Various Pitching Loose Ends

Hey Phillies fans. Remember when our hearts were broken when we learned that bullpen stud J.C. Romero would be suspended 50 games for testing positive for steroids? Well, it seems that his heart was broken too!

This week during the Tampa Bay series, a Phillies player got into an altercation with a Rays fan. Both the Phillies and the Rays confirmed this news, but did not disclose which Phillie it was.

We now know that Romero was the one who showed an opposing fan what was up. The reason for the altercation was that the fan supposedly was taunting Romero about steroids.

Can you really blame Romero for confronting the fan. Romero is not the same guy that dominated hitters out of the bullpen that he was last year. So that probably gives him even more pent up rage to add on to all of the steroid hype. There has not been any discipline billed out on Romero, but that does not mean that there will be none. More news on this story when the Phillies comment on the topic.

Also, Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee is available, and will be shopped around. While the Indians will try to ship Lee away, Rosenthal says that the most likely scenario will be the Indians exercising the one year option worth $9 million on Lee to keep him one more year.

Let it also be known that a source close to Lee says that Lee has his heart set on becoming a free agent once his contract is up. That would mean that the Phils would have a year and a half to try to sign him.

The Phillies also have the pitching prospects to get Lee. To sum them up, the Phillies could trade Antonio Bastardo, Carlos Carrasco, Joe Savery, and Andrew Carpenter to get Lee.

In other news, Antonio Bastardo will miss his next start on Wednesday due to the injury he suffered in his last game. Bastardo’s injury just adds to the list of injury woes that the Phillies have gone through so far this year. Bastardo will miss the start because of a shoulder strain. Ace Cole Hamels will replace Bastardo on Wednesday, but Charlie Manuel has not yet decided who will pitch on Thursday.
Possible call-ups for Thursday are Carlos Carrasco, who has struck out 84 in 86 innings. Kyle Kendrick, who is 4-4 in Triple-A. Kyle Drabek and Andrew Carpenter are also options. Drabek is 4-0 down in Double-A.