Finding a Fifth Starter; Easier Said Then Done For Phils

The theme for Spring Training in Major League Baseball for all 30 teams, number one, is to simply stay healthy. So far the Phils have faired pretty well as the injury bug has stayed away for the most part. With the exception of starting pitcher Adam Eaton who is suffering from some back issues on top of his high ERA this spring. Ask most Phillies fans and they would hope Eaton is hurt bad enough to never start another game in Phils pinstripes. As one of the only things more unpopular then Eaton in the city of Brotherly Love is the unfortunate inner city violence lately. Eaton is one of a handful of candidates for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. With opening day a little under three weeks away the search for a fifth starter is no clearer then it was at the beginning of spring.

Joining Eaton in the battle for the fifth starter position are J.D Durbin, Chad Durbin, Kris Benson and Rule 5 Draftee Travis Blackley. Knowing that the possibility of Kris Benson being ready for opening day is slim at best, the Phils will have to chose from one of the Durbin’s, Eaton or the Australian version of Jamie Moyer, Blackley. We’ll re-visit the Benson situation in a moment. Below I’ll examine what each guy brings to the table:

J.D Durbin

J.D Durbin has not backed up his “real deal” nickname so far this spring. Durbin had limited success last season as the Phils brought him in because of the numerous injuries their bullpen had suffered. Durbin is in serious danger of not making this Phils team heading into opening day. Durbin currently sporting a 9.64 ERA in 3 games and 9.1 innings pitched this spring doesn’t make him look like the most attractive pick for the fifth starter role and his failed attempts in the past as a starter aren’t helping his chances either.

Chad Durbin

Chad Durbin signed with the Phils as a free agent this off-season after winning eight games with the Detroit Tigers last season. Durbin started 19 games with the Tigers last season earning a decision in all but one, posting an 8-7 record along with a 4.72 ERA. So far this spring Durbin has been quiet, only seeing 5.0 innings of work with a 7.20 ERA. I would venture to guess that Chad Durbin is the front runner for the fifth spot in the rotation due to his experience.

Travis Blackley

Blackley was picked by the Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft and is a native of Australia. Blackley has limited experience in the majors starting eight games, two for the San Francisco Giants in the 2007 season and the other six while he was a member of the Seattle Mariners in 2004. Blackley’s high ERA of 9.64 this spring is a little misleading. Blackley was cruising through spring until his last outing against the Cleveland Indians when he gave up five runs on four hits, walking four, in only 1 2/3 innings of work. Working in Blackley’s favor is not only the fact that besides one bad outing his pitched fairly well, but that he is a Rule 5 Drafted player. If he is not on the Phils active roster he must be offered back to his old team, the San Francisco Giants.

Now back to Kris Benson. With Benson due to throw some more simulated games and some minor league games before coming up with the big club he is obviously behind the rest of the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation. In Benson’s own words he stated about a week ago that he felt he was about a week behind the rest of his teammates. Considering Benson hasn’t thrown a meaningful pitch in the majors in over a year, that’s pretty good news. Benson has also stated that he is once again incorporating his curve ball into his pitching repertoire, a pitch he hasn’t used consistently in more then four years. I would say it’s a pretty good bet, and this has been stated by a number of sources, that Benson will be on the Phils active roster going into opening day and be placed on the DL until he is ready to join the staff. The target time would probably be sometime towards the end of April, beginning of May.

No matter who is picked for the role of fifth starter, the Phils are likely to be weathering the storm until Kris Benson is declared ready. And even when Kris Benson is ready there is no guarantee that he’ll be what they are looking for. In the end the Phils certainly have more questions then answers, but so does every team. And as fans we can enjoy the ride, because after all we are talking about players playing and not player’s contracts for a change.

Mike Santa Barbara