Time is running out for the Phillies to make an additional move before Thursday's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline.
Don't bet on them dealing for Manny Ramirez. A better bet might be a lefthanded relief pitcher, but don't bet the house on that, either.
"There's some discussion on some people on the outside," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said yesterday. "I'd say we're cautiously optimistic."
It is unlikely the Phillies can acquire Colorado Rockies lefthander Brian Fuentes, whom they would love to have as a setup man.
First, the asking price for Fuentes is high because the Rockies know that if they lose him in the off-season to free agency, they will receive two top draft picks as compensation. The Rockies certainly would require at least two top prospects in return in a trade.
Second, the Rockies are just six games out of first place in the National League West and have won nine of their last 10 games. They might not be in a selling mood, after all.
There are other lefthanders who could be available, such as Atlanta's Will Ohman or Baltimore all-star George Sherrill. But the Phillies also would like a righthanded bat to help an inconsistent offense.
"I don't know where you'd put him," Gillick said.
Good point. There are three options for the Phillies in terms of a bat: trade an outfielder to make room for another outfielder, add a catcher, or add a third baseman.
"Howard, Utley, Rollins, Burrell, Victorino, you don't do too much there," Gillick said.
An upgrade behind the plate won't happen because there is nobody worthwhile on the market. Third base seems unlikely because Pedro Feliz provides stellar defense and is hitting .256 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Outfield makes the most sense. Gillick said Ramirez "really isn't a realistic situation," although the idea isn't completely absurd.
"If you move an outfielder, it wouldn't be crazy," he said.
That outfielder wouldn't be Pat Burrell, which means Ramirez or Burrell would have to play right field. Burrell has never played there, and Ramirez hasn't played there regularly since 2000 with the Cleveland Indians.
That being said, don't hold your breath. Gillick said he generally likes his team's offense but would like to improve the pitching staff.
It could use some help. The Phillies yesterday optioned righthander Adam Eaton to the minors, a move that Eaton could have rejected because of his major-league service time. The Phillies had approached Eaton about the possibility several days ago and called him into Charlie Manuel's office Sunday to discuss the matter further.
Eaton is expected to start Thursday for single-A Lakewood and will bounce around different levels of the Phillies' farm system as a starter until the Phillies need him. If they don't need him in the next month, he will rejoin the team Sept. 1, when they can expand their roster.
Eaton, who is in the second year of a three-year, $24.5 million contract, lost his job in the rotation recently and had pitched ineffectively from the bullpen. In two relief appearances, Eaton carried a 9.00 ERA, and opponents hit .538 against him.
"He was not going to get any regular work in the bullpen," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "And he's obviously more suited for the rotation. I'm not sure that at this stage of his career he can convert into being a reliever. This gives him regular work every five days."
The Phillies won't announce Eaton's replacement in the bullpen until today. It could be triple-A Lehigh Valley lefthander J.A. Happ, whom the Phillies had pulled from Sunday's start after just 22/3 innings.
Yes, Happ is healthy.
"We pulled him as a precaution," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said. "We really don't know what's going to happen at the trade deadline, and we didn't know if we were going to need him in the big leagues or weren't or whatever. We just wanted to keep all our options open, and we thought the best way to do that was limit his outing just so that he might be ready in case we needed him or there was a trade. A lot of different things could happen over the next couple days."
It makes sense that Happ could be a trade chip because he has pitched well this season for the IronPigs (7-6, 3.30 ERA) and in two starts for the Phillies (0-0, 3.27 ERA). But if the trade deadline passes and Happ remains on the 40-man roster, the Phillies think Happ could contribute out of the bullpen.
"He's stretched out as a starter, but I think if we wanted him in the middle, he could give us multiple innings," Arbuckle said.
The Phillies hope Brett Myers gives them multiple innings tonight against the Nationals at Nationals Park. He struggled in his return to the rotation last week against the New York Mets, walking four consecutive batters in the first inning.
"He's going to have to perform well," Amaro said. "We're trying to win our division, so we're going to try to put the best starters out there we can to win. We have to keep our minds open with what we're going to do. We're not locking ourselves in with anything. We believe he'll stay in the rotation, but we have to keep our options open, and we will."
Myers could ease some concerns with a strong showing tonight, but in the meantime, the Phillies will continue to make calls and try to improve their roster before the deadline. They're "cautiously optimistic" they can.
