Offseason Madness: Pitching Edition

While the remainder of the postseason unfolds, the Phillies have a different task to attend to with their failures in the 2004 regular season.  On paper, they were one of most balanced teams in the National League, and yet they managed to disappoint because the pressure was just too much for them.  Larry Bowa’s managing style was a factor in the demise, but the players didn’t perform up to their expectations.  Now, with the offseason looming, the Phillies have several tough decisions to make in order to assemble a team that really will compete in 2005.                              

Nothing looked more solid in Spring Training than the Phillies starting rotation.  Described as a rotation with five #2 starters or as former pitching coach, Joe Kerrigan so aptly put it, you can toss any one of the five onto the mound and he can be our ace.  With a lineup of Millwood, Milton, Padilla, Wolf, and Myers it looked as if they would certainly carry the Phillies into the postseason.  But injuries decimated the rotation, and every starter except Eric Milton performed under par.  But no one could predict the onslaught of injuries to come, forcing the club to seek Paul Abbot, which began and ended in disaster.  So to give the pitchers the benefit of the doubt, some of their underachieving was out of their control

The addition of Cory Lidle in August helped slightly, but by then, the Phillies were already down and things weren’t looking up.  Now, 3 out of the 6 starters are free agents.  Kevin Millwood likely will not be back as he underperformed in Philadelphia and the fans have been getting on his case.  The only positive he achieved in Philadelphia was his no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants.  Eric Milton has stated that he would like to remain a member of the Phillies, but a lucrative contract from a team such as the Yankees or Red Sox could change his mind.  With the Yankees looking to bolster their paltry rotation and the Red Sox looking for a good left-handed pitcher, the Phillies may not be able to compete with the two powerhouses.  The Phillies have also expressed interest in retaining Cory Lidle, whom was acquired in a deal that sent Josh Hancock to the Reds.  His sinkerball approach is exactly what the Phillies are looking for in order to keep the ball in the home run haven that is Citizens Bank Park. 

Unfortunately, the new ballpark may cause free agents to reconsider signing with the Phillies, because the park has been labeled as a joke.  The Phillies hit a club record, 215 bombs last season. Not many pitchers will like the sound of that. The reality of the situation dictates that the Phillies need a dependable starter in the rotation, someone like

Carl Pavano will be a difference maker with the team he signs with.  He was 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA.

Eric Milton.  But it may be hard for the Phillies to attract free agents such as Carl Pavano, Russ Ortiz, or Brad Radke.  So far, the Phillies organization has not discussed their plans to bolster the rotation other than retaining Eric Milton and/or Cory Lidle.  But things will look up if Vicente Padilla pitches more consistently and if Randy Wolf regains his 2002 form.  He has not been the same since that year.  Gavin Floyd may also compete for a spot in the rotation based on his performance in September.

The relief pitching had its ups and downs this year.  Injuries also plagued these set of pitchers, abd there were a few surprises as well as a couple of disappointments.  Ryan Madson emerged as a rookie.  Originally projected to be a back-of the rotation starter, Madson found his niche in middle relief and he enjoyed that role.  He was mostly brought into situations in the late innings when the team was tied or down by a slim margin.  He has embraced the role especially since his only start of the year was a disaster at the hands of the Chicago White Sox.  He didn’t make it out of the 1^st inning.  Despite that loss he recorded a 9-3 record.  Another top performer was Tim Worrell who was assigned to set up Billy Wagner.  Too bad injuries killed this formula.  Worrell had to step in many times as the Phillies closer, an experience he brought from San Francisco.  He performed admirably.

The long list of disappointments, whether by injury or underperformance include: Billy Wagner, Rheal Cormier, Roberto Hernandez, and Todd Jones.  A number of injuries held back Billy Wagner, and thank god the Phillies only gave up Brandon Duckworth to get him, but he still performed well when he was healthy.  He lit up the radar guns early in the season, but was never the same after his first elbow injury as well as the groin and back problems he developed as the season progressed.  Wagner has a $9 million option left on his contract, but the Phillies may not pick that up because it is a bit expensive for them.  That doesn’t mean they won’t sign him to another contract, something a little more reasonable based on his injury proneness.  Despite appearing in a career number of games as well as innings pitched, Rheal Cormier was far from his 2003 form in which he torched his competition.  His 3.56 ERA is a little misleading because of a good stretch in September.  Consistency is the main problem with him.  However, the disappointment tag is a bit strong as his season would be considered good to many relievers.  The guys that definitely won’t be back are Todd Jones and Roberto Hernandez.  Both relievers stunk down the stretch and have fallen out of favor with the organization.  

Acquired in a trade with San Francisco, Felix Rodriguez went 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA with the Phillies.

Again, the Phillies have not divulged their plans on re-tooling the bullpen, but the mainstays, Ryan Madson and Tim Worrell will definitely anchor the pen.  Felix Rodriguez’s option will likely be picked up so his presence in the pen will be likely.  

The 2005 lineup is still in question, but I believe the starting rotation will be solid.  I expect the Phillies to resign Cory Lidle, but I am still iffy on whether they can pull off a long-term contract with Eric Milton.  It would be great for the organization if Milton returns, but he isn’t necessarily going to be the ace of the rotation.  The Phillies still have some retooling to do.  As for the bullpen, Billy Wagner should remain a member of the Phillies and I suspect that Amaury Telemaco will also be a part of the pen.  A couple of free agent signings will fill the rest of the spots.  So my projections for the 2005:

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