Phillies Place 3 Pitchers on DL

The Phillies placed pitchers Francisco Rosario, Mike Zagurski and Scott Mathieson on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 21st. Zagurski and Mathieson have been injured all spring, so the move comes as no surprise for them, but this is the first I have heard that Rosario was injured. Rosario, who was battling for a bullpen spot, has a strained right shoulder.

These moves leave three players, Clay Condrey, J.D. Durbin and Travis Blackley battling for up to two roster spots. If the Phillies keep only 11 pitchers, only one of those three would make the team. Condrey has out-pitched the other two, so I would guess he would be the most likely of the three to make the team. Of course, there is plenty of speculation that the team is looking to acquire another left-handed pitcher for the bullpen, which could leave them all on the outside looking in.

The Phillies still have some tough decisions to make, like what they are going to do with Wes Helms and Chris Snelling. There is no way that both players make the team, so one will need to be traded or released. Unless there are a slew of injuries, neither player would have a big role on the team this year.

We are about a week away from the start of the season, and the Phillies still have their hardest roster decisions ahead of them.

Phillies Pitching Turning Around

Maybe we can all relax about the Phillies pitching now. Since giving up 11 runs to the Minnesota Twins last Saturday, the Phillies pitchers have given up 13 total runs in their last 6 games. That's an average of 2.2 runs per game. That span of games included good outings by each member of the rotation: Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick and the most recent one today by the beleaguered Adam Eaton.

Eaton pitched 5 1/3 innings against the Twins on Friday, giving up one run and scattering 4 hits. It's his second straight solid outing, and it lowered his ERA, which had recently been in double digits, to a reasonable 5.84. The Phillies, who benched most of their star offensive players in the game, ended up beating the Twins 3-2 when Carlos Ruiz drove in the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.

Eaton's solid outing comes on the heels of Kyle Kendrick's best start of the spring. On Thursday, Kendrick pitched 5 scoreless innings against the Pirates, giving up only 2 hits. Even though it was just the Pirates, it was an encouraging sign for a guy who hasn't looked confident on the mound all spring.

It appears that the Phillies rotation is finally starting to settle in and pitch they way we know they can. The Phillies offense is going to put up a ton of runs, so they don't need the pitching to be lights out every game, but it makes things a lot easier when you don't have to face five run deficits in the early innings after Eaton or Kendrick gets shelled.

The last pitcher to get hit hard, Chad Durbin, will start tomorrow's game against his old team, the Detroit Tigers. Durbin is going to need to shut down the Tigers potent offense if he wants any shot at the 5th spot in the rotation. Even then, it might be too late, as Adam Eaton may have already sewn it up with his performance today.

Hamels Returns to Form

It's been a trying exhibition season for Phillies fans. We know that wins and losses don't matter in the Grapefruit League, but when the pitching looks terrible and the losses mount, a sense of doubt about the team begins to creep in. Even laid-back Charlie Manuel has been so unimpressed by the way the team has played that he called the players out, imploring them to show more effort. The starting pitching, one of the main concerns for Manuel and the Phillies, looked like it heeded that call in today's 4-2 win over the Rays.

Cole Hamels was one of the most disappointing players this spring. He had gotten hit hard this exhibition season, and even sported an ERA in the double digits at one point. Hamels finally turned things around today, looking sharp in 6 innings of work, striking out seven batters and giving up only two hits. Of course, one of the hits was a home run by Rays rookie Evan Longoria (not the desperate houswife, the young star), but Hamels is prone to giving up the long ball from time to time. Hamels spring ERA now sits at 6.55, showing just how bad it was before.

Up until today, Brett Myers had been the only starting pitcher to look dominant this spring. Hamels looks like he is rounding into form, and you know Jamie Moyer will be his usual self. That leaves two other rotation spots to be worried about: Kyle Kendrick and the dreaded number 5 spot. I have talked ad nausea about the number 5 starter, but that situation is not any closer to being resolved. The Kendrick situation also should make Phillies fans nervous. This is a pitcher with no real track record of success that is being relied upon to be the number 3 starter. It could be a disastrous season for the Phillies if Kendrick doesn't pitch like he did last season.

Gillick: Phillies looking to add lefty; Lohse not an option

The Phillies pitching this Spring Training has been so bad it's laughable. Every starter, with the exception of Brett Myers, has been shelled. The bullpen hasn't looked much better. Randy Miller at Phillyburbs.com wrote an interesting piece about the Phils pitching situation that addresses the current situation and even discusses some possible future moves.

GM Pat Gillick was interviewed in the article, and he mentioned that the Phillies are looking at acquiring another lefty reliever to go with J.C. Romero. Apparently Fabio Castro and Shane Youman aren't cutting it. Big surprise there. Gillick said "we'd like to have two left-handers in the 'pen if we can.” Gillick also eliminated any possibility of Kyle Lohse coming back, saying “we're not going down that road....we made Lohse an offer, and he decided to do something else".

