According to reports, the battle for the fifth-starting position in the Phillies rotation has been pretty tight. That's a good thing considering there really isn't anything else going on at Camp WFC in Clearwater, Fla. this spring. Sure, John Mayberry Jr. is making a strong case to earn a spot on the 25-man roster, and the Phillies might need someone to replace Pedro Feliz and/or Chase Utley if the injuries aren't healed come Opening Night.
But for the most part the only bit of intrigue comes from a bunch of guys hoping to get into about 32 games this season.
Veteran Chan Ho Park and lefty J.A. Happ are making strong cases to wrest the spot away from de facto leader Kyle Kendrick. In fact, no member of the trio vying for the only available opening in the starting rotation has allowed more than two runs all spring. Better yet, neither Park, Happ nor Kendrick has issued a walk all spring, while the lefty has eight strikeouts in eight innings pitched, while Park has five whiffs in seven innings pitched.
Kendrick has appeared in just one spring game so far, allowing a run and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Dark horse candidate Carlos Carrasco has pitched five innings in two outings, but seems headed to Triple-A to start the season.
But while the battle for last starting spot for the Phillies' rotation has been a veritable battle royale, it has been the same on the other side of Florida where the New York Mets train.
Like the Phillies, the Mets also have an open competition for one spot in the rotation. And like the Phillies, three pitchers - Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding and ex-Phillie Freddy Garcia - are fighting it out in Grapefruit League action.
But that's where the comparison ends. On the Gulf Coast of Florida, the Phillies' trio has been pitching well and will give manager Charlie Manuel a few sleepless nights trying to figure out who the man will be.
But on the Atlantic Coast, the Mets' battle hasn't been nearly as intense. According to a story in The New York Times, the notion that the Mets could go outside of camp and sign a free agent (Pedro Martinez?) to take that spot is fair for speculation.
Quite telling is that despite the fact that Garcia has an ERA well over 20 runs per nine innings, Redding has been the hardest hit thus far. In an exhibition against the University of Michigan, Redding allowed five hits and five runs, including back-to-back homers, before being pulled with one out in the third inning.
Just think how rough it would have been if he was facing Ohio State.
Now to make matters worse, ace lefty Johan Santana has dealt with a little arm trouble through the early part of the spring.
Man, it seems as if it's September already for the Mets.