Open Discussion: Week of August 22, 2021

Weekly Discussion

This is the courtesy thread for comments and discussion about the Phillies and other BASEBALL topics.  

The Phillies (63-61) went 2-4 and embarrassed themselves in Arizona.   They are five games behind Atlanta.  Aftr an off day, they play two against Tampa Bay then four against Arizona.  Another 2-4 week is possible.

Key Dates:

  • July 30, 2021: Trade Deadline (4 p.m. ET)
  • August 1, 2021: Signing deadline for 2021 drafted players
  • Oct. 3, 2021: Regular season concludes

Transactions (last week’s transactions)

8/22/2021 – Phillies sent RHP Mauricio Llovera outright to Lehigh Valley
8/22/2021 – Phillies activated 1B Rhys Hoskins from the 10-day IL
8/22/2021 – Phillies optioned 3B Alec Bohm to Lehigh Valley
8/21/2021 – Phillies sent RHP Zach Eflin on a rehab assignment to Reading
8/21/2021 – Jersey Shore activated LHP J.P. Woodward from the 7-day IL
8/21/2021 – RHP Victor Lopez assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/21/2021 – SS Kendall Simmons assigned to FCL Phillies
8/21/2021 – OF Gavin Tonkel assigned to FCL Phillies
8/20/2021 – Phillies designated RHP Mauricio Llovera for assignment
8/20/2021 – Phillies selected the contract of RF Jorge Bonifacio from Lehigh Valley
8/20/2021 – Lehigh Valley activated RF Cornelius Randolph from the 7-day IL
8/20/2021 – Jersey Shore placed RHP Dominic Pipkin on the 7-day IL
8/20/2021 – Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed RHP Andrew Brown on the 7-day IL
8/20/2021 – Jersey Shore placed LHP Ethan Lindow on the 7-day IL
8/20/2021 – OF Ben Pelletier assigned to Jersey Shore from FCL Phillies
8/20/2021 – Jersey Shore released LF Keaton Greenwalt
8/20/2021 – Jersey Shore sent LHP J.P. Woodward on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
8/20/2021 – Clearwater placed RHP Eduar Segovia on the 7-day IL
8/20/2021 – Clearwater placed LHP Samuel Aldegheri on the 7-day IL
8/20/2021 – LHP Jared Wetherbee assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
8/20/2021 – Clearwater released C Mitchell Edwards
8/19/2021 – Clearwater sent OF Jadiel Sanchez on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
8/19/2021 – RHP Zach McAllister assigned to FCL Phillies
8/17/2021 – Phillies sent SS Freddy Galvis on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
8/17/2021 – Phillies sent RHP Sam Coonrod on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
8/17/2021 – Phillies sent RHP Vince Velasquez on a rehab assignment to Clearwater
8/17/2021 – Reading activated 1B Brock Stassi from the 7-day IL
8/17/2021 – Reading activated RHP Tyler Phillips
8/17/2021 – Jersey Shore sent LHP Spencer Van Scoyoc on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
8/17/2021 – LHP Matt Osterberg assigned to Clearwater Threshers from FCL Phillies
8/17/2021 – RHP Yoan Antonac assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
8/17/2021 – RHP Fernando Ortega assigned to DSL White from DSL Red
8/16/2021 – Phillies sent RHP David Paulino outright to Lehigh Valley
8/16/2021 – Clearwater sent OF Ben Pelletier on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
8/16/2021 – Clearwater sent 1B Rixon Wingrove on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
8/16/2021 – FCL Phillies activated SS Albert Jerez from the 60-day IL
8/16/2021 – FCL Phillies activated SS Jamari Baylor from the 60-day IL
8/10/2021 – Phillies signed free agent RHP Zach McAllister to a minor league contract

422 thoughts on “Open Discussion: Week of August 22, 2021”

  1. Personal note, my oldest son is 13 years old and is a pretty good baseball player. He made the all-regional team for the Northeast and competed this past week in Cary, North Carolina to make the team USA top 40 developmental program. The team USA facility in Cary is first class. Amazing week. Amazing event. Team USA tweeted out a video of my son doing a pop to third. Pretty surreal moment.

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    3. Exciting, and congratulations….hope your son enjoys himself with his fellow teammates from all over, and does well.

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      1. Wow! So cool! Congratulations, v1. Your son looks like a young Rafael Marchan out there. Good luck to him going forward.
        Could save you some tuition money in a few years. 😀👍

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        1. Yes, I think that he is more of a college player than a pro-player. My hope is that he uses his baseball skills to get into a great school, get a great education and build a great business career. But he is still very young so a long way to go. I am just having fun as a dad watching from the sidelines and working with him mid week to develop his skillset. He has a great work ethic, so I wouldn’t put anything past him. But I am keeping my expectations in check.

          Thanks everyone for the kind words.

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          1. Wow, that is great. As I like to say, if your son gets an opportunity, that’s all anybody can ask for. We’ll see what he can do with it.

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          2. I’ve been there, too, v1. Thinking my son was pretty good, but never knowing how he would stack up against the guys “at the next level”. Then he has success and moves on.
            Then he gets drafted. It all starts over, the wondering if he can compete.
            It’s AMAZING!

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      2. Thanks Romus. That is the best part about these all-star events. Getting to meet families from all over the country with common interests. It is such a positive experience.

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        1. v1…yes it is an experience your son and you can share someday and reminiscent about.
          Not sure how different it is today, but for me it was 20 plus years ago in Oklahoma with my sons….we still talk about different players on their teams..

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        1. Congratulations and good luck, v1.

          Great video.

          Sounds like you have a really good, appreciative sense of the moment and the opportunities.

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    8. Nice! An old friend, and former Phillie farmhand, Todd Coburn was there this weekend working with catchers. You may have crossed paths with them. He’s built a solid reputation for catching instruction. He’s known as The Catching Guy.

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      1. Yes. Todd did a 2-day catching camp right before the NTIS and my son was at the camp. Todd is a great guy and coach. The boys loved him.

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    9. Very cool congratulations.

      All my sons have played there and now my grandsons. This complex is just down the road from my “estate”. Lol. Love it. Been here 32 years.

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  2. At season’s end, I expect that they’ll look back on the 1-5 against Pitt and Arizona and say that’s what caused them to miss the playoffs again. The Braves will be tough to catch now.

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  3. This team is truly pathetic. Gutless bunch really. They had zero fire as the Braves were on a hot streak. You think someone would step up.

    Other than the farm, I’m done with the big league team.

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  4. v1, that is really cool, and I wish your Son the very best! I can imagine how exciting that was for you.

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  5. Congrats to you and your son, v1.

    The Phillies won’t do this since they’re “still in the hunt” but should they drop off the pace any further from Atlanta, I would waive Cutch, bring up Moniak and let him play left field for the remainder of the season and see what he does from now through spring training. Not sure where Bohm will play defensively but it shouldn’t be 3b again. Once Stott joins the big league club next summer, assuming 2b is his, move Segura to 3b in his final days in red pinstripes. Dombrowski will sign a free agent SS this winter. If Didi must stay here (and many of us would prefer he not, with all due respect…he and Cutch are done) let him play 3b until Stott arrives and then release him. The Phillies need to move on from the pricey yet fading veterans and on to the future while the core of Harper, JTR, Wheeler, and whichever SS they sign are still producing. Hoskins is expendable to me but a few here think his value is greater here than on the trade market. Maybe so. DH or no DH, I think he and Bohm on this roster poses little defensive flexibility and is more redundant. If Bohm doesn’t show signs of improvement soon AND YET stands to get us a better return than trading Hoskins would, then by all means. I see Rhys as a better fit for DH, so…and finally, DD needs to get us a catalytic CF.

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    1. Cutch doesn’t deserve being waived and Moniak doesn’t deserve a starting OF spot. Best thing for MM I think is to leave him where he is and see if he can finish the year strong. He’s not dominating in AAA. He’s showing signs of life but there are still areas he can get better.

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    2. Agree with Handzus we owe Cutch more respect than to waive him.

      I’m not sure what they should do with Bohm. I thought he should have been sent down way earlier in the season for a few weeks to get his head right obviously they felt like he could handle it.

      Kind of peculiar that they chose now but at the end of the day these kids/young men need to understand its sink or swim.

      I expect them to have a good week if for no other reason than that is what they do and they tend to play better at home.

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      1. We (the organization) owe Cutch nothing more than the salary we’re paying him. As fans, he doesn’t deserve to be booed. But that’s not what we’re talking about.

        MLB should be a meritocracy. He’s hitting .220. Now he’s actually been okay offensively despite that (thanks to a good walk rate and decent power numbers). But he’s bad defensively and is no longer a threat on the base paths. If this were a rookie, this board would be calling for him to be optioned or released. And it’s fair to say that veterans with a track record of success get a longer leash because they’ve shown they can do it. But the thing is… Cutch has now shown he CAN’T do it anymore. This is his third year with the Phils. He’s been nowhere near what he used to be able to do, and he’s barely been above replacement. His three years in Philly combined have accumulated less WAR than ALL BUT ONE of his standalone seasons.

        Now you can argue all you want about how his ACL tear in 2019 derailed a pretty good season. And that’s fair. But it happened, and he hasn’t been good since. We’ve been down this road with Howard and Halladay; sometimes injuries end careers. Keeping them on the roster doesn’t change that.

        Now as for cutting him, I wouldn’t personally do it. But it has nothing to do with what he’s “owed”. He’s won nothing for us, he didn’t come up with us, and he’s been paid handsomely for his services. I’d let him stay just because we don’t really have better options. But I’d be perfectly fine having him be a bench player instead of a starter. And if Moniak gets hot again, I’d absolutely try to ride that wave in the majors this time.

        Cutch seems like a good guy. And he’s had a great career. I won’t boo him, and I feel no animosity that we gave him a lot of money. But that doesn’t mean he deserves to be in the majors now.

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        1. His overall numbers for the year, as well as his close to 2 month stretch where he was one of the best hitters on the team, show that he CAN still do it. It seems that injuries will always get in the way from here on out but altogether he’s close to a 2 WAR player, which is better than we can reasonably expect from MM right now.

          A team that’s in “contention” isn’t going to remove an average regular to play a guy who, in case anyone forgot, was completely overmatched in the majors earlier this year. If it’s a meritocracy, we don’t have anyone more deserving of LF than Cutch.

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          1. I already said I wouldn’t cut him because we don’t have better options. But 2 months out of 3 years is not a trend, it’s a hot streak. Dom Brown hit well for 2 months, too. Didn’t mean he could keep it up.

            And anyways, the ONLY thing about Cutch that is passable is his offense, and it’s only just passable. We don’t have a DH, and if we did it’d be a waste to use it on him. So we’re losing a lot of the little value he gives by having him in the field. He’s not close to a 2 WAR player. He’s close to a 1 WAR player. Those are ridiculously common. We’ve got a lot of them, in fact. Travis Jankowski, in fact, would be on pace for over 1 WAR, and has done so in the two seasons he’s had enough PAs to get there. Put another way, if we had two TRAVIS JANKOWSKIS, we could effectively replace Cutch’s production.

            The only thing saving Cutch’s roster spot is our lack of options and his salary.

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            1. Cutch’s 2-month run and Dom Brown’s are apples and oranges. He’ll probably end up a little over 1.5 WAR when the season is said and done. My argument isn’t that LF doesn’t need to be upgraded, but that we don’t have anyone that’s an upgrade. Jankowski might approximate that WAR over a full season (maybe) but he’s still not a clear better option.

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  7. I root for Mickey, and not just because his Dad posts here. I want him to be a Major Leaguer, but I don’t know if he is ready. This season has been a positive one, but I have only read about how he is doing. I am concerned that the times he got called up later in the season, he didn’t get to play. Haseley, who I wish well also, I can’t even guess on, because I have no idea if the physical/mental/personal issues that he had, have been resolved. But, we need some of our young guys to make it, and as soon as next season. All of the top players can’t be FA, although Rhys has shown he is a pretty good offensive player, just streaky and challenged defensively. A FA SS is necessary, but we need some young player to make it also.

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  8. Where this team fails compared to teams like Atlanta or LA or any of the constantly good teams is there is just no shot in the arm from minor league call ups. The teams issues really come from its poor foundation. That Arizona series was truly disgraceful.

