Pedro Martinez's work is through in Allentown: 5 innings pitched, three hits, five runs (four earned) while striking out four and walking three. He also allowed a solo home run to the first batter of the game.

Martinez threw 84 pitches - 35 in a four-run fifth inning. His defense didn't help him in that inning.

More in tomorrow's Daily Times...

As I may have mentioned in my last post, I'm not on the west coast. Who needs San Fran when you can spend a perfectly splendid night in Allentown?

Intriguing matchup tonight, with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs up against the Columbus Clippers -- 1/3 of the Columbus lineup is comprised of guys scheduled to play for the IronPigs two days ago.

Carlos Carrasco is starting.... and he's pitching well to a familiar target, catcher Lou Marson (Jason Donald is at shortstop). Carrasco has thrown three shutout innings thus far, holding his former team to two hits while striking out four.

On the other side is a guy fighting to get his big league career back on track - Pedro Martinez. Pedro's second pitch of the game landed in the right field bleachers.

Also in Allentown: former Phils first-round pick Joe Savery. He was promoted from Reading today.

"One of the tough things about this job is to try to understand what you have and try to understand what you’re capable of and not trying to do more than that," said Savery, who has had a breakout season, winning 12 games, while going under the radar (while the focus has been on Kyle Drabek) at Double-A Reading.

I'm not in San Francisco, but a good friend of mine is on the beat today and got word that Cliff Lee will make his Phils debut against the Giants Friday. (So much for a Lee-Lincecum matchup, matching the reigning Cy Young Award winners against each other, on Saturday).


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Pedro Martinez (remember the Phils have him too?!) will also pitch Friday.... in Lehigh Valley. Martinez threw a bullpen session earlier this week with no problems, and my eyes in Citizens Bank Park told me he was there working out today.

This will make Martinez's second rehab outing... my guess is he could be ready to join the Phillies sometime next week.

Where he'll pitch is another story altogether.

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To make room for Lee and new outfielder Ben Francisco (who's starting in CF tonight), the Phils optioned outfielder John Mayberry Jr. and right-hander Steven Register to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.


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One of the reasons I love my paper is there is never any shortage of opinions on the printed page (and online). I'm a big proponent of a paper packed with pointed columns.

We had two today, one from former Phils beat writer and current Sixers beat guy Dennis Deitch, and another from our Flyers beat man, Anthony SanFilippo. Both opined on the Lee trade.

The Phillies are getting Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco for Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald and Lou Marson, in a trade deadline deal first reported by foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal this afternoon.

The Phils confirmed the deal shortly after 7 p.m.


It appears to be the kind of trade that will help sure up the Phils rotation. For most of the season, they've sat in the bottom of all of baseball in starting pitchers' ERA.

The combo of Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee at the top of the rotation should more than make up for the loss of Brett Myers earlier this year. (Myers has spurts of being a top of the rotation pitcher, Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner is a top of the rotation pitcher).

Of course, another shoe has to drop to make room for Lee in a now-crowded starting rotation. (And where does Pedro Martinez fit in?)

Although this trade is not even four hours old, there has been a lot been written about how the Phils didn't have to part with any top-flight, legit prospects. I'd beg to differ.

Marson, Carrasco and Donald were hyped in 2008 as much as Kyle Drabek is being hyped now. Let's also not forget the tale of Gavin Floyd -- there's a chance Carrasco can overcome his consistency and realize his high-ceiling potential.

But the biggest name could be the name few casual Phils fans have heard of: Jason Knapp. All the strapping, 6-foot-5, 18-year-old Knapp has done this summer is regularly touch the upper 90s with his fastball while striking out an eye-popping 111 hitters in 85 1/3 innings.

Still, it's a trade the Phils had to make.... since they weren't willing to part with Drabek and/or J.A. Happ to get Roy Halladay.

The Phillies are getting Cliff Lee and outfielder Ban Francisco for Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald and Lou Marson, in a trade deadline deal first reported by foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The trade hasn't been officially announced - it's pending physicals.

It appears to be the kind of trade that will help sure up the Phils rotation. For most of the season, they've sat in the bottom of all of baseball in starting pitchers' ERA.

The combo of Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee at the top of the rotation should more than make up for the loss of Brett Myers earlier this year. (Myers has spurts of being a top of the rotation pitcher, Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner is a top of the rotation pitcher).

Of course, another shoe has to drop to make room for Lee in a now-crowded starting rotation. (And where does Pedro Martinez fit in?)

Although this trade is not even four hours old, there has been a lot been written about how the Phils didn't have to part with any top-flight, legit prospects. I'd beg to differ.

Marson, Carrasco and Donald were hyped in 2008 as much as Kyle Drabek is being hyped now. Let's also not forget the tale of Gavin Floyd -- there's a chance Carrasco can overcome his consistency and realize his high-ceiling potential.

But the biggest name could be the name few casual Phils fans have heard of: Jason Knapp. All the strapping, 6-foot-5, 18-year-old Knapp has done this summer is regularly touch the upper 90s with his fastball while striking out an eye-popping 111 hitters in 85 1/3 innings.

