While trying to make sense of it all, here are a couple of thoughts to keep in mind:
One is a seemingly simple observation made by Charlie Manuel while sitting in the dugout before the Phillies won their sixth straight, 9-5, last night against the the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The subject up for discussion was starting pitching after the manager, under prodding, conceded that if only one move is possible between now and 4 p.m. on Saturday, that's the commodity he'd most like to have.
"If we could get the type of starter that we want, I think you'd see that the top of our rotation would be very strong going down the stretch. And once you get into the playoffs, that definitely comes into play big," he said.
"I don't want us to get some guy we've already got. What would be the purpose of that?"
The other is the fact that it was just about this time last year that the Phillies pulled the old misdirection play. While the whole world was focused on the possibility that they were about to make a megadeal that would have brought Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays, they made an under-the-radar agreement to send four prospects to the Cleveland Indians for Cliff Lee.
Manuel's comment, taken at face value, shortens the playing field considerably. With Lee (Mariners to Rangers) and Dan Haren (Diamondbacks to Angels) already off the board, there aren't many pitchers who could be available who fit that profile.
With that background, it was interesting to hear that the Phillies have been scouting Kansas City the last couple days. The Royals have reportedly let it be known that they're willing to talk about anybody, which presumably would include defending Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.
