26 – Used mostly as a reliever in 2015, he posted a 1.64 ERA in 31 games while pitching for the Phillies’ Clearwater and Reading clubs. He has averaged 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings in four minor-league seasons.

INF Emmanuel Burris, 30 – The veteran infielder has played in 287 major-league games with the Giants and Nationals. He hit .279 and had a .341 on-base percentage for the Nats’ triple A Syracuse team in 2015.

RHP Frank Herrmann, 31 – He appeared in 95 games for the Indians from 2010 to 2012. He pitched in the Angels' and Pirates' organizations last season and registered a 3.76 ERA in 52 2/3 innings. He had 53 strikeouts and 10 walks.

INF Ryan Jackson, 27 – He has spent time in the majors with the Cardinals and Angels. He has hit .272 with a .343 on-base percentage in 680 minor-league games.

What Klentak is consistently saying thusfar is, ' We're going to throw a bunch of young talent into the organization and onto the field and find out what sticks to try to form a nucleus that excels.  Don't expect results soon'

"Players will dictate when this team is ready to be as good as they can possibly be, and players will develop at different speeds, at different rates.  Some will be better than we thought they would be and some will underwhelm us... and what I do know is at the first sign that this team is ready to be good and take that next step-- and I hope it's April-- I know that we will do everything we can to support that group and create a core that's going to last a long, long time."

Klentak seems earnest and focused on following through on the long path that leads to eventual glory.  However, he hasn't faced Philly fans or seasons of losing.  He seems to be bracing himself, and fans, for a long term vision, while allowing us, if not himself hope that the long term might start soon.

Ryan Madson Wins World Series Game

In MLB's comeback story of the year, former Phillies setup man Ryan Madson is poised to win his second World Series title and his first since the one he helped clinch with the Phils in 2008.

Madson, now with the Royals, was pivotal Game 4 winner Saturday in N.Y. vs. the Mets.  Madson put the Royals up 3-games-to-1 with a commanding 7th inning relief appearance.

After Madson was drafted by the Phillies in 1998, he became an integral part of the team's 2008 World Series championship as reliable 8th inning setup man for closer Brad Lidge.  Then, when Lidge left the team, Madson transitioned to the closer role with tremendous success, notching 32 saves and a 2.37 ERA in his final year with the team in 2011.

Then, the Phils parted ways with him during a contract negotiation dispute with Phillies enemy mega-agent Scott Boras.  Madson then spent 2012 with the Reds and 2013 with the Angels, although he never threw a single pitch at the major-league level for either club due to injury which led to right elbow surgery.

January 4th, 2015 Kansas City signed him to a minor league contract, which led to his promotion to the majors on April 4th of this year.

From there, Madson ran with the ball, completing his finest Major League season to date and helping the Royals make their second-straight run at a World Series title (in 2014, the Royals lost to S.F. 3-2 in game 7 in K.C.).

Madson posted a remarkable 2.13 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and .205 Batting Average Against, all career highs at age 35 after 2 full seasons of not throwing a single pitch in the big leagues and post-elbow surgery.  Of note, his 2015 season ERA is precisely what he posted with the Phils during the 2008 postseason: 2.13.

On Saturday he achieved his season-high performance when he came into the World Series in the 7th inning with his team trailing 3-2 to the Mets at Citi Field in N.Y.

Madson faced Lucas Duda, the Mets first baseman who hit 27 HR this year.  Madson fell behind 2-balls to no strikes.  Then worked his way back with a foul and then a strike looking, before Duda drew ball 3 for a full count.  Madson induced a pop-up out on the final pitch of the at-bat, his 6th to just the first batter of the inning.

Next up was Mets star catcher Travis d'Arnaud, ironically a 1st round draft pick in 2007 by the Phillies, one of many talented players shed during the free-wheeling talent spending win-now days of former Phils GM Rubén Amaro, Jr.

Madson dominated d'Arnaud: 1st strike looking, foul ball strike 2, followed by foul ball (again), then strike 3 looking.  2 outs, 1 to go.

However, the next batter was a whole different story.  It was Mets LF Michael Conforto.  Conforto had already achieved fame Saturday night when he hit home runs off of 2 different Royals pitchers in this single World Series game: starter Chris Young and reliever Danny Duffy.

Madson dug in.  First pitch?  Ball 1.  Second pitch: strike swinging.  Followed by ball 2, hitters advantage at 2-balls-to-1-strike.  4th pitch of the at-bat, Madson tiring?  Strike swinging.  Now 2-balls to 2-strikes.

Next pitch ball 3, another full count.  Then, Madson got him.  Strike 3, Conforto struck out swinging and Madson completed a comeback story for the ages.  The Royals would stage a comeback in the next half inning, to take their first lead of the game, 5-3.  That's how it ended.  The Royals walked away with game 4 in N.Y. and now lead the best-of-seven series 3-games-to-1 with 1 more game left to play in N.Y. on Sunday followed by 2 in K.C. (if necessary).  The Royals and Madson need just 1 win in the final 3 games to be crowned World Series winners within days.

Madson will join a growing list of players who won the 2008 World Series with the Phils and who went on to win an additional or more World Series titles since, including outfielders: Pat Burrell, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino.

Utley Controversy Explodes

The debate about Chase Utley raged on through the night.

The N.Y. Daily News wrote:

"LOS ANGELES -- Chase Utley may be wearing Dodger blue these days, but Saturday night, the Mets were seeing red over the former Phillies superstar. Just like he did in 2010, Utley made a controversial late and hard slide into second base, flipping Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.