Still, it's a trade the Phils had to make.... since they weren't willing to part with Drabek and/or J.A. Happ to get Roy Halladay.

The Phils have been labeled the favorites to land Roy Halladay since the right-hander went on the trade market. But what if they acquired Cliff Lee instead?

With a little over 48 hours until Friday's 4 p.m. trade deadline, rumors are running rampant.

But a series of events Wednesday morning might mean there is something to the latest flock of trade whispers flying through the Delaware Valley.

No.1, Carlos Carrasco had his scheduled start this morning scratched. Fellow prospects Jason Donald and Lou Marson are also out of the starting lineup.

No.2, the Cleveland Indians are shopping ace Cliff Lee, and have had scouts set up in Phils minor league parks all week.

No.3, Foxsports.com is reporting talks between the Phils and Tribe are heating up, with Philly offering Jason Knapp, Carrasco, Donald and Marson for Lee.

If that's legit - and it were to happen - the Phils would hold onto the three guys the Blue Jays asked for in exchange for Roy Halladay (JA Happ, Kyle Drabek and Dominic Brown).

But don't forget - a lot of games being played right now. Perhaps this is Ruben Amaro putting pressure on the Jays to bring down the price on Halladay.

You want an update on all the Roy Halladay-to-the-Phillies talk?

Here it is.


Exciting, huh? It's a staring contest. Ruben Amaro Jr. and J.P. Ricciardi. (You choose who is the cat and who is the dog).

According to reports, the Jays originally asked for Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ and Dominic Brown in exchange for Halladay. (They basically asked for the three best pieces they thought they could get.)

The Phils rejected.


The Phils then countered with a package of pitchers Happ and Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald and outfielder Michael Taylor.

The Jays rejected.


This was over the weekend. But the sticking point appears to be Kyle Drabek.

The Jays want him; the Phils seem reluctant to deal him.

But my gut is the Phils will eventually offer Drabek. They're waiting until they have to, probably thinking the chance remains that they could get Toronto to accept a non-Drabek deal as the clock winds down on the trade deadline clock (4 p.m., Friday).

My guess is the Phils would love for the Jays to take an offer of Happ, Knapp, Brown and Donald (which is an enticing package).

But that remains to be seen. If they continue to hold their ground and do nothing but stare back, the Dodgers or White Sox (or even the Red Sox or Yankees, with Clay Buchholz and Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes) could come in and swipe the Jays ace from their grasp.

It should be interesting to see who makes the next move. The Phillies? The Jays?

Or someone else entirely?

Condrey to DL

More roster shuffle: Clay Condrey is back on the DL with the oblique strain. Steven Register is up to take the roster spot.

So, for the second time in three days, it's two up and two down in the pen.

Condrey joins JC Romero and Chad Durbin on the DL.

Roster shuffle: Kendrick up, Carpenter down

The Phils likely wanted a fresh arm in the pen - Carpenter had pitched in back to back games.

Among the many news items on Roy Halladay that has surfaced in the last week is the presence of a "list" of teams Toronto management showed him and he apparently looked at... and then checked off those he would or would not accept a trade to.

The list hasn't been made public, but within this Toronto Globe and Mail story, it appears Philadelphia would be Halladay's destination of choice.

Interesting. But not surprising, since the Phils obviously satisfy his No.1 priority - to play for a winner. And they will surely give him offensive support with five All-Stars and Jimmy Rollins in a loaded lineup.

I say "interesting" because it wasn't all that long ago that players like Scott Rolen and Curt Schilling couldn't get out of Philadelphia fast enough. The first time I really felt this culture change was in December, when Raul Ibanez signed as a free agent and spoke about how he really wanted to come to the Phillies.

What a difference a championship makes, huh?




By the way, Halladay was pretty sharp tonight: 9 innings, four hits, one earned run, 10 Ks, three walks in a 4-2, 10-inning loss to the Rays. I honestly thought there was a chance Toronto would trot him back out in the 10th inning - he has done it before.

It feels like a deal is close around the ballpark. Toronto seems keen on Kyle Drabek, which may be the sticking point.

But if Halladay prefers Philly and it becomes apparent that few other teams can match up with Toronto, the Phillies could deal from a position of strength. If that happens, they can hold onto Drabek, the guy they don't want to trade, a possibly get Halladay for a package of J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco/Jason Knapp, Dominic Brown/Michael Taylor and Jason Donald.

Roy Halladay will be traded by 4 p.m. a week from today.

That much is a guarantee. The news came out earlier this week that he will not re-sign with Toronto after next year, when he can become a free agent. The Blue Jays can get the most back for him at this time, rather than in the offseason, when he can be like Johan Santana and limit which teams trade for him into the big-market teams who want to give him a contract extension.

Halladay doesn't need an extension to accept a trade. He might if Toronto waits until the winter.

So Halladay will be traded within a week. That is certain.

Where he'll end up is less certain, although every major sports news organization with a web site has repeatedly stated that the Phillies are the favorites. This might be true.

But would you rather be the favorite to acquire Halladay, or the team that actually does acquire Halladay? The favorites label does nothing more than get a fan base excited... and set them up for a big-time letdown if their team does not land the player in question.

