29 thoughts on “Threshers Recap – 4/27/2019”

1. Romero is a very slow starter. Last year he started the season giving up 3 or more ERs in his first 6 starts. He had an ERA of 6.68 after the 6 game mark. This year he’s given up 4 or more ERs in his first 4 starts. He’s only pitched 5 innings once. Last year he ended the season strong with a 1.62 ERA over his last 6 games. He gave up 2 or less ERs in every one of those 6 games. Slow starter / strong finisher? Let’s hope.

   1. Bellman its his stuff, that concerns me. I have seen him twice now. He is nothing to get excited about. unless i am seeing him when he is hurt

      1. roc….he needs to get his 4Smr velo up to what it was two years ago or else his sinker and also the cut FB, whenever he throws it, they are not effective……the results plenty of barrels by the hitters.
         And what is happening with his control this year!
         He made be trying to over compensate or maybe it is still too cold for him to grip the ball properly…who knows…have to see what he has to say..

   2. First time seeing him live tonight, meh. If he wasnt walking guys, he was running up high counts. Fastball was consistent at around 91. He seems way overmatched in AAA thus far, and screams bullpen arm at me to be honest. Maybe he’ll turn it around like last year, but not holding my breath.

2. Haseley can hardly be called average this year but in his last 10 games he’s hitting .250 with a .357 OBP. He has 2 HRs and 6 RBIs and has 1 more BB than K over that stretch. It’s a step in the right direction.

3. It’s very difficult to swallow that we have three #1 picks playing the outfield for Reading and .229 is the highest batting average of the three. Would you call these 3 misses by our scouting department?
   MM

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   1. As things stand, the likely outcome of those three picks is ranging somewhere between fairly disappointing (best case scenario) to nuclear meltdown disaster and the stats so far are trending more toward the disaster scenario and, yes, when three consecutive top 10 picks fail it is a combined management and scouting failure and TOTALLY unacceptable. It burns me up that the Nationals have promoted 3 young, elite bats within the last year (including a HS bat from the same draft class as Moniak) and Moniak is struggling to hit .200 in AA. Our scouting needs to be improved dramatically.

   2. not disagreeing but its april 28.
      in MLB with more games played all these guys are hitting below .210-
      Braun, Longoria, Bruce, Shaw, Desmond, Jose Ramirez,Dozier, Marwin Gonzalez, Profar, JBJ, Puig, and Rizzo was under. 200 before yesterday,

   3. Completely agree. At what point are wholesale changes made in the evaluation/development department?

      I’m not talking about a change here and there either. We literally have 2 homegrown picks making an impact with the big club over the last 7+ years. Granted some people helped us improve via trade, but overall it’s still very underwhelming for a team like the Phillies with so much more $ to spend than 90-95% of the league.

   4. yes and its unfortunate development but still long ways to go. Brohm is hitting. I would give it atleast until July before taking strong stance.

4. Jim – you forgot about Scheiner in your Cwater infield discussion. He’s already lost some at bats to Guthrie. Gomez was a prospect at one time, could he be figuring things out? Bohm sure looks like he needs a promotion. It’s very encouraging. No pressure on him but he’s our only hitting prospect… who is actually hitting.

   1. I didn’t forget him. Considered it understood that he’d be a back up corner until he hit enough to challenge Stokes for playing time.

5. If Bohm is to be moved up, the CLW IF right now has Stokes, Brito, Gomez, Maton, Guthrie and Scheiner in it. The OF has Muzziotti, Vierling, Ortiz, Mayer and Aklinski. If you just want the roster spot, Aklinski looks like the odd man out. If you want to want to get ABs for everyone in that IF then you’ve got a problem. Brito could be moved down and Gomez and Maton could split duties at 2B. Bohm needs the reps, mostly at 3B. He could play 1B one or two days a week. He could also DH but I think he needs at least 5 days a week at 3B.

   So let’s say Brito gets sent to LKW. Stokes at 1B, 6 days a week. Bohm plays 3B 5 times a week, DHs 1 day and plays 1B on the 7th day (feels like a Genesis discussion). Maton, Guthrie, Maton and Gomez could fight it out for splitting 2B and SS with all 3 playing when Bohm isn’t on 3rd. The odd man out could DH once in a while too. There are ABs and fielding reps for each.

   The CLW OF is also full with Muzziotti, Ortiz and Vierling. All need the reps and ABs. Mayer could spell each one of them one day a week and possible get some DH duties on another day or 2.

   I would love to fill out the lineup card here. I’d need a spreadsheet and a few minutes on a supercomputer each week but it could be a lot of fun..

   1. I have to admit that when we have an elite or near elite prospect like Bohm it amuses me that people spend lots of time wondering how he will fit in when gets promoted due to a bunch of also ran prospects that are in the level above him. Listen, when you have a prospect who is hitting like Bohm – the other prospects get the hell out of the way while he develops. So endeth the story.

