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You’d think that a starting pitcher who averaged more than 12 wins and approximately 180 innings over a six-year stretch would draw a lot of fanfare on the open market, but that wasn’t really the case, as the Philadelphia Phillies pretty quietly locked up Chad Billingsley late Thursday to a one-year, $1.5 million contract that also includes incentives.
However, there are a variety of reasons why the veteran righty fell through the cracks so swiftly and for so long, with under a month to go before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Billingsley, who previously had only called Los Angeles his home since debuting in 2006, missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and has not appeared in a major league game since April 2013. Even before that, he was limited to less than 150 innings in the year prior.
The former Dodger had his best season in 2008, when he went 16-10 with a 3.14 ERA, while also racking up 201 strikeouts in 200 2/3 innings pitched. He didn’t stop there, as Billingsley continued to establish himself as one of the more consistent starters in the National League, collecting a combined 45 wins in the following four seasons. However, he has only made two starts since.
"He's a bounce-back candidate,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com. “We're cautiously optimistic that it's a good risk.”
While the Phillies’ starting rotation is unusually old for a team that’s rebuilding, Billingsley might actually be a good fit as an under-the-radar pitcher who could surprise people and re-emerge. As long as he returns to full health and looks like his vintage self, Billingsley could end up being a valuable trade piece as well.
