Phillies Notes: Halladay, Injuries, Minor Deals

As seen on Phillies Nation.

March is quickly coming to an end. The Phillies play one more game in Clearwater before returning north for an exhibition series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. April 5th will be here before we know it. There was plenty of Phillies news to end the third month of the year:

The Phillies lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2.

Roy Halladay surrendered four runs in the first inning. He would settle down by striking out the side in the second, and retiring the side in order in the third. In the three innings he worked, he struck out five.

Placido Polanco and Ben Francisco provided the Phillies with their only two runs. They each hit solo shots.

Brad Lidge received a Cortisone shot.

Lidge is having elbow troubles once again. Lidge has inflammation on the outer part of his elbow. His off-season surgery was on the inner part. No MRI will be required for this injury, as there is no structural damage.

Michael Ciccotti, the team physician, said that the injury is due to “[Lidge's] reconditioning routine.” Lidge’s goal is to return by mid-April, although it could be later.

Joe Blanton injured his left oblique muscle.


The Phillies will not know more about the injury until tomorrow, when Blanton is examined by the team doctor. Blanton, who was scheduled to pitch on Saturday, felt the injury when throwing a bullpen session today.

Blanton has never been placed on the disabled list in his career. If Blanton were to miss time during the season, Kyle Kendrick would likely be the one to fill his shoes.

If the Blanton and Lidge injuries weren’t bad enough, Carlos Ruiz was kept out of today’s lineup after being hit by a pitch on the arm yesterday. The move was just cautionary though.

The Phillies signed right handed pitchers Josh Fogg and Ty Taubenheim to minor league contracts.

Both pitchers will report to minor league camp. These moves could kick Brandon Duckworth out of Triple-A.

Fogg was recently released by the New York Mets. He has a career 62-69 record, and 5.03 ERA. Taubenheim has only pitched in 46 major league innings, and also has an ERA over five.

Phillies Sign Contreras; Other News

Earlier today, it was said that the Phillies backed off on John Smoltz, but were interested in Jose Contreras. ESPN’s Enrique Rojas is reporting that the Phillies have agreed to a one-year deal with Contreras, pending a physical.

Because Smoltz wants to start, the Phillies moved onto Contreras, who will serve as a right-handed reliever. Contreras, 38, went 6-13 with a 4.92 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP with the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies in 131.2 innings last year.

In other Phillies news, the Phillies apparently offered Cliff Lee a 3-year, $60 million extension before he was traded. It is uncertain whether Lee formally denied the offer.

Yesterday, the Phillies avoided arbitration with Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino by signing them both to a three-year deal. Blanton will get $24 million; Victorino $22. Blanton originally wanted a laughable $10.25 million in arbitration, but the Phillies offered him seven. Nevertheless, the Phillies and Blanton worked out the differences.

MLB News:

The New York Mets acquired Gary Matthews Jr. If you were unaware, thats Sarge's (Phillies broadcaster) son. Matthews spent most of the 2009 season on the bench. He makes $11 million this year.

The Mets recently missed out on Bengie Molina. The Mets offered the catcher a $5 million deal, but he accepted the Giants' $4.5 million offer.

The Kansas City Royals reach an agreement with Rick Ankiel. The Nationals are interested in Mike Jacobs.

The Seattle Mariners signed Felix Hernandez, 23, to a five-year, $78 million deal. Hernandez had a 2.49 ERA in 2009.

Week In Review: January 7th

I apologize for the lack of substance on Swing and a Long Drive this week. I had all intentions of updating, but one thing led to another. Plus, our numbers have been down so it's not like anybody is rushing to see our site. It's the off season, so it's slow.

The good news is that there are 87 days until Opening Day (or bad? It depends how you look at it, if you want baseball tomorrow). Either way, we're going to catch you up on the latest baseball news from the week.

The Phillies signed Danys Baez to a two-year, $5.25 million deal. The Phillies gained a reliever, but they also lose one-- or two.

Clay Condrey has official moved on. The long man has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Twins. Condrey missed most of last year with injuries. He has a career 4.10 ERA. Clay, have fun throwing to that stud behind home plate that they call Joe Mauer.

