Breaking news: Phillies sign Bako to minor deal

Journeyman catcher Paul Bako, 36, last played with the Reds in 2008 and will report to extended spring training, according to a team news release.

A veteran of 10 different Major League teams over 11 seasons (yeah), he's a career .231/.305/.317 hitter with 21 home runs over 745 games. He was last with the Cubs during spring training and was released March 30. He bats from the left side. Beerleaguer: Curious signing. I'll digest this more during the commute home and give it the full Beerleaguer treatment tonight, seeing that it's Paul Bako and all. Bako actually started last season fire-hot and was hitting over .300 into May, earning much of the playing time for the Reds. He fell off sharply soon after, ending the season hitting .217. Interesting line from the news release. Read into it what you will: "He'll advance through the minor league system when he is physically able to play."

Comments

[curt]

You can never have too many really old ballplayers around.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Ha, nice one, Curt.

[Tray]

Davthom?

[MG]

Another name in the Gillick/Amaro never-ending pursuit of journeyman backup catchers . . .

Honestly besides being a mentor to Marson I can't fathom a single reason why the Phils signed Bako unless Amaro put another needle into his Coste juju doll again.

[MG]

Starting pitching? . . . a mess. Right-handed bat off the bench? . . . MIA. Good thing to see Rube addressing a critical priority area with a signing that will have immediate impact on the team.

Yeah I am being sarcastic a bit but frankly this is a useless signing and kind of surprising because he isn't a former Gillick player either.

[AWH]

MG, I think we should start a BL pool:

Let's guess who will be in the Phillies' rotation by the end of the season.

You're right. with the exception of Hamels, who has been a walking bandaid, the rest of the SP has been inconsistent - at BEST.

[Steve Jeltz]

This just seems like a waste of money.

[CJ]

AWH: Little chance that Myers won't be in the rotation at the end of the season. And Blanton's a pretty sure bet as well. The other two spots? Well, Moyer has a much longer leash, but it doesn't stretch on forever.

[CJ]

Steve Jeltz: There's not likely to be very much money at all attached to this move. Perhaps they needed more catching depth in the minors... or someone with ML experience to help young catchers or young pitchers. It's not like the small amount of money spent here will affect any other moves the team might make.

[mikes77phillies]

I believe with interleague play starting up, the Phillies are planning to use Coste as the Right Handed DH. That would be risky with only 2 catchers on the roster. They probably don't want to bring Marson up again to just be an insurance policy for Ruiz. Would'nt be suprised to see the new guy on the team during interleague.

[Steve Jeltz]

Yeah, I'm sure he's not getting a ton of $$$ but why add a guy who's superfluous?

Maybe you're right and he's just being brought in as a player-coach type.

[bay_area_phan]

For awhile, I was starting to get worried about the Phillies, but now that they have signed Paul Bako, I expect them to win the NL East by a good 10 games.

[MG]

AWH - I would be surprised if Hamels, Myers, and Blanton aren't in the rotation all season unless they get injured.

As for the last two spots, I think you are going to see the Phils patch those all season long including another trade or post-trade move for a second-tier starter like Lohse or Blanton for the playoff stretch run again.

One thing that is pretty clear though is that their aren't a bunch of internal answers available right now besides Happ and maybe KK.

Carpenter isn't ready (marginal at best anyways), Carrasco has struggled at times at Lehigh Valley, and it would be a stretch right now to reach for anybody at Reading including Bastardo, Worley, etc.

[MG]

Jeltz - That's what I figure as a mentor-type to Marson. Otherwise, it is kind of ironic the Phils would sign a guy like Bako for minor-league depth after getting rid of Jamarillo and Paulino in the last 9 months.

[jeremy]

Pedro Marteniz?

/

[Steve Jeltz]

"I believe with interleague play starting up, the Phillies are planning to use Coste as the Right Handed DH. That would be risky with only 2 catchers on the roster."

This really isn't all that risky. Worst case secanrio is Chooch gets hurt, Coste goes into play C, and you lose the DH. Then you just manage the remainder of that game like an NL game.

People made the same arguement that Coste couldn't possibly DH against Kazmir in the WS, but that's exactyl what the Phils did. Unless they add someone like Mayberry to the roster beforehand, I'd expect Coste to DH at least one game this weekend.

[Jimmie J.]

Maybe Coste or Marson will be dealt as part of a package with the Phillies receiving a good RHH outfielder?

