Not to be the bearer of bad news or anything, but I talked to Pat Gillick yesterday about the possibility of signing a free-agent reliever (i.e., Troy Percival) to bolster the injury-ravaged back end of the Phillies' already beleaguered bullpen. Here's what he said:"I don't think so. We've looked at what's out there, free agent-wise, and nothing's out there that's going to really improve us in the direction we want to go."
In other words, don't hold your breath.
Here's what we know: the Phillies dispatched a scout to the University of California-Riverside on Tuesday to watch Percival throw. But they weren't alone. At least a handful of bullpen-needy teams were there, including the Detroit Tigers, Percival's preferred suitor. I'm no economist, but I have a basic idea of the laws of supply and demand. Considering the short supply of quality relievers and how many teams need to find some, it seems to me that the Phillies will have to overpay to get Percival, a 37-year-old right-hander who was a once dominant closer for the Anaheim Angels but hasn't pitched since 2005 because of an elbow problem.
OK, put yourself in Gillick's shoes. Are you willing to gamble on Percival's health by giving him a low-base, incentive-laden one-year contract? Would you give him any more than that, knowing it may take something more to get him?
* News from the minors: J.A. Happ has joined Kyle Drabek on the disabled list.
1 comment:
How could the Phillies be dumb enough to sign Adam Eaton for this kind of money. I thought Garcia was a good move but apparently the White Sox knew he was damaged goods. What happened to the guy who used hit the mid 90's with his fastball. Now he is a mid to upper 80's fastball pitcher who can't throw less than 100 pitches in 6 innings. Another wards, a typical Phillies loser pitcher that they've had more of their share of in the past.
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