The Phillies must be reading this blog because a couple of weeks ago I encouraged them to re-sign Carlos Ruiz. Although I must say I was a little surprised to see that Ruiz signed a 3 year deal with a club option for a 4th year worth $26 million. I'm thinking that Ruiz is unlikely to be in Phillies pinstripes in that 4th year because it is a club option and he would be 38 years old and the buyout is only $500,000. I know $500,000 what's that right? Not much to the Phillies.
The good news for the Phillies is that Ruiz is a productive player. If Ruiz can stay healthy and play the majority of the season then this deal will work out for the Phillies and Ruiz but if injuries sideline Ruiz then this will be a bad signing. One positive from this signing that some people may overlook at this time is that Ruiz knows the Phillies pitching staff extremely well right now and all of the pitchers feel comfortable with him, and since the Phillies will eventually get a pitching coach, Ruiz will already be on page with the pitchers and hopefully it can help the new pitching coach learn the Phillies pitching staff.
I wouldn't be too surprised if the Phillies signed another catcher to back up Ruiz. Obviously another catcher would not be a big name or anything special but someone better than Erik Kratz and someone who could fill in for Ruiz on rest days or DL stints.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Phillies Sign Marlon Byrd
Earlier today, the Phillies christened the off-season by signing former Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year deal worth $16 million. Byrd, age 36 is coming off a "career year" where he hit 24 home runs and had 88 RBI. That's pretty good production for a 36 year old guy like Byrd but considering that 2013 was his best season and he hasn't had too many seasons similar to that and questions have been raised as to whether this signing was worth it. For a team that might be a small piece away from being contenders I would say yes this is a good signing but since the Phillies have so many holes in their roster, I do not see his being that good of a signing. Is Marlon Byrd an upgrade over what they have in right field right now? Yes he is, but it isn't a huge upgrade. I think Phillies fans were hoping for the Phillies front office to sign a big name right fielder such as Nelson Cruz, but who's to say they are done in the outfield? There is still a possibility that the Phillies could look to sign a player like Nelson Cruz because they know that Marlon Byrd is not the long term solution in right field but I highly doubt that Marlon Byrd would sign a deal like that to be the fourth outfielder especially after coming off of a 24 home run, 88 RBI season.
I cannot say I like this move cause there is nothing to like. Byrd had a good 2013 season there is no doubting that but if you look at his track record from seasons prior to 2013 he is extremely inconsistent. 2013 he had a 4.1 WAR, 2012 he was -1.0, 2011 was 1.8. Chances are Byrd will have one decent season with the Phillies and have one horrendous season. The signing of Byrd isn't necessarily a high risk or low risk signing. Considering that the Phillies are coming off of two seasons where they missed the playoffs, there is probably more pressure on Ruben Amaro Jr. to have a good off-season and make good signings and from the naked eye Marlon Byrd does not seem like a good season and if signings like this do not work out this year Amaro could be looking down the barrel of a gun. Hopefully not. Best case scenario is that Byrd plays between a 2.5-3.5 WAR player for the next two years. Worst case scenario is that he becomes another Delmon Young. We'll have to wait and see.
I cannot say I like this move cause there is nothing to like. Byrd had a good 2013 season there is no doubting that but if you look at his track record from seasons prior to 2013 he is extremely inconsistent. 2013 he had a 4.1 WAR, 2012 he was -1.0, 2011 was 1.8. Chances are Byrd will have one decent season with the Phillies and have one horrendous season. The signing of Byrd isn't necessarily a high risk or low risk signing. Considering that the Phillies are coming off of two seasons where they missed the playoffs, there is probably more pressure on Ruben Amaro Jr. to have a good off-season and make good signings and from the naked eye Marlon Byrd does not seem like a good season and if signings like this do not work out this year Amaro could be looking down the barrel of a gun. Hopefully not. Best case scenario is that Byrd plays between a 2.5-3.5 WAR player for the next two years. Worst case scenario is that he becomes another Delmon Young. We'll have to wait and see.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Phillies 2013 Review: First Base
First base used to be a position of strength for the Phillies but ever since Ryan Howard tore his achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS, first base has been a weakness for the Phillies. Since Howard tore his achilles tendon in the last game of the 2011 season he missed about half of 2012 while he was recovering from his injury and people were not expecting big things when he returned in 2012 because it was going to take a little while to get used to playing again. And in 2012 Howard was not extremely productive. His best stat was that he had 56 RBI in 74 games but he had a -1.1 WAR, a .295 OBP, and only 14 home runs.