[king myno]

I don't always agree with mikes77phillies, but he might have a point. Even though it looks like Bako isn't ready immediately, a lateral move like that (applying the world's smallest band-aid to the RH bat problem) wouldn't surprise me at all.

[king myno]

At the same time...

MG - I don't think a big pitching move later on is out of the question. I'm sure they'll look at the second-tier first, but with Myers' contract being up and the question mark status of Blanton and Moyer after this year, I think it's conceivable that they'd go after a big name (although maybe only as a rental).

[CJ]

Well, Chris Coste can play 3B, 1B, RF, LF and C, right Davthom? So bring up Bako and you add a RH bench player, right? ;-)

[Steve Jeltz]

CJ: In all honesty, going with 3 C's and having Coste (more) available to pinch hit is probably better than bringing Cairo back.

[MG]

Few points:

- Bako bats left-handed (and is first name is Gabor).

- There is zero reason that Bako seems any time on the Phils' MLB roster unless Ruiz/Coste both are injured.

- Bako signing just is another example of how ineptly the Phils have generally handled the C position since Lieby retired.

- This is near ZERO chance the Phils acquire a frontline starter at any time this season via trade. They don't have the payroll flexibility or uberprospect needed to make it happen.

[burt]

Monday, May 18, 2009
Mets Lose Delgado to Hip Surgery
Word out of New York is that the Mets will be without 1B Carlos Delgado for perhaps up to 2 months. Delgado, who'll be 37 in June, needs hip surgery to repair a torn labrum and remove a bone spur. We've seen similar surgeries for Chase Utley and Alex Rodriguez leading up to this season, each requiring extended time off and involving some uncertainty as to the efficacy until the player can get back on the field and show he's OK. At his age, Delgado was an injury risk, but the Mets don't really have an heir apparent who is ready to go at 1B. Since Delgado last played on May 10, Jerry Manuel has used Daniel Murphy, Fernando Tatis, and Jeremy Reed there. The Mets will obviously miss his bat in the middle of their lineup, but David Lennon of Newsday believes they'll see how things go with this trio before looking at a trade. .

After getting off to a laughable start to the 2008 season, Delgado mashed 63 RBI in 66 games. Although the team hasn't said when exactly they expect him back, a 6- to 8-week timetable would see Delgado return around the mid-summer mark in '09, right about when he turned it on last year. Still, another year older and a hip surgery...

[MG]

Bako bats right-handed and I would much rather see Cairo up again on the MLB roster than Bako.

Bako is USELESS. Cairo at least can play a few positions and has some degree of speed.

[clout]

MG: You meant Bako bats lefthanded.

[MG]

burt - The interesting thing about the Delgado injury is that suddenly Sheffield becomes a key guy for them the next 2 months at least.

He is going to get a fair amount of PT in LF and maybe even at 1B. I would really hate to see Sheffield provide the Mets with a .250 and some nice pop but he might just have enough in the tank to do that. Here's hoping he starts a ton in LF though if he does hit a bit because he will be a big defensive drag out there.

[Mac Tonight]

Looks like Amaro is putting together an AAA incarnation of the Wheeze Kids.

It's old timer's day every day at Lehigh Valley.

[mikes77phillies]

"They (Phillies) don't have the payroll flexibility or the uberprospect to make it (getting a front line pitcher) happen."

Don't agree. Read somewhere recently that Dominic Brown is playing himself into a top 5 outfield prospect and a top 15-20 prospect overall. Brown, Marson, Carrasco and Bastardo could get a front line pitcher at the deadline easily.

[clout]

Marson's backup at LV is Paul Hoover, who's a veteran good field/bad hit guy. Bako is a mediocre field/mediocre hit guy so I don't see an upgrade there unless Hoover is hurt. Bako certainly wasn't brought in to be on the big league team.

The other possibility is that Hoover will be sent down to Reading, where the catching picture is a muddle. Tuffy Goosewich is hitting .198 and may need to go to Clearwater. (and, while I'm on the subject, Travis D'Arnaud is hitting .201 in Lakewood.)

[MG]

mike77 - Highly doubt it. There isn't a guy among that group who is a surefire starter at the start of next year and no "can't miss" uberprospect including Brown.

Team that would trade a frontline starter at the trading deadline aren't going to take a group of decent but not great prospects.

[MG]

clout - Good points. The reality is though that the Phils have had and continue to have to sign a bunch of minor league journeyman or major league retreads to round out their rosters (especially positonal players) the last several years at AA and AAA.

[MG]

Copious posts devoted to a minor-league signing of Bako = quintessential Beerleaguer.

