I went to the Complex Saturday to watch my third and final Instructional League game between the Phillies and Blue Jays. Mark Wylie and I were the only TWO people in attendance. The game started at 9:30 AM and was over by noon. Word is that a lot of players were going home that afternoon.
The Phillies fielded the following starting line up –
- 5, Jose Tortolero/Guarner Dipre
- 6, Jonathan Guzman/Luis Garcia
- 2, Edgar Cabral/Rodolfo Duran
- 9, Jhailyn Ortiz/7, Jose Cedeno
- 3, Nate Fassnacht
- DH, Micah Yonamine/Jamari Baylor
- 8, Matt Vierling
- 7/8, Johan Rojas
- 4, Nicolas Torres/Edgar Made
- DH, Simon Muzziotti/Abrahan Guttierez
- 1, Ben Brown/Gunner Mayer/Blake Brown/Zarbnisky/Brett Shultze/Billy Sullivan/Jack Perkins
We got to see seven Phillies’ pitchers including a TJ rehabber and a couple of interesting names. The pitching was much better this week. A couple of guys who pitched last week showed marked improvement.
Photos provided by Mark Wylie.
First Inning. First surprise. Ben Brown stalked out to the mound. He managed an impressive 2 strike outs and a fly out to left.
In the bottom of the first, Tortolero opened the inning with a lined single to right. Guzman followed with a ground single down the first base line. He continued to second as Tortolero was thrown out at third. Cabral grounded out to third with Guzman taking third on the throw. Ortiz struck out looking.
Second inning. Second surprise. Brown came out to pitch, again. He gave up a lead off single. That runner was erased when Brown stretched to snag a come backer and start a double play. He ended the inning with a ground ball to short.
At the time, I reported over twitter that Brown was making his first post-surgery appearance. My friend corrected me and told me that Brown had pitched in a couple of intrasquad games. This was probably his first appearance against another team as his team mates cheered as he left the mound at the end of the second inning.
In the bottom of the second, Fassnacht led off with a lined single to CF. Yonamine and Vierling followed with fielder’s choices. Rojas beat out an infield single to third. But, Tortolero ended the inning with a ground out.
Third Inning. Gunner Mayer took the mound. He got a pop up to short then walked a batter, threw a wild pitch, and hit a batter. He rebounded with a strike out and a fly out.
In the bottom of the third, Muzziotti grounded out weakly to the pitcher. Tortolero was hit by a pitch. Guzman flied out. Cabral lined a single to left. And, Ortiz struck out.
The Phillies had 2 base runners in each of the first three innings on 5 singles and a hit batter but had nothing to show for it.
Fourth inning. Blake Brown rebounded from his appearance the week before. He retired the Jays in order on a ground out to second, fly out to right, and a strike out.
In the bottom of the fourth, Fassnacht collected his second hit with a drive to the warning track in left center. He advanced to third on Yonamine’s ground out to third. Vierling flew out to shallow right, too shallow for the runner to score. Rojas beat out another infield single as Fassnacht scored. Torres made the final out. Phillies led 1-0.
Fifth inning. Braden Zarbnisky followed up his strong appearance last week with a 1-2-3, two-strike out inning sandwiched around a fly out to CF.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Phillies would revert to a bad yet recurring habit. They went down in order for the next four innings. Muzziotti grounded out, Tortolero struck out, Guzman grounded out.
Changes: Duran to catcher, Made to second, Dipre to third, Garcia to short, Cedeno to left, Rojas from right to center, Torres to right.
Sixth inning. Brett Shultze pitching. He started with an innocent fly out to left. He got squeezed on a 3-2 pitch and walked the next batter. A second runner reached base on a weak hopper toward third. Here’s where it got interesting. The next batter hit a run scoring double to left. The runner from first was thrown out on a 7-6-2. The batter was retired 2-5. Not your normal double play to end an inning. Tied 1-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, Duran grounded out and Cedeno and Fassnacht struck out.
Seventh inning. Billy Sullivan pitching. He struck out the first batter and walked the second. the next batter reached on another weak chopper toward third. The next batter hit into a fielder’s choice, but the errant throw to first allowed a run to score. The third out was retired on a fly ball to right. Blue jays 2-1.
Sullivan’s ball had a lot of movement. Pitches would bore in on the hands of right-handed batters and also drift away. If he can maintain his velocity and command his movement, watch out.
In the bottom of the seventh, Baylor lined out to third. Made and Vierling struck out.
Eighth inning. Jack Perkins pitching. Fly out, walk, fielder’s choice, strike out.
In the bottom of the eighth, Rojas, Torres, Gutierrez each struck out. That’s 8 Ks in the last 12 batters if you weren’t counting.
Ninth inning. Perkins again. Fly out, walk, fielder’s choice, ground out.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dipre led off with a single. Garcia worked a walk. And, Flores sacrificed. Duran popped up to shallow right and Cedeno flew out to center to end the game and Instructs.
The boys were supposed to fly out of Tampa that afternoon. I’ve heard that they may bring in other smaller groups during the rest of the off season. I’ve also heard that players not listed on the Instructs roster are here. Guys like Marchan. And Bohm, who has a year-round residence in Clearwater.
Baseball’s off season meetings have been cancelled. Apparently, it’s okay to put players and their families at risk, but not owners, GMs, and their staffs. This won’t affect the Rule 5 Draft. That can be held remotely.
The transactions wires have been hot with the normal start-of-the-offseason transactions. What is different is the reasonable options being declined by teams and the players clearing waivers and gaining free agency. Makes me remember when Marvin Miller avoided the owners granting free agency to all players every year. This year, we may have the glut of free agents that Miller avoided back then.
The owners appear to be using the losses during the pandemic to cut salaries. I’ve heard that owners would like to cut payrolls by 10-20%. It’ll be interesting to see how many teams follow suit.
Last week, I posted an article that showed that the Phillies had almost $73,000,000 to spend to fill 9 spots on their 26-man roster. Friday, MacPhail gave a press conference that satisfied no one. I interpreted one comment to mean they will enter the free agent market later rather than sooner and that they will fill positions internally.
If there is some form of collusion in the form of a lower, unpublicized CAP, we have seen in the past that the Phillies join in lock step with any suggested action from the commissioner (recall their late involvement in the international market). So, if teams cut payroll by 10-20%, they can’t cut existing contracts. They’ll have to reduce spending on new contracts.
