505 thoughts on “2023-24 Offseason Roster and Payroll Information – UPDATED”

1. Unless Aaron Nola wants to be reunited with Rick Kranitz, there is no way we should be outbid for him by the Braves. I know we have to hear all kinds of rumors until he signs, but I would hate it to be the Braves.

   LikeLike

   1. I still think it will between the Phillies and St Louis, and St Louis is where he will eventually land. They may be wiling to pay him a higher AAV with some length, than most of all the other clubs, except maybe the Phillies.
      But Phillies have never signed a pitcher for more than 5 years from what I recall, but maybe with Nola they may give him that 6th year mutual option year.

      LikeLike

2. On the other post I wrote about being intrigued by Oliver Dunn.

   Another commenter, Martin replied, “Oliver Dunn has some good numbers, but his K rate is almost equal to Carlos de la Cruz, who you have pointed out, has a rather high K rate. You caution about Carlos, I guess the same should be said about Oliver”

   Fair point and I am not saying Dunn is a lock to be a good MLB player. But compared to CDLC, Dunn has a materially better walk rate 16% vs 9%. Has a great speed tool and steals bases and has had a better ISO. Also the scouting reports are that Dunn has a compact swing whereas CDLC is extremely tall and reports are that his swing is long.

   LikeLike

   1. I think Dunn will be invited to ST and have a legit chance at the last spot in the bench. He’d not a young kid and he’d obviously figured something out

      LikeLike

      1. I see the Phillies just completed a deal with the Brewers by sending OLIVER DUNN for two younger prospects, OF HENDRY MENDEZ and INF ROBERT MOORE.

         LikeLike

   2. All good points on Dunn v. CDLC. I will say, however, even though he is a very large person, CDLC actually has a very simple and compact swing – in fact, I’d say remarkably so.

      LikeLike

      1. https://x.com/adammackMLB/status/1724578282538992081?s=20

         LikeLike

   3. Dunn traded so there goes the intrigue.

      LikeLike

      1. Lol. Ok. That settles that. But it looks like we got some interesting prospects.

         LikeLike

3. Jim – your idea of trading Bohm for Burns and signing Chapman…omg, you know that I love that. Such an upgrade on both spots.

   Gosh I would love to trade Castellanos but agree it is unlikely.

   LikeLike

   1. Phillies could move Castellanos…..but they will have to suck up a good percentage of his remaining contract.
      IMO anywhere between 40% and 50%…..just not sure if they would be willing to do that. Though a team getting Castellanos for $10M or $12M AAV for the next three years is a decent deal.

      LikeLike

4. I know we all love playing GM. And, v1, I also respect your opinion. I don’t think that Bohm gets Burnes. Maybe Bohm and Rojas? Or Bohm and Abel? Or even more than that? Would you do that? I happen to like Bohm. I know Chapman is a tremendous defensive 3B. I don’t know that his bat is better and have another FA, who will get paid, and 1 less young guy. I am not suggesting that I am right and you and Jim and everyone else who wants to trade Bohm are wrong. Just want to know how far you are willing to go?

   LikeLike

5. Just so I am not just being delusional. Chapman hit .240, with17 Hrs and 54 RBIs. Bohm hit .274, with 20 HRs and 97 RBIs. I have coneeded the point of Chapman’s glove. No doubt about his defensive skill. I also don’t think I am wrong in that Bohm alone does not get Burnes. And, in a vacuum, I don’t care about how much money John Middleton spends. I just think he does have a limit, and that we need younger players to balance the team, and I like Bohm. Just my opinion.

   LikeLike

   1. Bohm alone is not going to get Burnes, and I’m not sure why the Brewers (or any team) would trade full value for Bohm. And if the Phillies go after a high priced FA, they’ll be going after one of them and not 2. So I think this talk about the Phillies signing Chapman (who I like a lot and would help the Phillies immensely) is just radio talk and not realistic. The Phillies need pitching help way more than a 3B.

      LikeLike

   2. It’s funny how people on here like to trash players like Castellanos currently on the team, but then glorify guys like Chapman who got exponentially worse as last season progressed. Chapman not only is older, much more expensive and worse offensively than Bohm, but his fielding % was also 10 pts worse than Bohm’s.

