Philadelphia Phillies: Why It’s Time for Ben Francisco to Leave

At the beginning of the 2011 season, the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans had high hopes that RF Ben Francisco could fill the void after Jayson Werth signed a mega-contract with the division rival Washington Nationals.

Unfortunately, Francisco has done everything but impress so far this season. He currently is batting .218 with six home runs and 25 RBI. He has only 12 extra-base-hits in 170 AB and has 30 strikeouts. The only good part about his game is that he sees a lot of pitches and has a decent OBP at .343.

I almost can’t say enough bad things about Francisco. He plays terrible defense, has a poor arm, and has been caught stealing more times that he has been safe. Sometimes he just looks lost out there—he is like the Forrest Gump of baseball, just without all that natural talent.

So why is even on the Phillies roster?

Honestly I have no idea, especially when John Mayberry Jr. does everything better than Francisco—Mayberry hits better, plays better defense, has an arm that’s 10-times better, and has more speed.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Since he has lost his starting job to rookie Domonic Brown, what use do the Phillies even have for Francisco?

Let’s see… We could use him as a pinch hitter, but he can’t hit… We could use him as a pinch runner, but he can’t run… Maybe we can have him come in to play defense…

Wait—he stinks at that too.

The answer is: release him.

He is making only $1.175 million, so he is not a huge financial obligation. Besides, there has to be someone out there who can fill his void. If not John Mayberry Jr., then the Phillies could bring up another Triple-A outfielder, like Delwynn Young. 

At this point, almost anyone could produce more than Francisco. He is a waste of a roster spot and simply isn’t playing at a major league level. 

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Chase Utley, Offense Heating Up: Philadelphia Phillies Turn in 7-Game Win Streak

The Phillies have been fun to watch during this seven-game winning streak. The have scored a total of 43 runs, about six per game.

How can this team be stopped when the offense is hitting to their potential? The answer is simple: They can’t. 

Phillies fans have been waiting for the offense to break out, and they finally have.

Not only has the offense found its stroke, but its most important piece, Chase Utley, has too. 

Over this seven-game winning streak, Utley has turned in a .391 AVG (9-for-25) with two home runs and eight RBI. Finally, he looks like the old Chase Utley.

The big man at first base, Ryan Howard, has also started to produce like his old self. Over this seven-game winning streak, he has hit .363 (8-for-22) has two home runs, nine RBI and seven BB. 

When Howard walks seven times in seven games, it is a sign he is heating up. Teams become afraid of him and start to walk him. 

Another great sign for Howard is both of his home runs during this winning streak have been to left field. When he is hitting the ball the other way, the shift will start to decrease, and he can hit more singles to right field.

Also, we can’t forget about prospect Domonic Brown. In an increased role, he has contributed three home runs and four RBI during the winning steak.

All in all, with the offense producing and the dominant pitching, this team is unstoppable.

Oh, and on a side note, pitcher Cliff Lee is eight for his last 20 at the plate and has four RBI on the season. The guy is just a pure athlete.

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MLB Trades: Michael Cuddyer on the Trading Block, but Should Phillies Jump In?

Earlier today, Minnesota Twins utilityman and long-time member Michael Cuddyer stated in an interview that he would be willing to waive his limited no-trade clause to go to another team, so as long as it “helps the organization (referring to the Twins).”

Cuddyer has been on the Twins his whole career, having been drafted by them with the ninth overall pick in the 1997 MLB draft. His professional career has spanned 10 seasons (seven in which he played over 100 games, including this one if all goes well). In that time, Cuddyer has posted a .271 average, hit 131 home runs and hit 537 RBI. His OPS is a decent .793.

While Mauer is now the face of the Twins, one cannot deny that Cuddyer comes in at a close second. He’s been with the team for 10 years, and he’s been very faithful and has loved his time there.

What shows this more is that he’s willing to take one for the team. He said in the interview (and I quote): “I care so much about this organization…I do…I care so deeply about this team, that if it helps the organization…” meaning that he’ll take a trade if it benefits the Twins. That says a lot about the guy, and I highly respect him for his loyalty to the Twins, especially in a time where they’re struggling within the division (although they’re climbing back now).

According to the MLBTradeRumors.com link (the first one), the Twins would understandably have to eat a significant portion of his $10.5 million salary this season in order to appeal him to other clubs. Cuddyer, thanks to his current contract, has a limited no-trade clause, and when I say limited, I mean limited. His clause counts for three teams that, if a deal arises with them, he must approve. Cuddyer said he can’t even remember all three of them, although he believes that the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays are two of those three teams.