Unlike that play between division rivals, this time it was extremely costly.

Tejada suffered a broken leg on the play and the Mets fell apart as the Dodgers rallied for four runs and a 5-2 win in Game 2 of the NLDS."

"It wasn't a slide, it was a tackle," Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer said of Utley's takeout slide into second base Saturday night that broke the leg of Mets' second baseman Ruben Tejada.

"There was no intent to injure Ruben whatsoever," Utley said. "The whole play happened fast. … You have an opportunity to break up a double play, you should do that.  My focus is seeing the ball."

The Dodgers Howie Kendrick hit a bouncer to Murphy's right. It took Murphy nearer the bag. His flip was slightly behind Tejada, who was racing to the base.

"I didn't realize his back was turned," Utley said. "It happens fast."

Utley is known as a player who 'plays hard.'  He had actually taken out Tejada on a similar play five years ago and many others throughout his 13 year career.  Nonetheless, as playoff time is big stage, social media has buzzed all night and into Sunday, where former player Alex Cora wrote, "Hard slides are acceptable, tackles no," and Mets catcher Anthony Recker wrote of a "brutal dirty slide."

Justin Upton wrote, "If that was a superstar shortstop we would have a Tulo Rule being enforced tomorrow," a reference to Troy Tulowitzki and baseball's new rule protecting catchers, dubbed "The Buster Posey Rule."

More MLB players reactions can be read here:
http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/10/11/9496327/chase-utley-slide-ruben-tejada-mlb-players-reaction

There is discussion of a review by MLB, a potential suspension and the pending hostile reception Utley will receive in NY if he is eligible to play when the series resumes there on Monday.

Utley Breaks Mets Shortstop's Leg

Utley being Utley and playing hard has sparked controversy.

In strange but true breaking news, Chase Utley of the Dodgers has gone Hollywood in wishing his present playoff and former divisional foe Mets to 'break a leg' in their first postseason performance since 2006.

In what is now being called a "controversial play" that is headlining every site on the internet (including Yahoo and ESPN), Utley may have unwittingly altered the course of the MLB playoffs with one single pinch hit appearance in game 2 of the NLDS, now tied at 1-game-apiece between the Dodgers and Mets.

The play occurred with one out in the seventh inning Saturday night and the Dodgers trailing 2-1 and 1-0 in the series.  Utley's single was the first hit of the inning for L.A. and sparked the 4 runs they would score in the inning to even the series at a game apiece.  Utley's run scored was the go-ahead game winner.

ESPN's David Schoenfield posted "UTLEY'S SLIDE BROKE THE RULES." He asserts that Utley's play that ended with Ruben Tejada leaving with a fractured right fibula has nothing to do with "'the way the game has always been played.' We evolve. Let's play the game the right way ... clean and fair and by the rules." Should have been out.

Adam Rubin, ESPN: "Old nemesis Chase Utley is still haunting the New York Mets."

More analysis and video of the slide here:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/64112/saturdays-top-5-the-slide-heard-round-the-baseball-world

Meanwhile, Cole Hamels of the Rangers put the heavily favored to win-it-all Toronto Blue Jays on the brink of elimination Friday when he posted a 7-inning 2-run start walking nobody and striking out 6 in Toronto.

Other ex-Phils factoring heavily in this postseason include middle relief pitcher Jake Diekman (who went to Texas in the Hamels trade), who has been impeccable vs. Toronto this postseason: 4 innings pitched over the 2 games, 3 S.O., 0 BB and reliever Ryan Madson, who helped the Royals tie their series vs. Houston Friday with a 2 S.O. 8th inning appearance reminiscent of 2008.

Chase Utley's Classy Farewell

“My plan is to stay a Phillie for life” -- Utley, July '08

To say that Utley will be missed is like saying you like your right arm.  Words cannot express what he represents or has meant to the organization or to baseball. 

My post on the Utley trade can be linked to here (and appears below):

Phils Play Judas to Beloved Utley. 

If you haven't read it, please do. 

Utley said this at his press conference on 8/8/13 when he re-signed with the team:

Utley never ceased his commitment to the team that cast him off.

“When Ruben first approached me about an extension, I told him I was up for it. I wanted to stay in this uniform, but I also wanted to be treated fairly,” Utley said during a press conference following the signing of his new contract to remain with the Phils. “I'm not trying to break the bank. I'm just trying to be treated fairly in the marketplace. It's a very fair deal for both sides. Like Ruben said, going to free agency, maybe I left a little bit of money on the table with this deal. But it's not about the money. It's about the commitment. There is no better place to play than here.”

Today's press conference announcing Chase Utley's departure from the organization can be watched here: http://www.csnphilly.com/video_content_type/chase-utleys-farewell-press-conference

The following is an excerpt from a 9/3/09 post on this blog celebrating Utley. 

After I published the post, the Phils soared through the post-season to the World Series, going back-to-back for the first time ever.  Utley tied the all-time single World Series home run mark that year with 5 vs. the Yankees.

Utley Plunked, Phils Win
 

It was their final regular season series against a playoff team this year, and the Phillies made it count. On Thursday, they won the deciding game in a good old fashioned pitchers duel, the kind baseball purists savor. The Phils didn't win the S.F. series with their famed bats, they did it with baseball fundamentals of dominant pitching and great defense.