The Phillies had a 40-man actual payroll a little over $182,000,000 in 2020 (before COVID reductions). A 20% reduction of $36,000,000 would effectively lower their CAP from the $210,000,000 that you all hope they spend up to, to $174,000,000. And, the almost $73,000,000 I calculated as available up to the CAP would be effectively cut in half. Try signing Realmuto and 8 other guys to fill out the roster with that amount available.
Plus, since it looks like they are going to go to arbitration with Velasquez, that’s another $5,000,000 that will have to be added to the sunk costs, and taken from the available money for free agents. And Vinnie doesn’t satisfy their need for a starter or a back end reliever. Looks like a few more roster spots are going to be filled from within than we had anticipated.
This is the Phuture Phillies Open Discussion for Phillies and other baseball topics.
Key Dates:
- September 30, 2020 – Expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement between MLB and MiLB
- October 15, 2020, 5:00 PM EDT – Close of the 2019 international signing period
- October 28, 2020 – Trading resumes, day after the World Series ends
- November 1, 2020 – Deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to their eligible former players who became free agents
- November 11, 2020 – Deadline for free agents to accept qualifying offers
November TBA – GM Meetings (Nov. 11-14, Scottsdale, AZ in 2019)November TBA – Owners meetings (Nov. 19-21, Arlington, TX in 2019)- November 20, 2020 – Rosters set for Rule 5 Draft
November TBA – MLBPA executive board meeting (Nov. 26-29 in Irving, TX in 2018)- December 2, 2019 – Last day for teams to offer 2021 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters
December 6-10, 2020 – Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas, at the Omni Dallas Hotel and Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, held in conjunction with the Baseball Trade Show and PBEO Job Fair.- December 10, 2020 – Rule 5 Draft
- January TBA – Rookie Career Development Program
- January 15, 2021, 9:00 AM EST – Start of the 2020 international signing period
The rosters and lists are up to date as of November 1st … 333 players in the org
- organization’s rosters (11/1)
- organization’s injury list (11/1), as current as possible, MLB closed Updates
- organization’s Rule 5 eligibility (11/1) (includes player info, assignments, …)
Transactions (newest transactions are in bold print)
10/30/2020 – RHP Heath Hembree elected free agency
10/30/2020 – 2B Phil Gosselin elected free agency
10/30/2020 – LHP Adam Morgan elected free agency
10/30/2020 – RHP Blake Parker elected free agency
10/30/2020 – Phillies activated RHP David Robertson from the 60-day IL
10/30/2020 – Phillies claimed RHP Johan Quezada off waivers from Miami Marlins
10/30/2020 – RHP David Phelps elected free agency
10/30/2020 – RHP David Robertson elected free agency
10/30/2020 – Hector Neris becomes eligible for salary arbitration
10/30/2020 – Phillies decline club option for David Robertson
10/30/2020 – Phillies decline club option for David Phelps
10/30/2020 – Phillies decline club option for Hector Heris
10/30/2020 – Phillies sent 2B Phil Gosselin outright to Lehigh Valley
10/30/2020 – Phillies sent RHP Heath Hembree outright to Lehigh Valley
10/30/2020 – Phillies sent RHP Blake Parker outright to Lehigh Valley
10/30/2020 – Phillies sent LHP Adam Morgan outright to Lehigh Valley
10/28/2020 – Phillies activated LHP Jose Alvarez from the 60-day IL
10/28/2020 – SS Didi Gregorius elected free agency
10/28/2020 – RF Jay Bruce elected free agency
10/28/2020 – C JT Realmuto elected free agency
10/28/2020 – LHP Jose Alvarez elected free agency
10/28/2020 – RHP Jake Arrieta elected free agency
10/28/2020 – RHP Brandon Workman elected free agency
10/28/2020 – RHP Tommy Hunter elected free agency
10/23/2020 – DSL Red placed RHP Yeison Sanchez on the restricted list
10/15/2020 – 2B Ronald Torreyes elected free agency
10/14/2020 – RHP Deolis Guerra elected free agency
10/06/2020 – DSL Phillies Red released RHP Jhostyn Marin
10/01/2020 – 3B Luke Williams assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – 2B Ronald Torreyes assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – LHP Jeff Singer assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – RHP Reggie McClain assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – RHP JD Hammer assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – RHP Deolis Guerra assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – RHP Enyel De Los Santos assigned to Lehigh Valley from Training Site
10/01/2020 – CF Mikie Mahtook assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – LF Nick Martini assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – C Jonathan Lucroy assigned to Lehigh Valley from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – SS Nick Maton assigned to Reading from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – RHP Joel Cesar assigned to Reading
10/01/2020 – LHP Damon Jones assigned to Reading from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – C Henri Lartigue assigned to Reading from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – 1B Austin Listi assigned to Reading from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – SS Bryson Stott assigned to Clearwater from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – C Logan O’Hoppe assigned to Lakewood from Alternate Training Site
10/01/2020 – SS Raibently Mercalina assigned to DSL Red
9/28/2020 – Phillies activated 1B Rhys Hoskins from the 10-day IL
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled LHP Cole Irvin from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled LHP Cristopher Sanchez from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled RHP Ramon Rosso from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled RHP Victor Arano from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled RHP Mauricio Llovera from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies activated RHP Heath Hembree from the 10-day IL
9/28/2020 – Phillies activated RHP Jake Arrieta from the 10-day IL
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled RHP Adonis Medina from Alternate Training Site
9/28/2020 – Phillies activated RF Kyle Garlick from the 10-day IL
9/28/2020 – Phillies recalled LHP Garrett Cleavinger from Alternate Training Site
Phuture Phillies 
Don’t see it on transactions but I read someplace that the phillies made a QO to Realmuto but not Gregarious. No place as authoritative as Phuture Phillies, though.
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A Qo to Realmuto was made, not to Didi. I believe I counted 31 on 40 man roster leaving 9 spots open. With the Nov 20th deadline looming to protect rule 5 players, they may only have 4 or 5 spots after that. They could cut a couple of fringe players from the roster such as Hale or Garlick.
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If the Phillies plan on selecting someone in the Rule 5, they are required to have one vacant slot open per selection on their 40… Thursday’s (Dec 10th) draft date.
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I get the sense JTR is as much as gone and the QO and subsequent draft pick will be the only thing we get from the deal going forward…
If were going to strip this thing down let’s do it; now is the time.. 2021 will still have COVID restrictions for fans of some sort. .The 2022 season may be gone due to the CBA negotiations/strike. Is a 60-65 win team that much worse than a 78 win team that doesn’t get us in the playoffs and mid-round draft picks? As for “wasting Harper’s prime years” that doesn’t enter into my calculus… Doesn’t look like the Rays cared about “wasting” a players prime years when they went through a rebuild three years ago..
