Sixers relaunch brand

Today the Sixers announced that they would relaunch the classic Sixers logo. There are back to the red, white and blue. This is long overdue, the uniforms they have been wearing are not the Sixers and last year when they wore the 82-83 jerseys, they looked stylish and classic. Here are some jersey that we have had since 82-83.

This is classic Sixers

Shit went bad here. I was at the West Oak Lane Jazz Fest this weekend, and I saw someone selling a warm-up suit from this era. It would be unreal to rock that. Who thought of this jersey?

Short-lived Iverson/Stackhouse era, back to a classic feel.

Sixers intelligently marketing to the urban hip-hop culture that came with their superstar Allen Iverson. These jerseys are alright, but they don't feel like the Sixers.

Last year the Sixers wore this throwback on occasion, and it seems like they will be back to these this year.

is this real?

This looks real, but can it be....

T.O. gets owned

thanks to withleather for the link

CITIZENS BANK SILLIES

The Phillies season isn’t even at the halfway point but the team in red pinstripes is already looking like they’ve been through a war. The team looks broken down, worn out and down right sloppy of late. The bullpen is running ragged. The swings seem half-hearted. And the fielding has been uncharacteristically sloppy. And we haven’t even hit the All-Star break.

The hometown fans are left wondering if they’ll ever see their beloved team win in person. It has become a broken record and the team is tired of hearing it, but the Phillies have been dreadful at Citizens Bank Park. And the worst part about it is that they aren’t very fun to watch either. And that’s a shame.

The Phillies pitching staff hasn’t exactly been stellar all season, but they were able to climb atop the NL East by taking advantage of the little things. Solid fielding, extra hustle, and the ability to take advantage of a team’s mistakes were the cornerstones of their road trip successes. The tables some how turn when the Phils play at home. They turn into the team getting taken advantage of.

I, like most Philadelphians, bleed red. Phillies red that is. But it has been a torturous week and a half watching this team of late. More so now than ever, the frustrating Phillies have caused me to use my remote control a little more than I’d prefer. Hell I even turned over to “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here” after Jimmy Rollins popped out for the umpteenth time. There’s nothing more painful than watching sloppy baseball. Its painful to admit, but even harder to watch.

As the old saying goes, “baseball isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.” The only problem: the Phillies look like they’ve run 23 miles already. Here’s hoping they have a second wind.

Running Backs "Football Age"

In the NFL, running backs have the shortest careers. But how do we know when they are done? It seems like one season a running back peaks, and two years later their team releases them. This past off season is a great example of this. Warrick Dunn was released; the same goes for Fred Taylor and Deuce McAllister. McAllister and Taylor are both the career rushing leaders for their franchises, and Dunn is 3rd for Tampa Bay. Another big off season question we heard was what the Chargers were going to do with LaDainian Tomlinson. At the start of the season, Tomlinson will be 30, which seems to be the beginning of the end for running backs, plus they just used the franchise tag on Darren Sproles.

So, why don’t the teams show these players more respect? Other than the obvious “business side” of football, these players were in the twilight of their career. But do any of these running backs have anything left in their tank? It’s really hard to say that one thing determines when a running back is finished. Of the four running backs I mentioned above, all have different ages, seasons played and rushing attempts. I think that you have to use a combination of numbers to say how much a running back has left.

By using a running back’s age (as of September 1st, 2009), seasons played, games played, rushing attempts and total touches, I determined how much a running back has left in their “gas tank” and therefore, their “football age”. I used data from the top 200 retired running backs based on attempts taken from the great http://www.pro-football-reference.com/ , and fit a polynomial line to it. This is what I came up with.

With 65 being my retirement age, you can see that there are several player very close to being finished. But what does this actually mean? Brian Westbrook is 55.74 “football years” old with .21 left in his gas tank. Is Brian two years or three years away from retirement and in those years, how many yards and TDs can we realistically expect from him? Well, based on their gas tank, and the running back’s career numbers, I have determined how much production a running back will have left, if they continue to play.


So as you can tell, the projections are a lot better when the running back has played a handful of seasons. Also, I found that running backs that are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame average about 10 more “football years” old than the average running back when they retire.

It would be silly for me to say this is exactly how each running back is going to finish his career. I think of it more as an expectancy of a running backs stats.

