Velasquez, Moore to the Pen

Enough is finally enough. Phillies starters Vince Velasquez and Matt Moore have been sent to the bullpen, and Ranger Suarez and Chase Anderson are in the rotation. They join Aaron Nola, Zach Wheeler, and Kyle Gibson.

I wish the Phillies would just release Velasquez and Moore and be done with them. Admit the mistake and move on. But, it's a start. Now, the Phils need to take the next two from the God-awful Pirates and sweep the Nationals, whose only remaining threat is Juan Soto. 

Last night's 7-0 embarrassment can't happen again. The margin for error with just 59 games left is way too small to have that kind of result. They're still just 3.5 games behind the Mets, and the only way the Phillies can make the playoffs is to win the division. It's a good thing everyone else has underachieved. 

Hello to Arms

The Phillies finally made a big move. They've acquired Rangers starter Kyle Gibson and closer Ian Kennedy. The price is high, however. Spencer Howard is headed to Texas along with two prospects.

The Phils also got Freddy Galvis back, trading a minor league pitcher to the Orioles for the slick-fielding shortstop. He's an offensive and defensive upgrade from Didi Gregorius, who is having an absolutely horrendous season. 

Gibson was an all-star this year and has a 2.87 ERA in 19 starts this season. He averages about six innings per start and opposing hitters are at just .224 against him with a .626 OPS. He's also a groundball pitcher, which is hugely important at CBP, even with a suspect defense. The 33-year-old is signed through the end of next season. Gibson is having a career year. Coming into this season, he had a career 4.57 ERA with a 1.418 WHIP. Hopefully, he's figured something out and this isn't a one-year blip.

Kennedy is 36 and has 16 saves. He's allowed just 27 hits and 7 walks in 32.1 innings. His ERA is 2.51 with a 1.052. He should be a stabilizing presence in a very shaky bullpen. Kennedy is a free agent at the end of the season.

I'm really torn about losing Howard. He's very young and has struggled big time this year, but he has electric stuff. He runs out of gas after about three innings, but he has a huge upside. He's the reason the Phillies traded Sixto Sanchez to the Marlins for JT Realmuto. They thought Howard had a higher ceiling. I know the Phillies need pitching, but trading your best prospect for an average pitcher having a career year doesn't sit real well with me. 

Phillies VP Dave Dombrowski has acquired Matt Moore, Chase Anderson, and decided to hold onto Vince Velasquez. All three have been terrible this year. I'm not sold on him as a solid evaluator of pitching. 

Pitchers Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner are going to Texas with Howard and the Phils are also getting hard-throwing pitcher Hans Crouse, who was drafted not too far behind Howard. 

No Deal After All

I got really excited yesterday when I heard the Phillies had traded for a starting pitcher, hopefully ending the tenure of Vince Velasquez in that job. But the trade fell apart last night, and the Pirates ended up trading Tyler Anderson to Seattle.

So not only is VV still a starter, Matt Moore turned in another horrific effort. He gave up a pair of three-run homers in the first two innings and the Phils were out of it early.

I have zero faith in Dave Dombrowski bringing in a quality starter or two. After all, he's the one who signed Moore, Chase Anderson, and re-signed Velasquez. That's a triumvirate of suck right there. 

They need to do something quickly. VV is still scheduled to pitch on Thursday. He ought to be fresh because he was bitching after being taken out of the game after throwing just 53 pitches. He also gave up six runs.

Maybe they'll score a reliever and move Ranger Suarez to the rotation. Hopefully Bailey Falter comes off the COVID list soon and can contribute some worthwhile starter innings. I'd even give Christopher Sanchez a shot out of the minors. Anything has to be an improvement over the flaming pile of garbage the Phillies run out there at the end of the rotation. 

Phils Trade for a Starter

Apparently sick and tired of watching Vince Velasquez and Spencer Howard struggle to get past the fourth inning of their starts, the Phillies have reportedly traded for Pirates lefty Tyler Anderson.

