Skip to main content

Lidge Hopeful for Durbin's Return

By
As a new season, that Philadelphia players and executives alike feel is "World Series or Bust", approaches, all Phillies pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater, FL for their entry physical examinations on Sunday, prior to the start of workouts.

The biggest story in all of Major League Baseball this off-season, the Phillies' pitching rotation, will jointly be on the field and answer questions from the media for the very first time on Monday. The return of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia completed what many say could be the greatest pitching rotation in modern baseball history, adding him to last year's group of starters, Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton.

With the rotation filled to the brim, the Phillies' bullpen has some potential vacancies. Reports out of camp on Sunday had closer Brad Lidge actively campaigning for the return of his close friend, pitcher Chad Durbin, whose contract with the Phillies was through after the 2010 season. It's understandable that a player might wish for a friend to return to the club, however, the organization must come before friendship. Lidge should realize that what's best for the Phillies is to get a some of their up-and-coming pitchers a considerable amount of experience this year.

Pitchers like Dave Herndon, Scott Mathieson, Antonio Bastardo, Mike Zagurski and possibly Justin De Fratus as well as Mike Stutes, plus others, will all be striving to make the big club this year. Experience for those hurlers will benefit the club more in the long run than giving innings, and millions of dollars, to Durbin.


Following the 2011 season, the only Phils reliever under contract is right-hander Jose Contreras. The Phillies have to provide big league innings to their deep collection of reserve arms in order to properly evaluate what they have for the future.

Allowing a guy like Mathieson, whom the Phillies have a lot invested in, after three elbow surgeries and years of recovery, to take on opponents at the highest level would enable the team to determine if Mathieson is still an asset that could be valuable in the future. Using any of the prospects listed would also allow the Phillies to save money on the team payroll, as the players without years of Major League service time would command much smaller salaries than a veteran like Durbin.

While the righty Durbin remains a free agent and Lidge feels Durbin's return is still a possibility, it's up to the Phillies' front office to realize the importance of not re-signing him and providing their young pitching depth a chance to develop further.

________________________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Connect with PhoulBallz.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Labels:

Comments

Best Phillies Blogs said…
I'd like to see a 1-year deal for Durbin. But the chances seem remote at this point. We'll see. I wouldn't hold my breath.
February 14, 2011 at 8:37 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kendrick & LaGrossa- Second Phils/Survivor Marriage

By
On Saturday, Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick married 3-time Survivor contestant and former Flyers employee Stephenie LaGrossa. The couple exchanged vows in front of 105 guests at the Silverado Resort in Napa, California. Their special day featured many personalized aspects, including cocktail hour snacks modeled in the fashion of mini Philly cheesesteaks, as well as the couple's two dogs, Bebe and Champ, serving as flower girl and ring bearer during the ceremony. The pets wore a white dress and a tuxedo, respectively. Kendrick is now the second Phillies pitcher to marry a former contestant of the CBS reality competition program, as lefty Cole Hamels wedded Heidi Strobel, who appeared on the sixth season of Survivor, in 2007. _________________________________________________________________ Be sure to follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter, for updates, stats and info, by clicking HERE . Photos- People.com
Post a Comment
Read more

Michael Taylor Q&A

By
Michael Taylor is currently leading the Reading Phillies' offense and is near the top of the Eastern League in most stat categories (3rd in batting avg- .342, 3rd in HR- 14, tied for second in RBI- 55, 2nd in OPS.- .994, tied for 1st in runs scored- 49, tied for 1st in hits...). The 23 year old Taylor is 6 feet 6 inches tall and has quickly grabbed the attention of phans and media alike as a top prospect to watch. I spoke with Mike Taylor over the weekend, and here is that interview. With all the big stats and being among the league leaders in so many categories, do you think you're ready for the next step? It's kind of a difficult question. Do you have anything left to prove here? There's always something to prove. There's stuff to prove every game. I mean that's one thing that's very interesting about this game. It's such a numbers oriented game. You're only as good as your last "whatever statistical category that someone's valuing". ...
2 comments
Read more

Mixed Feelings: De Fratus Expresses Himself

By
It was a wild and frenzied finish for several teams as the regular season wound down. While some clubs faltered, seeing their seasons come to an end, others triumphed and advanced to the playoffs. Whether it was a collapse or a significant comeback, countless states of mind resulted from the memorable final weeks of the season. Exhilaration, disappointment, confusion, hysteria and disgust could all be used to detail how players and fans all around baseball felt. For one young player, that list of feelings varies a bit but is likely just as long when describing his big league debut and the subsequent two weeks. EXCITEMENT Rookie hurler Justin De Fratus , who just two years ago was a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws South Atlantic League championship team, pitched a scoreless 12th inning to not only notch his very first big league victory, but to put his name in the history books, as the Phillies won their franchise record 102nd game. De Fratus found himself the pitcher of re...
Post a Comment
Read more