This means that Cuddyer can be traded to all other 26 teams in the majors.

Well, as I always say, why don’t the Phillies jump into the mix?

Cuddyer is 32 years old and is in the final year of his contract. While he would love to remain a member of the Twins, he’s willing to go to another team.

As I’ve also previously stated, the Twins would have to eat a significant portion of Cuddyer’s contract in order for most teams to take him.

If the Phillies traded someone…oh, I don’t know, Joe Blanton…to Minnesota, such monetary issues would not apply.

Here’s how it goes down: Blanton is due $17 million through 2012. However, this season, the Twins have the fifth-worst team ERA at 4.22. They’re also dead last in strikeouts with 383 and in innings pitched with 592.1 and are tied for fourth-worst batting average allowed, that standing at .263. Lastly, their K/9 and K/BB ratios are both second-to-last in the majors, those standing at 5.82 and 1.82, respectively.

In short, the Twins’ pitching staff is terrible.

And with constant trade rumors of Francisco Liriano being dealt at the deadline this year, the Twins might need another starting pitcher or two.

In this case, Joe Blanton might be their guy.

A Blanton-for-Cuddyer deal would ease up the Phillies’ salary issues and not only allow for a free-agent signing, but also for more room to extend lefty ace Cole Hamels.

But that’s not even the best part: the Phillies, who have been hunting for a right-handed bat this year, would get a great return. Cuddyer’s batting .282 this year with 10 home runs and 27 RBI. Even better is that he’s versatile: he’s played all infield positions except shortstop and both corner outfield positions this season alone. Imagine how he could impact the Phillies.

Another great stat is that Cuddyer has batted .291 against lefties this year. That could appeal to the Phillies as well, who, as a whole, have struggled to hit against southpaws.

The only problem with Blanton in such a scenario is that he’s currently on the DL and most likely won’t be back until July, which might be too long a wait for the Twins. But hey, who knows, Ruben is always able to at least bring such a deal into discussion.

While this is just trade speculation, I think a Blanton and prospect for Cuddyer deal could be one that neither side would regret in the long run.

What do you think?

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Philadelphia Phillies: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and the Schmitter?

I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to my baseball food.  I’m a hot dog and light beer kind of girl.  For me, adventurous is going for the chicken tenders and fries.  But that’s all about to change.

Today I’m at the Business Persons Special at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to watch the Philadelphia Phillies play the Florida Marlins but there is something else on my mind, something I must do.

Today is the day I throw caution (and my digestion) to the wind.  Today I vow to leave my ballpark franks behind.

Today I’ve arrived at “the Bank” early, TUMS in hand, to boldly go where no timid eater has gone before. 

I’ve read about it.  I’ve heard about it.

Today I try it.

That’s right.  

Today, I try….

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Philadelphia Phillies: Is There Any Point in Keeping Their Minor League “Aces”?

As we all know, the Philadelphia Phillies have one of, if not the best, pitching rotations in MLB history on paper. With the exception of Roy Oswalt due to his leave of absence and eventual DL stint, the Phillies’ staff of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and their fifth starter (who this year has been either Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick, or Vance Worley) has, for the most part, been fantastic.

According to ESPN, this season, the Phils have the second-lowest ERA in the majors at 3.09, just four points behind the Atlanta Braves, whose team ERA stands at 3.05. They lead the majors in fewest walks allowed, with 179, and in strikeouts, with 555. They also lead in quality starts, with 46, and complete games, with six. Lastly, they are in the top five in innings pitched (634.0) and the top six in opponents’ batting average (.245).

In brief, the Phillies’ pitching staff has been absolutely dominant this year.

Some of the Phillies’ pitchers are also locked up for the long-term. According to Cot’s, Halladay is owed $60 million through the 2013 season ($20 million a year).

Halladay also has a vesting option for an additional $20 million in 2014. His option vests if he pitches for either 225 innings in 2013 or for 415 innings from 2012-2013, and Halladay cannot be on the disabled list at the end of the 2013 season. If he is able to meet all said requirements, Halladay will pocket an extra $20 million.

In addition, recently re-signed free-agent Cliff Lee is due more money than Halladay. Although Lee is only making $11 million this season, his salary jumps to $21.5 million in 2012, then to $25 million from 2013 to 2015.

Lee also has a vesting option in 2016, worth a staggering $27.5 million. It vests if Lee pitches 200 innings in 2015 or 400 innings from 2014 to 2015. Additionally, Lee must not be on the disabled list at the end of the 2015 season, specifically with an injury to his left elbow or shoulder. Even if Lee doesn’t meet the requirements, he is still paid a $12.5 million buyout.