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  9. It was, Garett, but on the bright side, it looks like Ranger can be a legitimate SP, and I like the pitching I have seen from Bailey Falter, but you are correct, where we have gotten help from is veteran journeymen like Torryes and Miller. The team just has to add some everyday talent that can manufacture runs other than hitting HRs. That, and what has been truly awful Defense are the 2 most important keys for next season. Exactly what I had hoped for from Scott Kingery, a line drive gap hitter, with a lot of 2Bs, and excellent defense, but it has so far, not worked out!

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  10. 2021 CBA has made changes to the roster callup/expansion form 40 to 28. Where do the Phillies go/do?

    Glavis and Dominquez take spots?
    Valazquez and Eflin take spots and where or what their roles? Suarez and Moore back to pen
    What role does Anderson, GOT TO MANY RH ARMS?

    Younger Players
    Bohm?
    Hammer, Falter and Williams
    DLS ?

    Moniak, Matton, Verling, Medina, Sanchez left off because of CBA

    Every ones thoughts?

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    2. It was the 2020 season that changed it, not this year. And the only thing it really changes is that they don’t have to be in Philly. If they’re on the 40 man, they’re still eligible for any post season games we might play.

      So the people on the roster will stay on the roster, the people playing in the minors will keep playing in the minors. We’ll probably just add another pitcher and bench piece to the active roster. So most likely Galvis (assuming no set backs), and Seranthony if he’s ready.

      Hopefully Eflin’s return knocks one of Anderson or Moore off of the team. Dunno what we do with Vinny. Coonrod’s return probably knocks DLS back down to the minors.

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      1. IMO…if Freddy is ready to play, , then one of either Maton or Williams is sent to LHV. And then he also could go with Marchan if he decides to go with an added catcher.

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        1. Ideally I’d like Maton to go down to get more playing time (I’m pretty sure Williams is what he is at this point, and learning to hit off the bench is probably his best path to success) and Marchan to come up and become the #2 catcher with Knapp as the emergency backup.

          But JoeG won’t do that. So I’d rather Marchan stay down and keep getting reps. I feel bad for the young guys on this roster, because it seems impossible to get in a groove with this team unless you’re a vet. The second you start to struggle, you’re sent to the bench and then you can’t get in game action to get back into things. Let them play through it (a few games off is fine, but not weeks off), or send them down to work on it.

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          1. Yeah.. it is unfortunate, but .in a pennant race sometimes you cannot afford to wait for a young player to come around.
            Joe must be hesitant about putting a younger inexperienced player in August/Sept games, if they are still mathematically alive.
            When you look at the roster…..other than Bohm, Maton and Williams…..most are veterans.

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          2. I’m not sure why you’re surprised about this. The Phillies are trying to win games. They can’t afford to wait for rookies to adjust. You already saw this with Domonic Brown years ago.

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            1. My issue isn’t necessarily with not playing the young guys in a pennant race… it’s sitting them on the bench. If they aren’t going to play, option them. Let them keep working on it and give someone else the bench spot.

              We just saw this with Bohm; from August 10th until he was optioned on the 22nd, he had 18 plate appearances. And in that same time frame he started on consecutive days ONCE. He played 3B for one inning.

              This was also after he had hit .329 in June and .296 in July. So we gave him two months of struggles at the beginning of the year to work through it, and it started paying off with his offense. But now suddenly he’s not allowed to play 3B. And I get it, he’s been bad at 3B. My problem is this reeks of an organization without a plan. If Joe isn’t willing to play him, there needs to be communication with the FO so he can work on his defense (whether at 3B or elsewhere) in the minors AND keep his bat up to speed. Using him as a pinch hitter doesn’t help his defense in any way whatsoever, and it probably will hurt his timing on offense, too.

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            2. The issue with Bohm is that he had an extremely successful 2020. So I get that the Phillies were willing to wait for him to adjust because last year, he was a difference maker. Historically, the Phillies don’t like to demote players because usually the team promotes players when they have nothing left to prove at their previous level. But in this case, since Alec skipped Lehigh, they should have reconsidered that thought and demoted him last month. But I understand why the Phillies held onto him as long they did.

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  11. V1, congratulations to you and your son! He looks very polished for a 13 year old. Hope that both of you enjoyed your visit to Cary, which is about 90 miles from Winston-Salem where I live. Thanks for sharing the video clip.

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  12. Maikel Franco DFA’d by the O’s. He’s been awful with Baltimore this year after an okay 2020 in KC. Anybody want to take a flyer on him should he clear release waivers? I wouldn’t even consider it if Bohm or amyone else was locking down 3b. Perhaps a change of scenery candidate? He turns 29 this week.

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    3. what a bummer. no sooner do i buy tickets to go see Maikel’s showdown against Shohei on wednesday, and the O’s ruin it by cutting Maikel.

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  16. The system is about as bad as I can recall since I started following this site in 2006. This whole
    Organization is a mess.

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    1. Agree Catch.
      If it wasn’t that they’ve been in ‘rebuild’ and have signed three major F/A’s, the org screams for a rebuild. So while that isn’t an option, the annual selling the future for a pipe dream in the present has handcuffed the org further each year. So frustrating.

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    2. Agree and I started following the system around the same time. It’s bad when almost the whole AA team is filler.

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      1. Williams was drafted when, 2015? and he just got called up for his first major league at bats just after he made the USA Olympic basketball team? Sure, the prospect lists aren’t loaded with Phillies, but maybe we should give Barber a bit of time for his last two drafts to pan out

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        1. Barber’s first draft looks kind of weak but he’ll get more time for a full evaluation. The current state of the farm isn’t just a comment on him.

          Catch is right that his approach seems to be completely opposite of Almaraz’, which was completely opposite of the group before him.

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          1. Is there really any ‘correct’ approach?
            Seems most times it is combination of good scouting and pure luck.
            Dodgers right now appear the front runners, and as you can see they are not without their on miscalculations over the last 15/20 years for first round picks…where a team has to really get it right most times to keep the organization competitive. .
            .https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=LAD&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_round

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  17. Yes, that’s very true, but so far, the returns are questionable. But he does need time.

    And here’s my same criticism again – what are our organizational philosophies? A team without clear organizational philosophies will almost certainly never have its act together. Especially since you need the right scouts to find those players and the right player development people and instructional approach to maximize those players.

    From what I can tell, Barber seeks players who are the polar opposites of what Almaraz sought. Almaraz wanted pitchers with good control and hitters with good contact skills. Barber is seeking players with raw tools – so we get pitchers with good velocity (but questionable control/command) and hitters with good speed and power (and apparently plate discipline), but often questionable hit tools (see Martin and Radcliff). Now, all things being equal, I’d err on the Barber’s side, but you still need to find the right players and develop them.

    But, up to now, the Phillies don’t have clear organizational philosophies when it comes choosing players and that’s why their farm system directors see things so differently. Hopefully, this too will change.

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    1. That’s my issue with the Phillies and it all starts at the top. They have no organizational approach or culture. There are teams where you see a player and you say he’s a perfect fit for that team.

      The Phillies keep jumping back and forth between structures. They are going to use analytics and then, it’s a 180 to old-school approach. They prioritize results over tools for a couple of years and then switch to valuing tools over results.

      They are a mess because their leadership is a mess. they are going to rebuild but then start throwing money at FA’s and making trades for veteran players like Santana and Segura only to change directions the next season.

      They are going to be a big market team that signs $$$ FA’s but then stop short because they are against the Luxury cap.

      That is all about bad leadership at the very top and it doesn’t really matter who’s the GM, scouting director, manager, etc.

      Mets are starting to discover the same thing with their new owner as well.

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  18. I try to pay attention as best as possible to other parts of the league for nothing more than context for any criticism I may throw at the Phillies. And yeah things could be worse is never a good excuse to excuse our own failures.

    That said when I saw the Padres fired their pitching coach on the heels of us taking 2/3 from them the thought has occurred to me. The Angels also. The Jays, The Marlin’s, The Tigers, The Rangers and quite a few others. Some of these have been tanking for quite a while now trying to structure a rebuild and haven’t even achieved the mediocrity that we have LOL.

    Some of them have drafted pretty well and some of them tried to spend and the Friars have done both and still manage to hit those speed bumps.

    Lastly praise the universe for the Yankees as they just might beat up on the Braves enough to breath life into those who hope the Phillies can take the division 🙂

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      2. From an optics standpoint that is a Pennant race (AL EAST) what we have going on here in the NL East is not really when you compare the winning pct%

        the 3rd place team over there has a .563% the Braves lead our division with a .544% and this was attained with a 9 game win streak

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  19. We can argue drafting and draft philosophy all day but I don’t believe that is the root problem. The players we have drafted were, for the most part, drafted at the range they were expected to go at. If we hadn’t selected a player they would have been selected by another team soon after.

    Drafted baseball players, unlike any other sport, need years of development before they are ready for the big club. This is doubly so for high school kids. Even after they are at the MLB level a cohesive plan needs to be in place to maintain improvement. In this the Phillies are an out and out disaster. How many times have we seen highly rated prospects fade in to oblivion after a few years in the Phillies system. My fear is that Bohm will be the next Kingery.

    The minor league system is a wasteland not because we have traded away assets or because it has not been supplied with adequate raw material, the Phillies would be hard pressed to develop a Polaroid.

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      1. I can tell you right away that THIS removal is the biggest Phillies move in 2021. Something had to change. Jorge Velandia has been an organization favorite for some time, but let’s see who Dombrowski gets for the permanent gig. Not sure if Minnitti and Proefrock did much more than help MacPhail pick out the executive suite colors but the player development job is as urgent as any need among the staff.

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    2. ‘’ the Phillies would be hard pressed to develop a polaroid”. 😂. That’s funny, but sucks because it’s way to true.

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  20. One thing I’d prioritize in the off season is bringing in a winning veteran type player to come in and mentor Bohm. He said a pep talk Rizzo gave him in Chicago helped fuel his improved approach. If that guy is Freddy Galvis I’d keep Freddy around.

    I think Bohm’s biggest problem this year is his inability to accept failure. You see him take bad at bats into the field and vice versa. Frankly I thought he should’ve been sent down earlier in the season but I understand why they couldn’t/wouldn’t do that for a number of reasons.

    Let Ochart and those guys fix whatever bad habits Bohm has gotten himself into offensively and let him build some confidence at AAA. Maybe he can be a difference maker this year during the final push or maybe this helps for next year. Either way he’s not the first top prospect to fail at the MLB level and need some adjustments at AAA. I think a lot of people are overreacting to his demotion.

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  21. IMO Bohm was successful in a short season, no video or tape allowed, Pandemic. This year they found holes in his swing, defensively he suffered because of pressure, long season, or No mentoring whatever skipping AAA was a short coming, MOVE On help the kid, apparently no one knows how or is he
    Un-coachable . Coach him
    Phillies Minor System seems to be ? I have watched since 2015, players have the talent although raw but Phillies do not seem to emphasize fundamentals , allowing mental mistakes, giving passes to Prospects that don’t play hard, take plays off instead of benching them they let them play while players on the bench with less talent sit but are willing to work hard and with coaching could be a MLB because of Love for the game.
    Game keep changing but Phillies seem to be unable to accept it.
    Hire New Coach’s , New Scouts, Change Pitching philosophy ,ie; location, pitch selection, competitive spirit over .
    Phillies stuck in Prospect rating . How about what kinda of player is he, can we teach him to be successful, is he coachable oh and last but not least important Does he Love the game because minor league baseball sucks the Love out of you
    New Coaches
    New Philosophy
    New Scouting
    New Development Approach

    Driveline
    Fundamental Baseball

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    1. Bohm’s hitting came around in a big way. From July 1st until August 10th (when Girardi stopped playing him), Bohm was hitting .298/.379/.440 good for a 124 wRC+ and wOBA of .359. His K% was still high (25.3%), but his BB% was up to a respectable number (11.6%). So if they found holes in his swing, he adapted. It just took longer than we hoped.

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          1. I’ll give you an old fashioned CB Radio answer to your question about whether the driveline techniques have worked: negatory.

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      2. A few weeks ago, I mentioned Bonifay’s job was probably in jeopardy. I thought he would be fired after the season. I’m a little (but not totally) surprised it happened right now.

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        1. Dombrowski has had a good nine months to take in the organization. He sees the Phillies development deficiencies.

