Just a few notes as we bide the time till opening night on April 5th. Spring Training sure seems like it is taking forever this year but today a few noteworthy roster moves took place.
Minor League Options
The Phillies sent Kyle Kendrick, Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Brad Harman to Minor League Camp today. The significance of each is that all four are major league caliber players either presently or in the near future. Kendrick was competing for the fifth starter’s spot and albeit his most recent outing against the Twins was decent he could not overcome earlier outings where he struggled. Kendrick will go to Lehigh Valley and work on an offspeed pitch to compliment his sinker. He is a capable major leaguer having already won 22 games at the top level but needs to find a secondary pitch to keep hitters off the sinker. Donald had a great spring training but my guess is that the team wants him to play everyday at Lehigh most probably at third base to see if they have the next third sacker in tow after Pedro Feliz’s contract expires after this season. Marson is a 22 year old catcher with a perceived bright future. He will catch everyday at Lehigh and is potential trade material, Boston supposedly is high on him, else depending on how he hits may be in Philly later this year or in 2010. Harman is bull strong, the organization needs to figure out whether he is a utility player or one that can be a regular, perhaps they give him a look in the outfield at Lehigh to ascertain what they have. All four provide depth for the Fightin’s which has not always been the case in season’s past!
World Baseball Classic
It may sound like sour grapes but if the event is continually held during spring training won’t countries like Japan and Korea consistently meet in the finals ? Teams stocked with big leaguers like the U.S. don’t seem to be as committed to wining the tournament as our friends from the Aisa Pacific region. The tournament is fun to watch but I think that if a fair representation of U.S. baseball is to occur then the tourney maybe belongs in November after the World Series is concluded. That would put all countries on the same plane rather than having some in primary training mode. That being said the battles that J.C. Romero had with teammates Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino during the U.S./Puerto Rico quarter final game were extremely energized and fun to watch.
Pitching Plans
Cole Hamels seems very unlikely to start the season as the opening day starter, elbow inflamation set him back and expectations are now that he will need at least one additional start to the twon already scheduled before opening day occurs. That being said the early regular season schedule is user friendly thru April 15th so the Fightin’s could in essence get away with a three man rotation till then. The fifth starter spot seems to be between J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park. Park has learned a change up from teammate Jamie Moyer and has been very effective putting it in his reportoire. Happ has been racking up K’s with his fastball in his outings, personally I think Happ starts the season in the pen as the lefty replacing J.C. Romero till he serves his 50 game suspension and Park gets the nod as the starter. I think Mr. Park could be a very pleasant surprise as a starter this season.
Bench Reserves
Is it me or has Ronny Paulino showed very little reason to not carry Chris Coste as the backup catcher. Coste has established himself and I would think that Paulino would have to win the job away, I have not seen anything to indicate he has thus far. Miguel Cairo seems like he may win the right hand bench reserve spot only because the team may want John Mayberry Jr. to start the season in Lehigh playing everyday. Mayberry has shown he is a real prospect and his athleticism has enabled him to showcase in all three outfield spots this spring. If the team feels that he can adjust to the reserve role of pinch hitter then he has won a reserve job but since he is still a young player they may indeed want to get him regular at bats in Triple A.
Two weeks away till opening night so more spring games to play and iron out the roster possibilities, expect trade rumors to fly and perhaps some deals to get done before the opening day group comes north.
