Phillippe Aumont Hoping for One More Shot With Phillies
He's the one guy remaining from maybe one of the most lopsided deals in major league history.
On December 16, after being demoted back to single-A, the Mariners cut their ties with Phillippe Aumont and he was traded to the Phillies along with Tyson Gillies and J. C. Ramírez for Cliff Lee.
The Phillies have given pitcher Aumont multiple chances to stick with the big club - he just hasn't grabbed them.
Drafted by the Mariners in the first-round (11th overall) of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft, he's the last player in the organization from the Cliff Lee deal. Now pitching with the Phillies triple-A affiliate, Lehigh Valley, Aumont is trying to find his way back to the majors.
Aumont, 26, was once a relatively highly touted prospect known for his live arm and superb velocity, but control issues have always held him back - walking nearly a batter an inning during his three big league stints.
In what could his final shot to impress Aumont is pitching well in a new role at Lehigh Valley as a starting pitcher, something he always wanted to get back to doing and when the Phillies sent him down to the minors during spring training, he knew he that to get back to the majors, starting would be best way.
"He said in spring training that going back to starting was always in the back of his mind," IronPigs beat reporter Greg Joyce said on the Sports Bash. "He figured the Phillies bullpen was set, he wasn't going to get back to the major leagues that way - he knew his best shot was going back to starting."
So far so good with a 1.36 ERA and just 13 walks in over 33 innings pitched, his WHIP is an impressive 1.09. If he can display that type of control for a longer period of time, the Phillies might be able to salvage something for the Lee deal.
"When Severino Gonzalez got called up to make that spot start for the Phillies, all the sudden the Iron Pigs needed a spot starter and he went out and threw five shutout innings that day," Joyce explained. "He was real excited, he said leading up to that game he felt like a kid on Christmas morning."
He has started four games, three at home where he went five, six and seven innings - not allowing a run in any of those games. In his most recent start, he went seven innings, no runs and most importantly for Aumont - no walks.
"I think he's really excited," Joyce said. "Something is finally working for him again, this is his way of knowing this is the way can get back up - it's been a small sample size but he's looked great so far."
With Cliff Lee hurt and maybe done, maybe one of the pieces they got for Lee back in 2010 might finally help them in 2015.