Florida would be nice….
Man I hate winter.
Time to catch up with some FLPs, care of Phillybaseballnews.com:
In the pick-a-Durbin sweepstakes, the Phillies hope Chad doesn’t leave them hanging.
Chad Durbin is on a mission to beat out Adam Eaton for a spot in the rotation. If not, he’ll most likely spot start and pitch in long relief.
But if J.D. Durbin out-duels Eaton and out-Durbins Chad, the Phillies will face a difficult decision. Neither Durbin has options, which means the Phillies risk having them claimed off waivers if they don’t head north with the team.
J. D. has occasionally kept calm enough on the mound to harness his above average stuff, but most times he just gets himself into trouble. Chad was a Jekyll and Hyde last season, coming apart at the seems after a respectable first half.
J.D. is running out of time, but a tremendous spring could earn him a spot on the team. Likewise, if Chad can’t revert from Hyde back into Jekyll, there might be some awkward results.
Like the Durbins, Clay has no options, so this may be his final spring with the Phillies.
Clay Condrey was mostly mediocre for the Phillies out of the bullpen last season, showing brief flashes of brilliance while logging a career high 50 innings. His 5-0 record can’t be overlooked, and going 2-for-2 in save opportunities helps, but the 1.54 WHIP and poor peripherals are uninspiring.
Clay’s status might also come down to Adam Eaton. If Eaton loses his job to a Durbin or another right-hander, he will probably open the season on the disabled list, not in the bullpen. Eaton hasn’t fared well in relief and is generally against the idea. Most likely a roster spot would open for a right-hander in the bullpen, and this is where Condrey fits in.
Vic Darensbourg
Darensbourg is another lefty reliever with an outside chance of winning a job. As a non-roster invitee, the Phillies could sign him to a one-year deal without much trouble or expense, but a place on the 40 man would have to be cleared. At 30 years old, he has major league experience, but more than anything, he’s a lefty. Vic will have to beat other dark horse lefty relievers Shane Youman and Brian Mazone, who’s back from Korea.
Chris Coste will probably keep his job backing up catcher Carlos Ruiz, and I sure hope he does with his book due out soon. But if anyone knows to take nothing for granted, it’s Coste.
Behind solid incumbent Carlos Ruiz, Jason Jaramillo is the next in a line of catchers of the future. Top backstop prospects include spring training invitees Lou Marson and Tuffy Gosewisch. Marson, winner of back-to-back championships in low-A and high-A, is perhaps the best of the bunch. Another young gun, Travis D’Arnaud, should arrive next spring with a major league glove in hand.
Jaramillo, a Triple-A all-star, also fields his position well. What’s more, he switch-hits, which makes him a valuable bench player. Jaramillo may yet blossom into a star, and the Phillies need to see as much of him as they can with the other rookies pushing him from below. Sooner or later a trade will be made and the Phillies can’t afford to lose the wrong catcher of the future.
Since Jaramillo can be optioned to the minors, it may take the rest of the season to overtake Coste. But if Coste has a terrible spring and Jaramillo shines, Coste might complete the transition to his new media career a little sooner than he hoped.
J.A. Happ
J.A. Happ hit a wall last year due to injury after a couple of minor league seasons on the rise. Happ is a control lefty with steady, unspectacular stuff, and projects as a bottom of the rotation starter. Most likely, since he has two option years remaining, he’ll start the season in Triple-A. But if he shows exceptional command in spring training and the other candidates for the starting rotation falter, the Phillies could decide to keep him in place of Eaton. Or, J.A. could be a default choice as a lefty in the bullpen. Another dark horse lefty who can start or relieve is Fabio Castro, who also has two option years remaining.
Mr. Manuel, Mr. Gillick, please don’t even think about Eaton’s contract. Let bygones be a steady stream of bygones. Give these dark horse candidates a long look. Make sure Adam Eaton out-pitches them in fair competition, especially those with no options. We can’t afford another dreadful fifth starter, nor can we lose players who might contribute by making wrong roster decisions. I’m not saying Anderson Garcia, who was just claimed off waivers by Seattle, is going to be this year’s Justin Germano, but the claims may continue. When your pitching staff ranked in the bottom-third of baseball last season, the margin for error is thin.
