BY SCOTT LAUBERCLEARWATER, Fla. -- It's the ultimate getaway day.
The Phillies' bags are packed, and they're ready to go. When today's game ends, they will board a charter at Tampa International and leave Bright House Field in their dust. Me? I'll file a couple stories, then hop a 7:30 p.m. US Airways flight to Philly. So, unless there's breaking news (Gary Sheffield Watch begins in earnest today), there may not be much activity here at Philled In today. That said, I thought it would be an appropriate time to review some of our top five storylines from seven weeks in Clearwater, and as always, get your thoughts on each.
So, without further ado ...
1. Park takes the fifth: It promised to be the best competition of camp, and it didn't disappoint. The race for the No. 5 starter job began with four candidates. Kyle Kendrick, initially tabbed as a slight favorite by pitching coach Rich Dubee, fell behind early when he showed little improvement with his changeup. Carlos Carrasco, the darkhorse all along, had his moments, but for the most part, he proved he needs more triple-A seasoning. Then, there were J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park, who duked it out for weeks. Happ, the young lefty, posted a 3.15 ERA in 20 Grapefruit League innings. Park, the veteran right-hander, posted a 2.53 ERA and an astounding 25-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In the end, the Phillies chose Park. But was it the right decision? Park has not been an effective starter since 2001, and last season, he was an asset to the Dodgers as a reliever. Happ, meanwhile, hasn't proven he can pitch effectively in relief. Will they remain in their initial roles, or at some point, will they flip-flop?
2. Hamels loosens up: When Cole Hamels returned to Philadelphia on March 16 to have his cranky left elbow examined, the Phillies were hoping for some good luck. It was fitting then that Hamels saw team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti on St. Patrick's Day and received a positive diagnosis: No structural damage to his elbow. Hamels received an anti-inflammatory injection, and in his subsequent bullpen sessions and minor-league starts, he hasn't felt any of the between-innings tightness that prompted him to get checked out. So far, the setback has only caused Hamels' first start to be pushed back five days. Instead of starting the season-opener Sunday, he's slated to pitch April 10 in Colorado.
3. Catch and release: Since he took over in November, Ruben Amaro Jr. has enjoyed a financial flexibility that few Phillies GMs have had. The Phillies' payroll will top $130 million, a club record, and money was seemingly no object this spring when it came to dealing with unwanted Adam Eaton and Geoff Jenkins. Unable to find a taker for either player, the Phillies quite simply released them, eating the $9.15 million they owed Eaton and the $8 million they owed Jenkins. Include the $3 million they're paying Jim Thome this season, and the Phillies are paying abou $20.15 million to three former players.
4. Utley, Feliz are ready to roll: If you had asked six weeks ago if Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz would be ready for opening night after undergoing offseason surgeries, I wouldn't have been entirely sure. But, for at least the past three weeks, there has been little doubt. Both are playing regularly in Grapefruit League games, and neither has felt lingering discomfort.
5. Classic disruption: Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino were away from the team for about three weeks to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. How might it affect them? Well, Rollins had a terrific tournament and hasn't shown signs of rust from getting fewer at-bats (21) than he likely would've received during the same time period here. Victorino took some time to find his swing after rejoining the Phillies, but he has had a few multi-hit games in the past week.
***
On tap for today: Sheffied is expected to clear waivers at 1 p.m. How soon will he find a job, and will it be with the Phillies? Tigers manager Jim Leyland told reporters yesterday that Sheffield has received interest from three teams, and Ruben Amaro Jr. has confirmed the Phillies are one of them.
"We have interest in him," Amaro said yesterday after the Phillies bowed to the Tigers. "I'm not going to get into specifics. All I can tell you is that we've talked to him, and we've talked to his agent."
There's a decent chance Sheffield winds up in the NL East. He has said he's interested in playing for the Marlins, Braves and Mets, although his first choice remains going to the Tampa Bay Rays and hitting his 500th career home run (he has 499) in his hometown. It's doubtful, though, that the Rays have a spot for him, especially after signing Pat Burrell to be their DH.
"I would love to go to the Rays, but if I can't go there, I'll look at other options," he told USA Today.
***
In today's News Journal, we look at whether Raul Ibanez can make everyone forget about Burrell. Within the notebook, you'll hear from Kyle Drabek and J.A. Happ and get more on Sheffield. Speaking of Burrell, there was a good column about him in the Tampa Tribune a few days ago.
***
Come follow me -- and Philled In -- on Twitter.
No comments:
Post a Comment