Chase Utley was able to score the go-ahead run in the 6th, when he ran hard and well from 1st to home on a double by Howard, who drove in his 113th RBI on the play. Utley had reached base with 2-out by being plunked for the 18th MLB-leading time this year. Utley has led MLB in Hit-By-Pitch since 2006 (25 times in '07 and 27 in '08). Utley is the consummate gamer, who is the living definition of 'take one for the team' hard-play everyday.

"I think he is absolutely recognized as the gamer in our game," Phils president David Montgomery said. "I don't think there's any question about that."

Former teammates respect Utley for his easy professionalism: "He's not a pretty-boy style flashy player, he's old school. He just goes out and plays hard and continues to get better. It's nice to have guys like that on your team," says Giant's outfielder Aaron Rowand, who homered against his former team Thursday. "He's a gamer," adds Jim Thome, now playing for a title with the Dodgers. "The bigger the situation, he thrives on it. And you can't teach that. Either you have it or you don't."

"I've always been taught to play the game hard," says Utley. "Baseball is such a tough game, it really humbles you at times. You just have to try not to get too high or too low. The harder you play this game, the more you get out of it."

Utley is as smart a player as he is selfless. Case in point: His now legendary run-saving play in the clinching 5th game of the 2008 World Series. The game was tied at 3-3 with two outs in the top of the 7th when Utley got to Akinori Iwamura's bouncer up the middle. Utley faked to 1st, conceding a hit to Iwamura, and noticed that baserunner Jason Bartlett was rounding 3rd and heading home. Utley threw quickly to catcher Carlos Ruiz for the out at the plate. The Phils went ahead in the bottom of the inning and went on to win both the game, 4-3, and their 1st World Championship in 28 years.

"At times, he can put close to what you'd call a perfect swing on the ball," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's good balance, rhythm, load, and at the same time getting a ball that you'd like to hit. And just, very slight, underneath the center of the ball. He's a very stylish hitter... Utley’s one of the best players in the game. You sit and watch him day in and day out, and he consistently hits the ball hard. He’s a tremendous hitter."

Utley’s sweet left-handed swing is short, compact and generates a lot of power, although Utley (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) isn’t as big as most long-ball hitters. Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson observed: "I don't know if there's a perfect swing. But his is as close to it as you can be. He's amazing, one of the most amazing hitters I've ever seen."

George W. Bush, former U.S. President and former Texas Rangers owner, said he’d take Utley if he had his choice of anyone in the majors to build a team around.

John Dewan, author of "The Fielding Bible," regarded baseball's foremost authority on fielding, said in 2008:

"Utley leads major league second basemen with a plus-19 ranking. He has excellent range to his left and his right. He's so underrated," Dewan said. "People don't realize it, but his defense is as good as his offense" (more on "Why Chase Utley is so Good at 2B").

Utley was HBP in July of 2007 that broke his right hand, slowed his productivity and zapped his HR output. In his characteristically quiet, resilient manner, Utley shrugged it off: "As breaks go, it's not that bad of a break," Utley said. "It's definitely disappointing."

However, the injury cost him a likely NL MVP that season. The punishment absorbed by his body also affected Utley in 2008. When he played hurt for some time during a later stretch of the season, his numbers tailed off. Utley denied the injury until Pat Gillick eventually leaked his sore hip to the press: "He's having some trouble with his right hip," Gillick said. Utley remained the hero, telling reporters, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He went on to hit a key HR in the 1st game of the World Series, hip injury and all. Fitting for a guy whose 1st major-league hit was a grand-slam.

After the 2008 season, Utley acknowledged the injury, underwent surgery and was supposed to miss the first couple months of the 2009 season. However, both Utley and his manager knew better, counting him in all along. Utley opened the season with the team, hitting .342 with 7 HRs and 20 RBIs in April and has played in all but 3 of the team's games since.

In April, ESPN reported: "It's hard to tell what's more impressive: Utley playing 159 games and the entire 2008 postseason on a hip so sore it required surgery, or his ability to come back so quickly from an injury that was supposed to keep him out until May or even June. Utley's fast start comes as no surprise to the Phillies' people, who saw him arrive at Citizens Bank Park each day at 9 a.m. and stay until 2 or 3 p.m. during his winter rehab sessions."

 

“My plan is to stay a Phillie for life” --Chase Utley, July, 2008

 

Utley is ever the understated game-day performer. His humility is one of the defining characteristics of his greatness. The only time he uses his fame is in conjunction with wife Jennifer's charity efforts. He is so not a hot-dog in our modern day media circus world, where everyone, it seems, will do anything to get noticed. Utley prefers to go unnoticed. He simply wants to do his job to the best of his ability, injury or not, every day. He is old school in work ethic, effort and team-first mentality. Utley has been a NL All-Star Second Baseman for 5 straight years, and he led all player voting in June for the 2nd-straight year, which says a lot about how he is perceived and admired by baseball fans (more on this: Old School Player in Modern Times).

Utley's manager is among his admirers. In June of '07, Manuel had this to say about his nationally revered 2nd baseman: "What do you want me to say about him? I can't say enough. He is something really special. He's what I call a player. I used to say Kirby Puckett was my favorite player. I love Kirby Puckett, but Chase is getting there." 1 World Series title later, did Utley 'get there' for his manager, the way he has for the rest of us?

“I’ve never seen a guy as prepared as Chase,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s always early, and he hits every day. He eats it and sleeps it. Puckett for me was the ideal baseball player until I met Chase,” Manuel said. “I see how Utley goes about his business day in and day out, how he prepares and how he plays. He’s tremendous — his dedication, his determination... I think he’s the best player I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a long time.”

