Balls, Sticks, & Stuff's Chief Scout [yes, he's my brother, but let's not get tangled in a discussion on nepotism right now] checked in following yesterday's discussion on David Bell, Adrian Beltre, and who should play third-base for the Phillies in 2006 and beyond, and made a suggestion: the Phillies should attempt to sign Bill Mueller this offseason, who is currently with the Red Sox but is about to become a free agent.
Mueller is attractive for several reasons. First and foremost, he plays third base and he's not David Bell.
Second, he would likely come cheap. In 2005, Mueller made $2.5 million to play baseball. Given his age (34) and his recent performance, a similar contract would probably be fair for 2006.
Third, he bats from both sides of the plate, and has fairly similar splits versus right and left handed pitchers. This makes him attractive as a pinch-hitter, something the Phillies lacked in 2005.
To be more accurate, Mueller's splits are not exactly the same from each side of the plate. He hits a bit better from the left side, hitting right-handed pitchers pretty well, which brings us to one of the best reasons to hire his services: he can platoon with David Bell.
Realistically speaking, the chances are slim that the Phillies will find another team to take Bell of their hands for '06. Their best bet is to find a relatively cheap player to platoon with Bell. The two complement each other nicely:
AB BA OBP SLG HR
Bell v. LHP 135 .400 .461 .593 4
Mueller v. RHP 377 .302 .378 .451 8
Combined, their salary would be approximately $7 million dollars, which is certainly reasonable for that level of cumulative production. I never thought I would say this, but...
...I sure hope the Phillies make a play for Bill Mueller.
-----------------
Other Phils Notes...
...The Phillies have upped their offer to Billy Wagner, but it is probably still short of what Wagner is probably asking for. Probably. [Daily News]
...Workers were attatcked on Ugueth Urbina's farm in Venezuela with fire and machetes. The workers are accusing Urbina and several others, but he has denied involvement. [Inquirer; Daily News]
...I think the Phillies may need a Plan C for the closer's role.