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    1. Their gone to lesser roles, the press release out. – copied – The Phillies have removed Josh Bonifay as the director of player development, among the number of front office moves it made today … Assistant GM Jorge Velandia will oversee the player development system on a interim basis with the asisstant of Dana Parks

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  24. Thanks v1, I don’t think anyone can be shocked by this. Our system needs to be revamped. Sal still runs International scouting and Barber reports directly to DD. Very interested to see who the replacements are.

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    1. Yes, they needed to make changes, but we keep hiring the wrong people.

      Terrible organization from the top/down. Owners who usually picks the wrong people to lead. And appointed leaders who don’t know what they are doing. No continuity. No clear organizational philosophies around which they can build. Way too many guys with ERAs over 5 and batting averages under .230 (with little power, by the way – there are no 20 homer guys milling around either, other than Ortiz).

      F’ing mess. Hopefully, DD and Fuld can put in the right people, but hardly a ray of sunshine for beleaguered Phillies fans like me.

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      1. And you can criticize the Eagles all you want, but they clearly have organizational philosophies (build along the lines, lead with offense, find a top level QB) and they have an owner who can actually spot talent with coaches and he’s always forward looking (no old guy Andy MacPhails or DDs – he wants the cutting edge people and knows how to take some chances). Say what you like, but Andy Reid was a find and he gave us good football for a long time, and when Chip Kelly failed, Peterson was the right guy at the right time.

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  27. I have a source in Rhys’ medical sphere that told me the groin injury is very bad and will certainly require surgery this offseason. “It’s not a matter of if the muscle will fall off the bone but when”

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  29. Ranger has done a fine job all year. In 3 weeks + 3 days they have stretched him out to 100 pitches. IYO is this a normal timeline for this kind of thing or is it sooner than one would expect for this process or is it based strictly on the individual?

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  30. Suarez throws too many pitches to be a solid starter that goes deep in a game. I believe he better serves this team and his career as a late inning reliever.

    Like

    1. ciada – what are you basing that on? If you look at tonight’s game, Suarez went 6.2 innings and threw 99 pitches. That’s about 14 pitches per inning. Granted, this was only one game, but I don’t see his pitch count as an issue. I think the issue for Suarez is that he relies on his fastball and change-up. He’ll need to mix in another pitch as batters adjust to him.

      Like

      1. If Suarez is averaging 14 pitches per inning then he would throw 126 innings to complete a 9 inning game. That total pitch count is the same as pitchers prior to today’s game strategy.

        Heck, if he was pitching in an away game he would throw an 8 inning complete game with 112 pitches because he would probably lose 1-0 or 2-1.

        Like

  31. As the Phillies plot Abel’s course back to the mound, they have penciled in 2021 first-round pick Andrew Painter for his first professional start on Aug. 27 in a rookie-ball game in Clearwater. Like Abel, Painter was drafted out of high school. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has been training at the Phillies’ facility since he signed last month for $3.9 million.

    https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-mick-abel-andrew-painter-rhys-hoskins-freddy-galvis-20210824.html

    Like

  32. This team is absolutely gutless. One run. When will there be a consistent winning team on the field? It’s been bland ball with late season collapses these last few years.

    Like

  34. I tend to agree with the comment (somewhere) above that the Phillies issues lay mostly in player development. Since Nola in 2014, the only pick that was a head scratcher was Randolph in 2015 (on Ruben’s final watch). Moniak was a reach as a 1-1 but the 2016 draft wasn’t exactly full of “can’t miss” prospects, and there was no consensus #1 kid. Haseley is still something of an enigma, clear athletic skills though nothing that screamed “look here” yet very much in the national top 10 discussion. Nobody had issues with Bohm at 1-3, and he’s a work in progress despite his deployment this year. Abel and Painter are (too?) far away to know, but most scouts see significant upside for both.

    So the begging question left is who and how these young men are being challenged, developed, and utilized. The fact that Dombrowski has pulled the trigger here is encouraging. What we don’t know is will the next director of player development be more effective than Bonifay and his predecessors. That’s a decades long void in the eyes of Phillies historians. Mike Arbuckle never got the chance to show what he might have accomplished but that ship sailed when Monty went with his boy, Ruben, who’s better suited for the broadcast booth as it turns out. I hope DD’s connections pay off in filling this invaluable post.

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  35. I have said it before but I will say it again, I am very encouraged by the season that Bryson Stott is having.

    Statistically, his numbers look really good. Very reasonable K rate. Very good walk rate. Power. Contact. Goes oppo often. Doesn’t hit a lot of grounders. Sees 4.3 pitches per PA, so he is patient. All very encouraging. I don’t see any red flags in his numbers. I don’t see a superstar but I could definitely see a Jake Cronenworth type player. A solid regular. We need like 3 more of guys like him.

    Like

    1. Looks like the Phillies will have to make a decision as to what one of three infield positions he will begin his MLB career at……or may be fluid, and they move him around between 2B, ss and 3B….similar to Kingery.
      Though I do not see Joe doing a Gabe with him.

      Like

      1. Imo there in lies the risk…defensive position. His bat can play at short or second. But is not what you want out of a 3B. And there is still a lot of scout skepticism that he can stay at short.

        The Almaraz era had a common theme in that he didn’t seem to value defensive tools. And we see what happens with a guy like Bohm.

        Like

        1. I was looking at the top 25 OPS players this morning by position

          RF and 1B were tied with 6 Players each
          SS was next at 4 Players
          DH and 3B tied at 3 Players
          CF 2
          LF1

          MO when you construct a team know where your OPS is coming from. Hunt those players first then fill in around them with guys that are good defensively. We have 1 player on that list which is our RF.

          Like

          1. Ok, but the key point you are making is for players with elite bats. Stott doesn’t project to have an elite bat. He has an average bat. Go look at the top 20 third baseman. They all project to have 20+ homers this year. Most will have 30+. That isn’t Stott. so if we have a 10-15 homer guy at third, then we need to make up for it somewhere else.

            Like

          1. Hitting in the. 290’s at Reading.
            Ortiz hit another there last night.
            Josh Hendrickson, 23 tear old lefty from Australia pitched last 6 innings for the win. 70 pitches and game was only 2:34.
            JH is 4-2 3.72 in 13 games for Reading mostly starting. Almost a strikeout per inning in 60+, walked 27.

            Like

            1. Denny……Reading does have that reputation as a hitter’s ball park among many baseball analysts, so must bear that in mind.

              Like

  36. Alvarado pitched at LHV last night. Started, 1 inning 0 runs. Seranthony pitched an inning 1ER but struck out the side.
    LHV developing their pitching staff for the majors 9 inning game gave up 5 runs and used 8 pitchers.

    Like

  37. Erubiel Armenta got the save for Jersey last night pitched a clean last inning and struck out 2. That is now 40 strikeouts this year in getting 54 batters out. Almost 75%.

    Like

    1. Denny…as I said before….three of these four…Bohm, Moniak, Haseley and Stott….have to find a position on the MLB field and become ‘good to very good’ starters. I twill give Dave D. breathing room under the luxury tax threshold.

      Interestingly…….Rhys is going to manage his groin issue for the last 5/6 weeks….in Nov….IMO, I expect the Phillies, in a sign of good faith, will make their offer to him and Boras on a LTC buying out his last two arb years and tacking on another 3 maybe 4 (with an option).
      I think because of Rhys’ age, slightly on the older side, at his current selective service time, they may consider an acceptance.

      Like

      1. I’m not sure why you would offer Rhys a contract like this. He’s literally all bat and no glove. He’s a DH playing 1B. And Boras is not going to take an undermarket offer for one of his clients. Just go arbitration and see what happens.

        Like

          1. There is no way Rhys signs a contract in free agency that isn’t a gross overpay that we can’t afford.

            Like

  39. Well here is what we are getting in OPS by position and I am pretty much going by games started at the position and for Sh!ts and Giggles let’s add cost because it matters

    2=798 $20
    3=860 $5
    4=786 $14
    5=644 $550K
    6=656 $12
    7=766 $20
    8=742 $10
    9=967 $27

    For contrast the Dodgers (WS Champions) and I’ll use the LU as it is today and the past two weeks

    2=858 $590K
    3=945 $8
    4=842 $13
    5=862 $8
    6=814 $14
    7=879 $15
    8=848 $8* I took the liberty of using Chris Taylor Bellinger is just awful this season $16
    9=899 $23

    Certainly there is more to it. A deeper dive would look at their bench production as well but just using round numbers The Dodgers LU is $89.5 million and the Phillies is $108.5

    What stands out aside from Bellinger is that there are no 6’s and 7’s in their LU.

    Like

  40. From the Jim Salisbury report, it seems that DD wants a little less reliance on analytics and a little more traditional Baseball. So, to narrow it down a bit, a little less launch angle and a little more line drive hitting. And, Barber reports directly to DD, as I am sure the new development Director will. Maybe, there will be one philosophy going forward? And, that will merge the 2 schools? Whoever is to blame, Kingery should never have stopped being a line drive hitter, and Hoskins should never have batted 2d. That doesn’t solve all the problems, for sure, but it would sure be a good start. Our hitting approach is terrible, and has been. Very encouraged by Stott, and I think he is a Second Baseman. Bohm can hit, we have seen it. Someone needs to help him develop a position. And, I think we need to make another foray into FA. We need a SS, and if we can only get 1 FA, that is not a BP arm, I go SS over CF, although who plays there is a mystery. Maybe Muzziotti? .

    Like

  42. This season basically over Braves would have to poop their pants and Phillies play .700 ball to overtake them.

    DD was going to help get a franchise off ground in Tennessee but state of attendance at baseball might have put brakes on any new teams for now so maybe Middleton said see what we got and fix my franchise because at this point this team is about the same level as a starting franchise team.

    If that’s the case at least a competent man as at the helm to fix this disjointed franchise

    Like

    1. This guy makes some good points…..funny….he does fail to address the guaranteed LTCs players get….and then for the most , with some rare exceptions, do not perform up to them in the last years.

      You see….if the MLBPA suggests having contracts similar to the NFL……they would get a whole lot of favorable movement from the owners.
      But they will not make any recommendations along those lines…because it is the biggest gravy train out there for the star players, the performers. as the author says..

      So come December, it will be more of the same as toward free agency and luxury tax issues and draft compensation for lost free agents.
      The tuck and pull begins right after the winter meetings.

      Like

      1. Not great timing for DD as I’m sure we’ll get to the end of this season and conclude a seismic shift to how this organization operates needs to occur. And frankly its probably already begun with the recent dismissals.

        The owners are quite savvy and some of the games biggest stars will find themselves in a precarious situation. If you look at the number of $250+ million and even $300+ million contracts handed out the last couple of seasons.

        Players who were the beneficiaries of those deals might not fight the owners with the type of zest the MLBPA might expect. Sure they’ll give it some lip service but…

        If there is any type of work stoppage the value of those deals deteriorates on some level correct?

        Like

        1. Exactly………those mega contracts, maybe 100/125, among the 1000/1100 MLB players that put on a big league uniform every year, really can, on the one hand, be a disservice to the overall rank and file. On the other hand , the younger player can see that the money is there for the top notch performer, so the incentive is there to be the best.
          I am curious how it all shakes out come December.

          Like

  44. 33 year old relief pitcher from FCL (Zach McAllister) is now in LHV and a 28 year old pitcher who was released from Seattle organization 12 days ago (Taylor Guerrierri) is on the LHV roster.

    Like

    2. Taylor Guerrerri also 34 YO. To LHV.
      Thought LHV had too many on Roster. They reduced roster 2 days ago.
      Reading Pitchers worth promotion on IL
      With no 40 man promotions to MLB roster except one or 2 needed why?
      Baffling roster promotions again. Especially when Anderson, Moore, Alvarado , Velazquez and Eflin ?
      We in go Vet
      We out Go younger

      Like

      1. If the Pads go down in flames I’m not sure Preller survives…

        He’s been at the helm since 2014 and while he’s built a nice system and made a good deal or two he was also roasted for a number deals with Medical Issues.

        And now when they were supposed to push for a division title they are not only behind the Dodgers but also the Giants. Sayōnara

        Many don’t know that he interned with the Phillies after graduating from Cornell.

        I’m not one for too many chiefs and not enough Indians but if DD is looking for a sharp add to the system he could be it.

        Like

        1. What I admire/like about Preller is that he found prospects at the same time he was trying to acquire big name talent. That’s not easy to do.

