Yardbarker: Kris Benson

Phillies Braves Series Preview

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:33:16 -0500

The Phillies arrive in Atlanta Tuesday for a three game set against the Braves tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League Wild Card and one back back of the New York Mets for first place in the National League East. Tuesday night its Jamie Moyer (14-7, 3.68) on the mound for the Phils against James Parr (1-0, 0.00). Parr has thrown six scoreless innings in each of his first two major league starts and would be 2-0 if it wasn't for the Braves' bullpen. Dating back to his final three starts with Triple-A Richmond last year, Parr has allowed just one earned run in 29 innings. At the time of Parr's birth, Moyer was actually older than Parr is now. The 45-year old veteran, pitching on three days rest, struckout five and walked one in his last outing against the Brewers. After a slight hiccup against the Mets on August 26, Moyer has started up his streak of not allowing more than three runs in a game all over again, and has done so in 17 of his last 18 appearances. His 14 wins lead the team. Wednesday night's Phillies' starter has yet to be determined. The three contenders for the start are J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick, and Adam Eaton. Happ has been back and forth between then majors and minors this season and has pitched fairly well, but has not started for the big league club since July 9. Kendrick was just recently demoted from the starting rotation, which is how we find ourselves in this situation in the first place. His last six starts have yielded a 1-4 record and 11.35 ERA. Eaton was demoted to Triple-A earlier this season after struggling as the Phillies' fifth starter for the first half of the season. None of these options are particularly comforting and it would seem that this is the exact situation the Phillies signed Kris Benson for. Unfortunately, they released him last month. Many people have been calling for the promotion of Carlos Carrasco to the big league club but all indications point to him not being major league ready. The Braves will be pitching Jair Jurrjens (13-9, 3.62), a 22-year old right hander. Jurrjens recorded a career high 10 strikeouts in his last outing on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies, his second straight win. His last start against the Phillies came on July 25 when he allowed just three hits over eight scoreless innings. The series concludes on Thursday when Cole Hamels (13-9, 3.11) takes the mound to face off with Jo-Jo Reyes (3-11, 5.50). Reyes surrendered four runs in just two innings on Saturday against the Mets on two homeruns. He last lost seven straight decisions and gave up five runs in two 2/3 relief innings on July 27. Hamels held the Brewers to two runs in 6 1/3 innings on Saturday. The young left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his last six starts despite setting a career high in innings pitched with each successive out. In three starts this year against the Braves, Hamels is 2-0 with a 2.11 ERA.

Looking Ahead at the 2009 Free Agent Market!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:17:46 -0500

Now with some glaring holes going into next year. The Mets will have a new ballpark but they also will have to replace some parts.

Obviously the bullpen is a mess starting with Billy Wagner.

The second base position can be resolved with a veteran and that means that Castillo will be traded for a bag of balls.

The starting rotation is also very interesting thing to look at with Oliver Perez (who is only 27)who is going to be a free agent and has Scott Boris as a agent.

The Mets will have Pedro Martinez coming off the books. As well as Moises Alou, who has been a disappointment because he never plays.

Here are the 2009 Free Agents from those positions mentioned:

Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Geoff Blum (36) - club option for '09
Jamey Carroll (35) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Ellis (32)
Mark Grudzielanek (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31)
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37)
Nick Punto (31)

Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season
Paul Byrd (38)
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32)
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29)
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
John Lackey (30) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Jon Lieber (39)
Kyle Lohse (30)
Braden Looper (34)
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36)
Greg Maddux (43)
Pedro Martinez (37)
Jamie Moyer (46)
Mark Mulder (31) - $11MM club option for '09 with a $1.5MM buyout
Mike Mussina (40)
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27)
Andy Pettitte (37)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
C.C. Sabathia (28)
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30)
John Smoltz (42)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32)

Closers
Brian Fuentes (33)
Eric Gagne (33)
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41)
Jason Isringhausen (36)
Todd Jones (41)
Brandon Lyon (29)
Francisco Rodriguez (27)
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Kerry Wood (32)

Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30)
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32)
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42) - club option for '09
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30)
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39) - club option for '09
Bob Howry (35)
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38)
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32)
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40)
Russ Springer (40)
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39)
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34)

Phillies Weekend in Review: Werth helps Phils earn split with Cubs, Benson released

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:38:04 -0500

After a rough start to the series against the Cubs, the Phillies finished out strong this weekend, winning a pair of games against the best team in the National League. They were helped on Sunday by the late scratch of Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, but the Phillies played some good baseball to earn both victories. Jayson Werth was the story of the weekend, going a combined 5 for 8 at the plate with 3 homers and 7 runs batted in. Werth's red-hot bat single-handedly carried the offense and he is starting to put together some great numbers on the season. He now has 21 homers and 56 RBI to go with a .282 batting average. Pretty good numbers for a guy who doesn't play every day. The pitching staff also deserves credit for a solid effort this weekend.... Benson gone: Sorry, Anna Benson fans, the Kris Benson era is over in Philadelphia. This isn't really that big of a loss considering the Phillies simply took a flier on Benson and he didn't pan out. Perhaps he'll catch on with another team desperate for pitching, or desperate for Anna. Click the link for the rest of the article....

