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Starting Rotation
Doug “Light” Miles - Age: 22 - We’re ready to see a breakout performance from our future Ace. Actually, we’d like to just remove the word ‘future’ from that previous sentence. If he can pitch like he belongs at the top of our rotation while anchoring the back end of our rotation we will have a really solid 1-4.
Ben Irvin - Age: 34 - Solid presence at the top of the rotation. I hope I can still say that at the end of the year. Love this guy.
Joe Arredondo - Age: 35 - Starting to show signs of slippage. If he can give us what he gave last year, we can work around it. If he can produce at a slightly higher level, we’d love it.
Dan Jones - Age: 35 - It didn’t turn out exactly the way we’d planned when he came over in a midseason trade, but dammit, we think he can pitch here and we’re hard headed. Actually, we were grateful to have him last season, since Joe Ponte went down and out a week or two after Jones joined us. So, even though he didn’t perform up to our expectations he was still very valuable to us.
Denny Erwood - Age: 30 - We think Erwood can be a #5 starter and that’s all we expect. We don’t need him to have an outstanding year. We just want him to turn in a solid #5 spot type performance, maybe 10 wins, a 4.50ish ERA and 180IP. Here’s hoping.
Bullpen
Joe Ponte - Age: 35 - Ponte was the second best pitcher in the IL before losing significant time due to injury. He lost a lot of “Stuff” after coming back and we’re not sure he can handle the rotation duties at this point in his career. We’re hoping he’ll adjust to the setup role and give us quality innings out of the pen. If the need arises he may be run out for a few starts here and there, but we’d like to avoid it if we can.
Trevor Broomfield - Age: 31 - He did an admirable job in the rotation last season and I don’t really doubt that he’d do it again if given the chance. He’ll be our first option to go back to the rotation should the need arise, but for now we think he makes our team better on the back end of the game as opposed to the front end.
Cristian Correa - Age: 26 - Down year for Correa. This season is very important to his tenure with Philly. His arb figure is too high to pitch the way he did last season and he’s a non-tender possibility if he repeats that performance.
Chad Mullen - Age: 28 - We love having him at the back of the bullpen. A lot of security in his presence there. He could start if absolutely pressed, but he serves a more valuable purpose in the CL role.
Adam Starks - Age: 25 - Another really solid season from the young lefty. Made the All-Star team and was a big reason our bullpen was so good over the first half. He was also part of the reason it crumbled down the stretch. Hopefully we can get him a bit more help this season and keep him fresh the whole way.
Mark Melanson - Age: 37 - He’ll start out the year in the pen and get some low-leverage innings in the first half and be an emergency starter if the need arises OR he may become a roster spot casualty and hit the FA market at the end of ST.
Chet Clark - Age: 27- Clark probably breaks ST on the big league roster, but no guarantees. He doesn’t really gain anything by spending time in AAA because at this point he is what he is, but it depends on roster spot availability. He’s on the bubble.
Joe Sanchez - Age: 23 - Another young hard throwing RH RP. I’m pretty sure he’s going to make the roster out of ST, but if he doesn’t he’ll be one of the first arms called up should the need arise.
Don McNeill - Age: 22 - We like his arm and we like his makeup. The question becomes whether or not there is a roster spot available. We’ll see.
Stay by the Phone - Minor Leaguers
Joe Avila - Age: 23 - He could find himself on the BLB/AAA treadmill this season depending on the needs of the club.
1991 Outlook and Prediction
Do we have a realistic shot at the playoffs? It’s always so hard to say. So much of it depends on health and catching breaks. I think we should be able to compete for the division, but the “down year after an up year” possibility spooks me a bit.
This team played their best baseball through the first half of the year then faded over the second half and then didn’t make a peep in the playoffs. Maybe this year we can reverse that and just hang around during the first half and take off in the second and get on a roll. I’d prefer - Start hot, stay hot, but would settle for whatever it takes to get to the postseason.
I like our pitching staff, but we’re depending on several veteran arms to produce. Veteran arms tend to break down. Most of these guys are probably fairly close to producing their last good seasons . . .if they haven’t already done so.
Hopefully the bullpen is more well stocked than last season when they sputtered down the stretch. We rode them hard hoping they could make it through to the end, but a lot of key guys got overworked and just didn’t have anything left in the tank at the end. We’re going to reallocate some resources in an effort to help prevent that this season.
