Open Discussion: Week of May 13, 2019

Weekly Discussion

The Phillies went 4-2 last week.  They won 3-game series from the Cardinals and Royals.  Perhaps one concerning factor is that they have lost the first game in seven of their last eight series.  “You can’t sweep a series if you don’t win the first game”, Danny Ozark, I think.  Or, maybe Larry Andersen.

Among their 4 wins were –

  • Aaron Nola’s best effort of the season following the series opening loss to the Cardinals.  He pitched six, 3-hit innings allowing one run.  Over his last 3 games, Nola went 18.1 innings, allowed 3 runs, walked five, and struck out seventeen.  After a sluggish start, he has a 3-0 record with a 4.57 ERA.
  • The next night Jerad Eickhoff had one of his best games in an eight inning, three-hit outing.  Over a three game stretch, he pitched 20 innings, allowed one run, walked seven, and struck out seventeen.  He has a 2-1 record with a 1.50 ERA.
  • After an series opening loss to the Royals, Zach Eflin tossed a complete game shutout against the Royals, his third consecutive win and second shutout of the season.  In that stretch, he pitched 25 innings, allowed 2 runs, walked two and struck out fifteen.  He has a 5-3 record with a 2.47 ERA.
  • And finally,  Cole Irvin who pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his MLB debut.  He gave up 5 hits and a walk while striking out five.  He is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA.

I don’t suggest that the Phillies’ starting pitching questions are answered.  But, they have sure received some really good pitching of late.  I, for one, am glad that that the Phillies didn’t listen to those of you who wanted to trade Zach Eflin.

Now, they’ve got a tough 4-game series against the Brewers and a weekend series v. the Rockies.

Regarding the Rhys Hoskins discussion last week.  Hoskins was offered a long term contract around the time Kingery was.  His agent, Scott Boras, turned it down.  I do not recall if the details were released.  No matter.  Hoskins is under under team control for 2019, 2020, then his arbitration years run 2021, 2022, 2023 (his age 30 season).  The Phillies will have already gleaned his best seasons by that time.  The Phillies are under no obligation to throw money away on a player who will more than likely have to compete against other first basemen in what has become a very fungible position anymore.  Boras doesn’t often negotiate away free agent years.  He may have blundered with Hoskins, who will still get paid although it will come through arbitration and not through a long term contract unless Boras changes tactics.

The 40-man roster stands at 40, the entire organization stands at 349.

This is the Phuture Phillies Open Discussion for Phillies and other baseball topics.  Still don’t want to hear about any mythical Trout trades.

Key Dates:

  • June 2, 2019 – DSL Phillies Red begins its 2019 season
  • June 2, 2019 – DSL Phillies White begins its 2019 season
  • June 3-5, 2019 – 2019 Rule 4 Draft
  • June 14, 2019 – Williamsport begins its 2019 season
  • June 24, 2019 – GCL Phillies East begins its 2019 season
  • June 24, 2019 – GCL Phillies West begins its 2019 season
  • July 31, 2019 – Non-waiver trade deadline
  • September 1, 2019 – Roster expansion to 40 players (for the last time)
  • September 17, 2019 – beginning of the Arizona Fall League
  • October 12, 2019 – Arizona Fall Stars Game
  • October 27, 2019 – Arizona Fall League Championship Game

The rosters and lists are up to date. 

Transactions 
5/12/2019 – Phillies optioned LHP Austin Davis to Lehigh Valley
5/12/2019 – Phillies selected the contract of LHP Cole Irvin from Lehigh Valley
5/11/2019 – Phillies placed RHP Vince Velasquez on the 10-day IL retro to 5/7/19, forearm
5/11/2019 – San Francisco claimed CF Aaron Altherr off waivers from Phillies
5/11/2019 – Phillies recalled LHP Austin Davis from Lehigh Valley
5/11/2019 – Luis Cedeno assigned to Williamsport from Clearwater
5/11/2019 – Luis Ramirez assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
5/11/2019 – Tom Windle assigned to Lehigh Valley from Williamsport
5/10/2019 – Lehigh Valley placed RF Dylan Cozens on the 7-day IL
5/10/2019 – RHP Oswald Medina assigned to DSL Red
5/9/2019 – RHP Luke Leftwich assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
5/9/2019 – RHP Connor Brogdon assigned to Reading from Clearwater
5/9/2019 – RHP Seth McGarry assigned to Williamsport from Lehigh Valley
5/9/2019 – LHP Tom Windle assigned to Williamsport from Lehigh Valley
5/9/2019 – RHP Alexis Rivero assigned to Lehigh Valley from Williamsport
5/9/2019 – RHP Luis Cedeno assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
5/9/2019 – RHP Dalvin Rosario assigned to Williamsport from DSL White
5/9/2019 – OF Jose Cedeno assigned to GCL East from DSL White
5/9/2019 – RHP Nicoly Pina assigned to GCL West from DSL Red
5/9/2019 – Phillies signed IFA RHP Oswald Medina
5/8/2019 – RHP Ismael Cabrera assigned to Williamsport from Clearwater
5/8/2019 – RHP Luis Carrasco assigned to Williamsport from Clearwater
5/8/2019 – RHP Andrew Brown assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
5/8/2019 – RHP Austin Ross assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
5/8/2019 – RHP Kyle Glogoski assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
5/8/2019 – LHP Ethan Lindow assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
5/8/2019 – RHP Benjamin Brown assigned to Lakewood from Williamsport
5/8/2019 – RHP Tyler McKay assigned to Lakewood from Williamsport
5/8/2019 – RHP Alexis Araujo assigned to GCL East from DSL Red
5/8/2019 – LF Jimmy Smith assigned to Lakewood from Williamsport
5/7/2019 – OF Danny Mayer assigned to Williamsport from Clearwater
5/7/2019 – OF Ben Aklinski assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
5/6/2019 – Phillies optioned RHP Enyel De Los Santos to Lehigh Valley
5/6/2019 – Phillies recalled RHP Edgar Garcia from Lehigh Valley

234 thoughts on “Open Discussion: Week of May 13, 2019”

  1. One important thing to consider as the Phillies go forward, and one common denominator presently among Nola, Arrieta, Eflin, Eickhoff and Irvin – they each seem to have both a cerebral handle on what they are doing on the mound AND confidence in doing it. Only Jake is on the wrong side of 30. To me, this is a good development for a playoff contender.

  2. I Thought it was interesting yesterday. Ricky Bo talked about having a kid do what Irvin was important. He said V.V And Pivetta were starting not because of potential .. but because we had no one to push them like Irvin did yesterday.

    1. Sometimes you need to “push” a player by the fear of being replaced.

      Franco by Manny.

      Cesar by Kingery.