Phils Play Judas to Beloved Utley

Are the lights dimming on the Utley era?

The Phillies are trying to crucify Chase Utley.  In the process they are martyring him for anyone who cares to pay attention. 

The Cubs tried to trade for him in July while he was still on the DL.  Utley swatted that deal.

The Angels thought they had a deal Friday, but it fell through, and they've since publicly bowed out of the running.

The Giants gave up Tuesday.

That leaves the Yankees and Dodgers among teams who've expressed interest.  Utley has expressed interest in California, where he's from and makes his offseason home.  However, more than anything and with unwavering consistency, Utley has expressed devout interest in remaining a Phillies player.

Some are speculating that the Phils are declaring the Utley trade rumors "off" to up the ante.  However, many are speculating that it's Utley himself blocking these trades.

Utley, 36, signed a two-year contract extension in 2013 with vesting options for 2016-18. After 13 years with the organization, he had hoped to remain in Philly for the remainder of his career, but will likely become a free agent at the end of the year.

Since returning from an ankle injury, Utley has gone 13 for 26 in seven games with five doubles, five RBIs and a home run. Across the entire season, he is hitting just .213 with a .332 slugging percentage.

Because of his 10-and-5 rights, Utley has the authority to veto any trade, and with his contract likely to expire at the end of the season, he may want to ride it out with the Phillies, where he can get the most playing time between now and the end of the season, especially with the injury to Mikail Franco.  Franco is on the 15-day DL with a fractured left wrist, so Cesar Hernandez will spend a lot of time at third base now.  That means only Freddy Galvis might miss at-bats with Utley in the infield and how much difference will that really make for a few weeks?

Utley has clearly stated that he wants to play next year and play as a regular, not a pinch-hitter or platoon player.  Utley will be a free agent at end of season and his value-- and consequently the likelihood that he will be an everyday starter for a MLB team-- will be determined by what he does over the final few weeks of this season. 

Utley would have been happy to remain a Phillies player.  In fact, he stated that was what he wanted.   He proved it in 2013 when he re-signed with the team.  He even reiterated it in February of this year:

“Obviously I’ve said it before, I really enjoy playing with this organization,” Utley said. “They’ve done a lot for me, personally, and put together some pretty good teams over the years. So I have a lot of respect for the people making decisions. If you go back and look at 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, ’11 — they always gave us a chance to win. We’ve had some great opportunities over the years and I respect that.

“For as much respect as I have for the organization, if they ever came to me and asked me [to consider a trade], I would have to listen, but I don’t think much will change.” --Utley, 2/23/15

Now, the Phillies are pushing him out.  Before this latest move to try to trade him, the Phillies held him out on the DL long enough to prevent him from playing enough games to trigger the "vesting option" in his contract that would have extended his contract through next year, keeping him in Philadelphia.

Utley's 5 HR in '09 tied the all-time mark in 1 World Series.

This seems callous if not cruel, to Utley, but also to fans.  Utley isn't Jonathan Papelbon, Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd or Ryan Howard.  The Phils sent the first 4 packing and tried desperately and publicly to get rid of Howard.  They even have offered to eat much of his millions just to be done with him.

With Papelbon, he had real star talent and trade value, but was blocking rookie Kenny Giles from taking over in the closer role.  Furthermore, Papelbon was unhappy in Philly and had said he wanted out publicly.  Ditto for Hamels.  Rollins and Byrd were veterans coming off successful seasons, who could command return while no longer served a higher purpose here.  Their work was done in Philly.  Rollins departure hurt, but his enthusiasm to embark on the next chapter of his career elsewhere made it easier to see him go.

Saying goodbye to Howard has been painful-- and ongoing.  He continues to diminish in skill and performance, while the Phils continue to be unsuccessful at finding him a suitor.  The result?  He eats up the middle of the order, while sucking down millions from the team.  Fans are left to mourn his shrinking image while being as surprised as management is scornful to see him in the lineup everyday.

However, Utley was an all-star starter just last year for the 6th time in his career.  Yes, it was based entirely on a torrid first half that catapulted him in fan votes (it helps that he is one of baseball's most popular figures nationwide).  However, he is swinging the bat really well right now.  As his manager, Ruben Amaro Jr. said this week:

"He's moving well.  His bat speed is very good. You can see his legs are underneath him. And it seems pretty clear that there was something going on in his ankle that was limiting him in some way, shape or form. He looks like he's pretty much a man on a mission."

More than all of this combined, he is one of the most beloved Phillies players of all-time.  He is a Philadelphia icon.  He is a reason people still trickle into Citizens Bank Park.

What are the Phillies truly gaining by trading him now, at this point?  The hope is they will get something in exchange for him.  They have already burned bridges by dipping into his pocket and taking millions away and freeing him up from his contract against his will via the whole extended DL stint.

So, at this point, if they have no intention of resigning him, which is clearly stated by their efforts to trade him in August, then trading him makes more sense than keeping him for a few more weeks to close out a season where they are baseball's worst team.

However, taking a step back, why did it come to this?  Why weren't they content, as he was-- significantly unlike Hamels, for example-- to have him play only for them and retire in a Phillies uniform. Would fans object to that?  What will management actually get in return for shedding themselves of Utley?  A prospect?  Likely, especially based on their track record in recent years, nothing worth mentioning.  In exchange, they are giving up a piece of team history and an opportunity to 'Derek Jeter' Utley, which is to enable him to remain, forevermore, a Philly player and icon, untarnished like Tony Gwynn for the Padres and Mike Schmidt for the Phils in a forgone era.  Utley wanted that.  Every indication is that he still does.  The Phillies soured on the marriage and are forcing Utley to split.  It doesn't seem right or fair to the player, his legacy or the fans and our devotion to the team.

