Phils Eye Bullpen Help, Doc Battles Heat
The buzz on the trade market for the past few weeks has centered on the Phillies? need for a right-handed bat, and Charlie Manuel has been among the biggest proponents of the notion.
But as the trade deadline looms ? now just 12 days away ? Manuel has amended his wish list just a bit.
?I think we can definitely could use a reliever, without a doubt,? Manuel said.
In fact, if Manuel can only add one dose of new blood to the Phillies? roster, his preference is for a bullpen arm ? not another bat.
Surprised? You probably shouldn?t be.
The Phillies? bullpen has been solid this season, but has endured a massive amount of attrition thanks to injuries. Closers Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson have all spent time on the disabled list, and seven different pitchers have been recalled from Lehigh Valley at some point this season to take a turn in the big-league pen.
While the Phillies have managed to overcome all that attrition for most of the season, the shortage of arms may be catching up with them.
Check out these numbers in the month of July:
Antonio Bastardo, 6 appearances, 1.42 ERA
Ryan Madson: 2 appearances, 5.40 ERA
Drew Carpenter: 3 appearances, 6.23 ERA
David Herndon: 3 appearances, 6.23 ERA
Mike Stutes: 6 appearances, 6.35 ERA
Juan Perez, 4 appearances, 6.75 ERA
Danys Baez, 3 appearances, 13.50 ERA
Obviously it?s a small sample size across the board, and there?s a good chance Madson rounds back into form and Stutes has certainly shown an ability to pitch effectively.
But the bottom line is that there isn?t much depth and there is a lot of uncertainty in the current Phillies bullpen.
Of course, Manuel isn?t just looking for any over-used or overpriced arm. And he?s not exactly willing to settle for a second-rate bat either.
?When I say a reliever or a bat, I?m talking about a good one,? Manuel said. ?If we?re going to get somebody, I?ll tell you like like I tell (Ruben), I want somebody good. I want somebody that?s going to help us. I don?t want what we?ve already got.?
The Phillies have been linked to San Diego relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams, both of whom should fill Manuel?s standard for a good arm.
But the front office continues to downplay their efforts on the trade market, and there remains the possibility that only a minor deal gets done before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
?If our guys do what they?re capable of doing,? assistant GM Scott Proefrock said, ?we?ll be tinkering around the edges if we do anything.?
In fact, the way Proefrock views things, the Phillies could be getting a lot of new blood around the deadline without having to pull the trigger on a single trade.
Jose Contreras will begin playing catch today, and he?s targeting a return in early to mid August.
Brad Lidge has one more rehab outing scheduled with Reading, but he could be back in the bullpen by the weekend.
Roy Oswalt will throw a bullpen session today, and if he can slide back into the rotation, that would move Kyle Kendrick back to the bullpen, too.
Add those potential additions to the return of Shane Victorino today and the theoretical return of Placido Polanco in the relatively near future, and the trade deadline is more about supplementing the team than dramatically altering it.
?I?ve said the last few days if we get everybody back healthy, even if it?s just five of the six, think about that from the state of the depth that we?d have back to Triple-A,? Proefrock said. ?We don?t have to give up anything for that.?
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As for the overall trade market, Proefrock said things have been relatively quiet ? even beyond the Phillies? front office.
?From what I?ve been reading it seems to be pretty slow,? Proefrock said. ?I really haven?t seen anything that hasn?t been out there for a few weeks. I still think there?s not a lot of teams that are out of it or are bonafied sellers. I don?t think there?s anybody out there that really has to dump money either.?
Proefrock said he has regular conversations with members of other front office staffs, but that there remains a lot of uncertainty among which teams are looking to deal and, if they are, what they?re willing to settle for in return.
In other words, there?s a lot of teams waiting each other out, and that?s ground a sizable portion of the trade talk to a halt ? for now.
?Either everybody?s doing a good job of playing it close to the vest,? Proefrock said, ?or there?s just not much going on.?
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All reports after the game last night were encouraging about Roy Halladay, and while it was a scary sight watching the righty leave the mound in the fifth inning last night, signs all point to him making his next start.
?Right now the way the doctors talk and the way Roy talks, I think a couple days and he?ll be fine,? Rich Dubee said.
During the game, however, not so much.
Halladay was experiencing dizziness and dehydration during the game but insisted on heading back out for the fifth. Once on the mound, however, he was having trouble even seeing the signs Carlos Ruiz was putting down.
Chooch was no doubt upset about the situation, and he didn?t speak to reporters after the game. Neither did Halladay, but he?ll chat today and said he ?absolutely? plans to make his next start, which is scheduled for Sunday.
And, as you might notice, that Sunday start means the Phillies will once again use the off day in their schedule (Thursday) to give their starters an extra day of rest. That?s not because of the heat issues Halladay suffered Monday. Dubee said that was the plan all along.
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I can attest to the conditions at Wrigley last night. It was awful. But beyond just the soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity, Dubee offered one other potential explanation for Halladay?s struggles.
?I?m not making excuses but I?ve said it before ? you?ve got to have your All-Star game, and I understand that, but guys that go to the all-star game come back a little drawn,? Dubee said. ?It?s a busy three days. Look at Beltran with the flu. Doc tonight. That first week back, guys don?t respond too well. It?s just a hectic schedule.?
Obviously the ?Blame Bochy? contingent already had its share of supporters, but it probably wasn?t so much about Halladay?s two-inning workload in the game, but all the tweaks to his schedule that went along with it.
For one, we know Halladay is about as regimented a pitcher as there is in the big leagues, but the All-Star game plays havoc with that. From the changes to throw days to that hectic schedule Dubee complained of, the Midsummer Classic is not an ideal set-up for someone like Halladay.
Second, it may not have been that Halladay?s workload was too much on Tuesday ? but rather that it was too little.
Halladay threw just 19 pitches in the game ? which hardly amounts to a regular start. In fact, it was 12 fewer pitches than Halladay threw in the third inning alone Monday.
He threw his regular between-starts bullpen sessions, too, and obviously there are warm-up pitches that add to the overall total at the all-star game, but the fact remains that the last time he was asked to go deep into a meaningful ballgame was 10 days earlier.
Add the oppressive heat to a ramped-up workload, and perhaps Monday?s abridged outing shouldn?t have been a complete surprise.
In fact, check out Doc?s numbers in his first post after making the all-star team throughout his career:
2002: vs. Boston ? 8 IP, 0 ER, 3 H (did not pitch in A-S game)
2003: vs. Boston ? 9 IP, 1 ER, 4 H (did not pitch in A-S game)
2005: Did not pitch, injury before all-star break
2006: vs. Boston ? 5 IP, 5 ER, 8 H (2 innings in A-S game)
2008: vs. Tampa Bay ? 6 IP, 5 ER, 8 H (1 inning in A-S game)
2009: vs. Boston ? 9 IP, 1 ER, 6 H (2 innings in A-S game)
2010: vs. Chicago ? 6 IP, 5 ER, 7 H (2/3 of inning in A-S game)
2011: vs. Chicago ? 4 IP, 3 ER, 7 H (2 innings in A-S game)
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For what it?s worth, game-time temperature tonight is expected to be 87 degrees with a 30 percent chance of rain (i.e. a good bit of humidity).
On Wednesday, the game-time temperature is expected to be about 95 degrees with a high of 98.
Cliff Lee is on record as saying he doesn?t enjoy pitching in the heat. Vance Worley, who goes on Wednesday, has had conditioning concerns throughout his career, including just two months ago during a stint in the big-leagues.
And, of course, if the heat was too much for Halladay, it?s hard to have much confidence in anyone else.
ARLAY (6 TEAMS)
