Money Aside, All Lose with Jayson Werth's Departure from the Phillies

Yesterday, conjecture became reality. After many months of speculation that Jayson Werth would leave the Phillies when his contract expired, it became official when the Washington Nationals signed him to a mega-deal.

Most everyone would agree that the terms of the contract widely exceeded expectations. Even the Nationals GM Mike Rizzo admitted as much by implying that the 7-year, $126 million deal had to be inflated to attract a high profile free agent due to the team's less than stellar track record. 

Beyond the obvious financial windfall benefiting Werth and his agent Scott Boras, all parties involved seem to lose at some level. Additionally, each will be subject to risks that will not be easily overcome.

Although the Phillies abundance of remaining talent, headed by the Big Three, will still position them as strong contenders in 2011, the team is clearly worse off without Werth. 

It is apparent to most all observers that the club loses its one big right-handed power bat to break up its lefty sluggers. More peripherally, though, they lose the type of patient hitter that runs up pitch counts and on base percentage. 

And, for Phillies fans who suffered through watching the Bobby Abreu era, Werth's defensive range, aggressive baserunning and all out hustle were highly valued. In fact, these qualities along with his work ethic make him the type of player that Philly fans embrace (although not now that he has jumped ship.) 

In anticipation of "J-Dub's" exit, most pundits and fans have envisioned replacing him with a platoon scenario. Names such as Ben Francisco, John Mayberry Jr, Matt Diaz, and Jeff Francouer have surfaced to pair with left-handed rookie phenom Domonic Brown. Unfortunately, none of them possess Werth's combination of speed, range, arm, or gamer mentality-- let alone batting capabilities. 

Besides securing a five-tool player, the Nationals also lose on many fronts with this deal. Even if they can shrug off the scorn from most every other GM and team owner around baseball for raising the bar by handing a 31-year old player with a history of injury a seven-year contract at an average annual salary of $18 million, they still have issues. 

Should Werth's production start to fade as he moves out of his prime, their return on investment will nose dive. Or, even worse, if the injury bug returns, it could happen sooner. 

Part of Rizzo's rationale for overspending right now is that his club needed to acquire the type of centerpiece necessary to build a winner and signal to other players around the league that Washington has a bright future. 

This seems particularly risky considering that Werth never played that role in Philly. The free spirited right fielder resided more in the supporting cast behind big name stars such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, and Cole Hamels.

This is not to say that Werth is incapable of stepping up to be "The Man," but placing a nine figure bet on that happening makes a former round Philadelphia hoops star's gambling look like child's play.    

Lastly, the Nats have been accumulating some nice young talent, but still appear to be a year or two away from serious contention. The return of Stephen Strasburg from Tommy John surgery and the development of fellow phenom Bryce Harper seem to point to 2012 or 2013 as the season for Washington to emerge from the bottom feeder depths.  

      

The signing of Werth does not quite align with that timeline. 

And, importantly, despite now being financially set for life, Werth loses a lot by inking this contract. The next seven years will likely never rival the fun and excitement that he experienced while in red pinstripes. 

It all starts with the chemistry in the clubhouse, created by a rare mix of talented, selfless, and winning ballplayers. The Phillies have the intangibles to go with the skills that translates into an enjoyable environment and ultimately success. 

As for today's Nats- not so much. 

When he steps out of the clubhouse onto the field, it is highly unlikely that Werth will experience the same electric atmosphere that was a constant throughout his stay in Philly. 

Philadelphia's NL-leading attendance last season was more than double the numbers in Washington. Nat's fans occupied 53.9 percent of the stadium each game, while Phillies fans over-stuffed Citizen's Bank Park at 103.5 percent of capacity. 

Perhaps an even more important difference can be found in the DNA of each set of fans. Let's just say that Washington fans don't exactly come to mind when terms like "passionate," "knowledgeable," and "vocal" are thrown around the baseball world— but are almost synonymous with those residing in the City of Brotherly Love.  

Werth's switch of red uniforms also brings a ramped up set of expectations and pressure. It remains to be seen how he will respond to it, but history suggests that those two elements often rob some of the joy of playing a kids game as your everyday occupation. 

Wrapped around all of this is the fact that the Phillies are still built to win now. No matter how much money is sitting in a bank account or portfolio, winning is always a lot more fun. 

