That Bastardo

I think the Phillies made a good move in promoting Antonio Bastardo to fill Brett Myers' spot in the rotation, although it puts Philly in the unusual situation of having four lefty starters in the rotation. Phillies fans are going nuts about losing Myers and needing to trade for, among others, Jake Peavy. While I think Peavy is a great pitcher, I'm not sure the Phils have the talent to offer San Diego, nor am I sure they want to take on Peavy's salary.

Myers was pretty much statistically average this year, so if Bastardo can be statistically average, it's a wash. He might even be better. I don't think he will be much worse. One thing I give the Tigers credit for -- they're not afraid to use talented young players if they believe those players give them the best chance to win. The Phillies always seem afraid to do anything with young players, and I think that goes back even to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. So this is a stunning move; I fully expected them to bring back Kyle Kendrick.

So let's see what Bastardo can do rather than run out and trade for Jason Marquis. Bastardo had 51 Ks and 10 BBs in 47.1 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. His strikeout rate has always been good and he's lowered his walks substantially. He's got 265 IP in the minors. It's time.