Philliedelphia

Phillies Sign Pitcher Carlos Zambrano To Minor-League Deal

No....we're not kidding.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies and Carlos Zambrano have come to agreements on a minor-league deal. 

Zambrano, a true character on the field and off, last pitched in the Major Leagues with the Miami Marlins last season where he went 7-10 with a 4.49 ERA. Prior to his stint in Miami, Zambrano accumulated a 125-81 record and 3.60 ERA in 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

Zambrano will report to extended spring training before headed to any minor-league affiliate.

Now personally, I don't mind the Phillies going out to get a veteran arm to help with depth in the system. It's a good strategy, but a clubhouse cancer like Zambrano and the Phillies don't nescessarily go hand in hand. That's just my personal opinion.

How long before he and the Phillie Phanatic get into a fist fight? 

Don't Get Too Excited About Doc's Replacement

Morgan on-deck yesterday. By Rich Wilkins

I got the texts yesterday-

"So Morgan or Biddle replaces Halladay now?"

Uh, no.

Let's review. Neither is on the 40 man roster, the first issue. Secondly, I doubt the Phillies are trying to fill that 40th spot right now, it takes away flexibility in other areas. Finally, there's the fact that neither is really ready, despite their immense talent.

Say what?

Let's start with Biddle, because it's even more ridiculous that he's in the discussion of anyone at all. Biddle's the best talent in the pitching corps down there. He struck out 16 guys in AA just two weeks ago. He's a talent, no doubt. He also went 0.2 of an inning in his last start, facing seven hitters and retiring only two. Reading lost that game 15-5. He was not good. It doesn't mean give up on him, obviously. It means he has work to do. No shame in that, but that is not a sign he belongs on the big club now.

Then there's Morgan. I got an up-close-and-personal view on him yesterday. It wasn't pretty. He battled through four innings, surrendering four runs. Yes, he struck out a lot of guys (6), and you can see the talent in him. Between him and Francisco Liriano (doing a rehab stint), the first four innings felt like they took four days. Morgan's command can evade him, and this is the second time I've seen that. He had trouble controlling the ball in the exhibition game with Reading that I was at too. I still like him to make this team, or some team, next season, but not now. He needs to develop his command on multiple pitches, including all of his off-speed stuff. He's not quite there yet. He will be, but he's not yet. Let's not forget, he's basically pitched two months above A ball so far. Maybe in a month or two my view will change here. In fact, probably. He's been very good in AAA overall, and I'm kind of dumping cold water on this based on a couple of times seeing him. In his favor is that he's on schedule to start for Halladay.

Just forget Ethan Martin too, while we're at it. He's struggled with command. So if all the young guys with plus stuff are out, who's in?

I'd be literally shocked if they don't call up Tyler Cloyd. He's pitching well right now after a bad start. He wasn't great last September, but he was totally passable as a fifth starter. He's the furthest along in his development. I'd be shocked if it's not him. If it's not, I'll start believing Ruben's desperate.

Why are we Discussing Giancarlo Stanton?

From Stanton's Twitter

Let me start with this- I'd love to have Giancarlo Stanton in Philadelphia for the next decade. Seriously. The guy is a certified beast, and in Philly he'd play in meaningful games. Imagine him splitting up Utley and Howard, or hitting behind Howard, or whatever else you want to do with him!

There's no reason to discuss him though. We do not have the trade chips, and the ones we do should not be shipped out for him. If you were the Marlins, don't you ask for Biddle, Morgan, Quinn, and Joseph to start? Yeah, exactly, we don't have the chips. I would not move any of them right now if I had my way, and there's no scenario where I move them all. Biddle and Morgan may be in the 2014 rotation (if not 2013), Quinn would be selling low, and Joseph is the catcher next year, if it were me running the team. With three free agent starting pitchers, and three of the five infield spots also being open, there's just no way I could make that trade right now.