Washington might have a bright future. But, if the Phillies can figure out how to patch the gaping hole left by his departure, it may be a tortuous couple years for Werth watching his former teammates strive for historic excellence. 

Some have reacted to Werth's contract with anger and disdain, incensed that he would choose money over winning. Although it is disappointing to see one of my favorite and most admired Phillies players leave town, it is virtually impossible to begrudge him accepting a deal the magnitude that was offered. 

If recent reports have been true, the Nationals offer was three or four years longer and $62-78 million greater than what Ruben Amaro extended to Werth. 

That goes way beyond the range of a hometown discount and vaults into the category of "an offer that can't be refused."

Its sad, but true that Werth is no longer a Phillie and is now a National. As a result, it will be a little bit less fun for Phillies fans when they head to the park next season.  

And, I suspect, the same will hold true for Werth— perhaps even more-so.   

The 10 Roadblocks Separating Stephen Strasburg from the MLB Hall of Fame

Tonight, one of the most hyped rookies in major league history launches his career. Stephen Strasburg makes his big league debut for the Washington Nationals when he takes the ball to pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The attention and interest focused on him is unprecedented. Besides playing in front of a capacity crowd in the nation's capital, the MLB Network will broadcast the game nationally with their "A" team of Bob Costas, Jim Kaat, and John Smoltz calling the action.

After being chosen with the first pick in last year's draft, Strasburg has dazzled in the minor's, displaying the dominant stuff that has had the baseball world buzzing since early in his college career. While scouts and baseball pundits drooled over him, the Nats had the courage to select the Scott Boras represented prospect and pony up a record four year, $15.1 million contract.

And, make no mistake, the hulking right-hander looks and acts the part. The 21-year old phenom stands 6' 4" tall with a solid 220 pound frame capable of registering triple digits on the radar gun.

Besides his explosive 100-mph fastball, Strasburg possesses a classic, hard-breaking curve ball and a change-up that has already been labeled a "Lincecum" as its deceptiveness rivals that of the signature pitch of the Giants two-time defending Cy Young Award winner. And, importantly, the rookie displays a demeanor and command more typical of an accomplished veteran hurler.

Rave Reviews and Spectacular Results

In an age of combine stats and radar guns, Strasburg has been more than a workout warrior and figurative phenom as he has backed up the hype between the white lines with a 7-2 record and 1.30 ERA in his brief minor league career. These numbers are strikingly similar to those he posted at San Diego State over his final two seasons (21-4, 1.43 ERA) on his way to winning the hearts of big league scouts.

He has been so impressive that former bloody sock World Series hero and aspiring politician Curt Schilling recently said that Strasburg could be baseball's best pitcher upon arrival. No pressure or anything.

The unprecedented exhuberance of Schilling and a host of baseball experts seemingly has the Nationals rookie headed to Cooperstown before he has fired his first big league pitch.

Watching Strasburg's spectacular stuff and grounded demeanor, it is easy for many to jump on the band wagon- but there is a considerable distance between tonight's major league debut in DC and the historic New York baseball shrine.

With no intent to diminish the possibility of that happening, there are many obstacles that Strasburg will need to overcome in the process. So what could stand in the way of the upstart pitcher eventually being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

1. Adjustments

With technology, advance scouting, and specialized coaching— Major League Baseball continues to be a game of adjustments. From bullpen binoculars to base coach stop watches to digital video breakdown, every move and idiosyncrasy of a player is meticulously studied.

Teams and hitters will search for weaknesses and clues to help them combat Strasburg's amazing arsenal of pitches. They will look for tendencies and little pitch tipping mechanisms such as where he stands on the rubber, how he grips the ball, and more.

A batter may struggle to hit a curve when guarding against a 100-mph fastball, but might square it up if he is reasonably certain that is what's coming.

Hitters will continually make adjustments to improve their chances. No matter how good his stuff, Strasburg will need to do the same.

Jimmy Rollins and Matt Stairs served up proof positive against Jonathan Broxton in the last two NLCS series that big league hitters can catch-up to the heat. Despite a blazing fastball and sharp hook, maintaining unpredictability will be a key for Strasburg.