      LikeLike

      1. When I had this discussion with the baseball people I have these discussions with at the Complex, I voiced the same arguments that you brought up. It was explained to me that playing 81 games in CBP might be to his advantage and that his offensive was a secondary consideration anyway. Defensively, his range is far superior to Alec. So yes, he might make more errors but he is getting to more balls.

         These people are more knowledgeable about baseball than I am and are much better connected or placed to know. And, this would only happen if a trade were consummated for Burnes or another SP that created a hole at third base. Chapman would be the best alternative for an immediate replacement. As much as I like our prospects, I can’t think of a third baseman who could step in and play the position this season.

         LikeLike

         1. I am asking for your opinion, Jim. Assuming that Burnes is avaialble as the SP target, and Bohm is part of the package. How far would you go in prospect cost to get Burnes, assuming you would do it.

            LikeLike

      2. Chapman’s dWar paints a much different picture: 1.6
         Bohm’s dWar: -1.4

         Chapman was able to get to more balls because his range is better.

         LikeLike

         1. Guru/Jim – that’s a fair point and I’m not suggesting Bohm is a better defender than Chapman, who I acknowledge is a perennial gold glove third baseman for a reason.

            That being said, Bohm’s hitting upside and contract alone make him someone I’d be reluctant to let go of, even if it helps them get Burnes. I also think Bohm has improved his defense a lot and has the potential to get even better with his glove. Meanwhile, Chapman’s a declining player and the way his bat is trending supersedes his elite defense to me personally and I think whatever team signs him will probably have him on a rough contract.

            LikeLike

6. We should resign Nola (there is no one out there better and after the contract is over the total outlay will match the production), keep Castellanos (his production is the best we have had in a while for this roster spot, fielding is adequate), Bohm is overall better than Chapman and he is trending upwards, So not trade Stott he is also trending upwards with GG potential, JT & TT will do better next year, give Wheeler an extension, get Ranger on a better training regiment, let Alvarado & Siranthony handle closing, let Sanchez in rotation permanently, let Marsh play full time and work with Schwarber on pitch selection (homers & walks are great but called strikes kill him).
   Just my thoughts.

   LikeLike

7. CBS has projected deals for FA.
   Has Nola at 5 and 150.
   Snell at 5 and 135.
   Montgomery at 5 and 110.
   Also, Chapman at 5 and 150.
   No teams are listed as destinations. Just $$$.

   LikeLike

   1. I have a hunch Nola stays for 5/$140M, Montgomery stays with Texas and Snell goes to the Mets. Where will Yamamoto go?

      LikeLike

      1. While $27-28 m AAV may be an accurate number for Nola, I’d be really surprised if he gets less than a 6 year contract, and he may get 7 years or more. I think the contract length is what will prevent the Phillies from signing him. I just have a feeling he won’t be here. I’m neither happy nor upset about that, but obviously would be upset if they didn’t replace him with a top tier alternative.

         LikeLike

   2. The pitching numbers are not realistic for Nola and Snell. Snell is going to get Cy Young votes.

      LikeLike

   3. Last year the Yankees gave Carlos Rodon age 30 6/$161.8

      Nola likely gets that or something close. Snell is going to get something beyond that maybe significantly beyond that. I don’t think he comes east. I think he stays on the West Coast.

      Giants have plenty of cash and you can never rule out the Dodgers.

      LikeLike

      1. The Dodgers just make too much sense. They have been knocked out of the playoffs two years in a row in part because their starting pitching has not been as good. Also, historically, it’s been a good park for pitchers and may be helpful to Nola. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they signed Nola.

         LikeLike

8. I don’t know this for sure, but if the Brewers sell Burnes, they may enter into a total rebuild (also deal Willy Adames & Devin Williams). If that’s the case, Milwaukee may be more inclined to seek prospects instead of young players entering their arb years. Just a thought.
   This is why I’ve believed Tyler Glasnow is a better option for the Phillies. Tampa is in it to win it in 2024. They need rotation depth. Would former Ray prospect Cristopher Sanchez (5 yrs team controll) interest Tampa?

   LikeLike

   1. In the last 3 seasons Glasnow has logged 37 starts over 214.2 IP. He’s hurt a lot and a FA after the 24 season.

      If you get him for the 2 lottery tickets we just got for Dunn ok but I don’t give up anything really good for him.