With having an entire off season to prepare for 2013, fans and colleagues around Major League Baseball were expecting Howard to have a good season with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI. This did not happen. In 80 games in 2013, Howard hit 11 home runs and 43 RBI with a .319 OBP. Howard injured his knee in the beginning of July and did not return for the remainder of the season.
So now moving forward there are a lot of questions surrounding Ryan Howard. Can he stay healthy for a full season? If he does stay healthy can he produce like the way we are accustomed to seeing? Nobody knows. In 2013, Howard was only on pace for 22 home runs which is extremely rare for someone as big and strong for Howard. From 2006-2011 he had at least 30+ home runs in each season. Although his home run total has gone down from being in the 40's from 2007-2009 to 30's in the 2010 and 2011 season. I am not as concerned with home runs from Howard as I am with him driving in runs. His RBI total was 56 in 2012 in only 74 games so over the course of a full season his RBI total would have most likely been over 100, which is the magic number here. We need Howard to drive in 100 runs or more. And as stated earlier, in 2013 he only drove in 43 runs in 80, which is worrisome.
Right now it seems like the Phillies are stuck with Howard. Over the next three seasons he is owed $25 million in each season, which makes Howard unmovable. To me, I think if Howard produces like the way he did in 2013 then the Phillies have a clog in the middle of their line up. You have to play him because there are no other options. Yes, they could play Darin Ruf against left handers from time to time but Ruf has not shown much that shows that he can play consistently.
If I am the Phillies front office I am trying to trade Howard and offer to eat between $8-10 million of his salary for the next three years which would be about a third of his salary and if Howard was able to produce at all then the $15 million or so the new team would pay him would be about what he should make. Getting rid of Howard would open up a lot for the Phillies. Right now, the Phillies can't sign any left handed hitters because of the surplus they have. With Utley, Howard, and Brown in the middle of their line up, they cannot afford to sign another one because they can't have a line up with four left handed hitters in the middle of it.
If Ryan Howard comes back to the Phillies in 2014, which will most likely happen and he can produce like we have seen in the past then the Phillies will be in business but if he does not produce and continues down the path of injuries then the Phillies are stuck in a big hole.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Phillies 2013 Review: Second Base
Ah finally, second basemen, Chase Utley *in Dan Baker voice*. 2013 was a pretty successful year for Chase. He played in 131 which is the most since 2009. He did spend about 4 weeks on the disabled list from the end of May to the end of June but for someone as injury prone that Chase is playing in 131 games is pretty good.
I think we can all agree that Chase Utley is still a very good player but he is not as good as he was a few years ago. This is expected due to the amount of injuries that he has had and the natural decline players have when reaching a certain age. Utley turns 35 in December and last season he signed a deal with the Phillies that will keep him in Phillies pinstripes for at least two more seasons. He has options for years 2016, 2017, and 2018. The options become guaranteed with at least 500 at bats in the previous seasons. That would mean Chase would have to play in about 120-125 games to reach 500 plate appearances.
In 2013, Chase Utley had a 3.9 WAR and .348 OBP. Both of those stats are respectable and above league average. Phillies fans are used to Chase having higher stats in both of those categories but like I said Chase is a step below the player he used to be, but still very good.
In the Phillies line up, Chase bats third. I do think in a "good" line up he would be the number two hitter, but with the players that the Phillies have he is their best hitter and fits the third hole well, but I believe he would be suited better in the second spot in the line up in this point in his career.
Like a lot of Phillies players the big question with Chase is always IF he can stay healthy. And going into 2014 and beyond, IF Chase can stay healthy he will continue to be one of the best second basemen in baseball and will be a fan favorite throughout Philadelphia through he "dirt ball" style of play with his relentless hustle, dropping infield fly balls on purpose in hopes of getting a double play, crashing into catchers, and playing the game the right way.
