If you are a Phillies fan looking to get excited, you are dreaming of Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin Soo Choo, and probably would even settle for Nelson Cruz. As a reasonable person, you would not hope for Robinson Cano. But looking ats General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr.'s reported shopping list you may be a little disappointed.
CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury reported yesterday that the Phillies will not be in on some of the bigger names on the market, but instead will focus on some names that might be the next rung below.
Mid-range free agents that the Phillies have discussed include starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo, relievers Joe Smith and Joaquin Benoit, and outfielders Marlon Byrd and Franklin Gutierrez.
Don't get me wrong: some of these are nice players that can help a team. But are they enough for a team to get over the hump? Here are what I think of those players:
Bronson Arroyo: My pal Colin Humphreys called him "Kyle Kendrick with a leg kick". Of course, the Phillies already have Kyle Kendrick, and his windup is just fine, as far as I am concerned. Arroyo seems like he would command too much money to give the Phillies what Kyle Kendrick would. Kendrick, however, could be traded as he heads into the final year of his contract. Then, an Arroyo would be a necessary pickup.
Joaquin Benoit: The Detroit Tigers were a mess in the back-end of the bullpen in 2013 and it arguably cost them their postseason. However, Benoit stepped up and created some stability in their closer's role. Too bad they lost him as an eighth inning option when he went to the ninth inning. Benoit recorded 24 saves after the Tigers eventually had to give him a chance by default. Benoit has generally put up really nice numbers through his career, sans his 2008 season that led to missing 2009 completely with an injury. He would be a nice pickup for the Phillies to pitch in the eighth inning, but a team will probably give him a closer's job and closer's money.
Marlon Byrd: The Phillies brought back their manager from 2003, so why not one of his starting outfielders? I have always been a fan of Byrd; he always had a strong work ethic. The Phillies dealt him in 2005 for Endy Chavez in a swap of outfielders who were underperforming. Byrd went on to have a nice career, and then crashed; after a PED suspension Byrd got his act together in 2013. I am happy for his nice year last year, but there is far from a guarantee that he will produce anything like that again. Too much risk.
Franklin Gutierrez: The Phillies' bench deficiency was outed last season. When Ben Revere went down with an injury there was no true centerfielder to come in and play until the Phillies added Roger Bernadina (who of course is now gone). Gutierrez is a right-handed bat who could plattoon or be a role player. Traditionally, the more he plays, the worse he does. Last year Gutierrez (thanks to an injury) had just 145 at bats. He did, however, hit 10 home runs in that limited action. The Phillies bench could use a little pop.
Joe Smith: A nice reliever for the Indians in 2013. "Nice" is the appropriate word. The Phillies saw Smith plenty in 2007 and 2008 when he was a member of the New York Mets. He has spent 2009 through 2013 with the Cleveland Indians. He's been consistently good for around 70 appearances and an ERA on or around 3.00. Smith posted a 2.29 ERA last year and a 2.01 ERA in 2011 for two of his best seasons. He may not command Mike Adams money but will likely give a team more than Adams did in 2013.
Are you excited about this shopping list? It surely will not give the Phillies the offense that they are supposedly seeking. But, we will wait and see. Other names will likely emerge as time goes on. The General Managers meetings are indeed underway in Orlando and perhaps the Phillies will make a deal.