NBA Mock Draft (6/12/09)

FIRST ROUND
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin PF Oklahoma
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C UConn
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ricky Rubio PG Spain
4. Sacramento Kings – Tyreke Evans PG Memphis
5. Washington Wizards – James Harden SG Arizona State
6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jrue Holiday PG/SG UCLA
7. Golden State Warriors – Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse
8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry PG/SG Davidson
9. Toronto Raptors – Brandon Jennings PG Italy
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jordan Hill PF Arizona
11. New Jersey Nets – DeJuan Blair PF Pittsburgh
12. Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Henderson SG Duke
13. Indiana Pacers – DeMar DeRozan SG USC
14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark SF Louisville
15. Detroit Pistons – James Johnson PF Wake Forest
16. Chicago Bulls – Austin Daye SF Gonzaga
17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor PG VCU
18. Minnesota Timberwolves – B.J. Mullens C Ohio State
19. Atlanta Hawks – Terrence Williams SG/SF Louisville
20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC
21. New Orleans Hornets – Sam Young SF Pittsburgh
22. Dallas Mavericks – Ty Lawson PG UNC
23. Sacramento Kings – Gani Lawal PF Georgia Tech
24. Portland Trailblazers – Chase Budinger SG/SF Arizona
25. Oklahoma City Thunder – DaJuan Summers SF Georgetown
26. Chicago Bulls – Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest
27. Memphis Grizzlies – Omri Casspi SF Israel
28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Nick Calathes PG Florida
29. Los Angeles Lakers – Patrick Mills PG St. Marys
30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Wayne Ellington SG UNC

SECOND ROUND
31. Sacramento Kings - Darren Collison PG UCLA
32. Portland Trailblazers – Marcus Thornton PG/SG LSU
33. Washington Wizards – Taj Gibson PF USC
34. Denver Nuggets – Curtis Jerrells PG Baylor
35. Memphis Grizzlies - Jerel McNeal SG Marquette
36. Detroit Pistons – Dionte Christmas SG Temple
37. San Antonio Spurs – Lester Hudson SG Tennessee-Martin
38. Portland Trailblazers – A.J. Price PG UConn
39. Detroit Pistons – Toney Douglas SG Florida State
40. Charlotte Bobcats – Derrick Brown SF Xavier
41. Milwaukee Bucks - Damion James SF Texas
42. Los Angeles Lakers – Wesley Matthews SG Marquette
43. Miami Heat – Stefon Jackson SG UTEP
44. Detroit Pistons – Jerome Jordan C Tulsa
45. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jeff Adrian PF UConn
46. Cleveland Cavaliers – Goran Suton PF/C Michigan State
47. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyrese Rice PG Boston College
48. Phoenix Suns – Craig Brackins PF Iowa State
49. Atlanta Hawks – Ben Woodside PG North Dakota State
50. Utah Jazz – Jonas Jerebko SF/PF Sweden
51. San Antonio Spurs – Danny Green SG/SF North Carolina
52. Indiana Pacers – Jeff Pendergraph PF Arizona State
53. San Antonio Spurs – Josh Heytvelt PF/C Gonzaga
54. Charlotte Bobcats – Jermaine Taylor SG Central Florida
55. Portland Trailblazers – Jack McClinton SG Miami
56. Portland Trailblazers – Jon Brockman C Washington
57. Phoenix Suns – Dante Cunningham SF/PF Villanova
58. Boston Celtics – Josh Akognon PG Cal State Fullerton
59. Los Angeles Lakers – Chris Johnson PF/C LSU
60. Miami Heat – Robert Dozier PF Memphis

