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Should the Phillies take the Stairs?
Published: November 18, 2009
There may not be a more exciting player to see come up to the plate than Matt Stairs.
When he swings, all of Citizen bank Park shakes. He swings for the fences with no outs or two outs and it doesn’t matter the score. He is looking for a fastball every time. And when he get’s one, he can send it a mile.
But at age 41, those swings producied a lot more misses than they did highlight reel dingers last season. He hit .198 and went hitless for a stretch of two months. Stairs said he still believes he can get it done and wants to play one more season.
The question is: Does Stairs deserve to be a member of the 2010 Phillies opening day bench?
The Phillies will likely start the season with a five man bench — two infielders, two outfielders and a catcher. As things currently stand, Ben Francisco and Greg Dobbs will occupy two of those spots, and a new catcher is likely to be brought in. We also know Stairs has little to offer defensively and Dobbs can’t play shortstop so another bench player will be brought in as a reserve infielder. That leaves one spot.
I think the Phillies will pass on bringing Stairs back. The reason being that he provides the illusion of power more than he provides actual power. In 103 at-bats last year Stairs hit five home runs. That is an average of less than one home run per 20 at-bats. While with the Phillies, Francisco also hit five home runs in 97 at-bats. We don’t look at Francisco as a big time power hitter, so why do we look at Stairs that way?
Yes Stairs has had great moments, (the 2008 NCLS home run, and 9th inning bombs against the Pirates and Rockies this season) but his poor average and uselessness in the field can not be ignored.
The Phillies vowed to upgrade the bench this offseason and if they plan to follow through with that splan, Stairs can not return. Besides, with Ryan Howard on the roster there promises to be no shortage of long home runs.
Tagged with: Ben Fracisco, free agency, Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Philadelphia Phillies, Philly Fans, Philly Sports, Ryan Howard
4 Comments on "Should the Phillies take the Stairs?"
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BigGreek24 on Thu, 19th Nov 2009 8:11 am
Matt did have a tough year, and part of that could’ve been that he went thru some long stretches of inactivity. I’d sign him to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. If he’s got nothing left, you release him. I do like the beginnings of the bench with Francisco and a healthy Greg Dobbs.
Jersey Joe on Thu, 19th Nov 2009 2:25 pm
i AGREE. iT IS TIME FOR AN UPGRADE.
Brandon on Thu, 19th Nov 2009 6:55 pm
I would take a minor league deal. He did have a .357 on base percentage, but I’m still not sure if that makes him worth a roster spot to start the season. I guess it depends who they bring in.
BigGreek24 on Fri, 20th Nov 2009 10:53 pm
One thing I will say about Stairs that you can’t say about other prospective free agents is that he knows his role is off the bench so you don’t have to worry about him sulking about not playing. If he would accept a minor league deal I’d bring him in because you have nothing to lose.