ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Happy Sunday, all.We're live blogging this morning from Coca Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' new Class AAA affiliate. Nice ballpark here in Allentown (can't get the Billy Joel song out of my head, though). Looks a little like the spring-training park in Clearwater, only the tiki bar is in right field and doesn't have the thatched roof like Frenchy's. There's a berm in left field, which is a nice touch. Looking forward to walking around a bit more to get a better lay of the land.
Very tight quarters (and limited electrical outlets) in the auxiliary press area, so the blogging may be sparse today. But I'll pass along any last-minute roster news. The Phillies have to submit their roster by 3 p.m. I don't expect any alterations to the 25 players they have now.
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So, if you've picked up your Sunday paper (and I know you have), you know it's packed with Phillies stuff, from player capsules, to a feature on ever-stylish reigning NL MVP Jimmy Rollins, to my breakdown of the NL East, to Kevin Noonan's forecast that the Phillies will repeat as NL East champs, to Martin Frank's coverage of yesterday's exhibition loss to the Blue Jays.
But there's a question I want to ask of you, and it's a question we posed in our Phillies' cover story today. How long can the Phillies keep this ultra-talented nucleus (Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Pat Burrell, Brad Lidge, etc.) -- and their ever-growing salaries -- together? If the Phils don't win the World Series this year or next year, does their window of opportunity close?
OK, discuss.
And, if I don't talk to you, have a great Sunday.
3 comments:
Not that I'm at all for Ryan Howard leaving, but if he decides to holdout or demand a trade before his 2011 deadline due to his father's unhappiness, I think I may have the ultimate plan for his departure. Move Chase Utley over to firstbase (which he's played many times) and anoint Adrian Cardenas as the new second baseman.
It's a real shame, but Cole Hamels recent quotes and his "Hollywoodness" will eventually lead him back to the west coast. I think we'll be lucky to see him as a Phillie for 2 more years. Assuming he resigns here at all.
Rollins and Utley are locked up for a while, but I won't name Lidge as the future closer or a member of their young core until I see him get at least one save as a Phillie.
Also off the current topic, If I had my drothers, I would like to see the Phils release Eaton (eat the contract) and fill in the fifth starters spot with either Carrasco, Outman, Carpenter, or Savery. In other words find this year's Kyle Kendrick (who may not even be in the rotation anymore come May).
I would expect we will see the last of Burrell as a Phillie upon the end of the 2008 season. The others are locked up with the Phillies for quite a while. Howard, though, could become trade bait if (a) the Phillies decide they just can't sign him and don't wish to pay him ever-rising arbitration sums; or (b) the current team sinks and the Phils begin to go into a mini-rebuilding effort.
I don't see Lidge sticking around after the season. If he has a good year, let him walk, take the draft picks, and either move Myers cak or hope that Mathieson is ready to close (I think that's what he'ss turn out to do sometime).
I don't see the sense in locking up Howard beyond his arbitration years. He reminds me too much of Cecil Fielder and Mo Vaughan. I agree with WPSN about moving Utley to 1b, though I don't think there's much a chance of Howard holding out or demanding a trade. This isn't the NFL. Plus, we don't have to start worrying about that for a couple of years.
I want to see Hamels healthy for a whole year before I think of locking him up. They still control him for four years, so there's no rush.
If Utley and Rollins are still productive when they approach the end of their contracts, I'd make re-signing them a priority.
Regarding Eaton. I'd feel more comfortable if he wasn't the number 5. But I'd hesitate before I brought up a young guy prematurely. Kendrick was a windfall, but I wouldn't count on an under-the-radar minor leaguer contributing to the big league club every year. I wouldn't count on any of the young prospects to contribute this year.
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