  3. When the Phillies were rebuilding, they were throwing pitchers out there hoping some would take the next step. So when Pivetta/VV/Eflin/Eickhoff/Nola/Lively got their chances, I didn’t have a problem with that. They deserved to get their chance. But at some point, potential needs to turn into production, regardless of a 95+ fastball or spin rate. I just waited to see who would make the leap to big league starter. You could say that Nola and Eickhoff succeeded based on a lot of factors (maturity/improved command/etc.) At this point, I’m just happy they made it.

    Now that the Phillies are contenders, we can’t afford to wait on VV/Pivetta to realize their potential. We’re trying to win games here. Even though Eflin has looked great, we’ve seen this act before (i.e. last season). He needs to get it together for a full season, although his recent success has me very encouraged. I don’t think he’s #1 material, but if he’s a 3 starter with times that he looks like a 2, I’ll take that anyday of the week.

    And this brings us to Cole Irvin’s marvelous debut. Yes, I know people are frustrated with VV ( I know I am). But to think that Irvin can be a mainstay in the rotation after 1 start, is WAY too optimistic. Should Irvin get another start? Of course. But as much as VV is borderline hated here, we need to take a step back and see that VV STILL has 0.7 WAR (Pivetta has -0.4 WAR). So if VV is healthy and the Phillies think he deserves another chance, I’m ok with it. But let me be clear, I’m certain that it will be VV’s last chance. So we’ll see happens.

    1. Guru – What Irvin’s start did for the Phillies was to fill a gap. The convenient injury to Velasquez has given Irvin a chance to show his worth. He’ll get another chance on Friday against a better opponent (Colorado). I wish the best for both Velasquez and Irvin.

      1. Cole Hamels replaced Vicente Padilla in 2006. Cole Irvin replaces Vincent Velasquez 2019. Coles for Vinnies.

        1. And the coincidences go on. Both debuted on May 12. Both lefties. Both let up one run. Both won. Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy and Kennedy’s secretary was named Lincoln. Need I go on?

  4. While I admitt to bias, (I’ve always liked Eflin), I think he has a greater upside than many give him credit for. While he doesn’t have the pure “stuff” of VV or Pivetta, he seems to know how to pitch. He’s not a number one or two but certainly shows the potential to become a mainstay in the middle of the rotation along with Eickhoff. Not every pitcher has to be an “ace”. For him, like most who are not “lights out”, consistency will be the key. I’m encouraged so far this year.

    1. Dave47…agree. many espouse the pitch-to-contact philosophy…but that has been his bread -and -butter all thru the minors and for the most part in the majors the last three years.
      The one difference he has over the many other RHPs who throw that 2Smr exclusively, ie Hendricks, Porcello et al…..he can harness the 4 Smr to 95/96 when he has to, and also has the height with the added downward plane, and long stride and release point to baffle the hitters.

  5. Nice game by Cole. I read reports that said his Velo was 89-92. He was 87 89 yesterday

    1. I love Irvin’s quote to Jim Salisbury: “I’m not your prototypical prospect. I just get outs.”

    2. First game MPH stats can be misleading. It’s possible that he wasn’t opening it up more because he wanted to stay under control. I’ve seen him hit 92 and 93, maybe even 94. There’s more there and some lefties gain a little velocity in their late 20s. He’s an interesting guy to have around.

      2. Looking at Phillies’ and Cubs’ starting rotations; Hamels and Irvin might match up in Chicago next week on the 22nd.

        1. If the current schedules hold up, it will be a storyline SP match up:

          Arrieta vs Darvish – the replacement vs the replaced
          Eflin vs Quintana – battle of the rotation dark horse
          Irvin vs Hamels – who is the better lefty Cole
          Nola vs Lester – #1 vs #1 mano-y-mano

          1. Wait, Yu Darvish is healthy? The same Yu Darvish that a lot of people wanted to sign as a FA? Wow, he’s walking 8 per game.

      3. Irvin throws 3 types of FB and is known to manipulate the speed in lieu of control. Irvin can dial it up to 93-94 but his FB lacks movement that he prefers to bury the ball in the corners, thus, command over velocity.

        We might see a 88-91 version of Cole Irvin but once he gained more confidence and experience, he can start throwing the FB harder.

  6. Irvin is your classic command feel lefty. In/out up/down for the most part stayed out of the center of the plate. Some cut on his average FB. Great start by him. Of course you’ll want to see that same effectiveness over 5-6 starts and maybe see it against some better line-ups.

    If I’m not mistaken a lot of clubs have a VR tool where once you get enough video on a guy you can stand in and take virtual AB’s against him.

    Should be a fun stretch. I have plans to head down for the Business Person Special on Thursday. I expect we’ll get rained out tonight which means the starters all get bumped back one spot.

    1. Maybe they will play two on Wed, or maybe even Thursday…Brew Crew head down to Atlanta after Philly, short flight, so they could still do that.

      1. Romus did you see D. Santana numbers 38 rbi 7 hrs, high obp wonder why he was traded,?

        1. His defense is not great. In fact, he’s posting a -0.9 dWar at Safeco Field. Tells me that his range is the likely culprit.

            1. Why was he traded?
              Three reasons….Braun, Cain and Yelich.
              He just is not a pinch hit/ once a week starter.

        2. Do you mean from us or the Brewers? Or the Astros? Weird someone so good has moved around so much. Can anyone confirm that it was a mistake putting his name in the PTBNL list? If so, how does that even happen?

          1. In 6 years, Domingo Santana has a career .811 OPS but 4.1 WAR. Why is that? It’s because his defense is a liability. So if somebody wants to trade for him and you think you have somebody better, off he goes.

    2. The forecast I’m looking at has a break in steady rain from 5pm through 10pm, with scattered spotty showers. I think they will get it in tonight or make every effort to.

  7. 8mark – I’m not as optimistic as you. The temperature will be in the 40’s by game time.

    1. That’s true, Wawa. But I did hear recently that the league has now strongly urged teams and umpires to do what it takes to play ball, and then make up games ASAP.

      1. MLB is loaded….except for Fenway and Wrigley…have them help fund retractables on all ball parks.
        Most rain outs gone. 🙂

  8. Kingery will begin a rehab assignment in Lakewood tonight (again, weather permitting). He’s expected to get time at SS, 2B, 3B and CF. With both Franco and Doobie having a recent downturn in production, we should expect him to get time at 3b and CF. Unfortunately there aren’t any inter league road games until Detroit in late July and Boston in late August. By then, trades will likely have been made to significantly alter the makeup of the roster.

    Speaking of which, while I am encouraged by Irvin’s performance yesterday, Eflin’s emergence and Eickhoff’s return to 2016 form, the need for an established SP still can’t be dismissed but only put off until the deadline nears. Injury(ies) is (are) a reality waiting to happen. And again, we can’t depend on young arms to make the necessary push to the postseason.

    All in all, things are looking up for the only active team in town. But nonetheless, carpe diem!

  9. Now that Aaron Altherr was picked up by Giants I’m checking on his progression. Not seeing him on their roster or on their AAA affiliate Sacramento River Cats. Any idea where he is?

