J.P. Crawford, an 18-year-old high school shortstop, was selected by the Phillies in the first round (16th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

Crawford, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, played for Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Calif., where he batted .432 in 25 games with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, 10 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. Crawford, a cousin of Los Angeles outfielder Carl Crawford, is the school’s all-time leader in hits (179), runs scored (162), stolen bases (73) and walks (72).

The Phillies offense is still struggling, and with uncertainty surrounding Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, you have to love the last bit of fight the team showed against Aroldis Chapman.  Hamels and the Phillies are in Miami to face the Marlins tonight.  We owe them a pounding after they handed the Phillies two straight losses in their last series in Philadelphia.

Word out of Philadelphia is that Ruiz and Mike Adams are likely to be placed on the 15-Day DL.  Adams will be placed on the DL with a retro active date, so he should be available much sooner than Chooch.

As you may or may not have noticed, I took a little time off.  No excuses, I just didn’t have it in me…

However, as a Season Ticket Holder I figured I would have to commiserate with someone!  Lucky you!

With Roy Halladay scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow. Let’s look ahead and see if the Phillies legitimately have any chance of making noise in the N.L. East.

Let’s be honest, nobody is running away with it at this point.  Yes, it’s early but they all count in the end.  The Phillies are 4 1/2 games out of first place in the N.L. East.  The Braves were insanely hot to start the season, but have since cooled off, and the Nats are playing basically average baseball.  If this was the first of September I’d be less optimistic.

Keeping things short, which I usually do, I feel that the Phillies need to take advantage of two things.  Crappy teams, and head to head competition with the Braves and the Nationals.  They only saw the Braves once, and lost two of three, and will finally see the Nationals next weekend in D.C.

I have to say, I don’t think that the Phillies pitching has been all that terrible.  Cliff is pitching great, Kendrick has been outstanding, and Cole, well… It’s been the same old story for him… No run support.  If Pettibone and whoever is the 5th starter can keep it together then the starters are going to be alright.  Anyone can pitch better than Roy Halladay at this point, so look for the starters overall ERA to drop.  The middle relievers look pretty miserable at a glance, but they’re mainly pitching when the game has already been lost.   Bastardo, Adams and Papelbon are getting the job done when they have the chance.

Really the glaring problem is the offense.  They just are not scoring enough to get the job done.  Even if they eeked into the playoff, I don’t see them having the firepower to compete without the pitchers throwing out of their minds.

The Phillies welcome the Cleaveland Indians into town with a two game set Tuesday and Wednesday.  The Indians are 21-16, and have won 7 of their last 10.  They destroyed the Phillies last month in a two game series where the Phillies mustered just two runs while the Indians tagged the Phillies for 20.  When the Indians win, they win big.

The Indians are a tough customer, scoring an average of about four runs a game.  They’ve filled their lineup with a bunch of guys that nobody really wanted (Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Mark Reynolds) but with the exception of Bourn who’d been on the D.L. for a bit of time, they’re producing.

This should lead to be a tough contest for the Phillies.

Sorry It’s been so long since posting… Really long.

Let’s get the ball rolling with this little gem.

In 2012 Pagan hit .288/.331/.440 with eight homers and 29 steals.  His career numbers are a bit lower than that, and his 2012 campaign has likely inflated his price tag.

One of the plusses of signing Pagan would be that he’d come much cheaper then guys like Michael Bourn, and Josh Hamilton. This would leave the Phillies with some spending money for their bullpen and a third baseman.  The market for a third basemen is very, very thin, but there are plenty of  premiere relievers out there.

I honestly don’t think that Pagan is much better then Shane Victorino, but Shane’s 2012 season was not very good, and I don’t see the Phillies calling about Shane unless he dwindles on the market for another month or so.  If The Phillies made a move for a big time left or right fielder, then I could see Shane coming back to play center mainly for his defense, but that’s a really big if.

I still think that the price tag of Michael Bourn is too high, and that’s why the Nationals and Braves went elsewhere, and I know that Josh Hamilton would excite everyone, but this team already has a large collection of players making over $2oMM a season (Halladay, Lee, Howard, Hamels) and with all his baggage would it really be smart to have $100MM committed to just five players?

