Flyers trade one underachiever for another

At the NHL draft the Flyers traded 2007's #2 overall draft pick, James van Riemsdyk for 2008's #5 overall draft pick Luke Schenn. Both players entered the league to great expectations, but despite showing some flashes of truly great play, both players have never lived up to their hype. The Flyers are mostly addressing need with the trade- the team's talent is deep at forward, but Philadelphia's lack of defenseman, and especially physical defenseman, hindered the team last year.

Most experts are surprised by the deal, valuing van Riemsdyk more highly, and praising Toronto GM Brian Burke for executing the deal. However JVR just came off an injury plagued season (he still may have to undergo surgery) and that is enough to have lowered his perceived value. While this is not one of Paul Holmgren's highway robbery deals like the Foresberg trade, this is a good trade for the Flyers who pick up the physical defenseman they need. Here is what the Flyers are hoping to get with Luke Schenn:

Phrauds drop 2 of 3 to Baltimore

The Phillies lost two of three games in Baltimore, with both losses coming in extra innings. The Phillies did this because they suck, because their offense sucks and Joe Blanton pitches every 5th game. But mostly just because their offense is pathetic, like when their best player, Carols Ruiz, leaves 8 men stranded on base, and it would have been 9 if Juan Pierre did not come home on a wild pitch. The offense was the reason they lost to St. Louis in the playoffs, and it’s the reason they are under .500 this season. The offense will suck regardless of who plays, so ignore the fans and pundits waiting like members of a cargo cult for Utley and Howard to return. The front office made many mistakes this off season, and now the fans are paying for them.

The front office somehow translated the playoff failure into a need for a better closer, and went out and spent a ton of money on Jonathan Papelbon instead of spending that money on another batter. Now Papple Bum can save the 30 or so opportunities he will get this year, while also blowing all the tied games he enters.

The front office thought Howard would be back by now. An Achilles injury is going to take a year to heal. That’s the 100% scenario and anything else is gravy. I like Ryan Howard and I think he is a good ball player, but he is not someone who I would say is in great shape and likely to come back from an injury sooner rather than later. The Phillies should have planned for this. Instead Hunter Pence is forced into a role in which he is awful because the back up plan was to bring in 40 something Jim Thome who cannot play the field and therefore cannot bat regularly in the real baseball they play in the National League.

The front office’s failure to see the decline in player production and address it was weak. Yeah, Utley or Utley’s injury screwed the team (depending on your feelings about his disclosure of the injury), but Chase was already a rapidly declining player who could no longer hit for power. Injury prone Palanco was also declining by the day. At least the Phillies did not award these dudes a huge 3 year contract like they did Jimmy Rollins who’s awesome .240 batting average and habitual first pitch swinging is the antithesis of a lead off man.

The front office’s singular success was signing Juan Pierre. This is not good enough to compete for the World Series, or even the East crown when every other division team but the bankrupt Mets got better on paper during the off season, and, when play began, all the teams ARE improved, including somehow, the Mets.

Charlie Manuel lost the series to the St. Louis because he was waiting for a 3 run homer that never came and was never going to come. But I will give Manuel credit as he has changed up his managing style this year and actually attempted to manufacture runs with sacrifices and steals and the like. But the players betray him when they cannot score a man from third with less than two outs.

The Phillies will trail the division leader by double digits at the all star break and no amount of quality starts from Lee, Hamels and Holiday is going to overcome the deficit.