      LikeLike

9. WTF!!! DO YOU TWO GUYS EVEN READ THE ARTICLE??? I NEVER SAID OR IMPLIED THAT BOHM ALONE WOULD GET BURNES. THE TWO OF YOU GO BACK AND READ THE EFFIN ARTICLE BEFORE COMMENTING. AND IT IS NOT JUST RADIO TALK. THAT’S AS OFFENSIVE AS NOT READING AND JUST COMING TO BE A BLOWHARD COMMENTER.

   AND YOU’RE NOT ALONE IN LIKING BOHM. I SAID THE SAME THING IN THE ARTICLE. AND, YES, I’M YELLING.

   LikeLike

   1. Jim, I did read the article, and I was simply responding to v1, and asking him how far he would go in adding prospects to the trade. I was certainly not challenging or arguing with you. I always read your articles first. I don’t know if you are referencing me, but you have never, not a single time, had an issue with one of my comments, and this has now been a lot of years. I am probably the most opposite of blowhard of all of us here. If that was not meant for me, then my sincere apologies.

      LikeLike

   2. Jim your blood pressure. Plas calm down.

      LikeLike

10. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! I could hardly contain myself when I caught up on all your Oliver Dunn comments last night.

    “11/14/23 Philadelphia Phillies traded 2B Oliver Dunn to Milwaukee Brewers for LF Hendry Mendez and SS Robert Moore.”

    To think that the Phillies would spend a coveted 40-man slot on a backup second baseman is too funny. Or that they jumped through hoops to retain Castro and his option only to risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft. Also funny.

    Dunn did well to play himself into a trade piece that several teams were interested in. Now, the Brewers have to put him on their 40-man roster or risk losing him to the other teams who were interested in him. And, the Phillies get a couple of young players who they don’t have to protect for a couple of years.

    LikeLike

    1. This is the best case scenario for the Phillies. Dunn wasn’t going to start, he’s already 26, and the Phillies got 2 young lotto tickets for him.

       LikeLike

       1. On MLB Pipeline, Robert Moore was #15 and Hendry Mendez was 27 for the Brewers.

          They should both slot into the Phillies top 30 when the list gets updated.

          LikeLike

          1. I can’t comment on whether or not this is or will be a good trade. What I can comment on is that I love the overall process here. The Phillies found a hidden gem, created an asset, and used that asset to further build the farm system. In essence, all of these new prospects are from found money. These are the little things winning organizations do. And I expect more of that this offseason – they clearly have their sights set on some FAs and Rule 5 targets that they value more than the Rule 5 eligible guys on their team.

             LikeLike

    2. Yeah, if Brewers don’t protect Dunn, the Phillies could select him. Get Dunn and the 2 prospects. Or select Dunn and trade him again. Just some internal grins.

       LikeLike

11. Wow…Padres owner Peter Seidler passed away.
    This is a real shock to the club, the San Diego community and the Padre fans.
    .

    LikeLike

12. Just saw that Morossi is saying Phillies are trying hard to get Hader. Also says Rangers are involved. I think Romus said this would be a draft pick deal as well for the Phillies since Hader has a QO.

    LikeLike

13. Wow, is right, Romus. He was only 63, and had undergone some recent medical procedure. And I had forgotten that he was part of the O’Malley family. A real shame for his family, the team and San Diego.

    LikeLike

14. The Padres are reeling. They will lose both Snell and Hader and Olney reports its 100% certain they trade Soto this offseason not at the deadline.

    His reputation on the line not mine.

    LikeLike

    1. Trading Soto this off-season may be in the best interest of the Padres…..not sure they can afford Soto’s next contract….with Manny and Tatis on the books for awhile at a high cost, and they also need quality starting pitchers.
       The new owner has his work cut out for him.

       LikeLike

       1. Padres are spending like the Dodgers but they don’t have the cash, especially with their tv deal falling apart. It’s only going to get worse for them.

          LikeLike

       2. Don’t forget Bogaerts is signed through 2033 at $25.4 AAV

          Tatis contract is structured at $32.4 AAV but the actual payout the next few seasons is relatively low. It really jumps in his age 30 season. His PED OPS 975; last season after sitting out a year was 770.

          Point being they likely won’t be players in the FA market anytime soon and in fact may be a candidate to tear down.