Don't bet on them dealing for Manny Ramirez. A better bet might be a lefthanded relief pitcher, but don't bet the house on that, either.
"There's some discussion on some people on the outside," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said yesterday. "I'd say we're cautiously optimistic."
It is unlikely the Phillies can acquire Colorado Rockies lefthander Brian Fuentes, whom they would love to have as a setup man.
First, the asking price for Fuentes is high because the Rockies know that if they lose him in the off-season to free agency, they will receive two top draft picks as compensation. The Rockies certainly would require at least two top prospects in return in a trade.
Second, the Rockies are just six games out of first place in the National League West and have won nine of their last 10 games. They might not be in a selling mood, after all.
There are other lefthanders who could be available, such as Atlanta's Will Ohman or Baltimore all-star George Sherrill. But the Phillies also would like a righthanded bat to help an inconsistent offense.
"I don't know where you'd put him," Gillick said.
Good point. There are three options for the Phillies in terms of a bat: trade an outfielder to make room for another outfielder, add a catcher, or add a third baseman.
"Howard, Utley, Rollins, Burrell, Victorino, you don't do too much there," Gillick said.
An upgrade behind the plate won't happen because there is nobody worthwhile on the market. Third base seems unlikely because Pedro Feliz provides stellar defense and is hitting .256 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Outfield makes the most sense. Gillick said Ramirez "really isn't a realistic situation," although the idea isn't completely absurd.
"If you move an outfielder, it wouldn't be crazy," he said.
That outfielder wouldn't be Pat Burrell, which means Ramirez or Burrell would have to play right field. Burrell has never played there, and Ramirez hasn't played there regularly since 2000 with the Cleveland Indians.
That being said, don't hold your breath. Gillick said he generally likes his team's offense but would like to improve the pitching staff.
It could use some help. The Phillies yesterday optioned righthander Adam Eaton to the minors, a move that Eaton could have rejected because of his major-league service time. The Phillies had approached Eaton about the possibility several days ago and called him into Charlie Manuel's office Sunday to discuss the matter further.
Eaton is expected to start Thursday for single-A Lakewood and will bounce around different levels of the Phillies' farm system as a starter until the Phillies need him. If they don't need him in the next month, he will rejoin the team Sept. 1, when they can expand their roster.
Eaton, who is in the second year of a three-year, $24.5 million contract, lost his job in the rotation recently and had pitched ineffectively from the bullpen. In two relief appearances, Eaton carried a 9.00 ERA, and opponents hit .538 against him.
"He was not going to get any regular work in the bullpen," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "And he's obviously more suited for the rotation. I'm not sure that at this stage of his career he can convert into being a reliever. This gives him regular work every five days."
The Phillies won't announce Eaton's replacement in the bullpen until today. It could be triple-A Lehigh Valley lefthander J.A. Happ, whom the Phillies had pulled from Sunday's start after just 22/3 innings.
Yes, Happ is healthy.
"We pulled him as a precaution," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said. "We really don't know what's going to happen at the trade deadline, and we didn't know if we were going to need him in the big leagues or weren't or whatever. We just wanted to keep all our options open, and we thought the best way to do that was limit his outing just so that he might be ready in case we needed him or there was a trade. A lot of different things could happen over the next couple days."
It makes sense that Happ could be a trade chip because he has pitched well this season for the IronPigs (7-6, 3.30 ERA) and in two starts for the Phillies (0-0, 3.27 ERA). But if the trade deadline passes and Happ remains on the 40-man roster, the Phillies think Happ could contribute out of the bullpen.
"He's stretched out as a starter, but I think if we wanted him in the middle, he could give us multiple innings," Arbuckle said.
The Phillies hope Brett Myers gives them multiple innings tonight against the Nationals at Nationals Park. He struggled in his return to the rotation last week against the New York Mets, walking four consecutive batters in the first inning.
"He's going to have to perform well," Amaro said. "We're trying to win our division, so we're going to try to put the best starters out there we can to win. We have to keep our minds open with what we're going to do. We're not locking ourselves in with anything. We believe he'll stay in the rotation, but we have to keep our options open, and we will."
Myers could ease some concerns with a strong showing tonight, but in the meantime, the Phillies will continue to make calls and try to improve their roster before the deadline. They're "cautiously optimistic" they can.