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          1. True…

            From what I gather reading the DD article in the Inquirer is that the hard part is developing a plug and play system where the development personnel (top to bottom) have consistent messaging.

            Tampa again as an example loses Friedman and Bloom just keeps on rolling. Bloom leaves and Neander keeps on rolling.

            Something exists there that allows them to lose talented people with little to no hiccups.

            You might call it a blueprint for success. Once created and you own it just keep bringing in smart people who follow it.

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  46. spinRATE – My bad on the Suarez comment that he’s probably not a starting pitcher in the long run. Had not seen the stats from his performance last night and was going on Buddy B’s comment on Suarez doing alright for an “opener”. I didn’t realize he was writing that in jest. Should’ve researched more.

    I am rooting for Suarez big time! Lord knows how much the Phils need a left hander (or two) in the starting rotation. I do believe that he needs to develop that third pitch to go along with the FB and CH for him to be the success we all hoped he would be when he came to the states.

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  47. Romus I wish but Braves have established that they are winners Padres eh. Real Padres don’t wear pants they wear padre robes so they can’t poop their pants

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  48. Per DD – Abel has a sore shoulder (not good) and might not pitch this season. Painter will make his first appearance on Friday.

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    1. I don’t recall if Mick was on the showcase circuit but watching Perfect Game game Sunday night this kid Lesko was throwing near 100 (I think he hit it once) and he’s 17 11 months so 18.

      And there were a handful of others topping 95. I’m sorry but those arms and shoulders are not going to last on the whole. Granted he was 1 and done (Innings) but is that really what we want these kids doing before they’ve physically matured?

      If it gets you a $3-$5 mil plus signing bonus or full ride to Vandy yeah sure…

      Like

    2. I could be wrong but wasnt it mentioned on here that he was probably fine but they’d eventually just “shut him down” and he’d pitch at instructs

      Like

  49. Will the Phillies move on from Didi and go after a big name shortstop…..like a Correa.
    Can they afford to hand out to a ballplayer another $300M contract.

    “My last year with the Astros, hopefully we can win another championship,” Correa says. “I can leave this great organization with two of them.” ………Correa won the WS with the Astros in 2017, though to many that is a tainted championship because of the cheating scandal surrounding the team. While Houston has faced plenty of backlash from opposing fans this season, Correa has relished in it and remains proud of what he and the franchise accomplished……The 26-year-old now wants to win another title before potentially moving on. With fellow shortstops Fernando Tatis Jr. and Francisco Lindor recently inking massive extensions worth over $300 million, Correa wants to get paid the big bucks as well. He turned down offers from the Astros worth $120 million over six seasons and then $125 million over five seasons………Correa has a slash line of .278/.371/.479 this season with 19 home runs and 68 RBI. He has the highest WAR on the team and was named to his second All-Star team.

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  50. Taking best player mantra for mlb draft. Take a look at Kumar rocker stud high school pitcher but as he progressed thru college fastball got slower. Some of these best HS pitchers with pitch counts you never know till they throw all way thru their growing years. Growth plates are tricky things with arms and young men

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  51. Jason Stark said on Mikey Miss “a GM told him no idea why Bohm wasn’t sent down weeks ago, thinks a good chance Rhys is dealt this offseason, least surprising thing was what DD did yesterday, people around the league can’t understand how they had a top farm system few years ago and then all those players went backwards at the ML level, thinks if we fix player development area we can turn it around quickly.”

    Like

    1. Well we have gone full circle. Right after the glory years of Jimmy Rollins to right after the next years. No improvement, Galvis to Galvis.

      Like

  53. Logan O’Hoppe going to AA

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    1. Great news…..he gets to see some AA pitching for the last 3 or so weeks of the season. Hopefully he also goes to the AFL in October.

      Like

    2. Wonder if they will move Stott up once again before LHV ‘s season ends in about 30 games. Probably does not even need to move out of his apartment if it is located somewhere between Reading and Allentown..

      Like

  54. Kutztown, where I live, is half way between Reading and Lehigh Valley. Stott does not live here, however for many years many Reading players did live here. There is lots of cheap housing in the summer because the Kutztown University students have left town. Now the housing is used for bikers for all over the world who train at the Veledrome in nearby Trexlertown.

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  55. A main difference between the Rays and the Phillies is that Tampa catches the ball and makes ALL the plays.

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  56. Why do Philadelphia fans have to be such jo s. Can tell Hoskins can barely move and some boo when can’t get back on foul pop. Please stop. I am no longer eagles fan because of that group

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  60. Wheeler wasn’t good enough, and I would never have sent him out for the 9th inning! Anyone booing Hoskins is an ass. Girardi should be gone too! What a huge disappointment he has been!

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  61. This one is on Girardi. Despite all the Ks, TB hit Wheeler hard all night. He had little left the last two innings. Can’t wait to hear Girardi try to talk his way out of this one. Should’ve been 8 innings and 2 ER for Wheeler. Glad the Phillies don’t play TB next year.

    Like

    1. It wasn’t crazy for Girardi to send Wheeler out there for the ninth IMO.
      The difference in this game is Rays play excellent D. Phillies don’t.

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  63. Good luck Ciada, I tried that a few games back when they left Nola in to the bitter end. Its more important to get a complete game than a team win and if you take him out you could lose the clubhouse! Heh, heh right.

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    1. This one is on JoeG. Wheeler had already given up 4 runs, wasn’t as sharp as Nola, and wasn’t pitching for a complete game vistory since the game was TIED. There was no reason to leave him in there since Kennedy didn’t pitch the day before.

      Like

  64. Hinkie, I almost always agree with you, but Wheeler had already given up 4 runs. He wasn’t pitching great, and JoeG has been saving his BP all season. For what? Next year? Hoskins ties the game and you can’t send Wheeler out again. This is on Joe.

    Like

        1. Matt … you obviously have the right to your opinion. And, as always, I respect your thoughts. That said … I disagree with your assessment of Wheeler’s performance. He allowed 2 ER over 8 IP. The previous night, the Phillies BP/Archie Bradley coughed up a couple of late inning runs to blow game one. That’s been par for the course this season (last few seasons).
          Bottom line for me: there was no “slam dunk” correct decision for Joe Girardi to make entering the 9th inning.

          Again … the difference in that game was defense. Tampa saved their pitchers multiple runs with their glove work, while the Phillies cost Wheeler runs, and added to his pitch count.

          Like

            1. Denny….I remember when Casey managed the Mets….a young hot looking 20-year old catching prospect named Greg Goosen came up, that the Mets org had high hopes on, and reporters asked Casey about him in spring training and what he thought about the youngster….Casey said…” you know what, in ten years from now, this kid has a chance to be 30 years old”

              Like

          2. Hinkie – you are so right. Girardi was in a no-win position last night because the Phillies don’t have a shut down closer.

            That said, all things being equal, if you have a decent guy to finish out the game (and Kennedy isn’t great, but he’s decent), you generally shouldn’t let the starter hang around – by 9 innings, even if the velocity is there, the starter is usually fatigued and command can be an issue. Still, once two men were on base, Girardi really should have considered a pitching change.

            Like

            1. And TBH … the Rays have the eye of the tiger (the Phillies … not so much). Tampa was likely going to score late inning runs, and win that game (just like they did Tuesday night) no matter who was throwing for the Phils.

              Like

          3. Hinkie, you are correct about 2 of the runs being the fault of the Defense, and I was a little harsh on Wheeler. I should also add that had JoeG done what I wanted, and went to the BP in the 9th, we probably would have still lost. It’s been that kind of year. And, you are 100% correct that the Defense is what cost the game, and has been just awful this season. It must be addressed next year, without question.

            Like

      2. Denny – the “Voice that Roared” is probably sitting on a cloud overlooking the field at CBP but still screaming and cursing at Bowa, Luzinski, and Boone.

        Like

  65. When you’ve got a roster filled with two broken down veterans in Cutch and Didi, AAAA players like Jankowski and Williams getting regular playing time, bench players like Torreyes, Miller and Galvis playing more because starters are underperforming or hurt, and two corner infielders in Bohm and Hoskins who can’t catch a cold….that leaves Segura at 2b who isn’t part of the future, and Harper and JTR who badly need a supporting cast of more than all of the above. Dombrowski has lots of business to tend to this winter…on and off the field. Regardless of how much Girardi is to blame, and I’m disappointed more in what he hasn’t brought to the party, the entire organizational culture is in dire need of an overhaul.

    Like

  66. LHV got blasted 10-3 last night by Scranton/WB. Bohm went 1-4, 0 k’s. Moniak 0-4, .250. Marchan 0-3, .191. Parkinson dropped tp 1-10. Seranthony 1/3 inning, 3 runs, 1 hit, 2 walks. DLS 1 inning 1 HR. 8 pitchers for LHV 14 hits, 10 ER & 8 walks. Team is 10 games under .500.

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  67. Reading outlasted Portland 9-7. Stott 0-4, .289. Josh Stephen 2-4, 3 rbi’s, hitting .282 in August overall .216. Madison Stokes 3-5, .239.
    Adam Leverett got his first win, 1-5, but ERA is 7.36 after giving up 3 ER’s in 5 IP. Brian Marconi pitched a clean 9th striking out the side and earning his 10th save. His ERA is 2.35. Marconi had 3 games at JS; 5.2 IP, 9 k’s, 0 runs, now 28 games at Reading with 38.1 IP 46K’s. He is a 24 year old lefty.

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  68. Jersey Shore beat Wilmington 12-4. Adam Haseley went 2-6 with a 2-run homer. He is 6-12 in last 2 games. Nick Torres (not from NCIS) went 4-5 and is 10-23 since promotion from Clearwater in 6 games. Tom Sutera got the win with 4 innings of 3 hit shutout pitching. He had 0 walks or strikeouts. His picture reminds me of Mike Nesmith of the Monkeys. Just throw a knit cap on his head.

    Like

  69. Clearwater won a double-header last night over Tampa. Coming into game Tampa was 35 games over .500 and C was 9 games under.
    1st game we won 13-6 and also 2nd 6-4.
    Luis Garcia went 4-8 for both games, his 9th HR and 6 rbi’s. He is at .240.
    Casey Martin went 3-9 in both games with his 4th HR and had 9 rbi’s, .237.
    Jared Carr hit his 2nd HR since being drafted this year in 13th round, .300.
    Matt Joyce rehabbing went 1-1.
    Vinnie V went 2 innings and the win in 1st game. 2 hits, 2 ER, 2 ks & 0 walks. 31 pitches 18/13.
    Matt Ostenberg, 15th round pick this year got the win in 2nd. 3 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 3 ks & 0 walks.
    Jason Ruffcorn, 8th round pick this year got the save his 2nd. 2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs 2 ks and 0 walks.

    Like

    2. Great reporting Denny….

      I’m too lazy myself to look this stuff up. That and I’m mostly afraid to look…

      Like

  70. Yes, last night was a very poor defensive game, but the worst performer was Joe Girardi:

    1. Kruk was right, he said that they should have run JT on the 3-2 pitch to Harper. Kruk astutely pointed out that McHugh doesn’t throw a fast fastball, so it was likely to be an off-speed pitch to Harper. Thus a good pitch to run on. But Joe didn’t run JT and Harper hits into a double play. Next batter, Rhys hits a homer. Could have been a 2-run homer if they ran JT. This is not hindsight. The right baseball play was to put JT in motion on the 3-2 count to Harper.

    2. Joe should have gone to his bullpen instead of stick with Wheeler in the 9th.

    Like

    1. I was okay with him starting the 9th, but after he gave up the first or second hit, he probably should have brought in a reliever.

      Like

    2. That’s a great stat and observation. Had I know that, I agree, they probably should have replaced him to start the 9th or had a guy ready after the first batter reached base.

      Like

    3. In regards to Leo Morgenstern’s tweet …

      The Phillies BP had allowed:

      two 8th inning runs on Tuesday
      three 9th inning runs on Sunday
      one 10th inning run on Saturday
      one 8th inning run on Friday
      one 7th inning run on Wednesday
      three 8th inning runs the previous Sunday
      one 8th inning run the previous Saturday
      two 9th inning runs the previous Friday

      … and it goes on and on and on.

      v1 … you brought up the definition of insanity the other day.
      Please explain to me again why Joe Girardi should have had any confidence in his BP last night.
      Again … there was no “slam dunk” correct decision for the Phillies manager to make.

