Phillies Notes | Reliever Mesa rejoins the team
Phillies Notes KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Jose Mesa is back. The Phillies yesterday agreed to terms with their former closer, who was released Sunday by the Detroit Tigers. The Inquirer reported earlier this week that the Phils had interest in Mesa and planned to work him out.
Phillies Notes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -
Jose Mesa
is back.
The Phillies yesterday agreed to terms with their former closer, who was released Sunday by the Detroit Tigers. The Inquirer reported earlier this week that the Phils had interest in Mesa and planned to work him out.
They must have liked what they saw.
Mesa, who could join the team this weekend, likely will be a front-end piece to the bullpen, meaning he will not assume a late-inning role currently held by Brett Myers, Tom Gordon, Antonio Alfonseca, Geoff Geary or Ryan Madson.
The Phillies have Clay Condrey (2-0, 11.57 ERA), Yoel Hernandez (0-0, 3.38 ERA), and Mike Zagurski (1-0, 4.26 ERA) in their bullpen. It was not known which pitcher Mesa would replace.
Mesa, 41, went 1-1 with a 12.34 ERA in 16 appearances this season with Detroit. The righthander, who pitched for the Phillies from 2001 to 2003, is their all-time leader with 111 saves.
He went 1-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 79 appearances last season with Colorado.
The Phillies also were interested in righthander Troy Percival, who has not pitched since 2005 because of arm problems. But he agreed to a minor-league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday.
Draft day
The Phillies completed the second day of the draft yesterday. They selected 52 players over 50 rounds in two days: 27 righthanders, eight outfielders, six catchers, four lefthanders, two first basemen, two second basemen, two shortstops and a third baseman.
"I don't think you can ever have enough pitching," said Marti Wolever, the club's director of scouting. "We thought pitching was the bulk of the strength of the draft today."
Extra bases
New York Mets closer
Billy Wagner
on
Pat Burrell's
game-tying home run in the ninth inning Thursday at Shea Stadium: "He's got a one-path swing, and I put it right in his path." . . . Burrell was the designated hitter last night. Manager
Charlie Manuel
said
Chase Utley
also could be the DH this weekend. . . .
Jon Lieber
has rejoined the team and will pitch tonight. He had been away for a few days after his wife,
Jessica
, gave birth to a boy.
- Todd Zolecki