Phillies get one starter (Jason Vargas) for almost nothing, but still need another | Bob Brookover
The Phillies did not have to give up much to get Jason Vargas from the Mets on Monday, but they could still use another starting pitcher for the stretch run.
Given the state of the Phillies’ starting rotation, it was an offer that general manager Matt Klentak could not refuse. Essentially, he got something for nothing when the New York Mets sent veteran lefthander Jason Vargas and cash to the Phillies for double-A catcher Austin Bossart.
Vargas, 36, is far more likely to help the Phillies win some games as a starting pitcher over the final two months of the season than Bossart, 26, is to ever play in the big leagues. The Mets, in fact, have won 10 of the 18 games Vargas has started this season, which is their best winning percentage among their top five starters. It’s also far better than the Phillies have done with the trio of Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, and Vince Velasquez on the mound as starters.
And the record is not just good because the Mets gave Vargas the run support that Jacob deGrom never seems to get. Vargas has a 3.66 ERA in his 18 starts. Nobody in the Phillies’ rotation, including Aaron Nola, has a better one.
So, yes, this was a good move for the Phillies even if Vargas does have some recent baggage resulting from a profanity-laced threat directed at a Newsday Mets beat writer last month. Klentak, who was an assistant general manager with the Angels when Vargas pitched with them in 2013, believes that episode was massively out of character for the pitcher.
That matters some because a year ago at the trade deadline, the Phillies tried to upgrade their roster with a bunch of veterans (Asdrubal Cabrera, Wilson Ramos, Justin Bour, and Jose Bautista) who did not really add much on the field or off. Some around the team, in fact, suggested the additions dragged the team down in the final two months, which is probably too convenient of an excuse for the overall collapse.
“I don’t think that was a reflection of who Jason Vargas is at all,” Klentak said. “I think it’s quite the opposite. I think the guy is going to be a big plus for our clubhouse.”
That’s nice, but the Phillies need him most to make their rotation better and he should do that.
“Jason Vargas is going to give us a chance to win every time he takes the ball,” Klentak said. “That’s what he does. He keeps his team in the game. I like the fact that it’s a different look than we have. He’s a soft-tossing lefty and we have a lot of hard-throwing righties. He is a very good complement to our pitching staff.”
What the Phillies should like most is that Vargas gives the Phillies a chance to land a bigger fish from the rather small rotation pond that has developed during this trade deadline. The Phillies really needed two starters because it feels as though Jake Arrieta could be shut down at any time because of his bone spur and there is no reason to trust either Velasquez or Eflin right now.
It would be something if the Phillies could add one of the lefties that are still available. Get Matthew Boyd from Detroit, Robbie Ray from Arizona, or Mike Minor from Texas and the Phillies would suddenly have three lefties in their rotation.
That would be a crazy development given how seldom a lefty has started a game for them over the last few seasons. It would also be a nice changeup for the Phillies to throw at their opponents over the final two months of the season.
Another addition to the rotation could also bolster a bullpen for the stretch run. Klentak made it clear Monday that he really likes what he has seen from Pivetta out of the pen. Either Velasquez or Eflin figures to join Pivetta in the bullpen with the addition of Vargas and both could land there in September if the Phillies add another starter.
“Until the clock strikes 4 o’clock on Wednesday, we’re going to keep the phone lines open and keep having dialogue,” Klentak said. “I think it was really important to add a starter, partially because of the inconsistency we’ve had in our rotation for the first four months, but also because of the limited opportunity to add anything after Wednesday. So that was a priority for us.”
The priority over these final hours should be adding another starter, because that’s the best chance the Phillies have at reaching the postseason as a wild card.