I think we can all agree that Chase Utley is still a very good player but he is not as good as he was a few years ago. This is expected due to the amount of injuries that he has had and the natural decline players have when reaching a certain age. Utley turns 35 in December and last season he signed a deal with the Phillies that will keep him in Phillies pinstripes for at least two more seasons. He has options for years 2016, 2017, and 2018. The options become guaranteed with at least 500 at bats in the previous seasons. That would mean Chase would have to play in about 120-125 games to reach 500 plate appearances.
In 2013, Chase Utley had a 3.9 WAR and .348 OBP. Both of those stats are respectable and above league average. Phillies fans are used to Chase having higher stats in both of those categories but like I said Chase is a step below the player he used to be, but still very good.
In the Phillies line up, Chase bats third. I do think in a "good" line up he would be the number two hitter, but with the players that the Phillies have he is their best hitter and fits the third hole well, but I believe he would be suited better in the second spot in the line up in this point in his career.
Like a lot of Phillies players the big question with Chase is always IF he can stay healthy. And going into 2014 and beyond, IF Chase can stay healthy he will continue to be one of the best second basemen in baseball and will be a fan favorite throughout Philadelphia through he "dirt ball" style of play with his relentless hustle, dropping infield fly balls on purpose in hopes of getting a double play, crashing into catchers, and playing the game the right way.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Phillies 2013 Review: Catcher
In 2012, catcher Carlos Ruiz had a breakout year. Ruiz made his first All-Star team and had a WAR of 5.2. Ruiz had a career high with 16 home runs, 68 RBI, and a batting average of .325. During the off-season Ruiz was charged with a 25 game suspension for taking an illegal substance. This gave Erik Kratz the chance to be the starting catcher for the first 25 games.
2012 was the first time Erik Kratz was giving a chance to play at all in the major leagues. In 50 games, Kratz hit 9 home runs in 50 games and played well enough to earn his first full season in the MLB. Kratz did not follow up his solid 2012 performance with a good season. In 68 games he posted a WAR of 0.7 with 9 home runs in 68 games. Kratz did go on the disabled list for about 6 weeks but in all reality there was not much hope for Kratz other than him being a solid back up catcher and that's all he is. Kratz is 33 years old with minimal major league experience and in 2014 he will either be the Phillies back up catcher or on another team.
Carlos Ruiz came back from his suspension on April 28 and when he returned he struggled hitting. After being back for three weeks Ruiz went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and missed the next month. When Ruiz came back he hit pretty well. In the last ten days of June he had a .357 OBP but when the calendar turned Ruiz went into a hitting slump. In July, Ruiz hit .232 with a .274 OBP. Ruiz got out of his slumped and really proved why he should be the starting catcher in the future. In August Ruiz got hot. He had an OBP of .370 and a batting average of .333. For the most part, fans were not expecting to return in 2014 prior to August but as of right now the fans are expecting the Phillies to resign Ruiz.
Although Ruiz did not have a spectacular 2013, it would be wise for the Phillies to resign him. Out of all of the free agent Catchers, Ruiz has the second highest WAR for catchers over the past three years at 9.5. There has been mumblings about possibly inquiring about recent world champion Jarrod Saltalamacchia but I think the if the Phillies are going with the choice between Ruiz and Salty I would go with Ruiz. Chooch is a better defensive player and Salty has only had one decent offensive season, that being this past season.
Mike Napoli is also a free agent but he plays first base more than catcher and I do not see him wanting to play catcher every day when he can play first base. The Phillies need to resign Ruiz soon because it would be unfortunate for him to get to free agency and sign with someone else and leave the Phillies in a bind.
