At this point, I’m realistic. The Phillies season is all but over.
If they can somehow turn it around and get back in contention, I will enjoy it, but there is no sign that that will happen, so for me, it’s time for the Phillies to retool and rebuild for the future because this team is an absolute mess.
The worst thing of it all is, this 2012 team is no fun to watch.
My boss, a Mets fan, told me around May that he didn’t expect the Mets to win the division — he’s a realist, too — but he had to admit, the Mets were a fun team to watch, something he couldn’t say in prior seasons.
And I agree. I watch Mets games and I feel the excitement. That same feeling is with the Washington Nationals. They are a fun team to watch. When Jayson Werth returns to the field in the second half, he can come back to Philly for a series and just smirk at the crowd.
He made the right move.
He's on an exciting team.
Both the Nats and the Mets have a certain level of excitement that makes every game they play enjoyable. They have a pesky, comeback capability. They have that jump-on-top-of-you-early mentality. They have an influx of youth that is contributing and creating promise of great things to come. And most importantly, their fans feel like their team can win every night.
And I agree. I watch Mets games and I feel the excitement. That same feeling is with the Washington Nationals. They are a fun team to watch. When Jayson Werth returns to the field in the second half, he can come back to Philly for a series and just smirk at the crowd.
He made the right move.
He's on an exciting team.
Both the Nats and the Mets have a certain level of excitement that makes every game they play enjoyable. They have a pesky, comeback capability. They have that jump-on-top-of-you-early mentality. They have an influx of youth that is contributing and creating promise of great things to come. And most importantly, their fans feel like their team can win every night.
The Phillies have lost that mojo. They had it at one point, but in 2012, as soon as the team falls behind a game, it feels like it is over.
This is what I want to see change in the second half. I don’t need to see a magical comeback run to the playoffs — though, that would be nice. I just want to see this team shake things up and give me a sense of hope that they’re heading in the right direction. I want to watch a game and enjoy it.
That has not happened recently. Losing 10 of 11 heading into the All-Star break — and I've watched the majority of the innings involved in that streak — has been ever so painful. So much so, succumbing to watching an episode of "Dance Moms" with my wife actually seems interesting. (Don't worry, I didn't jump off that cliff. ... Yet.)
But I'm getting close, because for the first time since we were all infatuated with home runs by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, the Phillies are 13 games under .500 at the All-Star break.
That was 1997 and I remember those awful teams vividly. I thought those years died with the implosion of Veterans Stadium, but I'm now scared that the Phillies are heading toward another long lull of bad seasons where they cannot get over the hump. That happened for too long in Philadelphia after the 1993 World Series.
It's why the front office, headed by Ruben Amaro Jr., needs to make the right moves. What Amaro does over the next four to six months will define his career.
That has not happened recently. Losing 10 of 11 heading into the All-Star break — and I've watched the majority of the innings involved in that streak — has been ever so painful. So much so, succumbing to watching an episode of "Dance Moms" with my wife actually seems interesting. (Don't worry, I didn't jump off that cliff. ... Yet.)
But I'm getting close, because for the first time since we were all infatuated with home runs by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, the Phillies are 13 games under .500 at the All-Star break.
That was 1997 and I remember those awful teams vividly. I thought those years died with the implosion of Veterans Stadium, but I'm now scared that the Phillies are heading toward another long lull of bad seasons where they cannot get over the hump. That happened for too long in Philadelphia after the 1993 World Series.
It's why the front office, headed by Ruben Amaro Jr., needs to make the right moves. What Amaro does over the next four to six months will define his career.
Right now, it’s time to identify the pieces to build around, and to me, it’s Hunter Pence. He’s the only guy in his 20s — all be it 29 — in the everyday starting lineup. Carlos Ruiz (33), Ty Wiggington (34), Chase Utley (33), Jimmy Rollins (33), Placido Polanco (36), Juan Pierre (34), Shane Victorino (31) and Ryan Howard (32) are all too old to build around, because realistically, you have to think this team is a year or two out of contention if all the right moves are made.
When it comes to pitching, Cole Hamels would be the perfect player to build around, unfortunately, due to contract issues, the 28-year-old can haul in the kind of prospect return that could set up the next wave of Phillies’ stars.