    Looking at River Cats team I noticed that Dave Brundage is their manager, he was the manager of the Pigs from 2013-2017, so a connection.

    Also see that Brock Stassi, Fernando Abad and Zach Green, former Phillies are on roster. Also a Ryan Howard, which is neither the Subway Guy or the one that worked for Dunder Mifflin.

  10. I mentioned before that Cole Irvin can be the left handed version of Eickhoff and Irvin like that yesterday. Irvin’s SL looks sharp and he commanded it very well on both sides of the plate – Irvin’s SL can be his “out” pitch similar to Eickhoff’s CB. Irvin throws 3 types of FB (4S, 2S and Cutter) and I’ve seen him dial it up to 94 — but he controls the velocity to get better placement in the plate so Irvin will be mostly 88-91 with his FB.

    Irvin also has a smooth delivery like Tom Glavine so the command of his pitches will be there. However, Irvin needs to develop a reliable 3rd pitch since he doesn’t have a legit plus pitch to rely on. Irvin’s CB and CU are work in progress although the CU appears to be better than the CB.

    1. I’ve seen multiple comments where Irvin is being comped with Glavine in their similar delivery. Let’s keep it real BUT that is a good place to start.

      1. Just to clarify, I only made reference to Tom Glavine’s delivery (not compare both players) – which is smooth and repeatable, For a pitcher like Irvin who lacks helium, that’s good because Irvin need to rely on pinpoint command to not get crushed — a smooth and repeatable delivery will help.

        1. You mean, just like Eflin got the other night?😉 Pitchers get those calls when they are in command. And why not. They’ve earned the benefit of the doubt.

      3. 8mark – I agree with this comment but KC announcers said he looked like Glavine because he was pitching off the plate ; also looked a little like Lester, they said. Who ever he looks like – the kid had a wonderful tempo to his pitching, got the ball and threw it, and batters seemed so off kilter they were swinging at first pitches which resulted in an Eflin-esque pitch count – 82 or so in the 8th ? It was great to see the game move along. I don’t believe any more than 3 pitches were hit with any authority.

      4. 8mark – Until yesterday there was no “Book” on Irvin. Now there is plenty of video showing his approach, what he goes to when he needs a K, and other things. He’ll need to be as good or better on Friday against the Rockies.

        1. Agree. If he struck me as a kid with a ‘deer in the headlights’ type, I wouldn’t be as hopeful as I am.

          1. Saw him in ST and he had a wild streak in one game. After many balls in a row he threw a strike, crowd gave the ‘Bronx” cheer. He embraced it by raising his arms and smiling. Head on straight kind of player.

  11. I’ve mentioned since winter that the only starting pitcher who would be a definite upgrade was Corbin. After he signed, I turned my attention to other areas, like the bullpen. Relievers are such a hot and cold group that I feel that every team should always be looking to upgrade, and the Phillies are no different. Outside of a couple of games that the bullpen has imploded, Phillies relievers have been adequate. Unfortunately, adequate doesn’t get you into the post season. The Phils are relying on Alvarez, Nicasio (who should only be used in blowouts),, and Ramos, who is hot and cold. I still believe that Robertson and Hunter will be upgrades, when or if they get healthy., but it’s foolish to wait. The Phillies (semi-reliable) relievers Dominguez, Morgan, Neris, and Neshek need help, and they need it now.

    1. As you just mentioned, relievers can look good 1 year and putrid the next. It’s very tough to find decent relievers since every team is on the lookout for them. At this point, Nicasio looks to be the long man along with Alvarez. To Nicasio’s credit, he has gotten better recently. Anyways, we’re playing the waiting game with Robertson and Hunter. Unless you want to sign Kimbrel ASAP, nobody will be trading relievers until we get closer to the deadline. Hopefully by then, we can get a clearer picture of our bullpen.

    1. Romus – I will take Watson and/or their lefty closer, Will Smith – either one, albeit the latter is a free agent.

      2. RU/.Guru…the relievers, I agree, would be my target….more so than Bumgarner at this point.
        I think Sabean wants to get the most now before Keuchel hits the post-draft June market and one less team bids for Bumgarner.
        But the Giants, are close to a carbon copy of the aging Phillies of 2012…except they got two additional rings out of their core.

    2. The Giants had a great run. 3 titles in 5 years, can’t ask for much more than that. But now they’re paying the price. Their team is really old, and unless they pull Lincecum/Bumgarner/Posey in consecutive drafts, they’ll be rebuilding for a while.

      Opening shop now is curious, so I’m thinking they want some teams to overpay now if they really want to get their guy. I have to admit, they have a lot of decent relievers. And Bumgarner is still effective even though he’s negative WAR right now.

  13. Jim – with all due respect, what kind of contract do you think the Phillies offered Hoskins last year? I’ll bet it was way, way, way below his projected market value and they can always start negotiating again at any time. If Kingery turns out to be an every day first division regular, which is quite possible, the Phillies will make out like bandits. You can’t blame Hoskins for seeking what he is really worth.

    1. By way of more direct reply – I doubt that the Phillies’ failure to reach a long term deal with Hoskins last year was a mistake by Hoskins. In fact, I think exactly the opposite is true. He’s done nothing but increase his market value – whether on a longer term deal or through arbitration. He’s going to get paid a lot if he plays like this.

      1. Boras is Rhys’ agent….doubt he will sit down this early with the Phillies.

          1. Doubt it very much, they put their trust in him, he knows best, he is the best…however, players have just fired Boras in the past when disillusioned, and move onto another agent …Manny did that.

  14. A crap-shoot by and large….but fans want their teams to sign the big bonus kids of Latin America….the 2011 J2 top 30 big signings.
    The then 16-year olds should be 24 now and in the majors if things worked out well for them.

