My Fellow Phans,
I believe that we have one final Look Back to get to and that is the “Other Pitchers”. We covered the Phillies’ 5 main starters and closer with individual Look Backs, so now is the time to look at all the rest of the pitchers that made significant contributions (good or bad) to the Phillies last season. I will start with the starters and then follow with the relievers in grade order. Enjoy!
SP: Jamie Moyer (9-9 4.84 ERA) – Grade: B-
Moyer had a solid season with his usual ups and downs. At times this season, he was brilliant. He threw a complete game shutout against the Braves as well as a few other gems this season. Other times, he struggled greatly as his implosion against the Red Soxs. All in all, Moyer was a quality guy this season and it was a shame to see his season end so soon due to injury.
SP: J.A. Happ (1-0 1.76 ERA in 3 starts)
I know Happ wasn’t here this long, but I wanted to mention him on here. I wanted to thank him for all he did for the Phillies during his years here. I won’t give him a grade since I do not have adequate amount of material to grade him on this season. In short, I just want to say good luck with the rest of your career in Houston and thanks for the memories.
Relievers:
RP: Ryan Madson (6-2 2.55 ERA 5 Saves in 55 games) – Grade: B+
Putting aside that he gave up the NLCS clinching home run to Juan Uribe, Madson had a quality season. We are all disappointed in his chair kicking injury that he suffered earlier this season, but Madson came back and stepped it up later on in the season. His ERA after returning from this injury was 1.88. If that’s not stepping it up, then I don’t know what is. The man earned his B+ this season.
RP: Jose Contreras (6-4 3.34 ERA 4 Saves in 67 games) – Grade: B
At times, he was rough to watch, but those parts were few and far between. Overall, Contreras may have been our most reliable reliever this season not named Madson or Lidge. He lead the team in appearances and always seemed to get a critical out when needed. He is our 7th inning man and will be for the next two seasons.
RP: Chad Durbin (4-1 3.80 ERA in 64 games) – Grade: B-
There is no guarantee that Durbin will be back next season, especially after the Cliff Lee deal, but I would not mind if they resign the right hander. One thing that I have noticed about Durbin over the years is that he is a second half pitcher. His second half ERA this season was 4.32 compared to 3.31 in the first half. Hopefully, we won’t need the bullpen as much as we did last season with our rotation, but we will see. If Durbin doesn’t return, I wish him well in the future with whatever team he signs with.
RP: J.C. Romero (1-0 3.68 ERA 3 Saves in 60 games) – Grade: B-
The Phillies declined their option on Romero, but there are chances that he may be brought back next season. The only problem that Romero constantly has is his control as he walked more hitters than he struck out last season which is never a good statistic. The guy is nearly unhittable when he has control, but that is not a frequently enough occurrence. Last season, he was good, but not great for us in the bullpen.
RP: Antonio Bastardo (2-0 4.34 ERA in 25 games) – Grade: C+
Although his stats may not look like it, Bastardo had a quality season last year. At times, he was bad, but other times, he appeared to be nearly unhittable. I think as he grows and develops, he will improve into a better pitcher and his grade will rise. I just think the inexperience played a role this season, but should improve as he gets more time in the Majors. It looks like he may be our primary lefthander next season with the Reyes deal falling through so he may get that experience.
RP: David Herndon (1-3 4.30 ERA in 47 games) – Grade: C+
I’m going to give young Herndon the benefit of inexperience. For a pitcher that had no Major League experience until this season, the guy performed admirably. As for a Major League relief pitcher in general, his performance was slightly below average. This guy has the makings of a quality reliever, he just needs to be groomed a little bit more.
RP: Danys Baez (3-4 5.48 ERA in 51 games) – Grade: F
I only never thought that I would flunk someone, but this is a special case indeed. Baez was nothing short of an abomination this season. Only 3 pitchers had a higher ERA in as many games as he did. Everytime Baez came into a game this season, a collective cry of dread encircled the entire city of Philadelphia, it was so bad that it could be heard from miles around.
I honestly don’t get how he is getting to come back next season as I would have cut him midseason. Maybe, he just needs a season to adjust as I think we are stuck with him for another full season. Hopefully, if he starts the same way he was last season that the Phillies will do the best thing for themselves and just cut their losses and let the man go.
So now we have finished the Look backs for the Phillies. I am working on a new segment for this blog during the offseason so pay attention in coming days for more details!
Until we meet again Phillies Fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies!
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