News of Phormer Phillies 2017

zambonir 2017-02-09 07:18:12 UTC #41

I suspect everyone - the team and Utley - is trying to avoid the nostalgia. Would not be good for Joseph either. You know Utley wants playing time (that is probably why he's not yet signed, surely it can't be money) and the fans and media would want him to get it.

Shows how few players must be left, finally, that he's #4.

Lucky_Beagle 2017-02-09 13:27:10 UTC #42

No, to an Utley return at least until it is official that he is on a farewell tour season and he is a committed part time player--maybe 2 years from now when the team is in a race and they need a bench player

Philsmania 2017-02-09 22:36:20 UTC #43

Pirates designate one-time Phillies pharmhand Lisalverto Bonilla for assignment.

Philsmania 2017-02-10 15:24:43 UTC #44

Utley appears to be close to landing with someone, with some speculation that Cleveland may be that destination. However, he and the Tribe don't appear to be the right fit for each other.

tom81 2017-02-11 12:16:01 UTC #45

"The Man" to sign a minor league deal with the Dodgers.

zambonir 2017-02-11 22:05:16 UTC #46

While exact terms haven't been made public they are calling it a one-year deal, not minor league.

Lawman 2017-02-13 21:31:09 UTC #47

Two great Utley stories:

Philsmania 2017-02-15 16:29:04 UTC #48

Grady Sizemore, who had a brief but fleeting late-career renaissance with the Phillies in 2014, joins Cleveland's front office.

David_Criss 2017-02-17 14:21:07 UTC #49

Darin Ruf signs with South Korea
Wonder if the Phillies knew this was a possibility and shipped him to LA for something before that happened?

DurhamBull 2017-02-17 14:25:54 UTC #50

I thought Ruf had a minor league contract with LA? I can understand that he might prefer Korea but I don't understand what allows him to get out of his LA contract.

julio 2017-02-17 14:57:08 UTC #51

Presumably, the Dodgers released him from the contract. That leads to one of two conclusions: 1) The Dodgers made a mistake here; or 2) the Dodgers are more objective about Darin Ruf's value as a ballplayer than are some (many?) Phillies fans.

Ruf will play at age 30 this season. He's gone to a place where he'll get real playing time, and a real salary. This gives him a chance to actually make some money for a couple of years - which wasn't going to happen in the majors.

Philsmania 2017-02-17 16:09:22 UTC #52

or 3) the Dodgers saw the trade as a straight up dump of Kendrick who was expensive and unhappy in LA and that anything they got out of Ruf or Sweeney would be a bonus..

Regardless, though I agree that some if not many phans overrated him (and Asche), I wish Ruf well.

julio 2017-02-17 16:30:11 UTC #53

Update, from MLBTR. The Dodgers didn't release Ruf - they sold his contract to the Samsung Lions... and Ruf will make $1.1 million this season, about doubling what he might have received IF he made the Dodgers and stayed in the majors all season.

DurhamBull 2017-02-17 18:23:46 UTC #54

Cynical enough that it's probably true.

I also wish Ruf well. I hope he feasts on South Korean food and pitching.

zambonir 2017-02-17 20:00:29 UTC #55

The Dodgers were probably happy to get the cash. And there is no doubt they (and the Phillies) knew Ruf had been scouted in Allentown by Asian teams, he was probably heading that way (and the Phillies were probably going to release him) anyway.

bkeich 2017-02-17 20:05:32 UTC #56

My love of chaos hopes that Ruf hits 50HR in the offensive KBO. Would be awesome to see if some team then tries to bring him over to the US.

It actually may not be that crazy, he can hit for power.

zambonir 2017-02-18 07:01:29 UTC #57

Given what happened to Chris Carter (a lefty, no less) it's not hard to see why Ruf isn't in demand. Maybe that will change, or we might still be posting, "hey, look who is still in Asia" five years from now like we have been about Mathieson.

I had missed the part where Ruf did not qualify for arbitration. That is rough, if he had spent two more weeks on the Phillies last year he would have. But, he probably wasn't going to get that deal anyway, so yeah, this puts an extra $550 K in his pocket.

Philsmania 2017-02-23 14:59:07 UTC #58

Orioles re-sign Michael Bourn who enjoyed a bit of a resurgence after Baltimore claimed him off the scrap heap least season.

David_Criss 2017-02-28 17:08:49 UTC #59

Joe the Pitcher to sign with Washington.

Philsmania 2017-02-28 17:22:49 UTC #60

The list of 2008 Phillies who later went on to become Nationals is fairly lengthy.

Werth
Lidge
Romero (as a minor leaguer)
Dobbs
Stairs
And now Blanton.

Kind of like all the 2002 NL Champion Giants who ended up on the Phillies later on at some point.