    ***1. Nomar Mazara… OF…Rangers…DR… $4.95 million
    2. Ronald Guzman… OF…Rangers ..DR… $3.45 million
    3. Elier Hernandez… OF… Royals…DR… $3.0 million
    4. Victor Sanchez… RHP… Mariners…Ven…$2.5 million
    ***5. Adalberto Mondesi… SS…Royals ….DR… $2.0 million
    6. Jose Leal…. OF… Mariners…Ven $1.925 million
    7. Mark Malave… C….Cubs …Ven… $1.6 million
    T-8. Yohander Mendez… LHP… Rangers …Ven… $1.5 million
    ***T-8. Roberto Osuna… RHP…. Blue Jays….Mex… $1.5 million
    T-10. Wuilmer Becerra… OF…Blue Jays…Ven…$1.3 million
    T-10. Dawel Lugo… SS…Blue Jays…DR… $1.3 million
    T-12. Luis Enrique Acosta… SS… Cubs …DR… $1.1 million
    T-12. Dorssys Paulino… SS… Indians …DR… $1.1 million
    T-12. Jose Ruiz… C… Padres …Ven…$1.1 million
    15. Harold Ramirez… OF… Pirates…col…$1.05 million
    16. Raymel Flores… SS… Red Sox…DR… $900,000
    17. Jonathan Perez… RHP…..Reds…Ven… $825,000
    T-18. Jose Garcia… C… Mets…Ven… $800,000
    ***T-18. Manuel Margot… OF… Red Sox…DR… $800,000
    20. Carlos Tocci… OF… Phillies…Ven… $759,000
    ***T-21. Miguel Andujar… 3B… Yankees…DR… $750,000
    T-21. Adelyn Santa… 3B… Tigers…DR… $750,000
    T-21. Andres Serrano… RHP… Cardinals…DR… $750,000
    T-24. Jesus Gonzalez… OF…Blue Jays…Ve… $700,000
    ***T-24. Franmil Reyes…OF…Padres…DR…. $700,000
    T-24. Luis Reynoso… SS… Astros…DR…. $700,000
    T-27. Miguel Gonzalez…. RHP…. Twins….DR…. $650,000
    T-27. Pedro Payano… RHP… Rangers…DR… $650,000
    29. Dioscar Romero… RHP…. Red Sox….DR… $600,000
    ****30. Elvis Escobar…. OF…. Pirates….Ven… $570,000

  15. David Robertson won’t throw for another 3 weeks after seeing Dr James Andrews. Edubray’s shoulder stiffness has him on the IL. Austin Davis is back up.

    Looking at matchups, Milwaukee has generally hit Nola pretty well so the bats may need to put up some crooked numbers. Problem is, none of our guys have ever faced righty Freddy Peralta, except Bryce who’s homered in 3 AB’s against him.

    1. Are there any relievers without ailments?
      Klentak’s reliever free agents signings over the last 3/4 years have produced quite a few IL/DL occurrences.

  18. In the bottom of the second, did Herrera have the green light or just decide to swing away on the 3 & 0 with nobody out and 1 on. What do you think?

  19. Why was Doobie given a green light down 2 runs when we just need baserunners???

    Meanwhile, opposing defenses have been very generous lately.

    1. I don’t think he had the green light, he had a funny look on his face when he sat down on the bench, like someone questioned him on it.

      1. ….and FWIW, I looked at the replay. That ball he hit to left should have been caught but Perez did his Rhys Hoskins impersonation out there and took a bad route. Otherwise Doobie is 0-fer.

  20. I’ll just leave this right here . . .
    .306/374./.465/.840

    On another note . . . Is this what we have in store as far as Harper goes for 13 years? If so we really are gonna regret that contract.

    1. This is how Harper rolls. Sounds to me like you haven’t paid as nearly as much attention to his career as you do our illustrious second baseman. I agree that he’s striking out too much. But I’m not going to worry about it 6 weeks into the season. Even as he struggles at the plate, his impact on the game is still significant.

      Please, promise us that you’ll keep posting Cesar’s slash line the rest of the season, not just the games he’s contributed at the plate. Let’s keep the bigger picture in view.

      1. Of course I’ll post his numbers all year long . . . let me up date you on his MLB ranks . . .
        Ranks among MLB 2B

        Runs 5th
        Hits 5th
        2B 4th
        RBI 9th
        BB 4th
        Avg 4th
        OPB 3rd
        SLG 9th
        OPS 5th

        those number paint the picture of one of the better 2B in all of baseball. All hail Ceasar!!!

        As far as Harper goes, this isn’t him. He’s only preformed this bad in 2 of his prior 7 years. Not to mention his best months of baseball have always been early on (also solid Sept/Aug, lets hope that trend continues). Maybe bc he didn’t have a spring training but he’s on pace to strikeout over 200 times which would be a first for him, he’s actually never really gotten close (169 would be the closest). My thing is, if this is Harper at 26 . . . what do we have at 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 etc. This might be a move that looks great when signed but as it progresses it looks pretty bad. Hope not tho. and yes it’s month 2 of a 13 year deal, I get how early it is.

          1. You really don’t like him as a player huh? Just don’t get it. Leads a first place team in hits and batting average yet is talked about like the red headed step child.
            All hail Cesar!!!!

            1. Cesar actually, may get enough local votes to make the all-star team.
              His metrics definitely suggest that could happen.
              Now wouldn’t that a kicker….then trade him for $500K international money..:)
              ..now waiting for rocco to respond.

            2. Well, Eric – I tell you what. I like him better than Odubel. Cesar seems like a good guy. I actually think he’s grown in confidence since Bowa sat him down a couple years ago. He’s got a good approach at the plate. He occasionally turns on a pitch with that whip like swing (when he guesses right like last night) and shows a modicum of power.

              Although he has speed, he doesn’t run the bases well. He makes most routine plays but doesn’t flash leather enough for the gaffes he commits in the field. He is proficient in tag plays at 2b, however.

              When he goes into an extended funk at the plate, there is little else that he brings to the party to offset it. In the end, I guess his debits don’t outnumber his credits. But for the life of me, there’s that something missing in his game. If I could name it, I would. But I also know there are many people, a few I know personally, who would also rather have somebody else as our second baseman.

              That’s my best summation of Cesar Hernandez. It’s not an indictment. But it’s far from an endorsement.

            3. Cesar over the last five seasons does have 25 triples so he can use that speed to his advantage.

            4. Thanx for the honesty 8mark. Respect your opinion and again the honesty.
              And you know I had to add these 2 tidbits. Only Nolan A has a better average in the month of May. And his OBP in May is sitting at .500.

  21. i am a little surprised looking at mlb.com’s top 30 international players and seeing the Phillies are projected to not sign any of them. They usually grab 1 or 2 so i find it a little shocking given how poor they have drafted and the success other teams are having signing and developing international players.

    I am also a little disappointed at how almost all of our top prospects are struggling to start this year. “Haseley, L.Garcia, JoJo, Moniak, Randolph, Ortiz, Gamboa, Brito, R.Duran” all have struggled. I was hoping at least a couple of them would break out. I still have hope especially for Garcia given how young he is. Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard are the only ones keeping me checking out the box scores every night and Howard is on the DL.

    1. You need to read the Clearwater box score more often – our best prospects, in my opinion, are almost all at Clearwater.

    2. joey they will most likely do that 10 players at 100000 types this year. They like volume

  22. i woke up at 4 am, turned on T.V first thing i see is Cesar bomb, think of romus saying we could get 50000 international money for him. Not even a relief pitcher, all he is worth is little money.

  23. We seem to be seeing a lot of teams playing poor defensive players or players out of positon to get bats in the lineup. You really saw that with the Cards but Milwaukee too. We’ve been benefitting from that

    1. When you’re playing players with “positional flexibility”, this is what you get. Defense goes down the drain. It’s rare that you will have players that can handle multiple positions at a gold glove level, more so if it’s an infielder playing in the OF.