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Looking at Steve Potter/Mark Wylie’s pix on A Fan’s View….Luis Gracia seems to have got a little bigger from what can be seen from his infield shots around second base.
Hopefully it is muscle.
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Jim when do they come back to the complex? You are off for how long?
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Why didn’t they offer a QO to Didi?
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They don’t want to pay him – seriously. He might not get another deal for that amount and they don’t want to pay the QO.
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But they thought $25 million a year for Arrieta was a smart move. About $1 million a start. $18 million is around 20% below Arrieta and Didi plays 6 times more than a pitcher. Dumb Phillies’ management.
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To me it means that they want to keep open the possibility of bringing back JT and they can’t afford Didi and JT. If Didi accepted (which I doubt that he would have), that would have taken them out on JT.
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They did not want him to accept it, and there was some concern that he would. Before jim’s discussion that owners may want to cut payroll 10-20%, I thought all the signs were pointing to Middleton looking to be in the $175M range, which is right in line. Didi at $18.9M does not fit that plan. And, I’m sorry, but I cut Middleton zero slack because of the pandemic. He should be one of a handful of Owners taking advantage of the situation, and I don’t think he has employed anyone smart enough to do so. And, I can’t agree with Hawkeye. I don’t let them off the hook and give them another 5 years to rebuild. It’s not about wasting Harper’s years, it’s that this is going on year 10 of failed seasons, and Middleton has been a part of Ownership the whole time. And, I hate being lied to.
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Maybe Didi will be back if he doesn’t get offers he wants.
next season the shortstop free agent market will be a bonanza …Lindor, Story, Correa et al
Didi will need a multi-year deal…..2 or 3 years ….and may settle for something less AAV that he had this season @.$14M
Maybe a 3 year $36/37M contract.
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Why dont you understand , ROMUS? they are going cheap until they see what the virus will hold,
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Romus, it is possible but they shouldn’t take the chance. It would be making the wrong decision that turns out right. We have all done that along with making the right decision that turns out wrong. To me it is a win/win with making a QO. They either get Didi or get a comp pick.
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NL…I agree with you, I would have extended a QO…but it is done.
Maybe they told Didi to go out there and see what his best offer is, and maybe come back and see what the Phillies can do to better it.
Projections by MLBTR have Didi at $13M AAV for 3 years with the Reds or Angels..
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MLBTR predictions out today:
JTR to NYM….5/$125M
Charlie Morton to NYM…..1/$8M
Liam Hendriks to PHI…..3/$30M
James McCann to PHI…2/$20M
Garrett Richards to PHI….2/$16M
Cole Hamels to SD….1/$4M
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8mark; I saw those projections and found them wildly optimistic… Last year before COVID MLB Trade Rumors had projections that also were way out of whack with the market and when they posted what they projected vs. what the deals came in at I wondered if it gave them any embarrassment?
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Phillies tend to pay high….if it happens.
McCann I see at 2yrs/$24m, and Hendriks $11m AAV.
Richards have no clue. what it could be…it it were to occur, hopefully it is not more than what they project.
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It is still the Honeymoon phase, and his ownership of the Mets isn’t official, but Steve Cohen has already gotten off to a good start with the fanbase, engaging with them over twitter. And, not one sentence was “don’t expect much, I have no idea how many fans will be allowed in the stands.” We just know he is going to spend in FA, we just don’t know on whom. But, 5/$125M is not outrageous for JTR, it is exactly what I thought we would have offered him, why would we let Morton go to the Mets and sign Richards instead for the same AAV? And, does anyone believe that we are going after a Closer for 3 years?
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Jim … great info (and pics) from instructs!
Ben Brown and Gunner Mayer both have great size, and look like possible possible power arms. They’re both in my top 40 (probably top 30).
The team did a really good job signing UDFA pitchers after the draft this summer. I’m most excited for Billy Sullivan and Blake Brown as late inning heat throwers. They’ll each need to harness their control.
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Ben Brown is throwing an off speed pitch now, and effectively. He was almost predominantly fastball before his injury.
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I wonder if it hurt to throw that pitch before the surgery. I’ve been a big fan his for awhile because I think he has major upside. Fingers crossed but this was a good sign.
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Thanks Jim. Any velo reports on these guys?
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I have always liked the Gunner Mayer pick. Not sure why but my gut was that he had high upside.
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As far as the offseason goes …
* ridiculous that Andy MacPhail and Ned Rice are piloting this ship.
* no excuse not to offer Didi the QO.
* I would have non-tendered Velasquez
* I’m fine with waiting out the market. Teams will get solid arms (although coming off down or injury plagued seasons) in February and March.
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Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but I have to think John Middleton has been somehow compromised in his otherwise crippling indecisiveness. No one expected these developments, regardless of the inherent issues within the front office regarding talent evaluation and player development. There must be some political dynamic in play here, beside the old boy network of hiring people, qualified or not. It’s like Pat Gillick’s tenure in Philadelphia was an organizational anomaly. This ownership group just can’t seem to get out of their own way, as if someone dropped a silent bomb on Middleton and his brain has become mush. I find it difficult to believe that he suddenly lost his balls. But maybe they got squeezed by someone?
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Let me offer a plausible explanation. I’m not saying any of this is factual, but reading the tea leaves, I suggest the following.
MacPhail laid out the Phillies hierarchy as Middleton then him. Reporting to him were Dave Buck and Matt Klentak. Buck handled the non-baseball side and Klentak had baseball operations.
With Klentak’s removal as GM, Ned Rice, the contracts guy is interim GM. But, he’s not doing baseball stuff and neither is MacPhail. So, what’s going on? Who’s running baseball ops?
How about Klentak? He’s still there. Somebody’s gotta be doing it. They haven’t hired a replacement. He’s doing something there. That would explain why there is no hurry to hire a GM when they have MK filling the need behind the curtain.
That lame “who wants to uproot and move during the pandemic” thing doesn’t hold water. The Sixers hired a president and a coach. A couple teams hired managers. The Angels are moving toward hiring a GM.
Not blunt enough? Middleton fired Kapler to placate the fans and WIP. He removed Klentak for the same reason, but has him doing the same job without the title, hoping fans and WIP don’t figure it out. Middleton wants someone who isn’t available yet, like Epstein. He’s willing to maintain the status quo he’s created until then.
