Staying Pat

It sounds like the Phillies are going to end up stuck with Pat “The Bat” Burrell.

Even though every baseball writer in America has reported that the Phillies would shop Burrell in the offseason, Phillies GM Pat Gillick says that fans should prepare themselves for the possibility that Burrell will be back.

“There’s a very strong possibility that Pat’s in leftfield,” said Gillick, who noted that despite Burrell’s .258 average and his .222 mark with runners in scoring position, “You don’t find 29 home runs and 95 RBI in the street.”

There are a few possible scenarios at play here. Burrell has a no-trade clause, so it’s possible he’s told the Phillies that he will not approve a trade, so they can either play him, bench him or cut him. Or, maybe the Phillies simply haven’t found anybody interested in trading for Burrell. Probably, it’s a combination of both.

Of course, if Burrell shows up to spring training with a healed heel, healthy and ready to go, Phillies fans will quickly forget about his 2006 troubles. If he shows up hobbling and strikes out his first ten at bats…ugh…watch out.