And if things don’t turn around, Amaro said, it could be another busy July for him. Only this time, instead of adding talent—as he did with Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence—he could be looking to sell it off.
“The way we’re playing is unacceptable,” Amaro said. “We’re always looking to improve the club, but we have to start by doing it in-house. Guys have to play better. There are players with talent here. Sometimes players need to take it upon themselves to perform better.”
...But none of this has made the Phils’ performance any easier to take. The bullpen has given away leads like Halloween candy. The offense, though better lately, has still been maddeningly inconsistent. The defense in the Mets’ series was wretched.
“I don’t like the type of baseball we’re playing,” Amaro said. “We’re playing fundamentally unsound baseball, missing cutoffs and making mental mistakes. We’re better than what we’re showing. How much better? I don’t know. But we’re better than this. Regardless of who is in or out of the lineup we should be better.
“With the exception of our starting pitching, all phases of the game have been shoddy.”
Repoz
Posted: May 10, 2012 at 01:24 PM |
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1. SouthSideRyan Posted: May 10, 2012 at 01:36 PM (#4128295)If they did sell, Lee, Halladay, and Hamels would be valuable commodities, even with their salaries. Phillies wouldn't have to pay anything. Pence and Victorino also would have value.
But it doesn't matter. They aren't selling.
There are a few teams that could use a guy like Hamels. Blanton and Pence would also be useful pieces for contenders.
A Pence-for-Youkilis trade would be interesting - both have similar salaries and are under team control through 2013.
As a Red Sox fan, I would pull the trigger on this so fast that I suspect there is no chance it will ever happen.
Please let it happen.
If July comes and they've been playing like this the whole time, they'll be like 42-54 (and terrible). Of course they'll be sellers.
Everyone can use an old-school enforcer.
The Flyin Hawaiian couldn't be any worse at the plate than Ankiel or Berandina, although he doesn't have the arm that Ankiel has. The Nats could be buyers if they can keep their heads above water through May and June.
The Phillies are pretty unlikable as an organization, even if you aren't a Nationals fan, and having them wind up with Orr (Nationals castoff) and Pierre as starters is divine justice.
I'm hoping Hamels comes out for his next start drooling tobacco juice down the front of his uniform and with a fake scar somewhere. Old school San Diego!
As a Nats fan, I'm supposed to hate the Phillies, but I just don't. In 2008, I saw their success as a path for the Nats to emulate: develop star players at four positions (Rollins, Utley, Howard and Hamels) and the rest will take care of itself. Yes, they seemed poised for a surprisingly sudden demise, and I won't shed any tears, but I don't see any "justice." I just see a team that pushed all its chips to the center of the table the past two seasons, only to get dealt a bad hand. I can only hope one day my favorite baseball team can lament that it "only won one World Series."
I have to admit that my dislike for the Phillies, outside of "Blood and Guts" Hamels, is mainly based on their obnoxious f###ing fans occupying Nationals Park the past few years.
I could see the Tigers being interested in bringing Polanco back, so long as the price is cheap. Maybe they can resign Ugueth Urbina and trade him to Philly again.
He'd have to move back to 2B full time, but he'd be better there than Raburn.
The Blue Jays could very well fit into that second group
and me being a Mets fan that was mostly wishcasting, I look at that team now and I look at the 2008-2011 team and I'm thinking WTF happened here?
They still have a great rotation (Starter ERA is 3.06), but that everyday lineup is a notch or two below the post-Madoff Mets for crissakes, and good god what is wrong with theirpen (reliever ERA of 5.59, next worse is Milwaukee at 4.77) they can't really be THAT bad out there can they?
Is Utley coming back? Will he be more than a shadow of his former self?
Amaro does have a bit of a self-protection reason to make big changes, so I guess that could be considered in the assessment.
It would potentially make things tougher for the Rays but I wouldn't care: The Jays trading for Halladay to make a playoff run would be fantastic.
Well, you are on to something with Utley who it doesn't appear is going to age gracefully. But Howard's injury was a fluke, the starting pitching is still very good, and they went out and got Papelbon.
No Utley and no Howard is really hurting this team.
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