Maybe that’s not plausible, but it makes sense to me.
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Bryan Minniti is still there, he has experience with the DBacks and now Phillies for the last 2/3 years….hopefully he has a feel for some of the baseball ops.
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Yeah, but he’s a Klentak hire. He was worried about his job a month ago (as was most of the front office) even though he has a year remaining on his contract. There has been a big shake up in Development. Guys I’ve become used to seeing are taking the buyout (although they’d rather not) – Burris, Arroyo, Noles, I think Roly will be asked to retire now that Instructs is over.
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Oh boy…..does not look very optimistic for the older guys.
Dickie Noles is a neighbor to a friend of mine up here in PA…nice guy…he is coming up on 65 soon so he can get on Medicare and I think the MLB health care package can become his supplement….or maybe vice versa…do not know how they work that.
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Jim, I find your scenario very plausible. And even likely.
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i feel for those guys, i believe its more than money,They most likely love being around the game, shame,
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Wow this may be spot on
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Another plausible scenario, Klentak just did all the busy work, but it has been MacPhail calling the shots all along. And now they have Rice doing the busy work reporting into MacPhail.
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Middleton might be the majority owner and the boss — but being the decision maker Middleton has responsibilities to the owner’s group who also financially invested to the Phillies. Behind the scenes, I’m sure that Middleton took a heat from his decision to hire McPhail-Klentak so this might be a reason Middleton doesn’t enjoy the freedom to whatever he wants like before.
Opening the wallet is not Middleton’s mistake, his mistake is entrusting the team to FO who didn’t do a good job.
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8mark…..”I find it difficult to believe that he suddenly lost his balls. But maybe they got squeezed by someone?”…hah, reminds of the scene from the movie with McCarthy and Bullock …Heat.
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I agree with jim, MacPhail said they can do everything in house because all that is involved now is “internal matters”, so Klentak and Rice can handle who got options picked up, no one. Klentak has to be doing something? FA is for later in the process, so no hurry there. I have thought since Middleton’s presser that this season was lost, and he may very well be looking at Epstein or someone like him. Why did MacPhail repeat twice about landing a “big fish”, in which case he would happily step aside? How many guys can qualify as a “big fish?” Klentak was fired so that Middleton can appease the fan base, but we are a bit smarter than he thought. How could he not know that we blame MacPhail as much, if not more so, than Klentak?
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matt13….Bryan Minniti is still there…..he has plenty experience in baseball ops (DBack, Nats and beginning with interning with the Pirates 20 years ago)…..it was him, Rice, Klentak and Jordan (before he left) a few years ago laying the foundation for the direction the club would go….unfortunately it went off the rails thee last 3 years.
Keep an eye out in Boston.
John Henry, fans and players want Cora back as manager.
He is a fan idol as their WS manager, and players like him.
Bloom, IMO, is hesitant….not his guy to begin with, and Cora did cheat as an Astro coach and some say as the Red Sox manager.
Will Bloom be forced to work with Cora?
.
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When Klentak hired Minniti it led to Jordan leaving. Minniti’s hiring effectively blocked Jordan. He saw the writing and asked to be released from the remainder of his contract. He was quickly hired by Atlanta as a crosschecker.
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Ok…..so that was the reason for his departure.
Cannot blame him.
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Hinkie…..RHP Tomoyuki Sugano coming to America….did the Phillies ever get that sushi chef, if so, hope he was not laid off?
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sugano001tom
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Romus … I don’t know anything about Sugano, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be on the Phillies radar … and visa versa. Until the Phillies do something to stand out, they’ll be afterthoughts to Asian players. That’s why (for about four years now) I’ve been pitching my idea for the club to hire Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto as Director Of Clubhouse Food Services. The Japanese super chef/celebrity/hero could be used as a Phillies recruiter when guys like Yu Darvish or Shohei Ohtani are posted.
… and still crickets from Middleton and MacPhail.
.
BTW … 18 YO Rouki Sasaki passed on his chance to come directly to MLB. He’s going to begin his career with the Lotte Marines of the NPB. John Middleton should be taking steps to at least put the Phillies in the mix when this kid decides he wants to come stateside.
https://twitter.com/sung_minkim/status/1152951175060176896?s=20
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Hinkie…I have given up on any Asian kid/player coming here.
Unless the player has been in the MLB for a number of years and is in his 30s and ready to call it quits in a year or two.
Maybe the Phillies can make head way with Aussie guys if they ever can get their developmental youngster programs juiced up from the time the kids are 5 or 6 years old.
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Romus why don’t you open a big Sushi take out at the stadium, You must know Asian cooking while you served in Korea, and Vietnam. It might help
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lots of MLB front office folks are probably drooling at the opportunity to bring this kid over and convert him to a 5 inning/ 70 pitch Starter……Kidding of course…..Kinda
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Front office personnel and team employees for the Mets had pay cuts ranging from 5 to 30%. Steve Cohen ended that as of November 1. Full salaries are restored, no layoffs. For the record, I hate the Mets, so them having an owner who is going to ride out the pandemic and spend money on talent, and keep his employees paid, while we have this..? Driving me crazy.
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I do NOT want to talk politics on this blog. But this is an interesting connection between baseball and POTUS
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@v1 – i don’t think it’s political although I don’t see the value of the stats. i don’t think that POTUS has something to do with being the best slugger.
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I just think it is interesting. Doesn’t mean anything. Just a theme based stat
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Show this list if anyone tries to argue Mike Schmidt wasn’t the greatest slugger of his era.
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v1, that is not political at all, and very interesting. I am glad you are still posting despite how busy you are with the Mets.
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The Score…has JTR coming back to Philly.
—Braves nabbing Springer
—Mets getting Bauer
https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2045460/where-will-mlbs-top-10-free-agents-end-up
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Once JTR gets a feel for just how cold this winter’s free agency market is going to be, I think there will be a very good chance the Phillies and the catcher agree to the 5 year/120 million dollar contract I’ve been forecasting for a month now.
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I think the Mets may land George Springer. If Cohen does sign Springer, would anyone make this trade: 2 years of Zach Eflin for 2 years of Brandon Nimmo?
Nimmo would play CF and bat lead off (.390 career OBP).
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If the Phillies sign Garrett Richards, then I definitely would trade Eflin for Nimmo.
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And with Cutch as a rather tenuous starter in LF, we shouldn’t overestimate the need for depth in the OF.