  24. Two hours to play the first four innings. Can’t be surprised with what’s going on with Nola. He struggled right out of the gate in spring training.

    The Brewers stacked the lineup with lefty hitters (as they will all series). What is key with Nola is that he can master the CU like last year.

  25. I saw some grit last night and that makes me happy. Also found that the game was also on ESPN last night so I got to listen to a few different points of view on the Phillies. It was honest and refreshing.

    That said on MLB network no one has us listed on the top 5 of power rankings. 2 NL teams and 3 AL: Astros, Dodgers, Twins, Yankees and Cubs. Some had The Rays in there instead of the Twins.

    1. That’s coincidental. This team is almost 50% different in personnel, and higher level of talent/more experience.

      1. Agreed. That team was playing way over its head. This team isn’t even really hot and it’s 8 games over .500 (kudos to them for creating such a deep line-up with OBP skills which grinds other pitchers down and always puts men in scoring position – it was a very well executed thing). I predicted this team would win between 91-95 games – I think that’s a pretty solid prediction right now.

  27. Hope that is not an omen of what to expect come August/Sept again
    BTW…..first time I ever saw someone use the ‘eery’ form of ‘eerie’.

  28. the encouraging part is we are 24-16 with poor starts from nola and harper and no one on the team playing at an unsustainable level
    bodes well for the next few months

    1. Nola’s command is off this year with more BBs..and getting slugged hard on CB (.419 vs.250-2018)…and 4Smr and 2Smr FBs. Hopefully the warmer weather will make gripping the tight laces better for him.

  29. I got into a mini debate on another site last night. Basically, I said that Damon Jones was a potential stud, and the other guy said that he was organization filler. I suppose the answer is, “It’s too soon to tell”. Your thoughts.

    1. Austin Davis was also to be org filler two years ago….he made it his MLB debut last year. Jones will gt there also…unless injuries derail him.
      What level of achievement and for how consistent and for how long he stays there remains to be seen.

      1. Talking about organizational fillers, I don’t want 10 international signings at a total of $100k. Let’s get value not volume.

        Also, starting pitchers go 6-7 innings and no piggybacking. Position players have set positions and concentrate on defense at one then making contact on offense.

        Quality not quanity.

    2. I doubt he’s filler – the question is whether he’s a long term rotation mainstay, on the one end of the spectrum, or a AAAA guy who doesn’t quite have the command to stick in the big leagues, on the other end of the spectrum. But he appears to have one thing you really can’t teach – raw stuff. That’s what makes him exciting.

      1. Catch – I don’t see him as a rotation mainstay. With his K ability, I see him as a late inning left handed reliever.

        1. Could be, but he’s evolving. Who knows? I wrote rotation mainstay as his ceiling. His destination is likely much lower. For him it appears it will be about developing control and command. He can’t live behind in the count to upper minor or major league hitters.

    3. The answer is somewhere in between, probably. I look at him as a future reliever because he has two pitches and poor command, it seems. So for me he’s like Kyle Dohy but farther away.

    4. It’s early to tell on Damon Jones. The Phillies will do a Mo Llovera on him – continue to try him out as a SP and develop a reliable 3rd pitch. Damon Jones FB can develop as plus touching mid-90s from the left side. The CB is a good secondary pitch grading as average right now but with sharp bite from time to time.

      Damon Jones can develop as a really good LH pen arm and possibly better than Kyle Dohy because of better command of his pitches.

      1. Just a clarification, I don’t imply that Damon Jones has good command, I’m just implying that Damon Jones has better command of his pitches compared to Kyle Dohy.

        Damon Jones still struggle with his location but he can miss bats with both of his pitches – FB and CB which is a good baseline for a solid back end reliever.

        1. I missed Parkinson in REA in the 2 games I watched, but based on what I know, his profile is still the same as he was when I saw him in LWD multiple times.

          Parkinson projects as #5 (#4 tops). Parkinson has similar profile with Irvin (good command, mix 4 pitches well but average stuff) but his CU is better than Irvin and Parkinson can miss bat with all of his pitches. Watching Parkinson is like watching the left handed version of Ben Lively but I’m more optimistic about Parkinson because he can miss bats which Ben Lively can’t.

            1. KC Tripe A team. KC called him up 3 weeks ago and gave up 3 runs in 1 IP and was optioned back again.

    5. Wawa, I’ll just go on my one time seeing Jones pitch a couple weeks ago. The fastball is real. He is composed on the mound. He has potential. As is so often mentioned on this site, we’ll see when he gets promoted and has to face more experienced bats.

  30. Sixto was promoted to Double-A Jacksonville on Tuesday.
    Jeter is wasting no time.

    Reported:
    “The Marlins managed Sanchez’s workload with a late start to the season, but he’ll move up after just two starts for High-A Jupiter. He didn’t pitch particularly well in those two starts, allowing six runs in 11 innings while striking out just six batters, but the Marlins may simply have been treating those as a quick tune-up before he spends the bulk of the season with Jacksonville. Over his five-year minor-league career, the 20-year-old has a 2.60 ERA with a 21.4 percent strikeout rate and 4.9 percent walk rate”

  31. Without looking…is Maikel Franco having a good hitting season?

    wait for it….

    The answer is definitively…that he is not. Actually he is having one of his worst hitting season in his career.

    His .241 BA with .315 OB% and .749 OPS is inflated by 9 intentional walks, which really ad no value because the pitcher hitting behind him isn’t driving him in.

    If you remove those 9 PAs, his line is .241 BA with a .276 OB% and an .710 OPS, which is really bad.

    1. Yup. That’s why I’ve been saying that Kingery’s most likely destination this year is third base, not second. But you say the word “Cesar” around here and people go berserk one way or another. The choice is not really a hard one right now, however.

      1. I agree, when Kingery comes back, he should be taking starts away from Franco, not Cesar or Odubel. And I wouldn’t be shocked if Franco loses his job by August or the start of next season.

        1. We xan win with Franco. How about Pedro Feliz in 2008 and Dave Hollins/Kim Batiste in 1993? Rest of team provides most of the O and he leads with some O and a lot of D and Spirit.

          1. Denny…Franco’s last 20 games, his OPS+ is under 55…..that ain’t going to hack it.
            He needs to get back his mo-jo….or else Kingery will be over there if he picks up where he left off before the hamstring injury.

          2. But his defense is actually just average and his bat is below average. If he doesn’t improved markedly and quickly, he’s ripe to be replaced or lose at bats. He is not helping them win right now.

        2. And if Bohm continues to go boom, Maikel will not be blocking him. And if there’s a DH in the National League, maybe not Rhys, either.

          1. Let’s hope Franco holds value as a trade chip in a bigger package for a TOR at the deadline. I can see him in a Texas Rangers uniform. I know. That’s not a scientific way of looking at it, but…

      2. I wouldn’t have any problem slotting Kingery in at 3B instead of taking Cesar’s job if I thought he was actually a 3B. I just don’t think his arm cuts it at the corners. He’s a tremendous 2B. But there’s a reason he didn’t get drafted as a SS, and it’s not his range. He’ll get to more balls than Franco does, but there’s no way he makes even close to as many off-balance throws to catch the runner.