It looks like the Phillies think they are set in terms of starting pitching, which means we can count on Adam Eaton starting the 5th game this year. Kris Benson will likely take over if/when Eaton struggles. In terms of the bullpen, it seems like the Phillies have been searching for another lefty for years. I have no clue who they are looking to acquire, or what it would take to get them. There have been some rumors floating around that the Dodgers, who are in need of a 3rd baseman, could be interested in Wes Helms. Maybe the Phillies could pry away a reliever from them, although it might be asking too much for a team to take on Helms' contract and give back a serviceable player.

Injury Updates (via Philly.com):
Adam Eaton said his back looks fine and he's ready to "pitch" again.
Brad Lidge is back to throwing again, and he thinks he could be ready for opening day.
Kris Benson also appears to be on target for a return in early April.

Phils Offense Strong While Pitching Stinks

Same story, different day for the Phillies this exhibition season. The Phillies lost today 8-5 to the Pirates, but the offense put on a show, with Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz all hitting solo home runs. Unfortunately it was all a waste as the pitching continues to struggle, with J. D. Durbin giving up 5 runs in 3.1 innings.

Durbin had a chance to assert himself in the race for the 5th starter, but failed to show that he even deserved a spot on the Opening Day roster. He gave up 8 hits, walked 2 batters and only struck out one. His ERA has risen to 9.64 this spring. As a team, the Phillies pitching is only slightly better with an ERA of 6.77, which ranks 27th amongst all teams. The poor showing can't all be blamed on Adam Eaton and his 15.75 ERA, there are several others who are getting shelled. Kyle Kendrick is coming off a terrible performance against the Blue Jays where he gave up 6 runs to raise his ERA to 16.43. Cole Hamels and Tom Gordon, both key parts to the team, also have ERA's above 10. Hopefully the pitchers are just rusty and this won't be an omen for the rest of the season.

If the pitchers can't get their act together, at least we will see a lot of 10-8 games because the offense has been coming on as of late. Ryan Howard, who is hitting .433, hit a towering home run yesterday, and then added another today, to continue his torrid spring hitting. Pedro Feliz has hit 2 bombs, showing he is capable of some pop to go with his solid defense, and So Taguchi has played well, hitting .412. Just about the only Phillie regular to not be hitting well is NL MVP Jimmy Rollins, who has only 3 hits in 26 at bats for an average of .115.

The Phillies have an off-day tomorrow, so hopefully they can figure out how to get their pitching back on track. It's still early in the exhibition season, but the trend they have started could lead to another horrible April. This team needs to get some momentum to avoid the early season struggles that have plagued them in recent seasons.

First Phillie Cuts and an Injury Update

The Phillies made their first cuts today, taking 14 players out of the major league camp. They sent pitchers Joe Bisenius, J.A. Happ and Scott Mathieson along with shortstop Brad Harman to the minor league camp. Mike Cervenak, Ron Chiavacci, Jason Donald, Tuffy Gosewisch, Lou Marson, Brian Mazone, Valentino Pascucci, Joe Savery, Zach Segovia and Andy Tracy were all reassigned.

None of those cuts comes as much of a surprise as none were projected to be on the Opening Day roster. Scott Mathieson is the only player listed here who might make an impact later in the season, but he needs to get healthy following his Tommy John surgery. Mathieson should be in the bullpen mix by midseason. Joe Savery is the Phillies number one pick from last years draft who had one terrible spring training outing followed by a good one. He will likely start the season in Single A, and won't be in the majors for a few years. Most of the rest of these guys are non-prospects or guys who have been to the majors and shown they can't cut it, like Happ and Segovia. One interesting player that wasn't cut was Josh Outman. He must have done enough to stick around for a few more days, but there is no chance he makes the club this year.

*Injury Updates
Adam Eaton will miss his next start with a back injury. He will be able to pitch again next weekend. No word yet on whether he will actually pitch well.

Kris Benson pitched yesterday in a minor league game, and looked strong, hitting 88 mph with his fastball. He believes he can be ready by opening day if the Phillies need him. With the 5th starter options all looking awful, they might be forced to call on Benson soon.

There haven't been any updates indicating when Brad Lidge will be able to pitch again. He's still hoping to be ready about a week into the season.

The Sluggish Race for Phillies 5th Starter

Yesterday I wrote a piece about Adam Eaton and his struggles this spring. Eaton is the leading candidate for the 5th starter spot, but with the terrible spring he is having, he is losing his grip on the spot. Too bad there isn't anyone stepping up to take it away from him.

Travis Blackley is one of the four options the Phillies are considering for the final spot in the rotation. He pitched 1 2/3 innings, walked 4 and gave up 5 earned runs in an appearance today against the Indians. He did strike out three batters, but he had trouble with his control all day. Blackley was considered a long shot for the rotation, but with Eaton slipping he could have asserted himself and grabbed the role.