      Like

      1. The definition of insanity is letting a SP face an MLB lineup for the 4th time in one game. You make the right baseball decisions and if the pen blows the lead then it is not on him.

        Like

          1. I don’t understand the point you are making. Are you suggesting that we can never trust anyone in the bullpen the rest of the season? Starters need to throw complete games the rest of the year?

            Like

            1. No. I’m just telling you lifting Wheeler for the BP wasn’t the simple/clear decision you (and Leo Morenstern) are suggesting.

              Like

  71. That first hit last night should’ve been a leadoff double. They caught a break but the manager was asleep at the wheel again.

    It’s hard to blame the manager when the problems with the team clearly come from the previous regime… but he’s certainly not helping.

    Like

    1. I am not blaming him for every team flaw.

      But to me it all comes down to one question with Joe….Do you believe this team (with a .500 record) is playing at or above their talent?

      I do not. I have seen many other baseball teams with far less talent play much better.

      Like

      1. I agree with you. He’s been below average this year, but I think the real problem is the talent from the minors. I think the hitting coach and the pitching coach have done fairly well this year. Most guys are performing at or above their historical norms, so that’s good. But they are just not getting a lot of help from the minors, which is why heads are rolling.

        Like

      2. Exactly….this team has the talent….or in some cases had the talent before aging set in, i.e. Cutch and Didi it seems.
        According to Fangraphs:
        Harper ranks first .. RFers
        JTR ranks 2nd…c
        Rhys ranks 9th…1B
        Segura ranks 17th…2B

        Like

        1. Yes, but after the top level players, the remainder of the guys are generally replacement level talent – it’s very uneven.

          Like

        2. 9th and 17th? Meh. Hoskins had a bad start/got hurt but while he’s a good player he’s also not an all-star lock type of player. JT is really good but not a superstar. And the bottom of the roster is a garbage fire. Like, the last 3-4 spots in the ‘pen, the last couple spots in the rotation and 2 of your everyday starters (SS and 3B) were just hemorrhaging value.

          This team does NOT have the talent. Aside from Nola, who’s really underachieved? They’ve given up more runs than they’ve scored; their pythag is 60-66. People are looking at this team with rose colored glasses.

          Like

          1. Rhys at 9th out of the 30 other teams’ first basemen in the majors…….and I assume factored in is his defense….I can live with that.
            Sure the remaining roster has plenty of flaws outside of Harp/JTR/Segura and can only hope Dave D addresses them this off-season.

            IMO, add one of three shortstop free agents….Story/Seager or Correa….and then the dominoes will fall into place at the other positions.

            Like

            1. Rhys isn’t one of the team’s problems and I’m not on the “trade him” bandwagon. I just wanted to point out that while our roster has very good players, some other teams have more top end talent. I think that gets overlooked, or at least underestimated.

              Consider me skeptical that a team that hasn’t shown any willingness to hit the luxury tax and got money back in a trade for Kyle Gibson is ready to throw another $30 mil per season at Correa, Seager, etc.

              Like

  73. LOL God bless that HOF Peter Gammons

    Like

  74. Observations from last night’s game.

    If the Rays are starting an opener, he doesn’t go more than 2 times through the order.

    Joey Wendle got 2 hits on the pull side (2B). They were virtually identical. In this day of shifting, did Wendle beat the shift twice in 1 game or do the Phillies shift incorrectly?

    Once Wheeler gave up that first hit in the 9th he should have been out. If Wheeler was pitching for the Rays, there’s no way Wheeler would be pitching a 4th time through the order.

    Like

  75. I just hope DD realizes that he will not right this ship solely on draft picks or the FA market or releasing a handful of guys that have nothing to do with acquiring the talent.

    He will have to pull of some big/smart trades…

    Like

    1. If the Phillies trade Didi, they will have to eat at least $10M of his 2022 $15.25M salary. And the Phillies won’t be getting much for a negative WAR player.

      If the Philies trade Segura, they will need to convince him to waive his no-trade clause. Waiving his clause will likely mean the other team picking up his 2023 team option of $17M. This will likely not happen. And anyways, Segura is not really the problem.

      The possible big trades the Phillies can make are trading Hoskins and/or trading Eflin. If the DH comes into the NL, then the Phillies can keep Hoskins as he’s still under arbitration for 2 more years and you won’t have to worry about his glove anymore.

      Eflin is a calculated risk. He’s a FA in 2023 and he’s been solid but not spectacular. There’s always that chance that has a crazy season before he hits FA. If you don’t want to re-sign him or even QO him, then trading is a possibility. Falter could take his spot in the rotation.

      Outside of the above, I don’t see any other moves the Phillies can/will make on the starters.

      I think Mick Abel and Bryson Stott will likely be the top 2 prospects that other teams will ask for. If the Phillies say that they are untouchable, then the Phillies won’t be getting anybody serious like Byron Buxton.

      Like

      1. Under the radar guys who are cheap and controllable? Like say Nick Maton or Luke Williams type players?

        The problem here is that if they’re cheap, the other teams have no reason to trade them. And if they have options, the other teams can send them down to the minors.
        The Phillies need to look for players who require a change of scenery, who might be getting expensive (relative to their output), but has talent that didn’t show up at the ML level.

        Like

        1. As an example, look at Keston Hiura of the Brewers. Drafted 9th overall in 2017, but really hasn’t performed at the ML level. He’s still pre-arbitration (cheap), but has options so the Brewers are sending him down to get playing time. He’s still hitting in the minors. He probably needs a change of scenery if he doesn’t perform, but the Brewers won’t have to make that call until he runs out of options.

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          1. But how about those Brewers? Between their farm system and clever trades – they’ve built a hell of a team there. I mean, look, the Yelich deal has been a failure so far and it really hasn’t even mattered. That’s what happens in good organizations.

            Like

            1. The Brewers have seemingly gotten over the hump and been a more or less consistent winning team the last few seasons.

              Their pitching in general has been spectacular. To get 2 elite level pitchers in the later rounds of the draft is crazy and almost unheard of (Woodruff 11th, Burnes 4th). Peralta was a lotto ticket trade that panned out. The Adames trade is looking great. They have a couple of low cost FA signings that have started to bear fruit (Narvaez, Wong, Garcia).

              For the Brewers, everything seems to be coming up roses for them in 2021.

              Like

            2. Catch I’m curious about the statement that Yelich has been a failure? I think that was a fantastic trade for the Brewers

              Like

            3. DMAR…Yelich s first two yeasr were specutacular….$112M player…last year because of the issue with COVID he slipped, and then again last month COVID positive ……and this year he really has had an issue sustaining any production.
              But overall…..he has not been a failure in the trade…….look what they gave up to the Marlins and how has that transpired for them in Miami.

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            4. DMAR the Brewers trade of Yelich was a great one.

              That’s not what I’m talking about – it’s the huge contract they give him before the 2020 season – he has produced at a level FAR below what they are paying him. Maybe he will bounce back, but if he continues to hit like he has in 2020 and 2021 it will be a horrible contract and one nobody else will touch – much like Pujols.

              The question is – will he bounce back? Frankly, I have no idea.

              Like

  76. Padres got 4 hits in SIXTEEN innings last night. Ouch! And Snell threw 122 pitches into the eighth inning. Padres are in a worse phree phall than the Phillies.

    Like

  77. Once again Joe leagues his pitchers in too long. Does not take genius to see Wheeler was missing his spots/location. Like Nola they both needed to come out. Kennedy was up USE Him.
    Love Cutch but he non-chalantly on the routine catch/ no catch cost pitch’s. GOT TO GO.
    Houskins love the team spirit but WE WIN WITH DEFENSE
    Herrera he gives you somthin then gives it right back GOT TO GO

    DD PAID 2.7M for Kennedy
    PAID 3M MOORE
    PAID 4M for Anderson
    PAID 6M Bradley

    USE THEM

    Phillies need to do what Cubs and Nats did
    get rid of Anderson, Moore, Gregorius, Velazques, Herrera, Knapp, and Alvarado

    Maybe explore Sanchez and Medina as short relief, apparently that’s what they are grooming them for at LHV

    With Nola,Wheeler,Gibson,Suarez,Falter,Dominquez,Eflin,Bradley,Hammer,Coonrod,Brogdon
    we have pitching but USE THEM

    Go get Seager you get SS and a hitter, go get a backup catcher, too early for Marchan and use Miller. jJanK coming off the bench. Bohm just needs coaching and better mental approach

    use the BP and pitch calling has suffered

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  78. Clearly the Farm system has not produced nearly enough talent. And, the defense has to be improved dramatically. We can try to trade Didi, but even with eating money, what’s the return? Hoskins brings a nice return, but who replaces him? Are we really going to count on Bohm? Hoskins is inconsistent, but I want his bat in the lineup. Trade Nola? Eflin? Then there is another hole in the roster. I don’t see any way to try to fix this team without the FA market. And, that doesn’t just mean the highest priced guys. We need to find another Shane Victorino or Jayson Werth. Those guys were about as much good luck as anything, although Gillick knew Werth from the O’s organization.

    Like

    1. matt13….the return on Didi is not crucial…..if a team like the Angels would want him, then pay 40% of his last year and if they are willing to also give up a 15/20 ranked prospect in their system ….grab it.
      Dave D has to sign one of the three shortstops next year…all have plus defensive gloves and can hit in the middle of the lineup. The Phillies would have to buy out both Cutch and Doobie to come close to making it work.

      Like

    2. Trading Didi and let’s say, eating $10M of his $15M along the way, that’s still $5M of wiggle room for whomever we might try to sign. Dombrowski could try to find a high ceiling, low level minor leaguer in return for Didi.

      Like

      1. mark8:29……the way I look at it with moving on from Didi….similar to what Gillick did with Abreu, and Abreu was more of an offensive force than Didi, though Didi more with intangible leadership traits.
        But bottom-line addition by subtraction as they say.
        Didi’s defense at shortstop has killed them (not to mention the plate lack of production…73 wRC+…whoa!)…a good playoff team needs a defensive shortstop, and if he can hit, icing on the cake.

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  80. Rhys back on the IL, Eflin up, Anderson out, and Alvarado back. We are going to miss Hoskins again for a while, and there may not be a race for him to come back to, even assuming there is one presently. And, I am all for getting one of the SS this off season. However, what does the new LT look like? Is Middleton going to be any more amenable to exceeding it than he was this season? Because if he is not, we are facing another barren season in 2022. There is not enough $ coming off the books to fix this team and keeping the Payroll the same.

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  81. Rhys back to the IL. I’m guessing that play at 1B did more damage. I agree that time is running out on this year. The only goal left is to see if we can at least finish with a winning record for the first time since 2011. There are so many things for DD to do for next year. However, the 5 man rotation could actually not be one of those things. I think Ranger has looked great. I always wondered if he had what it took after initially watching him pitch and dominate in Lakewood. Falter looks like a possible long man/6th SP too. Good SPs will make the bullpen look much better with fewer innings pitched. They will certainly have to create a bullpen again with Bradley and Kennedy both FAs. The starting 8 needs a complete makeover outside of 2B, RF, and C. They must improve their team defense plus find more good hitters. It won’t be easy. We have zero to trade and can expect zero help from the minors (please, no Moniak in LF and Stott will have to show at LHV that he’s good enough). What to do with Bohm?? Good luck DD, I hope you have some ideas.

    Like

    1. The Phillies won’t be able to replace every available position with FAs. They will have no choice but to bring up some guys and hope for the best.

      Here’s my projection:

      LF: Internal
      CF: FA
      RF: Harper
      3B: Bohm
      SS: FA but not one of the big guys
      2B: Segura
      1B: Hoskins
      C: Realmuto

      The Phillies already have around $135M in payroll for 2022. If they follow the same 2021 opening day payroll of $191M, that leaves $56M.

      Hoskins and Eflin have arbitration and I think they’ll get around $13M total. Plus other minor arbitration will add another $4M? That leaves $39M.

      The Phillies need to replace Bradley/Neris/Miller. Comparable FA replacements will go $10M total easy. That leaves $29M.

      I don’t think the Phillies can sign any FA SS and/or CF with a $25M+ AAV. They just can’t do it without paying luxury tax.

