I disagree Re. our ability to close the Rotational gap primarily as Halladay & Lee age @ high remuneration levels constricting PHL movements due to finances creating an oportunity as “THE 4 ACES of the 2010 rotation” has already cracked like the Liberty Bell. Presently, contractually, their pitching prowess has them fully extended financially with little room for maneuvering as they face these key contract decision dates:
HALLADAY: 2014OPTION @ 27.5M
LEE: 2016 OPTION @ 27.5M
OSWALT: 2012 OPTION @ 16M or 2M buyout
HAMELS: ENTERING 1st F/A PERIOD after tis Season
BLANTON: 2012 CONTRACT EXPIRATION @ 9.5M
LIDGE: 2012 OPTION @ 12.5M or 1.5M buyout
ROLLINS & IBANEZ both enter F/A market in November
can u envision attempting to fit a bilging sixe 18 neck in a 16″ collar?
With the Phillies occupying our once familiasr position as #1 Payroll in NL @ $172,976,379.00 with the already oldest roster(29.7 avg age) in the League breaking down physically with seeming regularity their point in time is ALL to reminiscient of our ’06 lofty perch constructed differently around a studly aging rotation less & less likely to pitch efficiently enough to minimize the retrobate bullpen they’ve magnificently minimized these past 2 Seasons(’10,’11) with little payroll allowance for significant improvement in an age of inflationary mifddle relief costs.

Once Parnell, understands that his CAVEMAN approach to trouble(throw harder) is counterproductive @ this advanced level he’ll qualify as a serious closing consideration. Next Spring, I’d advocate TC & Dan remove his fastball from his options in a few games until he proves he can survive without it while also restricting his slider to no more thn 90MPH, a respectable ST velocity & one that will provide him the greatest effect & movement. It certainly appears to me tht our development ‘guides’ in the early levels succombed to the sexiness of triple digits.

We can’t match Halliday, Lee, Hamels, nor can we match Ruiz, Utley, and probably Dominick Brown.

We aren’t going to be resigning Beltran because he wants out of Queens ASAP so if they get him they get him. I wouldn’t like it, I hope they don’t but we’re not a threat to derail them or the Braves until 2014 IMO.

What we can do though is instead of Brown ask for Singleton. That allows Philly to keep their crown jewel and we get a better, more consistent player in Jonathon Singleton L/L 19, 1B/LF ADVANCED plate discipline WITH power as the youngest player (along w/Flores) in the Fl. St. League.

If we could add Singleton (8 HR’s) to a list of other potentials drafted or signed by Minaya and some added by Alderson we could have a bunch of guys arriving up here all at the same time.

C – Cordero/Pena/Ruiz 1B Singleton/Rodriguez, 2B Havens/Valdespin, SS Coranado, 3B /Lutz/Marte, RF Vaughn/Puello, CF Den Deker, LF Lagares/Singleton with one or two a year of Mejia, Famillia, Harvey, Gorski, Rodriguez, Morris, Tapia, Urbina.

There are very few guys who hit HR’s as teenagers in the Florida St. League ( only one guy 21 years old has more and no one 20 years old) and very few who have a good ratio of BB’s to K’s 53/79 (compare to fellow 19 year old Wilmer Flores 19/48)

Not that I’m a scout or anything but Singleton’s numbers really look great at such a young age facing competition anywhere from 22-25 years old as a 19 year old.

I’ve always enjoyed his point of views and his years of being a Met Fan are only surpassed by his knowledge and passion for the Team.

signed by Philadelphia as a free agent 12/16/08
$2M signing bonus
09:$6.5M, 10:$11.5M, 11:$11.5M
limited no-trade protection

I’m not sure if Philly signs him in 2012 regardless of where he winds up.

Philly’s at the top of their payroll right now and they have Rollins and Hamels to take care of. Ruiz soon, decide about 3B and what to do with Utley soon as well as Blanton and Oswalt, plus they have Brown, Singleton, Francisco and Mayberry as potentials for the OF.

I cannot see Beltran signing for less than 10-12 over 2 or 3 years so where’s the payroll flexibility coming from?

Philly’s finished in a couple of years anyway unless their current pitching staff in the FL St. League starts coming through for them in a big way as well as the 4 potentials and a few others like Valle.

and also keep in mind prospects are like currency. If you don’t use them, they add no value. And you can use them in trade just as easily as on the field.

So, if you say 5 stud SP prospects, you can afford to give one up for beltran, since you have others. Not as likely to happen if you only have 1! same logic if you have a young star at a position blocking a good prospect. Better to get value now on the big club, than to have a guy buried in the minors for a few more years.

HAVE U NEVER BARGAINED BEFORE? NO ONE ADMITS TO WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO DO ONLY WHAT THEY WON’T DO, IT’S CALLED POSITIONING FOR LEVERAGE. JUST LIKE THE NYY WERE NEVER GOING TO PAY A-ROD BORAS’ EXHOBITANT DEMANDS(lol)

The better bet is use a subsequent years asset to give yourself the Beltran advantage otherwise you really run the risk of having that incredible pitching staff undone by a couple of longballs like you guys did to Philly last year.

Anyway your call. Gary Brown or Zach Wheeler or Atlanta Christian Betancourt/Eddie Salcedo/Mike Minor/Randal Delgado/Julio Teheran.

And remember. He’s not costing you a dime to add but the difference between having him on your team or your opponents team in a 7 game series is massive. 28 AB’s for you or 28 AB’s for them in what promises to be 2-1 and 3-2 games throughout.

None of these spots have been adequately filled since the Putz trade. In fact all three represent areas ignored by the prior GM. The backend of the rotation, the backend of the pen and the backend of the bench.

In addition there is Carrera a back up Cfer now 22 and Cleto also 22 striking out a batter an inning out of the pen in AAA.

That’s way too much to give up for just one guy (Putz) when the farm you inherited 4 years ago was barren as a desert and you’ve already traded prospects or given up draft choices inorder to acquire just about everyone on the roster (except those like Reyes and Wright that you inherited)

At some point you have to start acquiring guys who don’t cost you prospects or draft choices but their a little more iffy. Come with a few questions, aren’t guaranteed sure performers like Putz, Castillo, Bay, Wagner, Perez, Schowenweiss, Mota, Alou.

The Phillies for instance weren’t only looking at the expensive free agent list or guys other teams wanted to get rid of at a steep price. They were also looking at rule 5 and non tenders. That’s how they got Victorrino and Werth.

Any one can order off the expensive free agent list or make the 6 useful ingredients trade for an injured relief pitcher but it takes REAL General Managing to come up with useful (or better) ingredients that don’t cost you prospects and draft choices like the Phillies did with adding Victorinno and Werth to guys they had come through their system like Rollins, Utley, Ruiz, Howard, Hamels.

That’s how you win World Series Championships.