The Phils may be pursuing Halladay, but so are the Dodgers, Brewers, Cardinals (three teams the Phils could see in the playoffs), Angels, White Sox.... and you probably can't rule out Boston, who is stocked with young pitching but may not be a favorite since Toronto can't possibly want to trade the best pitcher in baseball to a division rival.

The point is, however, the Phils aren't the only team that can sweeten an offer in the next six days. Say the Los Angeles Dodgers throw one of their young pitching prospects (they always seem to have an endless assortment of those) and finally take the "untouchable" label off shortstop prospect Devaris Gordon (Flash's son). And they add a major league-ready arm like James McDonald.

Or, if they really wanted to finalize a deal, the Dodgers could get so aggressive as to consider taking on one of the Jays expensive outfielders, Alex Rios or Vernon Wells (something Toronto would love to do, in shedding more salary) in exchange for a younger, cheaper, better version (Andre Ethier) to seal the arrival of Halladay.

The last two paragraphs are pure speculation, but the point is anything and everything is possible. Thus, it's time for the Phils to pry their hands from Kyle Drabek and whoever else is holding up a deal and get it done before someone else beats them to the punch.

You want Kyle Drabek and J. A. Happ? Fine. But then you're not getting either five-tool outfield prospect (Dominic Brown, Michael Taylor). Drabek, Happ and Lakewood outfielder Zach Collier would get it done.

People may be surprised that Toronto would ask for both Happ and Drabek, but put yourselves in their shoes: if you're trading arguably the best pitcher in the game, someone you have control over for another year and a half, aren't you asking for at least two, top pitching prospects in return? The more pitching you get back, the better your odds are that one of them pans into a productive, major league player for the next decade.

From the Phils standpoint, if you lose Happ and Drabek, you live with it, knowing Halladay is giving you not one but two chances to win championships in '09 and '10, and you spend this winter seriously thinking of adjusting your unwritten team policy for giving pitchers more than three-year deals. With exclusive negotiation rights, you lock Halladay up this offseason to a 5-year deal.

If you do that, losing Drabek isn't that big of a deal. As for giving up Happ, Halladay is CLEARLY an upgrade. I understand Happ is hot now, but what if he stumbles in August and September? Halladay is a known commodity.

A rotation of Halladay-Hamels-Blanton-Moyer/Martinez is pretty legit come playoff time.


But there is no more time for debate and discussion. Ruben Amaro Jr. needs to get J.P. Ricciardi on the phone sometime this weekend, and play the role of Don Vito Corleone - make the Jays GM an offer he can't refuse (minus a decapitated horse's head, of course).

If he doesn't, another team will beat him to the finish line early next week and it will be the organization's biggest regret since drafting outfielder Reggie Taylor three picks before Toronto took a high school pitcher out of Colorado named Harry Leroy Halladay in the first round of the 1995 draft.


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If you're in the greater Tampa Bay area this weekend, you can watch Pedro Martinez pitch against the Mets.

OK, not exactly.

The Phils announced today that Martinez will make his first rehab start on Sunday. He'll pitch for Single-A Clearwater, against the Mets minor league affiliate out of Port St. Lucie.

The game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. at Bright House Field, the home of Phillies spring training.

As you may have read here last night and in the paper this morning, the Phils stayed away from J.C. Romero yesterday because he was injured.

The Phils made that news public today when they placed him and right-hander Chad Durbin on the DL. Durbin has a right latissimus strain, Romero a strained left forearm.

To fill the vacant spots, the Phils recalled right-handers Tyle Walker and Andrew Carpenter from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

If you were watching the Phillies game Wednesday afternoon, you probably had the same thought I did when the ninth inning began: why is Brad Lidge coming in with the Phils down three runs?

It was a little strange for a few reasons: It wasn't a save situation or a tie game, Lidge had pitched the night before and the Phils don't have a day off for another 12 days.

Well here are a few explanations: every available reliever besides Ryan Madson had been used. Chan Ho Park, who pitched three innings a less than 24 hours earlier, wasn't available.

Neither was J.C. Romero.

Following Wednesday's game, I asked manager Charlie Manuel if Romero was OK and he said the team was trying to stay away from the lefty as Romero has a tender left forearm.

Romero denied that health was an issue. When asked why he hadn't pitched in the Cubs series, Romero said he worked in all three games in Florida over the weekend. Which is true.

But...

Romero's last game was Sunday. He pitched 1/3 of an inning. In that 1/3 of an inning, he threw three pitches.

Since the Phils haven't made a roster move as of yet, it may not be serious and Romero could very well be taking a few days to rest his arm. But it's also worth following, too.

Romero is 0-0 with a 2.87 ERA in 20 games since being activated from his suspension June 3.

Less than a week after signing with the team, Pedro Martinez threw a 64-pitch simulated game in Clearwater against Gulf Coast League Phillies players. According to assistant GM Scott Proefrock, GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who is also in Clearwater, "was very pleased" with Martinez's outing.

Martinez threw four innings, approximately 15 pitches per inning. The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer will throw a bullpen session Thursday and could pitch in a minor league game, or, at the very least, in another simulated game, Sunday.

