With the outfield market looking pretty lean, Mike Adams and John Lannan have been added to provide bullpen and rotation depth. Adams, who had been the top set-up reliever in the game for a couple of seasons before he took a step back last season in Texas, has agree to terms with the Phils on a 2-year deal that can extend to three years if he stays healthy. The deal was first reported by KRIS in Corpus Christi, Adams' hometown.
The 34-year-old right-hander had a 3.27 ERA and 1.395 WHIP last season in 2012 - so-so numbers for a reliever, pretty terrible when you hold them up to Adams' stats from 2008-11, when he had a 1.71 ERA and 0.902 WHIP in 236 games with San Diego and Texas, which acquired him at the trade deadline in 2011.
Adams' age and occasional injury issues are reasons for concern, but when he's good he's pretty much the best set-up guy in the game.
Lannan, 28, had been the most consistent pitcher on a generally awful Nationals pitching staff before they turned that business around over the past couple of years. It was a shock last season when the Nationals decided to send the southpaw and his $5 million salary to Triple-A and keep Ross Detwiler as their No. 5 starter. Lannan eventually joined the Nats' staff in September and went 4-1, 4.13 ERA, 1.43 WHIP in 6 starts — numbers that pretty much mirror the type of pitcher he's been throughout his career. Maybe getting to be around Cliff Lee & Cole Hamels will help him learn some lefty tricks that will give him a Jamie Moyer-esque career boost as he approaches his 30s. It's not a bad risk at one-year, $2.5 million.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Interview with Ruben Amaro on Ben Revere trade
The Phillies acquired young, speedy centerfielder Ben Revere from the Twins today for No. 4 starter Vance Worley and minor-league right-hander Trevor May. Here is an interview with Ruben Amaro Jr. about the deal:
GAVE UP SIGNIFICANT PITCHING FOR HIM: "One, I thought we were dealing from a position of strength because of the way some of our guys have been developing in our system with (Jonathan) Pettibone, (Adam) Morgan, the acquisition of Ethan Martin. Granted, we gave a lot for this player, but in this marketplace, to acquire a young player under control (of his rights), very reasonable compensation for a while, a guy who can do what he can do, we felt this was the right thing to do."
WHERE DO YOU FILL WORLEY'S SPOT IN THE ROTATION: "It could be internal, or it could be someone who comes from outside the organization. We could look to do that, but that's not necessarily a priority because we have some internal candidates. We'll sift through it."
WHO CAN DO IT INTERNALLY: "Pettibone is that close. (Tyler) Cloyd has to be in the mix. So we have some choices. We'll give some guys the ball and see how it goes."
IS REVERE A LEADOFF HITTER: "He can go top of the order or bottom of the order -- either way. For us it was about the defense and the speed. We like athletic players, and he's certainly that. He has great energy, a fantastic defender. And those are priorities for us."
DOES HE REMIND YOU OF A YOUNG MICHAEL BOURN: "Right now he's shown he's made a little more contact than Bourny. Certainly Bourny has been doing it for much, much longer. He's a more consistent player and has more power in his bat. But defensively we don't see a lot of dissimilarities and we think the kid still has some upside."
IS CENTERFIELD HIS JOB: "That's why we acquired him."
DOES THIS BOLSTER YOUR ABILITY TO FIND A POWER-HITTING OF IN FREE AGENCY: "We still have plenty of flexibility monetarily right now. We will try to piece the rest of the puzzle together."
IS SOMETHING (MICHAEL YOUNG) CLOSE: "I never feel close, you know that." PENDING: "I got nothing for you guys."
GAVE UP SIGNIFICANT PITCHING FOR HIM: "One, I thought we were dealing from a position of strength because of the way some of our guys have been developing in our system with (Jonathan) Pettibone, (Adam) Morgan, the acquisition of Ethan Martin. Granted, we gave a lot for this player, but in this marketplace, to acquire a young player under control (of his rights), very reasonable compensation for a while, a guy who can do what he can do, we felt this was the right thing to do."
WHERE DO YOU FILL WORLEY'S SPOT IN THE ROTATION: "It could be internal, or it could be someone who comes from outside the organization. We could look to do that, but that's not necessarily a priority because we have some internal candidates. We'll sift through it."
WHO CAN DO IT INTERNALLY: "Pettibone is that close. (Tyler) Cloyd has to be in the mix. So we have some choices. We'll give some guys the ball and see how it goes."
IS REVERE A LEADOFF HITTER: "He can go top of the order or bottom of the order -- either way. For us it was about the defense and the speed. We like athletic players, and he's certainly that. He has great energy, a fantastic defender. And those are priorities for us."
DOES HE REMIND YOU OF A YOUNG MICHAEL BOURN: "Right now he's shown he's made a little more contact than Bourny. Certainly Bourny has been doing it for much, much longer. He's a more consistent player and has more power in his bat. But defensively we don't see a lot of dissimilarities and we think the kid still has some upside."
IS CENTERFIELD HIS JOB: "That's why we acquired him."
DOES THIS BOLSTER YOUR ABILITY TO FIND A POWER-HITTING OF IN FREE AGENCY: "We still have plenty of flexibility monetarily right now. We will try to piece the rest of the puzzle together."
IS SOMETHING (MICHAEL YOUNG) CLOSE: "I never feel close, you know that." PENDING: "I got nothing for you guys."
And on the last day of Winter Meetings...
...the Phillies started to get somewhere on a deal.
As the Winter Meetings wound down in Nashville, the Phillies and Rangers had reached common ground on a deal that would bring veteran infielder Michael Young and a lot of money to Philly for a modest rate in return. According to a source at Opryland, Young has been contacted to get his blessing to waive his no-trade clause in a deal to the Phils.
Young, 36, went from a huge 2011 season during which he led the AL in hits (213) and batted .338 with 106 RBIs, to batting .277 with 67 RBIs and a career-low 37 extra-base hits last season. His .682 OPS would've made him a nice complement to the rest of the train wrecks the Phillies had at third base last year.
Young has lousy range at third, but a sound glove and arm. He had been splitting time between the field and DH for the Rangers the last couple of years, so it's tough to tell how he would hold up as an everyday position player. That said, if last year's offensive crash was an anomaly and he is more like the guy he was in 2011 than 2012, the Phillies have a short-term solution at third and a professional right-handed hitter.
The Rangers would pay at least $10 million of the $16 million remaining on his contract, but that $5 million in savings for them would help them as they try to bolster their pitching.
As the Winter Meetings wound down in Nashville, the Phillies and Rangers had reached common ground on a deal that would bring veteran infielder Michael Young and a lot of money to Philly for a modest rate in return. According to a source at Opryland, Young has been contacted to get his blessing to waive his no-trade clause in a deal to the Phils.
Young, 36, went from a huge 2011 season during which he led the AL in hits (213) and batted .338 with 106 RBIs, to batting .277 with 67 RBIs and a career-low 37 extra-base hits last season. His .682 OPS would've made him a nice complement to the rest of the train wrecks the Phillies had at third base last year.
Young has lousy range at third, but a sound glove and arm. He had been splitting time between the field and DH for the Rangers the last couple of years, so it's tough to tell how he would hold up as an everyday position player. That said, if last year's offensive crash was an anomaly and he is more like the guy he was in 2011 than 2012, the Phillies have a short-term solution at third and a professional right-handed hitter.
The Rangers would pay at least $10 million of the $16 million remaining on his contract, but that $5 million in savings for them would help them as they try to bolster their pitching.
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