Oswalt Remains Unemployed

By Amy McGinnis

With ten days left before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Clearwater, it seems that Ruben Amaro, Jr. has no plans to offer Roy Oswalt a contract.

Little Roy is seeking a one-year contract, but with the Phils, there seems to be one thing standing in his way. "We really don't have any room for him. We have five, six starters, and our resources are about where we want to be right now," Ruben said. "I think he wouldn't mind coming back, but I don't know that's feasible or a real possibility."

Joe Blanton and Roy Oswalt missed portions of the 2011 season due to injuries, and some would say that the two RHPs are interchangeable.  It makes sense: each has four pitches, postseason experience, and less-than-stellar numbers from their abridged season last year.  The biggest difference is that Blanton will be making $8.5M this season, and Oswalt appears to be set to make nothing. 

If we look at last season's numbers, they're not a fair assessment for either pitcher, since Oswalt pitched 139 and Blanton pitched just 41.1.  The fact is, though, that Blanton's 1-2 record, 5.01 ERA and 1.476 WHIP fall just short of Oswalt's 9-10 record, 3.69 ERA and 1.338 WHIP.

So, let's visit a fantasy land for a minute where another team would agree to take Blanton for this season.  I would love to have Oswalt back for one more year.  I've always been a big fan of his.  His tempo still impresses me, because he wastes no time between pitches.  He and Blanton each throw a fastball in the low 90s, but Oswalt always looks more aggressive.  In addition to the fastball, Blanton and Oswalt both throw a curveball, slider and a changeup (Oswalt added the Vulcan changedup in 2010). 

In this fantasy land of mine, Blanton gets picked up and we suddenly have room for Little Roy (insert inappropriate joke about Roy and Joe taking up the same amount of room).  I like Oswalt's attitude and grit.  Remember Manny Ramirez's line drive to the back of Little Roy's ear? Oswalt stood up and adjusted his hat.  Dubee had to say, "Yes, you are leaving this game to get checked out."  Remember Oswalt playing left field in August 2010? I love that little redneck and I think swapping him for Blanton for 2012 would reap big rewards.

To be fair, I don't mean any disrespect to Blanton.  I think he serves well as a #4 or a #5.  He catches a lot of criticism in this city, and most of it is unfounded.  My intention is not to badmouth Big Joe, so save the hate mail.  I prefer Roy Oswalt, though, and I think he'd make a good addition to our rotation this season.  In my fantasy land, anyway.

Should Jimmy Stay or Should He Go?

By Amy McCormick

Since the untimely demise of the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, there’s not much to talk about.  Sure, we’re watching the league championship series, and we’ll watch the World Series, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll do it bitterly.  I predicted a Rangers-Phils series and I’m not going to get it.  Sigh.  I suppose it’s time to start thinking about next season.

A big question that has been on the minds of Phillies fans all season has been: will Jimmy Rollins return once he is a free agent?  There are a few things to consider here, and as always, I’ll throw in my two cents along the way.

J-Roll has only ever known baseball in Philadelphia.  He’s just three months older than I am (so please save the “but he’s so old” comments) and came in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft.  He and I weren’t even old enough to vote then; he’s been with the organization a long time.  He has spent the last decade in the bigs, serving as the team’s leader, whether you like to admit that or not.  Jimmy’s charisma alone is enough to make fans optimistic.

Jimmy likes being here.  I have no doubt that he wants the Phils to meet his salary requirements.  "I look good in red, I think," Rollins has said. "You go back to when I got drafted, I didn't know much about the Phillies. But when I put that hat on, looking at those first pictures when I got drafted, holding a bat, you know, and a Phillies T-shirt on, it started to look real good on me. I think I've worn it pretty well over the years. I really haven't thought about putting on any other colors other than the red-and-white pinstripes."