2. Command/Location

Great stuff alone is rarely enough to succeed at the big league level without good command. The baseball history books are littered with hard throwing phenoms that never achieved a success level commensurate with their fan fare.

Perhaps the most famous comparison is the Texas Ranger's top selection in the 1973 draft. David Clyde was a can't miss 18-year old Texan who turned out to be an out and out flop. In his defense, he was immediately rushed to the bigs and never developed any of the fine art of pitching.

Strasburg is older, more seasoned, and seemingly better prepared to enter the major league cauldron, but the Clyde experience highlights that success is not built on electric stuff alone.

3. Priorities/ Overconfidence/ Complacency

A non-stop torrent of accolades and gratuitous special treatment have taken down other promising careers in a number of professional sports. Overconfidence and complacency can surely derail an athlete regardless of his physical tools and superior skills.

Sports Center has unfortunately been filled with stories about fallen stars who have taken bad turns or fallen prey to their own press clippings. Although in no way wanting to taint Strasburg, recently fallen heroes such as Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger have highlighted how their sense of entitlement changed them and led them down an unfortunate path.

Many professional athletes through the years have suffered diminished performance after signing a large contract and perhaps losing the drive that lifted up their market value. Additionally, an abundance of players who started to buy into their own accolades or lost focus to the many distractions surrounding them have dropped back to the pack— or worse.

All indications are that Strasburg has remained grounded and driven despite signing a record contract. It will be important that he surround himself with the right people to help him keep that intact.

4. Longevity

As father time takes its toll, it becomes increasingly difficult for an aging pitcher to maintain the same velocity that propelled him early in his career.

There have been some notable exceptions such as Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, but his ability to maintain his overpowering velocity into his 40's is clearly an aberration. Other pitchers such as Roger Clemens who were able to maintain at an advanced age have also been tainted by performance enhancing drugs allegations.

With MLB's clamp down on PED's, Strasburg will have to maintain longevity the old fashioned way. It would be unreasonable to expect that he will be lighting up the JUGS gun with triple digits as his career wears on, so success is going to require the subtle transition to the finer art of pitching.

Many Cooperstown inductees have been able to do just that, relying on improved location, command, and guile. Will Strasburg lean too heavily on his raw skills or continually evolve to make this same transition?

5. Defense Behind Him

A key reason that the Washington Nationals landed Strasburg with last year's top pick is that they were the worst fielding team in the National League (and perhaps all of baseball) in 2008.

Last season, they were clearly the worst in the game— by a long shot. Their 143 errors were 19 more than the next futile team and 48 more than the league average. And, that does not even speak to the number of missed cut-off men, throws to the wrong bases, outs that were played into hits, double plays not turned, etc.

The good news for the rookie pitcher is that he joins a Nats team in 2010 that is improved defensively. The bad news is that they are still the worst statistically in baseball.

In fact, they are on a pace to exceed last season's fielding futility. Again, on the plus side though, the team has clearly improved its range up the middle with Nyjer Morgan, Ian Desmond, and Ivan Rodriguez.

Poor fielding has the potential to drag down the results, if not the overall performance, of an excellent pitcher. Win totals go down and ERA's go up.

Additionally, players not making plays behind a pitcher— especially systemically— can frustrate to the point of lost focus. It has the potential to create a downward spiral of performance.

6. Run Support

Career victories is the statistic most heavily weighted factor for starting pitchers by Hall of Fame voters. Additionally, annual win totals translate into resume building recognitions such as All-Star appearances and Cy Young Awards.

Simply put— lack of run support equals diminished victory totals.

After a strong start offensively, the Nationals currently sit 11th in the NL in runs scored.

Besides playing for a lower scoring ball club, Strasburg might also have to deal with a couple other phenomenon's. Teams often score less behind their top starting pitchers.

Some of that can be attributed to the human psyche that whispers to hitters that this pitcher does not need as many runs. Surely a key part of it, though, is that No. 1 pitchers tend to match up against each other.

This means that in order to register wins, Strasburg will have to be a little bit better than his fellow starters— and a little bit better than the aces he faces.

Help could be on the way with the Nationals selecting Bryce Harper with the first overall pick in last night's draft, although he will need more time to develop than Strasburg. The 17-year old catcher (soon to be outfielder) is being billed as baseball's "LeBron" and figures to anchor the Nats line-up with his prodigious power.