"Real, real good," Martinez said. "Four innings, I was able to do that. I didn't feel tired. I felt like I could still do a little bit more."

There has been a lot of talk in baseball about the reclamation project that could win the AL Cy Young Award, Royals ace Zach Greinke. Greinke was nearly out of baseball less than two years ago while battling anxiety issues.

In today's Daily Times, I decided to tell a story that hasn't been as widely distributed about the most talked about player in baseball right now -- Roy Halladay. The Toronto ace, who could be headed out of town - and possibly to Philly - before the July 31st trade deadline, came an out away from a no-hitter in his second major league start in 1998.... only to sink to the lowest of lows, breaking a major league record (not a good one) and being sent all the way down to Single-A before rounding into All-Star form.

Click here to read that story, which includes talk from some of the Phillies who knew Halladay during his early years: Jayson Werth was in Single-A Dunedin was Halladay was demoted, Scott Eyre was in Triple-A when a resurgent Halladay passed through and Paul Bako, who had a chance to break up that no-hitter in the ninth.

The story was edited down some (I tend to write long, and newspapers are also cutting back on space), so here are a couple of nuggets that didn't make the final cut:

Halladay, Toronto’s first round pick (17th overall) in the 1995 draft, made his major league debut on Sept. 20, 1998. Seven days later, he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers.

After Halladay move two outs away, Detroit rookie Paul Bako pinch hit for shortstop Deivi Cruz. Bako grounded out to second, meaning all that stood between Halladay an a no-hitter in his second big league game was Philly native and Temple product Bobby Higginson.

Higginson homered on an 0-2 pitch.

“It was the same stuff he has today – fastball, sinker, curve ball – they were all equally devastating,” Bako recalled of that afternoon, the last day of regular season play in 1998.


There's also this, which puts into context just how good Halladay has been, despite going under the radar, at least among casual baseball fans, while playing Toronto:

Halladay is 128-55 with a 3.16 ERA since returning to the big leagues in 2001. His winning percentage since his minor league demotion is .699.

Overall, Halladay is 141-69 in 12 seasons, which computers to a .671 winning percentage. Although he hasn’t reached the 200-win plateau yet, it’s worth mentioning that Halladay may be in line to finish among the game’s greats.

Among pitchers who have amassed 200 wins since 1900, Whitey Ford (236-106) is the leader with a .690 winning percentage. New Phillies Pedro Martinez (214-99, .684) ranks second, just ahead of Hall of Famers Lefty Grove (300-141, .680) and Christy Mathewson (373-188, .665).

Ryan Howard is sitting on this afternoon... at least at the start of the game.

Howard, who had a busy week with All-Star festivities in St. Louis, is being given a breather by manager Charlie Manuel. The Phils aren't off until Aug 3, two weeks from tomorrow.


So with a long stretch of games coming up, coming off a busy week, on a sultry Sunday in South Florida, against a left-handed pitcher, it is the perfect opportunity to give Howard a rest.

But Manuel said he wouldn't be afraid to use Howard in a pinch, and the big fella has been pretty good in those situations in his career: .375, 7 home runs and 17 RBIs in 40 pinch-hit at-bats.

That's stunningly good, actually.

No makeup game scheduled.

You have to love Florida and the rain storms that can crop up at any time.

More in Sunday's Daily Times, but I wanted to drop a quick note on Pedro Martinez.

He threw a bullpen session this afternoon (55 pitches) and said it "went better" than he expected. Pedro will report to Clearwater on Monday. When and where he pitches in a game has yet to be determined.

But since the Phils are undefeated since bringing Pedro in, including Friday night's wild, extra-inning win, I asked him if he's even more pumped up to be with his new team.

"You know, since I’ve been here, I just get the feeling that we’re going to win every day," Martinez said. "It looks like it. This team is so relaxed and confident, that it seems like we’re going to win every day. I could do whatever, and we’re going to win – that’s it. I could tell in the fourth or fifth inning – we’re going to win."

Martinez said he felt similar with the Red Sox in 2003 and 2004... and with the Expos in 1994.

The Phils made a roster move today.

No, they did not trade for any big name pitcher who resides in Toronto.

They activated Clay Condrey, who has been on the DL for a little over three weeks now with an oblique injury. But Condrey told me he was ready to go yesterday, after throwing two scoreless innings for Class-A Clearwater Wednesday night, so he appears to be fine.

To make room for Condrey, the Phils designated Tyler Walker for assignment.

I'll have to look this up later, but this might be the first time all season every single Phillies regular reliever has been activer: Romero (suspended), Lidge (knee), Condrey (oblique) and Eyre (calf). Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin, I think, are the only two who have been active for the duration of '09.

A healthy and intact bullpen can't hurt, right?

Ryan Howard just made history in the top of the sixth inning at Land Shark Stadium.

He hit a solo home run to right, his 23rd of the season and the 200th of his career. Howard is the fastest player in history to get to 200.

Howard hit his 200th in his 658th career game. Ralph Kiner held the previous mark, in 706 games.

Pedro Martinez knows how to work a room.


