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Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

In return, Houston got a major league-ready pitcher in J.A. Happ and two minor league prospects.

One of them was Anthony Goss, who was immediately traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for first baseman Brett Wallace.

The Phillies have been looking for a starting pitcher to go along with ace Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Hamels has not been at his best this year, so it was a great move to get Oswalt with Halladay to lead the pitching rotation.

The trade was made early morning on July 29, but Oswalt had to approve it since he had a full no trade clause. He approved, and he was on his way to Philly.

He is scheduled to start Friday for Charlie Manuel’s defending National League Champions.

On the other side, Happ will start today for Houston.

Roy Oswalt has a record of 6-12 with an ERA of 3.71. The stats to keep in mind are that in his last 13 starts against the National League East, he is 0-7 with an ERA over 7.00.

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I feel obligated to snap this off tonight.  The Tex Mex Phillies aka Astros are a much different team and Roy Oswalt deserves some advice upon his arrival.  Considering Houston is like our second home I would like to help him adjust once he gets to Philly (he pitches tomorrow night at the Nats for anyone who has been asleep).

Big Texas Howdy, Roy!  I hope this helps you as much as you will help us on our quest to the World Series!

• There is no Original Momma Nifa’s or anything quite like it anywhere in the area (and I mean it).
• There is no Luling City or Goodes BBQ and BBQ in Philly is hickory or mesquite, no walnut and apple wood unless you search.
• We do not go to the beach, we go down the shore.  Our water is more grey than blue-green.
• Our stadium has no cover so be prepared to play no matter what.  Fire works look better here than at Minute Maid Park.
• Philly fans love to love you and will not hesitate to hate you.  Houston fans just love having you and a baseball team in town.
• Get a cheese steak anywhere.  Texadelphia is not a real cheese steak place despite what Houstonians think.  
  
• Eat some real Italian food in South Philly
• Take a ride to the Poconos –  America is not flat, just Texas.
• Learn to deal with the Mets fans who invade our stadium like mad, crazy bees.  They can be a distraction.
• Finally, ignore the boo’s.  We love having you here – we are just lacking that southern warmth.  we will make up for it in spirit.

The City of Brotherly Love guarantees you a parade you won’t soon forget when we win the World Series.

Advice to J A Happ –  everything above in reverse!  See you in Houston!

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For the Philadelphia Phillies, are two Roys better than one?

Multiple sources are reporting Thursday morning that the Phillies and Houston Astros have agreed to terms on a deal that will send Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia.  The teams are said to have the players and the money in place, and are simply awaiting Oswalt’s okay.

According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports in Houston, the Astros have approached Oswalt, he is aware that a deal is on the table, and the teams are simply waiting for his response.

Oswalt has a No Trade Clause, which he must waive in order for the Astros to deal him. Oswalt has said to be insistent that his $16 million 2012 team option be picked up by any team seeking to acquire him.

The deal, which comes one day after the smashing debut of Phillies rookie Domonic Brown, looks to reinvent a team that has struggled this season under the weight of expectations and injuries.  The Phils are currently without their starters Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Shane Victorino, as well as veteran starting pitcher Jamie Moyer.

While the official trade deadline is this Saturday at 4:00 pm, there is an informal deadline of sorts attached to this deal.  Oswalt, who is one win away from Joe Niekro’s Astros career record of 144, is scheduled to start against Milwaukee on Friday night.

Sources say that if Oswalt is still an Astro by then, he will not be dealt.

The deal would bring a mixture of excitement and consternation for the Phillies and their fans.  Oswalt, who is owed $16 million for each of the next two seasons, would appear to be quite a bit more expensive, and a little more removed from his prime, than Cliff Lee, whom the Phillies had and chose to trade citing salary concerns.

Lee is making $9 million this season.

And if the Oswalt deal involves dealing Phillies second year man J.A. Happ, then the Phils will have gone from a potential front four of Roy Halladay, Lee, Cole Hamels, and Happ, to a rotation of Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, and Joe Blanton.

While the latter would seem to be quite good, the former would have been unstoppable.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

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Ruben Amaro must make an immediate, high-impact trade to salvage the Philadelphia Phillies’ underwhelming season and his own reputation as a general manager.   The off season trade of Cliff Lee has upset many fans, and the team he has assembled is floundering, currently slightly over the .500 mark.  Furthermore, Amaro’s attitude is not endearing fans.