Sixers have to make more moves

The Sixers enter an off-season filled with many questions marks. On the one hand, they are an above average team, with a good mix of veterans and improving young players. On the other hand, they are in that area where they are too good to get into the lottery, and too bad to make a serious run in the playoffs. Therefore, many things need to happen before we head into next season. First, we need to shake up the starting lineup a little bit. We need to go into next season with a new starter at the shooting guard and center position. Willie Green and Samuel Dalembert just cannot cut it in the starting lineup. Willie Green is a great guy, and does a lot for the community, but he is not a starting 2 guard in this league, especially for a team that wants to make it past the first round of the playoffs. The Sixers should be able to get rid of Green, he is a serviceable player. Green and Kapono are both not starters, and since Kapono is the sharp shooter, Green has to go. Samuel Dalembert is a typical basketball punk who is over-paid and will never live up to his potential. One night he will give you 20 and 20, and the next night he gives you 8 and 8 (his career average). He requested a trade, yet no team in the league would take him because Billy King gave him a 15% trade kicker... and cause he sucks. Sometime during this season, Dalembert announced that he should take more 3 pointers. He cannot even make a 10 foot jump shot. He was kicked off the Canadian National Team for being a jackass. Basically, Dalembert is a joke, and cannot be the starting center on the Sixers. I think the only way to solve this problem is to offer him a buy-out.

Next on the Sixers radar is the upcoming draft. If the Sixers do not make a move on draft night and stick with the 17th overall pick, 3 point guards come to mind: Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, and Jeff Teague. You never know what will happen on draft night or leading up to the draft, but Stefanski is already on record stating that the Sixers will be looking for the best available guard. As the draft gets closer, we at Kotite's Corner will give an in-depth analysis on each of those three point guards and our recommendation to Stefanski. Right now, I will discuss the possibility of trading up. I believe that Ricky Rubio is going to be a great player, a player that only comes around every 3-5 years in the draft. To get him, you will have to trade up somewhere in the 2-4 pick range. As the Sixers currently stand, you have two pieces of trade bait: Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. After Brand (if he ever returns to form), these are your next two best players. Problem is, they play the same position. One has to go at some point in the near future to improve this lineup for the long term. I am not sure which player currently has move value in a trade. Thaddeus Young is still raw, has an amazing upside, and is still on his rookie contract. Andre Iguodala has proven to be a great player in this league, but has a max contract. The Memphis Grizzlies expressed an interest in Iguodala last year during the free agency period, and they have the cap room to take on Iguodala's contract. Memphis also has a bad reputation with Spanish players, with Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro not working out there. Rubio has already made it known that he does not want to play in Memphis. I say we offer the 17th pick and Andre Iguodala for the 2nd overall pick and select Ricky Rubio. Rubio has the chance to be the best point guard in this draft, which is loaded with point guards. Even though Iguodala gives you the best chance to win right now, the Sixers need to shake things up, so we don't stay in the position of "middle of the pack" for years to come.

Sixers Acquire Jason Kapono

The 76ers have wasted no time trying to acquire a much needed shooter under Eddie Jordan’s new offense, and have acquired shooting guard Jason Kapono in a trade straight up for Reggie Evans.

Although Reggie Evans is the man, and a fan favorite, it seems like a pretty good move to bring in a guy who can come off the bench and knock down three pointers, much like Kyle Korver could. Kapono is 28 years old, and is a 45.4% career three point shooter. This is a huge need for the Sixers, since they have finished dead last in the NBA in three point shooting the last two seasons.

We don’t expect Kapono to start, and it is definitely a good move, however, we would still like to see something done so Willie Green is not the starting shooting guard next season. Either way, it is a good jump to the offseason under Eddie Jordan, and hopefully the Sixers are able to make their team even stronger come the draft.

Eagles Don't Need to Add Running Back

Okay take a deep breath..... and relax. Not only is this Brian Westbrook situation nothing to panic about... yet, but also the Eagles are fine at running back with the players currently on the roster.

First off, this whole situation probably isn't as big a deal as it seems. I understand that there isn’t much Eagles related to discuss currently, as the OTA's are fairly non-news worthy. Brian Westbrook had successful surgery today, and informed Andy Reid and head trainer Rick Burkholder that he was doing well post-surgery. Westbrook will be on a non-weight bearing cast for two weeks and then take it from there day by day. Westbrook will then begin to work one on one with Burkholder on his rehab. Hopefully he will be ready to go at some point during training camp, or if not, by mid-August and ready by the regular season. There is no need to panic just yet.

