The Philadelphia Phillies made their first significant move of the offseason, signing free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year deal worth $16 million.
When Byrd began his career, he was a top outfielding prospect in the Phillies system 10 years ago. He was a disappointment with the Phillies, and went on to play for six other major league franchises over his career.
Byrd is coming off of the best season of his career, where he hit .294 with 24 homers and 88 RBI’s during time with the Mets and Pirates. Before last season, Byrd had only had one season where hit 20 home runs.
I don’t want to judge this move too harshly, but on the surface it doesn’t look good.
At $8 million per year, the Phillies are counting on Byrd to be a starter and likely hit in the middle of their order.
Just a year ago, Byrd was on the verge of giving up the game. If he didn’t make the Mets’ final roster out of spring training, he planned on retiring. He turned in a fine season, and now has found new life, but its hard to count on a 35-year old player to be any kind of answer for this team’s woes.
The Phillies needed to get younger, not older. They have enough players in this lineup on the wrong side of 30 that all have their own question marks. Its strange to see them run out and bang down the doors to bring in Byrd and get him locked up.
Adding Byrd as a fourth outfielder would have been fine. But to add him and count on him to be an everyday player at $8 million a year for two years doesn’t have a lot of upside.
Does an outfield consisting of Ben Revere, Domonic Brown, and Marlon Byrd sound like a playoff-caliber group?
Its a long offseason, and there are still many moves for Ruben Amaro to make. I’ll wait to see how the rest of the offseason goes before I judge the job that he does, but for the time being the signing of Marlon Byrd doesn’t do anything to excite me and only raises further skepticism in Amaro’s ability to rebuild this roster.
A 2 Year $6-7 Million Deal Total as a 4th OF would have been a nice move… but not at $8 Million and not as an everyday OF playing 140 Games + a season, though he had a very Good Season last year..IF he duplicates, then it’s a steal, but at 36 Years Old, that’s a lot of If’s though Byrd has kept himself in good shape the last couple of years
Unfortunately that is not the market. Beltran is going to get 3 year and $45, choo is looking at werth money… It’s the market and it’s only funny money anyway
I think this signing means that there are plenty more moves to come. They didn’t feel like breaking the bank for choo or beltran so hopefully the money they would have spent on a top tier outfielder they spend on pitching.. also either rollins or howard NEEDS to go this offseason.. they make it tough for the younger guys to create chemistry and as we saw from boston this post season chemistry means a lot in october
I don’t know how the Phils could move either one…Rollins won’t waive his no-trade, and no one wants to take on Howard’s contract, especially when he hasn’t been a great run producer for three years.
You do have to hope that this signing somehow sets up a bigger move, though. If they go into the season relying on 35-year old who found a little lightning in a bottle last year to repeat his performance…they’re in trouble.
Ben Revere, Domonic Brown, and Marlon Byrd – who will be the best offensive outfielder? I don’t know who I would choose as the best? I think Domonic Brown is but I wouldn’t bet on it. Another weird thing has the Phillies ever had an all black outfield, I think this is the first time.
Look at that picture and you know he’s enhanced with peds
The free agent market is garbage this year…. a bunch of mediocre players who want $100 million contracts…here is what I think Amaro is setting up to do…
Trade Dom Brown and prospects for LHP David Price
Sign CF Jacoby Ellsbury to leadoff
Move Revere to LF and platoon with Ruff
Rumors all over the internet, that Phillies & Blue Jays in talks for a Dom Brown+ for Bautista trade. 3rd year in a row, he’s getting older, more expensive, with very little difference in improvements! Instead of doing the opposite, & getting younger with talent. This isn’t even funny anymore! For the love of GOD, somebody step in, & fire this f^#@ing imbecilic bozo! I can’t take this inept stupidity anymore! Where at, in any other organization, on any other team, or any other business for that matter, would allow such an idiot be at the helm, wasting SOOOO much $$$$ year after year, while declining the product? It’s infuriatingly mind-boggling! WTF!
Bad move if True Dcar, I as GM would stay away from Bautista, his body has broken down and he’s not played a full Season in 3 Years… Stay away from his Big Contract also.. GOing out and getting 35 Year Old Players is not the way to go… Brown has a Bright Future and I would keep him as a staple in the line-up for the next 6-7 Seasons
Bautista please 118 Games in 2013 and in only 92 in 2012 and has various ailments/injruies with elbow, ankle, back, wrist, hip… Stay Away
I agree. Bautista would have been great 3 years ago, but he can’t fix this team’s woes.
