The Search for a Number Two

Like Romeo and Juliet, so many of us spend so much of our lives searching for that one person who can make us whole. Often our searches aren't as fast as furious as the infamous star-crossed lovers, and can drag out a long time. Luckily it's pretty clear what the Phillies are looking for in their other half- a solid starting pitcher. A reversal of fates has occured in the pitching staff, with the bullpen going from worst to first, and the rotation going from good to below-average.

The greatest ailment for the rotation has been a case of serious mediocrity. Beyond Cole Hamels, who has been great as usual, things have been rocky. Jamie Moyer is pitching as well as you can really expect a 45-year-old to pitch. Kyle Kendrick is having some trouble nailing down his stuff after a successful rookie campaign. As for Adam Eaton, you'd find his picture in the dictionary under "mediocre"; I don't think there's a better example of the word anywhere on earth.

Brett Myers has been a disappointment, showing a lot of inconsistency. He'll go out one night and pitch an eight-inning, two-hit gem, and then give up three first-inning homers in his next start. It's believed that Myers has been struggling making the transition back to being a starter, after closing last year. It seems that after seeing how well he could close, and how fun it was, he's having trouble meeting expectations this season.

The logical solution to this problem would be to give some other arms a chance in the rotation, and see how they work out, but the challenge is that there aren't any good options available. Adam Eaton, at the back end of the rotation, is clearly the best choice. Chad Durbin is too valuable as a jack-of-all-trades reliever, and oft-injured Kris Benson is running into setback after setback along his comeback trail.

So, with four average guys already in the rotation, and no prospects or oft-injured arms waiting in the wings, clearly this new starter is going to have to come from outside the organization. The Phillies will probably be seeking out somebody to pitch in the second spot behind Cole Hamels during the playoffs, or maybe behind Brett Myers should he make a resurgence.

In my mind the best possibility is Erik Bedard. Now that the Mariners are in the AL cellar, and have fired their GM, they might shop him. The Flyers could deal some infield prospects in a possible trade, as Utley and Rollins won't be going anywhere soon. C.C. Sabathia might be a good option, but the Indians don't seem too likely to trade him, and even if they did, it'd be hard to compete with the Yankees, who have a better chance of re-signing Sabathia after this year. Freddy Garcia, if he wasn't so despised in Philadelphia, might fit. Expect trade talks to pick up as we approach the trade deadline- the Phillies might make a big move.

Garciaparra Down, Helms in for Dodgers?

As discussed earlier this month, there have been rumors of the Dodgers having interest in Wes Helms, who would play backup to Nomar Garciaparra at Third Base. Now, Garciaparra has broken his finger, making the chances of dealing Helms a bit more likely.

Helms to Dodgers?

With Third Baseman Andy LaRoche expected to be out for at least a couple months, the Dodgers have decided that Nomar Garciaparra will be manning the hot corner opening day. However, Garciaparra isn't expected to play in every game, so the Dodgers are looking for a backup to fill in once or twice a week. Joe Torre has said he prefers to look within the organization for that backup, but it's possible that they could make an offer for the Phillies' Wes Helms. Helms is now all but out of a job, due to the signing of Pedro Feliz.

If a deal happened, it would probably involve Helms going to the Dodgers for a draft pick (or draft picks), and maybe a pitcher if the Phillies are lucky. Acquiring Helms probably wouldn't be worth giving any sort of notable prospect for the Dodgers, and the Phillies don't need any more no-better-than-mediocre pitchers- they have plenty of those.

The Marlins and Braves have also shown interest in Helms. The Phillies seem to be aware of this, as they've been giving Helms a lot of playing time in Spring Training, despite the fact that he's a contender for the bench at best.

What might draw the Phillies into making a deal is getting Helms off the payroll. Helms is scheduled to make $2.15 Million this year. If the Phillies could get him off their payroll, they may have money to sign another free-agent- *cough cough* Kyle Lohse *cough cough* Armando Benitez. Then again, considering the Phillies' spending patterns, they could just pocket the money rather than use it towards winning a championship.