Good news on Cole Hamels, Mike Adams

Two Phillies pitchers are on the mend, but there is cause for concern with another. Cole Hamels will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, and Mike Adams will throw from a mound on Feb. 27, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.

Adams thinks he can be back my mid to late April. It will be interesting to see how much different he looks when he eventually makes his season debut. Last year, Adams struggled to control the ball and fell off the mound on every pitch, putting him in no position to field hard-hit balls up the middle.

He admitted that the pain he was feeling was affecting his mechanics.

Hamels seems to be right on the schedule he and the team laid out for him when it was announced the first day of camp that he was suffering from shoulder tendinitis. Both Ruben Amaro Jr. and Ryne Sandberg said their concern level with Hamels was at a 2 on a scale of 1-10.

Jonathan Pettibone, however, remains shut down with right shoulder soreness. The Phils hope to have him throw by the weekend, but there's no guarantee he will.

Pettibone was also shut down last season, his rookie year, after 18 starts. He had a 4.04 ERA at that time in just over 100 innings. 

It's worrisome that Pettibone's shoulder has acted up for about six months now. When Chad Gaudin was released, it looked like Pettibone had the inside track to the long relief/spot starter role. 

Expect the Phils to be overly cautious with Pettibone well into spring training. The 6-foot-6 lefty is still just 23 years old, and remains a piece for the future if he can figure out a breaking pitch.

Comments

[Phillibuster]

BAP: The gist of my vanished post:

I agree that it's a very thin veneer of respectability on that line of reasoning. Very thin.

I also agree that it's much more important for football than any other sport (basketball's probably next-closest), but the NCAA can't make sweeping rules for the behavior of athletes in individual sports - not least because [Heisman Winner A] might join the track & field team simply so he can hire an agent "oh, he's representing professional my hammer throw interests - definitely not my QB interests."

However, there is a degree of validity, however slim. Especially since it can impact universities not just flaking out on some team commitments, but actively leaving a team (imagine if it was about to go to a bowl game) mid-season to join one of the pro leagues.

[Phillibuster]

*my professional hammer throw interests.

Geez, word order, dude, word order.

[Jack]

This article from 2008 is useful on this topic:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22862

[Phillibuster]

Andrelton Simmons signs 7-year deal with Bravos.

Crazy. Wonder if this is where all the money ATL hasn't been spending for decades is going.

[Phillibuster]

Sophist: I think one potential problem is that if this is an MLB-sanctioned thing, we'll never find out.

The Phillies aren't about to turn around and "rat out" the organization that represents its owners' interests. If you want to talk power disparities, there's another huge one.

[Sophist]

Braves just don't have that much money. THey have one of the worst TV contracts in MLB.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/atlanta-braves-freddie-freeman-contract-extension/

[Sophist]

Leaks happen -- either on the Phils end or the MLB end. I don't know how likely MLB influence is, but I wouldn't say we'd never find out.

[NEPP]

Sophist, the fact that there hasnt been a response at all suggests to me that they may be under orders not to speak (either an official gag order or simply instructions from the league office to not say anything).

[Jack]

People tend to use the excuse of not being able to speak way more than they are actually legally not allowed to speak.

[awh]

What I find most amazing is that with a atory THIS important, there is no new thread.

[Philly Dude]

Bitches don't snitch! Amaro should know the Philly code!

[Phillibuster]

Jack: It could have a lot less to do with not being legally allowed to speak and a lot more with there being no such thing as whistle-blower protection for an MLB team.

Especially wherein nothing they would be whistle-blowing about is actually illegal, and only arguably immoral.

[slider]

Beerleaguer has censored me

[slider]

Beerleaguer has censored me

[slider]

Beerleaguer's new slogan:

Beerleaguer 2014: We do a half ass job like the FO

[Maverick]

Slider, you stink

[bay_area_phan]

"People tend to use the excuse of not being able to speak way more than they are actually legally not allowed to speak."

Most of the time, it's not that they aren't ALLOWED to speak. It's that their attorney tells them not to -- and for good reason. I don't think I've ever seen a case in which the defendant made a decision to speak, and it worked to his advantage. I only deal in the realm of criminal law, but I seriously doubt it's much different in civil contexts.

