Phillies Sign Tim Redding, Encase Him In Carbonite

by dajafi on Jun 16, 2011 10:07 PM EDT

It's true. Well, the first part anyway.

I'm pretty close to serious in suggesting that the main reason for the Phillies to pay him is so another team won't. Redding, 33, has not been a good major league pitcher: he's 37-57 for his career with a 4.95 ERA. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2009, when he went 3-6 with a 5.10 ERA for the Mets. He's had a winning record in exactly one season--ten years ago, when he went 3-1 as a rookie for the Astros. Most recently, he put up a 2-7 record and ass-ugly 6.59 ERA for the Dodgers' triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Yet the mere mention of his name is enough to scare Phillies fans. Admittedly, Redding's 5-4 lifetime record against the Phils isn't all that impressive (though it's Redding's only winning record against a team when he's registered more than four career decisions facing them). But his ERA of 3.01 in 14 career starts is imposing, and their collective .203/.282/.296 line against him is hilariously stomach-turning--particularly when one recalls that most of this was compiled from 2006-2009, when the Phillies had the NL's best offense by far. In that otherwise forgettable 2009 campaign with the Mets, Redding held the Phillies to four runs in eighteen innings.

I actually love this strategy, particularly if whatever the Phillies pay the guys who kill them to sit idle doesn't count against the salary cap. What's Julio Lugo (.452/.530/.750 vs. the Phils in 101 career plate appearances) doing these days? zOMG HE'S ON THE BRAVES' TRIPLE-A TEAM!!! (And hitting worse than the Phillies against Tim Redding, but still.) Clearly Ruben Amaro Jr. got to Redding just in time.

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With Tommy Hanson having shoulder tendinitis, they must have signed him to keep him away from the Braves

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo

by DirtyWaters on Jun 16, 2011 10:46 PM EDT reply actions

The concerning part is that after seeing Redding dominate the Phils so many times, management might be convinced that he’s actually a decent pitcher. That could be a concern in that they might want to call him up at some point. 2-3 years ago, that wouldn’t have been a huge concern as he was at least a usable replacement player in the vein of, well, Kyle Kendrick, but he seems to have lost even that ability. Of course, if he puts up another 6.5+ ERA in the minors, I doubt we’ll have much to worry about.

by Rujasu on Jun 17, 2011 9:02 AM EDT reply actions

Could be, but I’m not so worried about this. There’s no way he’d leapfrog any of the first seven starters (Aces, Blanton, Worley, Kendrick), and I’m not sure he would get a call ahead of Bonine, Feierabrand or whatever his name is, or other AAA guys. For that matter they’ve still got Andy Carpenter (though he’s been used as a reliever this year) and at least one or two guys at AA who would look as palatable as Redding.

by dajafi on Jun 17, 2011 10:12 AM EDT reply actions

Bonine’s out with TJ surgery and had been moved to the bullpen before that anyway. But otherwise yeah.

by taco pal on Jun 17, 2011 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions

A knuckleballer who needs TJ surgery? Is his elbow made of tissue paper?

by j reed on Jun 18, 2011 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Only an occasional knuckleballer, it turns out. He mostly relies on cutters.

by taco pal on Jun 18, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

To be fair, they just lost Brian Gordon to the Yankees, so they were down an arm. They were probably just looking for a guy who could chew up some innings in AA or AAA, and whoever else you’re going to find as a free agent on June 17th is probably not very good either. As long as he never hits the 40-man, it’s not really a good or bad signing.

by Rujasu on Jun 17, 2011 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions