MLB Fastball 10.20.07: Some Changes In Store For Phillies
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 10.20.2007
Making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years was a big deal for the Philadelphia Phillies. But being bounced by the Rockies in three games proves the Phillies still have some work to do to be a contender. In this week’s edition of MLB Fastball, Neil Borenstein takes a look at the potential moves Philadelphia will look into this offseason.
It's the end of an era in New York Yankees baseball. Joe Torre turned down a one-year, $5 million incentive-laden deal on Thursday, effectively ending the chapter on his 12-year career with the organization. The search for his replacement begins.
Though the end result is not particularly surprising, the way we got there is.
The Yankees decided it was in the best interest of the team to bring Torre back. After all, he did manage the team to postseason appearances every year since taking over in 1995. He was also at the helm for the Yankees' four most recent World Series Championships (1996, 1998-2000). He is the second winningest manager in club history, behind only Joe McCarthy. Torre's resumé is truly unparallel. The Yankees looked at Torre's credentials and felt the right man for the job was the one they already had.
Torre did not feel the same, however.
It was widely believed that the Yankees would be the decision-maker if Torre got the ax. The brass met in Tampa, Fla. for several days deciding the fate of their skipper. And they wanted to keep Torre around.
The way the contract was constructed was so that Torre couldn't just rest completely on his laurels anymore. For the past three years, he has been the highest paid manager in baseball, yet could not manage his teams out of the first round. And for a team that always expects to win the World Series with a damn near $200 million payroll, he hasn't guided a team to a championship for seven years. He's been effective in getting his teams to the playoffs. But recently, the magic has ended there.
So the Yankees just wanted him to prove himself. His base salary of $5 million is still a good sum of money. It's not the $7.5 million he made last season, but it's still a lot of money and would have kept him as the highest paid manager in baseball ahead of Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella at $3.5 million. Upon making the playoffs, Torre would receive $1 million for each level of the postseason the Yankees reached. He could have made up to $8 million. And if the Yankees were to reach the World Series next season, Torre would have had $8 million in salary guaranteed waiting for him in 2009.
But Torre felt insulted at the salary cut, believing the team was telling him they weren't satisfied with what he was doing in his capacity as manager of the Yankees. And for that, despite Torre's incredible legacy with the Yankees, I'm pretty astounded. Torre turned away a very decent offer that could have still resulted in a big payday so long as he motivates his team enough to go deep in the playoffs – or, you know, do his job. I'm a big fan of Torre, but it seems as if he didn't want to earn his money.
I'm actually a big fan of sports personnel being paid based on performance. I think that's a fantastic way to keep people motivated and ensure that they don't receive any unearned salary. It's not to say humongous sums of money cannot be made. It just means that performance will be the indicator of just how big that sum is, not just having one good year or looking pretty every third Tuesday.
I was very anxious to hear the reasoning for Torre walking away during his press conference on Friday. He basically confirmed it was all about the money. I wouldn't have minded so much if he left because he was just simply sick of the hassle of having his job always on the line. I would have been perfectly okay with that rationale – it's hard to be questioned all the time. Every year now there's an evaluation on Torre's performance and whether he should be brought back. I can see why that would get tiring for him.
But the decision really was financially motivated, and I'm disappointed in Torre for that.
Alas, the Yankees must move on, though. They have a long offseason ahead of them, and the last thing they need is to drag out the search for a new manager. As I said in my column last week, a fresh face in the clubhouse and dugout might be the best move for the Yankees. And now they have that opportunity.
Who will take over? Tony La Russa? Joe Girardi? Don Mattingly? Bobby Valentine? Larry Bowa?
There's a plethora of options. And for as hostile a position as it might be, being the manager for the Yankees is one of the most prestigious positions one can have in baseball. Hate them or not, being in a position to be manager of the Yankees is something special.
If I was running this ship and was put in charge of selecting a new manager, I think I'd go with Larry Bowa. He is probably the least popular option out of all the possibilities out there. But I think he has the ability to be a strong presence in that dugout. He is also extremely feisty, which is something the Yankees might need right now.
If the Yankees could grab Valentine, I think that would be a solid pickup. I'm not sure Girardi can handle managing in New York, which is far different than heading a team in Florida with no expectations. Mattingly is probably a few more years away from being ready to take that head position as manager. And La Russa is a good option, but I'm just not sure how high the Yankees are on his list. It would be dumb for the Yankees to make too huge of a stretch when they have plenty of other options. Plus, La Russa could just be another guy resting on laurels who might face a complication in not being familiar with the Yankees' system. And New York is not going to give him two-three years to figure it out.
What the Yankees need to find is a guy with a game plan. It's one thing to want the job and be perceived as somebody who can step in. But somebody needs to come with a plan for getting the Yankees past the ALDS. In a season where there will also be many changes on the field, they cannot just rely on top-notch talent. There will still be star players around, but there's a strong chance Bobby Abreu, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Álex Rodríguez could jet. The organization could face drastic roster changes, so it's important for a new manager to come in and not only get the troops prepared for a long playoff run, but he might have to do it with a new set of Bronx Bombers.
Whatever happens from this point forward, the Yankees are in a big transition right now. From ownership all the way down to the roster, New York is in store for a lot of changes and it will be interesting to see how everything shakes into place for the 2008 season.