Meanwhile, fifth starter Joe Blanton is also owed $17 million through 2012, and in the state of the Phillies’ current rotation and the amount of money he is due, Blanton isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Roy Oswalt, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Astros last year for J.A. Happ, Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose, has a mutual option for next year worth $16 million. If either he or the Phillies declines the option, he receives a $2 million buyout.

And last, but certainly not least, there’s Cole Hamels. As a Super Two player, he will receive an added fourth year of arbitration eligibility this coming offseason. Seeing as how Hamels has been dominant this year, he could come at a high price unless the Phillies lock him up long term before then. Even so, he won’t be cheap.

Well, after describing all those contracts, you’re probably wondering why they’re even relevant to the title of this article. I’ll bet you also looked at the title again after reading the last sentence, though I’m not going to bet my life savings on it.

I’ll tell you why it’s relevant: the Phillies have four fantastic starting pitchers (who have been dubbed in the past as the team’s “baby aces”) in their minor league system at the moment.

The baby aces are: Jarred Cosart (currently ranked as the 43rd-best overall prospect and as the team’s third-best prospect,) Brody Colvin (currently Phillies’ fourth-best prospect,) Jesse Biddle (Phillies’ 2010 first-round draft pick and team’s sixth-best prospect) and Trevor May (currently team’s seventh-best prospect).

What does this mean?

It means the Phils have a huge crop of starting pitchers in their farm system, and, more importantly, the Phils might not have a lot of room in their rotation for all four of these pitchers.

Here’s the Phillies’ outlook for the future: They have Halladay and Lee locked up at least past 2013, Blanton through 2012, and unless the Phillies unexpectedly don’t have Cole Hamels in a few years, he’ll be here, too.

With at least the top two spots in the rotation occupied for at least two more seasons, the Phillies won’t have a need for four starting pitchers. While it’s unfortunate, as they all rank in the Phillies’ top ten and are all projected to make the majors by 2013 (with the exception of Biddle, whose ETA is a year later), the Phillies most likely won’t need all of them.

All are currently at Single A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers, except for Biddle, who is at Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws.

This season, in 11 games started, Cosart is 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA and 56 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .216 against him. Not bad.

After pitching in eight games this season (seven started), Colvin is 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 31 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .259 against him. He was on the 7-Day DL from April 11 to May 13, which accounts for the lack of starts. 

This year, May has started 13 games and is 4-4 with a 3.55 ERA and 88 strikeouts. Other teams are batting .220 against May this year. That’s pretty good, too.

Lastly, Biddle is 3-6 this season in 13 starts with a 4.03 ERA and 60 strikeouts, with the opposition batting .232 against him. That’s decent, given this is his first full year.

Of these four pitchers, Cosart is clearly the most dominant. May seems to be second in line, and he has been striking out many batters as well. Biddle is okay, but he needs more time to develop.

Colvin, having been on the DL with a back injury for roughly a month, is a little more difficult to judge. After all, injuries can always persist later, and if his back continues to be a problem throughout the season, Colvin could face a serious fallback. 

With all this minor league starting pitcher stock, the Phillies most likely won’t need all four. When a baseball team (in this case the Phillies) doesn’t need or want players anymore, they do one of two things: they either cut them, or they trade them for other prospects or current talent.

Well, one thing’s for sure: The Phillies won’t be dropping any Top 10 prospects any time soon. By process of elimination, that leaves one option available—trades.

Phillies general manager Rubén Amaro, Jr. has recently stated that he plans on making no high-profile trades at the deadline this year, if any moves at all.

Knowing him, however, this could easily change when July rolls around.

It looks like Amaro is getting ready for the deadline early this year, as he’s designated lefty reliever J.C. Romero for assignment to make room for Vance Worley.

Worley is expected to start Saturday night against the Mariners in Seattle. Protocol in such a case means that Amaro must trade him within the next 10 days. If he fails to do so, Romero is released into free agency.

Back to the main point. Since the Phillies have this plethora of starting pitching in the minors, they might as well take advantage of it on the trade market. Teams such as the Mets, Cubs, and Blue Jays all need starting pitching help. However, there is one team most Phillies fans would like to see Amaro work with.

You guessed it. The Houston Astros.

The Astros are currently lacking in pitching depth. Since the Phils acquired Oswalt last year at the trade deadline, the Astros have been in dire need of a quality pitcher. While Brett Myers was fantastic for the team last year and even garnered a few Cy Young votes, he has been underwhelming this season, and having him as the “ace” of a staff is…well, pathetic.