When the going gets rough-- and this season they've hit rock bottom, we hope-- you stand by the flagships that call you home.  Utley is the one the Phils have left.  He beckons us to recall former years of glory.  His stoic, all out play and work ethic reminds us of why we love the game.  His commitment to the team is a commitment to us fans, a reminder that the future holds promise and that we should continue to believe in our team and our town.

The Phillies realize neither what they're doing nor the implications of who they're doing it to. 

 

Hamels Traded To Rangers

Hamels will be fondly remembered for the good times.

A 'bird in the hand' may be 'worth 2 in the bush', but the Phils traded their homegrown premier left-handed ace Cole Hamels for a handful of could-be players on Wednesday. 

The Texas Rangers also get left-handed reliever Jake Diekman in the trade for a group of five prospects.

Top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, horrendous left-hand pitcher Matt Harrison (6.75 ERA, 1.56 WHIP), outfielder Nick Williams and minor league right-handers Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff and Jake Thompson will be shipped to the Phillies.

Harrison is a costly nightmare.  He is owed $26 million over the next two seasons after this year. He has made only nine starts since 2012 because of multiple back surgeries.  His numbers couldn't be worse.  It's likely the Rangers required dumping him and his bloated salary on the Phils to complete the trade, for which the Phils may also owe cash.  That explains why dumping Papelbon's $13 million a year (slightly less than the disastrous Harrison collects; 2015 Salary: $13,200,000) was a prerequisite hours before collecting Harrison.

The best potential net for the Phils in this deal are the trio of catcher Jorge Alfaro, right-hand pitcher Jake Thompson (the Rangers top pitching prospect) and outfielder Nick Williams, who were ranked, respectively, by Baseball America as the Rangers' 3rd, 4th and 5th-best prospects.  However, Alfaro (22) had a season-ending ankle injury last month.

The Phillies had told several teams interested in acquiring Hamels that they'd like to get their "best" offers by Wednesday.

The Phillies had continued to speak with a large number of teams about Hamels, a group known to include the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Red Sox.

Hamels' next start was scheduled for Thursday against the Braves, the night before the deadline, but that is being pushed back one day until after Friday's 4 p.m. trade deadline has passed.

Hamels threw a season-high 129 pitches in Sunday's no-hitter over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He is 6-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 20 starts.

Cole 'Hollywood' Hamels, who was rumored to be headed to the Dodgers, will head south instead, to Texas.  The Rangers can hardly be what Hamels wanted.  They have been playing without injured ace Yu Darvish and #2 starter Derek Holland.  They are, consequently 47-52 and on the verge of winning absolutely nothing.

Hamels has said repeatedly that he wants to "win now," while this move will give him only a better chance of winning later.  "I just want to win,'' Hamels said in a February interview. "That's all. That's all any competitor wants.  And I know it's not going to happen here... I want to go to a place where I can win again." 

To complicate matters further, the Rangers are in one of baseball's most competitive divisions, the AL West.  The division leaders are the highly touted, young, deep Astros, who Hamels blocked a trade to, followed closely by the formidable Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The 3rd place Rangers can expect to continue looking up at their division foes for the time being, while eyeing a long-shot Wild Card birth as soon as next year.  Hamels, who turns 32 this year and whose ERA and WHIP are as high as they've been in 6 years, can't love those odds to return to postseason glory.

He's gone from a big fish in a small pond to a big fish in a very big pond.

In Philadelphia, he'll be missed and fondly remembered for the good times he helped usher in.

He finishes his Phillies career 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA, 2 All-Star appearances (2007 and 2012) and 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in the postseason (2007-2011), including 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 2008 when the Phils won it all and 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in 2009 when, without him, they probably would have again. Famously, he became only the 5th player in baseball history to win 2 postseason MVP awards in the same year when he won both NLCS and World Series MVP in his storied 2008 postseason, the Phillies most dominant of all-time.

Hamels was asked in May, 2011 if boos show that a fan cares. “Yeah, they do,” he replied. “That’s the way I see it. Mike Schmidt told me that, when I was younger in the minors. Shoot, he’s probably been the most-booed person in Philly [history], and he’s the best player.”

That appreciation and understanding of Philly fans was a far-cry from Hamels' former claim that Philly fans were, "40% Passionate die-hards, 60% crazy lunatics and fair-weather fans."

"I go for it every game," Hamels said. "I have high expectations of myself. I feel comfortable. I feel I’m meant to be out there."

"I was fortunate enough for the Phillies to draft me, knowing that they were trying to put together a really good team, and now being a member of what they were able to establish is something I can't thank them for enough.”

For more on Hamels, please see: Hamels is King of 4 Aces' Hill.

Phils Salary Dump Papelbon To Nationals

Papelbon won't be missed.  His arm will.

Loud-mouth, big-game all-star closer Jonathan Papelbon finally got the ticket he sought, almost since his arrival in Philly: a one-way exit.

You could fault him for his attitude, his lack of commitment, his failure to even fake allegiance, sportsmanship or teamwork.

However, you couldn't doubt his ability or his performance, because they were rarely lacking-- especially when it counted.