[clout]

The NCAA is a Racketeer and Corrupt Influenced Organization and has been for decades. TV and booster money results in school officials looking the other way on all but the most blatant violations of NCAA rules, not to mention laws in general (ck. criminal records of college athletes)

[Phillibuster]

Clout: To be fair to the NCAA, most colleges/universities look the other way at most students on all but the most blatant of law-breaking - not just athletes.

At the end of the day, they're paying the university money, which is something that stops instantly once the college is forced to expel the student for getting arrested (or s/he has to drop out to spend time in jail). It also reflects poorly on the school if there are hundreds to thousands of citations/arrests of students.

It's why most colleges prefer to have Campus Security deal with any issues involving students rather than police, despite the police being better-qualified to do so in many cases.

[Phillibuster]

CSN has an article on the subject from Salisbury.

http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/report-phillies-accuse-draft-picks-wrongdoing

Cherry-picked factoids:

“I can’t talk about it,” Amaro said. “It’s an investigation.”

...

"Amaro directed inquires to assistant GM Marti Wolever, who heads up scouting for the club."

[NEPP]

Will Marti be able to fully answer questions with that bus on his back?

[Willard Preacher]

Holy sh8t, our Women's Hockey team is going to blow this, aren't they?

[Curt]

If the story weren't basically true, the Phil's would have the good sense to deny it. It actually seems just like something this inbred group of good old boys would think was a good idea.

[Phillibuster]

NEPP: Don't judge how a dude trains for the World's Strongest Man competition!

[Phillibuster]

Curt: How so? It goes completely against "conventional baseball wisdom," which is what you'd expect to motivate a "good old boys" decision.

[Dickie Thong]

Aaron Fitt (‏@aaronfitt)
Hearing from one agent after another today about the Ben Wetzler situation. There will be repercussions for the Phillies.

[Curt]

Phil - It just seems like the kind of short-sighted reaction this management team has displayed in the past when an agent has pissed them off.

[Cyclic]

Willard-- Yes. Wow.

[Phillibuster]

Curt: Such as? I freely admit my memory can be pretty porous at times, but I simply cannot recall a noticeable time previously when the team has done something like this.

Heck, even JD Drew didn't merit this sort of response.

[Redburb]

MONTY'S 30 YEAR WAR AGAINST BORAS

Ok I'll stop.

[Phillibuster]

Perhaps this was a rather underhanded method by which the owners can ship out Amaro as a positive PR move?

[MG]

Dan Lozano: F@cking rats. It's wearing me thin.

Mr. Boras: Danny, it's a nation of f@cking rats.

[The Joker]

This front office needs an enema!

[Phillibuster]

MG: You'd think Sleaze Mountain would be full of rats.

[Jack]

I'm still waiting for the explanation that puts this in a positive light for the Phillies. Anyone?

[Phillibuster]

Perhaps you should wait for any explanation?

[NEPP]

Why do that when jumping to conclusions is far more fun apparently.

[Phillibuster]

I think I have a mat somewhere that helps me do that.

[Jack]

Philibuster: Yeah, I'm sure the other shoe will drop and will show the Phillies acted totally properly.

Or maybe, like Occam's Razor, the most obvious explanation is the correct one: that the Phillies acted like real jerks and ratted out a kid out of spite for not signing with them.

[NEPP]

Yes, they suddenly decided that after years of doing this that this was the year they would start ratting out drafted players for having advisors...

Using Occam's Razor Jack, what was the rationale to suddenly start doing that? Its not as if these are the first 2 guys they've ever drafted that decided to stay in school or simply go to school. Why now? Why these two?

Your idea of a logical explanation is that they suddenly decided to blow it all up and rat out two random players for no other reason than spite? Yes, that makes much, much more sense.

[Dickie Thong]

NEPP: Mini-Mart's donkey show pics is the only explanation I can come up with.

[Phillibuster]

C'mon guys. 30yearswar. We all know it.

[Cyclic]

Anything baseball related happening today?

[Phillibuster]

Cyclic: I hear they deported all the teams in the East to Florida. Harsh sentence, but I hear there are groups lobbying to close down ClearWa prison in a month or so.

[NEPP]

We're one of 7 teams interested in Cuban SS Adelmys Diaz...which otherwise would have been an interesting discussion.

