Results tagged ‘ Laynce Nix ’
The Outfield Battle
The Phillies play their seventh Grapefruit League game today against the Yankees in Tampa.
Roy Halladay pitches for the Phillies. They were encouraged with what they saw from him in Sunday’s start against Detroit, but it was just one start in February. You can’t draw any conclusions from anything you’ve seen so far in camp. Of course, the players that are playing well say it’s great to get results and those results mean something to them. The players that aren’t getting results? Well, they’re just getting their work in.
I took a look yesterday at the outfielders competing for jobs and playing time. Domonic Brown clearly has taken a step forward, but there is time for the others to state their case. Interestingly, Charlie Manuel pulled John Mayberry Jr. to the side during batting practice before their 10-5 victory over Atlanta and had an animated conversation with him about just that. Delmon Young also talked about his trip to the doctor in Tuesday in LA. He’s optimistic he will get good news, which will allow him to step up his rehab.
New Faces, Mayberry and Chooch
Quite a bit of turnover this week, huh?
Gone from the roster are Michael Schwimer, Joe Savery, Brian Sanches and Erik Kratz. Laynce Nix landed on the DL, but we’ll throw him in there, too. Replacing them are Cliff Lee, Jake Diekman, Raul Valdes, Hector Luna and Mike Fontenot.
There are no major trades to be made in early May, so the Phillies front office tweaked a few things in hopes of improving the bullpen and providing a spark to the bench. Although it goes without saying Nix is the biggest loss of that bunch. He is hitting .326 with a .979 OPS.
The most intriguing name of the recent arrivals (not including Lee) is Diekman. The Phillies love his potential and he put up great numbers in Triple-A. If he can handle the promotion and the adjustment to big-league hitters, he could have an impact on the bullpen like Mike Stutes had last season.
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I’m off this weekend, but Paul Hagen is covering the series. Here’s his game story from last night’s victory over San Diego.
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John Mayberry Jr. was hitting .175 on April 22. He is hitting .314 (11-for-35) with two doubles, one home run and four RBIs since. It would be a tremendous lift for the lineup if he can get going.
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Carlos Ruiz is third among big-league catchers in home runs (six), first in RBIs (22), first in batting average (.340), third in on-base percentage (.381) and first in slugging (.606). If Ruiz keeps this up he could be headed to his first All-Star Game.
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Jim Salisbury and I co-authored the book The Rotation, which is now available. Check it out here! Here are our upcoming book signings:
- June 2: Citizens Bank Park, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
- June 16: Barnes & Noble, 4801 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Del., 2:00 p.m.
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Small Ball, No Runs
So be honest, how nervous are you right now?
I’ve seen some truly awful Phillies starts over the past 10 years. The Phillies are 1-2. Yes, the offense has been dreadful. Yes, the bullpen has been more than suspect. But it’s just one series.
Relax … for now.
“It’s three games into the season,” Shane Victorino said. “There is no reason to sit here and … panic. Do we want to be 3-0? Absolutely. I don’t want to be 1-2, but we sit at 1-2 and that’s what it is.”
“Anytime you open the season, you always want to win the first series, you want to win the first game, you want to get hits, you want to make big pitches,” Jim Thome said. “I think the one things I’ve learned over the years is that it’s a long haul. And we have a very talented club, we have a very, very good club. … Any time you play the first series, everything is always magnified. That’s part of the game.”
That said, the offense certainly hasn’t looked capable of hitting anybody, which makes you wonder how they’re going to handle the Marlins (Anibal Sanchez, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle) this week at Citizens Bank Park. But I thought Charlie Manuel made a very interesting comment following today’s 5-4 loss to the Pirates.
“I don’t want our guys to think we can’t score,” he said. “I think that sometimes when we bunt in situations, we send a message. I’m an offensive guy. I’m here because I’m an offensive guy. I’m a true believer that you get better because of confidence and the manager has to show that. We’ve got guys who have been good hitters in the past. We have to get where we want to be. I believe we’re going to score runs. It’s a matter of getting guys hot.”
Dom Down
The Phillies optioned Domonic Brown to Minor League camp this morning.
Brown had trouble getting on the field this month. He sprained his right thumb March 8 and suffered from a stiff neck for the past week, limiting him to just seven Grapefruit League games. He hit .300 (6 for 20) with two triples, one home run, two RBIs, one walk and a .983 OPS, but also showed he needed more work in left field, which has been a struggle.
Brown, although not surprised, was clearly disappointed.
“Life goes on,” he said. “I’m going to go down there and play hard. And that’s it. I was not expecting it, but keeping it in the back of my mind. We’ve got a lot of big-name free agent guys. John Mayberry is playing well. They just told me they want to see me out there every day, so Triple-A is the best spot for it. I’ve been through a lot these last couple years. A lot more than some veteran guys, so I think I can deal with it. I think I can handle it. Go down there and play hard and that’s all I can do.”
The Phillies said in the offseason they planned to have Brown start the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he can work on his offense and defense. The Phillies believe they have enough options in left field to open the season, even with Mayberry expected to play some first base while Ryan Howard is out. Laynce Nix and Juan Pierre, who is the favorite to be the team’s fifth outfielder, can play left field when Mayberry is at first.