        Now is the step down on defense more than the step up on offense? I’m not sure. It’s probably an experiment worth trying. But I don’t expect Franco’s offense to stay this low all season, nor do I expect Kingery to keep producing at the clip he was. So it’s a tricky juggling act.

        Plus, he spent his entire minor league career polishing his 2B defense. And it’s just now at the majors that he’s needing to learn other positions on the fly. He deserves a chance to make adjustments at the plate while playing a position he’s comfortable at rather than needing to work on both sides of the game at once.

    1. Medina lasted 4.2 innings today. He’s awful. Has he reached his ceiling?

      1. Doubtful. We don’t know what he’s working on at the moment. Pitching prospects tend to struggle when they work on their areas of weakness (he might be throwing a new pitch more often than he’d like to, for example). Especially early in the season.

        Check back in two months, if there’s been no improvements then worry.

  33. Franco’s timing for inevitable benching couldn’t be better (or worse, for him.) This may be the beginning of the end of his Phillies career.

    And Doobie – was he benched by Gabe after trying to steal 3-0 (on his own?) earlier tonight and swinging 3-0 down 2 runs last night? How many messages will it take before he’s no longer in red pinstripes?

  34. Didn’t get s chance to see the game, but sounds like Eickhoff hit his first dud of the year. Keep rolling him out, still no need to overreact and sign kuechel. Keep holding the line till the near the deadline, reasses. Same with the bullpen. The Phils have a ton of dead weight (salary wise) in Robertson, hunter, and Niasco. Adding Kimbrel, not sure that’s the wisest move at his asking price with VV,Pivetta, DLS, Anderson, and others who can possibly step in, the FO/team just need to do it/know before the deadline.

  35. I Really dont want to sound like i dont like Eichoff, I just dont like right Handers with no velo. Imo, a pitcher with good velo can get away with more pitches than a soft tosser, They hang that curve ball and its gone. If you go out and your curve isnt there Guys with good velo can get away for at least most of a game with fastballs and occasional breaking ball.But also understand he is back of rotation guy,

    1. It is Eichoff’s lack of a reliable Change Up that is worrisome to me. He struggles against lefthander and if he ever makes it to the playoffs he is going to face lineups stacked with lefties.

      1. In the play-offs you only need three starters.
        I do not see him being a top three in the rotation…Nola hopefully…Arrieta based on experience…and right now Eflin…and who knows what they may do at thre trade deadline as to a starter.

    2. I’m with you . . . a RHP who sits 88-89, even w his curveball (and slider) has to be so perfect or else he’s gonna get hit. Has he always been 88-89, I feel like when he first came over he was closer to 91-92.

      1. Exactly, if he can’t paint the black and put it where he needs too, he is going to get smacked around.

      2. That is absolutely correct…look at the six top current RHPs so far this season…most all have FBs … 94plus velo.
        WAR for Pitchers
        1. Minor • TEX 2.7
        2. Castillo • CIN 2.5
        3. Marquez • COL 2.1
        4. Corbin • WSN 2.0
        5. Eflin • PHI 2.0
        6. Davies • MIL 2.0
        7. Verlander • HOU 2.0
        8. Lester • CHC 1.9
        9. Boyd • DET 1.9
        10. Strasburg • WSN 1.9

            1. Oh, my bad. Thought you were listing all righties. Right on with bringing the numbers, Romua!

            2. And so Eickhoff has to be almost perfect with his command location when he rarely breaks 90. Some guys can do it more often …Cubs’ Hedricks and Sox Porcello…come to mind. But it is so rare.

            3. If you look at it as creative logic, if you want the best #4 starter then the pitcher would not be better than any other #1 thru #3 but he would be at the top of the #4’s: 97th best starter in MLB.

      3. When they sit on his curve as did Braun last night they mash it. it’s always been the case with Eick unfortunately.

        Conversely look at a guy like Kyle Hendricks who barely throws his FB at 88. His change curve and FB all come out of the same tunnel and the arm side run he gets on his 86-88 is incredible.

      4. He’s generally been below from what I’ve seen of him.

        Sounds like there is a bit of an overreaction to Eickoff’s latest start, along with Harper and Franco. Some posters are pointing out stats, all good, but there are thr eye tests and I’d have to disagree with those saying Franco is having a bad year, but ….

        First to Eickhoff. He crushed it last start, and he wasn’t perfect with his location. He can succeed in this league imo, on this team, with a full season, as a 5th starter he can win 14 games. Ben Riveria won 14 or 15 in 93, Eickhoff can play mind games

        I don’t want to hear about harpers slump just yet, this is par for the course with him, from his time in WAS. I’m bit worried. He still impacts the game. He is leading the league in walks and SO if I’m not mistaken. His SO rate is high, and he has been swinging through pitches but I’m still giving him a pass so far. He has to turn junk into Gold most of the time imo

        Franco, imo is having a good year from what I’ve seen. His production in the 8 hole is above league avg. He is driving in runs. No major complaints so far

  36. Today, 5/15, will be a crazy day in my household. The Blueclaws game starts at 8:05 AM. The Threshers game starts at 7:30 AM, and the Reading Phillies start at 7:35 AM.

  38. At the quarter pole:
    Latest odds…Phillies chances for play-offs—55%
    ..Braves , Nats and Mets….all between 33% and 38%

  39. I expect Bryce to go on one of his streaks, and I believe no one, maybe except for Cesar, has exceeded my expectations. So, I think we have a very good chance to sustain and surpass what we have done. If we need dome pitching help I think Klentak gets it. I am positive that we see that streak where Bryce is on fire.

    1. Than I fear your expectations for Hoskins and Segura may be a little too high. Both would still meet my expectations with a 50 point drop in OPS.

    1. Just saw that. He was out of options and struggling this season after a solid 2018. He’s a lefty. Anyone interested?

      1. I do not think the Phillies wilt sign him since Morgan seems to be getting the job done right now….I suppose they are hopeful Alvarez and /or Davis will also come around.

    1. rocco – I think that Romero and Medina have both reached their ceilings. Do either one have the stuff to be effective out of the pen?

  45. Look at what the Braves are able to call up vs what we called up. They have a treasure trove of talent. Fortunately we’ve been able to get valuable production from Eickhoff and Irvin as well as Malvern Prep’s favorite son (who is about to get released with Kingery’s return). Certainly not Riley level call ups though.

    1. Good scouting and drafting, along with adept trades by their previous GM……..the irony of which, is banned for life from MLB.

      1. Romus – If you remember from our preseason prospects poll, the majority of the Phillies best prospects were in the low minors. Other than pitching, we can’t rely on help from the Iron Pigs this year.

