Matt Stairs will forever be remembered for the game-winning home run in in a 7-5 win against the Los Angeles Dodgersin Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS.
That being said, when the season opens, or shortly thereafter, he could be gone.
I watched my first full exhibition game today against the Minnesota Twins (a 2-1 loss) and noticed a few things. Matt Stairs was playing left field and Raul Ibenez pinch hit. Geoff Jenkins played right and John Mayberry, Jr., shown above, played center.
I also noticed, in one at bat, that the way I see this Phillies team going is with more speed and a little less power. And another right-handed bat.
Ibenez, in his only at-bat, worked a 1-2 count before flying out to center. I thought about him and Pat Burrell, who had a fine career with the Phillies. Burrell, however, could have watched strike three or ball four today. That will not happen as much with Ibenez. He is an aggressive hitter.
Stairs, Jenkins and Mayberry were all auditioning for a job. A story in today's Inquirer by beat writer Andy Martino, there are few roster spots up for grabs.
"The $6.5 million remaining on Geoff Jenkins' contract likely assures him job security, leaving Stairs, Miguel Cairo, Jason Donald, Marcus Giles and John Mayberry Jr. to vie for the final spot. All of those players possess a quality, be it speed, youth or defensive versatility, that Stairs lacks," Martino writes.
Here's what I think is going to happen. Brunlett fills the backup infield role and either Jenkins or Stairs makes the team and Mayberry stays.
There was a report that the Phillies were looking to trade Jenkins. That tells me a couple of things: The Phillies like Stairs/Mayberry better and will hope to trade Jenkins for a middle reliever. That frees up Chan Ho Park to start and win the fifth spot on the rotation.
If it doesn't happen sooner, it may happen later.
Because Park wants to start and Charlie Manuel has given Park the chance to win the fifth starter's job. The only one close, despite Kendrick's outing today, is J.A. Happ.
The odd men out, in my calculations: Jenkins, Kendrick and Carasco. Maybe Stairs. Happ and Park make the team, with one of them starting. Sooner or later, Park will start, despite his greatest value to the Phillies as a reliever.
Whose strong play is pushing the matter? Mayberry and Park.
Mayberry looks like a young Barry Bonds. Speed, power and great defense. Or another Phillies great, Garry Maddox. It was only one game, but Mayberry is a right-handed stick with some power and a lot of speed. He took second on a hit to the outfield that looked like extra bases until the ball was cut off.
Imagine, Mayberry, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.
Tick, tack, toe. A lot of runs and less strikeouts.
Park has pitched the most solid ball of all the "candidates." He wants the job and is pitching like it.
A lot has to do with injuries, but if the season started today, it would look like this, in my opinion:
Pitchers: Hamels, Myers, Moyer, Park, Happ, Madsen, Eyre, Durbin, Condrey and Lidge.
Infielders: Howard, Utley, Rollins, Brunlett, Dobbs, Feliz.
Catchers: Ruiz and Paulino.
Outfielders: Werth, Victorino, Ibenez, Mayberry, Jenkins, Stairs.
The Phils can carry an extra outfielder because of the J.C. Romero situation. Either Park or Happ will be in the bullpen. Once Romero comes back, something will happen with the extra outfielder.
But one thing is for sure: It is a whole lot better as defending World Champion to have an abudence of outfielders and working out the fifth starter, then to have to fill other, bigger holes.
World Champions, baby. They are comin' to your town.
- Login to post comments