![\"moyer\"](\"http:\/\/www3.allaroundphilly.com\/blogs\/delcotimes\/ryanl\/uploaded_images\/moyer-701472.jpg\")
Pedro Martinez will take the hill for the Iron Pigs tonight in what is expected to be his last rehab start before coming back to the Bigs.\u00a0 That means we can\u00a0expect an announcement sometime in the next couple of days about what role Martinez will fill, and how that will affect the other members of the staff.\u00a0 I’ve come to the conclusion that the right move is making Jamie Moyer the long-man out of the pen, and sending Rodrigo Lopez packing back to AAA.<\/p>\n
I know that Moyer,\u00a0at 46 years old and a Philly-area native, has become something of an institution and a fan favorite.\u00a0 I know that his 256 wins put him among the all-time leaders for left-handers.\u00a0 I also know that\u00a0he’s made exactly one relief appearance since 1996, and that one time was five years ago.\u00a0 But the bottom line is, with a 5.55 ERA, he hasn’t gotten the job done this year.\u00a0 One thing you always hear about Moyer is that he’s all about winning.\u00a0 Well, when he looks around at the other starters on this staff, he has to realize that the team’s best chance of winning doesn’t involve him in the rotation.\u00a0 Moyer could be really\u00a0valuable as the long-relief guy, because his style is so unique that opposing batters might feel very off-balance when he comes in behind a harder thrower.<\/p>\n
Most people are guessing that J.A. Happ is heading back to the pen after his start tonight, but that would be a mistake, and I don’t care how he ends up pitching tonight.\u00a0 If the Phillies don’t view Happ as a key part of their future, then they should have traded him\u00a0in the\u00a0Cliff Lee deal.\u00a0\u00a0Since they didn’t do that, why would they now move him back to the pen after how well he’s pitched?\u00a0 Happ\u00a0pitched well as a late-season call up last year, but the team\u00a0didn’t show enough trust in him to give him\u00a0a spot in the rotation coming into this season.\u00a0 Now, after he’s rung up a 7-2 record and 2.97 ERA, they’re going to bump him out again?\u00a0\u00a0I\u00a0don’t care how high of\u00a0a character guy he may be, that has to be frustrating and demoralizing for a young pitcher.<\/p>\n
But not only is it a bad idea for Happ in the long run, it’s a bad idea for the team this year.\u00a0 As I’ve said before,\u00a0Happ has been the team’s best starter this year.\u00a0 It’s not at all out of the\u00a0question that he could end up as the #3 or #4 guy in the playoff rotation.\u00a0 By moving him to the pen now, even if you’re going to bring him back to the rotation in a few weeks, you’re jeopardizing the\u00a0season of a player that could be hugely important to a run at another championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pedro Martinez will take the hill for the Iron Pigs tonight in what is expected to be his last rehab start before coming back to the Bigs.\u00a0 That means we can\u00a0expect an announcement sometime in the next couple of days … Continue reading