Reliever Scott Eyre is calling it quits. The 37-year old has decided to retire after 13 major league seasons. During the 2009 season, Eyre pondered the idea of retirement. Eyre had surgery during the off season, and the Phillies offered him a minor league contract for 2010, but Eyre had his mind set or retiring.

In 1997, the lefty broke into the majors at the age of 25 with the Chicago White Sox. In 649.1 career innings, Eyre went 28-30 with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. Eyre had the most success in Philadelphia, where he went 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA in two seasons.

With Eyre gone, this puts more on J.C Romero, who was suspended and hurt last year. If he can be healthy and as effective as he was in 2008, the Phillies are in good shape as far as a lefty-specialist goes.

Other Phillies News:

The Phillies invited 13 to spring training. Some of the bigger names include Domonic Brown, Joe Savery, B.J Rosenberg, and Phillipe Aumont and Tyson Gillies, who were involved in the Cliff Lee deal.

MLB News:

Andre Dawson was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Dawson had a .279 career average, 438 home runs, and .807 OPS.

The decision by the writer's association wasn't a bad choice at all, but Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez and Bert Blyvleven wouldn't be poor choices either.

Speaking of the Hall of Fame and retirement, a future Hall of Famer is retiring. Randy Johnson is hanging up the cleats after 22 seasons. The lefty went 303-166 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in his career. Johnson, a five-time Cy Young winner, spent most of his career in Seattle and Arizona.

The biggest splash came from the Cardinals, who signed Matt Holliday to a seven-year, $120 million deal. Holliday is a career .318 hitter. He averages 29 home runs and 100 runs batted in per year. Holliday and Albert Pujols make for one of the best 3-4 punches in baseball.

The Boston Red Sox signed third baseman Adrian Beltre. The Red Sox plan to move Mike Lowell, but are having a tough time because he's injured. A thought was a trade to the Mets, where Lowell would play first base, and Luis Castillo would head to Boston. Meanwhile, the Mets are still interested in bringing back Carlos Delgado.

A decision for Cuban Adrolis Chapman could be coming soon. Every team in the majors seems to have interest in the prized pitcher.

The Mariners acquired Casey Kotchman. They also extended Franklin Gutierrez's contract. Gutierrez was signed to a four-year, $20.5 million deal with an option for a fifth year.

The Atlanta Braves signed Eric Hinske and Troy Glaus. Hinske is a career .254 hitter and Glaus has 300 career home runs.

In other news, the Rangers offered Vladimir Guerrero a $7 million deal, the A's agreed to sign Jack Cust, the Twins made an offer to Jarod Washburn, and the Nationals signed Matt Capps to a one-year $3.5 million deal.

Mets Sign Bay; Giants Sign DeRosa

With the holidays, there was a lack of baseball news throughout the week. When Eric Bruntlett signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, that was the biggest headline in Philadelphia sports. With the new year approaching, a few more moves were made.

The New York Mets signed free agent Jason Bay to a four year, $66 million contract. The Mets were desperately in need of a left fielder. They got one. However, like so many major league contracts, Bay was given too much money.

Bay is a great player, but has been extremely over rated since his departure from Pittsburgh. The money shows.

In addition, Bay was a better fit for Boston. Bay, not known for his defense, will go from a very small left field in Fenway to a very spacious outfield in Citi Field. In addition to potential defensive struggles, Bay's power numbers will go down. Citi Field has taken a damper on home run numbers; just look at David Wright's decrease in home run totals from 2008 to 2009.

In other baseball news, the San Francisco Giants signed Mark DeRosa to a two year, $12 million deal. DeRosa, an extremely versatile player, will likely spend the majority of his playing time at third base, with Pablo Sandoval moving to first. DeRosa may spend time in the outfield as well.

The Giants need a bat badly. DeRosa probably won't be the answer, although he will help a very weak hitting ball club. The Giants have pitching, but if they can improve their hitting, they could be the favorites in the National League West.

There's not much left of the free agent market. Matt Holliday seems to be the only big name remaining. The Cardinals are rumored to have offered him a $100 million contract.

In minor moves, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Kelly Johnson and the Oakland Athletics signed Justin Duchscherer.

