It appears the Philadelphia Phillies scouts will be on hand at Citi field tonight when the Yankees face off with the Mets. Now on the surface it's not all that surprising to see Phillies scouts at a Met game, but their purpose may not be what you expect. Reports are they will be there to scout Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jim Salisbury, the Phillies have coveted Red Sox starter Brad Penny, but should the Yankees make Wang available there might be some interest.
Wang struggles have been widely publicized this year. A former nineteen game winner, Wang has had an abysmal season by any standards.
The Phillies have been looking to add another starter for some time and Wang might be a good fit. Although he has struggled, Wang has steadily showed improvement over his last two starts.
There has been no indication that the Yankees have any plans to make Wang available, but if they should, the Phillies will make a call.
I'm not sure how this will play out. I assume if Wang shows he can turn his season around the Yankees will not entertain offers for him. However, should he continue to struggle the Yankees may be willing to ship him out of town. They have Phil Hughes ready in the bullpen to take Wang's spot in the starting rotation.