Bunts and Balks (7/6)

The Toronto Blue Jays are now, reportedly, "open to offers" for ace Roy Halladay. Halladay would be an excellent #3 starter, behind J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels, making the Phils even more formidable in the playoffs. With the possible exceptions of Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor, the Phillies should consider dealing any of their prospects. Carlos Carrasco? Andrew Carpenter? Julian Sampson? Lou Marson? Dominic Brown? Michael Taylor? Yohan Flande? Jack Taschner? Steve Susdorf? Vance Worley? The Phillies have the available prospects to get this done.
(Prediction: Halladay goes to the Yankees, who eat the salary of overpaid/underperforming Jays' outfielder Vernon Wells, to get the deal done. Hopefully, the Jays won't want to trade Halladay within their own division/league...)

Jack is back! Jack Taschner was optioned to Lehigh Valley (AAA), after the DFA Plan failed to expunge him from the organization. Taschner is a sunk cost at this point, might as well have him in AAA, eating an occasional partial inning. If the parent club needs a pitcher to appear once a month, with negligible effectiveness, Taschner would be the top recall option. (Had hoped to retire the "Jack Taschner" tag, but, alas, that day has not yet come.)

Raul Ibanez (finally) made a rehab start, for Reading (AA). The All-Star outfielder batted three times, going 0 for 2, with a walk. His injured groin is showing improvement, and he expects to play a few games with Lehigh Valley, before a possible weekend return for the P-Phils.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs were trounced by the Syracuse SkyChiefs, 9-3, on Monday. The game wasn't really that close- the FeHogs scored two of their runs in garbage time (ninth inning, trailing by eight runs). LV had eleven hits, but only three were for extra bases (all doubles), and left ten men on base. Starter Brian Mazone was removed after fifty-three pitches, allowing three runs (one earned), in two and two-thirds mediocre innings.

The Reading Phillies (AA) wasted a strong performance by untouchable prospect Kyle Drabek, in a 4-3 loss to the Connecticut Defenders. Drabek permitted two runs in seven innings (six hits, one walk/six strikeouts), leaving with the score tied at two. Deposed starter Tyson Brummett, who lost his rotation spot to Yohan Flande, gave up two runs in the eighth, and took the loss. Pitching in relief has not been working out for Brummett (5.33 relief innings, 5 earned runs allowed.) Brian Stavisky went 3 for 4, accumulating half of the R-Phils' hits. Connecticut is now a ridiculous 30-12 on the road.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) lost to the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 12-0. Definitely one of the Flying Tigers' most successful missions. Drew Naylor took the loss, in a six-inning/five-run outing. Naylor was knocked around for nine hits and a walk (three strikeouts).