More Winter Meeting Tidbits

Texas was popular today, but here is what else happened during day three of the Winter Meetings.

The Phillies signed Ross Gload to a two-year deal. The first baseman and outfielder will likely spend most of the season off the bench. Gload also received offers from the Marlins and Braves.

The Phillies have been equally aggressive on Fernando Rodney as they have been on Brandon Lyon. However, it's unknown if the Phillies would pay Rodney "closer-type money.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bobby Crosby. Crosby never lived up to his expectations. After winning Rookie of the Year and receiving a five-year $12.75 extension from the Oakland A's, Crosby fell off the radar. This deal will be worth approximately $1.5 million.

The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels are interested in Hideki Matsui. The White Sox may be closing in on a deal with J.J Putz.

Ben Sheets is seeking a contract around $12 million. Talk about ridiculous. The guy's a great pitcher when healthy, but he didn't even throw a pitch in 2009. I'll be completely shocked if he gets anything close.

The Red Sox have interest in Adrian Beltre. They would trade Mike Lowell first. The Giants, however, do not have interest in Beltre.

More MLB News, in bullet point form:

• The Kansas City Royals offer Jason Kendall a two-year deal.


• The Colorado Rockies are closer to a two-year deal with Yorvit Torrealba.


• The New York Yankees re-signed Andy Pettitte. One year, $11.75 million.


• Multiple teams are eyeing Joel Pinero, Nick Johnson, Derek Lowe.


• The Milwaukee Brewers signed LaTroy Hawkins.


• The New York Mets and Washington Nationals are going after Jason Marquis.
• The Mariners sign Corey Patterson.


• The Tampa Bay Rays are front runners for Rafeal Soriano.


• The Padres are discussing trades for Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Breaking News: Some Halladay rumors are coming out.

The Phillies are "joining the fray" for Halladay, as well as the Red Sox and Yankees. But the Angels are pulling trigger. They made the following offer, according to Jon Heyman of SI:

Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos for Halladay. If the Blue Jays accept, the only question is if Halladay would wave his trade clause. Halladay previously said he would acccept a trade to the Angels.

Update (9:41 PM): Not long ago, the Phillies headlines read "Phillies in the mix for Halladay." Now, the Phillies.com homepage reads: "Phillies not likely to land Halladay."

MLB News Bullet Points

The Tigers, D'Backs, and Yankees made a blockbuster deal. Here's some other bullet points of what happened today around MLB.

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Brad Penny to a one-year deal worth $7.5 million, or up to $9 million in incentives. Absolutely ridiculous. Way too much money for a guy who has barely pitched in the last three years, and isn't nearly as good as he was before injuries took a toll.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays are discussing trade options for Ryan Doumit.

The Milwaukee Brewers offered a three-year, $31 million deal to Randy Wolf. It would be smart to accept that puppy, unless he gets offered another deal (the Mets seem to be the only other team with interest). Like the Penny deal, $31 million is a lot of money.

Multiple teams are interested in Kelvim Escobar. The White Sox and Angeles are interested in Hideki Matsui. The Dodgers and Rockies are going after Luis Ayala. The Marlins are hearing offers for Dan Uggla, Matt Lindstrom, and Renyel Pinto. The Giants and Padres are discussing Kevin Kouzmanoff.

The Texas Rangers are hearing offers for Kevin Millwood. The Phillies may also be hearing offers for Joe Blanton. The Phillies may also be interested in Cuban Aroldis Chapman.

The Washington Nationals signed Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. They are also interested in former Phillie Vicente Padilla.

Speaking of former Phillies, the Chicago Cubs are close to a Milton Bradley- Carlos Silva trade. It's still ideal for the Cubs to trade Bradley to the Tampa Bay Rays for Pat Burrell, who they would flop for prospects or a second baseman.

The Rockies offer backup catcher. Yorvit Torreabla a two-year deal.

Iverson Returns; Baseball News

Allen Iverson is back in Philadelphia. Iverson almost retired, however he met with the Philadelphia 76ers, who eventually offered him a contract. He accepted, and is back with the team that he became a Hall of Fame player with.