2012 was the first time Erik Kratz was giving a chance to play at all in the major leagues. In 50 games, Kratz hit 9 home runs in 50 games and played well enough to earn his first full season in the MLB. Kratz did not follow up his solid 2012 performance with a good season. In 68 games he posted a WAR of 0.7 with 9 home runs in 68 games. Kratz did go on the disabled list for about 6 weeks but in all reality there was not much hope for Kratz other than him being a solid back up catcher and that's all he is. Kratz is 33 years old with minimal major league experience and in 2014 he will either be the Phillies back up catcher or on another team.
Carlos Ruiz came back from his suspension on April 28 and when he returned he struggled hitting. After being back for three weeks Ruiz went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and missed the next month. When Ruiz came back he hit pretty well. In the last ten days of June he had a .357 OBP but when the calendar turned Ruiz went into a hitting slump. In July, Ruiz hit .232 with a .274 OBP. Ruiz got out of his slumped and really proved why he should be the starting catcher in the future. In August Ruiz got hot. He had an OBP of .370 and a batting average of .333. For the most part, fans were not expecting to return in 2014 prior to August but as of right now the fans are expecting the Phillies to resign Ruiz.
Although Ruiz did not have a spectacular 2013, it would be wise for the Phillies to resign him. Out of all of the free agent Catchers, Ruiz has the second highest WAR for catchers over the past three years at 9.5. There has been mumblings about possibly inquiring about recent world champion Jarrod Saltalamacchia but I think the if the Phillies are going with the choice between Ruiz and Salty I would go with Ruiz. Chooch is a better defensive player and Salty has only had one decent offensive season, that being this past season.
Mike Napoli is also a free agent but he plays first base more than catcher and I do not see him wanting to play catcher every day when he can play first base. The Phillies need to resign Ruiz soon because it would be unfortunate for him to get to free agency and sign with someone else and leave the Phillies in a bind.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Phillies 2013 Review: Shortstop
The Phillies shortstop remained quite healthy in 2013. Jimmy Rollins played in 160 games and had arguably the worst season of his career statistical wise. Without a doubt, 2013 showed the decline of Jimmy Rollins offensively. Rollins had a batting average of .252, an OBP of .318, hit 6 home runs and drove in 39 runs. The biggest stat that went in decline was his runs scored. Rollins only scored 65 runs and in the previous 12 seasons Rollins has scored 80 or more runs in 10 of them and 100 or more runs in six of them. Players in previous seasons have praised Rollins for being the teams spark plug, and the Phillies chances of winning games when Rollins scored a run was exponentially higher than the games when he doesn't.
There is another side to the runs scored stat. Unless you are a home run hitter, a player cannot score a run without his teammates. With the lack of offensive production behind Rollins he was unable to score more runs but nonetheless Rollins struggled to score runs in 2013.
In seasons past Rollins has always had a home run stroke which was a good and bad thing. Rollins has always frustrated fans by popping out to infielders or shallow outfield. Typically, when Rollins pops out to the infield this means that he was trying to hit a home run and through the course of a season when he tries to hit for a home run as many times as he has in past seasons he connects on 15 to 20 of them. But with only 6 home runs last season, Rollins "pop" in his bat has completely disappeared. Whether it's due to old age or declining abilities Rollins is not the same player is was two years ago or even one year ago. Fortunately for the Phillies, the 2014 season could be Rollins' last with them. He has an option for 2015 which becomes guaranteed with 534 plate appearances in 2014 and is not on the disabled list at the end of the season. If he is on the disabled list at the end of 2014 a mutual doctor will have to agree that he will be healthy by the 2015 season.
Rollins' defensive skills have not diminished much. His overall range may not be as good as it once was but Rollins can still pick it with the best of them. I feel like Rollins can still play and contribute to the Phillies. How much can he contribute? That is up to him. Rollins said he is playing for records last season and if he wants to break those records he is going to have to play better than he did in 2013.
There is another side to the runs scored stat. Unless you are a home run hitter, a player cannot score a run without his teammates. With the lack of offensive production behind Rollins he was unable to score more runs but nonetheless Rollins struggled to score runs in 2013.
