David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Phillies GM Pat Gillick is still hesitant about giving ace Cole Hamels a contract extension in the near future, even in light of the recent deals for Scott Kazmir and Ryan Braun.
Gillick sounds like he is certainly open to the idea of an extension for Hamels, but remains […]
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According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins has left the team to begin a re-hab assignment in Clearwater, FL. Rollins will determine whetherhe partakes in extended spring training, or plays in three or four games for a Class-A ball-club. Rollins is hoping to return to the Phillies by Thursday where the team […]
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David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer provides us with a few notes on the Phillies this morning.
The Phils are still seeking left-handed help for the bullpen, even after acquiring Steve Kline two weeks ago. The reason is that General Manager Pat Gillick doesn’t seem too high on Kline, saying “I wouldn’t say probably (he’s the answer). Possibly.”
Shortstop Jimmy […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 4 Comments »
I’m not quite sure, but I’m guessing this is what your average Mets’ fan is like when he goes to a game in Philadelphia against the hated Phillies. Does anyone have any insight on this? lol
Filed under: New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, _Videos | 4 Comments »
UPDATE: (4/24) 11:35am (EST) - According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Rollins is actually scheduled to take batting practice today while in Florida. This would pretty much refute the multiple internet reports that surfaced last night stating that Rollins had a break in his ankle, as opposed to a sprain. He is not eligible to come […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 3 Comments »
UPDATE: (4/20) 5:17pm (EST) - It took a while, but Rollins has finally been placed on the 15-day DL. The Phillies were hoping Rollins would recovery from the sprain more quickly, but it seems to still be hampering the MVP. It’s the first DL stint of Rollins’ career.
Apr 8th - Phillies’ MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins sprained his ankle […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 5 Comments »
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a few good MLB rumors up in his Rumblings and Grumblings column today. Let’s check ‘em out:
Stark reiterates that the Tampa Bay Rays, of all clubs, may actually be forced to trade away pitchers when Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza return from the DL in early May. On March 28, Fleece Factor […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays | No Comments »
The 2008 payrolls were released earlier this month by Major League Baseball, and there were a few surprises. What isn’t much of a surprise is that the New York Yankees were once again #1 on that list, topping $209 million (yet another payroll record).
Of interest though is that both the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets have leap-froged the […]
Filed under: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals | No Comments »
UPDATE: (4/14) 4:01pm (EST) - According to the Boston Herald, Kyle Snyder has cleared through waivers and has accepted an assignment to AAA Pawtucket.
Kind of surprising here. He’s a guy that can eat some innings, and considering most team’s bullpen woes (Detroit, perhaps?), it’s odd that he passed through. He is making $835,000 this year.
Apr 11th […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays | 4 Comments »
UPDATE: (4/13) 9:01pm (EST) - In case you have not heard, you can add Braves’ starter Tom Glavine to the list below. He left today’s contest against the Nationals in the 1st inning due to a strained hamstring. Glavine has never been placed on the DL before in his career.
Apr 13th - John Smoltz, Luis Castillo, and […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals | 8 Comments »
The Philadelphia Phillies have signed former Giants LHP Steve Kline to a minor league deal. The Phils have been limited from the left-side in their bullpen, with J.C. Romero as their lone lefty up to this point. Kline was a very solid LHP out of the pen up until 2005, where he began to decline. […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants | 6 Comments »
UPDATE: (4/8, 10:25am EST) - The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Phillies will pay Wes Helms’ entire 2008 salary as part of this trade. Not a bad deal for Florida, who will only have to pay Helms’ $750K buyout next winter (or excerise a $3.75M club option, but this is the Marlins so let’s […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants | 1 Comment »
As per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants have formally released relief pitcher Steve Kline. The team has been trying to trade the southpaw for awhile now, but he drew little interest. We had reported the possibility of a Kline for Wes Helms trade with the Phillies, but that never came to fruition. Since […]
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According to Ken Mandel at MLB.com, the Philadelphia Phillies desinated third baseman Wes Helms for assignment. The Phils have 10 days to get rid of his contract. The move was done to make room for the newly-acquired Rudy Seanez. Helms obviously became expendable when the organization signed free-agent Pedro Feliz this offseason to play the […]
Filed under: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies | 1 Comment »
The LA Times is reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies have signed relief pitcher Rudy Seanez.
The right-hander, who was just released by the Dodgers on Wednesday, will be activated prior to the Phillies’ home game Wednesday against the Washington Nationals.
Filed under: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies | 4 Comments »
UPDATE: (3/28) 9:08pm (EST) - As per rotoworld, Charlie Manuel has named Adam Eaton the team’s #5 starter.
Mar 28, 2:28pm (EST) - According to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, Adam Eaton was pretty much assured of the fifth spot in the Phllies pitching rotation. But in his last Grapefruit League appearance yesterday, […]
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According to rotoworld.com, the Philadelphia Phillies will place closer Brad Lidge on the DL to begin the 2008 season (knee surgery). Lidge should be eligible to come off at the end of the first week (April 5th). Tom Gordon will act as the team’s closer for the first few games of the season.
Lidge was disappointed […]
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Because March Madness shouldn’t just be for college hoops fans…
MLB Fleece Factor introduces the Sweet Sixteen of Offseason MLB Fleeces!
We’ve set up the brackets, and we’re leaving it up to you to determine the winner of this honor…let’s call it the 2008 Offseason Golden Fleece Award!
