What in the Holy Hell are the Phils Doing?
Posted by Johnny Goodtimes on November 12th, 2009
A column in today’s Inky by Jim Salisbury has me absolutely dumbfounded. It says that the Phils have their eyes on three third basemen: Placido Polanco, Mark DeRosa, and Adrian Beltre. While I can somewhat understand Beltre, the other two have me absolutely floored. Wasn’t Polanco let go a few years ago precisely because the Phils didn’t think he could play third? In case you are curious, he has not played a single game at third in Detroit. Not one. So what makes them think that a man who never plays third base will be a better third baseman than Pedro Feliz, who has a Gold Glove caliber glove at the hot corner? This is absolutely jaw-dropping. Since they apparently think that anyone in Major League Baseball can play 3rd base, why not go after Matt Holliday and have him play third? Maybe put Jon Lackey down at the hot corner for four days and have him pitch on the 5th?
Meanwhile, Mark DeRosa would be an excellent addition…as a utility player. But as an everyday third baseman he would simply be a downgrade from Pedro. DeRosa has played 3rd base more than 40 times in a season exactly twice in his career. Do the Phillies simply think that they can stick anyone down there and they’ll have the same skills as Feliz, even if they’re not used to playing third? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present to you Wes Helms. 3rd base is not a position you want to tinker with just to tinker. I am hoping that this is all a bluff, the Phils bring back Feliz, and then grab Polanco or DeRosa as a utility player. Otherwise, I will think that this success has gone to their heads and they think they have a fantasy team that plays for offensive numbers and that defense isn’t a factor in baseball. Say it ain’t so, Amaro!
November 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Feliz is without a doubt a gold glove caliber 3rd basemen, and i would love to see him back next year. but the Phillies, like every other team in the majors have to try to get better. when you look at their lineup, pretty much the only place they can get better is at third, and pedro’s contract was due to expire. The phils had to make decision about picking up his option before the deadline and they wisely chose to not bring him back (just yet) so they could entertain other options at third base. there’s nothing to stop them from signing him if they want him back. it would be tough for anybody to find a better fielder at 3rd, but it’s still a smart move to try to get more offense out of that position.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
As a Met fan, I would be happy if they kept Feliz. He is below average in terms of BA, Slugging/OPS, and has no speed. Last year, he performed in excess of his historical numbers and he should be commended for that. However, if you look at his splits last year, he batted only .208 against lefties, which is the known weakness of his Phillies’ team. His success was overwhelmingly against righties, which indicates that he is getting better pitches from righties who are properly afraid of the Phillies’ big left handed bats:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/felizpe01.shtml
The Phillies need a big time right hand hitter who can take the pressure off the lefties when there is a lefty pitcher in the game. That’s what Burrell did so successfully. Pedro does not. Moreover, he contributes nothing else but fielding (without much range), and 3rd base is not a critical fielding position. So go ahead and re-sign him….if I were Phillies’ GM, I would be doing the same thing as Ruben is doing.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Anyone who thinks that 3rd base is not a critical fielding position should watch tapes of Wes Helms playing 3rd base for the Phillies a few years ago. And to say that he gives you nothing but a glove is rather ridiculous, as he knocked in 82 RBIs last year in the 7 spot. I have no problem with them shopping around, but I just can’t possibly comprehend who they are looking at. Placido Polanco is not a 3rd baseman. The Phils decided on this years ago. Mark DeRosa is also not an everyday third baseman, and had a batting average 16 points lower than Pedro this past season and had fewer RBIs. I have no problem with my 7 hitter being a little slow on the bases. Would I welcome an upgrade of Beltre or Figgins? Sure. But to just plug in the 3B hole with any warm body on the free agent market is insane.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
JGT, without being condescending, anyone who knows anything about baseball knows that RBI’s are far more dependent on the quality of the rest of the team than the individual player. RBI’s were Feliz’ only above-average statistic. Compare him with David Wright, who most people in New York are killing for his lack of production this year. His slugging average, on base percentage and OPS were far better than Feliz’ in a bad off-year for Wright. Feliz is a below average hitter in a postion that calls for major batting production.
I will agree with you about one thing. If Feliz is the best option after surveying the free agent field, they should re-sign him. However, both Polanco and DeRosa do things Feliz doesn’t do. They should look for the best player they can fit in that position—it may or may not be Feliz. The likelihood is that they can find someone better.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Amaro and Montgomery want DaRosa because he’s a Penn Charter guy. That’s it. I agree. Good utility guy. Bad everyday replacement.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Sounds to me that the Phillies are interested in Polanco or DeRosa for their versatility. If you have to let them think they’ll be in the mix to be the everyday third baseman to get them to sign, then so be it. The Phillies need to improve their bench and either player would do it. I don’t expect either though to be the everyday third baseman. I say, read between the lines here.
Palestra Jon, I’m surprised you don’t think third base matters defensively, especially when you get to root for David Wright. His glove has beaten the Phillies as often as his bat.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Art, I’m not saying that defense doesn’t matter. If it were up to me, every position would be fielded by a Gold Glover. However, third base is a power position. Few teams can afford to have someone as unproductive as a Pedro Feliz, who has a lousy OPS, a lousy slugging percentage and has no speed. That lefty-righty split also would concern me, because it appears that he cannot get hits when pitchers bear down on him. He has a great glove, but that is not enough, especially when he wants $5 million or more.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Thanks for not being condescending, PJ, as I am just starting to learn this sport of beisbol. The RBI argument is about 5th on my list, and if you want to knock him because you learned some baseball geek formula that says that a .336 average with RISP is bullshit, that’s fine. But keep in mind that baseball geek formulas also make Bobby Abreu look like one of the greatest players of all time.
Anyways, the RBI argument is way down the line. Let me make my real point for the third time while trying not to be condesceding. Pedro Feliz is an everyday third baseman who has spent his career playing, once again, every day at third base. He is an excellent fielder, and an average bat. An average bat at 3rd is fine when you have player like Utley who puts up 3B numbers at 2B. Placido Polanco is a 2nd baseman. Period. Mark DeRosa is a utility infielder, not an everyday third baseman. THEREFORE: I would rather have a great glove/average bat at 3rd than the very guy this team decided was worse at third base than DAVID BELL and so let go to Detroit. I’d also rather have him than a guy who is the same age, puts up slightly better offensive numbers, but is a question mark at third base. I am all for an upgrade, as I said before. No problem with Beltre or Figgins. But why change a sure thing with one of two question marks?
November 12th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
On your other argument: What the Mets need and expect out of Wright and what the Phils need out of Pedro are two remarkably different things. Comparing them is pointless. David Wright is probably the most important player on the field for the Mets. Pedro is the 7th or 8th most important everyday player for the Phillies. When Wright’s production slips, the Mets are in huge trouble. When Pedro puts up good but not great numbers at the plate and is a vacuum at third, the Phils are fine. The Phillies no more expect Pedro Feliz to be better than David Wright than the Mets expect Luis Castillo to be better than Chase Utley.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Art brings up a good point. Not renewing Feliz’s contract perhaps helps Philly lure a better caliber utility/bench infielder, which they are in desperate need of. If every position is slotted then maybe a DeRosa or a Potatohead Polanco aren’t interested in Philly. But get them on the team, and platoon them at third. Strengthens the bench and perhaps one of them emerges as more everyday than you might think – remember what they said about Jason Werth.