Ideally — and I’ve personally been vocal about this — the Phillies need to trade Hamels to the Rangers. The Rangers are in a similar situation that the Phillies were in the 2010 season when a third straight trip to the World Series was on the line, and Texas will do everything it can to get there — especially considering the fact that they haven’t won yet. At least, when the Phillies traded for Roy Oswalt in the 2010 season, they knew that they had won already.
Texas has the right pieces that the Phillies need, especially third baseman Mike Olt, who would be the prized piece of the trade. They have several decent pitchers from Single-A to Triple-A to return that would help strengthen the Phillies’ future, too.
To me, that’s the big start.
Juan Pierre has been great, but we have to be realistic, he’s not part of our future. Rather, he’s a great piece to send off to the Reds, who have expressed interest in him. He could potentially bring back a prospect or two.
Shane Victorino must go, too. I don’t care if the Phillies think they can sign him and I don’t care if they think he won’t bring back a decent product. He must go. I think he’s been a negative presence in the clubhouse. We saw Charlie Manuel bench him today because Victorino was upset about batting seventh, and we’ve seen Victorino argue with Cliff Lee in the dugout. The Phillies don’t need that type of player and they don’t need his poor situational hitting. Goodbye, Shane.
Joe Blanton can head out, too. He’s not part of the future and he can help fill out a contending team’s rotation. He’s an innings eater and with a team that has an offense, he can be a good starter. We saw this when the Phillies traded for him. They had a strong offense and he held the competition to three or four runs over seven innings in wins. Now, he gives up three or four runs, and the Phillies can’t win because they don’t have the offense. Blanton will be better off on another team, perhaps the Yankees or Orioles.
All together, those four players can bring back a decent crop of Single-, Double- and Triple-A players. If there's anyone else in the crew they can deal, I'd do it, but for now, I'd look to build around Hunter Pence, Carlos Ruiz Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, with the ultimate goal of replacing Utley and Howard.
You may notice I left Jimmy Rollins out of that, and that's because I personally had a deal that makes perfect sense for both teams. First of all, I've always been a fan of Jimmy Rollins and I wouldn't like to see him traded, but he has trade value. When I look around, there's one team that makes a lot of sense — the San Francisco Giants. It's his hometown team and they really could use a shortstop. Brandon Crawford isn't completely ready and J-Roll's bat will provide a little more pop than Crawford's. This may be a nice fit and a great deal for the Giants to make. I'm not calling for it, but it's just been a thought I had.
Either way, Amaro has to make sure whatever deal(s) he makes, he gets the right players in return.
You may notice I left Jimmy Rollins out of that, and that's because I personally had a deal that makes perfect sense for both teams. First of all, I've always been a fan of Jimmy Rollins and I wouldn't like to see him traded, but he has trade value. When I look around, there's one team that makes a lot of sense — the San Francisco Giants. It's his hometown team and they really could use a shortstop. Brandon Crawford isn't completely ready and J-Roll's bat will provide a little more pop than Crawford's. This may be a nice fit and a great deal for the Giants to make. I'm not calling for it, but it's just been a thought I had.
Either way, Amaro has to make sure whatever deal(s) he makes, he gets the right players in return.
That's really the only thing that scares me. The Phillies have been awful at evaluating talent recently.
Just look at the players traded and the players acquired. Seattle absolutely hosed the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal, and now watching the MLB Futures Game on ESPN2, I’ve witnessed a pair of former Phillies — Mike Singleton and Anthony Gose — perform well. They, along with several other standouts, could still be part of this team if the Phillies didn't overextend their reach.
Just look at the players traded and the players acquired. Seattle absolutely hosed the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal, and now watching the MLB Futures Game on ESPN2, I’ve witnessed a pair of former Phillies — Mike Singleton and Anthony Gose — perform well. They, along with several other standouts, could still be part of this team if the Phillies didn't overextend their reach.
I just hope that Amaro can do a much better job at bringing back players who will actually help the team in the future.
If he fails here, the Phillies will be looking at years of despair — and Amaro will be looking for a new job.
If he fails here, the Phillies will be looking at years of despair — and Amaro will be looking for a new job.
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