Phillies claim Tim Lahey, sign Chris Woodward

The Phillies made a flurry of minor moves today, none of which will get Phillies fans too excited.

Tim Lahey, a righthander, was claimed off waivers of the Chicago Cubs and placed on the 25 man roster. Lahey, who had been with the Minnesota Twins, was selected by the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft last winter. Lahey is 26 and has never pitched in the majors, making this a questionable move. He spent most of last season in Double A, where he had an 8-4 record with a 3.45 ERA.

Is Lahey really the final piece to a championship puzzle? Rotoworld.com calls him a "weak choice" for the Phillies bullpen, and they go on to speculate that he will likely end up back with the Twins. Lahey had a mediocre spring, pitching 11 innings and posting an ERA of 6.55. It's a curious move, seeing as how the Phillies were saying all along they wanted another lefthanded pitcher, and Aaron Fultz, Mike Stanton and Rudy Seanez were all recently made available.

To make room for Lahey, the Phillies outrighted J.D. Durbin, Chris Snelling, and Ray Olmedo to the minors. Durbin and Snelling were recently waived, so they both must have cleared waivers, otherwise they couldn't have been sent down. Barring any other moves, this means that the Phillies will go with 11 pitchers on Opening Day, and Wes Helms will be on the roster. When Brad Lidge comes back, Helms, or even possibly Lahey, would be the first to go.

The Phillies also signed infielder Chris Woodward to a minor league deal. Woodward is a nine-year veteran who spent last season with the Atlanta Braves. He played for the Yankees this spring, and hit a solid .393 in 28 at bats. Woodward is a career .243 hitter who is the very definition of a utility player, having played every position except pitcher and catcher. Woodward is very similar to Eric Bruntlett, and outside of injuries or trades, he is likely to spend the entire season in the minors. He could just be a depth signing, or the Phillies could be close to moving Helms or Bruntlett.

Barring trades, the Phillies appear to be set for Opening Day. The acquisition of Tim Lahey looks disappointing, so let's hope Pat Gillick has something else up his sleeve.

J. D. Durbin placed on waivers, Blackley clears

A few more minor moves today as the Phillies prepare for Opening Day next week.

*J. D. Durbin waived Looks like the Phillies finally got fed up with J.D. Durbin's 12.33 spring ERA, because they placed him on waivers today. This move was a long time coming given how terrible he has looked this spring. This also means the Phillies roster is down to 10 pitchers who will be available Opening Day, with Brad Lidge being #11 when he is ready about a week into the season. Seems pretty likely that the Phils will try to bring in someone, whether its through a trade or through waivers, to fill that last bullpen spot. They should easily be able to find someone better than Durbin.

There is still a chance we will see Durbin pitch again for the Phillies. Durbin has bounced around between so many teams already, chances are very few are still interested in his "potential". Durbin is only 26, and has already been a part of the Twins, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and Phillies organizations. If Durbin clears waivers, the Phillies will send him down to AAA, which is probably where he belonged all along.

If Durbin is really done as a Phillie, his highlight has to be the shutout he pitched against the San Diego Padres last July. Of course, he will more likely be remembered for his Myspace page and his incredibly ironic nickname, "Real Deal" Durbin.

*Travis Blackley clears waivers On Tuesday, Travis Blackley was placed on waivers, and today we learn that he has cleared and has been outrighted to AAA Lehigh Valley. Blackley was originally selected in the Rule 5 draft from the San Francisco Giants, who chose not to claim him back, allowing him to return to the Phillies. Blackley is a lefty and he is only 25, so he could still have a future as a major leaguer, although probably in the bullpen.