All he has to do is smile, really. And then when he opens his mouth, he has that almost Charles Barkley-way of saying something that would seem offensive if anyone else said it, but since they're entertainers who have wacky personalities, we laugh.

Pedro Martinez still has the million-watt smile and the sophomore wit. "I think we'll have a lot of fun," Martinez said in his introductory press conference Wednesday. "Because (Philadelphia fans) seem to be really wild -- and I'm a little out there, too."

Cool. The fans should love the show he puts on and he'll surely keep us media types busy, in a good way, with something to write each time he pitches.

But let's get the the heart of the Pedro signing: he'll only continue to make people in Philadelphia smile if he produces. If he goes belly-up and pitches like the guy who wore a Mets uniform in the last three years, he'll get booed out of Philly quicker than Paul Abbott.

Let's get another point out of the way: Pedro is no longer the kind of guy who can be considered a savior, a guy who can solve what ails a rotation that brings a 4.98 ERA (fifth worst in baseball) into the second half.

In the last three years, Martinez is 17-15 with a 4.74 ERA. That ERA is nearly two runs higher than his career mark of 2.91.

In that same three-year span, Martinez has logged 269 2/3 innings in 48 games, which, if you do some simple dividing, translates into 5.6 innings per start. That's not the kind of "horse" Charlie Manuel has wanted for the last two years and it's not the kind of work you need from a pitcher to keep an already-abused bullpen from tiring before September.

But, as Pedro said Wednesday, he was pitching hurt with the Mets. Perhaps his arm, which has landed him temporarily back on the DL for now, will be reborn for August and he'll give the Phils two months of production that bring the Pedro of Boston to mind.

Time will tell, as it always does. But don't get overly excited about Pedro just because he is one of the game's best entertainers, a man with a personality that is bigger than his sizable talents.

He may help the pitching staff, but he's not the guy who puts the Phils over the top.


The Phils have exactly two weeks, until the trade deadline, to make a run at that guy.


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A trio of highlights from my trip to St. Louis for the All-Star Game:

- After the Home Run Derby, a few of us baseball scribes wandered over to the All-Star Gala, an event that included live music, food and free drinks. Most players wouldn't dare show up here, since there are tons of fan-types.

But Yankees closer Mariano Rivera dropped in with his kids and began playing a baseball video game on one of the Playstation 3 consoles at the Gala. Very cool.



-During the same All-Star Gala, Chuck Berry played. Chuck Berry is in his 80s. He's the Rock and Roll-version of Jamie Moyer. He played Johnny B. Good.

Fellow St. Louis native Nelly also performed, which led to a funny scene: former Phils GM Ed Wade was near the stage, watching Nelly perform. Didn't think I'd ever see that.



-Lastly, St. Louis is, in fact a terrific baseball town. One of the last few in America, where football is king. The number of people who showed up for the parade before the All-Star Game, when the players arrived on a red carpet, was stunning.

Equally stunning: St. Louis hero and Hall of Famer Stan Musial just so happened to be in an elevator, sitting in a wheelchair, with a older woman I assumed to be his wife wehn a few of us writers hopped aboard. The woman with Musial began handing everyone autographed postcards from Stan the Man. Really. Although completely not necessary, it was amazingly cool.

It's official: Pedro is a Phillie

The news is nearly a week old now - Dominican newspaper Candela Deportiva announced it Thursday - but the Phillies confirmed this morning that they have come to an agreement on a contract with free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez.

Martinez was placed on the 15-day DL and will begin a minor league rehab assignment before joining the team.

Pedro Martinez will most likely don red pinstripes Wednesday afternoon.

Several minutes after Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters news would likely come Wednesday morning, Yahoo may have broke Amaro to the story.

Gordon Edes of Yahoo, a former longtime Red Sox writer for the Boston Globe, reported two hours before the All-Star Game that Pedro Martinez had passed his physical and would be introduced as a member of the Phillies in a pres conference tomorrow.

The Phils have not confirmed or denied the report.

"We're waiting for the (medical) report," Amaro told reporters shortly before Edes sent the news through the world wide web. "And then we'll have news for you."

Martinez was in Philly today for a physical with team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti. He'll likely be staying in Philly for the duration of the 2009 baseball season.

More from Amaro on how a possible deal affects the Phils heading up to the trade deadline in tomorrow's Daily Times.

Pedro signing tomorrow?

Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said he won't know whether his team is moving forward on Pedro until he gets the medical report from team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti, which he said wouldn't happen until Wednesday morning at the earliest.

"We're waiting for the report," Amaro said outside the NL All-Star clubhouse. "And then we'll have news for you."

The Monday before the All-Star Game is known amongst ballwriters as the busiest day of the year.

So it should be no surprise that we've churned out a healthy barrage of pregame All-Star stories from here in St. Louis (where some of us got to see Chuck Berry play 'Johnny B. Good' last night).

Without further adieu, here's the scoop:



Roy Halladay warms to the idea of being traded and the Phils All-Star bats are more than willing to welcome the Toronto ace with open arms.








For Jayson Werth, it's been a long, strange trip to the All-Star Game, and he's proved perseverance pays off.