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      1. “I don’t think the Phillies can sign any FA SS and/or CF with a $25M+ AAV. They just can’t do it without paying luxury tax”,
        ….can be done…..after Cutch.Doobie buy-outs…and hopefully a Didi trade……then they will need to skimp on relief free agent pitchers….they will need to count on maturation of their controlled young relievers…the Brogdons, Falters, Hammers, Alvarado, Coonrod et al….and a return to health of Romero and Seranthony.

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      2. I seriously doubt that Dombrowski will construct the 2022 roster with both Bohm AND Hoskins at the corners. For one, his reputation as an aggressive mover and shaker. Regardless of Rhys’ health situation, I’m becoming more and more inclined to think that if he plays another game in red pinstripes, it’ll be as a DH. Otherwise, he’s valuable enough to trade for a couple bullpen arms. If DD gets the go ahead on breaching the luxury tax threshold, I can see Hoskins and Abel (who Dombrowski did not draft, btw) heading to Minnesota for Buxton (under control thru ’22) and Donaldson (thru ’23). Dombrowski tried at the deadline but without autonomy to go over the salary bump. This winter, I think Middleton loosens the $tring$ and let’s DD loose. This isn’t my suggestion but rather how I see this play out. I know many here will argue against trading Abel, and a few against moving on from Hoskins. I can’t argue against you. But Dave Dombrowski, for better or worse, wasn’t hired to rebuild. Of all the front office changes to be made, he’ll be the very last to go.

        Like

    1. I wonder what the breakdown is between the DR and Ven and which country produces the more impactful players.

      Like

  84. Eflin was just activated and his knee flared up again. Matt Moore is starting in his place.

    If Rhys’ groin is that bad as posted earlier in the week, I think he’s done for the season. I wouldn’t be surprised that at the end of the 10 day IL stint, he gets added to the 60 day list and goes for surgery.

    Like

    1. As he is aging….he is becoming more injury prone it seems.
      Or maybe it is just an anomaly these last two seasons.
      08/24/2021 Groin
      09/13/2020 Left Forearm
      08/15/2019 Hand
      05/31/2018 Fractured Jaw(HBP)

      Like

      1. You normally don’t get healthier as you get older. Rhys is not hitting enough to overcome his glove. If he’s getting more injured now, you either trade him or let him play out his arbitration years and then you let him walk.

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        1. I don’t know what the heck you guys are watching. Hoskins, even when healthy, is a below average first baseman – no argument there. However, this dude can really hit and I think there’s a good chance his best hitting years are immediately in front of him. There aren’t a lot of guys out there who can give you a consistent .850 OPS and 35 homers with the promise of more. It wasn’t a coincidence that the losing started when Hoskins went down – he’s a huge catalyst in the middle of this line-up. If you get rid of Hoskins you create more problems than you likely solve. I say keep him, and shift him to DH when that comes to the NL – which we all know is in the next year or two.

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          1. He is ranked 9th, by Fangraphs, in the majors for first basemen….when he is healthy he is a plus in the middle of that lineup.
            As I have said before….in a sign of good faith, come Nov, will the Phillies extend an offer to him towards an extension buying out his last two arb years, even with this surgery?
            They have done it in the past with players like Kingery, Herrera and Nola.

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  86. DMAR, I agree with comment on Hiura. Mid-winter when the Brewers were going after a f/a SS and Luis Urias was out of favor, I wrote here that I would consider him a priority to get him to be our SS. Circumstances allowed Urias a utility role and his gradual improved production earned him more PT till he became a regular. And a very productive one now!

    There’s others like Luis Urias out there (maybe like Hiura as you noted), and we need scouts and DD to identify and acquire one. Not an easy task but this should be a goal this off-season.

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  87. Zac Gallen basically same pitcher from HS with little more mph. His best pitch is a well placed fastball. Pinpoint control for most part.

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  88. Was it you, Hinkie, who wanted the Phillies to draft Pavin Smith? Who did they draft in the first round that year? DBacks going up the middle. Might be a long night.

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    1. Yes. Pavin Smith was a tremendous player at UVA. The DBacks took him right before the Phillies. Johnny A ended up drafting Adam Haseley (Smith’s teammate at Virginia) instead of Shane Baz (who was my second choice for the Phillies).

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  90. This pathetic team has one thing to look forward to this offseason; DD will blow it all up.

    Something’s gotta change. Same BS of blowing up when the games matter. Loser mentality.

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    1. I don’t know how you can blow up the Phillies. Harper is not going anywhere. Phillies just gave JT 5 years. And if you trade Wheeler, good luck replacing his 5 WAR.

      Cutch is gone, Odubel is likely gone, I think Bohm still has options so he doesn’t have to come up for 2022. That leaves Didi (with a contract nobody wants), Segura (with a no trade clause) and Hoskins.

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  91. Hard to believe we can be this bad! Cannot hit mediocre pitching. And no scoring without a HR, like it’s against the rules. I do not know where to even begin.

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    1. Send him to the AFL in October …a short break, then down to Australia for winter ball ….if he is physically up to it
      When spring training finally rolls around, he should have had plenty of swings in the off-season.

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  93. In a sobering note, who besides Stott and O’Hoppe has had an encouraging season? Ortiz also based on his JS power showing and I guess Randolph based on his early season hitting before injury shut him down. Anyone else from our prospect list? It’s a very short list. That gets guys fired.

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    1. For a 20-year old, who also endured that injury break in the middle of the season, Johan Rojas
      Luis Garcia, last dozen games in August

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      1. We had so much hope for that CWater team but absolutely no one showed me that they’re a future star. Not yet anyway.

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    2. Daniel Brito was definitely one of the few bright spots on the season which makes his medical trouble even sadder.

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  94. Ok, Jim and TrollU, you guys were right…stick a fork in the Phillies, they are done.

    Looking forward to 2022, the Phillies will have about $85m to spend before reaching the cap according to https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/payroll/2022/. I expect them to not pick up Cutch’s $15m, but the Arb guys will make up for that savings. So let’s go with $15m to spend.

    The strength of the team is the SP. With a healthy Eflin, they have a very, very good starting 5 with Ranger.

    If they are honest with assessments, then they need 2 OFs, a first baseman (move Rhys to DH) and a shortstop (move Didi to 3rd). I honestly dob’t know where to put Bohm. Putting him back at 3B and keeping Didi at SS for 2022 would be malpractice. Of course, we also need to remake our bullpen too.

    That’s a lot of holes to fill with only $85m. I know this next comment is going to get a lot of replies, but I really think that DD should entertain trading Wheeler. He would command a king’s ransom. We could fill 2 or 3 spots with what we could get in return and get much younger. The current roster is not a young team. And with Ranger in the SP, we would still have four very good SPs. I get that we won’t have an ace. I love having Wheeler go out there every 5 days. I know how awesome he is. But we are a .500 ball club with him pitching at a Cy Young level. We need to get much better across the board. We need to upgrade at least 4 positions and a bull pen. You can’t get that done with $85m in free agency. Some trades will need to happen and he is our biggest trade piece by far. I could see Rhys go too, but honestly, I don’t see us getting much in return for an often injured DH. Maybe Rhys returns a bull pen arm or two. But then we need to backfill the DH spot.

    Like

    1. Trading Wheeler!
      That is blasphemy …that is something a team like the Tampa Rays have been know to do ……the Phillies are not the Rays. 🙂

      Like

      1. Yeah, all the armchair GMs took to twitter to say how dumb Tampa was for trading Snell…but the Rays got the last laugh.

        Trading an elite SP at the top of his market value makes a lot of sense for a team like the Phillies who have been stuck in mediocrity for a decade and have one of the worst farm systems in baseball.

        What would San Diego pay for Wheeler after finishing 3rd? We could raid that system of high end, MLB ready talent. There are other top teams with great farms or young players who are starving for a pitcher like Wheeler.

        Like

        1. Interesting idea, so long as somebody in the organization knows what they’re looking at in San Diego’s system.

          Like

        2. Willing to bet Preller would give up CJ Abrams and Robert Hassell for Wheeler.

          Long shot but if the Phillies take on Hosmer’s contract, who they want gone, and the Phillies add Mickey Moniak……..then maybe Gore or Lange or Gasser gets also thrown into the deal.

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    2. If finding a DH to fill Hoskins’ place is our biggest need, I’ll take that. I doubt he plays another game in red pinstripes. Prediction: Dombrowski blows past the luxury tax (Middleton will finally give in) this winter. Hoskins and Abel (who DD casually mentioned before the deadline that he DIDN’T draft) to Minnesota for Buxton (thru ’22) and Donaldson (thru ’23) and maybe some cash considerations to mitigate adding JD’s salary. Dave will go for it, especially since these aren’t (necessarily) long term additions. Then you have an offensive catalyst (albeit injury risky) and a leader in the clubhouse.

      Like

      2. my point is finding a DH to replace Hoskins is not our biggest need. He is a very good value for a DH. no reason to create a new hole by trading him. I doubt that you can get 71 homers at his contract value in the open market.

        And I hate taking JD. he is exactly what we do NOT need. He will be 36 to start next season. His hitting is clearly on a downtrend. And his defense is also not good right now. Hard pass on Donaldson from me.

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      3. Not in a million years are they trading Abel, especially not in this package. Why do so many want to trade Hoskins. With the DH coming soon hopefully, he’d be the perfect fit.

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    3. I agree. Watching this team continue to miss 93-94 middle FB while TB torched our Not bad location was telling. JT, DiDi, Segura( finally looked good) missed too many. Pitch around Harper. Freddy hopefully he can come around. Miller and Cutch are done Tooooo OLD
      Pitcher I think is a strength but wrong guys being used in wrong situations

      Like

    4. Wheeler will also be 32 next year and velocity is a big part of what makes him so good. The Phillies won’t do it because they’re operating like a club that’s a piece or two from a championship but it’s not a crazy idea.

      Like

  95. the team culture seems weak. phillies need a strong, no nonsense leader like dutch daulton in the club house to add some winning desire and fire. girardi doesn’t seem to provide that.

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    1. I disagree. Harper is the Alpha dog. You won’t find more Alpha than Harper. That isn’t our issue. Rah, rah stuff doesn’t impact the ability to hit a baseball or play good defense. a good culture only happens on teams that win. you got to win.

      Like

      1. it’s not rah rah stuff, it’s willingness to get in the face, confront players who dog it or make dumb misplays. i don’t know if that personality exists in this clubhouse.

        Like

        1. The three past Phillies that come to mind…based on your description, were Rose, Daulton and Utley.
          Normally it is a starting veteran position player. usually mid-to- late 20s and older, with some impact and authority on the field.

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            1. Yeah…..he was another….but only short-lived as a Phillie, and the team had just too many flaws to amount to anything.

              Like

    2. Do you realize the “great Daulton” teams only had one winning season? Winning allows everyone to relax and have a great culture. Losing sucks. Harper, JT and Hoskins are all leaders. Cutch is too for the black guys (oh wait, he’s it).

      Like

  96. Pigs lose 6-0. Only 4 hits and 0-3 from Bohm. Moniak went 1-2.
    Jack Perkins started and in his first AAA game. He threw 4 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. He had pitched in progression in 3 leagues this year.
    Austin Ross has pitched well since his promotion from Reading. Threw 1.2 shutout innings yesterday. In 5 games in relief he has a 1.50 ERA.
    Ross in a very professional young man. My family met him 2020 ST in the LA Quinta hot tub after a day’s work. He was so nice to our grandson’s. Rooting for him.

    Like

    1. Denny…with Hoskins on the 60…why not call up Darick Hall to play first.
      Sometimes these power guys come up, and give a shot in the arm to the team.

      Like

      1. Romus, the Phillies are way, way, way overdue for someone within the ranks to emerge from the weeds on the farm to spark something worth our hope against hope. Hall could be as much a candidate as anybody.

        Like

      3. Based on what we got now at 1rst base, I was thinking along the same lines. This year was done when it started, so it can’t hurt anything. It is however, dangerous for you to think like me.

