Affiliate Stuff

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The affiliates are approaching the end of their seasons.  The Rookie Leagues have already ended.  What’s upcoming?

The Dominican Summer Leagues Phillies teams have completed their seasons.  Red finished with a 27-26 record, tied for fifth in the DSL South Division.  White finished first in the same division with a 42-13 record.  The Phillies moved some of their more prominent prospects to the White team for playoff exposure.  White beat the DSL Angels two games to one in the quarterfinals.  They lost in the semis to the DSL Pirates Gold, two games to one.  The clincher was an exciting 10-9 game they dropped in ten innings.

The FCL Phillies finished 30-25 in second place in the FCL North Division.  They were still in the division race going into the last weekend but a loss to the eventual winner FCL Yankees hurt their chances.  One difficulty that Manager Shawn Williams had to deal with was the promotion of quite a few talented players during the season.

Clearwater was the recipient of all the FCL promotions.  Room was made for these players by the promotions of quite a few Threshers to Jersey Shore.  They won the first half and are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.  The new position players are holding their own, but the new pitchers have not had the same level of success as those promoted.

Jersey Shore is tied for the second-half lead in the SAL North Division.  They finished third in the first half and as I type this they have the best overall record in the division.  However, they need to win the second half outright to make the playoffs.

Reading finished last in the first half but has rebounded to a better second half.  They were competing for a playoff berth but lost ground in a recent series with first-place Somerset.  They are still playoff-eligible but face an uphill battle and need a lot of things to fall their way.

Lehigh Valley is one game out of first place this half.  But, there are seven teams within 2.5 games of the division lead.  They need to win the division outright to make the playoffs.

I learned a couple weeks ago that there will be no Instructs at the Complex.  Instead, the Phillies will hold Instructs at their Dominican Academy.  They will run through September.  Most of the participants will be from their two DSL teams.

In place of Instructs at the Complex, the Phillies will hold a high-performance camp.  It will focus on strength, conditioning, speed, and agility.  Camp will run from October through mid-November.  There will be very little baseball activity during the camp.

After Instructs at the Academy, there will be a high-performance camp at the Academy at the same time as the HPC at the Complex, run along the same guidelines.

A second high-performance camp will be held in January and February along the same guidelines as the other HPCs.  Phantasy Camp will interfere with this timeline.  The camp ends about a week before spring training report dates.

Note that the minor league CBA states the following –

  • fall training period – day after the season ends until the Friday before Thanksgiving
  • winter training period – January 2nd until the day before spring training
  • dead period – the Saturday before Thanksgiving until January 1st
  • report date (ST) – anytime after MLB pitchers and catchers report
  • MLB already decided to lower the domestic reserve lists from 180/190 to165/175
  • signing players to future services contracts has been eliminated
  • players receive $625/week during MiLB spring training and any offseason camps
  • dead period – no pay
  • clubhouse dues are not permitted
  • and much more

 

 

87 thoughts on “Affiliate Stuff”

    1. The group may be a little larger than in previous years. Each team designates a SP, we may send two. The list is being discussed internally, decisions will be made shortly. They won’t be made public until after the players are invited and have accepted. There will be a couple of surprise names, I think.

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  2. Jim what is your assessment of the no Instructs in Florida and the shift of philosophy to the Dominican Complex?

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    1. I have one theory that seems outlandish when I say it out loud. However, it might be as simple as they can’t arrange games against other organizations in Clearwater. Pittsburgh withdrew from games several years ago. Detroit is unreliable, they cancel when there is a threat of rain. (Every day in Florida there is a threat of rain.) The Yankees and BlueJays have recently joined the ranks of those organizations that don’t play Instructs games anymore.

      The outlandish theory is that it’s too costly. Teams have to pay players $625/week when they attend activities in the offseason. Forty or more players for four weeks is a new cost for the organization. Plus hotel rooms, meals, travel, and per diem add up. Holding Instructs at their Dominican Academy eliminates hotel costs since they can house players in the dorms. Dominican league players aren’t covered by the MiLB CBA and don’t receive pay during offseason activities.

      I can’t believe that cost would be that big a deterrent for the Phillies. It may have to do with offseason roster limits. During the season, any DSL players who were at the Complex had to be on an affiliate’s roster. If you have to add participants to a stateside roster to be eligible for Instructs, that would be a hardship.

