This article suggests that Juan Pierre will start the year with the Phillies, Lou Montanez definitely will not and Scott Podsednik very likely will not.
Pierre had two hits yesterday, raising his line to 313/377/333 in 48 at-bats, as the Phils topped the Rays 2-1.
Hamels started the game for the Phillies and was very good, holding the Rays to a run over 5 2/3 innings on three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Evan Longoria homered off of him in the fourth. Hamels dropped his ERA to 3.42 with the effort.
Chad Qualls struck out Carlos Pena to end the sixth. Savery followed Qualls and threw two shutout innings in which he faced just seven batters, allowing a leadoff double to Elliot Johnson but getting the next three Rays to keep them from scoring. Savery has made six official Spring Training appearances and thrown to a 3.24 ERA with a 1.20 ratio and struck out nine in 8 1/3 innings.
Papelbon threw a scoreless ninth, dropping his ERA to 0.90.
Brian Schneider had quite a day, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. His solo shot in the fifth got the Phils their first run. He doubled with one out in the ninth and Tuffy Gosewisch ran for him. Gosewisch would score the game-winning run on Hector Luna’s single to right three batters later.
It was Luna’s only at-bat of the day and the hit raised his line to 302/362/558.
Pierre was 2-for-2 in the game with two singles and a stolen base. Podsednik 0-for-1 with a strikeout — he’s hitting .347.
Orr started at shortstop and went 0-for-4. 294/351/431. Orr has appeared in 393 games in his career and made nine appearances at shortstop. Eight of the nine came with Washington in 2008.
Nix was 0-for-3 to drop his average to .186. Mayberry is hitting .188 after going 0-for-1.
The Phillies play the Yankees tonight with Bastardo expected to pitch.
Michael Stutes was scheduled to pitch in that game, but this article explains that he has stiffness in his right shoulder and it’s unclear if he will be ready for Opening Day.
If we’re guessing, my guess is he won’t.
So let’s review who might be on the pitching staff when the season starts. I think we can count on these guys: Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Blanton, Worley, Kendrick, Papelbon, Bastardo, Qualls. That’s nine.
My guess is that Contreras and Stutes won’t be on the active roster for Opening Day. The Phillies need at least two and maybe three more pitchers. Herndon seems like a very good bet to be one and I still think Raul Valdes with be a second. That makes 11, including two lefties in Valdes and Bastardo. Savery would be my guess for the 12th if the Phils start the year with 13 hitters.
On the hitters side, I think we should now be counting on these guys: Ruiz, Schneider, Mayberry, Wigginton, Galvis, Rollins, Polanco, Nix, Victorino, Pence, Thome, Pierre. That’s 12, leaving one or two openings. My guess is Orr is one of them and Luna would be my second guess if the Phils carry 14 hitters.
So I think there are nine pitching near locks and 12 hitting near locks. Herndon seems like just about a certainty. Valdes and Orr seem highly likely. That’s 24 and I think it leaves one slot for Savery or Luna, assuming that Contreras and Stutes are both not on the active roster to start the season.
March 30th, 2012 on 2:26 pm
that we are reduced to the likes of Nix makes my head hurt. let’s hope we have to play the game of “when chase/howard returns, who will leave” pretty soon.
March 30th, 2012 on 2:33 pm
That would be nice, but I fear the Phils are in for a pretty ugly start to the season. They just have some enormous holes offensively. Three great starters and Papelbon is fantastic, but they are going to need some additional pieces, whether it’s guys getting healthy or guys joining the team. 102 wins seems like a long, long time ago.
March 30th, 2012 on 3:08 pm
Yup. It does. It is hard to imagine any team losing their three and four holes at our level and not taking a hit (so to speak) in the win column.
March 30th, 2012 on 9:29 pm
Freddy can play second, friends.
March 31st, 2012 on 9:39 am
Yes, he can. The end is not so nigh. Though we’re going to need a power third baseman sometime this year or next.
I still hold that 88 wins can take the NL East this year, and the Phils have that in them. The “experts” are still pegging the Phils in the 95 range.
March 31st, 2012 on 2:26 pm
Yes to the power third baseman, even though when Polly is on his glove is pretty amazing. David Wright has back problems, so maybe he is not such a good idea. Who else is out there is a mystery to me.
I’m kind of wondering what the experts are sniffing if they have us at 95. If your number is good (88) we just may make it again.
April 2nd, 2012 on 9:52 am
I would be pretty thrilled with 95 wins. I don’t think the end is nigh, but mostly because I think the Phils are going to be finishing the season with a much different set of players than they start it with. Not because I think a team that starts Pierre, Mayberry, Galvis and Polanco can be real good offensively.
Hope I’m wrong, but I think the first couple months of the season could be ugly.