Phillies likely finalize bullpen with demotions of Zagurski and Mathieson

The Phillies announced the demotion of Mike Zagurski and Scott Mathieson the the minors today, a move that effectively finalizes their bullpen for the start of the season. With Brad Lidge set to start the season on the disabled list, and barring a trade or waiver pickup, the Phillies bullpen will look like this to start the season:

Long Relief:
Kyle Kendrick

Lefty Specialist:
Antonio Bastardo

6th inning:
David Herndon

7th inning:
J.C. Romero, Danys Baez

Setup:
Jose Contreras

Closer:
Ryan Madson

I put Madson in the closers role, though Contreras is also in the mix to close games. There really aren't any surprises in the group, with Herndon making the team only because of Lidge's injury. While there is plenty of depth in the bullpen, I'm still happy they won't be needed much with the Phillies four aces going deep into games on a regular basis.

Phillies news and notes: Madson is back, Werth to be moved?

Lots of news coming from the Phillies today as they look to finish out the first season on a positive note in a four game series with the Reds:

*Ryan Madson has been activated. Madson, who last pitched in late April, has been on the disabled list for almost two months after he broke his toe when he kicked a chair in frustration. Madson will be a welcome sight to the ragged Phillies bullpen. To make room, the Phillies sent Mike Zagurski back to the minors. Big Mike just doesn't seem ready for the majors right now.

*Carlos Ruiz began his rehab assignment yesterday. Expect Chooch to be back right after the All-Star break.

*Brian Schneider is back in the lineup tonight. Apparently his thumb is feeling a lot better; let's hope that's the last we've seen of Dane Sardinha.

*Finally, the biggest news of the day is something Buster Olney tweeted: the Phillies are talking with teams about the possibility of trading Jayson Werth with the hopes that the team could acquire a starting pitcher in return. This is a move that seems more and more likely to happen every day, what with Werth being a free agent at the end of the season and the Phillies slowly slipping further and further back in the division. While I would hate to see Werth go, if he's going to leave at the end of the season anyway, I would love for the Phillies to be able to turn him into Dan Haren or another starting pitcher of that ilk.

Phillies moves: Rollins is back, Ruiz to the DL, Dobbs a goner

The Phillies made a series of moves in preparation for their series against the Indians:

*Jimmy Rollins was activated from the disabled list
*Greg Dobbs was designated for assignment
*Carlos Ruiz was put on the disabled list
*Mike Zagurski was called up from the minors
*Scott Mathieson has cleared and was optioned to the minors

The biggest move out of all of these is the return of Jimmy Rollins to the lineup. Rollins, who has played a grand total of 14 games this season, should immediately help a struggling offense. While Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro have played well at times, adding J-Roll adds another dangerous bat to the mix. Hopefully he stays healthy this time.

On the other hand, losing Carlos Ruiz, who was put on the DL retroactive to June 19th due to concussion issues, will hurt the offense as the Phillies are forced to turn to Brian Schneider and Dan Sardinha at catcher. Hopefully the concussion symptoms go away quickly for Ruiz and he can be back sometime before the All-Star break.

As for the loss of Greg Dobbs, I join with many Phillies fans in saying good riddance. While Dobbs was once a reliable pinch hitter, his .152 average and meager power this season have turned him into a useless bench player. With no glove to go with no bat, the Phillies made the right call in keeping Valdez and dropping Dobbs.

Finally, Mike Zagurski's return to the Phillies is a nice story because he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007. Much like Scott Mathieson, Zagurski has made the long recovery from Tommy John surgery and earned another shot in the Phillies pen. The big lefty doesn't have great career numbers (5.91 ERA) but it's always nice to have a second left handed option to call upon.

As the dust settles from this flurry of moves, the Phillies come out with a slightly better lineup and bench. Yes, Carlos Ruiz being out will make the bottom of the order a pair of automatic outs in a row but having Rollins back at the top keeps things from being a complete black hole at 7-8-9. With Rollins back, I'm interested to see what Charlie Manuel does with the order. It's probably safe to assume that Jimmy Rollins will slot back in the leadoff spot but will Shane Victorino bat 2nd or 7th? If everyone starts hitting like they can (a big if, I know), the Phillies lineup should be back to being the best in the NL in the 1-7 spots.

2010 Phillies Opening Day bullpen pitchers are set

With the demotion of Mike Zagurski, the Phillies bullpen is set for Opening Day. Well, sort of; all of the pitchers are in place they just haven't all been given their roles as of yet. There's still that little matter of deciding who the 5th starter is and Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero have to be officially added to the disabled list.

Here are the 12 pitchers the Phillies will carry on Opening Day:

Starting Pitchers: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer/Kyle Kendrick

Bullpen: Ryan Madson, Danys Baez, Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras, Antonio Bastardo, David Herndon, Moyer/Kendrick

To be placed on DL: Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero

Breaking down the bullpen further, these are probably the initial roles:

Long relief:
Contreras
Moyer/Kendrick

Lefty:
Bastardo

6th inning:
Herndon
Contreras?

7th inning:
Durbin

Setup man:
Baez

Closer:
Madson

I wouldn't call that an ideal bullpen but it will get the job done for a few weeks before Lidge and Romero get healthy.

LOOGY race is down to two: Escalona sent to the minors

As the season draws near, the Phillies bullpen is starting to take shape. With J.C. Romero likely to start the season on the disabled list, the Phillies will have one, and possibly two, spots open for lefties out of the pen. Entering Friday, three pitchers still vied for the LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY) role: Antonio Bastardo, Sergio Escalona and Mike Zagurski. Well, with the demotion of Escalona to the minors, that race is down to two.

Escalona, who shuttled back and forth from the minors to the Phillies last season, will likely start the year in Double A where he will look to refine his control and get some innings under his belt. At only 25, we will certainly be hearing from him in the future, although he may never be anything more than a serviceable major leaguer.

As for the remaining lefties, Bastardo seems to nearly have a bullpen spot locked up while Zagurski will only make the team if the Phillies decide to start the year with two lefties. With Romero not expected to be out for an extended period of time, Zagurski seems destined for the minors, which is where he probably should be as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.

Phillies Not Interested in Fultz, Zagurski's Season May be Over

Just a couple of quick Phillies news items as we close in on Opening Day:

*Phillies don't want Fultz Following up on yesterday's story, Aaron Fultz was released by the Cleveland Indians, but, according to assistant GM Ruben Amaro, the Phillies aren't interested in adding the former Phillie to the bullpen. It seems like the perfect fit: a lefty who would basically cost the Phillies nothing. They must have someone else in their plans.

*Zagurski may need surgery It may be a while before we see former fan favorite Mike Zagurski pitching for the Phillies again. According to Phillies.com, Zagurski may need Tommy John surgery, meaning he would miss all of the 2008 season and wouldn't be able to pitch again for at least a year. Zagurski has been having trouble with his elbow during the spring, and is currently on the DL. Zagurski didn't figure to be a big part of the bullpen this year, but it he could have developed into a solid bullpen option down the road. This surgery will be a huge setback for his develpment.