Here are the Spring Training statistics so far for all of the 5th starter candidates:

Travis Blackley: 4.2 IP, 5 K's, 4 BB, 5 ER, 9.64 ERA
Chad Durbin: 5.0 IP, 5 K's, 0 BB, 4 ER, 7.20 ERA
J.D. Durbin: 6.0 IP, 3 K's, 3 BB, 5 ER, 7.50 ERA
Adam Eaton: 4.0 IP, 2 K's, 0 BB, 7 ER, 15.75 ERA

Not exactly the type of competition the Phils were hoping for. Each one of the candidates has had at least one bad outing that has caused their ERA to increase dramatically. Blackley had looked the best out of the group until today's performance. Chad Durbin probably has overtaken him, at least he has shown good control to go with his high strikeout rate. Clearly Eaton is struggling the worst out of this group.

Of course, it's always important to take Spring Training statistics with a grain of salt, especially for pitchers. It's long been said that the hitters are ahead of the pitchers during the spring, and by the time the season starts the pitchers are caught up.

Still, these numbers are concerning. It will be interesting to see what the Phillies decide to do, if all four pitchers continue to struggle. Kris Benson will probably be the next option down the road, and it will be interesting to hear how he did in his simulated pitching experience today. He's got to do better than Adam Eaton, right?

What to do with Adam Eaton?

The Phillies really screwed up with Adam Eaton. He's in the second year of his 3 year contract worth 24.5 million dollars, and he stinks. Because of his huge contract, Eaton is the front runner for the Phils number 5 spot in the rotation, despite having an ERA of 15.75 in two spring appearances. Now he is using the lame excuse that he has a bad back that has been affecting his performance since July.

So what are the Phillies supposed to do? Despite how bad he has been, the Phillies have no other choice but to trot him out every fifth day. They can't trade the guy because no one would want him. They won't release Eaton because the Phillies aren't in the habit of giving away money. He would be terrible out of the bullpen because of the way he gets rocked in the early innings of his starts.

The other fifth starter options aren't all that appealing, either. J. D. Durbin has shown flashes of what made him a prospect a few years ago, but he looked awful last September. Chad Durbin is very average and would be better suited in a long relief role. Travis Blackley is also an option, although he had an ERA over 7 last year with the Giants.

Prospect Carlos Carrasco has been a long-shot option, and he has the best stuff out of any of these back-end guys, but he won't be ready for at least another year. By the way, I know that everyone in the Phillies organization is high on Carrasco, but before we get our hopes up, Baseball Prospectus projects him to be only a "solid, mid-rotation innings-eater". Doesn't sound like glowing praise for a guy the Phillies are counting on to be a stud.

So, getting back to Eaton, it looks like the Phillies are stuck with him. Expectations couldn't be lower. If the Phillies could get 6 innings out of Eaton and he only gives up 3-4 runs, they will be ecstatic. The Phils are probably hoping to get about a month of decent pitching out of Eaton until Kris Benson is healthy. They can then stick Benson into the rotation and then figure out what to do with Eaton.

Of course, if it was me, I would sign Kyle Lohse for the 1 year, 4 million dollar contract he is seeking, and then cut my losses with Eaton. It would be tough to swallow that huge contract and admit they made a mistake, but the Phillies can't afford to have such an inept pitcher in their rotation. The Phillies have an amazing offense that can pile up runs in a hurry, but they still can't risk using a starting pitcher who consistently spots the other team 5 runs in the first two innings. Hopefully a few more awful spring performances will force the Phillies to get rid of the dead weight known as Adam Eaton.

Phillies don't want Lohse

It's a surprise to most people around baseball that former Phillie Kyle Lohse still hasn't signed on with a team. Lohse was originally seeking a five year contract that would pay him 10 million a year, which was way too much for a pitcher coming off a 9-12 season where he posted a 4.62 ERA. Lohse has since come down from his demands of a multi-year contract, and is currently seeking a one year deal worth 4 million. According to Phillies Assistant GM Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies aren't interested in Lohse even at that seemingly bargain price.

Lohse is the definition of a league average pitcher, and he hasn't posted a sub 4.00 ERA in his career, but signing him to a one year deal for 4 million seems like a steal. Lohse is realizing that the season is creeping up on him, and he needs to find a team fast. If he can't get his mega deal this offseason, then he is willing to sign for cheap, have a productive season, and try again for a big contract.

So why aren't the Phillies interested? 4 million is a small price to pay for a little piece of mind at the back end of the rotation. The Phillies are set in the first four spots in their rotation, but battling for the number 5 spot are Adam Eaton, J.D. Durbin and Chad Durbin. None of those guys gives the Phillies much of a chance to win, so why wouldn't they bring in Lohse for insurance? Maybe the Phillies are hoping that recently signed Kris Benson can eventually be the number 5 starter, but that wouldn't be for at least a month or two into the season. Can they really rely on Eaton until then?

Kyle Lohse would be an upgrade over anything the Phillies have at the back end of their rotation, and for 4 million dollars, he seems like cheap insurance. I know the Phillies have their self-imposed spending limit, but for a team that wants to win it all right now, why wouldn't they sign this guy? If anything, we need to keep him away from the Mets, who are desperately seeking a fifth starter. We know they would be willing to spend far more than 4 million for another pitcher. It's tough to be a fan of the only team in baseball with a salary cap.