After their third straight loss to the Mets the Phillies stand 1.5 games ahead of the Marlins and 2.5 games ahead of the creeping Mets. As much as everyone would love for Adam Eaton to cut it, he isn’t, and anyone that expects him to is dreaming. By my count, this leaves the Phillies’ two major holes in the rotation.
Phil Sheridan writes that the Phillies are in need of an A-list pitcher to fill out their rotation. We counted on the biggest acquisition coming from within this year, but now Myers is down in the minors. I know I’m hoping he returns to the rotation in the form that we all expected him at the beginning of the season, but at this point, any production from him will be a bonus (though he did have a decent start last night).
It looks as though the dream of getting an A-list pitcher will simply stay a dream. Gillick has mentioned the Phillies will most likely be looking to the B-list for pitching help. He points to the pickup of Kyle Lohse last season. Sheridan writes:
“Funny, that. Now that he has a contract with (and 10 wins for) St. Louis, the Phillies are touting Lohse. During the winter and spring, when he was extremely available, they weren’t nearly as enthused.”
No, the Phillies need someone from the A-list. Yes, it might cost us something in the future, but that looks like a risk they’ll have to take to give the Phils a good shot down the stretch. Keep your eyes on the rearview mirror.
