Back in April, I put up a post about what I thought the Phillies’ roation would look like at the break. Here is that post.
I thought the rotation would break down like so: Hamels – Myers- Moyer- Blanton – Happ. Pretty good if I do say so myself.
Hamels has flashed some brilliance at times, but has been pretty bad at points too. I think he’ll be able to turn it around and end the season on a hot streak like he did last year.
Myers obviously got hit by the injury bug. He’s supposed to be out for the season, but some have said he will be able to start throwing again soon. That would allow him to come back in late September I believe. I don’t think that’s going to happen however, so we’ll just write off Myers as being done for the season.
Moyer has gotten rocked this season in some starts, and pitched very well in others. That’s pretty much how he’s been since he came to Philly, so no big worries there. He leads the team in wins at the break and I think he’ll end up leading the team in wins at the end of the year as well.
Heavy Joe has been the same as the others, good at times and bad at others. He just hasn’t seemed to find a way to stay consistent, a problem among the entire staff. Blanton was wonderful for the WFC during the second hafl last season and he’ll be a major part of the rotation again this season. He’ll most likely end up around a .500 record for the season.
What more could be asked of J.A. Happ? He’s 6-0 on the season after starting in the bullpen and being moved to the rotation. I called the fact that he would replace Chan Ho Park at some point during the first half, as did many others, and it’s worked out perfectly for the Phillies. Happ is pitching brilliantly in the rotation right now and Park is pitching great out of the ‘pen. Happ will contest for the team lead in wins by the end of the season.
So, as of right now, the rotation breaks down like this: Hamels – Moyer – Blanton – Happ. There is no need for a 5th starter the first week back, but it’s looking more and more like that 5th pitcher will be Pedro Martinez. He was awesome in Boston and mediocre at best in New York. The Phillies seemed to like what they saw of him last week, so he must have something left. I think he’ll be an improvement over the minor leaguers the team was trotting out there, but how much of an improvement, that’s hard to say right now.
Another hot topic is Roy Halladay. He could be in red pinstripes by the end of the month. That may mean having to give up Happ to get him, but this team is built to win now. They need another dominant pitcher. Giving up Happ may be the price they have to pay in order to get back to the World Series.
So, the rotation most likely looks like: Hamels – Moyer – Blanton – Happ – Martinez. The rotation I would love to see is: Hamels – Halladay – Moyer – Blanton – Happ, but Happ may not be here much longer. Martinez is likely to slot in there somewhere as well. Who knows? This will all most likely change in a few weeks. It’s going to be interesting.
-KK
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