Myers this year is 2-6 with a 5.03 ERA and 63 strikeouts. He’s walked 29 batters and has a WHIP of 1.40. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like an ace to me.

Wandy Rodriguez, the Astros’ No. 2 in their rotation, has not been awful this year. He’s posted a 4-3 record with a 3.13 ERA and 58 strikeouts. He did miss some starts, however, so the fact that he’s also walked 20 and has a WHIP of 1.31, means in general, he has not been great.

While I could also talk about Bud Norris, Jordan Lyles, and J.A. Happ, I won’t go into specifics since the Astros’ specific pitchers aren’t the main point of this article.

However, I will say this: The Astros have one of the worst staffs this year.

Their team ERA is second to worst at 4.65, they’ve walked the sixth-most batters (239), they have the fourth-fewest quality starts this season with 33, and they’re dead last in opposing batting average, having allowed a .269 average to opponents. Surprisingly enough, they are ranked ninth in strikeouts, with 498 this season.

While I’d love to see the Phillies go after Hunter Pence, I know it’s out of our reach, especially since they are trying to avoid the $178 million luxury tax. However, the Phillies have previously dealt with Ed Wade, as he was the team’s GM in the past, and…well, he still loves the Phillies.

The Astros need pitching and we need a right-handed bat. If only he’d take Blanton off our hands, we’d be set. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen.

New owner Jim Crane most likely won’t allow Wade to trade the face of the franchise. For all we know, Crane could fire Wade after the season.

In conclusion, the Phillies need a solid right-handed bat, regardless of who they choose. It would be unlike Amaro not to make any sort of deal this year, but if he sticks to his word (which I don’t see happening), there won’t be any trade.

However, with all this minor league pitching depth the team has, why not explore a deal to give one of these guys a chance to make it to the big leagues?

With the rotation currently blocking off any chance for an upcoming starter, this would be the right move for both the Phillies and any one of these minor league pitchers, especially Cosart (who I’d like to see stay), Colvin or May.

If the Phillies want to see their minor leaguers reach their potential, they have to get them to the majors. For these starting pitchers, a trade seems like the only possible way they can do that.

What do you think? Should the Phillies explore a trade with another team involving one of these pitchers? Please share your opinions in the comments below. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Just Another Birthday, Cliff Lee Leads Phils to 3-0 Win

To the fans in my section chanting “Let’s go Clifford,” remember, his name is Clifton!

Less than a month ago, some Phillies fans started to question the Cliff Lee signing.  After an abysmal performance against the Nationals where Lee allowed six earned runs over 5.1 innings, his ERA sat at 3.94.

Clifton’s been nothing short of sensational since.

Over his last three starts, Lee’s given up just one earned run over his last 24 innings pitched.  He’s allowed just 13 hits while striking out 21.  He’s picked up the win in each of his last three outings. 

His ERA now sits at 3.12.

Oh, and he’s also swinging the stick quite well.  His RBI double in the fourth inning gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

His .242 batting average is right up there with Raul Ibanez (.242), Carlos Ruiz (.245) and Ryan Howard (.251).

His average is better than Domonic Brown (.229), Ben Francisco (.216) and Michael Martinez (.203).

He and Cole Hamels are battling for bragging rights; Hamels too is hitting .242.

Ryan Howard went yard for the second time in the series.  Both home runs came via the opposite field.  Before the start of the four-game set, Howard’s last opposite field hit came on May 10 at Florida.

Could this be a sign of things to come?

In other news, John Kruk got the nod as the 33rd member of the Phillies Wall of Fame. 

He’ll be the second player from the 1993 National League winning team to be inducted; Darren Daulton is the other.

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Philadelphia Phillies vs. Florida Marlins: Cliff Lee Wins 7th Straight

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee improved to 7-5 with a complete-game shutout over the Florida Marlins Thursday afternoon.  The 3-0 win was the seventh in a row for Philadelphia, and the loss was the seventh in a row for Florida.

Lee gave up just two hits while walking two and striking out four in his second complete game of the season. Lee did not give up his first hit until the fifth inning.

The Phillies scored their first run the bottom of the fourth when Lee doubled in Michael Martinez off of Marlin’s starter Javier Vazquez. Vazquez took the loss and fell to 3-7 on the year.

Philadelphia scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings off of home run by Ryan Howard and an RBI double by Jimmy Rollins.

Lee’s sinker worked well, inducing one double play and got 12 groundball outs in the game. After a rough end to the month of May, Lee has given up just one run in three starts in June. Lee’s ERA has fallen from 3.94 to 3.12 since May 31.