Anderson's big appeal is that he's pitched five or more innings in each of his 15 starts this season. He has a 4.35 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP for the year.

To get Anderson, the Phillies sent Cristian Hernandez and Abraham Guitierrez to the Pirates. Both players are in low A ball. Anderson is signed through the end of this season and is eligible to become a free agent for the 2022 season.

This seems like a pretty good low-risk trade for the Phils. Anderson gives them innings and they don't really lose anything of value in Hernandez and Guitierrez. But the best outcome of this trade is that it keeps Vince Velasquez from being a starting pitcher. So that's a win right there. 

All is Right with the World

We’re at CBP for the fourth time this season tonight, and our unbeaten streak is in the hands of the bullpen. 

But it’s great to be here and even better knowing the vendors are back as well. I was a vendor at The Vet from 1979 to 1985. Some of the folks I worked with back then are working at CBP now, including the indomitable Cheryl Spielvogel, also known as the Peanut Lady. I can’t believe I’ve known here for 42 years. 

So if you’re at the game, buy some peanuts from her. And tell her “welcome back.”

Enough Already

"Only 53 pitches, I have a lot of arm left, man." Those are the words of the delusional Vince Velasquez, alluding that he should have been able to stay in last night's game. Double V gave up 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 2.1 innings. 

In his last 10 starts, Vinny has a 7.74 ERA. His ERA for the season ballooned to 5.54. He's not very good, has never been very good, and probably won't be very good ever. So why in the ever-loving hell does this clown still have a job as a major league starting pitcher?

There are other options. Christopher Sanchez, who was one a of a handful of relievers to pitch after Vince last night, is one possibility. Ranger Suarez is another. But Ranger is doing really well as the closer and should stay in that role in unless the Phils grab someone like Craig Kimbrel before the trade deadline.

But enough of Vince. Enough of his career 4.82 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and OPS of 7.88. Enough of wasting a starting pitching spot every fifth day when you're almost assured of a terrible outcome. 

There are only 65 games left in the season. Somehow, the Phillies are only 4.5 games behind the first-place Mets. There's a chance they could win the division. But that's not going to happen if Velasquez goes out to pitch every fifth day serving all-you-can-eat meatballs to opposing hitter. 

Send him to the bullpen. Send him to the minors. DFA him. But for the love of the Phillie Phanatic, do not, under any circumstances, let him start any more games for the Phillies. 

Self-Inflicted Wounds

It's bad enough that the Phillies defense keeps giving away outs and runs this season. But the fact that they're losing players to COVID protocols is absolutely infuriating. This team isn't good enough to get away with boneheaded mistakes. 

Aaron Nola made his first start in two weeks last night, and was underwhelming. He left balls out over the plate and was taken deep a couple of times. Nola's break was caused by his contact with Alec Bohm, who had tested positive for COVID. 

Nola says he isn't going to get vaccinated and that it's a personal choice. Which is all well and good except for the fact that he's a member of a team and should put the team above himself. Employers all over the country are requiring workers to get the vaccine before returning the workplace, which is legal. But MLB teams can't do this because it would have to be collectively bargained. 

I'm not entirely sure why Nola isn't getting the shot. I'm reasonably sure he got the polio vaccine as a kid and, ta-da, he hasn't had polio. Phils reliever Brandon Kintzler hinted that vaccine after-effects were to blame for injuries.

Nola and the other Phillies pitchers listen to the analytics department when it comes to spin rate and other scientific factors that improve their chances of getting outs. Why won't they listen to the science when it comes to the vaccine? The vaccines has been peer-reviewed and tested, and more than 80 percent of new cases are occurring in people who haven't had the jab.

The Phillies are one of the few MLB teams with fewer than 80 percent of vaccinated personnel. Aaron Nola and the other unvaccinated Phils are part of a team. But they're clearly not team players. They're selfish pricks.