7. Bullpen

Unless you have a workhorse with superior command like Roy Halladay, today's game necessitates a strong bullpen to win. Roughly 3 percent of games are completed by the starter.

In order to compile big win totals, Strasburg will almost assuredly need to be backed by a solid relief corps. His team's ability to hold and close out a hard earned lead will be instrumental in his own ability to compile the statistics that voters use as a compass.

The Nationals currently sport the major's leader in saves. Matt Capps, who signed a one-year contract in the offseason, has already successfully closed out 18 games. Overall, the club's bullpen has been solid, ranking 10th in baseball with a 3.73 ERA.

With Capps under contract for only 2010, and last year's other first round pick and closer of the future, Drew Storen, already in the bigs— there could be a changing of the guard in the near future.

Storen could make an immediate splash and aid Strasburg. Or, as a similarly young player, he could take his lumps and potentially hurt Strasburg's results.

8. Organizational Handling/ Coaching

Thus far, the Nationals have taken a cautious approach with their rookie phenom despite considerable sentiment that he was major league ready. They have limited innings and pitches while executing a deliberate developmental plan.

How they stick to that once he joins the big club remains to be seen. Part of the discipline they have shown relates to the economics of not triggering the pitcher's arbitration rights.

Once the club finds itself fighting to make the playoffs or when the financial issue is gone, will they take the same cautious route?

And, what guidance and support will Strasburg get from the Nats coaches and staff regarding training, injury prevention, and development?

Lastly, how will the young pitcher be handled? Will he be pulled before he has a chance to undo a strong performance in order to build confidence? Will the pitcher eventually rack up high pitch counts and innings to the point of burn out, or even injury?

Right now, the Nationals are protecting their investment and pushing out the next big pay day. Will their handling of Strasburg change when they shift into trying to extract as much value as they can from a presumably large investment? This is not to say they will mishandle the situation, but surely other organizations have done exactly that with budding stars.

9. Mental Toughness

A Major League Baseball season is a marathon with many ups and downs. The game's top players typically possess a common trait that contributes to that stature— namely mental toughness.

Teams can vacillate from winning streaks to losing skeins without notice. Hitters can transition from "en fuego" to "cold as ice" in one at bat. And, pitchers can go from making getting hitters out look exceedingly easy to hitting the showers early the next time out.

The best players have a way of staying grounded and maintaining an even keel. They also possess the mental toughness to fight through adversity and ultimately get righted.

At this point in his career through college and the minors, Strasburg has faced little, if any, adveristy. The long season and caliber of competition in the big leagues will surely test him. No one can predict how he will respond.

10. Health

Perhaps the biggest unknown and the largest obstacle will be health. This is especially true for a pitcher pushing the limits, hurling a baseball 60' 6" thousands of times each season.

Shoulders and elbows were not necessarily designed to fire a baseball at maximum velocity and imparting various spins. A large number of athletes at this taxing position have experienced shortened or diminished careers as their bodies have succumbed to the demands of the role.

The Nationals organization has been very cognizant of this reality and have proceeded very carefully with their prized prospect. They will continue to limit his pitch counts and the number of innings that he throws, especially at this stage of his career.

That will help, but it is impossible to predict if, and when, some part of his body might breakdown. The Rangers' Clyde, Athletics' Todd Van Poppel, Orioles' Ben McDonald and Cubs' Mark Prior were top picks that all entered baseball with "can't miss," rave reviews— and all suffered arm ailments that contributed to very disappointing careers.

The Final Word

When Stephen Strasburg takes the mound tonight to launch his major league career, an unprecedented number of eyes will be on him.

Considering that both teams are buried in the standings, it is clear that the sell-out crowd and national television audience are drawn to watch arguably the most celebrated pitching prospect in history.

Curiosity to see how this extraordinary young player fares against major league competition is tremendously abundant. Many believe that they will be witnessing the launch of a Hall of Fame career.

By all accounts, it appears that Strasburg has the talent.

In order to realize his perceived potential, though, the pitcher will need to personally navigate many possible roadblocks— and get some help along the way.

Padres, A's, Nationals: Which Sleeper Team Could Be For Real?

