Pitching help is growing
thinner for the Phils

In the Batter’s Box
By Matt Godfrey

Let the games begin.
On Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers made what most likely will be the biggest splash this trading season when they sent four prospects to the Cleveland Indians for reigning American League Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia.
Paired with starter Ben Sheets, whom many were speculating to be on the trading block as well, the Brewers have a powerful 1-2 combination at the top of their rotation to carry them through the second half of the season in the National League Central race.
That’s great news for the Brewers; prognosticators at the start of the season seemed divided on whether Milwaukee would make a good run or end up folding.
But the trade is not-so-good news for your hometown Phillies, who are looking for a strong starting pitcher to add to the mix.
The Phillies were known to be one of the teams scouting Sabathia, who most likely will be just a rental for the Brewers. With his contract expiring after the season, the Indians probably would have been unable to keep him away from a team with deeper pockets. Cleveland’s first half has been dismal, so it seems they are wise to grab the quartet of prospects offered by the Brewers.
For the Phillies, the deal is bad news for another reason — it means that Sheets won’t be available either. There’s no sense in the Brewers acquiring someone like Sabathia if they’re going to trade their own mound ace.
Confronted by that reality, it’s time for the Phillies to kick their pursuit of Seattle Mariners’ lefthander Erik Bedard, or whomever they are targeting, into high gear.
There are a few other names out there, namely the Cincinnati Reds’ Bronson Arroyo and the Toronto Blue Jays’ A.J. Burnett.
Bedard seems a more attractive option, however, because the Phillies — or whatever team can lure him from the Mariners — would have him for the rest of this season and all of next.
The spot that Bedard would occupy is somewhat questionable, however. Phillies spot-starter J.A. Happ, who is giving pitcher Brett Myers a break from his disastrous 2008 season, filled in capably during his first start last Friday. Happ gave up only two runs in 4.2 innings of work before being lifted from the game with the bases loaded.
Happ most likely will be back in the minors after the all-star break, but whether Myers will be back in the rotation is another story. His first rehab start in the minors did not go well; his return to the Phils’ rotation does not seem imminent.
The other four starters — Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton — have been pitching well lately, though Eaton was pretty shaky against the Mets on Monday night.
Just the same, it could leave Myers as the odd man out. But I’d think that something would be brewing.
The news didn’t get better for Myers when the Phillies signed closer Brad Lidge to a three-year, $37.5 million contract on Sunday. The deal includes a club option for a fourth year that, if the Phillies decide to exercise it, would keep Lidge in town through the 2012 season.
Also, later that day, things got sweeter for Lidge when he was named to the National League all-star team.
Those developments crushed any hope that Myers may have had of returning to a closer role with the Phils.
His trade value at the moment probably is too low for the Phillies to swing a meaningful deal. There’s also the issue of his hefty salary (it’ll be $12 million next season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer) — probably too hefty for the Phillies to keep Myers as a reliever in ’09.
What could, and I think probably should, happen is that the Phillies try to get Bedard or whomever they’re targeting and pair him with Hamels and Myers at the top of the rotation.
If Myers continues to struggle, slide him to the bullpen in late July or early August and bring up Kris Benson, who hopefully will be healthy enough to pitch by then.
Myers could take over the setup role from Tom Gordon — he’s on the disabled list once again — and possibly improve his offseason trade value while presumably strengthening an already-strong bullpen. ••