Iverson led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001, but the Sixers haven't been back since. When Iverson left the Sixers, he started to decline and the Sixers became a weak team.

Adding Iverson is exactly what the Sixers needed. Before the Iverson talks, nobody cared about the Sixers (sorry to those few die-hards). But once the AI Rumors came out, the Sixers were mentioned before any other team, including the Philadelphia Eagles. That never happens, not even for the playoffs.

The Iverson move will help the Sixers more than record-wise. Without him, the franchise would continue to lessen in popularity. Now, more tickets will sell, and perhaps increase the Sixers' popularity. With Iverson on the court, more fans will watch. When more fans watch, they will notice some of the other, younger stars. They needed that, because right now they're not very popular in a football town.

We're aware that this is a baseball blog, so here's your daily dosage of MLB:

The Atlanta Braves signed Billy Wagner. The deal is worth $7 million with an option for 2011.

There is a "strong possibility" for a Pat Burrell-Milton Bradley trade. The Cubs are Rays could make the deal, although it's also possible to see Burrell in a Mets uniform. With a left fielder in Alfonso Soriano, the Cubs could flip him to the Mets. The Mets are in need of a left fielder. They could get rid of Luis Castillo and get Burrell in return.

The Phillies have their eyes on J.J Putz. Putz missed most of last season due to arm troubles. The Pirates and Astros also appear to be interested. The Phillies are also being linked to Randy Wolf and Rafeal Bentancourt for the first time this offseason.

The Mariners are pursuing Rich Harden.

The Astros and Rangers are interested in Brett Myers. The Rangers would likely want him as a reliever.

Arbitration, Catchers, and Red Sox

The Hot Stove was buzzin' today. There was a lot of baseball news:

The Phillies signed Brian Schneider to a two year-deal worth just under $3 million. The Phillies might be eyeing John Smoltz. The Phillies also declined arbitration for free agents Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre.

The Phillies and Mets are basically switching catchers, because the Mets signed Chris Coste. The Mets also re-signed Alex Cora.

The Boston Red Sox are asking Dustin Pedroia to play short stop. The Red Sox are without a shortstop and the free agent market is small. Pedroia has played shortstop in the past, although not at the major league level. The Red Sox may also be looking at Adam Kennedy or Adam Everett. They are also interested in Rich Harden.

Roy Halladay said that he will not accept a trade after Spring Training. The pitcher said he would accept a trade to the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox and Angels.

Joe Mauer denies any rumors stating that he has set a deadline for a contract extension.

Placido Polanco was not offered arbitration from Detroit. Adrian Beltre was offered arbitration from Seattle. The Angels offered arbitration to John Lackey and Chone Figgins.

The Houston Astros offered Jose Valverde arbitration, but not Miguel Tejada. The Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers, Astros and Giants are all interested in Tejada.

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Kelly Shoppach from the Cleveland Indians. The Indians have some of the top catching prospects, including Lou Marson or Carlos Santana, both who could start this year.

Last but not least, Derek Jeter was named SI's Sportsman of the Year.

Hot Stove Commentary

Here is the latest Hot Stove news and rumors, and some unnecessary commentary:

Roy Halladay said that he would approve a trade to the New York Yankees. Traitor! Going to a division rival!? The Blue Jays want a pitcher and a hitter for him.

The Marlins might be looking to deal Josh Johnson. Typical Marlins: draft a good player. Bring him up through the farm system. Have a successful first few years in the big leagues. Then, trade him away for some prospects. Have those prospects come up and put together a successful team. Possibly win, then trade those players away. Repeat the process.

The Cubs are looking for an outfield bat. They still have to get rid of Monopoly-- errr, Milton Bradley.

Pirates would like to bring Mike Gonzalez back, but would it matter? They also might be looking at Blalock and Ankiel. Iwamura, Gonzo, Blalock, Ankiel, are they trying to be contenders?

The Baltimore Orioles would consider Erik Bedard and Ben Sheets. This is not much of a risk. Orioles probably won't contend in 2010 and both these guys have health issues. It would be worth a shot, as long as it's not too expensive.

Tim Lincecum is looking for a one year deal. Probably smart for him because when he wins another Cy Young, he'll be able to get another contract that makes even more money.