Life After Playoffs
Changes Coming For Phillies After Sweep
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports
When the 2008 season rolls around, will Aaron Rowand be sporting a Phillies uniform?
The Philadelphia Phillies accomplished something they hadn't done in 14 years – they made the playoffs. I'd say "big whoop," but unlike other leagues, only four teams from each league make the playoffs and that is actually a fairly difficult task. But one sweep later courtesy of the Colorado Rockies, who are on one of the greatest stretches in Major League Baseball history as they head to the World Series, and the dream is over for Philadelphia. Changes are now in store for the Phillies.
The big question mark heading into this year's Hot Stove League is whether the Phillies will re-sign center fielder Aaron Rowand. The Kansas City Star has speculated that Rowand could be worth $84 million over six years on the free agent market. At $14 million a season, Rowand would be a bit pricey. Though he had a tremendous offensive season in 2007, his numbers were out of the ordinary. And though that's just par for the course in contract years, tossing $14 million a year at a player who typically hits under 15 home runs and has a career batting average of .286 is a bad investment, in my opinion.
I don't want to knock Rowand, though. He is a great player and a great asset on the field. Rowand's defensive prowess is also a huge part to his game.
But defense isn't what brings in money for hitters. He's cheaper than Andruw Jones, of course. But at $6 million per season more, I think I'd rather bring in Jones for better numbers at the plate and that same defensive capability.
If the Phillies can find a way to get Rowand at even a slightly cheaper rate, maybe four years at $44 million, then I think they should make every effort to make it happen. He won't reproduce his stats from the plate, but he is a crucial leader for Philadelphia. And though the Phillies are more than comfortable with using Shane Victorino at center, Rowand has been nothing but a success since acquired by Philadelphia from the Chicago White Sox in 2005. He just needs to come at the right price.
If they don't bring back Rowand, the Phillies will have more than enough money to spend on solidifying their third base spot and bring in one or two good starting pitchers.
Though Wes Helms still has one year left on his contract, the Phillies seem intent on bringing in a bigger name for the hot corner. Mike Lowell, Garrett Atkins and Joe Crede are names being tossed out as potential acquisitions for the Phillies. Lowell is probably the best choice out of those three even if he is the oldest. But Philadelphia will have to compete with a lot of other teams for Lowell's services; one competitor could even be the New York Yankees if Álex Rodríguez decides to opt out of his deal.
Even if they can't lure Lowell, the Phillies would still improve by working out a trade for either Atkins or Crede. Helms was a disappointment at the plate last season with only a .245 batting average and five home runs. And Abraham Nunez was not exactly going to make up for Helms' lack of plate production, especially with a .234 batting average and relatively no power to speak of. So while it's not as easy as just forking cash over for a free agent, if a deal can be made for either Crede or Atkins, they will have as a solid an infield as you can find in the league.
In the pitching department, the Phillies need a lot of improvement, especially if they plan on keeping Brett Myers in the bullpen. Cole Hamels is a solid ace and Kyle Kendrick will be a good No. 2 option in his second season, though I honestly see him more as a three right now. But after that, the Phillies have nobody to speak of.
They have to use Adam Eaton considering they're paying him $16 million over the next two years. But he's going to be an utter disaster and the Phillies should do their best to hide him in the No. 5 spot of the rotation. That leaves room for bringing in a No. 2/3 and 4 starting pitcher, neither of which will be filled by Freddy Garcia since the Phillies aren't going to bring him back.
The problem here is that there aren't a ton of great options right now scheduled to be on the free agent market in pitching. They could bring back Curt Schilling, but I think that would be a waste of money since he only has maybe one or two years left in the league and his ability to perform at a high level is questionable at this point in his career.
I think Livan Hernandez would be a great pickup for the Phillies if they can snatch him up. He's far from a youngster at 32 years old, but on a three-year deal, he would be a solid addition to the Phillies' starting rotation. For that fourth spot, I think the Phillies should take a risk and go after Matt Clement. He's missed the entire 2007 season and no longer has a spot in the already clogged Boston starting rotation, but as a late arm in the Phillies' starting rotation, he could provide some solid outings.
A rotation of Hamels-Hernandez-Kendricks-Clement-Eaton is not particularly the most impressive in the league. But it's effective enough for the offense to get the job done. And it won't cost the Phillies an arm and a leg to put together. And maybe they can get the best of all worlds by bringing in a new third baseman and keep Rowand if they stick with cheap but effective upgrades to their starting rotation.
One thing that's definitely remaining the same is that Charlie Manuel is on board long-term thanks to a two-year extension with a club option for 2010 handed out by the Phillies on Oct. 9. I guess everything that makes Manuel one of the worst managers in baseball gets erased by simply making the playoffs, which I still contend had more to do with a collapse by the New York Mets than a miracle run by the Phillies. And no matter who Pat Gillick brings in, Manuel can help screw everything up with his lack of managerial genius.
But regardless of that fact, the Phillies will be in for a minor facelift this offseason as they try to build off making the playoffs for the first time in forever.
Send all comments, questions, and suggestions to br7qbsteelers@yahoo.com.