        Like

  97. I am sorry, v1, I can’t trade Wheeler. Can Nola go, or Eflin? Sure, but I don’t trade our top SP, and there is no one to replace him. We are not the Rays. There is no one in the organization, like what the Rays have, to identify other teams’ talent. That has never been Dombrowski’s strength. I see MIddleton relenting on going past the LT. I can see Hoskins traded, although I wouldn’t. I see a top SS signed. Bohm doesn’t have to play in the Majors next season, if there is no position that he can play. The idea that we have the ability to trade Wheeler and get a Major League SS, CF and LF, just to name 3 positions for Major League ready talent to play, and then coming up with next year’s Kevin Gausman is a little too much fantasy for my 50 years of being a die hard Phillies fan’s brain to absorb. No disrespect to your opinions, v1, which I have a great deal of respect for. I just have never seen that happen here, and I have zero faith that we can pull it off. And, to be honest, there is part of me that blames Middleton for MacPhail and Klentak, and I want him to show me he “will do anything to bring a WS back here.” Let him start by ignoring the LT. If that doesn’t work, they can always go through another rebuild. I have been through a lot of them already. And, yes, I have given up on this season.

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  98. Romus – I’m in agreement with you. Hall should be put on the 40 and brought up to replace Hopkins (as Moffo calls him). Since that talking to you gave him, Hall has come alive.

    On to other things: Now that the boys are pretty much cooked, what are the feelings of the site goers that the Phillies finish the year above or below .500? I’m hoping the upside.

    Like

  99. speaking of rocco, hasn’t his vacation gone on a little long? Is he trying to hit every racetrack on the East Coast? Romus, is there definitely going to be an Arizona Fall League this year? Who, from our organization may go?

    Like

  100. Yes Stott did have a good night in Reading’s 5-2 victory over Portland. 3-5 with 9th HR, .295. Madison Stokes went 1-4, .240, hit his 11th HR. O’Hoppe went 2-4 in first game at AA, with a double.
    James McArthur started, went 5 innings, 2 hits and 1 ER. Last 6 starts 26.1 IP, 20 hits, 6 ER (4 in 1 game), 32 strikeouts and 8 walks.
    Brian Marconi “radioed” in another save in back to back games, his 12th. 1 IP, 1 h, 0 ER, 1 walk and 2ks. Last 21 games only had 1 outing that he gave up a run (3 ER), 5 games ago. 32 innings 20 hits 3 ER (1 g) 30 ks & 11 walks. June 1 thru last night.

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  101. Jersey Shore beat Wilmington, 9-5.
    Adam Haseley went 1-2, 7-14 last 3 games.
    Nick Torres continues his hot hitting in High A, 2-4, .444, hit in all 7 games at JS since promotion 12-27.
    Nick Matera, C, went 2-5 with a HR, in replacing O’Hoppe in 1st game back from Rehab with Clearwater.
    6’8″ Carlis De la cruz went 2-4 with his 2nd HR of the year at JS with 5 RBIs. He is 6-24 in his 6 games since promotion from Clearwater.
    Erubiel Armenta closed out game with clean 9th 3ks. Now has 43 ks out of 57 out, 76%.

    Like

    1. Denny, Haseley playing at Jersey Shore is like you and I against 8 year olds in whiffle ball. If it’s strictly for some type of rehab, I can see, but how can anyone truly evaluate his progress unless he’s at least at AAA?

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  103. Not that it matters but brother took son and friend to where Phils staying when in SanDiego. A Bradley took pic with nephew and friend. Rhys, JT Ne signed autographs certain 30 million dollar guy said no. No big deal maybe bad night but thought I’d put it out there.

    Like

    1. Yes, it’s not a good optic for BH but I am almost positive he’s been advised, or even instructed, by his marketing camp not to sign anything for anybody, anytime. And in reality, there are vultures out there looking to strike big $$$ on signed souvenirs. So in this case, I would back off Harper.

      Like

  105. Short synopsis from Clearwater. Lost yesterday to Tampa 9-4. Luis Garcia is red hot in last 4 games, last night went 3-5. He is 12-19 during this span. Now batting .236.
    Freylin Minyeta from DR is playing 3b, went 1-2. 10 games this year is 8-22, .348 with 1 HR and 9 rbi’s.
    Nothing special on pitching side, all 5 pitchers were meh.

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  106. Is there a time limit on Haseley rehabbing in the minors? Doesn’t he have to be put back on the major league roster or does he have options remaining?

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  107. I was going to try and write something new, give a different perspective, and then I came up with how many of us are probably feeling,and that is:

    Ahhhhh this BLANKING team!

    There is a gravitational pull on this team near the .500 mark. Doesn’t matter if there are playing the best team
    In baseball or the worst .

    2024 can’t get here soon enough

    Like

  108. Tac3, I am with you. I think we should be planning for what our ideal 2024 Roster looks like. That would be interesting! Abel and Painter both in the SR, Stott at 2B, Harper in RF, and JTR at C. That’s all I’ve got!

    Like

  109. I love how two 1st round teen righthanders are already penciled into the SR in 2024. Just think how much better the 2024 rosters of all teams picking before Phillies starting rosters are when all the 1st round picks are stars starting on their teams. We see how all the first round picks pan out

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  110. New one on me.
    Thor To Abandon Slider Until 2022

    NY Mets flamethrower Noah Syndergaard spoke with the media for the first time since undergoing TJ and divulged some information that even his manager didn’t know. Syndergaard said his doctor recommended not throwing any sliders for the remainder of the 2021 season due to the belief that they could aggravate his injury, according to Tim Healey of Newsday.

    Like

  111. Even when healthy Thor wasted one of best live arms in baseball. Little to worried about his hair and physique and not enough in his craft

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  112. A summary of the failed tenure of Johnny Almaraz in one tweet

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    1. Throw Kingery in there…even though he was only a 2nd rounder but cashed in on that “advance” salary. Imagine the woulda coulda shoulda’s with those 5….heartbreaking…unless, of course, 3 of them still turn out to become something. Shoot, I’ll take 2.

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      1. I think Cornelius Randolph has grown an inch or two….unless he is wearing lifts.
        Listed heights::
        Bohm……..6’5″
        Moniak……6’2″
        Haseley…..6’1″
        Randolph…5’11”

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  113. WARNING………..The Phils and Birds are on at the same time tonight, that means if you are brave enough to flip, you can get twice as mad (angry), twice as annoyed or twice as drunk as you normally would. Hinkie…….please keep that Magnum of Glennfiddich away from your recliner tonight!

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    1. Ok Zolecki reporting they were vaccinated, so this could be a contact issue. But it wouldn’t be an issue if the team had met the 85% threshold

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  118. Vito Frisia put on LHV roster today. That makes 19 pitchers and 15 fielders, that is 6 over the limit. I don’t get it.

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    2. I figured this out. These extra players are listed on the roster but are actually on the Phillies Taxi Squad. Five players allowed on Taxi Squad.

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  119. Now I know why Vito was brought back up. Knapp and Williams out with COVID. Marchan and Bonifacio to replace them.

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  121. … and that is why Joe Girardi was not wrong to allow Zack Wheeler to come out for the 9th inning Wednesday night. These relievers give up runs just about every night the BP door opens.

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    1. Love you Hinkie…but this argument makes zero sense no matter how many times you repeat yourself…

      the “A” in ERA stands for average. that means over a larger sample size than one game, the probability of giving up an earned run.

      The probability is that Wheeler gives up 1.25 runs per inning when he faces a team for the 4th time in a game. Every Phillies reliever on the team has a lower probability of runs given up. these are math facts. this isn’t an opinion. it is statistics.

      You can post videos of the relievers failing, but no need as I have seen all of those live. I feel your pain. Baseball is a game of failure. But good managing increases the probability of success.

      It is the same as the shift. You can show me videos of when the shift didn’t work. But over a large sample, the shift works. Same concept as going to the pen and not letting your SP face a lineup the 4th time.

      The manager’s job is to optimize probability under every scenario. Any scenario in which he doesn’t optimize probability is a failure of the manager.

      Here is another example of Girardi’s failed management.

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      1. If the manager makes the right decisions and the team fails, then that is on the player/team. but if a manager does not make the right decision to optimize probability, then it is a failure on the manager.

        Don’t conflate outcome with the right decision. they are two different things.

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        1. Love you too, v1. However, you (and Leo Morgenstern) are looking at this situation from only one angle. Wheeler’s numbers in the 7th-9th innings & the 4th time through a lineup may not be great (and they are a very SSS), but you neglect to weigh Girardi’s alternative option (Ian Kennedy). The Phillies’ new closer has been just as bad. Since joining the team, Kennedy is sporting a 7.00 ERA.

          Again … my point is/has been there was no “slam dunk” correct decision for Girardi to make Wednesday night. I have no problem with him going with his Cy Young contender. It didn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean Kennedy would have succeeded.

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          1. One last point … as far as “stuff” goes: Wheeler @ 90+ pitches > Kennedy (no matter how many/few pitches) IMO.

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            1. Hinkie…..look on the bright side…we could have ended up with Craig Kimbrel and his 7.15 ERA. 🙂

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            1. v1 … I love talking baseball with you, whether we agree (Gabe shouldn’t have been fired) or disagree (this subject) on a topic.
              You’ve based your argument on these rock solid #s tweeted out by Leo Morgenstern. I’m not even sure who this guy is. So the first thing I did this morning (after I took my dogs out) was to research this. Here is the truth about Zack Wheeler going through a lineup for the 4th time. He had gone through a portion of an opposing lineup in eight different games this season before Wednesday night. In six of those eight games, Wheeler gave up no hits the fourth time through. During that time, he faced 17 batters (5.1 IP … a waaay SSS).
              Wheeler did get dinged by a Josh Bell 2-run homer in one game. His ERA was also inflated when the BP allowed a couple of inherited runners to score (there goes that ‘pen again).
              Opposing hitters were slashing .250/.294/.438 against Wheeler the 4th time through a lineup.
              Girardi’s other option was closer Ian Kennedy who was allowing a .207/.294/.517 overall slash line since being acquired from Texas.

              One last time … I absolutely believe (with no reliable closer) Girardi had no obvious “right” decision on Wednesday night. And Ian Kennedy’s very next game, he coughed up a 9th inning, 2-run homer to inflate this squads blown save total to 27 in 2021 (a franchise record).

              Finally … a quick perusal of a couple of the NL’s top innings eaters shows that the Dodgers and Cardinals (two pretty well run clubs) have allowed Walker Buehler and Adam Wainright to face opposing hitters for a 4th time in games just this month.

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  122. Lol dumpster fire continues
    If I’m Bryce, I’m requesting a trade. They’re wasting his prime years

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  125. How can I argue, Hinkie! What a pathetic team! Is this bliwn save #30?! This is Arizona we can’t beat, not the Dodgers! What a dusgrace!

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  126. JoeG did everything right, and then Kennedy hangs one.

    Now I’m wondering why JoeG brings DLS up to pitch the 10th. Didn’t we see this from DLS in the past against Atlanta? Why is DLS pitching in a tight game? DLS’ WAR is currently -0.4 and probably going to -0.5 after the game. DLS has a WORSE WAR than David Hale, Maurico Llovera, David Paulino, and all of those pitchers were DFAd.

    Anyways, the Phillies are cooked and JoeG is getting canned. It’s just a question of whether or not he lasts the season.

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    1. Guru, ……I don’t think Joe is a good manager……and I don’t think he is a bad manager…….just a manager. Those Yankee teams he managed you could put on auto-pilot and it was in the AL to boot. Often he disappoints me in the decisions he makes and I expect better in regard to pitching decisions because he, as a player was a catcher. This team isn’t very good and he has guys that shouldn’t be in the bigs let alone making millions. Personally, I don’t think he is having fun and it wouldn’t surprise me if he resigned or was fired at the end of the year because this team isn’t going to be better for a long time ……..too much to fix IMO. Question might be, would it be any better with Walthan at the helm?

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      1. Skeet…agree…..Joe will resign, especially if yuo are correct and he is not fulfilling his desires as a manager, before Middleton pulls the plug and fires him…one year to go, Middleton will let him at least start out the season in 2022.
        Plus…what if the team, by some miracle, starts to win and it comes down to the last weekend of the season.
        The next 30 games will be the difference for him.

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      2. Now that you mention it, I can definitely see a change of the guard in the off season. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me once the Phillies are eliminated from the playoffs that Joe steps down. There’s definitely a vibe that all is not well in the clubhouse. Plus Dombrowski may be eager to select his own skipper, anyway. Joe’s mutual decision would make it easier.

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        1. ….which then begs the question….who’s on the market that Dombrowski would target? Might he call Buck? Or a younger up and coming guy currently on another MLB staff?

