Well, gang, I haven't written so much as one word since we signed Thome. This has seemed like an endless offseason thus far. I'm getting very eager for things to get underway in Clearwater. There's not much to report, really; I'll put my two cents in on some things that have happened, though.
Ryan Howard seems to be healing in an expected timeframe. No one expected him to start at first in April, and if you're like me, you'd much rather he take his time getting fully rehabilitated this time. The timing of his injury is probably the only silver lining to the whole incident. At least it didn't happen in August, right?
Ryan Madson agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds. As much as I don't like to see him go, I'm not surprised. Acquiring Papelbon was a clear indication that Amaro was making other plans; for a short while, though, Mad Dog was just sitting at home, waiting for his phone to ring. While I would have loved to see him stay in Philadelphia, I would have hated to watch him sitting in the bullpen, waiting for the phone to ring. It didn't make sense to have Madson and Papelbon, even if the money allowed it, and I wish Ryan the very best. It's hard not to like a dude who kicks chairs.
Jamie Moyer signed a minor league deal with Colorado. Minor league? At 49 years old? C'mon, Jamie, you really want to go out like that? He's one former Phillie who will undoubtedly always be well-received in this city, and I would love to see him in a pitching coach position in the future. I hate, hate, hate that he signed a minor league deal. I hate it.
Say what you want about Wilson Valdez ... "He's no Chase Utley." No shit. He's a substitute infielder with a mediocre bat. That being said, he has proven to be extremely dependable, filling in at second, short, and third (not to mention his stint as a relief pitcher last May). The Phils signed a $930,000 contract for one year in an effort to avoid arbitration. There's not much to argue about here - it was a smart move. Valdez will never be an All-Star, but his "I'll do whatever my team needs" attitude is pretty priceless. I'm glad to see him sticking around.
Jimmy Rollins and his wife Johari are expecting their first child. Let's hope this pregnancy is not a distraction (I'm looking at you, Heidi Hamels, circa 2009). Best wishes to JRoll and his family ... I'm hoping for a boy with a big gap-toothed smile and some swagger.
Something that needed to be addressed this off-season was Cole Hamels. He'll be a free agent after this season, and I'd say it's a safe bet that a team or two might be after my favorite LHP. At 28 years old, he surely has years ahead of him in his career; Philadelphia would be stupid if they let him walk away. Some people were upset when they learned that he agreed to a one-year, $15M deal, but it was purely to avoid arbitration. Hopefully, a long-term deal will be taken care of during Spring Training. I wouldn't want to see our rotation without him.
On a non-Phils note, Yu Darvish and Texas signed a ridiculous deal of $60M over 6 years. Sure, the kid has sick numbers in Japan. We all know that MLB is (pardon the obnoxious pun) a whole new ballgame. I think it 's foolish to throw so much money at a pitcher who hasn't proven a single thing yet. Most of you know that I think contracts in general have become a joke. (I don't care if you're Albert Pujols. Ten year contracts are ridiculous, and I only see agents inflating the issue over time.)
Well, kids, that's it for now. I'm counting down the days until pitchers and catchers report (30, if you're wondering). I'm ready to get this season underway already. Let's do this.
God's speed, Mad Dog.
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