In an ESPN Insider article from Buster Olney, he “emailed a bunch of talent evaluators — some general managers, some scouts, some executives — and asked them what they think Halladay’s numbers will be in the NL.”

I figured I would pass along the information. Frankly I think their all a little conservative. Nobody wants to step out of the box of the 20 win/2 - 3 ERA range. Doesn’t anyone think he’s going dominate? Get shelled or injury plagued? This is Philadelphia people, sports drama is inevitable.

Again, this information is straight from ESPN.

Evaluator No. 1: “I would set the over/under on his ERA at 2.50. I’m not comfortable predicting wins because it’s based on too many things he can’t control. If forced to guess, I’ll go with 18.”

Evaluator No. 2: “Twenty wins, 3.00 ERA. He is going from a pitchers’ park to a home run park, but is a ground ball guy. He will be in the Cy Young Top 3.”

Evaluator No. 3: “I’d project a 2.10 ERA with 22 wins.”

Evaluator No. 4: “While I think Halladay’s move to the NL will allow him to perform at a higher level for a longer period of time than if he stayed within the AL East, the advantage of pitching in the NL might begin to be counterbalanced somewhat by the fact that he’s getting older and will inevitably begin to slow down at some point. After all, he is going to turn 33, and though we may not see much of a change statistically this coming season, I also don’t think he’s going to throw up a sub-2.00 ERA while throwing 280 innings either. Something in the 2.50 ERA range with comparable innings pitched as the last couple of seasons seems reasonable for 2010. I can see him winning 21-22 games.”

Evaluator No. 5: “Twenty-three wins with around a 2.00 ERA.”

Evaluator No. 6: “Twenty wins, sub-2.50 ERA. He gets to pitch to No. 8 and No. 9 hitters nearly 20 percent of the time.”

Evaluator No. 7: “Twenty-plus wins, sub-3.00 ERA. He will win the Cy Young Award.”

Evaluator No. 8: “I am thinking 18 wins with an ERA of 3.00-3.20.”

Evaluator No. 9: “Eighteen wins, five losses, an ERA of 2.90.”

——

Too high? Too low? You tell me.

One day after Roy Halladay dazzled yet again, pitching three scoreless innings with five strikeouts against the Braves, Cole Hamels continued his impressive early-spring performance as the No. 2 starter Wednesday against ex-top prospect Kyle Drabek and the Blue Jays.

Hamels lasted 3 2/3 innings, striking out three. The only blemish on his line was a solo homer off the bat of Jose Bautista to lead off the fourth inning.

Here’s a brief Facebook exchange I had today with fellow sports writer colleague Ryan Lawrence, who covers the Phillies season-round for the Delaware County Daily Times (my employer).

—-

8 hours ago · Comment · Like · See Wall-to-Wall

Ryan Lawrence

he was pretty good. K’d Adam Lind to finish a 1-2-3 first inning with a FB painted on the corner. Retired the first 9 in a row before a leadoff HR in 4th from Bautista.

Probably tired some in the 4th. He walked two batters then.

8 hours ago

Matthew Smith

Good to hear. Solo homers don’t hurt.

8 hours ago ·

Kyle Kendrick must be spending too much time around his newfound mentor, Roy Halladay.

That’s a good thing, by the way …

Kendrick pitched another two shutout innings in a 7-5 loss to the Yankees Monday.

In two appearances this spring, both against the Yanks, Kendrick has tossed five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two while walking zero.

“He’s definitely getting better,” manager Charlie Manuel told the Delaware County Times. “… (H)e’s also really learning what kind of a pitcher he has to be to survive at the major league level.”

If Jamie Moyer isn’t deemed fully healthy by the time camp breaks, Kendrick is the odds-on favorite to win the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

“You have to show everyone what you’re working on and how to develop your secondary pitches,” Kendrick said. “But more than anything, I’m happy I’m showing myself I can throw them in any count and believe in them.”

Roy Halladay dazzled in his Phillies debut Thursday against the Yankees.

