Phillies Network

Posts Tagged ‘Vance Worley’

Ben Revere has hit just .251 and driven in just five runs in 50 games. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Speaking of disappointments this season, Ben Revere hasn’t been lighting up the stat sheet either. Revere has made some spectacular plays defensive and some bone-headed ones as well. At the plate, he has nearly been invisible.

Revere is hitting .251 with no home runs and five RBI in 50 games and 184 plate appearances. He has an on-base percentage of .293.

Revere hasn’t been received too warmly by Phillies fans in his short stay as a Phillie thus far. But compared to the other options fans immersed themselves in during the offseason, there wasn’t much of a better choice.

Let’s review the options. Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Adams should be a perfect fit as the Phillies set-up man in 2013. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Phillies’ approach in the offseason was clearly about trying to find the best talent for the best price. That is why the team traded Vance Worley and Trevor May for Ben Revere. That is why they traded Josh Lindblom and Lisalverto Bonilla for Michael Young.

And when the team finally made their first free-agent signings of the season yesterday by signing reliever Mike Adams and starter John Lannan, they once again made some solid moves for little cost.

Adams will make $6 million in 2013. Considering he will be the set-up man, the Phillies did a solid job locking down their guy. Of the three quality set-up options the Phillies had at the open of the offseason, Adams was the player I thought was best suited for the job. Clearly, the Phillies thought so too, although by the time they began their heavy pursuit of the reliever, he was the last of the three – the others being Koji Uehara and Joakim Soria – still on the market.

With little choice but to meet the demands of the reliever, the Phillies did what they needed. And considering that one of the larger holes being filled this offseason was eighth-inning relief, Adams is just the guy to stop the bleeding.

Consider this. Last season, the Phillies didn’t have a true bullpen after closer Jonathan Papelbon. Who’s to say that Antonio Bastardo, Mike Stutes or Phillippe Aumont will ever amount to the ranks of set-up man or closer?

It is the one risk with a bullpen every season. You can try to assemble the best one out there, but it all comes down to what they do on the field. And because pitchers, especially late-inning relief, come a dime a dozen, it’s sometimes difficult to separate great relievers and closer options from the average Joe.

In 2013, with clear roles for closer – Papelbon – and set-up man – Adams – it allows the Phillies to use their remaining relievers in more suitable situations. Bastardo can focus on being the lefty specialist. Aumont can serve as a sixth or seventh-inning reliever. Stutes can fill the same gap.

John Lannan is 2-5 with a 6.49 ERA in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies signed Lannan to a one-year deal on Saturday. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, John Lannan did not initially strike me as a great idea. It has nothing to do with his terrible numbers against the Phillies. Mainly, my fear came from his numbers in Citizens Bank Park.

In his career, Lannan is 2-5 with a 6.49 ERA in eight starts at his new home ballpark. And he’ll likely have to make 10-15 starts at CBP if he does indeed become the Phillies’ fifth starter.

However, Lannan has come quite a long way since his major-league debut at Citizens Bank Park. His debut is quite infamous in Phillies history.

July 26, 2007. The Phillies are in the midst of making a run at a division title when Lannan makes his debut. The Phillies grab a 4-2 lead entering the fifth inning. Chase Utley stepped to the plate that inning and was hit by a pitch square on the knuckles. He suffered a fractured finger from that, leading to a one-month stint on the DL. Ryan Howard was hit with Lannan’s next pitch, ejected from the game, and thus ended a less-than-memorable debut.

Six seasons later, Lannan is a more accomplished pitcher. Keep in mind, Lannan’s records haven’t been the greatest because he spent his entire six-year career with the Nationals, who consistently posted last-place finishes in the NL East for the early years of his career.

He posted his first 10-win season in 2011 and last season, with a much-improved Nationals’ team playing behind him, he went 4-1 in his six starts posting a 4.13 ERA. Lannan’s career ERA is 4.01. Take out his 3-13 record against the Phillies, and it is 3.80.

So, for a fifth starter, Lannan is not bad. And for the cost of $2.5 million, he is a fit for the Phillies who had a need for another starter. This low-risk, high-reward signing should help the Phillies be better off, especially considering they would have entered 2013 with rookie Tyler Cloyd as the fifth starter.

So after playing the waiting game – and many fans thinking the gamble had hurt the Phillies – it may have actually paid off. In less than 24 hours, Ruben Amaro Jr. checked off two major pieces from his offseason wish list.

The Phillies acquired 24-year-old outfielder Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins yesterday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

I wouldn’t hold it against you if many of you had not heard of Ben Revere before yesterday. Whether you knew his name or not, you know it now and should get used to it. He’s going to be the Phillies’ centerfielder now and for the foreseeable future.

Revere is something different than what many Phillies fans expected. First, he’s 24 years old. Most of the Phillies targeted free agents were roughly 29-34 years old. Second, he lacks power…completely. Revere will enter this season, the fourth of his career, still in search of his first major-league home run.