Shane Victorino gets the nod to start, another sign of Charlie Manuel taking care of his own.












In the notes, Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols in the Home Run Derby, Pedro comes to town and much more.

Roy Halladay was just asked about the rampant trade rumors, which the Phillies have been linked with in the last week.


Halladay: "It's tough... obviously I'm somewhere (with Toronto) where I enjoy being and have spent my entire career at. A lot goes into it. But as a player, there's that will to win... to play in October. I'd like that chance. I'm not going to say it won't be with Toronto. You'd like to be three games up, but it's a tough division. That would be ideal.

UPDATED: After the press conference, Halladay entertained another flurry of questions while walking down from the podium. The most telling thing he said was probably this:

"I think at this point, I'm ready to take a chance to try to win."

Charlie Manuel has selected his starting nine for Tuesday night's All-Star Game.

Here it is:

1. Hanley Ramirez, SS
2. Chase Utley, 2B
3. Albert Pujols
4. Ryan Braun, RF
5. Raul Ibanez, LF
6. David Wright, 3B
7. Shane Victorino, CF
8. Yadier Molina, C
9. Tim Lincecum, P



Victorino is starting in place of Mets injured center fielder Carlos Beltran.


For the American League:

1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Mark Teixeira, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Josh Hamilton, CF
7. Evan Longoria, 3B
8. Aaron Hill, 2B
9. Roy Halladay, P

Charlie Manuel is attempting to lead the National League to its first All-Star game win since 1996.

He's selected his starting pitcher: Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants.

The AL has chosen Roy Halladay. You may have heard of him recently.

The rest of the lineup when it's announced in a bit...

There is at least one report circulating that Pedro Martinez is en route to Philly for a physical this morning.

Of course, there was also a report on Friday that Ruben Amaro Jr. was in the Dominican Republic to watch Pedro pitch, and that was false.

But despite the front office's blanket "no comment" throughout the last week, they have confirmed they've watched Pedro pitch. Twice.

Also, Charlie Manuel told reporters Saturday that from what he heard, Martinez was throwing better last week than he had at any point in 2008, when he went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA in 20 starts for the Mets.

As the saying goes, where there's smoke, there's normally fire. It appears Pedro Martinez will join the team this week, and possibly as early as today.

It's probably a decent risk to take. Although Amaro declined to answer whether his team's search for a starting pitcher would end with Pedro, it likely will not.... meaning Martinez would be plugged in to fill the bottom of the rotation.

The Phils, of course, still need someone to fill the void at the top of the rotation left by Brett Myers.

Perhaps the best pleasant surprise of the season was landing in St. Louis on a Sunday afternoon in July and feeling a cool breeze. In case you've never been, St. Louis can be one of the sneakiest hot cities around.

I mean, you expect Miami and Atlanta to be hot in the summer. But St. Louis can be just as bad. So where the heck has the humidity gone?

OK, we're not here to talk about the weather. But I haven't picked up my All-Star credentials yet, so I'm not in All-Star Game/Home Run derby mode either.

So what about that game today? Feliz, who has the most underrated, productive first half, hits a first inning slam and J.A. Happ continues his dominance in the rotation.

Speaking of J.A. Happ, is there any more room on his bandwagon? From what I've heard and read recently, he has apparently passed Cole Hamels in taking over the title "The Next Lefty" in the tradition of Steve Carlton.

Admit it, you love him.

I can understand it. The rotation has been shoddy and he has been a very pleasant surprise.

Happ is 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA in 10 starts since supplanting Chan Ho Park in the rotation. He's 6-0 with a 2.90 ERA overall.

I've always liked Happ, personally. Maybe it's because we both went to Northwestern.

But I'm also not sure it's realistic to expect him to finish the season at 17-0 with a sub-3.00 ERA.

I also don't know if I'd want to go into the playoffs with a rookie as my No.2 (Remember how that worked out in 2007?).

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. The Phils ended the first half about as well as anyone could have expected, especially with how June played out.

The point I'm trying to make is this: the Phils still need starting pitching, and namely, a top of the rotation starter to fill the void left behind by Brett Myers. That pitcher can't be Pedro Martinez or Jarrod Washburn... or J.A. Happ.

Happ is fine as your No.4... and maybe as your No.3, although I think that's a lot to put on a rookie is still in his first go-round against most of the NL teams.

As I wrote in today's Sunday baseball column, you shouldn't let Happ's recent success prevent you from including him in a trade to get Roy Halladay. Happ may very well turn out to have a Randy Wolf-like career... but you don't know that.

What you know is that Halladay is a former Cy Young winner, an All-Star, and, at 32, in his prime. As for Happ, sometimes you have to sell high on a stock.

Here's the rest of the logic: if the Phils lost Happ in a deal for Halladay, one could argue they’d be a better rotation with Halladay, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Andrew Carpenter than they are with their current starting staff.

The 24-year-old Carpenter is 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 10 starts since being sent back down to the IronPigs following a spot start for the Phillies in Washington May 16.

During that span, he’s collected 53 strikeouts while walking 15 in 662/3 innings.