Pagan may just be the best choice available.  If the Phillies can get him for 3 years, then I’d be satisfied, although he’s not really much of an upgrade over what we had in Victorino last year.  The Giants are probably his #1 choice, as he just won a World Series with them, so three years probably won’t do it.

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This time he didn’t… Possibly twice.

Amaro’s main target, free agent B.J. Upton, has come to an agreement with the Atlanta Braves for a reported five-year, $75 million deal.

There were some things to like about Upton.  His defense is above average, he’s fast, and he’s still pretty young at 28, however he’s also been known for his lack of hustle, large number of strikeouts (169 in 2012), and a low OBP (.298 in 2012).

At least we’ll get to see Hamels strike him out a lot.

During the afternoon is was reported by Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, that the Phillies were in serious talks to aquire Astros reliever  Wilton Lopez, but since then things have gone quiet.  Lopez was in Philadelphia for a physical, and since then… Nothing. Lopez has some injury history with his elbow, so there is obviously some concern.

Lopez is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, and projects to earn $1.4MM in 2013. The 29-year-old posted phenomenal 2.17 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 1.1 BB/9 and a 55% ground ball rate in 66 1/3 innings with the Astros in 2012. In three-plus MLB seasons, he has a 3.14 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 55.9% ground ball rate. He would be under team control through 2015.

Antonio Bastardo could vanish from the earth for all I care if we can get production like that in the 8th.

We’ll see how this plays out.  Rumor is that the Astros were looking at Sebastian Valle, but if that’s what it takes then it wouldn’t be so bad.  Look at the deals that similar relievers like Brandon League and Jonathan Broxton received.  A Free Agent like Lopez carries about a $30MM/3 Years price tag.

So what lies in the weeds for the Phillies?   They are desperate for some added pop in their lineup, and for some defensive assurances at third base, and centerfield. Let’s be honest here folks.  Power is great, but if you think back on last season, how many losing games can we put on the bullpen?  A lot.  And how many can we put on lousy defense?  A lot.

Michael Bourn has peaked in my eyes, and is set to rapidly decline.  He’s gonna cost a fortune as well, so in my book… No thanks.

Shane Victorino is slightly intriguing.  I think the Phillies were OK parting with him, but as a outfielder on a shorter team friendly contract I might say OK.

Angel Pagan (I’ve always referred to him as Oxymoron) is basically the same player as Victorino, he just had a better 2012.

I know everyone would love to see Josh Hamilton, but I’m not in love with another left-handed power hitter with injury history (don’t we already have two of those?) and he’s gonna be looking for at least $23MM a season.   However, I’d let him play out the last two seasons of a 5 year deal in a wheelchair if he could help nab us another championship or two.

I love Justin Upton, but word is the Diamondbacks asking price is extremely high, however they are motivated sellers.  Think two of our top ten prospects at least.

I still admire Mike Adams as a reliever, but his price tag would be steep, and I think the Phillies need to fill other holes before committing that kind of coin to another reliever.

Where should we go from here?

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Here is a list of the 2013 MLB Free Agent class.

Catchers
Rod Barajas (37) – $3.5MM club option, no buyout
Henry Blanco (41) – $1.24MM mutual option
Gerald Laird (33)
Russell Martin (30)
Brian McCann (29) – $12MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jose Molina (37) – $1.5MM club option with a $300K buyout
Mike Napoli (31)
Wil Nieves (35)
Miguel Olivo (34) – $3MM club option with a $750K buyout
Ronny Paulino (32)
A.J. Pierzynski (36)
Humberto Quintero (33)
David Ross (36)
Carlos Ruiz (34) – $5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Brian Schneider (36)
Kelly Shoppach (33)
Chris Snyder (32) – $4MM mutual option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
Yorvit Torrealba (34)
Matt Treanor (37)

First basemen
Lance Berkman (36)
Jason Giambi (42)
Eric Hinske (35)
Aubrey Huff (36) – $10MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Casey Kotchman (30)
Adam LaRoche (33) – $10MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
Carlos Lee (37)
James Loney (29)
Xavier Nady (34)
Mike Napoli (31)
Lyle Overbay (36)
Carlos Pena (35)
Ty Wigginton (35) – $4MM club option with a $500K buyout