After the announcement of Kendrick’s demotion, The Philadelphia Inquirer ‘s Matt Gelb’s posted this on his blog:

Ruben Amaro Jr. wore one of those patented smug looks on his face. The Phillies general manager had just demoted his fifth starter without listing a replacement in the rotation for him.  “I think we know exactly what we’re going to do,” Amaro said. “I just choose not to tell you.”

I highly doubt that the smug Amaro planned to start J.A. Happ and his 5.59 ERA on short rest, or that he was counting on someone getting hurt so he would be able to bring Kendrick back up in less than the required 15-day demotion period.   

So, Mr. Smug, since you knew exactly what you were going to do, what has happened since then?

Nonstop Lee banter has plagued the Phillies this entire season.  Lee became an instant fan favorite, putting together one of the most impressive playoff performances ever recorded.   Plus, I must wonder how the players in the clubhouse were rattled by this trade as well.   In trading Lee, Amaro told the fans and the players that even without Lee, the Phillies had enough to win with the rest of the pitching staff.

Right now, a number of sources are reporting that Amaro is aggressively pursuing a top-flight starter such as Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren.  But yet, Amaro continues to fight back whenever the name “Cliff Lee” comes up.

The Philadelphia Inquirer ‘s Phil Sheridan today wrote about a recent exchange in Chicago with some reporters:

“Given your intense trade-deadline pursuit of pitching…”

“Is this a Cliff Lee question?” the Phillies’ general manager asked, bristling at a reporter over the weekend in Chicago.

“As a matter of fact…”

“I’m done,” Amaro said, walking away from the visitors’ dugout and toward the solace of the batting cage at Wrigley Field.

The fact that he refuses to acknowledge that he may have made a mistake is what angers so many people.  

People would respect Amaro had he responded: “Listen, guys, at the time I really thought that even without Lee, we had the pitching that would win us a championship.  I was wrong about that.   However, I still have a great feeling that the guys we acquired in that trade will develop into something special, and I will do everything I can right now to bring our pitching staff up to the championship quality that you and I both have in mind.”

However, Amaro continues to make denials as his pitching staff falls part, exuding an “I’m better than you” attitude, making comments such as, “That is not the way you do business in baseball,” in reference to the need to acquire some prospects for Lee.   By the way, with Aumont 1-6, and with the other two pieces acquired in other leagues, the Phillies organization was rated the strongest at Class A of all 30 teams and they possess the No. 1 prospect in all of the minors.

Most importantly, the prospects would enable the Phillies to fill holes during the season should they arise.   Well, Ruben, it’s time to fill the holes.  If you fail to make the playoffs this year, you are done.   You will have lost your credibility with the city.

Oswalt or Haren will do it.  Anyone else?  You are done in Philadelphia.

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It appears that Jayson Werth’s days are numbered in Philadelphia. According to reports by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and others, the Phillies are discussing a deal that could see them land a top of the rotation starter. 

With the recent elbow injury to Phillies 47-year-old starter Jamie Moyer, the Phillies could be in need of a starter soon.

Jayson Stark and Buster Olney of ESPN believe that the Phillies are discussing a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. It appears outfielder Jayson Werth and possibly pitcher J.A. Happ are at the center of these talks.

Jayson Werth appears to be one of the Phillies greatest trade assets on their current roster. Having a more cap-friendly contract and a power bat, Werth appears destined to be dealt by the July 31 trading deadline.  By moving Jayson Werth, this would open up a roster spot for top notch prospect Dominic Brown, as he tries to cement himself in pro baseball.

There are many top-line starters available such as Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren, Ben Sheets, James Shields, and many more. 

Oswalt would be a dream come true for the Phillies had he signed a more salary cap friendly contract. He seems like an unlikely target for the Phillies, but stranger things have happened. 

Shields is a decent young pitcher, but is prone to giving up the long ball—a bad habit to have if you pitch in the hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Ballpark. 

As for Haren, the Phillies have the assets to get him, but according to some reports, the two teams haven’t even talked.

I would stay away from Sheets if I were the Phillies. Sheets’s fastball is nothing like it used to be, it’s straighter and he’s getting hit harder as a result.

Who do you believe Werth is going to and what could be the return?

The Source: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/phillies-discussing-major-trade.html

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In our home we have a standing joke: whenever Pujols is up to bat someone yells “Poo Holes!”

It is not because we dislike the man (we love him when he is not playing the Phillies!) I pay homage to him at JJ Elephant Sports Café with a huge photo framed and mounted in the customer restroom–over the WC.