Sure, if I could get away with getting Stanton for less than the price above, I'd consider it, but if we go lower, some other team will outbid us. I'd be open to sending Brown or Ruf for Stanton but I'd want a signed an extension quickly too. Frankly, I just think the cost is higher than we can afford to send for him. If we get a deal, take it, but I don't see it. I think we're riding out this season as is.

Roy Oswalt on Roy Halladay: Don't Count Him Out After Two Starts

So last night, Roy Oswalt was sitting at home bored and figured he would jump back on Twitter. We all went crazy and begged him to return to Philly, to which he replied "I would love to come back to Philly,". 

Today, some few 15 hours after Roy Halladay's terrible start against the Mets, Roy Oswalt took to Twitter to go to bat for Halladay.

 

Halladay has lost his first two starts while allowing 12 earned runs over 7 1/3 innings. He has struck out 12 and walked six batters over these two starts. It's not looking good for Halladay right now, but like Roy O said - don't count Doc out after two starts.

Erik Seybold is the Blog Master of Journalistic Activities at Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ErikSeyboldPHI.

 

 

Roy Oswalt: I Would Love To Come Back to Philly

 

As the Phillies are currently getting their rear ends handed to them by the Mets, most of us are on Twitter. Whether it be lollygagging, tweeting about beer, or even Monday Night Raw, those of us who are on Twitter caught this tweet in our feed a little bit ago.

Roy Oswalt is apparently back on Twitter. The account, usually managed by a PR person of Roy O's, remained dormant since August. It wasn't long before we caught on and started pleading for Roy to return to Philly.

And moments later, this happened.

And we all responded like this.

So what does this all mean?

Either someone is trolling us all, or Roy Oswalt would like to come back to Philly. I would enjoy the latter. Oswalt, 35, pitched for the Rangers last season, coming aboard in June while posting a 4-3 record and a 5.80 ERA.

In a season and a half here in Philly, Oswalt went 16-11 with a 2.97 ERA (73 ER in 221 2/3 IP).

So it's all up to Ruben. Hopefully he is on Twitter too and sees this.

Phillies Designate Ender Inciarte For Assignment After Claiming Ezequiel Carrera Off Waivers

Ender Inciarte's career as a Phillie lasted just one day.

This afternoon the Phillies designated the 22-year-old Inciarte for assignment after claiming OF Ezequial Carrera off of waivers from Cleveland. Inciarte managed to beat out Darin Ruf for the final outfielder's spot just last week after a good spring. The Phillies selected Inciarte from the Arizona D-backs with the 15th pick in the 2012 Rule 5 Draft.

Carrera, 25, hit .279 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 20 games with the Indians this spring. A more experienced outfielder than Inciarte, Carrera is also finely tuned in all aspects of the outfield and has speed. Carrera will join the Phillies in Atlanta in time for tomorrow's game at 7:05.

Now this is a good move, but if you look at it in an emotional standpoint, it's a slap in the face to Inciarte. The guy played fantastic defense this spring and after making the Opening Day roster, boom - designated. 

I guess it's the right move though. Having a more experienced fifth outfielder will better the Phils' chances this year. 

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.

Kyle Lohse Signs With Milwaukee Brewers

LHP Kyle Lohse has finally found a home for 2013. The former-Phillie and former-St. Louis Cardinal starting pitcher has signed a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, as first reported by CBS' Jon Heyman.

The 34-year-old spent the last five seasons of his career with the Cardinals, where he won a World Series (2010). Lohse posted a 16-3 (.842 W-L%) record last season while maintaining a 2.86 ERA. He also held opposing batters to a .239/.274/.368 line in 33 starts. 

The length of the deal at the moment is not known, but we will keep you updated. Buster Olney reported yesterday that Lohse was asking $14-15MM annualy from clubs.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.

