What Should The Phillies Rotation Look Like In 2014?

The Phillies rotation this year hasn’t been as good as expected, but it hasn’t been terrible. Starters like Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have held up their end of the rotation but others truly haven’t. What 5 guys should be in their rotation next season?

1. Cole Hamels LHP (6-13, 3.58 ERA): Cole Hamels has had his struggles this year, but he seems to be out of his funk. He started the season off rather badly, but he has been really great lately. In the first half of the 2013 season, Cole Hamels had an ERA of 4.05, which isn’t very Cole Hamels like; in the second half of the 2013 season he has an ERA of 2.53, which is great. I am honestly expecting a Cy Young-like season from Hamels in 2014.
2. Ervin Santana RHP (8-8, 3.19 ERA): Ervin Santana has had a great season with the Royals, as shown by his ERA. He is averaging 2.09 walks per 9 innings, and 7.12 strikeouts per 9 innings; that is a great ratio. Santana is also averaging almost 7 innings per start this season, which is great. The Phillies need guys to pitch deep into ball games because they have such a terrible bullpen, and Santana has the ability to do just that.
3. Cliff Lee LHP (11-6, 3.09 ERA): Cliff Lee is in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career; he has an ERA of just 3.09. He is averaging 8.29 strikeouts, and 1.52 walks per nine innings. That is truly amazing, one of the best ratios I have ever seen. You may be wondering why I have him as the 3rd starter, and that is because he has struggled in the 2nd half of 2013; in the first half of the 2013 season, Lee had an ERA of 2.86 which is great, but in the 2nd half his ERA is 3.80; that is significantly higher than the first half. That really worries me, but I think that in 2014 Lee could be a quality 3rd starter. I also wouldn’t shoot down the idea of trading him in the offseason, but for now I think he should be the 3rd starter in 2014.
4. Miguel Alfredo-Gonzalez RHP: Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has recently been signed by the Phillies, and will be ready to pitch in 2014. Gonzalez has a very powerful fastball, and has a change-up/forkball type of pitch that averages less than 80 MPH. His arm speed is the same on both pitches, that means that the separation in pitch speed is going to really fool hitters. I think that he can be a very effective 4th starter for the Phillies. In 2014 I think that he will have an ERA somewhere around 4, which would be good for a rookie. He may even do better than what I am expecting, but honestly I don’t know what to expect from him.
5. Jesse Biddle LHP (5-14, 3.64 ERA in Double-A Reading): Jessie Biddle has been really great in Double-A this season; he is averaging 10.02 strikeouts per nine innings; that is truly phenomenal. My main concern though, would be that he is walking 5.33 batters per nine innings, and that is terrible. Over the offseason I think that he will improve his control, because he is a young pitcher with great potential, and will get better. If he can get his walks down to about 3 per 9 innings next season, then I think he will be a great 5th starter.

What does this mean for Kyle Kendrick? I think that he would be a good long-relief pitcher for the Phillies in 2014. For the 1st half of 2012, Kendrick was a dominant reliever for the Phillies, and I just don’t think he is good enough to be a consistent starting pitcher. I think that him being in the bullpen would help him and the team tremendously.

There are many different possibilities for the 2014 Phillies rotation, but I think this would be the best.

[Featured Image/Hunter Martin/Getty Images]