The Philadelphia Phillies have taken a stab at help in the starting rotation for 2015 by signing Chad Billingsley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Philadelphia, who is looking to unload some of their high-priced veterans, may view him as a high-risk, high-upside signing that could make it easier to trade left-hander Cole Hamels.
Billingsley hasn't seen meaningful action since 2012, when he went 10-9 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 2012 over 25 starts. Since then Billingsley has been plagued by injuries, making just two starts in 2013, and missing all of the 2014 season.
Prior to the signing, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro said "We have interest in adding more pitching depth. We're looking for low-cost, low-risk, potentially high-reward type of guys."
That is the exact profile of Billingsley, and Ryan Vogelsong, whom Amaro was rumored to be interested in before he eventually signed with the San Francisco Giants. Prior to his injury woes Billingsley was a mid-to-high 3.00 ERA type with good strikeout numbers who occasionally battled bouts of wildness. Durability has always been a concern though; Billingsley's hit 200 innings just once-in 2008-and even then he barely eclipsed that mark.
The Billingsley signing nonetheless adds depth to the Phillies' rotation, and might make it easier to move Hamels. Amaro's recently said that the Phillies would hang on to their ace after several interested teams refused to meet Philadelphia's asking price, but with pickings slim on the free agent market aside from James Shields, there's plenty of time for clubs to jump back in.
He was most closely linked to the San Diego Padres, and as spring training draws near, the Phillies might relent a bit and take on a little less in the way of prospects if they truly want to kick their rebuilding into high gear.
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