Former Phillies Starter Roy Oswalt Seeking Out A Contender

Photo: Philliedelphia/Steve Trapani

Roy Oswalt's agent told MLB Trade Rumors that he is working out and wishes to sign with a contender preferably to start or as a reliever.  He wasn't all that great for Texas last season. He made 9 starts in 17 games pitching 59 innings to 5.80 ERA. His strike out/walk ratio was still pretty good which makes one wonder if the 35 year old still has some upside.

I'd keep my eye on Oswalt as Halladay pitches in a minor league game on Saturday. I'd be shocked if the Phillies brass weren't seeking someone like Oswalt as insurance in the event Halladay throws batting pracitce or has less than stellar stuff on Saturday. Or just as insurance to a rotation that is currently being backed up by Aaron Cook and Rodrigo Lopez, who should strictly be there for emergencies.

There's a movement which I myself am a part of to bring Lohse in but I find myself wondering if maybe Oswalt is the more economically sound idea. Plus he's not tied to any draft pick compensation. Amaro is known for making big splashes. Oswalt isn't the splash he was at the '10 trade deadline but he could still help the ball club.

Opinion: The Phillies Should Sign Kyle Lohse

First things first, this isn't so much a reactionary post to Roy Halladay's rather alarming start this afternoon but it helped inspire me to put the thought to paper. I don't get worked up over spring starts but I do tend to get worked up over the lack of insurance in the Phillies starting rotation. After Hamels and Lee, we're left with question marks. I don't necessarily count Halladay is a question mark but I don't call him a sure thing. While Kendrick and Lannan aren't bad, they aren't exactly what the situation calls for in post-Worley Phillies. Do the Phillies really want to be leaning on Aaron Cook, Rodrigo Lopez, or Tyler Cloyd if a pitcher goes down?

Kyle Lohse is a name I argued against early in the winter. I don't mind the guy. I think he's a durable and capable arm and I think it's a shame he hasn't been signed yet. He got Cy Young votes last season and was an Opening Day starter.  Sabermetrics will suggest he was lucky and I can't say I dispute any of that (his FIP has him at 3.51 as opposed to his 2.86 ERA last season). Though even if you factor that in, that's not exactly criminal for someone who is a mid-rotation starter.

There's other issues as well. Scott Boras being one of them. The other being that signing him not only comes at a hefty price, it also involved surrendering the first round draft pick to the Cardinals. That sticky last part is what prevented them from going after Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in the off season. I can't imagine they change that line of thinking unless they have to. After all, they're picking at 12 in this year's draft which is the highest they've picked lately.

I don't take it lightly either. I understand the importance of protecting a farm system that's been gutted over the years while the Phillies chase glory.  If you asked me a month ago, I'd have argued until I was blue in the face about that. However, maybe protecting the season ahead should outrank protecting the future. I'll confess, it's not an easy thing to figure out. I would have sooner parted with the first rounder for Swisher than Lohse myself.

The situation just seems kind of dire today. The caution flag is up wth Halladay and that's just being realistic. But even if it wasn't, I'm not sure backing it up with the depth currently in place is the wisest idea.  Cook, Lopez, Cloyd, and even Pettibone are probably capable as emergency stop gaps but if someone is down for a significant amount of time, it's a bad idea to roll with any of them long term in a season where the team is trying to come back.

Sign Lohse. Worst case, it saves a great rotation. Best case, a great rotation becomes better. Either way, I think the Phillies will sleep better. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Sign Former Phillie Jose Contreras To Minor League Deal

Tonight, it was announced that former Phillies relief pitcher Jose Contreras had signed a minor-league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The minor league contract includes an invite to Bradenton, Florida, where the Pirates' spring training camp is located.

Contreras, 41, suffered a season-ending injury last June when he had a complete UCL tear and flexor pronator tear. Before his injury, Contreras went 1-0 with a 5.27 ERA in 17 appearances. The Phillies and Contreras had an option through 2013, but it was declined in October.

I would really like to see Contreras rebound from his injuries and hopefully end his career on a high-note. 

The Phillies will meet the Pirates twice this spring, first on March 4th and then March 14th.

Follow Erik on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.