Sunday: Roster shuffle puts Phils in position to retool

The Phillies carry a four-man bench into the final game with Washington, likely a temporary measure as the need for a right-handed bat has become more evident.

When Brad Lidge blew Friday's save, forcing the Phillies to exhaust Saturday's scheduled starter J.A. Happ, it might have been the push the Phillies needed to rethink their 25-man roster. The newest addition is 24-year-old Sergio Escalona, a lefty who started turning heads late last season. The Phillies thought enough of Escalona to protect him on the 40-man roster, and he's demonstrating why, saving 10 games at Double-A and extending a scoreless innings streak to 9 1-3 innings prior to yesterday's call-up.

Recalling Escalona may have been the quickest and easiest solution to round out the roster while the Phillies finish up in Washington. It's probable Escalona won't last long, but the club has been known to surprise. Lugging the league's second-worst ERA, the Phillies could actually view Escalona as part of their plans rather than a quick fix with options. Since Happ has proven to be an invaluable longman, while Jack Taschner has become something of a poor-man's Happ, the Phils actually have a need for a situational lefty, something the Phillies hope Escalona can become.

The Phils may have looked good in yesterday's twin bill, but don't let their performance against woeful Washington fool you. While the pitching staff remains on shaky ground, the biggest hole may be on the bench. The Phillies identified this right-handed weakness early this offseason and never found a suitable answer. Miguel Cairo, who filled the role until about 10 p.m. on Friday, was designated for assignment, leaving them a man short for a standard bench. Cairo's greatest asset was his versatility, providing insurance for Pedro Feliz and Chase Utley, who've both emerged healthy. Now, with Greg Dobbs, Chris Coste and Eric Bruntlett all struggling, the Phils are desperate for another threat.

As teams begin to identify their strengths in weaknesses around the league, the Phils could begin searching for a match from the outside. Until they find one, Escalona could stick around, at least through the end of the roadtrip.

Comments

[mvptommyd]

From Previous Thread:

Phlipper: He acts like he is a baseball genius but really all he does is take a stand, then when he is wrong (most of the time) he hedges what he said with something 3 years done the road.

That is why I love this site, people spend literally 15 hours a day on here and in the end they are dead wrong. So they waste full days "finding" stats to prove points, then in the end are DEAD WRONG. I find that hilarious...

Thoughts on Todays matchup

If Chan Ho pitches the way he did against the Mets and Dodgers, I think we see him pitching 7 innings of 4 Run ball. With that being said I think the Young Zimmerman will have to pitch almost mistake free to beat us today.

I see a Phillies win 5-4.

[NEPP]

Did anyone want to put money down on a 5-4 victory?

I doubt anyone actually sits on their PC for 15 hours a day just on BL looking things up...but good exageration.

[NEPP]

I believe its Drabek's day to start in Clearwater...hopefully he continues his very strong start. He's been pretty dominant so far over his first 7 appearances. 2.21 ERA, 51 K and just 12 BB in 40.2 IP

[Tray]

From the last thread:

"Of course he's not going to produce at these levels for the rest of this season, let alone the duration of his contract - but his production so far this year puts the Phils in a much, much better position to get to the post season this season. Take away his production and substitute what Burrell has done so far this year and the Phils are fighting it out with the Nats for last place in the division."

You're assuming, Phlipper, that Burrell won't outperform Ibanez the rest of the way. We basically know from past history that Ibanez will have a terrible month this season, just as we know that at some point this season, Burrell will get hot. If Burrell were here instead of Ibanez and doing exactly what he's done for Tampa (which is obviously far from a sure thing, different pitchers, different park, etc.), then yeah, we'd be in a hole. But it's quite possible that at some point this season, Ibanez will stop hitting completely, as he has often done at one point or another the past seven-odd seasons,* and that he'll help to put us in a hole that Burrell wouldn't have. Ultimately, what will determine whether this decision was the right one will not only be these guys' numbers at the *end of the season,* but how they do in subsequent years.

* September '08, .233/.292/.301, 1 HR.
July '07, .184/.241/.262, 0 HR.
August '05, .226/.320/.368, 3 HR.
July '04, .246/.297/.348, 2 HR.
May '02, .179/.256/.179, 0 XBH.
April '02, .238/.265/.397, 1 HR.
April-May '01, .135/.158/.135, 0 XBH. (Followed, amazingly enough, by two straight months with an OPS of 1.050.)

[NEPP]

Enough with your "facts", Tray. Good luck trying to use those new fangled statistics on proving a point here!!!

[Andy]

NEPP - I wasn't trying to rake you over the coals (in re: Howard), just kind of trying to soothe your worry. The Big Man's job is to carry us in the late months.

[NEPP]

LOL...sorry. Sometimes people jump on you here for the smallest comment. Its nice that he managed to avoid a horrible slumpt this year to start the season.

[mikes77phillies]

"Jack Taschner has become something of a poor-man's Happ"

Don't insult that man (Happ) like that.

[Andy]

Oh, and smaller zone => more walks (but more saliently) & more "hitter's counts" => more baserunners => more runs.

If the umps continue to give us games with 15 - 20 walks, there will indeed be records broken. As I have stated earlier, we are on a pace to have the most walks per game since 1893.

For comparison of the effect that has on offense ability, the Phils had three regular OFs and a bench OF who hit over .400 during the 1894 season. The team BA was .349. The Boston Braves scored an average of 9.17 runs.

It may be time to raise the mound a couple inches.

[curt]

Let all us eagerly anticipate Ibanez's next slump. After all, there's nothing more annoying than a hot Phillie.

[NEPP]

Lol...Or just go back to a normal strikezone...

[Andy]

NEPP - Bringing up Drabek reminds me; yesterday when we looked up Carpenter's hitting to compare with "The King of Versafutility," I noticed Justin DeFratus's numbers so far. He needs to get soon to Reading to find out if he's got any future. He's tossed 32 Ks versus 1 BB.

[mikes77phillies]

"You're assuming, Phlipper, that Burrell won't outperform Ibanez the rest of the way."

It's doubtful Burrell will outperform Ibanez. Burrell usually starts hot, then has either a good July or August to get to his usuall numbers. He did'nt start hot this year and he's injured already, so I doubt he gets to his normal production this year.

[Andy]

In re: Fillies
My prophetic best: if Rachel and the Bird both run their races, the Belmost ought to be a fun race to watch.

[Andy]

Ummm...nice fingers, Andy. "Belmont."

[Andy]

Rollins
Utley
Ibanez
Howard
Werth
Victorino
Feliz
Ruiz
Park

I see runs in our future.

[NEPP]

I like it...ride the hot hand with Ibanez in the 3 hole.

[J. Weitzel]

Yo new thread.

[NEPP]

Drabek's day (so far): 1 IP, 1 H, 3 K

So far, so good. He's dominated Lakeland in his first two starts against them this year and is off to another great start against them.

[Andy]

Yo, EFF Time.

[EastFallowfield]

I can see posting after one of my "Yo, new thread"s...but after Weitzel's??

[mikes77phillies]

EFF = JW

GtownDave = Mac Tonight

[mrmoose]

wonder if we will see the Phillies keep sending pitchers to and from the minors to get innings out of guys like Zagerski and Kaplowe.