      The offseason roster limit was 190 last year. It may drop to 175 this year. Limits and the roster rule kept some DSL players out of XST this year. Some were brought over in staggered report dates as spots became available. Others who shined in last year’s Instructs never made it, like Beltran and Villavicencio.

      The more I think about it, the shift to the Dominican Academy probably has more to do with my first and third guesses with lower cost just a benefit of the decision not a reason for it.

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  3. How about Mitch Neunborn a South African born 26 y/o sporting a .96 WHIP with 11.5 K/9 at Jersey Shore. Looks like he spent some time in the Aussie league where he was quite dominant there also.

    Yes age is everything at Hi A so no illusions he will one day dominate like that in the MLB but keep an eye on him. It does happen that pitchers come up a little older and find a role for a few years in the MLB.

    He features a FB that sits low 90s touching 93 and he commands it up/down in/out very well. The split/CU combination is a solid out pitch against lefties and the slider is pretty solid against the righties.

    Looks like we just picked him up this season and after some IP in FCL they moved him right to Jersey Shore where he logged 37 IP so far. Last night he pitched 5 no hit scoreless with 10Ks.

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      1. Last night was probably his peak but I wanted to give the young man his moment in the sun. Hopefully not a DMAR KOD..

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    2. According to BR, he’s almost 3 years older than his opponent at JS.

      He needs to start at Reading in 2024 and end at Lehigh (age 27). Then maybe he could be a depth starter.

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  4. Aiden Miller has played only short stop so far. I thought that he was drafted as a 3B.

    Speculating here, but maybe they think that by the time Aiden comes up (3-4 years from now), Trea will be ready for a transition to the OF. Maybe they are thinking that the timing is by the time Aiden is ready, Schwarber’s and/or Casetellanos’ contract will be up, so they can move Trea to OF and Miller to SS. Which is pretty interesting.

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    1. I mean, you never know, but my sense is that you always keep a player on the highest end of the defensive spectrum for as long as you can, especially when the player is nowhere near close to having a role on a big league team. If the reports are accurate, he will likely be moved in the near future. It sounds like, for this year, he can play there and the team wanted to play both Miller and Arnold, so this worked out fine. I wouldn’t make too much of this until we see him sticking at ss next year – which would be a good development.

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    2. Miller probably will get bigger in bulk ….from all indications he is a intense work out guy at his father’s gym, along with guys like Alonso. So who knows where he ends up once he is in the big leagues.

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    3. If Miller can hit, the Phillies will find a spot for him, and it’s probably going to be 3B. If Boras wants big money for Bohm, the Phillies are not going to give him that.

      Don’t forget that Justin Crawford will need an OF spot probably within the next 2 years.

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      2. I know Bohm is slightly polarizing here and it’s not clear how good he will become as he ages. But right now, while I agree WAR does not accurately capture his value (there’s no way it can – the eye test means something and it tells us he is a good player, where, frankly, WAR says he’s not a good player at all), the WAR is definitely relevant and is not flattering. I would be very reluctant to shell out a lot of money for a long term contract for him.

        He’s a lot like Castellanos. He has a good hit tool, he has some power, but he doesn’t walk a lot, is very limited defensively and is not a great baserunner. All of this means that his WAR numbers will probably be very “meh” unless he’s absolutely mashing the ball.

        I like Bohm, but the elite young positional talents on this team right now are Stott and Marsh.

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        1. With Bohm you need to differentiate bewteen his offense and defense.
          We all know his limitations on defense….hi-negative WAR across the board.
          His offense strikes a different position….ofWAR @2.1 and obWAR 1.7.
          His defensive WAR truly drags him down.
          Buit then the ‘eye’ test……he has surprisingly shown some exceptional playmaking defensive skills on occasion, leading me to believe he is adequate in the field, just not exceptional.

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          1. I think the eye test is what’s deceiving. Bohm makes what should be routine plays look exceptional because he has such poor range. It’s hard to tell on the tv when a player has terrible range or reaction time. because the camera is pointed at the batter until the ball is put in play. But the fielding stats are pretty clear and consistent. He is what he is…a productive role player. nothing more. he’s fine. because he is cheap. But I wouldn’t pay him a big contract. happy to let him walk if someone wants to give him a big deal.