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Absolutely not. If you look at Jeff O’Neal in 2019 , you would have substituted him for Nimmo and made that trade. This year you would have been disappointed. Not a sustainable type of player and Eflin will be.
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@Hinkie – value for value that makes sense but it still depends if the Phillies can replace Eflin in the rotation whether via trade or FA especially that Howard is a high injury risk.
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In terms of value, it’s not a bad deal. I think Nimmo is a heck of a player even if he hits .260 due to his power and on base percentage. That said, Eflin is similarly (albeit a little less) valuable. But the problem is that they need Eflin’s arm – if you trade him you have to replace him and there’s nobody in the system right now who seems ready to fill that role (Seabold could have, but he’s gone). I guess you could take a chance that some good pitching would fall to you cheaply in free agency, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen.
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The Mets are not thrilled with Nimmo’s defense in center field …..so that along with the difficulty in replacing Eflin in the starting rotation would make me say no to that trade scenerio.
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If he played any other position or was 2 years younger, he could take a pillow contract as I’m guessing most players will. But he’s going to be a 30 year-old catcher – he’s at the very outer edge of being an attractive FA candidate at that position. He would be foolish to push his free agency to 2022. If he gets reasonable offers, he should take the best offer he can get.
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I like Eflin, and I do not trust them to be able to replace him, so I let Quinn and Haseley have a full ST, if there is one, and let’s see what we have. I do want a platoon partner for Cutch in LF. But, I am not trading Eflin. And, congrats to Alec Bohm for being on the short list for ROY. His numbers stack up very well, and while the kid from SD started really strong, he wasn’t great down the stretch. Bohm showed he is a very good hitter and if he wins it, it was not a fluke.
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matt13…agree with you …I would keep Eflin….a projected 4.5bWAR starting pitcher this season is not someone you can easily replace in the rotation..
Now I like Nimmo…..so it would be tempting.
I would think hard over it it if it were….Eflin-Moniak…for Nimmo and Matt Allan.
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They wouldn’t want Moniak in that trade. They would probably want Eflin and Haseley, who has a higher floor (and perhaps ceiling) than Moniak and is ready to start now – which is what they would need.
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Then again, Eflin was rated the 24th best pitcher this season by Fangrpahs with a fWAR of 1.5, and 8th best pitcher when it came to xFIP….only behind deGrom, Nola, Bieber, Valdez, Castillo, Maeda and Darvish…so the Phillies would be really selling low on Efflin.
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Yup – which is why I think it won’t happen. The bottom line is that the Phillies need Eflin more than they need Nimmo and vice versa – so the needs don’t match up.
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Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that we don’t sign JTR, but the team still is trying to win. Does Didi on a 2 year/$30M contract make sense? My thought is that Stott may need 2 years to be Major League ready after missing a whole developmental season, and Didi brings a LH bat and better D than Segura. Trying to piece together a team that can compete, and knowing that moving Segura to SS and losing Realmuto really impacts the D negatively
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matt13…that is what I suggested weeks ago….but McCann to replace JTR.
Didi probably is looking three years, but that AAV is probably right there, maybe even $14M could persuade him for three years….basically what Segura is currently making.
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Romus two weeks ago i said, Cohen would come in with money to spend, cause he didnt absorb the losses, other teams did, Someone said i was wrong he would have to absorb losses or something to that effect, Well i must be watching the wrong baseball channel, Cause he has money to burn according to what i am watching, fresh money, he can pick up Guys like Springer Realmuto, Trevor with no problem i am hearing, he has open pockets, But Springer seems like that guy the braves get ever year on a one year deal to help them,
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rocco…….IMO, Cohen gets just maybe two of the three big free agents…for sure he gets one.
deGrom is 32, entering 33age season in 2021…..they need another ace pitcher behind him right now Thor is a health question mark until mid-season, so I see Sandy Alderson going for Bauer first…..then it is a toss up between JTR and Springer.
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I remembered the McCann part, Romus, but didn’t remember the Didi part. I really like him, and we need another LH bat, and he plays very well at SS. A guy like Simmons plays a great SS, but doesn’t hit, so I don’t go there. And, a Jackie Bradley to CF means giving up on Quinn and Haseley, and I don’t do that. So, the options to upgrade defensively are few.
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Cesar and JP Gold gloves??
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Congratulations to Cesar. He had an excellent season.
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Cesar is a good, solid player. In a typical year, he is a decent, lower first division/upper second division second baseman – a bona fide starter. He could be frustrating to watch at times, but, contrary to many of the comments on this site, he generally wasn’t the reason the team was bad. That said, I think he needed a change of scenery last year and that appeared to help him.
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I was probably one of the few Cesar defenders. I understand why the Phillies had to cut him since they had Kingery ready to take over. But he worked hard to make himself into a solid non-elite starter. And you’re right, Cesar was not the reason why the Phillies were bad.
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So what your saying is, Cesar couldnt play for rays Dodgers or Yankees, Braves, That statement means only allstar three hundred hitters start for top division teams at every position. You cant be serious
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rocco….did a little archive research on Cesar.
From our Readers Polls..his rankings:
2014-10th
2013-20th
2012-17th
2011-20th
…Cesar was never rated very high by the folks on the site and at 10 in 2014 he already had a 131 PA year in the majors with a slash of 289/.344/.331 in 2013.
Not a bad first year to be honest.
So he has been probably dealing with the ‘Rodney Dangerfield effect’ for the initial few years as a Phillie.
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From Ken Davidoff of the NY Post on JTR and the Mets:
“Realmuto, known as a great teammate and a better athlete than your standard catcher — only he, Mike Trout and Christian Yelich have averaged a sprint speed of 28 feet per second as well as an average exit velocity of 88 mph with at least 300 plate appearances (100 in 2020) every year since 2015 — adds an element of intrigue: Signing him would remove him from the rival Phillies, who have put together a strong foundation with a great manager in Joe Girardi but haven’t qualified for the playoffs since 2011. With their front office in transition, general manager Matt Klentak recently demoted and the plan to replace him hazy due to team president Andy MacPhail’s impending retirement, could the Mets capitalize on that?”
…he even writes the Phillies have put together a strong foundation. Interesting.
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Well, Romus, let’s look at what we have. Harper in RF is a foundation piece, and I like to think that Rhys is, as well, although certainly not Harper, but I think he gets his hitting together.. Bohm is also, and we have Nola, Wheeler and Eflin. That is the foundation. Doesn’t seem like much to me. Cutch is on his last year with no one ready to come up, unless Haseley shows he can play and moves to LF. We are not good enough in CF, C, and SS, and Segura is not a foundation piece even at 2B. I would not call it strong.
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Yeah…wonder what he is seeing or comparing it to,
If you just look at the Mets…outside of pitching, just position players, they would seem to have a stronger foundation with Conforto, Alonso, McNeil, Nimmo, JD Davis, Rosario or Jimenez and Dom Smith……and he writes as a one of the beat writers for the Mets.
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Add another Rodolfo to the Philies farm system joining catcher Rodolfo Duran.
PTBNL RHP Rodolfo Sanchez from the Rays in the Edgar Garcia trade.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sanche000rod&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-
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His brother Dancer is in the phillies latin school
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rocco…..Lakewood Blue Claws are now the Jersey Blue Claws and are now in the Mid-Atlantic League….which is a Hi-A league designation. They are no longer in the SALLY. The Mid-Atlantic is a newly formed entity
Clearwater Threshers now are in a 10- team Florida State League (FSL) which is now designated as a low-A league.
Williamsport and the NY-Penn League…have no clue what that league will morph into…..some say run by Prep Baseball for college seniors.
MLB making numerous changes and cut-backs, as they promised last summer, for their minor league system stay tuned.
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Very interesting. Much easier travel to go from Lakewood to Reading and from CWater GCL to CWater in terms of promotion movement. Williamsport will have to become an Independent league team. The PenDel league will probably become a lower level independent league for guys not drafted or signed.
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Agree…..the yuong kids, especially the Latin kids who are still learning English for the most part…and HS kids… will need not have to do any uprooting from the GCL to Clearwater.
I think MLB will do that for all the MLB teams who have their spring training sites and GCL together and then lowering the FSL designation.
I can only guess they are doing the same in Arizona.
The MLB teams can keep an eye on 17-18-19 year olds.
The NY-Penn and the Cape Cod Summer League may have some tie-ins…nothing is set in concrete right now.
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I know this has been strongly rumored, has it been officially announced? I can’t seem to find it.. Thank you.
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Steve Potter, Fan View, has change’s listed…not all yet.
.https://www.philliesbaseballfan.com/post/11-3-2020-apparent-minor-league-changes
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Are Lakewood and Clearwater and Reading and LHV still going to be Phillies’ affiliates? And, Lakewood and Clearwater just exchanged levels of A ball?
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matt13……I believe that Jersey/Lakewood remains a Phillie affiliate
For sure all the rest do…..Clearwater/Reading and LHV.
MLB is contracting many of the A level teams and the short season clubs.
Looks like AA/AAA tier teams remain intact.
.
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I am a little confused, Lakewood will be higher A? Then we need Jim to move or Romus can scout Lakewood for us, he is retired and needs something to do,
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Rocco … you are on fire in this thread. Your line about Rodolpho Sanchez’s brother, Dancer (above) had me rolling on the floor! Keep up the good work!
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I AM sick i gave romus this card for his birthday .GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO ROOKIE CARD SELLS FOR NEARLY $2 MILLION AT
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rocco…and good buddy, what a birthday gift it was…many thanks!
How about a little Phillies’ enthusiasm !
https://www.mlb.com/news/phillies-instructional-league-report?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
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‘Prospect Live’ scouting report on new Phillie RHP Rodolfo Sanchez…from Aug, 2019.
https://www.prospectslive.com/scouting-reports/2020/5/14/bite-sized-report-rodolfo-sanchez-rhp-tb-draft
……more than likely future pen arm.
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It looks like the NL will have the DH moving forward, as there are strong indications that the MLPA is not going to give in going back to pitchers hitting. Would the Phillies consider moving Hoskins to DH, Bohm to First, Segura third, Kingery second, and maybe going with Stott at short? Would it even be feasible, especially if it helps save money to possibly sign JTR to a contract?
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Jim Salisbury was saying today that Cohen may go for JTR and he does not expect JTR to accept any ‘home town discounts’ because he wants to set another AAV bar-level for catchers.
If it were me…I’d offer the $24M AAV for 5 years….which sets a new bar for catchers…..but Cohen on the other hand will go higher, maybe a million…..but for JTR to get an extra million AAV it would be against what he has said before about playing in Philly and not particularly enthusiastic about NYC. So one extra million probably does not sway JTR.
However, otoh, if Cohen goes to $26AAV or higher…JTR is gone.
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There are significant tax implications on playing and getting paid in New York – big numbers. Hopefully JTR’s accountant will inform him of that fact.
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wawatom, I don’t think they want to move Bohm off 3B until he proves he can’t play there. Stott just missed a whole developmental year, and I don’t think he is ready to play in the Majors yet. You may very well be predicting what they do in 2022, however. I hope Bohm proves he is a viable 3B, and going forward we don’t have to find a 3B to add to our other needs.
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Who is they? The guy retiring? The behind the scenes analytics expert/ex-GM? The owner who confessed that he doesn’t know baseball? The manager who said “Bohm really looks good at 1B”? My thoughts are needs are needs. Put the players at their best position, I’ve had quite enough of putting guys like Kingery all over the field. Would we be any less better doing what wawatom suggests?
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Every minor league player lost development time this year due to the season being cancelled, yet we can be assume with near 100% accuracy that a lot of teams will have rookies make the opening day rosters. After all, MLB is already stressing their losses for this year, and I only mention Stott because he was drafted as an advanced college bat, and may be closer to the majors than another player.
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Cohen had no one hold a news conference, and suggest that they were going to do nothing, because he had no idea how many fans were coming next year. I wonder why? I would have already offered Realmuto 5/$125. But, if the game plan is to reduce payroll by 10-20%, then it is going to be a long and fruitless off season.
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He fired Brady Van Wags just a bit ago….so he is making some moves.
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matt13…Tuesday is the press conference.
And remember…..ne needed 23 ‘yeas’ to get the ownership…..final vote 26-4…of course it really was 25-4 , since the Wilpons are not going to vote against their buyer.
So to join the big boy club of owners he may have had to make a deal or two to get the yea vote or two he wanted, to make sure he got the necessary amount.
So….he could have made a deal with Middleton on JTR….who knows..as long as Middleton gave him a thumbs up.
Is that collusion?
I do not know…..and we may never know if any deal was struck between them.
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Romus – got your idea on this one – but heard today on mlb Slrius radio that Yankees may also go to JTR too with Sanchez a shambles. It seems to me that all the major publications/news sources keep calling JTR no. 1 free agent, or at worst no. 2. I think there could be more competition than we think ? Without overdoing it now — I seriously question spending 25 mill on one player when this team needs at least 5 other areas fixed ; SS, C, bullpen, starter, ML center fielder. But that is a question or possible answer for another day.