Expected win total for the season (without the benefit of Shavermetrics to guide us):
High - 92
Low - 81
Probable - 86
Starting Rotation
Doug “Light” Miles - Age: 22 - We’re ready to see a breakout performance from our future Ace. Actually, we’d like to just remove the word ‘future’ from that previous sentence. If he can pitch like he belongs at the top of our rotation while anchoring the back end of our rotation we will have a really solid 1-4.
Ben Irvin - Age: 34 - Solid presence at the top of the rotation. I hope I can still say that at the end of the year. Love this guy.
Joe Arredondo - Age: 35 - Starting to show signs of slippage. If he can give us what he gave last year, we can work around it. If he can produce at a slightly higher level, we’d love it.
Dan Jones - Age: 35 - It didn’t turn out exactly the way we’d planned when he came over in a midseason trade, but dammit, we think he can pitch here and we’re hard headed. Actually, we were grateful to have him last season, since Joe Ponte went down and out a week or two after Jones joined us. So, even though he didn’t perform up to our expectations he was still very valuable to us.
Denny Erwood - Age: 30 - We think Erwood can be a #5 starter and that’s all we expect. We don’t need him to have an outstanding year. We just want him to turn in a solid #5 spot type performance, maybe 10 wins, a 4.50ish ERA and 180IP. Here’s hoping.
Bullpen
Joe Ponte - Age: 35 - Ponte was the second best pitcher in the IL before losing significant time due to injury. He lost a lot of “Stuff” after coming back and we’re not sure he can handle the rotation duties at this point in his career. We’re hoping he’ll adjust to the setup role and give us quality innings out of the pen. If the need arises he may be run out for a few starts here and there, but we’d like to avoid it if we can.
Trevor Broomfield - Age: 31 - He did an admirable job in the rotation last season and I don’t really doubt that he’d do it again if given the chance. He’ll be our first option to go back to the rotation should the need arise, but for now we think he makes our team better on the back end of the game as opposed to the front end.
Cristian Correa - Age: 26 - Down year for Correa. This season is very important to his tenure with Philly. His arb figure is too high to pitch the way he did last season and he’s a non-tender possibility if he repeats that performance.
Chad Mullen - Age: 28 - We love having him at the back of the bullpen. A lot of security in his presence there. He could start if absolutely pressed, but he serves a more valuable purpose in the CL role.
Adam Starks - Age: 25 - Another really solid season from the young lefty. Made the All-Star team and was a big reason our bullpen was so good over the first half. He was also part of the reason it crumbled down the stretch. Hopefully we can get him a bit more help this season and keep him fresh the whole way.
Mark Melanson - Age: 37 - He’ll start out the year in the pen and get some low-leverage innings in the first half and be an emergency starter if the need arises OR he may become a roster spot casualty and hit the FA market at the end of ST.
Chet Clark - Age: 27- Clark probably breaks ST on the big league roster, but no guarantees. He doesn’t really gain anything by spending time in AAA because at this point he is what he is, but it depends on roster spot availability. He’s on the bubble.
Joe Sanchez - Age: 23 - Another young hard throwing RH RP. I’m pretty sure he’s going to make the roster out of ST, but if he doesn’t he’ll be one of the first arms called up should the need arise.
Don McNeill - Age: 22 - We like his arm and we like his makeup. The question becomes whether or not there is a roster spot available. We’ll see.
Stay by the Phone - Minor Leaguers
Joe Avila - Age: 23 - He could find himself on the BLB/AAA treadmill this season depending on the needs of the club.
1991 Outlook and Prediction
Do we have a realistic shot at the playoffs? It’s always so hard to say. So much of it depends on health and catching breaks. I think we should be able to compete for the division, but the “down year after an up year” possibility spooks me a bit.
This team played their best baseball through the first half of the year then faded over the second half and then didn’t make a peep in the playoffs. Maybe this year we can reverse that and just hang around during the first half and take off in the second and get on a roll. I’d prefer - Start hot, stay hot, but would settle for whatever it takes to get to the postseason.
I like our pitching staff, but we’re depending on several veteran arms to produce. Veteran arms tend to break down. Most of these guys are probably fairly close to producing their last good seasons . . .if they haven’t already done so.
Hopefully the bullpen is more well stocked than last season when they sputtered down the stretch. We rode them hard hoping they could make it through to the end, but a lot of key guys got overworked and just didn’t have anything left in the tank at the end. We’re going to reallocate some resources in an effort to help prevent that this season.
Expected win total for the season (without the benefit of Shavermetrics to guide us):
High - 92
Low - 81
Probable - 86