Brian34Cook

01/06/09 8:25 PM EST
Phillies ink Giles to Minor League deal
Second baseman could provide depth behind injured Utley
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

The Phillies added some much-needed depth on Tuesday, when they signed second baseman Marcus Giles to a Minor League contract, team sources confirmed. According to the Denver Post, the deal is worth $600,000.

It's been a bittersweet Tuesday for Philadelphia. On a day when Major League Baseball announced one of the Phillies' top relievers, J.C. Romero, was suspended 50 games for violating the league's Drug Policy after using an over-the-counter substance, the Phillies officially announced the signing of Chan Ho Park and then brought along Giles.

Giles will go into Spring Training in Clearwater, Fla., with a chance to compete for a spot on the 25-man roster. If he claims one, he can add a bit of insurance at second base while Chase Utley recovers from offseason hip surgery. Giles, 30, also gives the Phillies a right-handed bat they sorely lack.

In 2008, Giles didn't play a single game in the Major Leagues after starting off the season with a Minor League contract from the Rockies. Colorado released him before the start of the season.

Phillies ink Giles to Minor League deal | MLB.com: News

01/06/09 10:23 PM EST
Phils make it official with Park signing
Righty inks one-year contract, will compete for final spot in rotation
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

When Chan Ho Park was playing for the Dodgers in 2008, he was doing everything in his power to ensure that the Phillies wouldn't advance to the World Series while pitching against them in the second round of the playoffs. But -- as the old saying goes -- if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Park -- who appeared in four games while Los Angeles lost to the Fightin' Phils, 4-1, in the National League Championship Series -- did just that when he flew in from his native South Korea to his new home in Philadelphia, took his physical, signed on the dotted line of a one-year, $2.5 million contract and received his No. 61 Phillies jersey.

Now, after struggling to get past them in '08, he'll try to help the Phillies be the first repeat champion since the 2000 Yankees.

"It was enjoyable watching the Phillies win the World Series, and it's an honor to be with this team," Park, whose signing was officially announced by the Phillies on Tuesday, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "One of the things I like about this team is it is championship caliber. I'd like to help the team get in the World Series again."

Phils make it official with Park signing | MLB.com: News

philphan35

Both are great pick-ups in my view.

They have both been good players for awhile.

They are amazing low-risk, high-reward players.

I think Giles will make th roster and make it so that Chase Utley can rest more than this season, as Utley played all of the last season with a hurt hip.

Park showed a great deal of commitment when he decided not to play for South Korea in the World Baseball Classic to try and land the 5th rotation spot this year. If he can do it he will have to beat out J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, Kyle Kendrick, and maybe even Adam Eaton.

Here are Giles career stats:
.277 AVG, 76 HR, 333 RBI, 813 H, 187 2B, 16 3B, 70 SB, 318 BB, 523 SO, 1260 TB, .429 SLG, 2934 AB, .981 FP, .353 OBP, 5 Postseason appearances, All-Star in 2003, has played in 792 games.



Here are Park's career stats:
117-92, 4.34 ERA, 378 G, 280 GS, 10 CG, 3 SHO, 2 SV, 1,846 IP, 1723 H, 964 R, 891 ER, 216 HR, 858 BB, 1590 SO, won 18 games in 2000 with LAD, has pitched 200+ innings in 3 season, as a hitter bats .181 with 2 HR and 30 RBI,
.958 FP, 2 Postseason Appearances including 2008 NLCS vs PHI, 3.2 Postseason IP with a 0.00 ERA, All-Star in 2001, was payed $15,505,142 in 2006 with the San Diego Padres, Has played in the MLB for 15 years.

Domenic

Look at Chan-Ho Park's ERA away from the Dodgers:

2002 - 5.75
2003 - 7.58
2004 - 5.46
2005 - 5.74
2006 - 4.81
2007 - 15.75

Granted, 2002 through the first half of 2005 were in Texas... but those other two and a half seasons were in pitcher's parks. I like Chan-Ho Park, but I cannot help but think that he is a product of Dodger Stadium.

Marcus Giles didn't play last season, and was terrible in 2006 and 2007. I appreciate your optimism, but I'm not sure that either of these are great pick-ups. They have the possibility of being fairly high-reward, but that's a low chance.