[Jack]

I would be willing to entertain the idea that there was some reasonable explanation for it, if someone could come up with one. Still haven't seen it yet (and no, I don't think this was part of a "sting" by some undercover NCAA plant.)

[Cyclic]

"Ryan Howard was excused from today’s workout for personal reasons. He will return tomorrow." - Gelb Twitter

[Jack]

"Personal reasons" is probably a euphemism for an MRI he wanted that the team wouldn't give him.

[Phillibuster]

It sounds like you're pretty committed to your own PoV there, Jack, since you're not willing to consider any of the several ideas that have been expressed (NCAA "sting," MLB doing its best to reduce the standing of draftees at the expense of [random team X], one scout pissed off at not receiving whatever bonus he might have had in line in the event of his recommendation signing).

So unless you can come up with something that might move the barometer for you, as an example, it sounds like we shouldn't really bother engaging you on the subject at all unless we're already in complete agreement with you.

[clout]

Howard was spotted entering the "MRI City" store in the Clearwater Beach Mall.

[Jack]

Philibuster: None of those seem to make logical sense, though.

Explain your NCAA sting theory. The NCAA thinks players have been using agents. So they do what, exactly? Send a player in as a plant and then tell the Phillies that they have to report this or they will get sued on some theory? How precisely does this work?

[pblunts]

As has been stated by a few here, there absolutely has to be more to this story than meets the eye. The Phillies front office is many things, and while at times it may seem like it, stupid and impulsive are not among its bad qualities. This must have been a serious shi*t show behind the scenes for this to get to this point. You just don't suddenly take this type of stance when you know there are going to be this type of reaction within the baseball community.

[HammRadio]

from an earlier comment that never posted...

"I also agree that it's much more important for football than any other sport (basketball's probably next-closest), but the NCAA can't make sweeping rules for the behavior of athletes in individual sports - not least because [Heisman Winner A] might join the track & field team simply so he can hire an agent "oh, he's representing professional my hammer throw interests - definitely not my QB interests."

@Philibuster -- but they do make rules specific to sports. Consider that you can play minor league or major baseball, make hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions in salary and signing bonuses, and return to college and keep your College eligibility in your sport.

See Russell Wilson, Chris Weinke, etc..

and then consider what the NCAA did to Enes Kanter...

Baseball seems to be a special case... and if the Phillies were ratting out two players... perhaps there was some collusion on the "advisor/agent" part? But punishing the players for the spat with an agent is unseemly.. and regardless of how you think the Phillies organization is... this is not something they would typically do. Rogue scout? perhaps. But considering the organization tries to fall in with the party line from the commissioners office, i'd be surprised the Phillies were intentionally being nefarious.

but you know... if you hate Ruben...

[Bedrosian's Beard]

It's one thing if they did it b/c Wetzler "agreed" and backed out(not that I support this), but they did it to another player as well. Going from never doing this before, to turning in two guys?

Why was one allowed by the NCAA to play this year, and not the other?

[Jack]

What's the rogue agent theory? The agent screwed over the Phillies by getting the kid to back out at the last minute?

Even if that's the case, how are the Phillies in the right for taking it out on the player?

[MG]

Waiting to reach a conclusion and verifying two independent credible sources to report a story?

Should I also get you a Sony Walkman and a Chipwich to go with your cinder block-sized cell phone?

[Phillibuster]

Jack: Pretty sure I already went over that. Explicitly, actually. If you want detailed specifics? Sorry, can't provide those, since I don't work in either organization - but it's a theory that literally does have some chance of being true. Unless you've secretly contacted DPat's source and he's told you otherwise.

Really though, for it to be an NCAA sting it doesn't even have to target the MLB teams at all.

Instead, it could be about sending a message to college athletes that "if you're going to leave us early, you better do absolutely everything exactly by our book, or we'll nail you to the wall." A 5th-rounder isn't a bad choice for that sort of message, since the odds of him ever making an appreciable amount of money playing baseball are low, but certainly not completely absent.

Also, you neatly avoided addressing either of the other two ideas that have already been floated. Your laser-like focus is admirable.

[Jack]

Philibuster: I just don't understand how the actual sting works. What are the logistics? How do they force the Phillies to report?

[Phillibuster]

Jack: You're being argumentative for its own sake, or your reading comprehension is dropping.

