Signing Percival can't hurt

By Michael Rushton
Phanatic Magazine

You shouldn't have been too surprised if you heard a variety of groans, moans and "whys" when word came out that the Phillies were taking a look at retired former closer Troy Percival.

A 37-year-old with arm trouble is the last thing the Phillies need at this point, right? Why waste money on a guy who pitched in just 26 games in 2005 before shutting it down and eventually retiring due to elbow trouble?

However, when placed amongst the names of Clay Condrey, Yoel Hernandez and Francisco Rosario, Percival doesn't sound that bad.

The right-handed Percival is 30-41 lifetime with 324 saves and a 3.10 earned run average. He twice has turned in 40-save seasons, including a career-high42 in 1998.

But that was 10 years ago.

Percival won't/shouldn't be asked to close if he does indeed sign with the Phillies. Instead, if healthy, he would be a valuable, experienced piece to a sub par bullpen.

In fact, Percival, who is pitching in front of scouts in California, has drawn interest from at least several teams, including the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers. At least fans can take comfort in knowing the Phillies aren't the only club hoping to find a diamond in the rough.

"By Tuesday or Wednesday next week, we believe we can have a sense of where this is going," Paul Cohen, Percival's agent, told the Detroit Free Press Thursday night.

Still, offering Percival a one-year, incentive-laden deal can't hurt the club as it attempts to save this season. If Percival is paid by performance, the worst-case scenario is some poor outings (which is no different than what you would get from any other current reliever on the staff) and an eventual releasing. The Phillies could do worse with the money and may have already this season.

And if it takes more than that to sign the former Angel, then the Phils can rightfully pass.

Philadelphia is currently giving no hint as to its interest level in the former closer.

"We've looked at what's out there, free agent-wise, and nothing's out there that's going to really improve us in the direction we want to go," General Manager Pat Gillick told the News Journal on Thursday.

More than likely, Gillick is just keeping his cards close to his chest. But when you're holding such a poor hand, there is nothing wrong with grabbing another card out of the deck.

Send your thoughts, ideas and comments to mrushton@phanaticmag.com