In an effort to add depth to their bullpen, the Phillies traded for Scott Eyre, a castoff from the Cubs, caught in a numbers game when Kerry Wood returned from his summer home, the disabled list.
Eyre is a left-hander who will hopefully take some of the workload off of J.C. Romero. He has a career 102 ERA+ and has been a well-above average reliever from 2001-2007. This season has been a bit different for the 36-year old however, several injuries have contributed to a 7.15 ERA in only 11 1/3 innings of work.
The Phillies gave up Class-A RHP Brian Schlitter, a 16th-rounder in last year's draft and a Chicago native. Under the circumstances, I would say the trade is a worthwhile flier.
But at the same time, as the Phillies got blanked this afternoon by Marlins rookie Chris Volstad, you can't help but wonder if the Phillies don't need to do something about the offense. Who knows what kind of bruised or over-ripe fruit the Phillies can shake from the waiver-wire tree, but the Phillies are 6th in the National League in runs per game after you adjust for park factors, and falling fast.
I still wouldn't bet against the Phillies to win the NL East, but given the last two months, I wouldn't put much more than a beer with a buddy down on it either.