          LikeLike

       3. The Padres are a good lesson in how to unnecessarily screw up a rebuild when you’re 3/4 of the way through the process. They did an outstanding job of rebuilding their farm system. Then, because they were in such a rush, they traded away too many prospect too quickly, rather than being more selective in who they traded and just paying free agents when they had the ability to do so. They also seemingly ignored chemistry issues. That team had huge chemistry problems. They scored way more runs than they allowed. The Padres were 82-80, but the pythagorean model suggested they should be 92-70. That is a massive and very unusual differential (they Phillies were within one game of their record under this model) and, to me, it’s not entirely random. There’s something not right at the heart of that team. That’s entirely on the GM.

          LikeLike

          1. The biggest issue for me was the Padres were spending hand over fist and they were considered small market. When Machado opted out just to extract more cash from the Padres, I was shocked that the Padres were willing to do that.

             Now that the owner has passed, who’s making the financial decisions? And you have to figure that some of the heirs will just want to cash out so I think the team will definitely cut spending to get their finances in order.

             So yes, Soto is getting traded. Not only that, I think the Padres will try to trade some of their stars.

             LikeLike

       4. Yeah….Pads are in a bit of a pickle…what I cannot understand…how has AJ Preller been able to hang on. He has brought top talent at top dollar but they seem to get over the hump with the Dodgers…and now the DBacks with plenty of younger players and a smaller payroll get to the dance.
          I am willing to bet whomever the new owner is….AJ may be on thin ice beginning next season…2024 may be his probation year.

          LikeLike

          1. but they seem NOT to get over the hump with the Dodgers…

             PS….I can see Rhys playing first base for them…they would need a power bat like him there. Whether they can afford another mid-mega contract is another story.

             LikeLike

15. Didn’t know Soto doesn’t hustle. That’s what I heard today. If true that’s a problem with this group of Phillies. I believe.

    LikeLike

    1. rocco…..I don’t think we have to worry about Soto coming to Philly anytime soon. I cannot see Dave D going down the road.
       At least not until the Nola-staying or going- situation gets resolved.

       LikeLike

16. Hinkie has always been a Cal Quantrill fan. He was DFA’d today by the Guardians.

    LikeLike

    1. Quantrill is still only 28 but his SO rate this past season was 5.2!!! That’s brutal.

       LikeLike

    2. It was a down year for Quantrill for sure. He came out of college with one of the best CH’s in college. He’s gradually decreased it’s usage as a pro. This season, he employed a split finger for the first time. Some smart team will buy low on him & rework his pitch usage.

       LikeLike

17. Noah Song was left unprotected by the Red Sox, any chance the Phillies take another flyer on him ? Also Carlos Delacruz was left unprotected by the Phillies.

    LikeLike

    1. They could, but I doubt it. Best guess, they go after the usual high velocity, poor control pitcher and hope that they can turn him around in the first few months.

       LikeLike

       1. Any candidates that you see out there as possibilities? And I’m pretending to be a scout or pitching coach but after Song hasn’t pitched in years is there any chance he gets his arm strength back?

          LikeLike

          1. Go to the Phillies website, they have an article called toughest rule 5 decisions. There are a bunch of interesting names there.

             Justin Jarvis of the Mets looks interesting. Soon to be 24, big arm, maybe a change of scenery can turn him around. Kohl Franklin of the Cubs is also in the same boat.

             LikeLike

             1. Thank û

                LikeLike

18. Let’s say you can give 6yrs/$150m to either Nola or Yamamoto. Who would you give it to?

    "I hear they have legit interest in Yamamoto, and to me it makes a ton of sense…I know they don't have history with Japanese players, but why not start one?"

    — @JSalisburyNBCS on Phillies' interest in RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

    (via @WIPMiddayShow) pic.twitter.com/YETbV8Q8Y8

    — SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) November 14, 2023

    LikeLike

    1. If it were a comparisons between two hitters, I’d go with the guy who is 25, but with pitchers, that’s rough due to potential overuse. My sense is that he’s a plan C for the Phillies if Nola becomes too expensive and they can’t sign Snell. My sense is that this is the type of risk that Middleton would never take unless DD told him it was, by far, their best option under the circumstances (which could happen).

       LikeLike

    2. Yamamoto no doubt. For pitchers, age matters even with some overuse.

       LikeLike

       1. Yamamoto is the safer bet, but highly unlikely 6/150M would get that done.

          LikeLike

          1. Could be the diminutive lefthander 30-year old Shota Imanaga.
             Probably not a one, but settles in around mid-rotation type pitcher.