It would not be a smart idea to bring in a veteran running back, especially one like Edgerrin James, who is looking to be a #1 running back somewhere. If you add a veteran running back, and Brian Westbrook turns out to be healthy by the time the season starts, you then have an overload at the running back position. The Eagles are counting on LeSean McCoy to play a large role in the offense this season. But just for the hell of it, let's take a look at some of the running backs the Eagles could add--

Edgerrin James - You can't sign a guy like this who gets upset when he doesn't get enough carries, and flat out is past his prime. Edge wants to be the #1 option, and he wouldn’t be on this team.

Warrick Dunn - Another guy who is past his prime, and at this point doesn't give you anything that you don't get from the other smaller backs on the team, except blocking.

Deuce McAllister - Deuce is a good big back, but is coming off torn ACL's in both legs. And again, he is past his prime.

Michael Pittman - Was never that good to begin with, and is more of a fullback. Pittman is surprise surprise, also past his prime.

There are other guys in the mix such as Ahman Green, and J.J. Arrington, who the Eagles can look out, but they simply do not need to, even if Westbrook is seriously injured. I will continue to tell everyone who listens - LeSean McCoy is the real deal. The Eagles are in good hands with LeSean McCoy, and he is the running back of the future, and is a beast. Another reason is that fullback Leonard Weaver knows the west coast offense, and can both run the ball and catch the ball. Look for Weaver to get some carries this season, unlike Eagles’ fullbacks of the past. The person who may be most affected by this is Lorenzo Booker. He may have a better chance to make the team now, even if Westbrook comes back healthy, simply because Booker can take some of the pressure off McCoy, so McCoy doesn't have to carry the entire load as a rookie. You also have a guy in Kyle Eckel who can play both halfback and fullback, and was effective rushing the ball last season when he was given the chance.

Not only do I believe the Eagles have the personnel to succeed in the backfield should Westbrook stay injured, they also don't need to sign another guy because the Eagles flat out don't use that many running backs. Besides Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter only ran the ball 76 times last season, and was very effective when he ran it. And that number of carries includes two starts for Buckhalter last season when Westbrook was injured. Besides that, we all know that Booker and Eckel barely saw the field. The Eagles just don't use the running back that much to have a crowded backfield.

So let’s not push the panic button just yet, and wait and see how this situation plays out. Westbrook should be fine by the start of the regular season. And in the slight chance that he isn't, you are still in good hands in the backfield.

Another Tough Guy... In Goal?

Will Ray Emery soon wear a Flyers jersey? This is the question all Flyers fans are asking themselves recently. What we really need to be asking ourselves is…Are we ready to take the risk? The 6’2”, 202lbs. goaltender has many aspects about him that would raise eyebrows in other cities. However, in the city where Ron Hextall is still worshiped, one would think Philadelphians would welcome the gamble. Although our passionate city loves a good fight, the NHL is far from similar to when Hextall graced the ice. We led the league in penalty minutes this past season, which had less than desirable results attached to it. With such tough guys as: Asham, Cote and Carcillo out on the ice for us, can we afford for our goalie to receive penalties as well?

Razor (Emery’s nickname) has had many problems with his temper in the past as well as issues off the ice. No one can forget when Emery unleashed on Martin Biron and Andrew Peters during the ’06-’07 season. He was also suspended for three games in ’07 for smacking Maxim Lapierre in his face with a stick. Unfortunately, he does not only take his anger out on opposing teams. There are numerous reports of Emery starting verbal and physical altercations on his own teams. Philly has already been through those shenanigans with T.O. and the Eagles, can we handle a second round on the ice?

After Ottawa bought out the remainder of Emery’s contract (2008) and he was basically blacklisted from the NHL, he was signed to a $2 million deal as the Atlant Moscow’s goalie in the KHL. Razor was actually pretty solid this past season. He went 22-8 in the games that he played. His save percentage was .926 and had a respectable 2.12 GAA. “He was arguably the top goalie in that league.” stated J.P. Barry (Emery’s agent). Philly has no doubts about his talent, but we are skeptical about his behavior.

Of course, Holmgren is being as vague as possible when it comes to the Emery situation. We do know that several meetings have taken place between the two parties. This possibility excites many because of Emery’s passion, hunger and new outlook that he has something to prove. He has stated that he wants to be a Flyer, which is music to our ears. We love players who recognize how unique our organization is and want to unite with our society as an outcome. With that recognition comes respect for our history, mission and die hard fans.