Here’s a complete set of brackets for you:
Click Here For Your “2008 Sweet […]
Filed under: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, _Polls | 14 Comments »
ESPN is reporting that the Washington Nationals have released former ace John Patterson.
“They told me I didn’t blow the doors open and that there were other pitchers pitching better,” Patterson said. The right-hander, who was the Nationals opening day starter last year, was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA this spring.
The news is rather shocking as Patterson […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals | 2 Comments »
David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer puts his GM hat on today and suggests a swap of Phillies 3rd baseman Wes Helms and Giants reliever Steve Kline.
With Pedro Feliz entrenched as the starter at 3B in Philly and Greg Dobbs and Eric Bruntlett also on the roster, Helms is clearly available via trade, as we’ve mentioned […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants | 1 Comment »
Monday brought a roller-coaster ride in the stock market, and arm trouble in major-league baseball. Here are some of the top ones to note:
Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan felt soreness in his pitching elbow after throwing for only 1 inning today. Ryan is coming back from Tommy John surgery, but the trainers didn’t seem too […]
Filed under: Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays | No Comments »
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe delivers some knowledge down to all of us:
Mets GM Omar Minaya thinks that Moises Alou will be back much sooner than most people think. He is still, however, looking to add a right-handed hitting OF/1B.
Said Boras about his client Jeff Weaver, “There’s been a lot of interest. Pitching is […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals | No Comments »
Here’s a rundown of some decent MLB rumors and notes from baseball guru Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports:
Seven teams have expressed interest in left-hander Horacio Ramirez after he was released by the Mariners, according to the pitcher’s agent, Steve Canter. Ramirez was a bust for the M’s (check out our review of his time in Seattle here) […]
Filed under: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays | 2 Comments »
It’s been well documented that League MVP Jimmy Rollins talked-the-talk and walked-the walk last season, as the Phillies won the division over the Mets & Braves. Well, it seems as though Jimmy is at it again. Here is an excerpt from an interview with the Men’s Journal:
“That wasn’t a one-year thing. It’s still gonna ring true […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies | 3 Comments »
The Los Angeles Dodgers are clearly interested in acquiring a 3rd baseman. Joe Crede and Brandon Inge have been mentioned frequently. Recently, Ronnie Belliard and Esteban German have been added to the mix, as written here at the Factor earlier today. The injury to youngster Andy LaRoche seems to have added urgency to the matter, and […]
Filed under: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies | 5 Comments »
The Philadelphia Phillies’ 5th starter, Adam Eaton, has revealed that he has had two sets of X-Rays taken of his back over the last few weeks, as per the Philadelphia Daily News . Of course, he revealed this information after he was roughed up for 4 runs in 2 innings against the Rays. Eaton fleeced […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 4 Comments »
ESPN.com’s Buster Onley checks in with some rumors from around the major leagues. Here are some of the highlights from his piece:
The elbow of Atlanta Braves closer Rafael Soriano seems to have flared up . Not good news at all for the already fragile Braves pen.
Scouts feel that free-agent pitcher Kyle Lohse will look to land […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies | 2 Comments »
As you may have noticed, The Fleece Factor crew is working hard to complete in depth previews of all thirty major league teams as the 2008 season approaches quickly. These outlooks should be finished soon, at which point we will put ourselves on the line and make our own individual predictions.
The first division for which […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, _Polls, _Team Outlooks (2008) | 29 Comments »
According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, Scott Boras-represented free-agent pitcher Kyle Lohse has backed off his original demands of a near 5-year, $50 million contract from the outset of free agency. Just how far have his demands fallen though? He is reportedly now willing to accept a 1-year deal valued at between $4-10 million. Clearly he is looking to have […]
Filed under: New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies | 7 Comments »
Yet another young star is unhappy with his contract being renewed, according to Ken Mandel at MLB.com. Just hours after Brewers slugging 1B Prince Fielder expressed his unhappiness about it, it was Phils lefty pitcher Cole Hamels’ turn to voice his displeasure. After being unable to come to an agreement on a 1-year deal by the […]
Filed under: Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies | 4 Comments »
According to David Murphy at the Philadelphia Daily News, Phillies closer Brad Lidge recently said that his knee feels better now then it did before he injured it last Saturday, which forced him to get it scoped. He added that he feels he’s “on the early side” of his estimated 3-to-6 week timetable for his return to […]
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According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel has chosen Brett Myers to be the opening day starter over lefty Cole Hamels. Myers will be returning to the rotation after finishing up 2007 as the team’s closer. Myers has been outspoken about his preferred role as the closer, so this could be a “good […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 24 Comments »
UPDATE: (2/24) 4:32pm (EST) - According to Foxsports, Phillies’ closer Brad Lidge is going to have arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday, and will be out for roughly 4-6 weeks. Manager Charlie Manuel said Tom Gordon would start the season as closer if Lidge is not ready to return by then. All in all, not as […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 28 Comments »
It’s been a strange offseason for Kyle Lohse. Throughout the fall and winter, we waited on pins and needles to see which team would ultimately get fleeced by the mediocre right-hander. We knew it would be a fleece of historic proportions, perhaps even an Instant “Great Moment in Fleece History” as reports had surfaced that Lohse’s agent, Scott […]
Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies | 9 Comments »
Here is the latest from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:
Rosenthal is impressed by how the Reds were able to land two FA pitchers for only $4M of base salary - Josh Fogg ($1M) and Jeremy Affeldt ($3M). He notes that their combined salary is only 1/12th of what the Mariners will pay Carlos Silva over the next 4 […]
Filed under: Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays | 2 Comments »