The 2010 Major League Baseball season is still young, but a glance at the standings reveals a few unexpected teams at or near the top as the weekend came to a close.

The San Diego Padres, Oakland A's and Washington Nationals were all projected by pundits to be bottom feeders, but all find themselves turning heads with their strong starts. All three teams have been amongst the worst in baseball over the past couple seasons.

Is this a temporary alignment of the sun, moon, and stars— or could any of them be for real and find themselves in the thick of things when September rolls around?

It has happened before.

After finishing with the worst record in baseball the year before, the Tampa Bay Rays captured the AL East and advanced to the World Series in 2008.

One year earlier, two former last place clubs found themselves competing against each other in the 2007 NLCS. The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies before the magical run ended in the Fall Classic at the hands of the Boston Red Sox.

The Atlanta Braves (1991), Minnesota Twins (1991), and Philadelphia Phillies (1993) all experienced the elation of going from worst to the World Series. The Twins took it one further when they were crowned champions of baseball.

And, interestingly, the Padres have already been down this path. After being a cellar dweller in 1997, Trevor Hoffman, Kevin Brown and Greg Vaughn led them to the Fall Classic.

Could history repeat itself?

Washington Nationals

The Nats began last season with the excitement of debuting a beautiful new ball park, then went onto rack up the most losses in major league baseball. They were buried at the bottom of the NL East from start to finish ultimately losing 103 games.

Interestingly, though, they ended the season improbably with a seven game winning streak. Could that have been a foreshadowing of the 2010 season?

The emergence of some young talent has given reason for hope. Nyger Morgan and Ian Desmond have strengthened the defense up the middle and provided a solid one-two punch at the top of the lineup. Flame thrower Stephen Strasburg and hot prospect Drew Storen are on the way.

Also, the offseason addition of veterans Ivan Rodriguez, Matt Capps, Jason Marquis, and Adam Kennedy has provided leadership and experienced talent.

Combine these players with incumbents such as Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Christian Guzman and Josh Willingham— and you might just have a legitimate team. Based on the early returns, it sure looks that way.

The Competition: Who Might Burst Their Bubble?

The NL East favorite Phillies sit atop the division with an 11-7 record, while the anticipated main challenger Atlanta Braves reside in last at 8-10.

In between lies the other three teams in the division, just 1 1/2 games off the pace at 10-9. Seeing the Nationals as part of that triumvirate is clearly a greater surprise than the rebounding Mets or the forever upstart Marlins.

After a strong start, the Phillies are leaking a little bit of oil. Some key players such as Jimmy Rollins, Brad Lidge, Joe Blanton and JA Happ currently reside on the DL, while the non-Roy Halladay portion of the rotation has been largely shaky.

Overall, their appears to be strong competitive balance throughout the division, especially with the Nats emergence.

The Outlook: Will It Continue?

Although Washington is clearly improved, they face an uphill struggle playing within a division filled with clubs that have improved. The current scheduling format pits these five teams against each other 18 times each.

The Phillies still appear to be the class of the National League with their best baseball in front of them when they are at full strength. However, if injuries linger and their starting pitching struggles the door could be open for another team to capture the division.

Expect the Nats to embody their name by remaining pesky throughout the season. In the end, though (even with phenom Stephen Strasburg potentially joining them), they probably do not have enough pitching to make a serious run.

But, wait 'til next year.

San Diego Padres

Competing in a division full of playoff contenders with the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, the Padres find themselves in first place with an 11-7 record thanks to an eight game winning streak. To say this is a big surprise is a bit of an understatement.

Despite former ace Jake Peavey now wearing a White Sox uniform, the Padres are still winning the old fashioned way— with pitching. They are currently third in all of baseball with a paltry 2.87 ERA, led by Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Wade LeBlanc, Chris Young and Heath Bell.

Good pitching is the key to any hopes they have as their offense struggles to score runs. San Diego is batting .246 as a team, but have found ways to manufacture runs and win close games.

Corner infielders Chase Headley (.371 AVG, .421 OBP) and all-star Adrian Gonzalez (6 HR, 14 RBI, .317 AVG) provide the thunder. The Padres augment that with aggressive base running and good team speed, racking up 20 steals to rank third in MLB.

The Competition: Who might burst their bubble?

