Phillies making headlines off as well as on the field

The Phillies are 7-1 on their current homestand, bouncing back from an atrocious road trip. They swept the hated Mets, took three of four from the Reds, and took game one of the three-game series versus the Pirates. Their offense, led by the revival of Jimmy Rollins, seems to have found its groove. The starting pitching is living up to its expectations by going deeper into games and not giving up many runs. The bullpen is finally starting to hold on at the end of games.

These things alone will have any Phillies fan talking enthusiastically about the team, especially since all of the above were things that weren’t really clicking in the opening months of the 2009 campaign. The team couldn’t win at home, Jimmy Rollins looked lost, and the pitching was in shambles. However, it is the off-the-field rumors and activities that are making Philadelphia the new windy city.

It was earlier in the week that Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi made a statement that the team is now willing to talk trade for their ace pitcher, Roy Halladay. Halladay is 10-3 with a 2.85 ERA this season and would certainly be a valuable acquisition to a team already defending a world championship and whose starting rotation has a slew of injuries. What Ricciardi neglected to mention was that the Jays basically have Halladay tied to a chair with a blindfold on and are reading off a list of demands if anyone wants him. From the Phillies, who seem to be one of the top suitable teams interested, Ricciardi literally wants the farm (Drabek, Taylor, and Donald for starters) as well as some starting pitching as well (Happ). Although the 32-year old pitcher would be that vital Game 2 starter in the playoffs the Phillies would so desperately need if they wish to repeat, is he really worth significantly overpaying this much?

The Phillies are also said to have interest in former three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez. The 37-year old pitcher has been out of baseball this season but has had a few teams show interest in him as of late. This week Martinez threw a three inning simulated game for the Phillies at their Dominican Republic complex. Sources say that Pedro’s agent is in constant talks with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., as well as other teams, but it looks like the Phillies seem to be Martinez’s top choice. Pedro’s most recent stint came with the New York Mets, where they grossly overpaid for a pitcher who, in four years, only yielded them 32 wins. I am certain that the Mets will be more than thrilled to see the Phillies sign a pitcher that even they didn’t want.

On a lighter note, earlier in the week, the MLB All Star Game’s rosters were finalized, and the Phillies are well-represented. Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel will be managing the NL squad, and second basemen Chase Utley and outfielder Raul Ibanez were named starters to the team. Manuel then named first baseman Ryan Howard to the roster to back up at first base as well. On Thursday, Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino won the fan choice with over 15 million votes for the final roster spot. Then on Friday, Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth was named to the team to replace Mets injured outfielder Carlos Beltran.

Friday also saw the end of Chris Coste’s career as a Philadelphia Phillie. Coste was waived by the team yesterday to make room on the roster for Raul Ibanez, who returned off the disabled list before Friday night’s 3-2 victory over the Pirates. Coste spent 11 years in the minor leagues before actually making the Phillies roster four years ago at age 33. In his time in Philadelphia, he batted .282 with 23 home runs and 98 RBI’s.

The Phillies still have two games left against the Pirates before heading into the all star break, which ironically doesn’t appear to be much of a break for a lot of their players. The team is playing hot right now, and history has shown us that their best baseball has yet to come, although most fans believe that a roster move needs to be made if the team is going to win down the stretch.