"Rogue scout" was an idea floated. Generally with the idea that the scout lost out on either prestige or monetary rewards for selecting a player that showed promised and was willing to sign for 5th-round slot(ish) money.

[cut_fastball]

I love sucking cock

[Phillibuster]

Jack: How does any sting work? They catch one party knowingly engaging in an act that is in breach of contract/law/custom. Whether you do so by enlisting the aid of someone already party to it (pay them more, blackmail, etc.), setting up a situation wherein you introduce someone already willing to assist (ask [Player X] or [Agent X] to declare eligibility/sign an athlete in the draft, then proceed to create the situation), or creating the situation (work with [Team X] to catch [Any Given Player] breaking the rules), the end result is the same.

Though presumably it wasn't the third option, in this case.

Assuming the existence of a contract, you force the Phillies to report by going to Bud Selig and saying: "Hey guy, we've got one of your satellite companies on-record breaking our agreement. Our lawyers indicate it might be better if you come forward about that yourselves - maybe even put responsibility at the feet of the ones party to it."

[Phillibuster]

And again, you're totally ignoring the possibility of it being done entirely to set an example for other would-be draftees, with no thought to the effect on the MLB team.

[Phillibuster]

To be clear, I'm not saying that's likely. But you wanted one example of how it could possibly not be the Phillies FO suddenly waking up one morning and deciding that they never wanted to sign a college athlete again.

RAJ's surprisingly mum response so far makes me think the decision to report the violation probably wasn't his. He's never shy about justifying unpopular actions he takes.

[Cyclic]

Gelb twitter-- "One detail in the Phillies-Ben Wetzler situation: Phillies offered him above slot, which was $315,200."

[Dickie Thong]

I wish Weitzel would write a post about Wetzler .

[clout]

Jack: "The NCAA thinks players have been using agents. So they do what, exactly?"

They would do nothing, which is what they always do when faced with violations, unless publicity forces their hand.

[slider]

Jack is an assho1e who just solely relies on his own idiotic rampant speculation. He did this before implying racism at the D'Backs and various other organizations.

Debate this issue people but intellectual voids like Jack are the wrong guy to debate because he has nothing between his ears but a "Space for Rent" sign.

[Phillibuster]

MG: I could go for a Chipwich.

[clout]

Carlos Ruiz has received an exemption to use Adderall in 2014.

[Phillibuster]

Wow... RBI Baseball is coming back this year, since 2K lost the MLB license (after throwing out increasingly-shoddy products for several years that could only compete with The Show because the latter was Sony-exclusive).

It's going to be produced by MLB itself. I can't decide whether that's good or bad...

[Cyclic]

clout, I hope that's great news.

[jbird]

Is spring training going on? What's with the bi-weekly threads? I read bleeding eagles green to keep up with the town's football franchise, and they are putting out 3-4 articles (not just 2 paragraph headers) per day in their offseason. I used to get 90% of my phillies news here. Still do, I suppose, but it's all in the comment threads.

[Chris in VT]

Don't like the idea of the Phils reporting Wetzler out of spite...that would be a very short-sighted and sophomoric move for a franchise that's already perceived as a ship of fools sometimes.

[Jack]

Clout: So you're not buying the NCAA sting theory, either?

[Jack]

It's also premised on the underlying assumption that there's some contract between MLB and NCAA, which I don't think actually exists (or at least I have never seen one that exists).

[NEPP]

MLB might be the only major league that doesnt have a contract with NCAA. NHL perhaps too.

[Meyer]

I like Sting Theory Jack. Get's away from the "scientific-fantasy-roided-stat oriented passing-dead numbers era.

[Meyer]

The next Commissioner of Baseball has some work to be done. This may be near the top priorities.

[NEPP]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?id=4489855

From 2009...

Yes MLB & NCAA work together too.

[Sophist]

NEPP - I could have missed something, but the strong sense I got from that article was that that program is 100% NCAA initiative and MLB washes its hands of all of it. Union's GC decined to comment. Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball's vice president of labor relations and human resources, said the letter is strictly an NCAA initiative. Etc..

[Sophist]

One hole in this whole "sting" idea -- really? -- is that, you know, Jason Monda was cleared to play in the NCAA recently. I think that means he didn't violate the agent/advisor policy.