The thought here is if the Phils needed to part with Happ to get Halladay, some combination of the youngsters they might not have to trade — Carpenter, Carlos Carrasco, Antonio Bastardo, etc. — could hold down the fifth spot. That gamble is worth having Hamels and Halladay at the top of the rotation.

This just in: Chris Coste was designated for assignment, and was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros.

The Phils sent Coste out to make room for Raul Ibanez, who was activated from the 15-day DL.

Coste became expendable when the team picked up veteran catcher Paul Bako earlier this season. Bako had supplaned Coste as the team's backup catcher in the last month.

And then there were five...

On Thursday night, Phils manager Charlie Manuel knew he had a pickle on his hand. He had an injured All-Star (New York's Carlos Beltran) to replace on the roster... and he had a player on his own team with 20 home runs.

So Charlie picked that guy.

Jayson Werth is going to the All-Star game, meaning that all three Phils outfieders will represent the team (Shane Victorino won the Final Vote, Raul Ibanez amassed the second most votes among NL outfielders). Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, of course, are also going.

Manuel is managing the NL squad, meaning Philly is taking over the Cardinals dugout in St. Louis early next week.

Werth is hitting .268 with 20 home runs, 54 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 81 games.

Just a couple quick pregame notes:

Shane Victorino is going to the All-Star Game. The Flyin' Hawaiian overtook San Fran third baseman Pablo Sandoval on the final day of voting in the Final Vote competition.

Sandoval may have better overall numbers, but Victorino leads the Phillies, a very good hitting team if you didn't notice, in hits. He also is a Gold Glove center fielder.


Pedro Martinez has not signed with the Phillies. Despite a report generated from a Spanish language news source, the Phils have not signed the veteran pitcher.

Phils G M Ruben Amaro Jr. said he "didn't know where that was coming from" regarding the report, and denied a deal was in place. He no commented his way through the next series of questions, which asked, among other things, if the two sides were negotiating.

The Phils watched Martinez pitch a simulated game in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

Shane wins Final Vote

Shane Victorino is headed the All-Star Game. The center fielder surged past San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval to win the Final Vote, thus securing a spot on the NL roster.

I thought it was odd that Rodrigo Lopez (five innings, two runs) was pinch for in the bottom of the fifth. Apparently it's because he was unable to go any further.

Lopez was lifted with right shoulder inflammation.

It's unknown whether Lopez will be able to make his next start. But the Phils have plenty of time to adjust, since that won't come until after the All-Star break.

When the word begins to spread that one of the top pitchers in baseball is available on the trade market, the general manager who has made no bones about his desire to acquire a pitcher becomes a popular guy.

On that note, Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. spoke for 20 minutes before Wednesday's game. Although he can not talk about specific players on another team (like that Roy Halladay fella), he talked about his team's desire and ability to acquire such a high-caliber pitcher.

You can read all about it in tomorrow's Daily Times, but here is a brief taste.

Here is what Amaro said when asked if there were players in his minor league system who he would absolutely not trade:

"There are... we feel that we’re building a pretty strong farm system and we feel Marti (Wolever) has done a really nice job in that regard and our player development people have done a really nice job especially this year, it’s gone very well; it puts us in a decent position (heading into the trade market)," Amaro said. "That said we have to be prudent to what our future is about. It's important to win now and we understand the importance of that; but there are players we’d like to keep for our future and I would say they are not as touchable as others."

The likely untouchables are headed by Double-A Reading budding star, Kyle Drabek.

You still would have to wonder if that would change if a guy like Drabek would be the only thing standing between the Phillies acquiring a legitimate, Cy Young Award-winning ace like Halladay.

The Toronto Blue Jays have said they're opening to listening to trade offers for ace Roy Halladay.

Boy, that quasi-excitement about Pedro Martinez died pretty quick, eh?

There's a reason for that - Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball. Johan Santana isn't bad either, don't get me wrong, but given the choice I'm taking Halladay.

In the last few years, pitchers like Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke and Chris Carpenter and CC Sabathia have put together great years. But Halladay is something none of these guys have been for the last five years: consistently dominant.

If he's available, every team in baseball, if they can afford his salary, makes a call to see what it takes to make a trade. As for Halladay's salary, it's pretty much a bargain in baseball terms: the rest of the $14.25 million he's owed this year and $15.75 million next year (which is a steal, really). He can become a free agent after the 2010 season.

But that's one of the reasons you don't hesitate, you make the trade. Halladay wouldn't be a three-month rental - you'd have him for '10, too. The Phils were going to be in the market to add a pitcher anyway since Brett Myers is a free agent after this year.

So what would it take? Start with the top pitching prospects in the system (Kyle Drabek, Jason Knapp, Antonio Bastardo), throw in the top position players in the minors (Dominic Brown, Michael Taylor, Jason Donald, Lou Marson) and keep in mind the Jays would probably prefer at least one major-league ready pitcher (J.A. Happ).

You're probably going to have to give up three or four of those names.

Would you make the deal for Drabek, Taylor, Donald and, say, Andrew Carpenter?
How about for Happ, Knapp and Brown?

First things first: you don't want to mortgage your entire future. I'd be hard-pressed to deal three of my top prospects if I was running a team.

