The Zo Zone

There is an interesting column in today's Inquirer about Pat Gillick being summoned into Phillies president David Montgomery's office for being too critical about the team's 4-5-6 hitters before its 7-3 homestand.

It begged one question:

Is it bad that Gillick spoke critically?

Gillick, while he tries to keep a low profile, can be refreshingly candid on occasion. One could argue that because he has been in baseball so long and because he has been so successful (he has won two World Series as a GM, while the Phillies have won just one in 125 years) that he has earned the right to speak freely and not worry about hurt feelings and bruised egos. The Phillies had a 15-19 record after a 4-6 road trip through Atlanta, San Francisco and Arizona when Gillick criticized Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Wes Helms. Maybe he meant everything he said. Or maybe he's just a shrewd motivator. Players said last season that Gillick's "We Can't Win Until 2008" proclaimation motivated them. Maybe Gillick wanted to light a fire under the heart of the Phillies lineup because he knows improving the bullpen is going to be incredibly difficult and highly unlikely.

By the way, Burrell said publicly that Gillick was right.

Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams called his team's play "embarrassing" on Sunday. Will White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf reprimand Williams for his words? It has been written in the past that Montgomery, while he has said he is not involved, is hands on with the baseball operations. Former general manager Ed Wade wanted to fire Larry Bowa before the July 31 trade deadline in 2004, but Montgomery vetoed it despite the fact the baseball people felt the rift between Bowa and the players made it impossible to win. Bowa was fired with two games to play, and by then the Phillies had no chance to make the postseason.

So should Gillick, who is part of management, be more careful with his words? Or should he be allowed to speak as he chooses?

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The latest Philliescast is up.

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ESPN's Jerry Crasnick writes about lefthander Cole Hamels, who starts tonight against the Florida Marlins.

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The Phillies raised a record $720,056 last night at their Phillies Phestival for ALS. The use of Burrell's private suite at Citizens Bank Park received a $5,400 bid, the highest of the night.

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Rumors spread quickly on the Internet, so I thought I'd squash one before it starts running.

I've gotten quite a few e-mails recently about the availability of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus, and how the Phillies might make a run at him. The first time I heard this I immediately said to myself, "Now there's a trade that makes no sense." But because I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious, I asked the same thing of a Phillies official. He had the same reaction, "Huh?"

Here's why:

-- The Phillies need pitching. They have a 4.56 ERA, which ranks 14th in the National League. Their bullpen has a 4.57 ERA, which ranks 15th in the league. The Phillies offense is second in the league in runs scored (220) behind only the New York Mets. Their .349 on-base percentage is second in the league, and their .266 average is third in the league. Their offense is not the problem. If the Phillies can make a trade, they would like to use their trading chips to improve their bullpen. Because in the end, if this team fails to make the playoffs, it won't be because of their offensive production at third. It will be because of their pitching staff.
-- The Phillies already have three third baseman: Helms, Abraham Nunez and Greg Dobbs. Four if you throw in Chris Coste. They have depth there. Gillick has said in the past that you trade from a position of strength or depth. I just don't see the Phillies trading anybody to add another third baseman, even if one of the pieces in the trade is Helms, Nunez or Dobbs.
-- Have you seen Glaus' contract? He makes $10.75 million this season and $12.75 million next season. Some fans were absolutely outraged this off-season when the Phillies didn't sign Ryan Howard to a multi-year contract extension. The Phillies plan to make another run again at Howard this off-season. Now, say the Phillies can extend Howard after trading for Glaus. Now their 2008 payroll already is high, and they haven't had a chance to replace Freddy Garcia and Jon Lieber in the rotation. It makes much more sense to stick with Helms, Nunez and Dobbs at third and invest that money into pitching next season.
-- Is it really necessary? Phillies third basemen are hitting .305 with no home runs and 19 RBIs in 174 at-bats. They have a combined .342 on-base percentage and a .385 slugging percentage. That's not horrendous for a group that hits no higher than sixth in the lineup, although that slugging percentage is low for third base. Glaus is hitting .307 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in 88 at-bats. He has a .419 on-base percentage and a .614 slugging percentage. Would Glaus be a boon to the middle of the lineup? Of course. But at the expense of improving the pitching staff? No way.