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RU…you could be correct, there may be many suitors for JTR.
Not sure if they are all willing to pay at least $24M AAV…since that is his minimum request, if he is serious about establishing the new salary bar for catchers..
Middleton is probably debating if he and the Phillies are willing to do that…..but they already struck out three times prior to the COVID pandemic, so they will go for the fourth offering from what i understand.
But I am leaning like you, with so many holes to at least get some relief to fill, and signing jTR to one huge contract means holes go unfilled, then maybe it is time to let him go and use the money for other positions.
Just so much uncertainty with the COVID induced revenue losses and what the future will hold.
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The Tribe has reportedly told clubs that Lindor is on the market. Now, he is considerably younger than JTR, but probably worth a lot more than JTR as for years AND money, so do the Phillies trade Stott, Hoskins, Howard and a couple lesser pieces for 2 years of Lindor? Or does Middleton INSIST on an extension THIS TIME AROUND? Or do they sit on their a$$e$ this winter watching top echelon baseball executives relocate to some place other than Philadelphia?
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Romus/8mark — ok – I believe the Mets will go for Lindor. He is far more valuable than JTR because : he is happy go lucky, a brilliant charismatic player ; an icon to match the crosstown Yankees. I believe they will trade Nimmo, JD Davis, one of their many kid shortstops ; and much more to get him—-AND FOR KLENTAK & MIDDLETON – they will sign him to a guaranteed contract of 35 million a year for 8 years to be the face of the franchise / and NEW YORK. They – the METS – will still need a catcher and 2/3 starting pitchers + many bullpen pieces. So can they afford JTR for 24 mill a year + 2/3 pitchers – Stroman at 18 per year X 4 years for example etc. So even Cohen with his 14 billion will have to decide how much to exceed the cap limit ? They will – I think/(pray) won’t hit on all their “wish list.” Part of me hopes that they pay JTR 28 million a year for 7 years and it sinks the franchise – but unlikely.
What we as Phillies fans are faced with now is : a low budget Braves team that is young and supremely talented at ZERO COST ; a Mets team loaded with cash and an energetic FO which already had a potent offense (in some regards/not all) and one HOF pitcher ; a wealthy Washington owner with a fading team but brilliant young stars ; and finally, a scrappy draft filled Miami team with some bonafide future stars. In short, Middleton better wake up soon with his makeshift/retiring soon FO ! To McPhail I say – you say “you are disappointed,” what about us – the fans who had pinned our hopes on you and your ineffective group !!!! As Matt13 is wont to say – things ain’t looking too good……sorry to end on such a sour note…but this is becoming too disappointing to watch.
Time for a rocco or Hinkie pick up…..
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8mark….one year of Lindor…next season only…so the cost will not be that high in player/prospect capital.
Just look what the Dodgers gave up for MVP Betts…Verdugo, Wong and Downs.
Wong probably will not be impactful…a 23-yesr old next season, Downs, very athletic but K rate is higher than what they currently want for a middle infielder (31% SSS-MLB – 20% in Hi-A)…. ….Verdugo still has to prove himself.
I do not think Lindor will cost as much as you would think…..for sure at least one premier prospect pitcher in the package….and I can only see three players going across to Cleveland in any deal.
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Middleton is looking at an around .500 cellar dweller trying to scrounge some $$ for 21,000 fans a night or scrapping it and starting all over For close to same amount of fans
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If the Phillies reinvest the money from 2020 relief corps to 2021 they will be able to make some upgrades. Some of the salaries they could save:
Robertson $10M (after$2M buyout)
Phelps $4.2M (after buyout)
Morgan $1.5M
Alverez $2.9M
Hunter $0.1M (this cant be right??)
Hembree $1.6M
Workman $3.5M
Total $23.8M
Potential non-tenders:
Neris $4.6M ($7M option declined)
Velasquez $3.6M
Total $32M
Neris could come back for $6M
I would expect a bit of a splurge on back end reliever for $10M+/-
2 setup guys for about $3.5M +/- each
2 other RP options for around $1.5M +/- each
That is $26M total with the ability of spending a tad more if needed or redirect some of the extra $6M towards a SP.
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Bob D…With any type of a bullpen (ranked 28th by Fangraphs)….the entire staff may have graded out overall near the top in baseball, ilo of middle of the pack at 13th.
Just Nola, Wheeler and Eflin….all in the top 25 pitchers in baseball according to Fangraphs and their fWAR….Phillies starters overall ranked 3rd.
Their Achilles heal in 2020 was their bullpen.
And every year relief arms are so unpredictable….so it will be a challenge to get the right guys there. I am cautiously hopeful JoJo, Connor Brogdon, the Hammer, Arano along with Warren and Dohy all can contribute to those veterans that they will have coming in.
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agreed, bullpens are a crap shoot each year. The true fix is to develop good RP prospects
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Phils are not trading for Lindor. No, you can’t make Lindor accept an extension as part of any trade for him. No, Stott is not ready for the majors in 2021 and won’t be ready in 2022 either. He’s only played a handful of games at A after a half season, he needs two full years of minor at bats. It doesn’t look like there will be DH next year. I doubt there will be fans in the seats next year to start the season. Middleton is not starting over with this team just because they’re saving money now after losing millions this season. And yes, the Mets will be a serious problem going forward. That will actually help to push Middleton.
Relax all.
Thanks to all of you who voted!
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If the Phils are serious about improving their defense, we should hear the names Simmons and Bradley mentioned frequently. Signing both would not do much for the offense but would be a huge improvement for the defense and the pitchers. Sign them plus two of the SPs available ( Odorizzi, Happ, Minor, Walker, Paxton) and a catcher and we’ll do more to increase our win total than signing JT (who is not Johnny Bench).
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But we need a GM with a strategy, an actual plan, and we don’t have that person now.
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Murray i guess you want us to go back to the days Of Dalrymple, Wine and pitcher with those two guys you suggest, even though i believe Bobby Wine saved at least three games a year with his glove,
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How about the days of Boone, Bowa, and Maddox? How did that work out? Andrelton Simmons and Bradley would provide gold glove defense up the middle. Defense and pitching has always been a solid strategy when surrounded by good hitting.
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I Know i am not consider to know baseball, so Murray how do you compare Gary Maddox a 290 hitter to Jackie Bradley a 239 liftime hitter?