Second basemen
Jeff Baker (32)
Robinson Cano (30) – $15MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Mike Fontenot (33)
Orlando Hudson (35) – $8MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Maicer Izturis (32)
Kelly Johnson (31)
Adam Kennedy (37)
Jeff Keppinger (33)
Jose Lopez (29)
Ryan Theriot (33)

Shortstops
Jason Bartlett (33)
Yuniesky Betancourt (31)
Ronny Cedeno (30)
Stephen Drew (30) – $10MM mutual option with a $1.35MM buyout
Alex Gonzalez (35) – $4MM vesting option. Details here.
Cesar Izturis (33)
Jhonny Peralta (31) – $6MM club option with a $500K buyout
Marco Scutaro (37)

Third basemen
Miguel Cairo (39)
Eric Chavez (35)
Mark DeRosa (38)
Brandon Inge (36)
Maicer Izturis (32)
Jose Lopez (29)
Placido Polanco (37) – $5.5MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
Scott Rolen (38)
Ty Wigginton (35) – $4MM club option with a $500K buyout
David Wright (30) – $16MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Kevin Youkilis (34) – $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout

Left fielders
Melky Cabrera (28)
Jonny Gomes (32)
Scott Hairston (33)
Josh Hamilton (32)
Eric Hinske (35)
Reed Johnson (36)
Andruw Jones (36)
Austin Kearns (33)
Carlos Lee (37)
Ryan Ludwick (34) - $5MM mutual option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
Juan Pierre (35)
Juan Rivera (34) – $4MM club option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
Delmon Young (27)

Center fielders
Alfredo Amezaga (35)
Rick Ankiel (33)
Michael Bourn (30)
Curtis Granderson (32) – $15MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Scott Hairston (33)
Angel Pagan (31)
Cody Ross (32)
Grady Sizemore (30)
B.J. Upton (28)
Shane Victorino (32)

Right fielders
Matt Diaz (35)
Kosuke Fukudome (36)
Torii Hunter (37)
Andruw Jones (36)
Ryan Ludwick (34) – $5MM mutual option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
Xavier Nady (34)
Juan Rivera (34) – $4MM club option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
Cody Ross (32)
Ichiro Suzuki (39)
Nick Swisher (32)

Designated hitters
Bobby Abreu (39)
Johnny Damon (39)
Travis Hafner (36) – $13MM club option with a $2.75MM buyout
Raul Ibanez (41)
Hideki Matsui (39)
David Ortiz (38)
Luke Scott (35) – $6MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Jim Thome (42)
Delmon Young (27)

Starting pitchers
Scott Baker (31) – $9.25MM club option
Erik Bedard (34)
Joe Blanton (32)
Bartolo Colon (40)
Aaron Cook (34)
Kevin Correia (32)
Jorge De La Rosa (32) – $11MM player option with a $1MM buyout
Ryan Dempster (36)
R.A. Dickey (38) – $5MM club option with a $300K buyout
Scott Feldman (29) – $9.25MM club option with a $600K buyout
Jeff Francis (32)
Gavin Floyd (30) – $9.5MM club option
Freddy Garcia (37)
Zack Greinke (28)
Jeremy Guthrie (34)
Rich Harden (31)
Dan Haren (32) – $15.5MM club option with a $3.5MM buyout
Roberto Hernandez (32) – $9MM club option
Tim Hudson (37) – $9MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Edwin Jackson (29)
Hiroki Kuroda (38)
Francisco Liriano (29)
Kyle Lohse (34)
Derek Lowe (40)
Paul Maholm (31) – $6.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Shaun Marcum (31)
Jason Marquis (34)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (32)
Brandon McCarthy (29)
Kevin Millwood (38)
Jamie Moyer (50)
Roy Oswalt (35)
Carl Pavano (37)
Jake Peavy (31) – $22MM club option with a $4MM buyout
Anibal Sanchez (29)
Jonathan Sanchez (30)
Ervin Santana (30) – $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Joe Saunders (32)
James Shields (31) – $9MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout
Carlos Villanueva (29)
Chien-Ming Wang (33)
Kip Wells (36)
Randy Wolf (36)
Chris Young (34)
Carlos Zambrano (32)