[NEPP]

I wasn't trying to say they have an agreement but they clearly trade information.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

How about the disgruntled, drunken scout talking too much to the guy on the next stool at the airport bar theory?

[Meyer]

Where's BAP? Inveigh, please. Thankfully Monty has access to the best lawyers in the world if he's the next Commish.

[Meyer]

Hugh, I can relate to the drunken scout. I received my best information on the Lee trade to Cleveland from an old timey baseball co-worker, who had season tickets behind home plate at LV. Small world.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Loose lips sink ships

[Meyer]

Ultimately there are 3 powerful organizations which will eventually unite in some baseball compromise. The NCAA, MLB, and the Players Union. Peace.

[Meyer]

I wish I could remember half of the old timey guy's Phillies stuff we talked about when I was stupid. He was a full time fan and baseball loving guy.

[awh]

What about a rival coach at another school who didn't want Wetzler to play?

[aksmith]

Don't know how this happened, whether it was on purpose or some disgruntled scout, etc. But, contrary to the BS apologists and sycophants in general in charge over at TGF, this is going to create problems for the Phillies.

Contrary to popular belief, the Phillies do not draft by having Rube blindfolded, throwing darts at a board full of random names. Even the analysis-starved Phillies actually put some thought and due diligence into the players they draft. And if they will now be denied contact with players (and their agents, ahem) because of this idiotic move, it certainly can't help them.

Why is it always the Phillies? Sucking the commissioner's member and not going over slot for years. Never going strongly into the international free agent pool. Last to the plate for analytics. And now, finks/rats/sore losers deluxe. Why? Isn't it hard enough competing when players already don't want to come to Philly without an overpay. Only three years ago, Philly was a destination franchise. Suddenly, they're a notch below any team owned by Jeffrey Luria.

And it doesn't really matter if it was Rube or Wolever (who conveniently are passing questions back and forth), or a disgruntled scout. It's just that it's the Phillies. Always the gd Phillies.

[Will Schweitzer]

Ok, every article I have read about this indicates that the Phillies had reported these players to the NCAA. There was no ambiguity or theories about rival coaches or sting operations and no hinting at even the possibility of any other party responsible for snitching outside of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

The whodunnit question seems to have already been answered. The real question is why did they do it?

From those who were willing to speak to the media, it seems like the Phillies, and only the Phillies, will enter the draft blind, receiving little or no information from agents or advisers regarding a player's
willingness to sign.

Seems odd that so many people are willing to jump the gun and blame the Phillies unless there's just cause for doing so. The silence from the Phillies front office (and the lack of any reporting from Comcast or Beerleaguer) seems to support the Phillies guilt in this matter.

So, yeah... someone in the Phillies organization made a stupid decision (what a shock!) and, as a result, the team will have an unnecessary draft handicap of unknown severity for the foreseeable future (and, quite possibly, a more difficult time negotiating with free agents).

Go team.

[BobbyD]

What is the purpose of this site, if I can't come here to read about a big Phillies story?

[jbird]

By the by, don't know if anyone mentioned it but baseball America issued its top 100

Franco #17
Biddle #71
Crawford #78

[awh™]

Someone thinks the Phillies bullpen will be better in 2014:

Michael Lecke’s 2014 Philadelphia Phillies Roster Projections: Relief Pitchers

[awh™]

BTW, what's this about Bastaro's labrum? Lecke mentioned it in his column:

First and foremost, the players themselves will be better. Antonio Bastardo has put his 50 game PED suspension behind him and will look to return to top form for a full season. Who knows if his labrum will hold up, it’s been a bit of a ticking time bomb but as long as he’s out there he’s been excellent.

[Meyer]

Who the f8uck is Michael Lecke?

[awh™]

Meyer: "Someone..."

[Meyer]

Well "Someone" is going to pay for NCAA baseball players vs MLB and I say the NCAA/Baseball players. After all, Football pays the way and the NCAA better get out of the way of baseball. Who the f8uck cares about NCAA baseball anyway?

[Meyer]

And regarding the good phight, it appears that every lurking fan of the site has finally emerged from fantasy land to post on this latest nonsense of a story regarding yet another fantasy of a 5th rounder. Fancy that fancy of a fantasy blogitariot. Pitiful.

[Dragon]

The simple question is what did the Phillies expect to gain by ratting out the players? I can think of a lot of negatives but not one positive.