Roster Issues
I’ve said pretty much all I have to say about the Carlos Pena release in that I don’t like how the roster sets up. Knobler’s blog today didn’t make me feel any better
Leyland raved again after the game about Ramon Santiago. Santiago is very likely to make the opening day roster, in part because they need a backup shortstop and Omar Infante’s right shoulder tendinitis makes it hard to consider him for that spot. Infante is on the team, though. In fact, they had Infante and Alexis Gomez work out today at first base. They need someone else able to play first, in case they pinch-run for Shelton in a game where Dmitri is the DH. Pretty good indication that Gomez has a very good chance to be on the team as the extra outfielder, too.
If Infante can’t be the back-up infielder because of his arm, maybe he needs to go on the DL. I’ve got nothing against Infante, and I think he’ll probably do okay this year, at least along the lines of his 2004 season. However, if he is your best pinch hitting option and he can’t play the left side of the infield there will be problems. I have a bad feeling that this bench is going to scare me more than opponents.
Zumaya
Joel Zumaya continues to impress pretty much everybody. This time Jayson Stark and others rave about Zumaya
But I was lucky enough to be sitting behind the plate when Zumaya marched in there. I watched him crank up one 97-99 mph scorcher after another, plus an unhittable sweeper of a breaking ball that he throws from a couple of different angles. This guy is 21 years old and has only been to the mound beyond Double-A ball eight times. But if he’s the future, he’s the very, very near future for this team. “Best young arm I’ve seen, and it’s not even close,” said one GM. “You don’t see many 100-mph fastballs anymore,” said a scout. “Zumaya is the exception. That’s a legit 100 miles an hour.”
Polanco burns some bridges
Placido Polanco gave some time to a Philly writer the other day, and probably didn’t endear himself to the Philly faithful. Polanco said he misses the Phillies, but not Phillies fans
Polanco says he misses the Phillies
I live in Philly, and I don’t see a Cormier to Detroit trade at all… Come on, the Phils were one win short of the wild card spot last year. Unless they are going to get major league quality in return, why would they have any interest in giving up a cog of their bullpen? I don’t see the Phils being interested in this kind of a deal. Unless the Tigers are offering German in return or something like that, where it’s more of a situation of offering one struggling reliever for another.
Thames for Cormier would be more than fair to the Phils. Looks like they’re after Dellucci now though.
We’re going to lose Thames on waivers so we can keep Ramon Santiago. What a joke. How long before Santiago’s put on waivers himself? A month? Of course, he’ll clear with no problem whatsoever because he’s not actually any good.
I’d love to see an anaylisis on how much our crappy bench hurt last year. I’d go so far as to say that it wasn’t the fact that Guillen, Pudge, and Polanco were hurt down the stretch so much as it was the fact that McDonald, Wilson, and Infante were replacing them. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it I guess.
While we are depleting our bench, the Red Sox go and pick up Wily Mo Pena and Hee Seop Choi for there’s. It doesn’t shock me at all to know which of these two teams has won a World Series in recent memory.
hahah philly we got polanco and u only got a pitcher that went to jail for murder with a knife