Myers on the Move?

There’s a hot rumor flying around (check here for the details) that the Phils could be interested in David Wells, and that this would be part of a much larger deal to swing Brett Myers and maybe one or two other players for a star hitter, like a Manny Ramirez or Carl Crawford. While I don’t think any Philly fan would be upset about getting a bat of this caliber, you have to wonder when such a deal could hurt you more in the long run. Crawford has tremendous upside potential, but what about Brett Myers? He’s still cheap, and he’s also (in my opinion) the Phillies best pitcher. Last year, Myers clocked a solid 3.91 ERA (good for fifteenth in the National League among starters), came in third among starters with K’s per 9 (at 8.59), and suffered five tough losses that likely kept him from being a fifteen game winner. He tied for sixth in quality starts in the NL, and came in fifth in strikeouts with 189. He may not be an ace like Schmidt or Oswalt is an ace, but he’s been good for the Phillies.

I know some fans want him off the team because of his conduct (although the charges were dropped, his wife accused him of assault over the summer in Boston, a public event which others saw) and quite frankly, I can’t blame them. This was an enormously embarrassing situation for the Phillies, and they did not handle it particularly well. However, leaving this issue aside, Myers is, right now, the best pitcher on the Phillies. On paper, I’d say the Phillies have the second best starting rotation in the NL (beaten only by the Dodgers), and starting pitching is how you win ballgames. The Phillies had a potent offense last season, but their pitching just couldn’t get the job done. It’s nice to score five runs in a game, but it doesn’t matter if your starter gave up six runs and got pulled in the third inning.

I think if the Phillies want to make the post season this year, Myers has to stay. However, if the Phillies can get a contract like Crawford’s (aka dirt cheap), it’s probably too good to pass up for the future. If you put Crawford in the two hole, or batted him behind Howard, this offense would explode. But, the old adage does go that good pitching beats good hitting.