Said Joe Girardi: “He hasn’t changed much, that’s for sure.”

The Phillies won the Grapefruit League opener, 3-2.

The Phillies’ spring training opener against Florida State was highlighted (if that’s the right word) by top pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont’s outing.

The 6-7 right-hander allowed five runs on three hits while issuing three walks in 2/3 of an inning.

“It’s the first outing, you have to start with that,” Aumont said . “I can’t do worse than that. We’re just going to have to build on that.”

As for the rest of the game:

• Every Phillies regular started the game except for Shane Victorino, who is nursing a sore shoulder.
• Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a single and stole second base in his only at-bat.
• Top position-player prospect Domonic Brown singled, knocked in a run and scored twice.
• Dane Sardinha went 2-for-2 with four RBIs.
• J.A. Happ pitched two scoreless innings
• Jesus Sanchez, the only player left from the Bobby Abreu trade to the Yankees in 2006, struck out the side in his only inning of work.
• The Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit to win, 13-6, in eight innings.
• Drew Naylor didn’t allow a hit and fanned four in two innings of work.

Ok, so the title pretty much informs you of all you need to know. The truth is I’m too excited about baseball season not to write something.

AL East - Boston Red Sox

Heresy! I know, right? How could I pick against the Yankees. I heard a quote the other day that I’ve been dying to find a situation to use it in and I think this is finally it. “Too many chiefs, not enough Indians.” Seriously, this is starting to look like a fantasy baseball team. An overrated Burnett, aging Pettite and Rivera, headcase/dumb Chamberlain, and great Red Sox rotation makes this an easy pick for me. Burnett/Lester/Lackey/Dice-K, is a great one to four and their bullpen is nothing short of head turning. Not to mention, the Sox are always in talks for a major mid-season acquisition (Adrian Gonzales anyone?).

AL Central - Detroit Tigers

Tough pick, especially since it’s hard to root against a team like the Twins. They have arguably the best bullpen in baseball and home-grown guys like Mauer and Morneau provide a great pop. Unfortunately, I don’t think the O-dog can bring enough to the offense to make them “dangerous,” and their rotation raises eyebrows. The Tigers have a nice 1-2 with Verlander and Porcello, and nobody can deny a guy like Miguel Cabrera. The last factor is the current state of the Twins, as I would not be surprised at all to see talent (maybe even Mauer) being dangled come the trade deadline.

AL West - Seattle Mariners

Say what you want, the Mariners are officially my favorite non-Phillies team. I love their off season moves (Chone Figgins was my wish to replace Feliz at third), and I love the core team that they had to begin with. Cliff Lee is a stud, joining another stud in Felix Hernandez. Griffey’s back, and my man Ichiro is one of the most underrated or just does a great job laying low) outfielders in baseball. On the other side, the Angels have only reduced the quality of their team while the Rangers seem to be content with keeping their #1 farm system as the highest honors they claim every season. When all is said and done, there is no doubt in my mind that the off season moves in the West is enough for a 12 game swing (the margin from 2009) to be put into motion.

NL East - Philadelphia Phillies

Shocker. On a professional note though, I don’t see how you can argue this. I will defend to the death the fact that their offense is the best in baseball. Roy Halladay is possible the most coveted pitcher in baseball, with some sources saying he’s a 25-30 game winner in the NL. If Hamels can stop acting like somebody pissed in his Cheerios, and Kendrick actually breaks-out, the Phillies rotation is top notch. The upgrade at third may be the most vital move of the offseason, as long as Polanco transitions well defensively. Feliz was always a weak point in the order, and PP has never struck out more than 50 times in one season. The rest of the league is decent at best, and yes, Mets, that includes you too. To my credit, I’m not one of those loser fans who can’t recognize talent past his own team. Reyes, Bay, Wright and Santana are all excellent players. The problem is the rest of the team. Your rotation is in shambles. Half your team is already DL candidates again, including the question marks surrounding Beltran. The Braves are unimpressive at multiple levels, and the Marlins are still 50 million short of a contending team. Sorry Nationals, no analysis required.

