Wading into the Deep End

Finley. Benson. Lofton. Villone. Hernandez.

The names blur together in the last week of July. The Phillies, potential buyers for the second year in a row, look at who's available.

Byrd. Polanco. Utley. Hamels. Floyd.

The front office gathers to determine whom they're willing and unwilling to part with in order to pry loose those key missing pieces from the sellers. It's far from easy. But as the gaps grow ever wider, the need to fill them becomes more and more pressing. Time is of the essence.

Wade? Bowa?

A change in field management is very unlikely, though in my opinion, and others', the Phillies have underachieved for more than a season-and-a-half, and at some point you have to ask whether something more than physical talent is the issue. Larry Bowa's shortcomings have been well chronicled and continue to be much despised -- deservedly. But now Ed Wade also finds himself a center of attention -- and not just from the media and the blogosphere, but from his own players as well. Wade's in-season moves over the last two years have been far less decisive and significant than what he has done in the off-season, much like a football coach who prepares his team well during the week yet suddenly grows gun-shy and ineffective at 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon. (Sound familiar, Eagles fans?) And people are starting to notice. So while not excusing Wade's profanity-drenched tirade at a reporter Sunday, Bill Conlin at least understands it:

Timing really is everything and I can identify with Ed [Wade]'s short fuse and his discomfort with the 24/7 media scrutiny suddenly engulfing his stewardship. His expensive team has underperformed and he is feeling suffocating pressure to make a major move.

Everybody has given Ed his props for capably spending the franchise-record money Dave Montgomery made available, banking -- pun intended -- that the Money Pit revenue stream would transform the Phillies into a big-market player. He got Jim Thome and David Bell because he was able to overpay. He got Kevin Millwood because his contract was too heavy and the Phils had the young catcher the Braves had to have.

But Wade has also acquired an in-season record of unfulfillment. Some very bad things have happened on his watch. J.D. Drew, who refused to sign here for reasons both financial and personal, is the most potent hitter on a rival Braves team that has overhauled the Phillies. Curt Schilling forced the 2000 deal to Arizona that left the D-backs with eventual World Series rings. Now, Schilling, who wanted to return here, is a Cy Young candidate in Boston. The Phils re-signed Millwood instead. Current MVP candidate Scott Rolen forced a 2002 trade to St. Louis after inflicting a big shiner on Wade and Montgomery, charging a lack of commitment to winning.

Drew ... Schilling ... Rolen. That's one hell of a hit for the services of a currently disabled pitcher and Placido Polanco.

Perhaps someone should remind Ed Wade that the time is now. Isn't it?