[Andy]

Oooohhh Bako...
Bako because Baaaa - ko...
Oh, Bako,
Bako, because Baaaa - ko....

{My guess on the signing is that Rube is a Peter Gabriel fan.)

[G-Town Dave]

I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been posted, but we all agree so infrequently that I feel compelled to chime in anyway:

This obsession of the Phils FO w/ acquiring catchers for no apparent reason is ignorant & annoying. It pissed me off when Gillick did it, & it pisses me off even more to see Rube doing it.

By-the-by, it's nice to "see" you back, AWH.

[borders]

"This obsession of the Phils FO w/ acquiring catchers for no apparent reason is ignorant & annoying."

Must be really annoying for all the know-it-alls here not to know.

It actually shows your ignorance not theirs.

[Jack]

MG: Yeah, maybe Brown isn't an "uberprospect" can't-miss, but, um, those guys don't get traded. Are the Orioles dealing Matt Wieters? Rays aren't dealing David Price. The Red Sox have needed help for WS runs in the last couple years and haven't traded Clay Bucholz.

Matt Laporta was the big name in the CC Sabathia deal, and he was ranked #23 last year by Baseball America. The last top prospect I can remember being dealt was Hanley Ramirez, who was #10 in 2005 when he was traded to the Red Sox.

If Mikes77 is right, and Brown is rated as a top 15-20 overall prospect, then he's EXACTLY the type of guy who gets traded in the biggest deals. Now, I think he's probably more like a top 30-40 guy, but even that is a good enough prospect, in a package deal, to get a top guy. Carlos Gomez was ranked #52, two spots ahead of Carlos Carrasco, in 2008 when he was dealt for Johan Santana.

[Phylan]

Yay a 36 year old organizational garbage player who has never had an EQA over .250! Meanwhile our pitching staff has a combined WAR of 0 but don't let that bother you man, otherwise you might miss out on great stuff like this!

[bathtubhippo]

well, i'm just upset to hear that tuffy is struggling.

[Dan]

I'm going to start calling him "Chew," even if someone's already done so at one of the ten pro stops he's had.

Good ol' Chew.

[James]

http://www.blamepaulbako.com/2009/02/welcome-to-blame-paul-bako.html

[Andy]

Actually, every time I read that last sentence I can't help chuckling. "He'll advance through the minor league system when he is physically able to play," must be exactly what every 36 year old player wants to be hearing, right?

Since it was clearly added for humorous purposes, I'd like to make a friendly amendment. How about: "He'll advance through the minor league system when he is physically able to walk."

[Klaus]

MG: you were at the day game Saturday? Where did you sit? I was in the 300s, above home plate.

Amazing how the place was majority Phillies fans. The Raaaaaaaaauuuuuullls were voluable and the standing and clapping for Lidge at 2 outs, 2 strikes was the loudest sound made all day.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Michael Bourn]

He honestly is the worst baseball player I have ever seen. Second to Tomas Perez. But if we're signing beerleaguers, I'm sure Matt Stairs and Scott Eyre have a bunch of friends that'll suit up for the Pigs.

[Smokey Burgess]

I guess Sal Faisano and Clay Dalrymple were unavailable.

[MG]

Jack - You have a point but I still don't see where the likes of Carrasco and Marson get you alot. Yeah they are likely to MLB players in the near future both neither guy is a "certain thing" and Brown is still only at Clearwater.

If he were putting up those kind of numbers against AA pitching at Reading, I think you would be right about his higher perceived value.

Not saying there isn't value in the Phils system here and there but I just don't know if the Phils have the likely mixture (or the willingness) to get an elite starter.

Klaus - Home Infield Box on the 1B side. Yeah, I was with 2 Nats fan but there were a ton of Phils guys around us too. Shocking number of people who seemed like they drove down from Philly but DC really is the most accessible driving location to see the Phils this year given their schedule.

[MyersAtTheBat]

my first thought was along the same lines as clout... Bako is minor league catching insurance. i think they're stocking the cupboard in case the Phils decide they need to make a deal for a pithcer at the deadline. the FO seems to believe in Ruiz and they've got two decent catching prospects on the horizon, so catching would seem to be an area of strength from which to deal.
they certainly have the prospects to go out and get an arm at the dealine if they wanted to. dunno if they are willing to take on the payroll, but they seemed to have noticed exactly how much profit is involved in winning, so maybe...

[MG]

Bring back Pete LaForest!

[Kevin M]

There is nothing about this to get excited about. Just giving a veteran a chance to prove himself I guess? Yippee.