GaryMrMets
07-27-2004, 07:32 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/9249756.htm
Posted on Tue, Jul. 27, 2004
On Baseball | A nice deal isn't going to be so easy
By Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Columnist
MIAMI - You hear a lot about Florida these days. It is, after all, a key battleground in the race for the White House.
It also could be a swing state for the Phillies in the National League East race.
The Phillies chugged into Pro Player Stadium last night to begin a pivotal four-game series with the recently sputtering Florida Marlins. The Marlins rebounded from being swept over the weekend in Montreal and beat the Phils, 11-3.
What else is new? The Marlins have beaten the Phillies in eight of nine meetings this season and 20 of the teams' last 23, all on the watch of Jack McKeon, their cigar-puffing manager.
(And all this time we thought Bill Giles et al. owned the Phillies.)
While these games in Miami clearly are important, there are some things going on across the Sunshine State that are of almost equal significance to the Phillies and the way the rest of their season plays out.
Across Alligator Alley and up I-75, Phillies general manager Ed Wade and his top lieutenants, Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, are holed up at the team's compound in Clearwater.
They aren't there for the grouper burgers.
They are trying to make a trade that will help the wheel-spinning and pitching-needy Phillies get to the postseason. They've gotten away from all the distractions of Philadelphia. No nosy reporters. No impatient fans at the Wawa. Yeah, gimme an Italian Shorti. Extra pickles. Yo, Ed, whataya gonna do? The fax machines are loaded with paper. The cell phones are fully charged. The coffeemaker is plugged in.
Phillies fans demand a trade. The men in uniform would love to see one. Fresh talent always charges up a clubhouse in July.
But getting put-the-team-over-the-top talent won't be easy.
It's difficult to make trades these days. The wild card has given so many teams a chance that few are willing to wave the white flag by the non-waiver deadline. That has created a seller's market, and the merchants would be wise to hold out until the final hours before Saturday's deadline.
In addition, deals are complicated by big-money contracts and no-trade clauses.
McKeon used to be known as Trader Jack when he was GM of the San Diego Padres. If he held the same position now, he'd have the nickname stripped.
"It's not player for player anymore," he said wistfully. "If it was, I'd make a half-dozen deals right now. But it's not like that anymore. It's tough. There are so many other factors. I don't miss being a GM."
Needs?
The Phillies have a few.
Starting pitcher.
Centerfielder.
Relief help.
After the increasing of the payroll to $93 million, there are limits to what the Phillies can do financially, even if they are selling out the Bank every night.
The Phils are not going to mortgage their future. That means Chase Utley, Ryan Madson, Cole Hamels and Gavin Floyd aren't going anywhere - and those are the players that other teams are asking for.
For these reasons and because the market is not deep, it's possible that the Phillies will end up addressing only one need.
For a couple of weeks, they have been focused on Arizona's Steve Finley. A person close to Finley said the centerfielder would like the idea of being part of an all-out, two-month pennant race. He would also like the idea of playing with Jim Thome.
At this time of year, trade forecasts change quickly. One minute, the rumor mill builds something up. The next, it shoots something down.
Over the weekend, the Phils appeared to be second in the Finley chase, behind Los Angeles. Yesterday, it looked as if they'd slipped to third, behind the Dodgers and the Marlins.
That's another reason this series is so important. If the Phils can knock the Marlins back a few more games, the Fish might not be buyers - or contenders - by the end of the week.
Don't count on that, though. Not the way these Marlins own the Phillies.
Marlins GM Larry Beinfest doesn't sound like someone who plans on being an also-ran.
"I think we showed last year we're willing to take a risk and be aggressive," he said.
The rumble on Finley is that the Diamondbacks aren't moving off asking the Phillies for at least one of the members of the firm of Utley, Madson, Hamels and Floyd in return. In fact, just about every team the Phillies have spoken with wants those players. That's why the Phils are having a tough time reaching pay dirt.
No team has gone gaga over Ryan Howard or Elizardo Ramirez leading a deal with the Phils. Maybe that will change closer to the deadline, but that's certainly the way it looks right now.
Unable to coax Finley from Arizona with their current offer, Wade, Amaro and Arbuckle likely focused on pitching yesterday. Starter? Reliever? The Phils need both.
By nightfall, the Clearwater Crew was probably in front of the TV, watching the carnage in Miami.
Florida is an important state for the Phillies this week.
Over in Clearwater, they're trying to pick up some talent.
In Miami, they're trying to pick up some wins.
Neither will be easy. But if the Phillies are going to stay in the race for the long haul, they will need success on both fronts.