Papelbon often jeered teammates.  It was arrogant and unprofessional.  However, when he criticized the notion in 2013 of all-star selection Yasiel Puig, a player some local writers are calling for in return for Cole Hamels from the Dodgers, Papelbon was as spot-on as he was offensive:

"The guy's got a month, I don't even think he's got a month in the big leagues," Papelbon said then. "Just comparing him to this and that, and saying he's going to make the All-Star team, that's a joke to me.  It's just really what happens in baseball when … to me it really does an injustice to the veteran players that have been in the game for eight-, nine-, 10-plus years. It kind of does them an injustice because they've worked so hard to stay there."

When the Phillies passed on Ryan Madson in 2012 to acquire Papelbon via free agency, it was a startling move.  The Phils had a long, bad history with Madson's then-agent Scott Boras (JD Drew, etc.) and Madson was asking for a lot of money for the four year deal the team and player inked and were on the verge of signing.


Madson in the 8th spelled relief.

Homegrown Madson, who was pivotal during the Phils five-consecutive division title seasons, was an institution in Philly, where he had set-up Brad Lidge and the team's first World Series-winning season since 1980.

However, the Phils dumped Madson at the 11th hour and instead signed Jonathan Papelbon, a controversial mainstay in Boston during a number of celebrated seasons.

Papelbon had come to the Phils to win.  From the moment they signed him, they began to lose with steadily increasing proficiency.

Papelbon, never humble or a team player, began to flap his mouth at everyone around him.  While his comments were often accurate, he was obnoxious and arrogant-- to put it kindly.  It's hard to empathize with the guy making $13 million a year for pitching 1 inning every few days.  The Phils received endless criticism for agreeing to that price precisely when the rest of the league made a philosophical shift from valuing closers at anywhere near that rate.

Just last week, the preeminent Philly newspaper published an article criticizing the Phils for, of all mistakes made the past few years, paying Papelbon to work for them.


Fiery, competitive, arrogant, superb.

He is almost impossible to like.  After all, in addition to his miserable personality and prima donna antics, his big mouth and tendency to point the finger, he happens to have very few clean innings.  In Boston, they had gotten a little tired of his walk 2, allow 2 hits, hit a batter, squeeze out the 9th inning habits, which is part of how the Phils acquired him.

However, to criticize a closer who has probably been the best in the game, overall, during his 4 years with the team is like saying your Rolls Royce is at fault for your traffic tickets.

A glance at last year alone tells the tale.  The Phils lost 89 games last year.  Only 2 teams in the NL were worse than them.  Papelbon?  He recorded 39 saves with a 2.04 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP.  This season the Phils are much worse.  They have the worst record in all of baseball-- by far.  Papelbon, however, is better than he was last year.  He has 17 saves, a 1.59 ERA and a 5.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio for a team that is, sans 1 soon-to-be-former starter, basically a AAA squad.  He was the only Phillies all-star this year.  It was the 6th time he has been selected, the 2nd time with the Phils.

Criticizing him and the team for getting him, which local Philly journalists have and continue to, is baffling.  The fact that Madson went on to not pitch a single game for his next 2 teams (he actually failed to throw a MLB pitch from '12-'14) due to injury only cements what terrific kismet (if not forsight) Amaro Jr. had on that move, which at the time seemed somewhat heartless.

[Madson, by the way, is alive and kicking.  He now pitches for K.C.  This is his first season healthy since he last pitched in MLB for the Phils in '11 and his numbers are outstanding: 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP as set-up man for the Royals, who have the best record in the AL.]

9/14 Alienating fans with this response to boos.

Papelbon, 34-years-old, became the Phils' all-time leader in saves on May 13th of this season with 113.  He was traded Tuesday to the Washington Nationals for Nick Pivetta, a 22-year-old right-hander in Double-A.  In other words, this was a salary dump, plain and simple. 

In 18 postseason appearances, Papelbon has posted a remarkable 1.00 ERA and 0.81 WHIP, while sealing a World Series win.  Not the resume for a rebuilding team.

He will replace the Nationals Drew Storen, who will now be relegated to set-up role, despite his 29 saves, 1.73 ERA and 4.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Storen was the club’s regular closer in 2011, lost the job, was a setup man, then reclaimed the closer role this year, his best-ever in MLB. Storen has a 8.44 ERA in 6 postseasons, the mirror opposite of Papelbon.

Tuesday, the Phils simultaneously shed themselves of a loud mouth and a great piece.  Apparently, you don't need the Rolls Royce when you're living in an outhouse.  Still, it hurts to see the Rolls rolling out of the division rival neighbor's garage every day while you're shoveling manure.

Hamels Wills Phils to Sixth-Straight Win

Fear the Beard: Hamels has been  great of late.

It was a nail-biter to the end.  Jonathan Papelbon surrendered 2 hits and a run (only his 3rd this year in 17 innings), but came back to strike out the side and the Phillies (17-23, 5-13 away) held on to beat the Rockies 4-3 Monday night.

The Rockies matched the Phils in hits (10), but Papelbon, after faltering, regained composure to record his 10th save in 10 tries.

With the win, the Phillies, winners of a MLB-best 6-straight games, passed the Marlins, losers of 4-straight and climbed out of last-place in the NL East, where they trail the first-place Mets by 6 1/2 games.

It was supposed to be the Season of Regret.  It was shaping up to be a Lost Season.  When the Phils fell to 11-23 on May 12th, after just over a month of regulation baseball, it was beginning to look like the predicted train wreck had indeed arrived.  "Avert the eyes!" appeared on the face of anyone who was invested in the team, as well as those tall, lean left-handed World Series ring wearing Californians hoping to get off it before it sunk entirely.

