Tagged: Philadelphia Phillies
12/16 Hot Stove – Breaking Down the Halladay-Lee Deal
There are no losers in this four team deal. We have to praise all of the GMs in involved.
Let’s start with the Phillies. Ruben Amaro Jr. was able to acquire perhaps the best pitcher in baseball and lock him up to a long term deal while trading Cliff Lee to the Mariners and re-stocking his farm system. You have to give him credit. He couldn’t lock up Cliff Lee long term so he made the move for Roy Halladay. Great job!
Now onto the Mariners, where Jack Zduriencik has been quite busy this offseason. First, he signs Chone Figgins and then he trades for Cliff Lee. You now have to make them the favorites in the AL West with perhaps the best 1-2 punch in baseball with King Felix and Lee.
The Blue Jays did what they wanted to do. They were able to trade Halladay and they were able to get some top prospects in return. Kyle Drabek was their target back in July and they finally got him. They were also able to send Michael Taylor to the A’s for Brett Wallace, who will bolster their infield with his bat.
We have winners all around after this deal. It will be fun to see them all in action come next April. Watch Hot Stove tonight at 6pm ET.-Mitch Williams
Click here to watch Wednesday night’s interview with Roy Halladay.
12/15 Hot Stove – Brotherly Love
It was only five years ago that the Phillies were stuck in the middle of the road…or the street. Broad Street, to be exact. Not yet a playoff team but certainly not a bunch of pushovers. The folks in South Philly had a beautiful new ballpark, 80-plus wins a year and a few stars on the rise. Yet it was a franchise few opposing players and fans believed in.
That was two general managers ago. Ed Wade was running the show back then. While Wade handed out some ill-advised contracts, he was steadfast in holding onto young talent like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard when he had a chance to “go for it” and possibly reach the playoffs. By staying the course, drafting fairly well, developing Minor Leaguers the right way and hiring baseball lifer Charlie Manuel to replace Philly icon Larry Bowa as manager, the Phillies were building a team that could win over and over and over.
When possible Hall of Fame executive Pat Gillick took over for Wade, the Phils reached the promised land. When Ruben Amaro Jr. took over for Gillick, he continued to tweak a talented roster even “after” a World Series Championship. How novel an approach.
Raul Ibanez, Cliff Lee, Placido Polanco, Roy Halladay – the Phils get better with every move. The folks in the front office outdo themselves with every transaction.
With a top notch Spring Training facility, ‘ditto’ for the big league park, a few of the most talented and confident stars in the game, plus a sports crazy fan base, Philadelphia is now a city big leaguers want to play in.
Unless they’re on the visiting team.-Matt Yallof
9/22 MLB Tonight Pre-Show Meeting
One of our main themes tonight will be who will be the 3rd starter for some of these teams that could make the postseason? We’ll begin that discussion in the first hour with former Twin and current broadcaster Bert Blyleven. If the Twins make it they’ll start with Scott Baker and Carl Pavano, but who do you go to after that? Is it Nick Blackburn after his performance last night or is it rookie Brian Duensing who is 4-1 since being called up from the minors.
Another pitcher with an important start tonight is Ervin Santana of the Angels. Right now the Angels are set with John Lackey, Jered Weaver, and Scott Kazmir. Can Santana change Scioscia’s mind and get a start in the postseason? He also has to think about Joe Saunders who pitched well last night.
How about the Phillies? Is your number 3 Joe Blanton or Pedro Martinez behind Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels? What about Jaime Moyer who has 12 wins?
Another interesting team is the Rockies. They’ll begin with Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis, but who do they go to after that? Is it Jorge De La Rosa or Aaron Cook?
Finally, what do the Cardinals do? We know Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are a given, but is Joel Pineiro definitely their number 3? What about John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse?
This is some of the things we’ll be talking about tonight starting at 6. -Greg Amsinger
MLB Network 