  46. @Romus………any new developments into the FBI investigation/indictments into the Dodgers baseball operation and minor league system?

    1. Jim…nada.
      The Fraud Section of the DoJ and their prosecutors oversee enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)…and investigations do take awhile.

  47. Our new infield coach has his work cut out for him. Is it possible that one bad inning of defense cost them the game? As for Sean Rodriguez and Phil Gosselin, the simple answer is that we need a serious bench upgrade, even with Kingery returning.

    Jake Arrieta is showing us what he now is essentially – a .500 pitcher AND that we will definitely be needing a very good starting pitcher at the deadline. Our SPs aren’t bad but against better lineups they are certainly vulnerable, and the last 2 nights, they have been exposed.

  48. It’s mentioned a lot on this site and throughout baseball that players need to have baseball instincts, baseball intellect, and baseball smarts. Last night, Sean Rodriguez showed none of them. I believe that Franco would have easily made the correct choice.

    With the bases loaded and no outs, the ball hit directly to you can go a couple of ways: step on third and throw to first (giving up a run); step on third and throw to second (giving up a run because the triple play chance is limited); or throw it home and get the 5-2-3 double play.

    The last one makes the most sense. Shouldn’t even have to think about it. That, Hoskins straying too far off of first base (ticking off Cesar – watch his expression), and McCutchen’s drop of the fly ball were major blunders.

  49. So glad to see Gabe switch Segura and Harper in today’s lineup. I hope it’s bears fruit and is permanent. I think it makes more sense.

  50. Is what we were seeing from Eflin, Eickhoff, and Irvin a mirage or the real thing. Or as Cole Porter wrote, “Is it the good turtle soup or merely the mock.” The next few weeks may answer that.

  51. Maybe Cesar would thrive in the AL where he could DH. His fielding instincts are beginning to…oh, wait – he doesn’t have any instincts.

    1. One significant shortcoming of analytics is that it doesn’t quantify stupidity.

  52. For those who want to argue …short RHP with 90 or below velo are still a viable piece of a MLB rotation…..can use Zach Davies as their example.
    His metrics are really not great…FIP approaches 4 and WHIP hovers in that 1.2/1.3 range.
    And for his career averages less than 6 innings per start.
    But somehow he seems to get the hitters to be off-balance….works well with hitters like Doobie.

    1. You can have one in the rotation, to mix up offerings To hitters. If Eickhoff pitches into the 6th, how does thatv95-98mph fastball look like to hitters from our bullpen? Or better yet, when he whips through a cardinals potent lineup? One start fellas, take it into perspective … for a 4th/5th starter slot. He repeats what he’s done so far through the rest of the season, I’ll take that anyday from a 4/5 slot.

      Bottom line… losing sucks, and watching your team lose sucks too. So I suggest they win. Let someone in the Phillies organization know this.

      1. Tac3…..I think that is the philosophy that managers take when look at those low-velo type pitchers.
        But in this series…..three starters who:
        1. Was a 11th round pick in ’14…Brandon Woodruff…just last two years came on
        2. Davies…..a 89 mph velo FB pitcher
        3. Gio Gonzo….near the end of his rope.

        Phillies batters should have been able to handle them.

  53. romus you take 5 Davies I will take 5 de grom, surprised y would post this nonsense, show me how many 90 velo right handers are top war guys, compared to 94 plus right handers. I said y will find some but most aren’t effective

    1. rocco…did not say I would take these type of pitchers.

      what i said…. people who argue for them will use Davies, and guys like Hendricks and Porcello as examples.

  55. Shame on our bats as well for not hitting Milwaukee’s very mediocre bullpen. Today is also (again) proof positive that we need pitching reinforcements, both rotation and bullpen. These next 3 weeks are crucial against good teams.

    And would someone please send Rodriguez and Gosselin anywhere. Williams has become an utter waste on the bench. Not that he’d make much of an impact in the starting lineup.

    ….but yay! We’re in 1st place!

  56. We’re getting roughed up by a very good Brewers team. Other than game 1, we didn’t show up at all.

  57. Poor baseball, bad defensive mistakes of both physical and mental varieties, poor clutch, or any type of hitting, really, and not a single quality SP performance to be found. We seem to, with the exception of Segura, have lost our HR strokes.

  58. AND the Phillies were really fortunate to win game one. They needed a split in this series and after game one, I thought they’d get it.

    1. Red flags should be fully blowing in the front office. That was embarrassing. They’d better score runs this weekend vs the Rox because they can hit if not much else. Then the schedule gets real difficult.

      1. KImbrel name should be on a contract by six and two new relief arms added

    2. Brewers regrouped…won seven in a row, then lost two to the Cubs and the first here in Philly….last three games they got their mo-jo back….lets hope they keep it going in Atlanta this weekend.

      1. It’s a good thing that this division sucks. Klentak needs to tidy up this mess, especially the arms.

  59. True the division does suck. Mets if they get there starters healthy will win the division if not. maybe we can win it, but will get killed in a series against dodgers, brewers,

  60. It’s a long season, and there will be ups and downs for the Pitchers and the hitters. But, the terrible decision making, defensively, bothers me the most.

  61. Remember when we drafted Moniak and do many people scoffed at the Yelich comparisons???

  62. While I am concerned about the way we hit vs. the Brewers, their pitching is simply not nearly as good as we made them out to be, Seranthony is also causing me a good deal of stress. That overpowering stuff seems to have gone away.

  63. Dominguez goes from the up and coming sure shot fire balling closer of the future to a mop up guy.

    Going from the penthouse to the outhouse has got to be very discouraging (for him and for all of us).

  64. From Keith Law chat yesterday:

    Josh: What is your guess on the root cause of the Phillies recent draft woes? Klentak has done a fantastic job, overdelivering on this re-build. Is this more a scouting issue or driven by guidance from ownership?
    Keith Law: I don’t know – and BTW, it’s really the first round. They’ve botched several first-round picks, at least the three outfielders (Randolph, Moniak at 1, Haseley). Whether that is people or process I do not know.

    ————————————————–

    v1, in answer to your question yesterday, for hitters I think K rate is absolutely huge, as well as age-to-level, and ISO (can offset K rate for a power guy).

    For Moniak this year, K rate of 26.6% is worrisome. He’s young for AA (3.2 years younger than league average), and his ISO is good for CF (.205). His BABIP is normal (.292) so there’s not a huge pending increase or decrease. If he can get to the low 20s in K rate (and a BB rate north of 5% would be nice), and keep an ISO >.200 — in other words, hit better than he has so far — at his age that’s not too shabby in AA. For a centerfielder, that is. And then he would repeat AA as a 22 year old.

    Haseley’s having a good year by K rate, as well as BB rate, with a some improvement likely in BABIP (currently .256), but he’s only 1.2 years younger than the average for the Eastern League (note: while younger than the average player, he’s unlikely to be younger than the average prospect). His numbers indicate an MLB player, but maybe a 4th outfielder?