Closers
Grant Balfour (35) – $4.5MM club option with a $350K buyout
Jonathan Broxton (29)
Matt Capps (29) – $6MM club option with a $250K buyout
Brandon League (30)
Ryan Madson (32) - $11MM mutual option with a $2.5MM buyout
Brett Myers (32) – $10MM vesting option with a $3MM buyout
J.J. Putz (36) – $6.5MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout
Mariano Rivera (43)
Fernando Rodney (36) - $2.5MM club option with a $250K buyout
Joakim Soria (29) – $8MM club option with a $750K buyout
Jose Valverde (35)

Right-handed relievers
Jeremy Accardo (31)
Mike Adams (34)
Luis Ayala (35)
Miguel Batista (42)
Shawn Camp (37)
Todd Coffey (32) – $2.5M club option for 2013 with a $300K buyout
Francisco Cordero (38)
Juan Cruz (34)
Octavio Dotel (39) – $3.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Chad Durbin (35)
Kyle Farnsworth (37)
Jason Frasor (35)
Kevin Gregg (35)
Jason Grilli (36)
LaTroy Hawkins (38)
Clay Hensley (33)
Livan Hernandez (38)
Bobby Jenks (32)
Brad Lidge (36)
Matt Lindstrom (33) – $4MM club option with a $200K buyout
Derek Lowe (40)
Mark Lowe (30)
Brandon Lyon (33)
Guillermo Mota (39)
Juan Carlos Oviedo (29)
Vicente Padilla (35)
Brad Penny (35)
Joel Peralta (37)
Chad Qualls (34)
Ramon Ramirez (31)
Jon Rauch (34)
Francisco Rodriguez (31)
Takashi Saito (43)
Rafael Soriano (33) – $14MM player option or a $1.5MM buyout
Carlos Villanueva (29)
Jamey Wright (38)

Left-handed relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (34)
Sean Burnett (30) – $3.5MM mutual option with a $250K buyout
Tim Byrdak (39)
Randy Choate (37)
Pedro Feliciano (35) – $4.5MM club option
Brian Fuentes (37) – $6.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Mike Gonzalez (35)
J.P. Howell (28)
Will Ohman (35)
Darren Oliver (42) – $3MM club option with a $500K buyout
J.C. Romero (37)
Hisanori Takahashi (38)

Source: MLBTR

Reblogged from The Zo Zone:

It is a fitting end to a forgettable season.

Ryan Howard, who missed much of 2012 following left Achilles surgery, broke his right big toe Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, where he dropped the lead pipe his swings in the on-deck circle squarely on his toe. Howard said an x-ray Thursday revealed a small fracture in the toe, which will require nothing more than rest to heal.

Read more… 505 more words

Cabrera was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, as he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. Cabrera had denied reports of the test for a number of weeks after rumors swirled of the test around the time of the All-Star game.

Cabrera was the All-Star Game MVP, and was leading the league in runs, and hits.

The Phillies toyed with the idea of trying to trade for Melky last season before making their move for Hunter Pence, and given their need for a center fielder next season, would likely have considered trying to sign him as a free agent this fall.

They still could.

For Cabrera it was a mistake that will cost him millions, as he was likely in line to entertain offers above $75MM for his services going forward.  He was going to be one of the three most sought after outfielders this fall with Michael Bourn, and Shane Victorino. All along I was kinda hoping that Bourn would be our number one target, but with this suspension to Cabrera it may actually increase Bourn’s price.

With Bourn’s price already looking to be sky high, and Melky’s suspension makes the market for a premiere outfielder a little bit thinner.  At the same time it’s possible that a team might get a huge discount if a team decides to grab Cabrera in free agency, but of course there is plenty of risk there, since you really don’t know what you’re going to get.

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For those of you who thought Roy Halladay was cooked, you were wrong.

Roy’s performance on Friday night was utterly brilliant, and it all came down to one thing.