Chests & Chest Pounds

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:54:22 -0500

Big day for the Phils yesterday, as they released Kris Benson and his chesty wife Anna. Oh, and they won the game against the Cubs too with JC Romero going ballistic with a chest pound after his outing. Click on the URL for the full article containg a look at Benson's time with the Phils, Romero's antics, the Moyer vs. Zambrano match-up today, and potential September call-ups.

Phillies release Kris Benson

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:28:35 -0500

The Philadelphia Phillies have released Kris Benson. Benson, 32, was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 11 starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He did not pitch at all for the Phillies in 2008, after being signed in February.

Phillies Recall Carpenter

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:05:03 -0500

The Phillies bullpen was nothing short of spectacular last night. They allowed only one run on four hits in ten innings of work. Unfortunately they used every bullpen arm they had and actually had tonight's starter, Kyle Kendrick ready to pitch the 14th inning. Given the needed rest the bullpen needs this evening, the Phillies have recalled pitcher Andrew Carpenter. Carpenter was one of the Phillies top minor league pitchers last season when he went 17-6 with a 3.20 ERA for Class A Clearwater. This season Carpenter hasn't found the same success. He struggled with his weight to begin the season, which actually caused him to miss a month of the season, and he struggled against Double A hitting. This season Carpenter is 9-11 with a 4.68 ERA between Single & Double A. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Phillies have designated Andy Tracy for assignment. After last night's marathon I figured the Phillies would bring up a pitcher for depth, but recalling Carpenter is somewhat of a surprise. He's only a year removed from Single A ball, and was unable to get batter's out at the Double A level. To think he'll make any type of impact at the major league level is a stretch. Recalling Les Walrond, Brian Mazone, or Kris Benson (who is on the mound tonight for Lehigh Valley), would have been a better option. Speaking of Benson, the Phillies also made another roster move today, moving Mike Zagurski to the 60-day disabled list, opening up a spot on the 40-man roster. With Benson healthy, and rosters expanding on Monday, he could be very well be added to the roster and pitching this September in Philadelphia.

A Look Down On The Phillies Farm

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:18:34 -0500

While the Phillies offense has taken a nap with 38 games remaining in the season, lets take a look at some of the guys who could give this team a lift over the next few weeks. 1. Pedro Feliz - Feliz could be back either Wednesday or Thursday, he hit two home runs for Reading tonight and made an incredible play in the field. Getting him back should be a little lift, Eric Bruntlett has been brutal in his place at the plate.

GameDay #125 vs. Mets

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:45:49 -0500

Mets (68-56) at Pirates (55-69)
12:35--PNC Park, Pittsburgh
John Maine (10-7, 3.97) vs. Paul Maholm (8-7, 3.69)
[Preview]
------------
Getaway afternoon game to finish up a pretty miserable homestand. We've been scoring runs all year, and four 30k+ crowds come out (Skyblast etc.) to see zero offense and four losses, leading to a season low 14 games under .500. It's understandable after all these trades- but some impatient fans are still upset, already writing off the deal. MEMO: this deal was not made to make the Pirates better THIS YEAR. Clearly, it has not done that. If you think the Bucs had a chance to contend before the trades, you're forgetting that they were sending JVB and Yoslan Herrera out there twice a week, and despite the offensive firepower, were still a good 5-10 games under .500 the whole season. It's not as if people were praising the team for having a great year before the deals. Now they're making it sound like we were the '27 Yankees before trading away Bay, Nady, and Marte. I wasn't seeing those comparisons a few weeks ago--I was hearing grumbling about how we didn't have any pitching--which was true.
-
Anyway, there isn't any ranting involved when the topic is Paul Maholm. He's been anchoring the staff all year, and has put out two very solid starts in his past two outings (2 combined ER). The Pirates have not won since he last pitched.
-
John Maine (acquired for Kris Benson from the Orioles) is also very good, but he's not Johan Santana. Maholm should give us a chance to break out of a slump before a tough road trip.
-
Brandon Moss injured himself trying to get out of the box late in yesterday's loss. It's not as bad as it initially looked [Pirates.com], but he'll be re-evaluated today.
-
[Box]

Phillies injury update: Gordon, Seanez, Feliz, Benson

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:47:37 -0500

Click the link for news on the end of Flash Gordon's career with the Phillies, plus injury updates on Rudy Seanez, Pedro Feliz and Kris Benson...

Beer nuts: Phils rotation getting deeper by the day

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:14:48 -0500

Recovering right-hander Kris Benson ran his streak of quality starts to five in a row for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. For Benson, J.A. Happ, Adam Eaton and Carlos Carrasco, there's no room at the inn, and that's just fine. When Brett Myers was demoted to the minors on July 1, the Phillies became the last team in baseball to break from their original starting five. That's rare. In reality, a pitching staff isn't a quintet so much as an octet. Pitching...