Then, something unexpected happened.  The hapless, the downtrodden, the meek rebuilding work in progress team did something they hadn't done since September, 2012.

They won six-in-a-row.  Granted, they did it against some of the league's worst teams: Arizona, Colorado, Pittsburgh-- all losing teams.  However, they still did it.  And it's not over yet.

Like Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."  The current win streak doesn't give the Phils bragging rights, it merely gives them hope.  However, hope is the one thing they and their fans couldn't afford to have a week ago.

A week ago was before Maikel Franco joined the major league club, most likely for the long haul.  A week ago was before the Phils rallied for 3 in the seventh to comeback beat Arizona.  A week ago they weren't a winning team at home.  Now, after concluding a successful home-stand yesterday, they are.

Herrera's double was the winning hit.

In the top of the 6th inning, with the score tied at one and two quick outs already recorded, 3B Maikel Franco singled to start a rally.  The 22 year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic has now hit safely in 3-straight games and scored runs in each of them.  Veteran Chase Utley then walked.

With two outs and two on, rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera (9th in the NL with 6 SB) slammed a 2-run double to deep right in the 6th, which plated both Franco and Utley to put the Phils up 3-1, a lead they would keep.

Hamels (4-3, 3.24 ERA) became a winner with 7 stellar innings in hitter-haven Coors field.  He S.O. 7, walked only 1 and allowed just 1 run.  Hamels has been focused and great of late.  His bid to be traded to a title contender is certainly fueling him, but it's more than that.  This is clearly a pitcher in his prime.  His 2.46 ERA in 2014 was a career-best, and after a characteristically uneven start to the season, the 31 year-old is picking up where he left off. In his last 3 games, Hamels has allowed 4 runs in 22 innings for a 1.64 ERA.

"Cole's been really aggressive on the inside part of the plate," said manager Ryan Sandberg before the game. "And I think with that his stuff has even gotten better. Even hitting 94, 95 with his fastball. It makes his change-up better. I think he has overall made the hitters uncomfortable his last two or three outings.  I see him really settling into the type of groove that he was [in] last year,  Just a little bit earlier [this year]."

Lead-off hitter Ben Revere had 3 hits for the second-straight night and is now hitting .303 in May.

Aaron Harang has been spectacular.

Tuesday night in Colorado, Aaron Harang will take the mound for the Phils.  Harang is 4-3 so far this year.  He has been a wonderful surprise.  After finishing 2014 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA for Atlanta, but a poor 1.40 WHIP, the 37 year-old Harang has begun his 2015 campaign with the Phils in outstanding fashion.  His 0.98 WHIP and 2.08 ERA each rank 6th in the NL.

When Harang steps on the mound at 8:40 PM EST Tuesday, the Phils will have every reason to hope for their seventh-straight victory.  Hope, for the first time this year, is something they can go to sleep tonight enjoying and maybe, just maybe, something they can survive tomorrow with still in their grasp.

Phils Next Star Makes His Mark

 

Third baseman Maikel [pronounced "my-kell"] Franco hit his first MLB HR Sunday and added a triple to power the Phillies to a 6-0 win and a weekend sweep of Arizona at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Franco is the first of what many believe will be a host of minor league players who will be promoted to major league roles with the Phillies throughout this rebuilding season.  Those faces will likely include  J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn and 21 year-old starting pitcher sensation Aaron Nola, currently tearing through the minors at 5-2 with a 1.77 ERA.

Franco, 22, has been approximately five years younger than the average player at each level he has competed at, from single A to MLB.  He has shown no fear, no loss of nerve or ability.  This weekend was no different.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Despite much hype, including manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stating that if nothing else Franco would be a huge upgrade in defense at 3B over Cody Asche (who was demoted to learn LF and make way for Franco last week), Franco looked comfortable on the field and at the plate.  

Franco brings a much needed dose of hope to Phillies fans buried in the despair of a rebuilding effort that has taken a dramatic downward turn from the winning baseball they had only recently become accustomed to.

Phenom Aaron Nola could be the next great Phils pitcher.

Justin De Fratus exemplified this reach toward optimism in the locker room before Sunday's game.   The relief pitcher, who will turn 28 on October 21st, told Franco that Sunday would be the day he'd hit his first major league HR.  There was something convincing in the pitcher's commanding prediction, because Franco not only agreed with him before the game, but solidified the prophecy during it.

After the game, De Fratus made an even bolder prediction:

"He's gonna hit 30 home runs and 120 RBI," De Fratus said. "I called the home run. He's going to take us to the playoffs."

The Phillies, who have MLB's worst road record at 4-13 are now winners, at 12-10, at home.  While they are hardly considered or considering themselves contenders, they happen to be just 6 1/2 games back at this early juncture. 

In the 6th inning Sunday, Franco tripled to put the Phillies up 3-0.  After the game, Franco called it his best swing of the day.  In the broadcast booth, Mike Schmidt commented on Franco's triple, which he estimated traveled 405 feet in right field, 4 feet shy of a HR, that "in a lot of places, that's plenty out of the park."  

Franco greeted by teammates after 1st career HR.

Then, in his next at-bat leading off the 8th inning and Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona, Franco went deep to left center field, 367 feet and over the fence.  The Phillies led 5-0 en route to a 6-0 romp behind a strong outing by Sean O'Sullivan (who got his first win in 4 years) and 3 relievers who combined for the shutout.

