The Cliff Lee trade looks like a great one for Ruben Amaro Jr. He’s the American League reigning Cy Young award winner and he’s got the stuff to be another dominant starter for the playoffs.
No he’s not Roy Halladay but the Phils were able to get it done and still hang onto the best of their young talent.
Let’s not fool anybody, everything the Phillies are thinking about now is the playoffs. Nobody’s going to catch them as the season continues, but now they’ve got the guy who is going to pitch the second game of their first playoff series.
Some say look at his record, 7-9, it’s not very impressive. The truth of the matter is that Lee has a 3.14 ERA which is seventh best in the American League. The guy immediately makes the Phillies starting rotation more consistent.
I must admit that I don’t like the fact that they have so many lefties in that rotation. You’ve got Cole Hamels, Lee, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ. The only right handed arm in that group is Blanton.
Still I think they can make it with those starters but my biggest concern pitching-wise is the bullpen and more specifically, the closer.
The Phils can’t expect to have blow out games in the playoffs. They’re going to be playing close one and two runs games, so it’s vital that the closer be on top of his game.
All I could do was shake my head the other night, as Brad Lidge surrendered a long two run homer in the ninth inning in the Phils 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Clearly Lidge is not on his game. He doesn’t have control of his fastball. He doesn’t throw it right down the middle he can’t get it over the plate.
That’s why he either falls behind in the count and walks hitters or gets hit hard.
Once he falls behind in the count, the hitters won’t swing at that slider which breaks out of the strike zone at the last split-second. They sit on his fastball.
They’ve got to find an answer to this problem.
If Lidge doesn’t get straightened out, Brett Myers, who is working his way back may be an option. I think Ruben Amaro Jr. must also see what he can do to find somebody to help.
They may have to do a closer by committee concept. Regardless of what they do, Charlie Manuel can’t continue handing the ball to Lidge if he doesn’t get himself together.
