Hey, Phillies phans: if you liked Jose Mesa and Ricky Bottalico, you’ll love Roberto Hernandez! This about says it all:
Hernandez, 39, will serve as a middle innings reliever with the Phillies. With Atlanta last season, Hernandez went 5-3 with a 4.35 ERA in 66 games. He allowed 104 base runners in 60 innings, while striking out 45.
(On the upside, at least they’re only giving him a 1-year, $750,000 deal, so maybe Ed Wade has learned a little something).
Somewhere along the way Ed Wade has “learned” two overriding principles: Each good move (the acquistion of Wagner, say) must be balanced by at least one bad move (the acquistion of Hernandez); and all bullpen vacancies must be filled by (usually expensive, usually in decline) veterans from other clubs, never from one’s own farm system (Hernandez, Mesa, Williams, Wendell, Adams, Cormier, etc.).