!!@@@TRADING PLACES 2011 [POST 7/25/11]

WHEN ASKED AFTER SUNDAY’S WIN OVER SAN DIEGO, ROY HALLADAY OPENLY ADMITTED AND EVEN JOKED A LITTLE ABOUT BRINGING SOME NEW BLOOD INTO TOWN.

HIS FIRST RESPONSE ACTUALLY WAS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT “I ONLY HAVE SO MANY YEARS LEFT SO IF IT WERE UP TO ME I WOULD SELL THE FARM!”

HE ADD THAT WHILE HE FEELS THEY HAVE ENOUGH TO WIN IT ALL HE WOULD TAKE ANY IMPROVEMENT THAT THEY COULD GET! I APPLAUD HIM FOR AN HONEST ANSWER BECAUSE FRANKLY EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL THAT WAY!

AT THIS POINT NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED:

• Beltran still seems unlikely and I wouldn’t do that anyhow. See my Beltran post. In a nutshell he is damaged goods, a free agent this season, and not worth the asking price

• Hunter Pence would only happen because Ed Wade of the Astro’s is an Astro-hole and stupid. And maybe still a buddy of Bill Giles and David Montgomery? Pence is locked in until the end of 2013 however and Worley or Brown may not be too much to give for the right fielder who would fit in quite nicely in Philly. But I really do not think Eddie is that stupid to trade his only marketable player away to a team he once worked for and made a bad trade from his side 1 year ago giving the Phillies Roy Oswalt for nothing! More than nothing, Wade agreed to pay $11,000,000 of Oswalt’s contract!

• The other big splace rumor is Padres closer Heath Bell which may not seem necessary considering Madson is doing very well as a closer. BUT if Bell takes that role you not only have a bonified closer but you now have a lights out set up man in Madson and you add depth to the bullpen by sliding Bastardo and Stutes to the 6th and 7th innings! In English that would mean NO HERNDON or CARPENTER in those innings! It would probably send one of them packing. Also Lidge and Perez, if he even survives, could spell Bastardo and Stutes in certain situations or mop up duty!

• The likely kind of move you will see however is Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson who is hitting .336 with a .940 OPS. He has a .978 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, Melky Cabrera, Jonny Gomes and Jeff Francoeur remain available, too. It is believed Tampa Bay would trade B.J. Upton for the right price.

 

I DON’T KNOW THAT I HAVE FAVORITE IN THE LIKELY SCENARIOS. I WOULD PROPOSE THAT LUDWICK IS THE BEST OF THE MEDIOCRE CHOICES. FRANCOEUR IS INTERESTING TO SOME DEGREE. WILLINGHAM HAS HAD HIS MOMENTS BUT HE IS AN INJURY WAITING TO HAPPEN. JOHNSON TOO HAS HIS MOMENTS BUT I DON’T REALLY HAVE FAITH HE WILL DUPLICATE THAT IF HE WERE TO PLAY MORE. THERE’S A REASON HE HAS NEVER REALLY BLOSSOMED.

WHY LUDWICK? NUMBERS ARE NO MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN SAY FRANCOEUR, ACTUALLY FRANCOEUR HAS A BETTER AVERAGE AND A TINY BIT MORE HR POP. BUT LUDWICK I FEEL FROM MY LIMITED RECOLLECTION OF HIS CAREER HAS PLAYED MORE CONSISTENTLY. BUT WHO KNOWS AT 33 THAT A GUY 27 WOULD NOT BE A BETTER ROLL OF THE DICE IN FRANCOEUR?

LUDWICK HAS SOME STRONG YEARS AS A STARTER IN ST LOUIS TOPPING OUT AT 113 RBI’S AND 37 HR’S IN 2008. BUT HE HAS DECLINED THE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT HE IS SEASONED AS I SAID. HECK I’M STARTING TO LIKE FRANCOEUR ALL THINGSCONSIDERED. LOL

FRANCOEUR CAME ON STRONG AS YOUNG LAD BUT FIZZLED EVER SINCE. HE DOES HAVE 60 RBI’S IN KANSAS CITY THIS SEASON AND RBI’S IS THIS THE BOTTOM LINE. LIKE I SAID HIS NUMBERS ARE SOLID OVERALL FOR A GUY OF THIS CALIBER AND DID SHOW ABILITY AT A YOUNGER AGE. SO MAYBE I REALLY DO LIKE HIM MORE THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT?HE DID HAVE 2 100+ RBI YEARS AND 2 76 RBI YEARS AND LIKE I SAID AT 27 THERE IS NO REASON TO THINK HE HAS PEAKED. HOWEVER IT WOULD HELP TO KNOW IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE REGRESSION.

I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT MELKY CABRERA MAY RATE HIGHER ON MY LIST BUT I HONESTLY REALLY NEVER SAW HIM THAT MUCH. HIS NUMBERS ARE ON PAR WITH LUDWICK AND FRANCOEUR THOUGH. HE IS 26 AND CONCEIVABLY COULD HAVE SOME MORE POTENTIAL IN HIM.

JONNY GOMES IS NOTHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT. HIS BEST SEASON WAS GOOD BUT HE HAS NOT DONE MUCH SINCE. WILLINGHAM IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION FOR ME. LIKE I SAID IN FLORIDA THERE WAS SOME FLASHES OF SOLID HITTING BUT REALLY AT 32 I SEE NO UPSIDE OR BENEFIT OF HIM COMING IN.

B J UPTON IS UNLIKELY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS ………………………. WOULD BE NICE THOUGH!

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND YOUR FINGERS CROSSED! LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE THOUGH.

1. THE PHILLIES DO NOT NEED A BIG TICKET ITEM TO BOOST THIS OFFENSE. A SOLID REASONABLY RELIABLE BAT IN THE 6TH, 7TH, OR 8TH SPOT IS ALL YOU NEED! MOST OF THESE NAMES COULD REALISTICALLY FLOURISH OR BE ADEQUATE THERE!

2. MAYBE EVEN A COUPLE OF THESE GUYS COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE A 3 SPOT IF UTLEY WERE TO GET HURT.

3. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR A 5 HOLE HITTER FOR A RIGHT HAND BAT HERE ALSO. PRESUMABLY THIS SHOULD HELP HOWARD GET BETTER PITCHES AND THUS THEY MAY GET BETTER LOOKS HITTING BEHIND HOWARD!

POINT # 3 IS THE GREAT UNKNOWN. OFTEN TIMES A BORDER LINE GOOD HITTER DOES IMPROVE WHEN YOU PUT THEM IN A GOOD SPOT. HITTING AROUND HOWARD CAN DO WONDERS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEN AGAIN POLANCO AND VICTORINO HAVE STRUGGLED THERE. SO WHO KNOWS?