Mailbag: Will Floyd get another shot?

03/27/2006
Why don't the Phillies give right-hander Gavin Floyd another chance? They send him down every time he does badly. Why don't they just keep him up for a longer period of time and see what he can do? -- Ian M., Willow Street, Pa.
I've been asked about Floyd a lot this week, as his nice Spring Training is putting him back on the Phils' list of top prospects. Floyd's problem is that he struggled so much last season that the team signed Ryan Franklin, then traded for a reliever and moved Ryan Madson into the rotation. All five projected starters have fared pretty well this spring, meaning there might not be room for Floyd.
Either way, it's a good sign that Floyd seems to again be pitching with confidence, and he isn't so concerned about mechanics that he loses focus. Assuming his success continues at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he could be the first player called up should the club need reinforcements.
I know you can't read too much into spring stats, but with all the hype about Aaron Rowand, can anyone explain why he hasn't been able to hit for most of Spring Training? -- Joe M., Williamsport, Pa.
Rowand's explanation was that he was trying too hard to impress his new teammates, a common problem among newly acquired players. Mechanically, he said he watched video with hitting coach Milt Thompson and manager Charlie Manuel, and felt he wasn't "squaring up."
It's pretty hard to put any real stock in Spring Training numbers. Obviously, no player wants to hit .200, but a Grapefruit League .200 is much different than a regular-season .200.
I know Ryan Howard is all the rage, but he struck out 100 times in 312 at-bats in 2005. How will his plate discipline be this season? -- Eugene K., Chicago, Ill.
Strikeouts are a part of Howard's game, as they are for most power hitters. If he pounds 40 homers a season and bats around .280, the Phillies will accept the 140 or so whiffs that go with it.
With Tom Gordon missing most of the spring due to an elbow problem, what would the Phillies do if he went down and they needed a closer? They need a good, hard-throwing backup, right? -- Tim B., no hometown provided
Gordon will be ready for the season. That said, the Phillies have no backup plan should Gordon falter. Rather than shift Arthur Rhodes back to closing, their first move might be to shift Madson into the role, and call up Floyd or Rob Tejeda (assuming he's starting in Triple-A) to fill out the rotation. If those options don't work, a trade would have to be explored.
I would like to se a player like Chris Coste or Peter Bergeron make the team, to suggest to Minor League players that the Phillies reward production. That might go a long way for player morale. -- Jim M., no hometown provided
Bergeron has already been sent down, but Coste is a week away from becoming a 33-year-old rookie in the Majors. Manuel has often said how impressed he's been with Coste's big hits and how he wants to take the 25 best players north. Coste has been one of the best 25 players in camp, but the status of David Bell, Tomas Perez and the possibility of the team acquiring a fifth outfielder all stand in Coste's way.
What happened to Shawn Garrett? -- Tom P., no hometown provided
Garrett was one of eight players reassigned to Minor League camp on March 20. He'll likely start at Triple-A, and he could get a look if a need arises.

Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/