In conclusion, Emery; although an obvious danger, would be a good fit in Philadelphia. Also, his talent and spirit might lead us to a genuine run at the Stanley Cup, which we all long for. So Emery, your tattoo “Anger is a Gift” doesn’t scare us. We accept your downfalls and think you could legitimately help our “Fly-guys” meet Lord Stanley once again.

NBA Mock Draft (6/05/09)

FIRST ROUND
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin PF Oklahoma
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C UConn
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Jordan Hill PF Arizona
4. Sacramento Kings – Ricky Rubio PG Spain
5. Washington Wizards – James Harden SG Arizona State
6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyreke Evans PG/SG Memphis
7. Golden State Warriors – Jrue Holiday PG/SG UCLA
8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry PG/SG Davidson
9. Toronto Raptors – Brandon Jennings PG Italy
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse
11. New Jersey Nets – DeJuan Blair PF Pittsburgh
12. Charlotte Bobcats – DeMar DeRozan SG USC
13. Indiana Pacers – Gerald Henderson SG Duke
14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark SF Louisville
15. Detroit Pistons – James Johnson PF Wake Forest
16. Chicago Bulls – Austin Daye SF Gonzaga
17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor PG VCU
18. Minnesota Timberwolves – B.J. Mullens C Ohio State
19. Atlanta Hawks – Ty Lawson PG UNC
20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC
21. New Orleans Hornets – Terrence Williams SG/SF Louisville
22. Dallas Mavericks – Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest
23. Sacramento Kings – Sam Young SF Pittsburgh
24. Portland Trailblazers – Chase Budinger SG/SF Arizona
25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Omri Casspi SF Israel
26. Chicago Bulls – Nick Calathes PG Florida
27. Memphis Grizzlies – Gani Lawal PF Georgia Tech
28. Minnesota Timberwolves – DaJuan Summers SF Georgetown
29. Los Angeles Lakers – Patrick Mills PG St. Marys
30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Wayne Ellington SG UNC

SECOND ROUND
31. Sacramento Kings - Darren Collison PG UCLA
32. Portland Trailblazers – Marcus Thornton PG/SG LSU
33. Washington Wizards – Taj Gibson PF USC
34. Denver Nuggets – Curtis Jerrells PG Baylor
35. Memphis Grizzlies - Jerel McNeal SG Marquette
36. Detroit Pistons – Dionte Christmas SG Temple
37. San Antonio Spurs – Lester Hudson SG Tennessee-Martin
38. Portland Trailblazers – A.J. Price PG UConn
39. Detroit Pistons – Toney Douglas SG Florida State
40. Charlotte Bobcats – Derrick Brown SF Xavier
41. Milwaukee Bucks - Damion James SF Texas
42. Los Angeles Lakers – Wesley Matthews SG Marquette
43. Miami Heat – Stefon Jackson SG UTEP
44. Detroit Pistons – Jerome Jordan C Tulsa
45. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jeff Adrian PF UConn
46. Cleveland Cavaliers – Goran Suton PF/C Michigan State
47. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyrese Rice PG Boston College
48. Phoenix Suns – Craig Brackins PF Iowa State
49. Atlanta Hawks – Ben Woodside PG North Dakota State
50. Utah Jazz – Jonas Jerebko SF/PF Sweden
51. San Antonio Spurs – Danny Green SG/SF North Carolina
52. Indiana Pacers – Jeff Pendergraph PF Arizona State
53. San Antonio Spurs – Josh Heytvelt PF/C Gonzaga
54. Charlotte Bobcats – Jermaine Taylor SG Central Florida
55. Portland Trailblazers – Robert Dozier PF Memphis
56. Portland Trailblazers – Jon Brockman C Washington
57. Phoenix Suns – Dante Cunningham SF/PF Villanova
58. Boston Celtics – Josh Akognon PG Cal State Fullerton
59. Los Angeles Lakers – Chris Johnson PF/C LSU
60. Miami Heat – Jack McClinton SG Miami

A Right to Be Left

As a lefty myself, its nice to see the Phillies adhering to the idea of “lefties do everything right.” The Phils defied common baseball logic by stacking three left handed hitters in a row in the middle of the line-up. But Utley, Howard and Ibanez have combined for 46 home runs and 130 RBI in the first 50 games. That is some pretty impressive production. Charlie Manuel deserves credit for never trying to force Jayson Werth or Shane Victorino in there to break them. Instead, he left the heart of the order as it should be—with the three best hitters right in the middle. Good hitters can hit anybody. Both Ibanez (.333) and Utley (.311) have excelled against south paws. In fact, Utley has a better average versus lefties than he does against righties.

