Over the weekend the Phillies rid themselves of third baseman David Bell, pitchers Rheal Cormier, Ryan Franklin and Corey Lidle and all-star outfielder Bobby Abreu. What they received in return can only be described as dreck. If any of the minor league players obtained in these deals ever make a name for themselves on the major league roster it will be a miracle. What we saw were not trades. Trades involve exchange for equal value. What we saw was the Phillies version of a garage sale. The only reason Pat Burrell and Jon Lieber remain with the Phillies is that Gillick could not give them and their inflated salaries away.
By most accounts the Phillies payroll this season was around $95 million. As a result of these trades/releases and the expected decisions not to resign Mike Lieberthal and Randy Wolf in the next off-season, the Phillies will save at least $40 million dollars in salaries. WIP's Howard Eskin reports that Gillick has been ordered by ownership to cut the payroll next season to at least $75 million. What that means is that if you expect the Phillies to use the money saved, by ridding themselves of these veterans, to go out and sign big name free agents in the off-season, think again. That money is going straight into the owners pockets.
We've been told that the Phillies won't be competitive in 2007. Will the team, therefore, cut ticket prices for next season? No chance in hell. The Phillies cabal of owners have one thing in mind - profit. Despite all of their claims that they want to win baseball games, when have we ever seen that commitment on the part of these owners. The last championship team that the Phillies fielded was in 1980 under former owner Ruly Carpenter.
Don't expect things to change anytime soon. One message that was clear in that infamous Bill Giles interview with Inquirer columnist Todd Zolecki early in July was that these owners won't be selling the Phillies. They love owning a baseball team, albeit a minor league team in major league uniforms playing in a ball park that many consider closer to a minor league park than a major league one.
In a total stretch of credulity, Gillick refused to concede the wild card this season. I'm not sure how he could say that we won't compete in 2007, but we just may still win the wild card this season. Is he saying that the National League is that bad in 2006? If there was any honesty in that statement it went out the window when they traded Rheal Cormier to the Cincinnati Reds, one of their primary opponents for the wild card spot. If Gillick really believed that the Phillies could still content in 2006, why trade a top reliever to a key opponent?
Phillies fans and true area baseball fans have a real dilemma. The Phillies have two of the best young and exciting players in baseball on their team - Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Both are well worth a trip to the ballpark just to see them play. The problem is that well before this team becomes competitive again; both will likely be gone in free agency. Why would they possibly want to stay in Philadelphia for their entire careers?
Luckily now that training camp has opened for the Eagles, the Phillies will soon fade away into distant memory - at least until next spring when we must again face the reality of our fate as Phillies fans.
So, how do you feel about the state of the Phillies? Post your opinion in our comments section.