NL Central - St. Louis Cardinals

I hate the NL Central. It’s too big and way too underachieving. The Cardinals should, in my opinion, take this division by 13 or more games. Within the Central, they have the best rotation, lineup, and player in baseball. Let’s face it, the Cubs aren’t scaring anyone anymore. The Brewers should finish #2 with a pretty balanced offensive squad, as long as Hoffman looks as good as he did last year. The rest of the division? Well, Go Jay Bruce!

NL West - San Francisco Giants

The Giants are one of the most impressive teams in baseball, and I honestly would not be surprised to see them make a playoff run. Lincecum and Cain may just make me eat my words on the Hernandez-Lee tandem. They have excellent offensive talent in players like Sandoval, Freddie Sanchez, DeRosa, Renteria, and Ishikawa. Jeremy Affeldt never ceases to impress out of the bullpen. (Plus I LOVE their stadium…Hey, I told you this was bias). The Dodgers are also a tough team to pick against, but I think Manny’s domination is officially over and their lack of starters uncomfortable. The Phillies alone in the past two years of the playoffs have exposed the holes which they have not fixed. The Rockies do continue to be a thorn in the side of the division, but something about them really just doesn’t convince me.

Wild Cards - Yankees and Rockies

Can’t bet against that payroll and the Rockies have a very nice core of young talent. It was hard not to put the Marlins in this spot, I’m just not turned on by an owner who has to have teeth pulled to spend a little cash.

Sleeper of the Year - Baltimore Orioles

You’ve heard it here first, their young and stellar rotation will be the talk of the league by the end of the season. So will their 3rd place finish in the AL East.

Think your picks are better? Let me know.

Roy Halladay takes the hill Thursday in the first spring training game against the Yankees.

Halladay will oppose — you guessed it — CC Sabathia.

The game will air live at 1 p.m. locally on Comcast SportsNet and 7 p.m. on MLB Network.

Kyle Kendrick is also slated to pitch.

Cole Hamels continues to garner high praise from respected sports writers  covering the Phillies and, most importantly, the coaching staff.

Earlier this week, Rich Dubee said that Hamels is way ahead of last year’s schedule. This time last spring, Hamels was bouncing fastballs in the dirt during bullpen sessions.

The former ace, 26, is looking very crisp thanks in large part to a steady offseason regimen.

Hamels threw live batting practice for the first time Friday.

“Cole was very good,” Dubee told the throng of local reporters, including Phillies.com. “His command was very good, and his arm worked a lot better than it has in any spring. All positives. Most of his curveballs were very good. They had good rotation. Some of them missed just below the strikezone, but they were well thrown.”

Hamels is developing a fourth pitch — the cutter.

“ The hitters will tell us (how good it is),” Dubee said.

ROMERO WATCH

J.C. Romero is scheduled to throw off the mound Saturday. Romero is attempting to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2009 campaign and is expected to be the team’s No. 1 left-handed option.

• The Phillies hitters faced live pitching for the spring time this spring. Who they were facing, you ask? Oh, only Roy Halladay.

Halladay, according to some reports Thursday, was overpowering.

• Jamie Moyer, rehabbing from a pair of surgeries, looked like his old self (pun intended) Wednesday in practice. He’s progressed well and is competing for the fifth starter’s spot.
• Brad Lidge has been limited in practice. He was scheduled to throw a side session Thursday.
• Top prospect Domonic Brown recently had the flu, but returned to camp Wednesday. Brown is expected to start the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

I know what you’ve been thinking… “Damn, I’m sick of this computer background and really wish I had the opportunity to change it to a fresh new picture of my favorite Phillie from a hazy photo shoot!”

Well you’re in luck. Yahoo! has the newest shots out of Clearwater, which can be seen here:

PICTURES!PICTURES!PICTURES!

Steer clear of Jayson Werth and his name plate. That picture sucks.