Monday Night Mailbag – Why Does Utley Get a Free Pass?

Welcome to Monday Night Mailbag. Throughout the day, Philliedelphia readers on facebook and twitter have been submitting their questions about the Phillies. It is a frustrating time to be a Phillies fan and there are likely a few more years of it to come. But, without further ado, let's get started.

Why does Ryan Howard get killed but Utley continues to skate on by?

To the common Phillies fan, this may be an easy question. Utley is just more productive. Though Howard hits more homers and RBI's, they are empty runs this season. Sure, Utley has only gotten one hit over his last six games, but his offensive slump will improve as we have seen in the past. Chase is a career .287 hitter, Howard .266. Chase gets on base more. His career OBP is .371 compared to Howard's .355. We all know Howard is a different hitter, one that hits the ball out of the ballpark more and thus will strikeout more. Utley hits to all sides of the field. Chase is .293 in his career with runners in scoring position, Howard is .277 but has almost 70 more RBI's. Howard is scrutinized more because he continues to fall victim to the same things. Breaking balls outside and plate discipline in general. When it comes to defensively, Utley may have cost the Phillies a game or two this year because of a fielding error, but Chase's track record at second base compared to Howard's at first isn't really comparable. Howard's career defensive WAR is -0.6 while Utley's is 17.4. They both may be in slumps at this point, but the fact is Utley is more likely to break out of it than Howard and history shows that. Lastly, I just think Utley has a better attitude about everything. His demeaner is always positive and he is a leader by example. Howard hasn't been the same since his achillies injury and although his contract is bad, you have to wonder what would be different if he hadn't gotten hurt in the 2011 postseason.

How long do you keep aging players because they won you a championship six years ago?

The simple answer to this would be one word. Contracts. Ruben Amaro's MO isn't necessarily bad trades, but rather bad contracts. It has been magnified especially this season with these questionable no-trade clauses to players in their mid to late 30s. As far as keeping aging players that won you a title, let's go through who we have. Carlos Ruiz is still with the club because there is not really a better catching option. Chooch was signed to a three-year contract though. Forget the $26 million and focus on the age, especially for a catcher. He is 35 now and will be 36 in January. Unfortunately, Tommy Joseph continues to be haunted by the injury bug, Sebastian Valle never panned out much, Cameron Rupp hasn't really been given a solid look, do there just aren't many options. That being said, I think a two-year deal with some incentives would have been a better option. Talking about Howard would be like beating a dead horse. His contract is awful, but the player we see today isn't what we paid for. His 2011 postseason injury ruined the power-hitter and he hasn't been the same since. Because of his depressingly low numbers this year, no team would want him to even DH. You can talk about cutting him, but you almost have to keep him around. As for Chase and Jimmy, they earned their rights to stay if they want to and while it may keep the Phillies from rebuilding, there isn't much you can do there. Both of these vets have been relatively productive this year, so you can't really blame either of them for the state of the team. They got their rings and want to try their best to bring another run to this team, so I can't fault their mindset. 

If Jimmy, Chase, Cole and Ryan all stay with the club until they retire, who ends up on the Phillies Wall of Fame? Do they end up there even if they don't retire as a Phillie?

The only one I see as a possible not Phillie for life would be Hamels. If he keeps up his strong play, there is a likely scenerio in which he gets dealt, even though it didn't happen at the deadline. For a pitcher like Hamels, you cannot settle for middle-line prospects though. Out of those guys I think at least Chase and Jimmy are the clear choices. I am not saying all four won't make it because there is a strong chance. Howard, through his struggles, was a big part of the five straight NL East titles, NL Pennants and World Championship while Hamels was brilliant in the postseason helping the Phils bring a parade down Broad Street. With Rollins having broken Schmidt's record and Utley being the clear best second baseman in franchise history, it is hard to think they won't be inducted even if they finish their careers elsewhere. 

Shouldn't the Phillies let Giles attempt some saves to see if he can be a closer? Ryan Madson was a good set up guy then struggled as a closer. I guess I am a little biased cause I don't like Papelbon

I think they should. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon. He has closer stuff in his arsenal and would be given the job in a heartbeat if Papelbon wasn't there, but that is not the case. Through the emotional rollercoaster we have taken with Papelbon, he has had a great year, despite his hiccups prior to the trade deadline. How he is portrayed in the public could be completely different than what he is around the young pitchers. Giles is young enough now where he doesn't really have to be the closer just yet so I think him getting the chance to learn from a guy like Paps could benefit him when/if he gets the opportunity to close., even though he comes off with a bad rap sometimes. While I understand the Madson comparison, I think it is too early in Ken's career to really put him in that category just yet. Giles throws more heat and has a nasty slider while Madson didn't mix his pitches as well on a consistent basis. Madson saved 52 games in his career and blew 26, though not all of those blown saves were when he was closing. In his final year with the Phillies in 2011, he was 32/34, so if that could eventually be what Giles does, I would be okay with that. As long as he doesn't end up like Madson is now, unable to find a job in baseball. 

Who are the Phils eyeing in free agency in the off-season?

As most fans would say, with Amaro at the helm, who knows what could happen. Let's look at a couple of needs the Phillies have though. Assuming that no trades go down and you don't resign players, you lose Kendrick, Hernandez, Bastardo, Adams, Mayberry, Nieves and Sizemore. While it seemed like Bastardo was going to be dealt, he will stay for the season unless he is moved in August. I think the Kyle Kendrick era may be over in Philadelphia but I could see them resign Hernandez if he is cheap. As for Mike Adams, his injuries will likely keep him from resigning, there is no spot for Mayberry and Cameron Rupp will likely replace Wil Nieves. Grady Sizemore is a nice option in the outfield, so a return may be in the cards. Considering the state of a lot of the contracts on the Phillies books, I don't see any big moves being made in free agency but look for them to add a back-end starter. Some affordable starting pitching options with low-risk, high-reward out there include Colby Lewis, Brandon McCarthy and Scott Feldman. If you want to spend a little more money, which isn't ever an issue for Rube,  Jason Hammel, Gavin Floyd and Kevin Correia could be options. As for the bullpen, I think the Phils will continue with what they have as the young guys getting experience this year may be better in the year to come. I think pitching is really the only place they will go in free agency as I believe Amaro does acknowledge the need for young guys to get an opportunity, but with the starters almost determined already for 2015 with the contracts on hand, don't expect much from the Phils in the offseason. Prospect development will be something to keep an eye on though.

Thanks for your questions, make sure to submit them for the next Monday Night Mailbag on the Philliedelphia Facebook Page.

Brandon Apter, Publishing Editor for Philliedelphia.com