Lee went 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate, and Shane Victorino went 2-for-4. Dominic Brown and Michael Martinez each went 1-for-4 with one run scored in the game. Ryan Howard went 1-for-3 with a HR and a walk.

With the win the Phillies improved to 44-26 on the season, and moved 5.5 games ahead of the Braves for first place in the NL East. The four-game sweep of the Marlins gave Philadelphia a 7-2 advantage in the season series.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Worry No More, Cliff Lee Is Back on Track

Cliff Lee just finished a two hit, complete game, shut out, to help the Philadelphia Phillies solidify a four-game sweep over the Florida Marlins. Lee also had two hits, including a go ahead RBI double in the bottom of the fourth Inning. Lee is currently batting .242 on the season.

After today’s win the Phillies find themselves 5.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. They also have pushed the Florida Marlins into last place in the NL East—pretty amazing considering when June started the Marlins were only two games back of the Phillies, they are now 11.5 games back.

In his last three starts, Lee is 3-0 with 24.0 innings pitched and 21 K’s. Here is his season line; 7-5, 104.0 IP, 111 K, 3.12 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  He also has two complete games and two shut out.

Cliff is averaging a major league best 10.14 strike outs per nine innings pitched and proving he still is one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball.

Lee has found command of his curveball and cutter. When these pitchers are working well, it keeps hitters off balance and off his fastball.

Up until his last three starts, Phillies nation was beginning to worry about the decision to bring Lee back to Philadelphia instead of signing a big name right handed bat.

Cliff has truly turned his season around after a 4-5 start. The last three starts for Lee are why Ruben Amaro Jr. brought him back to Philadelphia and if Roy Oswalt can get back on track, the Phantastic Pour will be a force to be wrecking with.

The Phillies offense continues to heat up and with Chase Utley and Shane Victorino back and hitting well.

The Phillies have the potential to put some serious space between them and the rest of the NL East.

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John Kruk Named 2011 Phillies Wall of Fame Inductee over Curt Schilling

In a surprising move, John Kruk will be this year’s inductee to the Phillies’ Wall of Fame.

Many remember Kruk as the charismatic, All-Star first baseman from the early 1990s teams, including the memorable 1993 World Series runner-up team.

Acquired from the San Diego Padres early in the 1989 season for Chris James, Kruk was an on-base machine throughout his six seasons in Philadelphia. His .400 on-base percentage is currently sixth all-time in team history. From 1991 through 1993, he was one of the best first basemen in the game, hitting .311/.407/.472 and making three All-Star game appearances.

However, does a three-year stretch of excellence really trump Curt Schilling? Kruk’s 19.7 WAR (per baseball-reference.com) is 30th in Phillies history among position players and far behind Schilling’s 34.6 WAR, which is fifth among pitchers in team history.

Schilling’s excellence lasted much longer than Kruk’s, spanning nine seasons from 1992 until being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks midway through 2000. During this time, he posted a 3.35 ERA in 1,659.1 innings, with 61 complete games, 14 shutouts, 1,554 strikeouts and three All-Star selections. Only Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Mike Mussina and Roger Clemens posted convincingly better WAR than Schilling from that period. 

I’m not sure if there’s still a grudge left over from his departure in 2000, when Ed Wade was in charge, but I do not believe the Phillies went solely with the best player available. In time Kruk was going to make it to the Wall of Fame anyway, and congratulations to him on it being this year.

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Roy Halladay’s Tireless Arm Just Keeps Throwing Strikes

By Roy Halladay‘s standards, he was probably not too thrilled with his performance last night as he went seven innings, gave up four runs, all of them earned, and ended up with a no-decision.

However, even on a subpar night, Halladay was able to stay in the game through seven and throw over 100 pitches again. That is what is remarkable about Roy Halladay: his arm seems to just keep throwing darts.

In every game this season, Halladay has thrown over 100 pitches. He has not had an outing under six innings either. In his banner performance on April 24 when he struck out 14 San Diego Padres in 8.2 innings, he threw 130 pitches. He is 34 years old and is active leader in career complete games with 62.

The most important reason that he goes so deep into games was evident last night. Through 100 pitches, he had thrown 73 strikes. For the past three seasons and so far this season, he has led his league in his strikeouts to walk ratio. Currently this season, he has 114 strikeouts to 14 walks. Even though he does throw a lot of pitches, he throws a lot less than the average pitcher would facing the same number of batters because he does not waste pitches.

The 13-year veteran knows how to throw. It really is just that simple. He doesn’t waste pitches, and his 6’6″ frame is more than durable enough to handle the heavy load. It almost seems as if he is a throwback to another era and a world without a full bullpen.

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