But the reason Ruben Amaro Jr. felt the need to trade two pitchers for a 24-year-old centerfielder is simple. The Phillies need to get younger. Revere makes them younger. The Phillies need a centerfielder who can field the position better than anybody did in the dreadful 2012 season. He can. And the Phillies need a table-setter to get on base, steal bases and score runs. He can do that too.

Ultimately, if there is anything I can mark down as a downside to the Phillies’ five-year NL East reign from 2007-2011, it’s this: too many fans who jumped on the bandwagon during that run only know a front office that spends at will for players, not searches for bargains.

What Amaro did yesterday was fill a need by trading away a gamble. Is Vance Worley really anything more than a No. 3 pitcher? Probably not. Is Trevor May ever going to amount to anything in the majors? Why don’t you ask Kyle Drabek and Jarred Cosart how things have been going.

The point is that on the surface, the Phillies paid a lot for a table-setter. But for the defense they are getting and the contact, average hitter they are getting, they traded away two pitchers the Twins hope turn into middle to top of the rotation players. With no guarantees for the Twins, the Phillies wanted as close to a guarantee as they could get. Read the rest of this entry »

Ben Revere hit .294 in 124 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2012. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Turns out the Phillies were busy at the Winter Meetings. After Ruben Amaro Jr. left Nashville this morning with nothing happening, the Phillies have since made a trade for a centerfielder.

Ben Revere, a 24-year-old outfielder who played his first two-plus seasons with the Minnesota Twins. In 2012, he hit .294. Revere doesn’t have power – no home runs in 254 games – but he is a great defensive outfielder and a huge threat on the bases. Clearly the Phillies were looking for a guy to set up the big guns and they have done that. Additionally, Revere will fill the void in centerfield that the Phillies needed to fill.

Going to Minnesota in the deal is starting pitcher Vance Worley and one of the team’s top pitching prospects, Trevor May.

As several have noted, the Phillies now need a third baseman – and talks are hot with Texas for Michael Young – a corner outfielder and an eighth-inning set-up pitcher.

More will be known throughout the day, so stay posted. And check back tomorrow for analysis of the deals made today.

UPDATE (2:12 p.m.): Worley and Revere have each commented on the trade. Here’s their quotes.

Worley: ”I didn’t see it coming. I’m over here at Citizens Bank Park, I just finished working out, and I got the news. So I guess it is just time to pack it up and head over to Minnesota and just keep working on getting healthy for the season.”

Revere: ”I was working out when I got the call. The Philadelphia Phillies is a great organization. I’ve been playing against them. Played against them this year when I was with the Twins. Their fan base is great. Everything about them is great. They’ve got great players, great coaches and it’s going to be a good time to be over there playing for them.”

Tyler Cloyd will make his major-league debut tonight in place of Cole Hamels, who was scratched with illness. Cloyd is 15-1 with a 2.26 ERA on the season with starts for Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. (Michael Kubel/The Allentown Morning Call)

On Saturday, Sept. 1, rosters will expand from 25 to 40. That is usually the point when the Phillies give a few players a chance to experience a major-league clubhouse and dugout during a playoff run. At least in recent years.

This year, any call-ups will likely be early tryouts before spring training next season. Tonight, one hopeful will get his first shot.

For most of the season, when the Phillies were juggling low-end rotation pitchers in Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley, the fans were trying to make their voices heard. Tyler Cloyd, a right-hander pitching for Lehigh Valley, was having a career year.

Cloyd started the season in Double-A Reading. When he started the season 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA, he was called up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. From there, he just continued to win, taking home International League MVP honors with the Ironpigs, going 12-1 with a 2.35 ERA.

Combined, his numbers are 15-1 with a 2.26 ERA.

Tonight, Cloyd gets that chance. Cole Hamels has been scratched from his start tonight with a stomach illness. That opens the door for Cloyd, who will make his major-league debut against the Mets tonight.

This doesn’t just impact Cloyd’s role in the Phillies’ system, but it could impact the way the Phillies’ roster looks in the future.

First, there’s Vance Worley, who has struggled with bone chips in his throwing elbow for most of the season. If all goes well for Cloyd, there is a chance he could become a permanent part of the rotation for the rest of the year while Worley gets shut down.

Additionally, Placido Polanco is battling another back injury. Nate Schierholtz has been rehabbing in Lehigh Valley. While the Phillies said they were going to activate Schierholtz after the roster expansion on Saturday, the Phillies may do it sooner if the moves play out that way.

But this is the first of several opportunities for Phillies’ minor leaguers, and it could have an impact on anything the Phillies do to improve the team in the future.

Jay Bruce is tagged out at the plate as part of a double play in the fourth inning of the Phillies’ 3-2 loss to the Reds. (Phillies Network/Tony Durso)

Runs were eventually going to be scored on Vance Worley. It was inevitable as he managed to avoid them with help from his defense. But the Phillies’ offense wasn’t bailing out Worley either. In fact, they were in danger of being no-hit at one point.