DCar
November 13, 2013 – 2:10 am
“Rumors all over the internet, that Phillies & Blue Jays in talks for a Dom Brown+ for Bautista trade. 3rd year in a row, he’s getting older, more expensive, with very little difference in improvements! Instead of doing the opposite, & getting younger with talent. This isn’t even funny anymore! For the love of GOD, somebody step in, & fire this f^#@ing imbecilic bozo! I can’t take this inept stupidity anymore! ”
See, you’re right: Amaro should not be signing journeymen to big contracts, as the Phillies need to move forward, cutting aging millionaires,
going with youth and, if they want to sign free agents, getting value…You need only look to the Cardinals to see the right game plan.
BTW, I feel that the guys from the minor league: Asche, Franco, Ruf are all potentially solid ML players, but if your GM is going for the ‘band aid’ approach, none of these guys will be given time to develop.
The Phillies are at least a two year project before they can contend for anything.
I say two years minimum, because this year you will have to play Howard and hope he puts up decent numbers, then maybe someone might be interested in that huge contract.
PEDs?…Could be, and a lot of money…I have to see how it plays out but it doesn’t make a lot of sense at first glance
Throwing $$$$$ after $$$$$, isn’t putting this any closer to the playoffs, let alone a WS, as long as we are still stuck with the albatross contracts, of the cooked nucleus of the Big POS, Jimmy Poppins, Utley, Papelstiff, & Lee (good, & only trade-able commodity). Can’t take it, with this dude anymore! How does he have a job? HOW???? He has to have pictures of .300 Monty, that all I can fathom.
Report that Balt is making Wieters available. Not sure what it would take to get him, but he is a switch hitter who has murdered LHP the last 3 years and he can really handle a staff. He is better than a .235 hitter.
Just signed 38 year old journeyman, stiff, RP Shawn Camp. Move that puts us over the top! BWAHAHAHAHA! He’s putting together a dream week, fantasy team, for AARP members! Gets more hysterical by the hour!
Best stat line ever:
Camp, 38 next week, posted a 7.04 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 2.74 HR/9, and 48.8% groundball rate in 23 innings for the Cubs this year before getting released in July.
Matt Stairs, Ricky Bottiacolo are next..
if they were going to sign all these old guys why did they need Ryan Sandberg in place mid season? Is Sandberg in the loop or is he just to manage the geriatric club come spring training?
Actually Eagles, I think that he is gonna suit up for some games.
Just for $#!ts & giggles, “Amaro may be on the hot seat if the team disappoints again but Amaro tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he isn’t putting a priority on short-term success to save his job at the expense of the team’s future. “My job, our job, is to be contenders every yea….That’s why young players are important to us. That’s why keeping that depth is important to us,” BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! That’s why we still have one of the oldest teams in the league, he keeps signing AARP members, re-signed our declining, aging nucleus, to ludicrous, asinine, albatross contracts, & traded away our entire minor league system, for a win now mentality, when we clearly needed talented youth, to be injected in our organization! CLASSIC, Ruin 2morrow, verbal diarrhea, nonsensical, gibberish, BS! F^#@ing fire this POS NOW!!!!!
Ken Rosenthal reporting, that the Phillies are re-signing Ruiz, to a guaranteed, 3 year, $26M contract. The retarded madness continues! It is never going to end! Now all we need, is the re-signing of Halladay, for the circle of madness to be complete! I absolutely deplore, every move this @$$clown is making, & I hate this SOB! He totally destroyed this franchise! This is an embarrassment, & a disgrace!
agreed with most of what you just wrote id take ruiz over most other available catchers at that price. we really had no other options at catcher, mccann will cost at least 70 mill and im not a fan of Saltalamacchia or Pierzynski . 8.5 ish is nothing these days. i just dont see a better option than this
what you think
I actually agree with Henski..
Ruiz is a must for the next 2 Years and is such a solid game-caller and knows this Pitching Staff in and out.. The PHils got him on the cheap the last few Seasons and need to pony up to Kepp him..
