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So when again is opening day?
The Phillies traded for Billy Wagner, and Eric Milton, Tim Worrell and Roberto
Hernandez eventually followed. Then the Phils learned yesterday that Kevin Millwood
accepted salary arbitration, which means he is back for one more season.
"Isn't the pitching good?" Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. "Solid, isn't it?"
"They've already filled two of their real big holes, closer and setting
up," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "They'll be that much better."
"They're loading up on pitching," New York Mets manager Art Howe said.
By the way, those managers said those things before Millwood accepted arbitration,
which he had to do before 12:01 a.m. today.
"One through five, I think we match up with everybody," Millwood said.
"If you have Brett Myers as your No. 5 guy, you're pretty good. Brett's
in his second full year in the league, but in a lot of situations he'd be in
the top of the rotation."
The Phillies' rotation looks like this with spring training two months away:
Millwood, Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla, Milton and Myers.
That shapes up to be one of the deepest rotations in baseball, with four former
all-stars and all five capable of throwing more than 200 innings if healthy.
The Phillies had four pitchers with at least 14 victories last season for the
first time since 1901: Wolf (16-10), Millwood (14-12), Padilla (14-12) and Myers
(14-9).
Milton, whom the Phillies acquired earlier this month in a trade with Minnesota,
missed most of last season. But from 2000 to 2002, he won 41 games.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa already has declared Millwood the team's opening-day
starter.
He had to be happy just to say that.
It looked as if Millwood might not return. First, there had been rumblings that
he didn't enjoy his time in Philadelphia - whispers that perplex Millwood, who
said they simply aren't true. Second, the Phillies made a multiyear offer to
Millwood on Nov. 20, but the Phillies didn't hear from Millwood's agent, Scott
Boras, until Dec. 2. The sides were so far apart that Phillies general manager
Ed Wade traded for Milton and pulled their multiyear offer off the table.
The Phillies offered Millwood arbitration, although Boras maintained that Millwood
had several suitors and indicated that they would be willing to meet his asking
price. If that was the case, the Phillies at least received draft picks as compensation
if Millwood left.
It appears those lucrative offers weren't there.
"Most teams were waiting to see what I was going to do [yesterday],"
Millwood said. "It wasn't that tough of a decision. I like the people there.
I like everybody within in the organization. I like my teammates. And you got
fans that care, which is a big positive."
The Phillies plan to engage in discussions with Boras about a one-year contract
to avoid arbitration. If they can't agree, the sides will meet an arbitrator
in February to determine Millwood's salary for 2004. Millwood made $9.9 million
last season and figures to make $11 million or more this season.
At some point, Wade said, the Phillies could reengage with Millwood about another
multiyear deal. Boras doesn't negotiate contracts during the season, which is
what the Phillies tried to do last season. But Millwood indicated that he might
talk to Boras about how things could work in the future.
"I'd be a lot happier if I were signed to a five-year deal with Philly,"
Millwood said with a chuckle, "but that goes without saying. But I'm definitely
happy being back... . As Ed said, there could be a time during this season when
we get into discussions about a long-term deal."
Millwood threw a no-hitter last April, but went 1-3 with a 5.94 ERA in September
as the Phillies lost a chance to win the National League wild card.
"Any time you finish under what you feel like you should have done, you
definitely want to prove to people that you can do better," he said. "I
know I'm better than that."
The Phillies believe he is, too.
Extra bases. The Phillies claimed Los Angeles lefthander Victor Alvarez off
waivers. Alvarez, 27, made five appearances with the Dodgers last season...
. The Phils have until midnight tonight to offer contracts to their unsigned
players. Among the more notable players in this group are Jimmy Rollins, Placido
Polanco and Padilla.