It seems that the Phillies would like to keep Jimmy as well.  "There's no question we want Jimmy back and be in our uniform and play shortstop for us for the next several years," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "Whether that happens kind of depends on if we get to the finish line on it. But Jimmy knows where we stand. Those things will be private."  As usual, don’t expect RAJ to spill any details; we’ll have to wait until the deal is signed (or not signed) to hear what went on in negotiations.

So, if Jimmy was 2007 NL MVP and a Silver Slugger, and he’s a three-time All-Star, why is there even a debate about whether or not he should stay? Well, to begin with, he hasn’t put up numbers anywhere near his MVP season since, well, 2007.  It could be that he’s not getting any younger.  It could be that injuries have kept him from playing full seasons.  Whatever the reason, 2007 Jimmy and 2011 Jimmy are hard to even compare.  It’s symptomatic of those respective teams, as well.  In 2007, the Phils fought like hell (and were thrilled to have won) the NL East.  In 2011, complacency took over.  In 2007, Rollins hit .296.  In 2011, he posted a .268 batting average.  His defense has been fine, but the “take a shot every time Jimmy pops up on the first pitch” drinking game got old awhile ago.  Personally, I don’t like change just for the sake of change.  But sometimes, things get static; sometimes, they gradually slide downhill.  For me, it’s a toss-up: Jimmy’s leadership / personality / swagger or some new, younger (yes, I said it) blood at shortstop?  Rollins has made it very clear that he wants five years.  With his downhill trend, I don’t know that I’d sign him for five.  He’ll be 38 right after that fifth season, and I don’t care how much yoga his wife has him do … his speed, reflexes and range of motion will gradually decline. 

The Phillies’ payroll is expected to mimic this past season’s pretty closely.  That being said, we’re looking at a potentially large chunk of change being saved if we unload a few players whose contracts will be up.  Madson, Ibanez, Hamels and Lidge are signed through 2011, and Oswalt has a $16 million option.  As much as I love Little Roy, I see Hamels as the only must-sign in that group.  If that’s the case, then maybe the Phils could afford to pick up a new shortstop while they’re shopping for closers. 

I like Jimmy Rollins.  I always have.  He’ll be the first to tell you, though, that this is a business.  He’s not the only one in a Phillies uniform that I think should move on, but Charlie Manuel is another post for another day.  It doesn’t make me happy to say it, but my vote (sometimes I like to pretend that I actually get one) is to not break our backs to meet Jimmy’s salary demands.  As usual, we’ll have to wait and see.  In the meantime, let’s watch Phillies-less baseball with total disdain and wish for quick, easy recoveries for our injured and surgery-bound … including, but not limited to, but especially Cole Hamels.

Utley to Miss a Few Games

By Amy McCormick

In the bottom of the sixth inning last night, Braves' relief pitcher Eric O'Flaherty beamed Chase Utley in the back of the head.  What, no brawl? I'm not ranting about how classless and trashy Atlanta is?  Although I appreciate Ricky Bottalico's musings on which Brave will pay for it when revenge strikes, I have to say that it didn't look intentional at all. 

The bright side: 

1. Chase has great instincts and managed to whip his head around and have his helmet take the brunt of the pitch.  He seemed stunned by the incident, and I'm sure it hurt(s) like hell, but his batting helmet did its job last night by keeping Utley's brains on the inside. Plus, no damage to that pretty face we love so much.

2. This incident could have have happened weeks from now.  The implications of that are obvious, I'd say.  Let's hope that this bump in the road will leave Chase feeling rested and healthy for October.

3. Wilson Valdez is no Chase Utley, but he's a pretty damned good sub.  Injuries within our lineup are never fun, but the Phils have a knack for holding down the fort well when someone is out.

4. We have some breathing room.  I'd neve suggest lying down and playing dead - but the truth is, we're 10.5 games ahead of the Braves in the East.  If we didn't have such a cushion, I'm sure there would be a lot more panic in this city right now.