What’s in a name? The mispronounced Pujols, local Phillies fans have no idea who the photo is because they cannot pronounce the “J” in his name, hence “Poo-Holes”. A star by any other name is still a star and that is what Pujols has proven game after game. I would love seeing Pujols in a Phillies uniform!

In last night’s game, Kyle Kendrick was the real “Poo Hole!” Too many times I have seen him pitch and blow it (almost every game I attend, he is the pitcher and loses). He seemed to get some mojo going this season, even pitching a complete game, then back to the old Kendrick.

Mind you, Blanton is up for a “Poo Hole” award as well.

The Phil’s Kendrick was a “homerun manchine last night”, to quote a friend.  The stats below say it all.  Even sadder was that we had our bats last night!  Where are they when Halladay pitches?

Regardless of the spin that Charlie puts on the Phillies season thus far, in my humble opinion, we have  inconsistent pitching and hitting.  Everyone but Utley and Happ are off the injured disabled list and we are still not finding our sweet spot.  When we have the pitching we do not have the bats and vice versa.

Winning teams must have a level of consistency. The Phillies have shown less than none.  Charlie is a players manager and very patient–that is what makes the players love him and me, no so much this year.

It is time to man up Uncle Charlie and take some of these guys behind the woodshed for a little “talking to!” We have a great deal of under performing talent this year. 

I hate to say it and I hope I am wrong, but this year the fightin’s are playing like the fallin’s I can hope, pray and root for the home team but I am not feeling the love. 

I long for the day when someone in the house yells “Poo Holes” and it is for a Phillie named Pujols.  This old lady’s dream is having Halladay and Lee pitching with Utley, Howard and Pujols batting.

Guess it is time to pray to the gods of baseball?

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In just a matter of days, things have gone from bad to worse for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Injuries and losses continue to mount, all the while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets have increased their lead in the NL East.  And, division aside, the Phillies currently sit fifth in the Wild Card standings.

After a brief revival from the offense, it has seemingly gone back in the tank. Heck, pitchers must be starting to feel like they need to hurl a perfect game to win—although that almost didn’t work for Roy Halladay.

When the team does manage to get a lead, the pitchers seem to squander it away. Although it would be  premature to conclude, the back-end of the bullpen scenario is starting to evoke memories of 2009—which, if you were vacationing out the country last year, is not a good thing.  

The prevailing sentiment amongst the Phillies organization is that there is no need to panic, but these are quickly becoming desperate times for them.

Over the past few days, the team learned that they would be without baseball’s best second baseman for a minimum of eight weeks. And, that only speaks to time off the field rather than a return to Chase Utley’s normal standard of play—which may not happen at all this season.

They also learned that their regular third baseman (and best option to replace Utley) will be out for at least another four weeks. It adds insult to injury that Placido Polanco is the one player who has hit consistently for them all year and currently sits second in the National League batting leaders.

Additionally, the news on the rehabilitation of its other injured players hasn’t been particularly encouraging, either.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have made a mid-rotation starting pitcher their top trade deadline priority, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Buster Olney .

The two-time defending National League champions, who find themselves two and a half games back and in third place in the NL East division, will look to supplement a rotation that already includes the dominant Roy Halladay and a pair of strong left-handed hurlers, in the ageless Jamie Moyer and 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels.

In order to do so, general manager Ruben Amaro would do well to place a call to Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry. While Philadelphia is an eager buyer as the July 31 trade deadline looms, Chicago finds itself eight and a half games out in the NL Central, and will look to move some soon-to-be free agents.

Among those players is Cubs left-handed ace Ted Lilly, 34. who has posted an impressive WHIP of 1.14 in his three-plus seasons on the North Side.

Lilly will become a free agent after 2010, at the close of a four-year, $40-million contract that has seen him strike out 3.21 batters for each one he has walked. Despite off-season shoulder surgery that sidelined him until late April and poor run support that has allowed him to win just twice in eight decisions this year, Lilly remains an effective starter.

Whether because his shoulder ailment yet lingers or because he simply hasn’t yet rebuilt full strength, Lilly’s velocity is down this year. That has mitigated his numbers somewhat, including key indicators like swinging strike percentage (7.6, down from 9.6 in 2009).

Still, Lilly has stellar command and occasionally dominant stuff. Just two weeks ago, White Sox pinch-hitter Juan Pierre broke up a no-hit bid for the southpaw in the ninth inning. Moreover, under the tutelage of fellow finesse lefty and fly-ball specialist Jamie Moyer, Lilly could discover even more magic.