It seemed like a loss for most of the night. That didn’t change in the end but at least they showed some fight at the end.

The Phillies did get beat by a better team, but they have some chances to change the result. Ultimately, the man who cost them the game, who is not a first-time blame-holder this season, wasn’t on the field.

Read the rest of this entry »

Off a 3-for-4 game in the series finale against the Brewers, Domonic Brown and the Phillies face the Cincinnati Reds in a four-game series. (Phillies Network/Kevin Durso)

As the season winds down, it’s easier to separate the men from the boys and contenders from pretenders.

The Reds fit both of the former descriptions.

Cincinnati has been a revived team after missing the playoffs in 2011 following their first division title since 1995. They are the next team on the Phillies’ schedule.

The Reds come with a dominant pitching core and excellent offense. Leading the way, especially in the absence of former MVP Joey Votto, who is out with injury, is Jay Bruce.

With several other rising stars in All-Star regular Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs, Zach Cozart and two high-class rookies in Todd Frazier and Xavier Paul, as well as contributions for veterans Ryan Hanigan and Ryan Ludwick, the Reds feature tough outs from top to bottom.

Their pitching is even better. At the back end of the bullpen is fireball closer Aroldis Chapman, who has developed into a dark horse Cy Young candidate, Jose Arredondo and Sean Marshall. And the doesn’t even include a brilliant group of starters. The Phillies will see four of their dominant arms in this series.

Here are the pitching matchups for the series.

Read the rest of this entry »

Juan Pierre, who hit a walk-off infield single in the 11th, celebrates with winning pitcher Jeremy Horst after the Phillies’ 8-7 win over the Cardinals. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Sometimes, you have to wait for the plot to develop before kicking back to watch a great ending.

The early innings were action-packed, but slow-moving. The middle innings could have put you to sleep honestly.

And just when the Phillies looked like they were down and out, in a most familiar fashion, they managed to find a rally.

Nearly an hour later, the Phillies were celebrating another series win, which is good enough for Phillies fans right about now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cliff Lee, who is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five career starts against the St. Louis Cardinals, starts the middle game of the Phillies’ three-game series against the Cardinals. (Phillies Network/Kevin Durso)

This disaster of a season actually didn’t start in 2012. It started on October 7, 2011, when the Phillies were on the wrong end of a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS.

Roy Halladay had been out-dueled in one of the great pitching matchups in years. Ryan Howard was carried off the field with a torn Achilles’ tendon, derailing the start of his 2012 season. Chase Utley and now former Phillie Raul Ibanez came within inches of spoiling the Cardinals’ magical ride.

It wasn’t meant to be then, just like it hasn’t been meant to be all season.

This weekend seems fitting for several reasons. The Cardinals are in town for the first time since that devastating loss. The Phillies are also holding alumni weekend.

In years past, the Wall of Fame inductee has been somebody from a time when the Phillies were champions of some sort: John Kruk, Darren Daulton, Juan Samuel. This season’s inductee is Mike Lieberthal. Lieberthal played for the Phillies from 1994-2006, otherwise known as the 13 seasons in between the Phillies’ World Series appearance in 1993 and their first of five straight division titles in 2007.

So, for a player that has caught more games in Phillies history than anyone else, and was a superstar for the team in an era when they were – for lack of a better term – irrelevant. He was never part of a winning team that could call itself a champion. He never played a playoff game. Thus, it is fitting that he enters the Phillies’ Wall of Fame in a year that has been so much like the 13 years he was a part of Phillies’ baseball.

The Cardinals, however, aren’t the team they were last season. They have a solid 60-51 record and are in third place in the NL Central. But it will take another strong, late-season run for them to have a chance to defend their World Series crown.

It certainly is a different team from that of last season. Out with injury for the remainder of the season are Chris Carpenter, the hero of Game 5, and Kyle McClellan. Also on the DL are pitcher Jaime Garcia and first baseman/outfielder Lance Berkman.

But the Cardinals still have one of the best lineups in baseball with Carlos Beltran, Jon Jay, Allen Craig, David Freese, Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina.

Their pitching has been excellent too. The Phillies will see their top three pitchers this weekend.

Here are the pitching matchups for the series.

Read the rest of this entry »

John Mayberry Jr. can’t make the diving catch on a single by Dan Uggla in the Braves three-run third inning. Mayberry hit a solo home run in the fourth, marking the only run of the night for the Phillies. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

It was already safe to say that the Atlanta Braves had the Phillies’ number this season. But if you didn’t think that before tonight’s game, you saw it for sure.

The Braves put up a crooked number early and didn’t look back from there. Throw in the part-good, part-lucky pitching of Ben Sheets, a shaky Vance Worley, and all the usual that has followed the Phillies this season, and it brought on a familiar result.

Read the rest of this entry »