But the real story was  Franco.  In a recent interview after a minor league game, he said: “Every time I come in, I just try to be a clown a little bit and enjoy the moment. I love to play baseball.”  His relaxed confidence is reminiscent of Jimmy Rollins, who was also a homegrown player who debuted with the Phils in 2000 and led them to a World Series title and 5 consecutive division titles with his self-proclaimed swagger.

The Phils have now won 5-straight games for the first time in almost a year.  They will go for their 6th straight in Colorado Monday behind Cole Hamels, who has won two straight games with an ERA of 1.29 over those games.

Franco was appropriately modest during his post-game interview, during which he was struck with the traditional shaving cream by veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz.  "My team is playing very good right now. I came in at a good moment," Franco said. "I'm happy for that and I just want to continue to prove myself and help my team."

Fans can happily anticipate more of this image (Franco lathered in shaving cream) for years to come, as well as Franco's lightness, power and rock solid glove work, all a breath of fresh air and on display at Citizens Bank Park this weekend.

Hamels Wins & Watches His Stock Rise

Hamels looked trade-ably good Monday.

Cole Hamels won his first game of the season, Carlos Ruiz went 4-for-4 and the Phillies came from behind to hand the St. Louis Cardinals only their 2nd home loss of the year.  The First Place Cardinals fell to 12-6, while the Phils moved into a tie for Third Place in the NL East.

The Phils trailed 1-0 at the end of 6 innings, but plated 3 in the 7th inning and one more in the 9th to win it 4-1.  Cole Hamels (1-2, 3.19 ERA) walked 4, but S.O. 9 in 7 innings, allowing 4 hits and just the 1 run.

Hamels had plenty of motivation to shine.  He has been vocal about his desire to be traded to a contender.  The Phillies, meanwhile, have been steadfast in their demands for top-notch prospects in exchange for the premier lefty.  Consequently, Hamels best shot at being traded has been that a contending team's need grows, likely in the form of an injury to a key starting pitcher, which would force that team to give up more than they otherwise might to get him.

Well, that just happened times 2.

Before Monday's game in St. Louis, the Cardinals announced that starting pitcher Adam Wainwright will miss the entire rest of the season due to a torn Achilles ankle injury he suffered while batting on April 25th. 

Losing Wainwright is a titanic loss for the Cardinals, who are off to one of their best starts in recent years, despite a high bar of 2 World Series appearances in the past 4 years. Wainwright has helped his team to a MLB best 2.39 team ERA with a 1.44 ERA this year.  He also won 20 games for them last season, has a lifetime 121-67 record and has placed in the top 3 in Cy Young voting in 4 separate seasons.  His importance to his team cannot be overemphasized.  Needless to say, the Cardinals will seek to replace him.  Hamels had been linked to the Cardinals in trade rumors, even before this injury, during the off-season and preseason.  However, the Cardinals had been unwilling to part with certain key prospects that the Phillies insisted on acquiring in return.

Another team that showed interest in Hamels during the offseason, but refused to surrender the top prospects the Phillies required was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who also announced today the loss of a key (although not as vital as the Cardinals') starting pitcher.

The First-Place Dodgers' Brandon McCarthy was ruled out for the season and part of the next one. McCarthy, who entered the season as Los Angeles' No. 3 starter (because of an injury to Hyun-Jin Ryu) suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that will likely require Tommy John surgery, which has been known to end pitchers careers.

Rookie OF Odubel 'Hair' Herrera.

Phils CF Odubel Herrera had 3 hits Monday, including an RBI single in the 7th, although he was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.  The exciting 23 year-old Venezuelan rookie is now hitting .300 and has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games.

OF Domonic Brown is finishing a DL stint that has kept him sidelined all season and will rejoin the team soon, which will force someone to the bench.  It's unlikely to be Herrera, who is playing well and who the team is high on.  That leaves either Ben Revere or 31 year-old veteran journeyman Jeff Francoeur.  

Revere, 26, has the edge.  Francoeur started the season hot and even hit a couple HR early, but was signed by the rebuilding Phillies as a role player and nothing more.  Revere, was acquired by the team in 2013 as a piece of the future.  He hit .300 in each of his first 2 seasons with the Phils, and they will give him a lot of room to rebound from his miserable start.  He is hitting a paltry .200 thus far, but Monday had the game-winning hit in the Phils breakout 7th with a 2-out 2-RBI ground rule double to left, which plated Ruiz and Freddy Galvis to give the Phils the lead.

An outfield of Revere, Hererra and Brown would actually have a lot of potential, although an alarmingly lackluster upside when it comes to power, since the vast majority of MLB teams boast power-hitting outfielders.  However, rebuilding teams have to have patience in their players.  Revere has 2 career HR (both last season) and an infamous lack of power, Brown has shown flashes of power in clusters, followed by long outages in his 5-year career.  Notably, in 2013, he hit 27 HR, posted a .494 SLG % and seemed to be finally rising to the hype that had surrounded him for so long.  Then, of course, 2014 was a major step backward, when Brown stumbled to .235 with just 10 HR.   (As noted, Brown has yet to play this year, but will rejoin the team shortly.) 

Hererra hasn't hit his first MLB HR, but has posted terrific power numbers so far.  He sports a .429 SLG % and has 7 extra-base hits, including 3 in 1 game on 4/15.

It will be interesting to see what Manager Ryan Sandberg and company do with the outfield when Brown returns.