    Randolph, I don’t think his numbers indicate a major leaguer because he is left field only. His walk rate in the minors has been fine. But he neither hits for a high average nor hits a bunch of homers. That’s a bad combination for a left fielder.

  65. Gabe hinted at some “action steps” last night following the poor play this week. TMac suggested on 94 this morning that we might see the venerable Cesar Hernandez slotted in the leadoff spot, dropping Cutch down in the lineup. We’ll see….there are any number of roster changes that are warranted.

    1. Well, I’m not so sure now what Kapler was referring to, since not only is Cutch still batting leadoff tonight, but Harper is back in the 3 hole. Maybe he was referring to how players present themselves on the field. Maybe he persuaded Bryce to shave and just go with the Hollywood 5 o’clock shadow he’s been sporting. Maybe Doobie’s dreadlocks won’t be frosted anymore? Or Cesar went back to his original color? I don’t know….

  66. I was all on board with Bryce signing, and I am, in no way, backing off that. I am very happy we have the guy. But, after watching these 4 games, the best player on both teams is Christian Yelich.

    1. matt13….do you remember what the Marlins wanted for Yelich a few years ago?

        1. And more than Brinson………OFer Harrison, …infielder Diaz, 22, and RHP 22-year old Yamamoto….so they pulled in a lot for Yelich…..well at least their farm got better.

            1. At that time…..Medina or Sixto (pitchers)…..OFers Williams and either Moniiak or Haseley…..infielder ????, maybe Kingery.
              …….Harrison and Diaz are now in Triple A and doing well.

    2. Matt, I would suggest that in all objectivity and honesty, Harper isn’t even the best player on the Phillies. He may actually be 3rd behind Realmuto and possibly Segura. Nonetheless, I have no concerns about Bryce right now. Even as he struggles at the plate, his presence in the lineup still affects the way opposing pitchers and catchers gameplan.

  67. I agree 8mark, and I wouldn’t change getting Bryce. I brought up Yelich because I remember that a lot of us here wanted him. And, I am not knocking the Phils, it was widely reported that Klentak, et al, really wanted him also. Sixto was definitely part of the demand, but I don’t remember who else. The Marlins were really high on Brinson, and, allegedly, he was the centerpiece. I am, however, very happy we have Realmuto, so if we look at it like Harper and Realmuto or Yelich, I think we are ahead. But, Yelich is one terrific player.

    2. I definitely wanted Yelich, and I was willing to give up Sanchez to get him at the time.

    1. Thanks for making me like the kid even more. He’s actually my favorite to watch pitch. I thought he’d breakout this year . . . So far so good . . .

    1. I thought i saw this in the game yesterday. When Bryce his the Home run. Did he shake the third base coach hand? I thought he didnt even look at him. What is wrong with Sir Anthony.? i cant believe i am saying this, Its time. To sit Franco, And obbie. They are Giving us nothing. I Dont know what this team will do with Gullion he is smashing the ball i dont see the advantage in playing him once a week in big leagues.

      1. No harm letting Grullon play the entire year at AAA. If Realmuto gets hurt they can call him up.

        As for Franco and Doobie, I suspect Kingery will be spelling them. But we don’t have enough depth to sit them both at the same time.

      2. Roc, when Harper turns at 3b on a HR, he’s been cupping his hand over the bill of his batting helmet – kind of a faux salute(?) – as he passes Dusty Wathan. I assume it’s their way of celebrating? I don’t get it myself but I’m sure they do. Just like he has a routine with several teammates.

  70. Dan that is what is driving me crazy today. Look at the braves. They just keep bringing up talent without spending a lot they are really good and young. We dont have one guy beside Grullon ready. not one pitcher for the bullpen. Middleton has to fix this problem, He must replace Johnny A. and get better scouts to develop and find talent.

    1. rocco….that is frustrating to say the least.
      Watching the Braves and Nats keep bringing up young talented position players and the Phillies slowly develop their youngsters, specifically the number one picks,…..I do think however Kingery, Bohm, and Haseley will be important core cogs very soon.

      1. Also important to remember, the key core players, Harper, hoskins, Nola are all 26 or less. Kingery would be starting at 2nd if they didn’t have a solid player Hernandez already there
        No real reason to rush anyone
        No room for Williams even
        Irvin has helped.
        Not saying system isnt somewhat of disappointment but I can see contributors in next yr or 2

    2. That’s been their M.O. for a long time and they really don’t have anything to show for it in recent memory. They’ve won the division twice in the past decade, and got the wildcard twice as well.

      I’m typically envious of their farm system as well, but for as strong as it seems to be and for as fast as a lot of their players start, they don’t have results to show for it. I mean, whatever happened to their vaunted young aces? They seem to have a surefire pitching prospect every year, and every year their rotation is lacking. Acuna seems like the real deal, but so did Heyward.

      For all those young stars, Freeman’s really the only one that had a lasting impact for them.

      1. That would appear to be the case with them.
        The results have not met up with the expectations that the Braves had with their prospects.

        .

        1. Romus if atlanta could spend some money add a player and tor arm and they are tough They cant spend the money the, nats phills and mets can.You almost always have to submit your team with some free agents, they had the money for one top guy, and they only could do one year.

  71. Lots of buzz surrounding the Mets possibly firing their mgr Mickey Callaway any day now. Ken Rosenthal suggests they might go outside the organization and hire somebody like Girardi, Showalter (I can see him take the job) or Dusty Baker. Jim Riggleman is already a candidate to be interim guy since he’s on the current staff.

    1. Riggleman the permanent interim in MLB; if this happens with the Mets how many is that now for him?

    1. Agree…what can be lost for a few games there……maybe it will also give more spark to Cutch in the 6th or 7th hole.

      Last year Gabe tried every different line-up combination conceivable……this year now with the four added veterans….he has differed to not upset the apple cart….especially if it means moving one of the four drastically different in the order.

    2. Why? He and McCutchen have an identical .obp and McCutchen is the better base runner.

  73. Well Aaron Altherr is out there again.
    Not sure if the Phillies will re-sign Altherr next weekend and send him to LHV and get regular ABs with Nick Williams. Adams and Robinson may bolt after June 1st. since they are on minor league contracts, if that is the case, that will give them additional room once they bring up Haseley for CF with the ‘Pigs.

  74. Reason i dont like Eichoff without a fastball. they can lay on the breaking ball, and when you get tired you hang them.I would love to see him be a sixth or seventh inning guy.

  75. Quinn no longer switch hitting….will only bat right handed.
    I guess that will be a good thing for him…once he returns.

      1. He can concentrate solely on his natural hitting side.
        And it seems Phillies are getting away from forcing young players to switch hit, unless they come into the organization already as a switch-hitter.
        Cesar did well…Freddy not so well….Roman who knows….has to stay healthy for awhile.

Comments are closed.