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            1. He has three more years before free agency, and more than likely his three arb year salaries will not be astronomical, so like you mention, ‘a productive role player. nothing more. he’s fine. because he is cheap’.
              I do want to see if his ISO does climb over the next few years.

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            2. For a guy with his size his ISO is pretty poor. He has rised it this season to .155 from his career average of .126, with over 1700 PAs now, but lets face it, the best power hitters in the game will have an ISO around . 300 and anyone with an ISO over . 200 is hitting for power at a good clip. he is well below the .200 mark.

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    4. You’re overthinking it. The kid played SS in high school so they didn’t want to change his position initially so he could play asap. They’ve commented that he’s played a solid SS and that they’ll leave him there for now. There’s more value as a SS than 3B obviously.

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      1. Not “over thinking it.” I literally wrote “Speculating here”

        I was just throwing out a hypothesis on a Friday afternoon for discussion.

        also they have changed the position of drafted players, including first round picks, in Rookie ball. there is no better experience than game experience. so if they want him to be a 3B long term, they would put him there immediately. I think they want to see if he can stick at SS.

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        1. There’s a pretty good chance he’ll end up on a team with Bryan Rincon next year and I think it’s likely he moves to 3B then.

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            1. Zach Arnold, age 22, will likely start at Jersey Shore at 3b next year. Bergolla will stay at CWater to start and play 2b and some ss.

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    5. I was thinking about this, and maybe we don’t resign or maybe trade Bohm if Aidan Miller show a higher ceiling in the majors, then he can replace Bohm at 3Bs, but again everything in pure speculation.

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  5. Jim Bowden’s top 50 only includes Crawford after he dropped Painter and Abel down to 51-100 group after being top 50 previously. Abel has not advanced his control, obviously, and Painter of course didn’t pitch and had TJ surgery and will miss next year as well. We really need Abel to pick it up. Let’s hope he can build off of his last two good starts.

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    1. Crawford’s ability to make contact is exceptional, he has had a hit in 79% of the games he has played this season. ….with a low 10 delta between his 18% K-rate and his 8% BB- rate.
      MLB had his Hit tool initially @ 55, it could have risen to now 60 or 65.

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      1. Does anyone have any feedback about his swing?

        I remember Matt Winkleman was tweating about Crawford´s launch angle which was not ideal to say the least, perhaps he has improved in that regard.

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  9. So, basically, Crawford has had a really good season and looks great. Miller was a good pick and starting out very well. But, Painter is injured, missing all of next season, Abel was disappointing and a long shot to even help the team next year, and McGarry is a SP “for now”, but was also disappointing . So the chances that we get any help in the Majors from the farm next season are what? Less than 10%?

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    1. I haven’t seen enough of him, but I’d still be willing to bet Orion Kerkering leap frogs McGarry to the pen next year. Abel and or McGarry are likely called in for spot starts, injury versus breaking through a true starter spot. The rest of the prospect field just plays the wrong positiion. If I’m an OF in the Phillies org, I’m taking ground balls… that OF is stacked with large contracts and defensive replacements. Till Crawford is ready and or traded for other pieces

      I like the teams 3B history, will see if Aidan Miller can stay there … but there appears to be no openings at the everyday positions for a good while. Kinda of depressing for them.

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    2. I read Dombrowski’s comments with a half-glass full:
      “But I think guys like that, once they put it together, they can come very quickly. But I also would say I’m also not counting on them being in our rotation for the beginning of next season.”
      …………I can see Abel and/or McGarry pitching next season in Philly after the 1/2 -way point……along with Orion K. out of the pen.
      As long as they all remain healthy.

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    1. Sarcasm? Maybe, maybe not. Inaccurate? Yep. I wrote, “Oh, and by the way, don’t worry about Abel. He was tipping, it was spotted by a friend, and it is being addressed by the coaches”.

      This is a true thing. A friend of mine who watches ALL affiliated games (and Phillies games) each night noticed that Abel was tipping his pitches in the Somerset game. He has a strong pitching background and is a true Phillies Insider who shares observations with the Phillies, not a wannabe insider like me.