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Gold glove defense. That’s how I compare them. Plus Bradley will hit 20 homers easy in our park. For the Phils to make the playoffs, Harper has to hit like the star he’s being paid to be. Hoskins has to hit like a legit 4 hitter. Bohm will need to be a 300 hitter with 15-20 homers. And Nola and Wheeler need to pitch like aces. It’s a lot but that’s what will be required.
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Days of “Wine & Rojas”.
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They didn’t win anything. Chooch, Chase, JRoll, and Shano = all great defensively. Boone, Bowa, Trillo, and Maddox = all great defensively. Defense up the middle (plus pitching) wins. McCann, Simmons, Segura, and Bradley would equal that group defensively. The corner players would have to provide the offense plus we need more pitching. Will it happen? Not without a GM with a plan.
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Why on earth is Andy MacPhail still lingering around? The argument that they cannot interview general manager candidates or replacement president candidates Is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard in my life. The Phillies have a big payroll, they’re in a big market, they’ve got a great stadium I can draw sellout crowd when they’re good. This is the ultimate destination for a good baseball person. As much as Middleton is driving me crazy, He seems to be a fairly decent person to work for. But he needs to find the right person and he needs to get the dead wood (MacPhail and Klentak) the hell out of the way. The lack of a real direction is incomprehensible and utterly inexcusable.
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“The lack of a real direction is incomprehensible and utterly inexcusable.”…and as in the Princess Bride’s Vizzini would say…”inconceivable”
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Murray, I agree with you that Lindor is not on the Phils’ radar, and Stott is 2 years away. I disagree that the DH is dead. No, the MLBPA will not give extra playoff teams in return for the DH, but there will be some other trade off. I believe the Owners like the DH also, but want something in return. They just aimed high. And, I agree that Middleton is not starting over, but I disagree about the relaxing part, because I do think he is not going for a Playoff run in 2021. His main goal will be to cut payroll, tread water, and hire a top guy to be the President of the team going forward in 2022. And, I disagree that the “losing millions” is a real loss of money, not a loss in revenue and profits. And, regardless of how much any loss really is, that is why we have a Billionaire owner. He chooses not to take advantage of the financial uncertainty, like he chose to artificially impose a salary cap before the season started.
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Yes of course it’s a real loss of money, a lot of it. However their real value is the paper value of the team itself, not the annual profit or loss. I think he does hope the team is a playoff team and I do think they’ll make some moves. However, other than the Mets, I predict every team will proceed cautiously, not just the Phils.
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But, Murray, the other teams are already better than we are. And, you have us losing Realmuto, which makes us worse. So, when everyone proceeds cautiously, unless we are smarter than everyone else, we are not going to get better than they already are. Who there is the smart one you are counting on?
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I agree with you that there’s no person in place now that can build things back. However, I do think they’ll pursue JT to a number but he’s pricing himself out for all teams not named the Mets. I don’t think we should assume they’re not going to make any moves because they will. They’ll be deliberate as will most teams. They have to wait out the JT decision but other players will have to wait also until JT decides. McCann will wait. I say relax because things probably won’t be resolved before January.
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Five Lindor trade options/destinations …and returns….Sportsnaut:
Yankees give up… OF Clint Frazier, SS Oswald Peraza and RHP Roansy Contreras:
Reds give up…….. IF/OF Nick Senzel and RHP Hunter Greene
Dodgers give up… C Keibert Ruiz, RHP Josiah Gray and 1B Edwin Rios
Mets give up……… 1B/OF Dominic Smith, SS Amed Rosario, RHP Franklyn Kilome
Angels give up…. OF Brandon Marsh, IF Jeremiah Jackson, RHP Chris Rodriguez, RHP Garrett Stallings
…….bottom line….teams are giving up key players, but not trading their entire top 5 farm prospects for one year of Lindor and an uncertain future with that team..
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It will be interesting to see how the trade market is this winter..I don’t see many up and coming inexpensive players being packaged for more expensive vets… We’ll see..
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Agree with you totally. This isn’t the year to trade any cost contained guys. The Indians could struggle to get a good package for Lindor. They may have to wait to 2021 to see if conditions improve.
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‘They may have to wait to 2021 to see if conditions improve’….huh???????
Lindor will be gone in 12 months….so if they wait until the trade deadline…a two month rental Lindor will not bring back what they can get this off-season…plus there are more clubs to bargain with than in July….unless the MLB has another expanded play-off.
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Jan 2021, later in the off season. When more is known.
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Okay…..a few months from now.
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Blue Jays did not waste much time…signed Robbie Ray…one-year , $8M…that price tag, would seem to bode well with the Phillies when it comes to signing pitching help during this uncertain market..
https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/report-blue-jays-reach-agreement-robbie-ray-one-year-8m-deal/
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This morning- Bradley talking with Bosox again – according to mlb trade rumors. With the Rob Ray signing + a Bradley resign by the Sox– could we be seeing a mini trend where — rather than be a free agent, players (other than the ultra stars) may choose a safer and more sure path and just resign with their current club – IF OFFERED A CONTRACT ???
I don’t think there would have been another team / other than Jays who would have paid 8 mill to Ray – that was done because his last several outings were “passable.”
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Still anxious to see what Cohen does for the Mets…….all of baseball may be glued on what he will do and offer to the players he wants.
Stroman is sitting there just waiting to re-sign with them now that the owner is opening up his checkbook, if he gets anywhere near what he thinks he deserves.
Listening to callers up there on the FAN @660, many want JTR….but like many here….not for 6 years and $150M or $156M or even more. They are aware of a catcher’s drop off after age32
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I think the winter doldrums will be especially uneventful while MacPhail decides on who the peanut and popcorn vendors will be or whether they need them at all for 2021. I guess the biggest news will be the destination of JT. Hard to say, but the discombobulated season past may have been much more interesting than the interlude to 2021 baseball. Think 🤔 I’ll take a nap.
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I Feel bad for Romus, He sells Peanuts in Section 102 and 104, he might lose his gig, maybe we should do a Peanut Vendor GO FUND ME PAGE FOR HIM
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WILL WORK FOR FOOD…..or PEANUTS.
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Romus, did you make your start in the upper deck of the Vet?
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I’m all in for go fund me for Romus. I think 10 peanuts in a bag is a little skimpy, should be at least a dozen count. Romus Roasted Goobers are the best!🥜
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Skeet/Bob….only raw organic peanuts…even in the 700 level at the old Vet.
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