Tuesday Tidbits: Phillies Edition

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:28:32 -0500

Yes the Philliess lost to the Dodgers last night, but not all is lost. Manny Ramirez made Kyle Kendrick look bad and Derek Lowe was the beneficiary. However, the Mets and Marlins lost so it's all good in the hood (at least that's what I keep telling myself). Click on the URL for info on the following: Brad Lidge said he's ready to pitch again. Kris Benson and Rudy Seanez are rehabbing. Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard are in slumps. 6 Phillies are on the All-Time Homerun Leaderboard for Letter of the Alphabet. Last year I was getting arrested for smacking and stealing from Adam Eaton and two years ago I compared the Phils to PEZ. Cole Hamels vs. Clayton Kershaw tonight.

Is Cole Hamels An "Ace"

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:06:47 -0500

Left hander Cole Hamels allowed a pair of home runs in a 6-3 loss to St. Louis on Friday night. The staff "ace" fell to 9-7 on the season, while his ERA rose to 3.37. Normally, I don't like to take win/loss record into account when measuring the success or failure of a pitcher, but in the case of Hamels, it seems instead of the team getting up for their ace, they don't play nearly as well for Cole. Take a look at other aces from teams in contention around the league...

Shea Hello To My New Friend: Joe Blanton vs. Mets

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:52:49 -0500

Phils and Mets are tied for 1st place with a 3 game set to start tonight. Joe Blanton makes his Phillies debut against Johan Santana. Phils Phans are hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Wednesday sees Brett Myers making his return from the minors to face John Maine. Thursday matinee has Oliver Perez taking on Jamie Moyer. Pitching match-ups seems to favor Mets, and I must admit I'm frightened of this series. For a full rundown of the series and a Kris Benson update click on URL.

Benson Picks Up First Win

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:23:13 -0500

Rehabbing pitcher Kris Benson picked up his first win in almost two years last night as the Iron PIgs beat the Durham Bulls 4-2. Benson went six innings, allowing six hits, and one earned run. He also struck out four and walked none. Benson (1-4, 8.42), hasn't pitched since July 9th where he was shelled against Louisville, giving up seven runs in four innings. The twelve-day layoff did Benson some good, he was able to rest his shoulder, and step away from baseball for a few days. It also gave him the opportunity to watch video of his windup with pitching coach Rod Nichols, where they found a flaw in his mechanics. Benson had been dropping his elbow. "It should be up higher earlier, so it drives the ball down, and I was able to do that today," Benson said. "You could see with my slider today. Righties were hitting about 100 points higher than lefties so far, and the reason why was because my slider was non-existent the whole time I've been here. But today I got some more ground balls so I got a better angle on it. The big thing was I had the strikeouts today, which normally isn't a big deal. But for me, just to get guys missing the ball is a big thing," he added. "What I've been lacking here has been my fastball command and my slider, and I had both working today." Benson's pitches did have more movement on them, and his velocity was bad, topping out at 91mph, but consistantly staying in the high 80's. At best this is encouraging, but a step in the right direction. Before I hold out any hope Benson will see time in Philadelphia this season, I'd rather wait to see if he can build off this start. While most have written Benson off for the Phillies (myself included), he could very much be a wild card for this team down the stretch. Should Brett Myers struggles continue at the big-league level, and management moves him to the bullpen (probably the best spot for him on this team), they'll look to Benson or J.A. Happ to pick up the slack.

Bottom-Feeding Front Office Signs Jeff Weaver

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:53:29 -0500

Step aside Morgan Ensberg, we have a new underachiever in town. Typically, I would be excited to hear that the Indians signed a former first-round draft choice. However, with the recent news, I can't help but be less than thrilled… The Cleveland Indians today signed RHP JEFF WEAVER to a free agent minor league contract. He will report to AAA Buffalo. Who's next? Kris Benson? Can I get a R.A. Dickey? For a team that had their wallet padlocked in the off-season, they sure are tossing out all sorts of coin at guys who are likely posting classified ads on Craigslist. Yes, it is the same Weaver that won 14 games back in 2005, and actually helped a team in 2006 when he won three postseason games with the St. Louis Cardinals. But it's also the same Weaver that has a career record under .500 (93-114) and had an ERA of 6.20 last season. Couple that with him being cut by the Brewers after pitching simply awful baseball (5 innings, 64 hits, nine home runs) for their Triple-A affiliate, and this reeks of a move that is just filling recently vacated roster spots (Slocum, Lewis). Fun fact: Weaver was selected six spots ahead of C.C. Sabathia back in 1998. Oddly enough, it was six years ago today that Jeff Weaver was traded to the Yankees for Ted Lilly in the deal that netted the Tigers Jeremy Bonderman, and would eventually land Carlos Pena in Tampa Bay (via Oakland et al). Something tells me that the Yankees wouldn't mind getting that one back. The fact that Paul Hoynes is even considering the journeyman Weaver to be C.C. Sabathia's replacement is just scary. I guess all we can hope for is that he could provide something better than what Paul Byrd or Jeremy Sowers have shown us over the last month. At least we can still look forward to David Huff. Right?