Jamie Moyer is doing well after minor surgery. Moyer had surgery to wash out a small collection of blood cells that could have been infected.

“The surgery is not likely to impact his rehab schedule and is likely to have minimal impact on his spring training schedule,” said Michael Ciccotti, the team doctor. Moyer will remain hospitalized until Monday.

Surfin', Beltre, Moyer, and MLB News

Looks like Jimmy Rollins found a new hobby. Rollins, who recently attended Shane Victorino's wedding, was caught surfing in Hawaii.

In Phillies related news:

The Phillies are targeting free agent Adrian Beltre. Money could be an issue; Beltre, 30, could be seeking a four-year deal. Additionally, Beltre is represented by Scott Boras.

Mark DeRosa, a personal favorite of Charlie Manuel, is still an option as well as Placido Polanco, Chone Figgins, and Pedro Feliz. A friend of Feliz says that he would like to sign elsewhere, possibly Seattle.

The Phillies signed DeWayne Wise and Wilson Valdez to minor league contracts. Both had a significant amount of major league playing time in 2009, but they will most likely spend most of 2010 in Triple-A.

Wise, an outfielder, is known for saving Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in July. The 32-year old spent most of the season as a defensive replacement. He batted .225 in 142 at-bats with the White Sox in 2009.

Valdez, a utility infielder, batted .256 in 86 at-bats for the New York Mets in 2009.

Jamie Moyer has been hospitalized at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with recurring symptoms from his September groin surgery. Dr. Michael Ciccotti, the team doctor, said that Moyer is not seriously ill, however the pain in the area where he had surgery has increased since the weekend.

Moyer, 47, is being evaluated. “He’s completely comfortable and fine. We’re just taking appropriate precautions and also wanting to do what we can to make sure he’s on track for spring training,” Ciccotti said.

Around MLB, the Chicago White Sox signed Andruw Jones. Jose Lopez is likely to remain in Seattle. The Minnesota Twins are looking at Rich Harden.

The Red Sox might be making a push for Roy Halladay. They are also interested in Marco Scutaro and Kelvim Escobar.

Call of the Day: Travis Lee hits a walk-off home run in 2001.

"Well hit! Game over! 3-run homerun Travis Lee! Can you believe it? What a
tremendous comeback from the Fightin' Phils! A 10 to 8 win!"

Castro Rumors and MLB News

The Phillies reportedly agreed to a deal with utility infielder Juan Castro, pending a physical. The deal is for one year with a club option for 2011. The deal might not be officially announced until next week.

Castro will fill Eric Bruntlett’s spot on the roster. The 37-year old batted .277 in 112 at-bats with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Castro was given a minor league contract worth $700,000 in 2009. If the deal is official, it is unlikely to exceed that price

In other MLB news, the Milwaukee Brewers re-sign Chris Capuano. He was signed to a minor league deal, and is recovering from Tommy John Surgery in 2008.

The Chicago White Sox signed Omar Vizquel to a one-year, $1.375 deal. Vizquel, 42, is known for his defense. He played with the Rangers this season and batted .266 in 195 plate appearances. The White Sox are also interested in Coco Crisp.

Phillies News & Notes

There are only 137 days until opening day, but there is still plenty of Phillies news during the off season.

The Phillies added Quintin Berry (OF), Yohan Flande (LHP) and Jesus Sanchez (RHP) to the 40-man roster.

Chan Ho Park wants to start in 2010. Park had his eyes on starting entering 2009. It didn’t work out for him, as he lost his starting job to J.A Happ. Park, a free agent, posted a 2.52 ERA out of the bullpen in 2009. The Phillies could use him back — as a reliever.

The Phillies are the favorites to land Mark DeRosa, but don’t buy into this too much. Weren’t the Phillies the “favorites” to land Roy Halladay? There are still other options: Chone Figgins, Placido Polanco, Adrian Betlre, etc. Pedro Feliz isn’t out of the picture either.

Pedro Martinez intends to pitch in 2010, but this time for the entire season. Pedro spent half of the season in the Dominican Republic, and he wasn’t happy about that. As of now, the Phillies fifth starter is Jamie Moyer (by the way, happy 47th birthday, Jamie!), but the Phillies could bring him back for 2010.