Asked if playing in Triple-A will at least give him a clear mind, Brown said, “No, I wanted to be here, man. That’s the goal, but things happen.”
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Jim Salisbury and I co-authored the book The Rotation, which is now available. Check it out here!
Here are our upcoming book signings:
- April 2: Barnes & Noble in Plymouth Meeting, PA, 7 p.m.
- April 3: Chester County Book Company in West Chester, PA, 7 p.m.
- April 26: Barnes & Noble in Marlton, NJ, 7 p.m.
Latest Contract Info
People seem to like these, so I’m passing along the latest contract details for the Phillies:
Dave Bush. Minor League contract for $18,000/month. Agreement for Major League contract for $150,000. $800,000 in Majors. Plus: $10,000 for 10 relief appearances; $10,000 for 15 relief appearances; $10,000 for 20 relief appearances; $10,000 for 25 relief appearances; $10,000 for 30 relief appearances; $25,000 for 35 relief appearances; $25,000 for 40 relief appearances; $25,000 for 45 relief appearances; $25,000 for 50 relief appearances; $25,000 for 55 relief appearances; $25,000 for 60 relief appearances; $10,000 for 2 games started; $5,000 for 5 game started; $25,000 for 10 games started; $50,000 for 15 games started; $100,000 for 20 games started; $100,000 for 25 games started; $100,000 for 30 games started. Plus: $25,000 for All Star; $50,000 for World Series MVP; $25,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for Rolaids or Cy Young ($25,000-2nd; $15,000-3rd). If not on Major League roster on June 1, player may be traded for 25-man roster spot on another team. If not on Major League roster, player may sign with Korea or Taiwan for $50,000; with Japan for $50,000 if between Dec. 1-Feb. 15; $100,000 if between Feb. 16-March 31; $150,000 after Sept. 1 or will be placed on roster within 72 hours. Major League invitation to Spring Training.
Luis Cruz. Minor League contract for $13,500/month. Agreement for Major League contract for $100,000. $485,000 in Majors. If not on Major League roster on July 15, player will be released if requested. If not on Major League roster, player may sign with Asian team for $50,000 if prior to April 1; $100,000 if after March 31. Major League invitation to Spring Training.
Cole Hamels. $15,000,000. Plus: $100,000 for MVP ($75,000-2nd; $50,000-3rd); $250,000 for Cy Young ($150,000-2nd; $100,000-3rd); $100,000 for World Series MVP; $50,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for Gold Glove; $50,000 for Silver Slugger; $50,000 for All Star.
Kyle Kendrick. $3,585,000. Plus: $25,000 for All Star; $50,000 for World Series MVP; $25,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for Cy Young or Rolaids ($25,000-2nd; $15,000-3rd).
Laynce Nix. $1,150,000 in 2012; $1,350,000 in 2013. Plus: $50,000 for 400 plate appearances; $50,000 for 450 plate appearances; $50,000 for 500 plate appearances. Plus: $50,000 for All Star ($25,000 selection); $100,000 for MVP; $100,000 for World Series MVP; $50,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for Gold Glove.
Pete Orr. $120,000. $600,000 in Majors.
Hunter Pence. $10,400,000. Plus: $100,000 for MVP; $100,000 for World Series MVP; $50,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for All Star; $50,000 for Silver Slugger; $50,000 for Gold Glove.
Joel Pineiro. Minor League contract for $20,000/month. Agreement for Major League contract for $1,500,000. Plus: $25,000 for 25 relief appearances $25,000 for 30 relief appearances; $25,000 for 35 relief appearances $25,000 for 40 relief appearances; $25,000 for 45 relief appearances; $25,000 for 50 relief appearances; $50,000 for 55 relief appearances; $50,000 for 60 relief appearances; $250,000 for 10 games started; $250,000 for 15 games started; $350,000 for 20 games started; $350,000 for 25 games started; $500,000 for 28 games started; $500,000 for 30 games started. Plus: $25,000 for All Star; $50,000 for World Series MVP; $25,000 for League Championship Series MVP; $50,000 for Rolaids or Cy Young ($25,000-2nd; $15,000-3rd). Major League invitation to Spring Training.
David Purcey. Minor League contract for $18,000/month. Agreement for Major League contract for $135,000. $507,500 in Majors. If not on 25-man roster on June 12, player will be released if requested or will be added to roster within 72 hours. If not on Major League roster, player may sign with Korea/Taiwan for $25,000 or with Japan for $50,000 if between Dec. 1-Feb. 15; $75,000 if between Feb. 16-March 31; $100,000 if after March 31 or will be added to roster wthin 72 hours. Major League invitation to Spring Training.
Joe Savery. $78,250. $480,000 in Majors.
Nixed
The Phillies have agreed on a two-year contract with Laynce Nix.
The Phillies can’t confirm the deal until he passes his physical.
Here’s a look at Nix’s career stats.
I’ll assume Nix could platoon in left field with John Mayberry Jr. He can play a little first base, too. That’s a possibility the first month of the season with Ryan Howard injured.
More to come …
Todd Zolecki
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