A rotation featuring Lilly, Hamels and Moyer would admittedly be a bit more left-handed than is strictly optimal, and the looming return of left-handed J.A. Happ could make it dangerously so. Presumably, however, the Phils could reinstate Happ as a reliever, where he first pitched in 2009 before emerging as Rookie of the Year runner-up in the senior circuit.

On the Cubs side, trading Lilly makes sense even if they must eat some of the money left on his deal. All of that will be paid out by the end of October, and if the team can get a solid piece in return—24 year-old Double-A first baseman Matthew Rizzotti would make a good target—then it will have been worth parting ways with the man who has done more to make the team competitive during the past half-decade than perhaps any other.

The deal is an unlikely one, but both teams could sell it to their fans with relative ease, and it could provide Charlie Manuel with the extra pitching option he needs to guide his squad to a fourth straight division title.

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Yesterday, my son wanted to go to the Dairy Queen. Since I’m trying to eat healthy, I inquired about the selections they had that didn’t resemble candy.

The girl offered me a chocolate covered banana.

I said, “That’s it? Don’t you have a more phallic desert?”

Obviously not. So when she handed the treat my way, one thing crossed my mind:

I’ll have to hold this in a way that makes me look like I’m not enjoying it.

But there’s no way I can hide my pleasure about the series win in the Bronx.

Everyone’s thinking the bat formation in front of Chase Utley’s locker before the Thursday whooping was the series clincher, but I believe there’s only one thing that can cause a change this profound:

Charlie Manuel is on performance-enhancing drugs.

Of course I’ve alleged that before. But how else do you explain Greg Dobbs getting a hit, Raul Ibanez stealing a base, or the Phils finding a rally without Jimmy Rollins?

When’s the last time the team hit back-to-back homers? When’s the last time they even got the ball over the fence?

And when’s the last time we spelled bullpen relief like this: Jose Contreras.

I haven’t had that many questions since I spent the night with Jose Cuervo.

And what about that guy named Placido Polanco? His name doesn’t yet roll off our tongues like Rauuuuul Ibanez, but since the questions surrounding his ability to be effective in the hot corner surfaced at his signing, having a guy named Polly has been nothing less than poetic.

He’s the only guy in the starting lineup still hitting .300-plus and he has the highest fielding percentage of third basemen in the National League.

But when he saved Kyle Kendrick from ruin in the sixth by mounting the tarp, his face had this taunt appearance as if he was up to no good.

I’ve seen the same expression on my dog.

He was having a good time too.

That brings us to the most pleasant surprise of the series—Kyle Kendrick. He was welcomed to the show in 2007 and was up against some heavy hitters for Rookie of the Year like Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, and Hunter Pence.

Although he’s hardly lived up to the accomplishments of those guys, do we dare hope he’s finally on pace?

Last night he not only had his tempo down, he could lead the marching band. Maybe with the pressure of JA Happ’s return and the question of who’s moving to the bullpen, Kendrick was forced to pitch more like a guy who belongs in the rotation than someone who just got lucky.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The great irony is, three days ago Roy Halladay was considered the key to taking this Yankees series. Instead it was won with a kid that caused my ulcer and a grandpa named Jamie Moyer who’s intent on being the oldest pitcher to do everything.

Wait, that made Jamie sound like my dog.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It might be too early to sing Kyle’s praises—he still walked two and only fanned three, but the composure he showed made him look as stoic as that other strawberry blond, Roy Halladay.

There’s one thing the two hurlers didn’t have in common last night—Kyle Kendrick smiles when things go his way. I saw a big toothy smile.

And barring a great hit here or a good catch there, there’s been a drought of things to smile about lately.

So the big question remains: Have the Phillies turned things around?

That depends. Are you arranging knickknacks in your curio cabinet or talking baseball?

I will say this: There’s no doubt I’d rather be enjoying Phillie wins then munching down on a treat of extraordinary size with a guilty look on my face.

But let’s face it—every game is 27 outs. Charlie went as far as to say if they win every series, they’ll be sitting pretty.

And if they do that, there’s no way I can act like I’m not enjoying it.

Regardless of what my husband says.

See you at the ballpark.

Copyright 2010 Flattish Poe all rights reserved. Catch life one-liner at a time at http://twitter.com/ABabesTake

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