Phils Pick Up Lee's Option; Other Notes

The season just ended, but the Phillies kicked off the offseason with their first move.

The Phillies picked up Cliff Lee’s $9 million option for the 2010 season. No surprise here. There is still a possibility that Lee will be signed to a long term deal. The Phillies have not made a decision about Pedro Feliz’s $5 million option for next season.

Ruben Amaro has notified Brett Myers that he will not play for the Phillies in 2010. The right hander is officially a free agent.

There will be no coaching changes. Rich Dubee, Milt Thompson, Davy Lopes, Sam Perlozzo and Pete Mackanin will all stay on Charlie Manuel’s coaching staff. Again, no surprise here. This staff has done a phenomenal job.

Eyre is undecided if he will play next year, but will definitely need surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow. Lidge will be getting checked to see if he has the same injury. Ibanez will have an MRI on his groin, but he may also need surgery for a tear in his abdomen.

The Phillies contacted Chan Ho Park's agent about returning next season. Park was terrific out of the bullpen. But does he still have his eyes on starting?

Phillies Notables

The Phillies swept both games of Sunday's double header, winning 5-4 and 1-0. They took three games out of four, eliminating the Mets from the National League East.

The Phillies have a magic number of 14. They are 6.5 games above the Florida Marlins, who they play 6 more times.

Andrew Carpenter was optioned to Single-A Lakewood.

With the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Carpenter was 11-6 with a 3.35 ERA. The move was most likely made in order to give him more innings.

You can vote for Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, or Chase Utley for the Hank Aaron Award.

In MLB News, Derek Jeter became the Yankees all-time hits leader. He passed Lou Gehrig with 2,722 hits. Ichiro now has nine consecutive 200-hit seasons, setting a Major League Baseball record.

Injuries and Elimination

Brett Myers was activated from the disabled list today. To make room on the 40-man roster, Joe Bisenius was out-righted to Lehigh Valley.

As one man returns, another suffers a setback. Clay Condrey’s (oblique) rehab assignment was pushed back because of a setback to his slow-healing muscle.

Ruben Amaro said that it is “possible” that Condrey could be done for the season, but won’t know details until Condrey visits the team physician next week.

Johan Santana, among others are finished with 2009. You can add Grady Sizemore to the list. His season is over. The Cleveland Indian's star center fielder will go under the knife for season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow. Sizemore batted .248 with 18 HR, 64 RBI, and 13 SB this season.

The season is also over for the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. They were both eliminated from their divisions. Well, they still have hope. The Orioles are 24.5 games out of the Wild Card. The Nationals are 28 games out, but the elimination number is down to one.

The Phillies magic number is down to 22.

Vote for the Pepsi "Clutch" Performer of the Month! Clifton Phifer Lee is a nominee.

Rotation Set; MLB News

Pedro Martinez will start on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Jamie Moyer has been sent to the bullpen.

J.A Happ will pitch on Tuesday and Cliff Lee will start on Thursday. The lefties are now split up: Happ, Martinez, Lee, Joe Blanton, and Cole Hamels. Also, if the rotation stays, Pedro could find himself pitching against the Mets at the end of August.

In addition, Rodrigo Lopez has been sent to Triple-A and Chad Durbin has been activated from the disabled list.

J.C Romero had a MRI today which revealed no structural damage. However, he has tendinitis and will not throw for at least eight days. Then, he will begin rehab in Clearwater.

In other MLB news, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang of the Reds have cleared waivers. Christian Guzman of the Nationals also cleared waivers.

Chris Coughlan is first rookie with 8 straight multi-hit games since Dan Driessen for the Reds in 1973.

Latest News Around Baseball

J.C Romero, who is on the disabled list with a strained left forearm, made a rehab appearance in Clearwater. However, he suffered a setback. Romero threw ten pitches before being shut down due to soreness.

Romero, the Phillies left-handed specialist, has missed a significant amount of time this season due to a 50 game suspension and trip to the disabled list. Romero has a 2.87 ERA in 15.2 innings this season.