      1. catch – Amen to that brother!

      2. Yeah, Bohm is going to be a fixture at 3B when he gets to Clearwater. Still have to figure out what to do with the other guys though.

         We might learn a lot about what the team thinks of Brito. He’s probably the highest ceiling IF on their roster right now but hasn’t actually shown much on the field. He was better in his brief appearance in Clearwater last year so he shouldn’t be this bad. Have to wonder how the team feels about him compared to Maton, Scheiner and Gomez.

         1. I believe they think highly of Maton. I think they see Scheiner as more of a corner. And, Brito looks over-matched at the plate every time I see him. He frustrates me the same way that Gamboa did last year. The days where a middle infielder could skate by on just his glove are a thing of the past.

   2. Bellman, there’s no “if”, it’s only a question of “when”.

      Nobody on the current Threshers’ roster will take playing time from Bohm.

6. Alright, who is this Ali Castillo character? Never heard of him until his name started popping up in a positive way every day here.

   1. Hes a guy in his age 30 season who played AAA in 2015, 2016, 2017 and is feasting on AA pitching so far this year. “Nothing to see here.”

7. Reading has to have one of the best bull pens so far this year, they are doing a great job. Leftwich with his curve has been dominate so far, wonder how long before he’s in LV with Dohy.

   1. June 7th i think

      1. rocco…Your boy Nick Pivetta dealing today….6 innings…3 hits…3 BBS and a whopping 14Ks

         Dohy in relief now….cannot find the strike zone…first two batters two walks.

8. I agree on Brito and the clogg, Stokes, Gomez, Maton, Guthrie and Scheiner add Rivas and Antegura (journeymen system infielder) there is no movement for players who perform. Lets add an additional Prospect that cannot hit, cannot bunt or at least put he ball in play at AA. Tired of hearing he’s only 21, he’S BEEN PAMPERED, SHOWCASED (AFL) but given free ride at all levels. Do him a favor, move him and maybe it will help him. We have seen this before with Prospect Encarcion.
   Add Gomez, Maton, Guthrie, Maton to this discussion they are waiting

   1. Could also happen shortly with Vierling who is hitting up a storm now…today his third HR.
      Where does he go into the Reading OF?
      …..three first round picks already there who need ABs.
      So the clog does not always have to be centering around ‘journeyman system infielders’

      1. I’m not quite understanding all the Vierling hype. His triple slash is pretty good but he’s also striking out a lot and doesn’t walk much. Doesn’t figure to hit for a lot of power either.

         Although it might be good to get him against advanced pitchers more quickly so he’ll have more time to see how they attack him and adjust. He strikes me as a guy who will struggle once he gets to AAA because he’s too aggressive.

         1. They have to see if what they have in him is real….AA will be the next test along the way to separate him from the 4A player.
            Better to challenge him and let him make the decision for you.
            IMO, he will do well enough to eventually get to his goal…..he is dedicated enough to push himself it appears….from his senior year in HS as the Missouri HS Player of the Year, with whom his hometown team drafted late in the 2015 draft, thru college at ND and so far pretty successful in the low minors.

            If i had to take a projected guess……his MLB career will be more enhancing than say Aaron Altherr’s has been to this date.

      2. The “clog” is self-inflicted. The Phillies opted to fill their AAA roster with guys who could be counted on to provide quality playing time if needed at the major league level. Turns out that was a smart move. Can you imagine Canelo, Walding, Cozens. Tomscha, Hernandez instead of Rodriguez and Gosselin? And, they still have veterans Lane and Romine if needed. Plus McBride, Brantly, Ngoepe, and Robinson.

         I don’t think very many of us expected them to sign 8 AAAA guys (9 if you count Castillo in Reading). We were wondering if Haseley, Listi, Hall would start at Lehigh. Would Bossart and Grullon be the catchers. And then all the trickle implications that would occur.

9. All winter long I’ve listened to people make their case for signing Dallas Keuchel. The only counter argument that I had was “who would he replace”? Hindsight is 20/20, but he would have replaced Velasquez or Eflin in the rotation. Eickhoff has replaced Pivetta, and in case you haven’t noticed, Pivetta struck out14 batters in 6 innings today. My argument feels validated; the Phillies have more than enough pitchers. What other team has a 5th starter (Velasquez) with an ERA of 1.99? Our 4th starter (Eickhoff) has an ERA of 2.12, So it’s obvious that Klentak was wise to wait for the deadline. We should realize that the bullpen plan had Hunter and Robertson carrying a large portion of the load. With both on the IL, Kapler has had to get creative, and low-and-behold, we’re in first place. There have been slumps, injuries, and blown saves, and there will be plenty more … but WE ARE IN FIRST PLACE. Get excited…

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