The Phillies are mired in a 3-9 start and their manager recently challenged a reporter to a fight. So what's next in Philadelphia? Try shaking up the pitching staff. Manager Charlie Manuel said Wednesday the Phillies will move Brett Myers into the bullpen, while inserting Jon Lieber into the starting rotation.Manuel said he was comfortable using Myers in either the seventh or eighth innings and might even use the former starter to close on days when Philly's regular closer, Tom Gordon, is not available for use.

 

When asked if this was out of desperation, Manuel replied, "No, I think this is a way of us trying to fix our pitching staff, having the best pitching staff we can have."

 

Myers has struggled so far this season, going 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA. He has failed to even make it out of the fifth inning in each of his last two starts.

 

Lieber hasn't fared any better; after two appearances out of the bullpen, he has a lofty 11.57 ERA. Last season, he started 27 games for the Phillies, going 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6702882

 

Jimmy Rollins still thinks they are the team to beat though :thumbup

The first two topics in the MLB forum are quite hillarious in tandem.

I'd take Myers in a heartbeat.

Myers in the bullpen surprises me a bit, one of their best pitchers if not the best one they have.

This is completley idiotic. Myers is a solid starter who had a couple of bad starts, and now they seriously effed up his chances of contributing this year for the Phillies. It's not like the rest of the team is off to a great start either.

This could be interesting, I always saw Myers as a guy who could make wuite the relief pitcher. I sill think charlie needs more then just two are three starts to instantly believe Myers is done as a starter for the season.