On the other hand, Chad Durbin felt fine after throwing an inning in Clearwater. He could be activated any day now. Charlie Manuel said that Clay Condrey (oblique) is “still a ways off.”

The Phillies released Triple-A infielder Pablo Ozuna. Ozuna had been suspended for 50 games after violating the minor league drug policy.

The 34 year old signed a minor league contract with the Phillies during the off-season. He batted .294 with 15 runs batted in with the IronPigs.

In MLB News, Josh Hamilton, who said has been drug and alcohol-free since 2005, now takes that back. Last January, several girls took "suggestive poses" with him. The pictures were released on Deadspin and Hamilton was surprised they didn't come out earlier. During that night, he also asked for cocaine. Hamilton admitted that he was drunk at the time. Embarrassed, he told his family and the Rangers organization right after the incident.

Hamilton, who battled a drug addiction, said "it was one those things that reinforce that I can't have alcohol."

After his named was leaked on the 103 players who tested positive in 2003, David Ortiz claimed that he is clean.

Alex Rios was claimed off waivers, but it is still unsure as to which team claimed him.

Even though this is a few days ago, in case you haven't seen, Prince Fielder tried to break into the Dodgers clubhouse after being hit by a pitch by Guillermo Mota.

Baseball's Latest

The New York Times reported that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were on the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. Both Ortiz and Ramirez were teammates at the time.

Ortiz previously made this comment about steroids:

"I think you clean up the game by the testing. I know that if I test positive by
using any kind of substance, I know that I'm going to disrespect my family, the
game, the fans and everybody, and I don't want to be facing that situation."

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired George Sherill from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for prospects Josh Bell and Steve Johnson. Sherill has a 2.40 ERA and 20 saves as the O's closer.

The Pirates continue to be sellers and are basically giving up their whole team. The Cubs acquired John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny for Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, and Josh Harrison.

Omar Minyaya apologized to a reporter after saying that he "lobbied for a player development position." Today, Minaya said that his comment about Adam Rubin was "out of character."

QUOTE SOURCE: MLB.com

Phillies Updates

Raul Ibanez went 0-for-2 with a walk and run scored with Reading in a rehab appearance. He made only one play in left field. Health-wise, everything went okay for Ibanez. He could rehab in Lehigh Valley tomorrow.

Shane Victorino is second in the National League's Final Vote behind Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants. Matt Kemp is third.

The Phillies will scout Pedro Martinez on Monday or Tuesday in the Dominican Republic.

“We are trying to explore all possible options as we try to improve our club,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

According to ESPN, many teams have walked away from him because they were "unimpressed.” His fastball has clocked at about 85 mph.

Call of the Day: Sorry there wasn't a call of the day over the weekend. Busy Fourth of July! Hope everybody had a nice Independence Day. We're back with calls for today!

In 2007, the Phillies also swept the Mets... only in four games.

"High drive, deep left field... OUTTA HERE! Ryan Howard a walk
off home run to the opposite field and the Phillies have won it by a score of 4
to 2. The big man- does it! And its so good to see to hit it to the
opposite field. That's a game winner. Phils comeback to win, 4-2
here in the 10th inning. Number 35 for Ryan Howard. So that's 2 in a
row for the Phils against the Mets in this very important series."

Taschner DFA'd, Ibanez Delayed

Jack Taschner was voted off the island. The reality show, "The Pen" will no longer feature Tascher. He was designated for assignment to make room for Rodrigo Lopez, who had his contract purchased today. Also, Brett Myers was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Taschner called the Phillies a "class act organization" because they could of optioned him. Instead other teams can give him a chance.

Raul Ibanez's rehab assignment was delayed for the third day in a row. Ibanez was eligible to come off the disabled list today, however it is uncertain when he will return.

Ibanez says he feels "way better," but there is still a little discomfort. A rehab appearance is possible this Sunday, but he is scheduled to see team doctor Michael Ciccotti first.

The Phillies remain interested in Chien Ming Wang, but also have looked at Juan Cruz of the Royals. They also haven't quit on Erik Bedard, Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee. They've also discussed Pedro Martinez.

In news around MLB, Scott Boras has hinted that first overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg could play in Japan if the Washington Nationals do not offer him enough money.