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  130. Yes Stott went 3-5, .301, with his 10th HR in Reading’s 8-3 victory over Portland. Madison Stokes went 2-3 with 3 rbi’s and O’Hoppe went 1-5. Matt Kroon playing CF went 2-4 with his 4th HR and is batting .286 in leadoff. Kroon was an 18th round pick in 2018. He played in 3 progressive leagues this year and hit better in each one. He has played 3b, 1b and all 3 outfield positions. He also played a couple games in Rookie ball at SS & second.

    Hans Crouse started went 5 innings, 3 h, 2 ER, 3 walks and 3 k’s. Got his first win for Reading, 1-2 and has a 3.38. 82 pitches 49/33 K/BB.
    Nick Lackney pitched 3 shutout innings and Warren the 9th giving up 1 ER.

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      1. Thank you Skeet. Not a smidgen as good as Jim, but trying to fill in better than a Phillies’ utility player.

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      1. I still think we oughta throw out his JS numbers from this year; that level wasn’t a challenge for him. But with the tear he’s been on recently his AA numbers are looking strong. Strikeouts are a little high but better lately. I’d like to see him finish the year in LHV.

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        1. Fair point….pitching in Hi-A vs Double AA would be less challenging for him.
          I look at it this way….JS ISO numbers …especially those in FirstEnergy, a park not known as a hitter’s park, I think are still worthwhile in the total picture.
          Then again, the Reading’s FirstEnergy park factor numbers can be something that can be juxtaposed with Jersey Shore/Lakewood.
          Then again…his time in JS …95 PAs, is truly a SSS… I normally will use the 150 PA standard to measure a player’s metric validity

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  131. So, clearly I did not wait for the outcome, and turned off the game, and went back to the Eagles when Kennedy gave up the 2 run HR. Stand by what I felt, however, it’s just so disappointing how we have played this year. I exaggerated only a little, it was blown save # 27, not 30. I didn’t get to see DLS give up another HR. It seems like 10 in 20 innings, but only 7 in 22. Eflin may not pitch again this season, but I can’t stop myself from watching the games until I get so mad I can’t watch anymore. That was last night with the Kennedy HR.

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    2. matt13,
      ….”….. but only 7 in 22.”….that is funny,
      …that’s 2.9 HRs/9 innings pitched, still one of the highest in the league.

      Like

  133. Caught some nice crabs this morn (blue claws) no not in Kensington. Caught all the grade 1s at Saratoga. Unbelievable races today. Eat some crabs during Phils game cause they’ll put me to sleep

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  134. Catching up with transactions and stuff.

    Cole Stobbe was quietly released a couple of days ago on the 26th.

    Stobbe was the Phillies’ third-round pick in 2016. His best season was his GCL season in 2016 when he slashed .270/337/.405/743. He hit career-high HRs (15) and RBI (34) with Low-A Lakewood in 2019. He also struck out 158 times in 397 plate appearances that year (39.8%). After losing the 2020 season to COVID, he fared worse this year striking out 89 times in 204 plate appearances (43.6%) while posting a .122/234/.238/.472 slash.

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  136. Pretty close metrics..along with other things.
    Pavin Smith and Adam Haseley,
    ….teammates in college with the Virginia Cavaliers baseball team.
    Both drafted in 2017…first round.
    Smith at pick 7 and Haseley at pick 8.
    Smith’s MiLB slash……281/364/426,
    ….PAs-1232….K-12%…BB-12%…HR-23….ISO-.145
    Haseley’s MiLB slash..287/358/432,
    ….PAs-1144….K-16%….BB-9%…..HR-27….ISO-.145

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    1. Pulling from a SSS here but what I like so far about Wilson: strikeout rate of just under 20% shows he’s not overwhelmed by the level and already 5 XBHs, 3 of which are home runs. So the numbers aren’t earth shattering (again, small sample) but so far he seems to be as advertised. I’m counting that as a win in this system.

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      1. Yeah, the farm system needs every positive sign it can get,
        ….I am anxious to see to how he will do at the next level.
        I do not think he qualifies for the AFL in October, but he should be in fall instructs at the least. Maybe the Phillies can send him down to Australia this winter and face different pitching.

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  140. Pigs lost Friday 11-4, Bohm 3-4, Moniak 1-4 & Vierling 2-4. Christopher Sanchez started and in 2.1 innings gave up 8 h, 8 ER, 1bb, 6 ks.

    They won last night 9-8 in 12 innings. Tied game in bottom of 9th with a run.
    Scranton scored a run in 10th, 11th & 12th. LHV matched them but got 2 in bottom of 12th.
    Bohm went 3-5, .348.
    Moniak 2-5, .254.
    Vierling 2-4, .249.
    Hall 0-3, .222.
    Randolph 1-1, .290.
    Haseley 0-5.
    Medina started went 4 innings, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 bb, 2k’s, 5.05.

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  141. Reading Phillies. I gave a synopsis on Friday’s game yesterday so here is Saturday’s game.
    Lost 11-3.
    Kroon led off and went 3-4, .304.
    Stott batted 2nd, went 2-4, .304.
    Rest of the team went 5-23.

    Morales started went 4 innings, 8 h, 4 ER, 2 bb, 4 k’s. 6.98.
    3 relievers went 5 innings, 12 hits and 7 ERs.

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  142. Interesting that Bohm played first base Saturday night, he did have 3 hits for second game in a row.

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  143. Jersey Shore.
    Won Friday 10-9, tied it in 9th with 2 runs and won with a run in the 10th.
    Nick Matera 2-5, 5 rbi’s, 1 HR.
    Nick Torres 2-5, .438.
    Vic Vargas started, 1.2 innings, 9 hits & 8 ERs.

    Saturday won 3-0.
    Tyler McKay started went 7 innings, 5 hits, 0 ER, 1 bb, 5 k’s.
    Gabriel Yanez relieved in his first game since promotion from Clearwater after starting in FCL. 2 innings, 1 h, I k. Got tge save.
    Nick Torres went 2-4- .444.

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  144. Woo Hoo! The Phillies are now one game over .500. But, hey, wait. The Giants are one game from being FORTY games over .500. We should’ve kept Mr. Kotter like I always….who am I kidding? I wanted him gone as much as most other guys on this site. On a less delirious note, maybe the Phillies should bring Bohm back up and let him finish the season every day at first base.

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    1. Ciada, This is the perfect opportunity to give Bohm consistent playing time and, as Girardi would say, a reset. A little consistency may be all he really needs. Of course, we now have JT’s sore shoulder to nurse so 1B might not be open for Bohm.

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  145. 11th rounder Drew Baker. Looks relieverish to me but I think that fastball/breaking ball combo will play if he locates. The second pitch looks more like a slurve so I wonder if he’ll tweak it in time to become more of a true slider.

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    1. According to Auburn athletics and Chipola College records….he was used primarily as a releiver….so he is familiar with the role if that is where he ends up.
      So one prep report where they had him at FB-95, with a max at 98.

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  146. v1 and Hinkie, I love you both, and I don’t know who is on which side of the debate. But, Kapler deserved to be fired, he was not very good while he was here, and whether or not Girardi shoukd go or MacPhail and Klentak deserve more blame than Kap, or if the Giants are 40 or 50 games over .500, doesn’t change the fact that Kap did not work out here. This is the wrong town for “he presented well” when the team loses and the object of his affection stunk. Sorry! I applauded the Gabe hire, but he was not the guy for a challenged roster.

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  147. Matt, if you are a beauty contest coach for Raquel Welch and I’m a coach for Rosie O’Donnell you will win all the time. It’s about the talent.
    The Phillies are no beauty queen.

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    1. Seriously made me lol, Denny, that was great! You are right, talent wins. The people who are responsible for procuring talent and developing talent are the reason we have not made the Playoffs in 10 years, and, at the same time, have a bottom ranked farm system.

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  148. You know, the Phillies are remarkably consistent. In pretty much every series they’ve played this year, they’ve scored almost exactly the same amount of runs each game (they scored 7 runs in each game in this four game series, they scored 2 runs each game the previous series against the snakes, etc.). I can only remember a handful of series where their runs scored in each game WEREN’T within 1-2 of each other.

    It’s not inherently a good thing, but it is really interesting.

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      1. It’s a very telling stat. If you give up more runs than you score, well that’s not good. The team is right about where they should be in the standings, if not a little ahead, based on their overall talent level.

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  149. Looking at the Phils’ 2019 draft today and noticed something pretty significant. It’s no big secret but it is striking when it’s laid out in front of you. First let me say that I think we’ll generally all agree that, past the first few rounds, the really interesting drafted players are the high schoolers, JUCO guys and maybe some college juniors that have more development time ahead of them. Let’s check in on those players from the team’s 2019 class:

    Round 3 – Jamari Baylor: Barely played this year due to covid situation in FCL
    Round 4 – Erik Miller: missed most of the year injured
    Round 5 – Gunner Mayer: missed most of the year injured
    Round 6 – Andrew Schultz: out all year injured
    Round 7 – Brett Schulze: out all year injured
    Round 11 – Marcus Lee Sang: same as Baylor
    Round 12 – Jadiel Sanchez: missed time injured
    Round 17 – Hunter Milam: hasn’t played all year
    Round 19 – Spencer Van Scoyoc: missed most of the year injured
    Round 21 – Hilton Dyar: hasn’t played all year
    Round 24 – Jose Ulloa: pitched 1 inning this year
    Round 28 – Carlos Francisco: He’s done okay! Made it to JS
    Round 29 – Micah Yonamine: barely played
    Round 30 – Dylan Castaneda: struggled in Clearwater but he’s out there
    Round 37 – Brendan Bell: struggled in Clearwater but he’s out there

    Not great! There’s hardly evidence that the 2019 draft even existed. Coupled with only 3 players from the 2020 draft, it’s no wonder our system is so thin.

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    1. These four pitchers I had really high hopes for, still a chance, but progression time becomes an issue at some point.:
      Round 4 – Erik Miller:
      Round 5 – Gunner Mayer:
      Round 6 – Andrew Schultz:
      Round 7 – Brett Schulze
      TINSTAPP!

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      1. Agree, especially the first two. It’s a real shame, coupled with 2020, these guys have lost basically 2 years. Van Scoyoc was another guy who had a big arm. Dyar and Milam were over “slot” late round guys. Yonamine got 280K, the seventh largest bonus in the class.

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  150. Pigs win today 10-5 over SWB. Don’t know how with the stats coming forward but made the most out of 7 hits and 8 walks.
    Haseley 0-4, .186.
    Bohm at 3b, 0-2, .320.
    Moniak 0-4, .251.
    Randolph 1-4, .289.
    Bright spot Hall, 2-3, 13th homer and 5 rbi’s, .226.
    Paulino started and went 4.2 innings 1 h, 0 ER, 1 walk, 5 k’s.
    2nd good start in row. Last game pitched 5 innings, 4 h, 1 ER.
    Seranthony got blasted again. Last 3 rehab appearances he has gone 2 innings 6 hits, 7 ERs, 2 walks & 4 k’s.

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  151. Gave Kapler didn’t make it here because he was honest and was himself. Philadelphians cannot accept a west coaster who talks the way he does. Funny thing is Kapler was hard nosed player and probably would kick the crap out of most of the people who made fun of him. He was Francona 2. Give him players.

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    1. Patso….do not want to beat a dead horse……..
      however, I did not like how he utilized some of the kids….give him a veteran team….and yes, he seems to flourish.

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    2. Sorry Patso, he did not tell the truth. He tried to sell they weren’t terrible when they were. He tried to sell relying on analytics totally was great management. He did not deserve to keep the job and neither did his bosses. He is doing well in SF, kudos to him. Philly fans don’t want to feel we are being conned. Which “truth” didn’t we want to hear? I don’t remember when he told us MacPhail and Klentak did a lousy job. Anything else wasn’t the truth.

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  152. Reading won 8-5 over Portland. As was reported earlier by colleagues Stott did go 3-5, .310. In 25 games in August he is 42-109, .420, 5 homers, 18 rbi’s. OPS 1.135.
    O’Hoppe 1-4, .308 1st homer.
    Brock Stassi 1-3, .209, 1st homer.
    Luke Miller 2-3, .220, 13th homer.

    Brian Marconi did give up a run in .2 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks and a k. 2.48. Slows my roll on his progression.

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    1. Denny…..maybe this week will be the week Stott will get the promo to LHV and get to taste a little of Triple A pitching before the season ends.

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