Stand Pat

General manager Pat Gillick made a rare pre-game appearance on the field before yesterday’s game. No, Gillick isn’t avoiding anything, he’s just busy and perhaps I’m still used to seeing the last GM – dressed in suit, jacket and tie – down on the field before every game.

Obviously, Pat Gillick has a different way of doing things.

Nevertheless, Gillick took the time to talk to a few of the scribes before the game and addressed a few issues regarding the baseball team. Among them:

On the recent spate of losses
"It's more of the way we've played. We haven't played real smart. We've made some stupid mistakes. We haven't played a lot of really good, clean games."

On the starting pitching
"Our starting pitching has been so inconsistent. That really, I think, sets the tone. Hopefully, we can get some consistency."

"That's the only way you put a streak together. (During the team's May winning streak), when you look at it, our starting pitching earned run average was very respectable. That's why, I think, we won the games."

On a potential trade to get more pitching
"I think that those people who are going to move pitching are probably going to wait toward the end of the deadline, closer to July 31st."

On the amount of deals in the next month
"I think those people who are going to move pitching are probably going to wait until toward the end of the deadline... . Whoever moves, I think they're going to be getting a premium."

And most revealing…

"There's probably clubs out there that have more to offer than we do."

As he has always maintained, Gillick said the team has no “untouchables.” However, it will be very difficult to trade "5 and 10" guys like Rheal Cormier and Mike Lieberthal, as well as players with high salaries and no-trade clauses like Bobby Abreu, David Bell, Pat Burrell, Randy Wolf (can’t trade a player on DL anyway) and Jon Lieber.

On top of that, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels, players with relatively low salaries, are the nucleus of the franchise and won’t be going anywhere.

In other words, don’t count on the Phillies making a blockbuster this season.