As Henski mentioned, I don’t belive McCann/Saltamacchia are very very good Defensively and would cost more… So why even bother but they definitely need to start grooming Ruiz’s replacement and get 40 Starts a Season to give Ruiz a Rest and to gain some experience..
He is a 35 year old CATCHER! Signed to a 3 year guaranteed deal, for $26M. That is TOO long, for another ancient player. He’s a catcher that gets beat the f^#@ up, & again, is a GUARANTEED DEAL! It’s asinine, & mindless! Ruin 2morrow, is a flat out, brain-dead, f^#@ing moron! They could have played Rupp, & Kratz, until Joseph is ready, or they could make another move. Ruin 2morrow, has no creativity, & is inept at making the right moves! All this f^#@ing moron knows how to do, is throw ill-advised, unwarranted, overpaid contracts, that are too f^#@ing long! End of story!
joseph will never be mlb ready, he isnt good
His talent isn’t in question. His health is. He has had multiple concussions, that has hindered his progress. He was very comparable to Posey, in the minors.
offensively posey and him never had or have anything in common. joseph is a 250 hitter in the minors with a little power. he will never be a pro starting catcher imo
YEAR TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG
2010 117 436 46 103 22 1 16 68 26 116 0 0 .236 .290 .401
2011 127 514 80 139 33 2 22 95 29 102 1 0 .270 .317 .471
2012 80 304 32 79 16 0 8 38 25 64 0 3 .260 .313 .391
Go look at Posey’s stats. He was a better average hitter, but Joseph is better, &/or comparable to Posey, offensively & defensively. You don’t know what you are talking about. Where did you get a .250 hitter. Go read! Go learn! Pay attention to the minor leagues!
2013, he played 36 injury plagued games, in which you can not include!
joseph batting averages
2010 – 236
2011 – 270
2012 – 257
2013 – 179
Through 4 minor league seasons his batting average is 249
poseys career batting ave in the minors was 333 and his lowest annual ave in the minors was 321
no clue how these 2 compare offensively. also posey did it strike out much at all in the minors 60ks or less. joseph is 100+ in 2 of 4 years
You are right he was a very good prospect that we picked up… hopefully the concussions won’t be too big of an issue but unfortunately they go with the tools of ignorance.
I heard that GM Amaro will still keep his Invitation open for Catcher Mike Leiberthal to come to Spring Training to attempt to earn a Spot on the 25 Man Roster. Good Times in 2014 — 75 Wins
Bugsyhawk wrote it best, at this point Sandberg is going to suit up for playing not managing with Ruben handing out this contracts for geezers. 33-39 year old baseball player ( without steroids or HGH) are awful
DCAR, you are drunk if you think that Joseph compares in any way to Posey.
Look at Poseys minor league stats. Other than his superior batting average, Joseph is better, & comparable to Joseph. He is also considered to be as good as Posey was in the minors. We’re talking minor leagues, not Posey now, Vs. Joseph now! Don’t be a nitwit!
Wow, even I didn’t understand my last post! LOL! *Joseph is better, & comparable to Posey*
*He is also considered to be as good as Posey defensively* LOL!
how does josephs offensive numbers compare to poseys? help me out bro, i see no similarities at all offensively
Look at their minor league ear by year HR, 2b, RBI totals. WTF, do I got to hold your hand. Similar, comparable & some are better.
Apparently you do Dcar, you told me his average isnt 250 but it is so i dont know what you are looking at
i dont think theyre similar offensively at all. one hits at a high average, shows some power, and doesnt strike out. the other hits 249, with plus power and strikes out a lot
I see what you are saying. They are similar in HRs, 2Bs and RBIs. The problem that I have is this:
BA
Posey = .333
Joseph = .244
OBP
Posey = .427
Joseph = .302
Joseph also Ks every 4.7 plate appearances whereas Posey Ks every 7.4 plate appearances.
I think that it would be more appropriate if you compared him to Mike Napoli and not Posey who is one of the best hitting catchers that I have ever seen.
And even if you throw out 2013, his numbers till slipped in 2012. He had one good season in 2011 sandwiched around 2 others.
Relax, all this Ruiz speculation is just that until Jon Harts confirms it for us. LOL
Good One Eagles0Superbowls… Ha Ha ,,,