Cliff Lee should be on the Phillies. I have a very bad feeling that this thought is going to be in my head all season and haunt many Phillies fans throughout the season, and into the playoffs.
The trade of Cliff Lee was one of the dumbest trades in Philadelphia sports history while I have been alive. Not only was it lopsided in that we got back a few crappy prospects, but Lee on the Phillies makes the Phillies the favorite to win the World Series. Who knows though? Maybe the Phillies will go on to win the World Series this year, and Jaime Moyer, and Kyle Kendrick will play big roles in that.
There are always trades that occur in which your team comes out on the short end of the deal. In fact sometimes these trades are even necessary to move on with your team, or move on from another player. I can think of many instances in which a Philadelphia team made a trade in which we were probably on the short end of the stick. However, no trade has ever been made by a Philadelphia team that I can remember that has one of the best players in the league at a position that you need a solid player there.
Cliff Lee was on the Phillies. Cliff Lee was signed through next season. They didn’t have to give Him a long term deal, they could have paid Him his $9 million, tried to win a World Series with the best roster in baseball, and let Him walk. Instead, the $9 million was too much. Don’t think we should blame Ruben Amaro for not being allowed to go over the Phillies budget? Fair enough – let’s instead blame him for signing Jaime Moyer to a 2 year contract that keeps him in Philadelphia this season, paying him $8 million this year.
I only bring this up, because even though people were upset when the move happened, people are not talking about how this could ruin the Phillies this season. The starting pitching, besides Halladay, and Hamels last start, has been poor. Cliff Lee on the DL is better than Kyle Kendrick in the rotation. A rotation of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Blanton, and Happ is so much better than a rotation of Halladay, Hamels, Blanton, Happ, and Moyer/Kendrick. Not only do you have Cliff Lee the #2 starter, it keeps the pressure off of Hamels, as Hamels would be one of the best #3 starters in baseball. With Hamels being in the #2 spot, it means that we really need Hamels to step up and pitch like he did in 2008. By having Lee in the rotation, it also means that we don’t have to see the jokes of Kendrick and Moyer out on the mound anymore, unless there is an injury.
Either way, Lee is gone, I just wanted to bring more attention to the fact that Amaro made one of the dumbest moves that I can remember in my lifetime as a Philadelphia sports fan, and he is getting slightly a free pass for it. Even Ed Wade would have kept Cliff Lee. We are only 2 weeks into the season, and we already need another starting pitcher. The fact that we are going to have to get a starting pitcher at the deadline probably is ridiculous, after you trade away a Cy Young winner, because you couldn’t go $9 million over your budget. The offense is good enough to win a World Series. Right now, the pitching isn’t even close. This particular team is built to win multiple World Series’. If the Phillies make it to the World Series and get out-pitched by the better staffs of the Yankees or Red Sox… blame Ruben Amaro.
2 comments:
Amen! The Lee move will go down in sports infamy as THE WORST trade in the entire history of Philly sports. Period, end of story. More hasn't been made of this only because the Fightins have started stronger than usual (against the dregs of MLB) and Lee has been on hold. As the pitching staff continues to display its glaring weaknesses, and the Phils start piling up L's against the non-bottom feeders, we might start hearing more grumblings about the Lee debacle. Props to KC for keeping this atrocity in the forefront -- Amaro's folly should not be allowed to recede from memory, however painful that memory may be!
Written on 4/21:
...and, oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Madson ABSOLUTELY SUCKS as a closer? How the hell is it possible that someone can generally pitch so well when coming into the game in the 8th, but can't do zip-point-shit when handed the ball in the 9th -- even with a 3-run freakin' lead? What's up with that?? His stats are actually even worse than you would probably guess: in 38 career closer starts, he has a grand total of 18 saves!! And, yes, that means 20 -- I repeat, 20!! -- blown saves out of 38 trips to the mound! Between the shaky back side of the reliever crew and the shaky depth among the starters, the Fightins -- as much as I hate to say it -- may be primed to deliver a very disappointing season this year. All the more reason to be furious at the Lee trade, which should forever be known as Amaro's Atrocity!
Post a Comment