5. Chase has shown us that he can bounce back from an injury and perform extremely well on the field and at the plate.  I'll be the first to admit that I was hesitant about getting excited for Utley's return from his DL stint earlier this season.  Clearly, I was wrong.  His speed and range of motion actually look better to me than they did pre-injury.

6. Our favorite second baseman is in good care.  Team doctor Michael Ciccotti and Phils' trainer Scott Sheridan are being cautious and monitoring Utley.  In a couple days, he will perform ImPACT testing, which will compare his reaction and response times to his baseline scores.  The fact that Team Utley isn't taking this lightly is a good sign - it means that everyone is working to ensure his health and safety.

Why I'm worried. Maybe I shouldn't say "worried." I'm concerned about this incident for one reason: it happened to his head.  It's a mild concussion, but a concussion nontheless. I'm generally pretty freaked out by any sort of head injury because so much could go wrong.  After getting hit, Utley turned to the home plate umpire to ask him what had happened.  I don't read lips very well, but I think the umpire replied with something in the neighborhood of  "Ummmm ... you just took a 91 mph sinker to the head.  That's what happened."

I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see (and make homemade glittery get well cards for Chase, of course).  My best advice is to sit tight and see what the doctors tell us.  Ruben Amaro, Jr. thinks that the injury is "very mild," and continues, "He got a 90-mile-an-hour fastball off the melon, so we're going to be cautious about it." Fair enough.  Get well soon, Chase. 

Ruben Amaro is a Good Fit for the Phils

By Amy McCormick

In our lifetimes, we’ve seen General Managers come and go; some have been great, and some have left much to be desired.  Ruben Amaro, Jr. is quite popular in this city, and for good reason:  he fills the role well.

Amaro grew up in my neighborhood.  I’ve thought about just telling people that he was raised in my current house – it’s not as if anyone would know the difference, right?  Anyway, Amaro grew up here, served as a batboy for the Phillies, and worked in the front office as Assistant General Manager under Wade and Gillick.  Ed Wade hired Amaro immediately after his career as a player ended, and he kept the position of AGM for ten seasons.  On November 1, 2008 (many of us still had a parade hangover), Pat Gillick handed the reigns to Amaro, naming him the new Phillies General Manager. 

RAJ has other ties to this area, as well.  He co-founded the Richie Ashburn - Harry Kalas Foundation, which provides grants to schools and allows underprivileged youth to participate in baseball camps free of charge.  Additionally, he is on the board for the Philadelphia YMCA.  It is clear that he finds value in giving back to his community.  I like that his philanthropy benefits the Delaware Valley, because it shows that Amaro is proud to be a hometown boy.

Amaro’s seemingly genius business sense is no accident.  He attended Stanford, where he played in the College World Series.  Phillies President and CEO David Montgomery had this to say about Ruben’s background benefiting the organization:

"A big part of it is communications, and Ruben has great communications skills.  Ruben has a skill set where he's comfortable in that clubhouse, and he's comfortable in that coaches' room, and he's comfortable in a conversation with the manager. He can ride in a car with Dallas Green and Pat Gillick, and be very comfortable in that dialogue. And explaining any of our moves to the general public, our ownership or anybody else, he's gifted, from a communications standpoint."

So, with his unique skill set, Amaro is able to understand what it means to be a fan, a player, and a businessman.  He has the ability to use these skills in everyday operations, big moves that will affect the team for years, and everything in between.  We all know that Amaro has acquired Ibañez, Lee (twice), Halladay, Oswalt and Pence.  What we usually don’t know is what is going on in Amaro’s mind, as he has been known to keep us guessing until a deal is inked. 

Amaro is an ideal General Manager for the Phils because he calls Philadelphia home, he’s intelligent and educated, he has played the game at the professional level, and he has the desire to win.  He inherited a great team (thanks to Ed Wade) and has turned it into an outstanding team (thanks, in part, to Ed Wade).  In March, Amaro signed an extension to serve as the Phillies’ General Manager through 2015.  I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to see what RAJ has in store for next July 29^th.