The Brett Myers Conundrum

He's obviously struggling this year, so I will try and figure out the problem. Here are some facts to consider when figuring out what to do with Myers.

- He's still only 27 years old
- He's had success as a starter before
- He's owed 8.5 million this season and 12 million next year
- He's shown great stuff in the past
- His ERA this season is approaching Adam Eaton territory
- From his last year as a full time starter:
- Innings Pitched DOWN
- Hit Rate UP
- Walk Rate UP
- Strikeout Rate DOWN
- HR Rate WAY UP
- Shoulder injury last year

He's been bad this season. I know it, you know it, Myers knows it, and the Phillies know it. People say he doesn't care because he's an idiot or whatever, but that couldn't be further from the case. We all saw the fire he displayed as a closer. He shows a lot of emotion on the mound, and I think it's fair to say he cares more than anyone else. Myers doesn't know what's wrong, and he's trying to figure it out. He's going to work harder.

First of all, the Phillies need to sit down with Myers and find out if anything is wrong with his arm. His velocity hasn't been there for much of the season, and the question is whether or not this is due to lack or preparation or an injury. Manuel and Dubee have said that Myers doesn't work as hard as he should between starts, and he has since started long tossing on his off days. Last year, he had that serious shoulder injury, and even when he did come back, he admitted to pitching hurt for the remainder of the season. If it turns out he's injured again, he needs to be put on the DL and take some time off.

If he's not hurt, then the Phillies need to just stick with him until he gets better. We've seen what he can do before, and I'm confident he'll get back to that level again. I know it's frustrating to watch him pitch right now, but he's a highly paid, talented player, and the team needs to work things out. He's a key part to this season, and Myers has to get better if the Phillies are going to hang around in September again.