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    2. As Domnrowski said, guys like that …(with that much talent) and put it together….can come very quickly.
      More than likely Abel and McGarry will be making their MLB debuts sometime next season. In the meantime, fingers-crossed, no UCL or shoulder issues pop up.

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    1. I understand. I just wanted to make it clear that the pitch tipping was real and that I wasn’t taking credit for spotting it. BTW, I consider sarcasm a form of humor. I wasn’t offended at all.

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    1. Prediction: Rafael Marchan gets 50+ starts as a Phillie in 2024. He plays GG caliber defense & throws up a .750 OPS.

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      1. Interesting thought. Marchan after a slow injury related start to the season is hitting close to 300 and we know he plays good defense. However the Phils seem to love Stubbs and he’s cheap also. I assume they’ll battle in spring training for the job, could go either way but the encumbent has the advantage

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      2. I love that you are so high on Marchan but a .750 OPS is unrealistic for a player with such little power. There is one player in all of MLB with an OPS over .750 and under 10 homers and that is Luis Arraez. There are 2 with only 12 homers.

        But he doesn’t need that high of an OPS to be a good MLB catcher.
        GG caliber defense and a .330 OB% would be a huge win in my book.

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    2. Skeet…..have to think all of them will eventually be playing in the majors…..probably just not all of them, with the Phillies.
      Muzziotti, Hall and Kroon will probably move on to greener pastures next season. While Marchan and CDLC stay in the system..

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  15. Can’t understand why they keep Castro over Wilson. Is it because that they don’t want to think they made a poor trade?

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    1. Sorry, I haven’t a clue on Castro. I never understood it from the get go! I think the argument for him is suspect at best.

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  16. First, kudos to Wes Wilson for beating Rhys’ record on HRs. What a season he has had. My understanding of the Castro situation, according to Matt Gelb, is that Castro will be out of options for 2024 if we send him down before the end of this season. I am not sure of why, but that is what he reported. That does not mean that Wilson won’t get a post season spot over Castro. That does not seem to have an impact. Perhaps, Jim or Romus or Hinkie know the rules? But that seems to be the reason, not production.

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    1. matt:
      Postseason roster rules……..teams submit their 26-man roster prior to each round of the postseason comprised of postseason-eligible players. A club may request permission from the Commissioner’s Office to replace a player who is injured during the course of a series, but that player is then ineligible for the rest of that round and the subsequent round, if there is one. A pitcher may be replaced only by another pitcher, and a position player only by another position player. Teams are allowed carry extra players throughout the postseason in the event of injuries, and those players, as well as players on the injured list, can be in the dugout during games, within reason. Typically any player who is on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason. Not sure if that has changed. SO if Castro is on the 40, as he is, he is eligible to be added to the 26 prior to a particular play-off series

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  17. Thanks, Romus. So if Castro is left off the Playoff roster, he does not burn an option and Wilson can then be added to the post season roster, if that is what they want to do?

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    1. matt…..correct.
      A player can be brought up -majors, and down-minors , multiple times within one season….only counts for one option year burnt.
      Option years are based on a regular season.
      Guys like Cave, Wilson and Castro are up and down this season….they only burn one option year.

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      1. I believe MLB put a limit on the number of times a player can be optioned and recalled in a season. I think 5 times. Before the new limitation, some players were up and down a lot. I think Moniak was optioned and recalled 7-8 times in 2021.

        October 5, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
        #8 September 20, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Lehigh Valley
        September 11, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
        #7 August 14, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Lehigh Valley
        August 10, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
        #6 July 27, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Lehigh Valley
        July 25, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
        #5 July 21, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Lehigh Valley
        July 20, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
        #4 May 7, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Lehigh Valley
        May 5, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
        #3 May 2, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Alternate Training Site
        May 1, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Alternate Training Site
        #2 April 26, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Alternate Training Site
        April 14, 2021 Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak
        #1 March 24, 2021 Phillies optioned CF Mickey Moniak to Alternate Training Site

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    2. Castro hasn’t been optioned in 2023 so if the Phillies option him that will burn his final one so he can’t be optioned in 2024 without clearing waivers.

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        1. Hinkie………what was the attraction with him IYO? Must have been something about him to trip their trigger. I only saw him at the ML level and haven’t seen anything that would make me take him …… say over even Kingery, whom we are paying anyway.

