Seth Vigdor
The Philadelphia Phillies have been a pleasant surprise so far this season. They currently have a record of 17-14, which is a little above average. However, I think most people weren’t expecting any signs of life from this team at all. One of the main reasons for their early season success is their pitching. Their young guns are perhaps giving us a glimpse of what the future holds for this team.
Their young rotation, which features Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez and Jerad Eickhoff among others, have been pretty good at times this year. Velasquez has been the nastiest of them all though. He’s looked absolutely brilliant at times, especially during his 16 strikeout performance against the San Diego Padres. It looks like the Phillies aren’t done trying to help their pitching staff either.
Matt Gelb of Philly.com reported that the Phillies were in attendance to scout Tim Lincecum in his showcase in Arizona the other day. Here’s what Gelb had to say:
The Phillies were one of many teams to have a scout at former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum’s showcase Friday in Arizona. Other teams have greater pitching needs, and Lincecum – who wants to start – is expected to sign somewhere soon.
Other teams rumored to have expressed interest in Lincecum are: the Angels, Athletics, Diamondbacks, Orioles, Padres, Tigers and White Sox, among others. Lincecum turns 32 this year. In nine seasons, he is 108-83 with 10 complete games, seven shutouts and 1,704 strikeouts.
While I doubt that Lincecum will sign with the Phillies, this does show a commitment from new general manager Matt Klentak and the organization to at least want to explore all available options in improving this team.