Division Foes 2012: The Phillies

[Edgy MD]

Phillie phans of my knowing could. not. be. more pessimistic about the likelihood they can make something of this season, and are already envisioning a dismantling of their championship-powered squad. That's largely the over-stated hopelessness of folks whose team is on a losing streak, but there's one big plum in their pudding, and that's Cole Hamels.

Given that...
... he's an AS caliber pitcher,
... his team is playing their way out of contention,
... he's a free-agent at the end of the year,
... the team is already over-burdened with heavy contracts,
... he's something of a five-tool tool,

I'd call it about even money that he finishes the year as a Yankee.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's definitely MFY material but the word is he's all but tried on a Dodgers jersey.

[metirish]

Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him?

[TransMonk]

metirish wrote: Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him?

I wouldn't.

[nymr83]

TransMonk wrote: metirish wrote: Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him? I wouldn't.

Not unless Hamels signs a nice 5 year extension right away. Wheeler looks great but until a guy shows it in the majors you just don't know what he'll be, so I'd deal him for 5 years of Hamels, but I wouldn't even consider it for a 3 month rental.

[Gwreck]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: He's definitely MFY material but the word is he's all but tried on a Dodgers jersey.

The MFYs of the National League, so that makes perfect sense.

[Benjamin Grimm]

metirish wrote: Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him?

No. If he's a real prospect, I wouldn't trade him for a rental. And I think the Mets need more than Hamels to win a championship, although he'd certainly be a big help.

[Edgy MD]

I wouldn't flip a Zach Wheeler baseball card for him.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: He's definitely MFY material but the word is he's all but tried on a Dodgers jersey.

Until the winter, of course, he has no say in the matter (unless he finagled a no-trade deal along the way but that would be unusual for a pre-FA guy).
But in the long run, yeah, it's tough to see the Sillies signing the west-coast wannabe when they're already on the hook for so many expensive (and all older) parts.

On the overall question, I doubt the Phils throw in the towel before they see what they look like when (if?) Utley, Howard & Halladay come back.
If nothing else they've got approx six weeks to decide where they at.


And on the Wheeler angle - Hell No! Not for a rental and not when the Mets are in a position where they're more likely to be dealing established players for prospects than the other way around.
Maybe circumstances change in the near future but not now.

[Edgy MD]

I'm merging this into the "Division Foes: Philly" thread.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Chad Qualls DFA'ed. Been struggling recently ...

[Frayed Knot]

Thome reportedly to be dealt to the Orioles.

[Guest themetfairy]

Frayed Knot wrote: Thome reportedly to be dealt to the Orioles.

As a result, Jason Pridie left the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game to hop a plane to Florida to join the Phillies.

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Chad Qualls DFA'ed. Been struggling recently ...

Chad Qualls, welcome to the Yankees. PtBNL or cash.

[TransMonk]

Guess who is 3 losses worse than the Kansas City Royals going into today's games?

Yikes!

[G-Fafif]

You can no longer call the Phillies a bunch of sellouts at home.

The Phillies' crowd halted the club's consecutive sellout streak, which is the longest ever in the NL and third-longest in MLB history according to the club. The streak started on July 7, 2009. "You kind of know it's going to happen," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "You would hope that it wouldn't. You would hope that one bad season wouldn't break it up. But that's the way it goes. "People aren't going to spend money and come to the game if they don't feel they're getting their money's worth. And this year we've been a little short."

[Frayed Knot]

I'd have figured that there would have been enough seats pre-sold to get them through this season with that streak intact.
It always the season after the season where sales break down, just like the season after the unexpected title or late run is where you see the big ticket increase.

[bmfc1]

On tonight's broadcast, Josh said that "the Phillies phony baloney sell-out streak is over."

[ashie62]

Philly is an Eagles town and camp has started.

[G-Fafif]

All hail the Astros, making themselves useful by coming back on the Wild Card-dreaming Phillies last night! Trailing 4-3, Houston put up a three-spot in the eighth, Jed Lowrie delivering the key blow, a two-run double off Jake Diekman. Brandon Barnes followed with an RBI single.

With the Cardinals' win, the Phillies fall four behind the second WC spot, trailing four teams altogether. Which is about all a Mets fan has left in the National League.

[G-Fafif]

81-81 Phillies lose last game, finish with first non-winning record in 10 years.