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          1. He has good splits vs LH pitchers which is what I assume they wanted. Don’t get the calls for Kingery who been mediocre in AAA.

            Harder to explain hi. Over Wilson.

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            1. Don’t misunderstand me, I am only saying I don’t think he’s any better than Kingery and if you already have that talent in house, why did you pursue him in the 1rst place.

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            2. Get it Skeet. Just see similar comments on Gelb’s articles in the Athletic questioning why they don’t use Kingery in place of ….

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  18. Just saw this website was active again I glad you’re feeling better Jim as the effort you put in is unimaginable and greatly appreciated. To all the commenters, I want to thank you for the content and knowledgeable comments you bring. This is by far and away my favorite website. I look forward to waking up every morning and taking 20-30 minutes to read all the comments before starting my day. It is like Christmas morning all over. Thank you again

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  19. Cueto with 50 pitches in one inning…..I do not think I ever saw that before.
    I did see Jacob DeGrom throw 45 pitche vs the Phillies back in 2018…I think Cueto topped him tonite.

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        1. Phillies are more or less forced to offer him the QO for a few reasons .
          1. Out of respect for what he has done in Philly over the nine seasons.
          2. If he signs elsewhere, Phillies do get compensated.
          3. Perhaps he may want to redeem his career with a one year deal.

          Now they can once again begin the negotiation for a LTC, but doubt they make the same offer to him, that he nixed back in the off-season.

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          1. Idk, if Painter emerged this year, I could see them hardballing Nola, meaning getting a more accurate valuation vs overpaying. Not so much now. Painter’s injury is pretty big imo in terms of how they’d of addressed the future of the SR

            That’s said you offer Nola a QO for sure … someone will def sign him if not the Phillies

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  21. Matt et alia,

    Castro has been under option for 16 days this season, his final of three options. If he remains on the roster for the remainder of the season, the option won’t count since he will not have reached twenty days under option and he will retain the option for next season.

    That option has value to the Phillies. Don’t ask me why. I’ve been told they see something in Castro. Don’t ask me what.

    This isn’t the first time the Phillies have seen something in a player that fans don’t (I give you Dylan Covey) or have not seen something that fans think they have seen (I give you Francisco Morales).

    In a separate conversation last night, I suggested that Wilson (or even Clemens or Hall) would be better on the bench than Castro. I was reminded that the DH has given the Phillies little need for pinch hitters and that their need is for players who can play multiple positions and provide flexibility.

    Currently, their bench includes Stubbs, Sosa, Castro, and Cave/Pache/Rojas one of whom would be starting on any given night. Among the regular starters, who would/who have the Phillies pinch hit for – Schwarber, Turner, Harper, Castellanos (okay, I would PH for him with runners on base or if he’s leading off late in the game), Bohm, Stott, Realmuto, and Marsh. The only guy they PH for is Marsh and it has depended on handedness. He has also been platooned on occasion.

    And, tonight Marsh gets a key hit off a LHP. Of course.

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    1. Thanks for the clarification on Castro. I knew they were trying to retain his last option for next year but thought it was because he hadn’t been optioned at all in 2023.

      Why he’s still on the roster makes sense now. What they think the see in his potential does not.

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      1. I actually see the vision with Castro. The tools are there, and age is on his side (for now).

        In addition, his pitch recognition appears to be good enough to tap into his power. He swings at fewer pitches out of the zone, and at more pitches in the zone, than league average. The issue has been making (solid) contact on the pitches he swings at. Which could be an issue of hand-eye-coordination, or it could be a mechanical issue. I’ve personally noticed that Castro leans a lot in his at-bats (he’ll sometimes lean slightly back before the pitch, and then often leans forward during his swing). I’m not saying that’s what they want to fix (or even that if they did, it would help). But that tells me there’s definitely mechanical changes that CAN be made. So I can see why they’d think there’s a chance to have a young, cheap role player with him.

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  22. Thanks Jim, that explains it perfectly! And you are correct, they see something in Castro and Covey that I simply don’t.

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  25. Jix good start with only two outs in first inning, bang run scored, Mc Carthy keep you mouth shut, YOUR A JINX, Thompson keep playing Marsh in center, I Said it months ago he cant play center,

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