But I'd still do it. Prospects are projected to be major leaguers, or projected to be major league All-Stars.

Roy Halladay is a major leaguer, he is an All-Star and he is, if not the best pitcher in baseball, in the top 3.

The Phils current nucleus - Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Brad Lidge, etc - is made up of guys hovering between 28 and 32 years old. This is their prime, their time to win.

Think about it this way -- by the time Drabek isn't just in the major leagues but over any early-career growing pains, will Ryan Howard (eligible to be a free agent after '11) still be around?

If there is a name that makes me pause through the process, it's J.A. Happ. While I don't think he's a guy who will have a 3.04 ERA for entire career as a starter, he is a very effective cog of the current rotation, and trading him in a deal for another starter means you still have a bit of a hole in the rotation.

But we're not talking Brad Penny here. We're talking Halladay. I think you take the risk of dealing Happ - and relying on some combo of Rodrigo Lopez/Andrew Carpenter/Carlos Carraso/Kyle Kendrick to hold down the fifth spot in the rotation.

Because with Halladay alongside Cole Hamels, the Phils have a very good chance to win two out of every five games. Think about what having Cole Hamels meant during the playoffs; and now multiply that by two.

Having Halladay means having two aces. You make the trade and you make it before someone else beats you to it.

Ibanez plays

In his first minor league rehab game, Raul Ibanez was 0-for-2 with a run in five innings of Double-A Reading's matinee. He walked and struck out.

Ibanez is scheduled for minor league games again Tuesday and Thursday (he'll take Wednesday off).

He could be back in the Phils lineup Friday.

Ibanez to start in Reading Monday

Raul Ibanez, who hasn't played since June 17, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Monday in Reading.

Shane Victorino, who was in the top 5 of the NL outfielder voting for most of the last month, could be the fourth Phillies player headed to St. Louis.

Victorino's competition: Washington shortstop Christian Guzman, Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, Arizona third baseman Mark Reynolds and San Francisco third baseman Pablo Sandoval.

You can chime in with your opinion by voting at mlb.com

Major League Baseball announced the rosters for next week's All-Star Game and the defending World Champs will be represented by their prolific, middle-of-the-order trifecta.

Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez were voted in as starters and St. Louis native Ryan Howard was selected as a reserve for the game, which will take place at Busch Stadium a week from Tuesday.



Howard was one of four first baseman on the NL roster, joining starter Albert Pujols of St. Louis and fellow reserves Adrian Gonzalez of San Diego and Prince Fielder of Milwaukee.

As the man who took his team to the World Series, Charlie Manuel will manage the NL squad.

If there was any Phillie snubbed, you could probably make a case for Shane Victorino. He came into Sunday's game leading all active Phillies hitting .304.

The All-Star teams will be revealed in a few short hours.

My guess is three Phillies will make the team: Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley (who led their respective positions in voting at last check) and Ryan Howard (who was snubbed a bit last year and who Charlie Manuel, who can had select nine reserves, will want on the team).

I also think Jamie Moyer has an outside chance, honestly. There are new rules this year that state that each roster needs to include a pitcher who can go 4-5 plus innings in the event the game goes to extra innings. Moyer leads the Phils with seven wins, led the team last year with 16 and won his 250th game this season.

And Moyer would be available for plenty of work -- Tuesday would be his normal day to pitch, and he wouldn't be needed until at least the third game back from the break. Anyway, just a thought.

I also think this guy should get a good look for the NL roster. He is, after all, the second best hitter in the league.

Phils designate Taschner for assignment

To make room for Rodrigo Lopez, the Phils designated lefty reliever Jack Taschner for assignment. He would have to clear waivers before being sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

In addition, the Phils transferred Brett Myers to the 60-day DL.

Raul Ibanez has spent the last two nights with the Reading Phillies, working out before games.

In each of the last two nights, the Phils expressed optimism that their starting left fielder, who was placed on the DL with a groin strain two weeks ago, would be seemed ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment by playing in a game.

But that won't happen until Friday at the earliest.

According to an email update from the team, Ibanez will not play for Reading tonight. The Phils remain hopeful Ibanez will be cleared to begin his rehab Friday after working out at the team's Double-A affiliate tonight.

Since team officials have said they would like to see Ibanez get between eight and 12 at-bats before he is activated, it appears highly unlikely he would be in Philadelphia this weekend when the Phils host the Mets.

Manager Charlie Manuel said Tuesday that he expects Ibanez to ease into playing, perhaps seeing five innings of action in his first rehab game, seven in his second and so on.

Ibanez is eligible to be activated Friday.

The Phils have decided on who will be taking Antonio Bastardo's spot in the starting rotation, and it's not hotshot prospect Carlos Carrasco or rising right-hander Andrew Carpenter.

It's former major league veteran Rodrigo Lopez.

Lopez, 33, will start opposite Livan Hernandez when the Phils return home to face the New York Mets Friday night.

Lopez was 5-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 13 starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He's allowed just two earned runs while pitching seven innings in each of his last three starts.

Lopez is 65-65 with a 4.80 ERA in seven big league seasons with the Rockies, Orioles and Padres.