In seasons past Rollins has always had a home run stroke which was a good and bad thing. Rollins has always frustrated fans by popping out to infielders or shallow outfield. Typically, when Rollins pops out to the infield this means that he was trying to hit a home run and through the course of a season when he tries to hit for a home run as many times as he has in past seasons he connects on 15 to 20 of them. But with only 6 home runs last season, Rollins "pop" in his bat has completely disappeared. Whether it's due to old age or declining abilities Rollins is not the same player is was two years ago or even one year ago. Fortunately for the Phillies, the 2014 season could be Rollins' last with them. He has an option for 2015 which becomes guaranteed with 534 plate appearances in 2014 and is not on the disabled list at the end of the season. If he is on the disabled list at the end of 2014 a mutual doctor will have to agree that he will be healthy by the 2015 season.
Rollins' defensive skills have not diminished much. His overall range may not be as good as it once was but Rollins can still pick it with the best of them. I feel like Rollins can still play and contribute to the Phillies. How much can he contribute? That is up to him. Rollins said he is playing for records last season and if he wants to break those records he is going to have to play better than he did in 2013.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Phillies 2013 Review: Third Base
Ever since the Scott Rolen trade back in the day the third base position has not been a position of strength for the Phillies. 2013 was no different. I am getting tired of writing up these blogs and talking about all of these negatives about this Phillies team but there are not many positives this team has right now.
During the off-season the Phillies made a trade to acquire 7 time All-Star Michael Young. Young has been known for his consistency throughout his major league career decided to waive his no trade clause to join the Phillies for the 2013 season. One of Young's strengths has been his ability to play multiple positions. He had experience at first base, second base, shortstop, and third base.
Overall, Michael Young's season with the Phillies in 2013 was mediocre at best. Young showed that he could put good at bats together at times and had a decent OBP of .336. But his defense was a tick below average. Young made most of the plays a third basemen should make but he never made an outstanding play and would occasionally miss a ball that should have been snagged.
After a few months of mediocrity from Young, the Phillies called up prospect Cody Asche to play third base everyday. Young, moved over to first base because Ryan Howard was out with an injury. On August 31, the last day where teams can make trades to teams Michael Young was traded to the Dodgers.
As stated, prospect Cody Asche was given a chance to play third base everyday for the Phillies in the final two months of the 2013 season. Asche took the opportunity to show the kind of player he is and showed flashes that he has potential to be a solid major league player but he did struggle at the plate. With only hitting .235 and posting an OBP of .307 Asche has a lot of room to grow offensively. Defensively, Asche showed a lot of promise. He made several great plays and in his small sample size of 50 games Asche will be a competent defensive player.
As of right now, Asche is the lead candidate for the starting third base spot for the Phillies next season. If Asche takes the chance and runs with it the Phillies can have a third basemen for several years, but if he flops, they will be back to square one.
During the off-season the Phillies made a trade to acquire 7 time All-Star Michael Young. Young has been known for his consistency throughout his major league career decided to waive his no trade clause to join the Phillies for the 2013 season. One of Young's strengths has been his ability to play multiple positions. He had experience at first base, second base, shortstop, and third base.
Overall, Michael Young's season with the Phillies in 2013 was mediocre at best. Young showed that he could put good at bats together at times and had a decent OBP of .336. But his defense was a tick below average. Young made most of the plays a third basemen should make but he never made an outstanding play and would occasionally miss a ball that should have been snagged.
After a few months of mediocrity from Young, the Phillies called up prospect Cody Asche to play third base everyday. Young, moved over to first base because Ryan Howard was out with an injury. On August 31, the last day where teams can make trades to teams Michael Young was traded to the Dodgers.
As stated, prospect Cody Asche was given a chance to play third base everyday for the Phillies in the final two months of the 2013 season. Asche took the opportunity to show the kind of player he is and showed flashes that he has potential to be a solid major league player but he did struggle at the plate. With only hitting .235 and posting an OBP of .307 Asche has a lot of room to grow offensively. Defensively, Asche showed a lot of promise. He made several great plays and in his small sample size of 50 games Asche will be a competent defensive player.
As of right now, Asche is the lead candidate for the starting third base spot for the Phillies next season. If Asche takes the chance and runs with it the Phillies can have a third basemen for several years, but if he flops, they will be back to square one.
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