The Padres have the misfortune of being in arguably the toughest division in all of baseball. The Dodgers took the crown last year and advanced to the NLCS.

The Rockies were the N.L.'s hottest team over the second half of last year on the way to capture the Wild Card slot. They were knocked off by the powerhouse Phillies in the NLDS, but the majority of baseball experts predicted them to continue their winning ways and grab the NL West title.

Tracking on both teams' heels was to be the Giants, powered by the best starting rotation in the National League, if not the Major Leagues. Like the Padres, they will be limited in run production, but stellar pitching has a way of adding to the win column.

The Outlook: Will it continue?

The other teams in the division are just too strong for the Padres to remain in contention.

The Giants have better pitching. The Dodgers have a far superior lineup and better balance. The Rockies just have an overall better team.

San Diego has solid pitching, but it is not good enough to carry an anemic offense. The team just does not have the fire power to compete over the long haul.

Speculation all winter centered on the prospect of the small market Padres moving their slugging first baseman. If the club comes back to earth and settles in where expected, chances are that Gonzalez will be moved before the deadline.

Oakland Athletics

Oakland is using a very similar formula as the Padres. Their lineup is one of the most anonymous in baseball, but their pitching provides the heavy lifting.

That formula has produced a 12-8 record thus far that puts them on top of the NL West.

Although the A's have hit just 12 HR's and are 19th with a .253 team average, they

are ninth in runs scored. The combination of scratching out enough runs to complement the fourth ranked pitching staff (2.93 ERA) has translated into their current .600 winning percentage.

First baseman Daric Barton has provided offense unconventionally considering his position is where sluggers usually reside. Barton has failed to hit a home run, but is batting .328 with a .488 OBP. Right fielder Ryan Sweeney has also been an offensive leader with a .306 batting average, but he, too, has failed to go yard.

The team's greatest strength has been its starting rotation. Justin Duchscherer (2-0, 1.82 ERA), Brett Anderson (2.35 ERA), Ben Sheets (2.74 ERA), Dallas Braden (3-0, 2.77 ERA) and Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 3.68 ERA) have been rock solid.

They are backed up by hard throwing closer Andrew Bailey, who turned an excellent rookie campaign a year ago.

The Competition:

The Los Angeles Angels are considered the favorite to repeat as the AL Western Division champion. The Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers were expected to give them a run with the young A's bringing up the rear.

However, this division might be the most likely for an upstart team to find success. The Angels are not the same powerhouse that won 97 games in 2009, and the others have weaknesses.

While the other teams improved over the winter, the Angels lost several key players. Vladimir Guerrerro and Chone Figgins departed for Seattle and Texas, respectively. Top starter John Lackey signed on with Boston, while valuable reliever Darren Oliver also made his way to Texas.

The Mariners made big news in the offseason when they landed former Cy Young pitcher and 2009 postseason hero Cliff Lee. He joins to existing ace Felix Hernandez at the top of the rotation to form the most dominant duo in all of baseball.

The Rangers will hit bombs and score runs, but have so-so starting pitching. While the Mariners boast two stoppers, they will still labor to put runs on the board.

The Outlook:

The AL West could go down to the wire with all four teams in contention. With the Wild Card likely to come from the AL East, a postseason appearance will require ending up on top.

If Sheets stays healthy and pitches to his potential, and the offense can continue to scratch out runs without the long ball, the A's have a shot.

The "X" factor for Oakland could be two top prospects waiting in the wings. Chris Carter is a first baseman/outfielder with 30-40 home run potential. Outfielder Michael Taylor was acquired from Philadelphia, where he tore things up in the minors. Both could join the big club before long and bring some much needed fire power.

The Final Word

These three upstart teams have opened some eyes in the early going. With almost 90% of the season yet to be played, it is difficult to make too much of their performances thus far.

My suspicions are that the Padres will be the first to fall back to Earth, particularly in the rugged NL West.

The Nationals will have a similar struggle, but will draw much closer to the pack.

With possible reinforcements coming from the minors, the A's could be the surprise team of baseball. A last to first place scenario is not out of the question, but I expect them to just fall short. Stay tuned.

Gary Suess is also a Featured Columnist covering the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Eagles and MLB for the BleacherReport.com.