News of Phormer Phillies 2016

[lonfident]

Bastardo to Mets per Heyman, 3 yrs 18 million

Edit- ESPN says 2 yrs 12 million

[julio]

Per Matt Eddy, the Texas Rangers have signed Jordan Danks to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.

[California_Dreamin]

Good. We have more than enough Jordan Danks, probably signed another one today in David Lough. Those guys and a buck fifty will get you a cup of coffee at Denny's. Except in New York, then its those guys and four fifty.

[Philsmania]

Jerome Williams recently had surgery on his achillies tendon.

twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/691762000272166912

[julio]

Jerome Williams recently had surgery on his achillies tendon.

twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/691762000272166912

Ouch. From the tweet:

FA RHP Jerome Williams recently underwent achilles surgery and will miss the first couple months of the season.

Williams is unsigned at this point, a free agent. Given this surgery, my guess is that he'll miss more than the first couple of months of the season. Along about July, he may be able to pitch, but will be without a contract, and out of condition. 2017 would be a more likely time for a return/comeback - if any. In other words, he doesn't pitch at age 34, and attempts a comeback at age 35.

[Philsmania]

Jerome Williams recently had surgery on his achillies tendon.

twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/691762000272166912

Ouch. From the tweet:
[quote]FA RHP Jerome Williams recently underwent achilles surgery and will miss the first couple months of the season.[/quote]

Williams is unsigned at this point, a free agent. Given this surgery, my guess is that he'll miss more than the first couple of months of the season. Along about July, he may be able to pitch, but will be without a contract, and out of condition. 2017 would be a more likely time for a return/comeback - if any. In other words, he doesn't pitch at age 34, and attempts a comeback at age 35.

Or perhaps hook up with an independent team in the Atlantic, Northern or Can-Am League with the hope that a ML club signs him later in the season.

[julio]

Ouch. From the tweet:

FA RHP Jerome Williams recently underwent achilles surgery and will miss the first couple months of the season.

Williams is unsigned at this point, a free agent. Given this surgery, my guess is that he'll miss more than the first couple of months of the season. Along about July, he may be able to pitch, but will be without a contract, and out of condition. 2017 would be a more likely time for a return/comeback - if any. In other words, he doesn't pitch at age 34, and attempts a comeback at age 35.

Or perhaps hook up with an independent team in the Atlantic, Northern or Can-Am League with the hope that a ML club signs him later in the season.

Good point. I could see him pitching for the Barnstormers or some such come late summer.

[Austinfan]

Or take his money and sit in a hammock and drink beer.

[scorcher]

The Cubs signed Jonathan Pettibone to a minor league contract.

[julio]

The Cubs signed Jonathan Pettibone to a minor league contract.

Good for him!... and good luck to him in overcoming the shoulder problem.

[Philsmania]

Dodgers hire Raul Ibañez for a front office position.

mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/dodgers-hire-greg-maddux-raul-ibanez-as-special-assistants.html

[andyb]

Jonathan Arauz having a decent winter season in Panama.
probeis.com/2015/12/19/aguil ... politanas/
.294 AVG/.390 OBP/.382 SLG

At least Harold Arauz was good also. 1.91 ERA in 28.1 IP. Harold is older than Jonathan so it does not mean quite as much. Assume the quality here is rookie league or short season level.
probeis.com/2015/12/19/nacionales-de-panama/

[Philsmania]

Blue Jays sign Gavin Floyd. And, I didn't notice that back in December, the Jays signed Roberto Hernandez to a minor league deal.

mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/blue-jays-sign-gavin-floyd.html

[Philsmania]

Delmon Young arrested on a battery charge.

mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/delmon-young-arrested-battery-miami.html

[allentown]

Delmon Young arrested on a battery charge.

mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/delmon-young-arrested-battery-miami.html

For an organization which professed to care so much about character, Delmon was a mind-bendingly awful FA signing by the Phillies. RAJ even servilely promised the starting RF job to Delmon, despite all of baseball knowing he was an awful RF. This signing was the flashing red light that the Phillies had totally lost their way.

[LoneStarPhan]

Delmon Young arrested on a battery charge.

mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/delmon-young-arrested-battery-miami.html

For an organization which professed to care so much about character, Delmon was a mind-bendingly awful FA signing by the Phillies. Amaro even servilely promised the starting RF job to Delmon, despite all of baseball knowing he was an awful RF. This signing was the flashing red light that the Phillies had totally lost their way.

Yes but maybe it contributed to the awakening. The straw that broke the camAmaro's back, so to speak.

[Philsmania]

Schilling may not be long for ESPN.

mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=%2Fphilly%2Fblogs%2Freal-time&id=368109841

[FMcB]

Interesting about the news of Raul Ibanez and Delmon Young being so close together...always hear good things about Raul and as for Delmon, well, not so much.

Would be nice to see Raul come back to the Phils some day in some capacity...

[Philsmania]

Delmon Young arrested on a battery charge.

mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/delmon-young-arrested-battery-miami.html

For an organization which professed to care so much about character, Delmon was a mind-bendingly awful FA signing by the Phillies. Amaro even servilely promised the starting RF job to Delmon, despite all of baseball knowing he was an awful RF. This signing was the flashing red light that the Phillies had totally lost their way.
Yes but maybe it contributed to the awakening. The straw that broke the camAmaro's back, so to speak.

I don't know. Young was here in 2013. After 2013 proved that 2012 was no fluke, it was clear to pretty much everyone but Amaro (and maybe Montgomery who had his back) that the Phillies needed to rebuild. Instead, Amaro--either for reasons of stubbornness, defiance and/or obtuseness--doubled down on the older, more expensive route by keeping the team largely intact and signing Byrd and Burnett to pricey contracts for 2014 and easy vesting options for the following seasons. Who knows, maybe Middleton shook his head and quietly took note of it.

[Philsmania]

Just for the sake of it, I checked in with the ranks of the unsigned. A number of ex-Phils on the list.

Antonio Bastardo
Chad Billingsley
Joe Blanton
Domonic Brown
Marlon Byrd
Jeff Francoeur
Cesar Jimenez
Cliff Lee
Jimmy Rollins
Alfredo Simon
Grady Sizemore
Shane Victorino
Jerome Williams
Randy Wolf
Delmon Young

I exclude A.J. Burnett since the presumption is that he is going to retire. I wonder if any of these guys end anywhere. I figure Bastardo, Blanton (who put up decent numbers after reinventing himself as a reliever), Byrd and Victorino land somewhere. I wonder what happens with Rollins. The others may get minor league deals with someone. Rollins is probably somewhere between "ends up somewhere" and "has to take a minor league deal". Wolf needs to give up the ghost of being a starter and needs to consider trying to reinvent himself as a LOOGY.

During the little less than four weeks after I posted this list, only Bastardo and Blanton signed anywhere. I wonder where any of the other guys will go over the next nine days. We have to be getting into scary time for unsigned free agents. I am a little surprised that Byrd, Rollins and Victorino are still out there and that Brown hasn't gotten a minor league deal from some team needing AAA filler and a possible lottery ticket.