Posted on Tue, Jul. 27, 2004
On Baseball | A nice deal isn't going to be so easy
By Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Columnist
MIAMI - You hear a lot about Florida these days. It is, after all, a key battleground in the race for the White House.
It also could be a swing state for the Phillies in the National League East race.
The Phillies chugged into Pro Player Stadium last night to begin a pivotal four-game series with the recently sputtering Florida Marlins. The Marlins rebounded from being swept over the weekend in Montreal and beat the Phils, 11-3.
What else is new? The Marlins have beaten the Phillies in eight of nine meetings this season and 20 of the teams' last 23, all on the watch of Jack McKeon, their cigar-puffing manager.
(And all this time we thought Bill Giles et al. owned the Phillies.)
While these games in Miami clearly are important, there are some things going on across the Sunshine State that are of almost equal significance to the Phillies and the way the rest of their season plays out.
Across Alligator Alley and up I-75, Phillies general manager Ed Wade and his top lieutenants, Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, are holed up at the team's compound in Clearwater.
They aren't there for the grouper burgers.
They are trying to make a trade that will help the wheel-spinning and pitching-needy Phillies get to the postseason. They've gotten away from all the distractions of Philadelphia. No nosy reporters. No impatient fans at the Wawa. Yeah, gimme an Italian Shorti. Extra pickles. Yo, Ed, whataya gonna do? The fax machines are loaded with paper. The cell phones are fully charged. The coffeemaker is plugged in.
Phillies fans demand a trade. The men in uniform would love to see one. Fresh talent always charges up a clubhouse in July.
But getting put-the-team-over-the-top talent won't be easy.
It's difficult to make trades these days. The wild card has given so many teams a chance that few are willing to wave the white flag by the non-waiver deadline. That has created a seller's market, and the merchants would be wise to hold out until the final hours before Saturday's deadline.
In addition, deals are complicated by big-money contracts and no-trade clauses.
McKeon used to be known as Trader Jack when he was GM of the San Diego Padres. If he held the same position now, he'd have the nickname stripped.
"It's not player for player anymore," he said wistfully. "If it was, I'd make a half-dozen deals right now. But it's not like that anymore. It's tough. There are so many other factors. I don't miss being a GM."
Needs?
The Phillies have a few.
Starting pitcher.
Centerfielder.
Relief help.
After the increasing of the payroll to $93 million, there are limits to what the Phillies can do financially, even if they are selling out the Bank every night.
The Phils are not going to mortgage their future. That means Chase Utley, Ryan Madson, Cole Hamels and Gavin Floyd aren't going anywhere - and those are the players that other teams are asking for.
For these reasons and because the market is not deep, it's possible that the Phillies will end up addressing only one need.
For a couple of weeks, they have been focused on Arizona's Steve Finley. A person close to Finley said the centerfielder would like the idea of being part of an all-out, two-month pennant race. He would also like the idea of playing with Jim Thome.
At this time of year, trade forecasts change quickly. One minute, the rumor mill builds something up. The next, it shoots something down.
Over the weekend, the Phils appeared to be second in the Finley chase, behind Los Angeles. Yesterday, it looked as if they'd slipped to third, behind the Dodgers and the Marlins.
That's another reason this series is so important. If the Phils can knock the Marlins back a few more games, the Fish might not be buyers - or contenders - by the end of the week.
Don't count on that, though. Not the way these Marlins own the Phillies.
Marlins GM Larry Beinfest doesn't sound like someone who plans on being an also-ran.
"I think we showed last year we're willing to take a risk and be aggressive," he said.
The rumble on Finley is that the Diamondbacks aren't moving off asking the Phillies for at least one of the members of the firm of Utley, Madson, Hamels and Floyd in return. In fact, just about every team the Phillies have spoken with wants those players. That's why the Phils are having a tough time reaching pay dirt.
No team has gone gaga over Ryan Howard or Elizardo Ramirez leading a deal with the Phils. Maybe that will change closer to the deadline, but that's certainly the way it looks right now.
Unable to coax Finley from Arizona with their current offer, Wade, Amaro and Arbuckle likely focused on pitching yesterday. Starter? Reliever? The Phils need both.
By nightfall, the Clearwater Crew was probably in front of the TV, watching the carnage in Miami.
Florida is an important state for the Phillies this week.
Over in Clearwater, they're trying to pick up some talent.
In Miami, they're trying to pick up some wins.
Neither will be easy. But if the Phillies are going to stay in the race for the long haul, they will need success on both fronts.