So with lefty success in the line-up, the Phillies didn’t hesitate to add another lefty to their rotation. Bastardo joined fellow lefties Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and JA Happ to go along with lone right-hander Joe Blanton. Just as many cursed the idea of three lefties in a line-up, many also called 4 lefties in a rotation blasphemy saying “teams will just stack their line-ups with righties.”

Instead of following baseball’s unwritten rules of right-vs.-left, the Phillies instead added the pitcher that they believed gave them the best chance to win. Bastardo had been dominating the minors and earned a chance to pitch with the big club. Why should he be penalized just because he throws with his left arm? Answer: he shouldn’t. At this point in time, he was the best option for the Phillies. And they should keep this in mind when pursuing a possible trade. Don’t shy away from a guy like Erik Bedard just because he’s left handed. If he can help this team win then go get him.

It has been working for the line-up, so why can’t it work for the rotation?

Bastardo Baffles Everyone

The injury to Brett Myers forced the Phillies to look into their farm system to find a replacement. With one start in the books, no one is missing Myers just yet. Thanks to the rocket left arm of Antonio Bastardo. The 23-year-old flame thrower surprised even the experts when his fastball tapped the radar gun at 95 mph. Bastardo, who with a name like that could certainly sell his share of jerseys, shut down the Padres offense to the tune of one run and four hits in six solid innings.

Bastardo’s start, if nothing else, has bought the Phillies a little more time to find a replacement for their number-2 starter. Had Bastardo laid an egg, the local club would have been stressing out to fill a hole. But instead, GM Ruben Amaro can breath easier for at least a week. Bastardo guaranteed himself at least one more start. But let’s not get too excited just yet. After all, Bastardo’s debut came against the worst hitting team in the National League. Not to mention Bastardo relied heavily on his fastball. The Phillies won’t be able to provide him with 10 runs every start. So we should enjoy what we saw on a Tuesday night in San Diego, but let’s wait until he has a few more starts under his belt before we decide that he is the answer.

Trading Theories

So the Phillies are in a bit of a bind right now. With Brett Myers’ impending surgery later this week, the starting rotation now has a hole that it needs to fill. Hard throwing left-hander Antonio Bastardo will take the ball on Tuesday night, but is he really the long term solution?

In baseball trade history, two contradicting ideals collide. There are those who say you “shouldn’t mortgage the future” in a trade. But the other notion of “you have to give something to get something” seems more realistic. But how much is too much and when is it okay to trade top youth?

In the case of the Phillies, they shouldn’t be afraid to unload the likes of Lou Marson or Carlos Carrasco if, and only if, they get a pitcher back who is under contract for more than just this year. The Brewers unloaded Matt LaPorta last year for a half season worth of CC Sabathia. It worked in the short term but now the Brew crew is without CC or its top outfield prospect.

Jake Peavy has been rumored to be available. He’s 28 years old, a Cy Young award winner and under contract for several more years. So it makes perfect sense that the Phillies would have to give up some top minor league talent for a co-ace. People who think the Phils could get him for Kyle Kendrick, Eric Bruntlett and a bag of sunflower seeds are crazy. If the Phillies are serious about bringing in a real deal starter—and they should be—they’ll have to come to grips with the fact that some of the guys in the system that they cherish will have to made available. The Padres (or the Reds for Aaron Harang or the Mariners for Erik Bedard) are going to demand top prospects in return. Its how the baseball trading heirachy works.

So the Phillies should pony-up with Lou Marson, Jason Donald or Carlos Carrasco and try and get a deal done. This club is capable of a return trip to the World Series, but Antonio Bastardo or Kyle Kendrick aren’t the answer. They need to acquire an arm from the outside. There’s no reason to “mortgage the future” for a rent-a-player, but if you really want to win then you’ll certainly need to “give something to get something” of value in return.