Phillies Tidbits.

[Cedrique]

The bolded part Cedrique suggests we are just giving away a player just to give away a player. Really anything at all? What is out there that is going to make us a better baseball team in the long-term that we can get with a trade for Byrd that is better than we now have with Byrd?

Northeast has provided a number of scenarios none of which make us a better baseball team in the long-run. In essence we are trading Byrd just to move Byrd and if we don't do that we are retarded? And Westcoast, you're stating the same thing with again no scenario that is worth moving Byrd for and your best response is to poke fun at something I do when I have already stated that you can join any time and enlighten us with your extensive baseball powers of observation. No you'd rather throw sophomorish little quips about posting during a game. What a joke.

I see where you're coming from, Retro - I don't like to just give away a player who was performing well for nothing either. I probably should have made it clearer. To be honest, I believe with the market for RH power at the deadline this year Byrd will be worth something of value. So my point really was not that I want Byrd gone at any cost, even though it might have looked that way. I'm saying if the deadline passed and they didn't trade Byrd and Amaro said "we didn't have any offers" I just won't believe him or I'll think that they did have decent offers and weren't smart enough to realize it. Also, if they are 10 games under .500 in two weeks and they keep him saying "we had good offers but we need him for the playoff run", when it is clearly an outside chance I won't be happy either. If their playoff chances are slim (which they probably will be) and they can get something decent for Byrd, I'd rather trade him and roll with Ruf since the difference between those two probably isn't going to factor into whether they make the playoffs.
As for your last sentence, define "long-term". If it is anything more than a year or two Byrd will be 38+ yrs old so I wouldn't think he would be a factor long-term at all.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

I see where you're coming from, Retro - I don't like to just give away a player who was performing well for nothing either. I probably should have made it clearer. To be honest, I believe with the market for RH power at the deadline this year Byrd will be worth something of value. So my point really was not that I want Byrd gone at any cost, even though it might have looked that way. I'm saying if the deadline passed and they didn't trade Byrd and Amaro said "we didn't have any offers" I just won't believe him or I'll think that they did have decent offers and weren't smart enough to realize it. Also, if they are 10 games under .500 in two weeks and they keep him saying "we had good offers but we need him for the playoff run", when it is clearly an outside chance I won't be happy either. If their playoff chances are slim (which they probably will be) and they can get something decent for Byrd, I'd rather trade him and roll with Ruf since the difference between those two probably isn't going to factor into whether they make the playoffs.
As for your last sentence, define "long-term". If it is anything more than a year or two Byrd will be 38+ yrs old so I wouldn't think he would be a factor long-term at all.

Byrd is not part of the Phillies problem He is an asset. We will not get anything decent in return unless we can trade another player with him. (Due to his age.) However he may turn out to be another Ibanez type that can produce until he is 40 years old. The Phillies best trade chips may be their pitching. But do we really want to trade Hamels? Paps may be the 1st to go if we eat some salary. Our weakness is at 1st base and left field. We might have some guys in our system that can fill that void. (Ruf and Franco.) I don't see a rebuilding process but possibly plugging key holes instead.

 

[Omar 382]

Easy now...our play by play guy, Retro, thinks we should keep byrd.

I just got PM's from Retro and Cedrique asking me to film a fight they're having in Chester, PA. Jeesh, and I thought Progeria and I were immature.

 

[Cedrique]

I guess we have to wait and see how it plays out. You're right about a weakness at first base, which is kind of ridiculous. First base is the easiest position to fill-virtually anyone could play defense at the level that Howard does. The problem is that contract. And it's not even that the Phillies couldn't afford to pay him and play someone else it is just that that 25 million a year is such a big number that I don't think they'll ever bench him, release him or trade him and pay his salary for him to play somewhere else because that would be admitting they made a terrible deal. And I don't blame the manager for not benching him, because it seems the ownership and GM has made sure they don't have anyone on the roster worth benching him for. (probably part of the reason they've been screwing around with Ruf all this time-they were afraid if he got a really hot bat but couldn't play the outfield that well they would have Howard's awful contract staring them in the face every day when people asked why they couldn't just let him play first base.)

 

[Retroram52]

I see your points Cedrique. Thanks for the clarification and I now see where you are comimg from. Long-term means 2-5 years. Usually when a team is this deep in the hole, a new managerial staff will have short and long-term plans in conjunction with the FO. I stated "usually". With Amaro, little of the normal course of FO activites in building a winner applies because I am quite sure he has no strategy. That much is obvious.

We are presently stuck because of Amaro and a weak farm system. So the thought of removing a good player like Byrd, crippling an already fragile and flimsy attempt at a rebuild could be even more disasterous. Properly done, trading Byrd for assets that will help us long-term (see provided definition) is the goal and as everyone has acknowledged, with Amaro, that may be an impossibility.

 

[Retroram52]

I guess we have to wait and see how it plays out. You're right about a weakness at first base, which is kind of ridiculous. First base is the easiest position to fill-virtually anyone could play defense at the level that Howard does. The problem is that contract. And it's not even that the Phillies couldn't afford to pay him and play someone else it is just that that 25 million a year is such a big number that I don't think they'll ever bench him, release him or trade him and pay his salary for him to play somewhere else because that would be admitting they made a terrible deal. And I don't blame the manager for not benching him, because it seems the ownership and GM has made sure they don't have anyone on the roster worth benching him for. (probably part of the reason they've been screwing around with Ruf all this time-they were afraid if he got a really hot bat but couldn't play the outfield that well they would have Howard's awful contract staring them in the face every day when people asked why they couldn't just let him play first base.)

The bolded part is a good point.

 

[jvett77]

No question that Byrd can bring us something. But will Amaro focus on getting guys who get on base? Amaro is scary on his lack of common sense. We have a guy in Reading (Alonzo) that knows how to get on base. Trade for a couple of other guys that can do that and in two years we could be playing for a pennant.

I'm not saying that Alonso has star quality, but when you look at his offensive stats, which show reasonable progress for four years, now hitting .283 with the high OBP in AA, you have to wonder why Amaro is so excited with slick fielding Freddy Galvis and his 7-year .245 minor league average and .048 bust with the Phils earlier in the season (3 yrs - .213). I suppose Alonso will be moved to AAA next year. Fielding may be the key word here and that may be holding him back. The odd thing is that they may trade for prospects just like Alonso and others when they're right here on the farm. There's a lot of weeding out to be done and I hope they know how to do it.

 

[Retroram52]

jvett, 100%.

 

[northeastphillyguy]

I'm not saying that Alonso has star quality, but when you look at his offensive stats, which show reasonable progress for four years, now hitting .283 with the high OBP in AA, you have to wonder why Amaro is so excited with slick fielding Freddy Galvis and his 7-year .245 minor league average and .048 bust with the Phils earlier in the season (3 yrs - .213). I suppose Alonso will be moved to AAA next year. Fielding may be the key word here and that may be holding him back. The odd thing is that they may trade for prospects just like Alonso and others when they're right here on the farm. There's a lot of weeding out to be done and I hope they know how to do it.

Actually Alonzo is considered a good fielder. When one realizes that the Phillies have a team batting average of .239 a guy like Alonzo would be an asset even if his average dropped 20 point in the majors. Teams everywhere are scoring less runs this year so the main goal for the Phillies should be offense. Score more and win more! We can be patient on Franco and hope for the best. Ruf is still finding his swing but I know that he will improve. Again I will state that Howard and Brown need to get on base more or both of them should go. Not to mention that Browns fielding is killing us.