             LikeLike

             1. …and the Phillies may be able to get Shota Imanaga.@ 5yrs/$90M

                LikeLike

                1. Do we have room for another interpreter in the dugout? Is JT fluent in Japanese? Will the electronics have to be upgraded to receive phonetic symbols for Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji? Does Hinkie have enough time to hire the iron chef for Citizens Bank. All these hidden costs ……..are you sure on this, Romus?

                   LikeLike

                2. Skeet….take it to the Bank…..LOL.
                   My guess is as a good as Buster Olney’s.
                   You know , throw it up against the wall and hope it sticks.

                   LikeLike

19. Guru – Not too likely the Padres will trade off their top talent. Bogaerts, Tatis, Darvish, and Machacho all have no trade contracts and even Musgrove has a limited window of teams he can be traded to.

    My feelings go out to the San Diego fan base. Last season they drew 3.272 million people for an average of about 40K per game, 3rd in all of baseball (the Phils were 6th). Will fans stop going to their games?

    LikeLike

    1. The Padres are screwed then. And no matter what anybody says, a bad team will scare away the fans. The Padres pitching will be brutal and it’ll be interesting to see how bad they will be.

       LikeLike

20. Just saw this. Stark thinks Nola may eventually get that 7th year. If so, does not think Phillies will go that far. Thinks Yamamoto is 2nd choice if not Nola. Says Phillies are only lukewarm in interest in Snell. Also, opposite of Morossi yesterday says the same is true for Hader. Says Phillies do not want to have a designated 9th inning guy and feel Hader would only want that role. Guess the feeling is Phillies like the mix and match scenarios. Guess we will see in the near future who is right. I do think the Phillies realize the time is now and will make every effort to field a team next season that is every bit as good as the past two seasons.

    LikeLike

    1. Agree with everything Jayson Stark is reporting. Phillies aren’t going to give Hader 100M. And I had been reading for months that the Phillies were in heavy to scout Yoshinobu Yamamoto. BTW … Yamamoto has indicated to geographical preference, has only said he wants to play in a big market w/a chance to win. When Dombrowski likes a FA, his history shows he’s not shy to throw money at the player. IMO, Dombrowski sees Nola as a SP2 & has been willing to pay like one. Nola & his agent wanted SP1 money. There’s a good chance they’ll find a team willing to give Aaron something like 6/162M. I would not do that if I’m the Phillies. Yamamoto is just 25 YO, and would only cost the team money (salary & posting fee). No draft picks. Middleton/Dombo are fine with spending money.

       LikeLike

       1. Typo … Yamamoto has indicated *no* geographical preference.

          LikeLike

       2. Hinkie – Aaron’s going to get more than 6/162 in all respects – more years, more money, more AAV. He throws a lot of innings, many of which are great, and that has value. I doubt he comes back.

          Remember when you and I were arguing whether he’d get more than 5/$110m – yeah, even with your hefty raise, you’re still low!! LOL.

          LikeLike

          1. I will say I think your AAV is pretty close – but I think it ends up being in the range of $28-30m if it’s 6-7 years. If he takes a really long deal (8 plus years), your AAV may be correct or even high.

             LikeLike

          2. LOL. Seems like you and I have been debating Nola contracts forever (2018, right before his first extension).
             5/110M was a LTX prediction one year out from free agency. Aaron risked arm injury to reach the open market. He’ll now obviously do better with (up to) 32 teams bidding on him.
             His walk year was below avg. He rehabbed a lot of his value in the postseason. The “throws a lot of innings” can go both ways. Some (not all) clubs may look at that as an arm injury waiting to happen. IMO, he’ll get something similar to what Carlos Rodon got last winter.

             LikeLike

21. I can’t see .the Braves or Phillies going 7 yrs That’s a. Thing Boston or both N.Y teams would do.

    LikeLike

    1. It’s a thing DD does when he really wants a guy, but what I’m hearing is what I think is the case – they want Nola and will give him good years and money, but, at some reasonable point, there’s a hard stop. Let’s be honest. Nola sort of pitched like an ace this postseason, but he’s only had a couple of years where he’s pitched like an ace for the whole season. If you had to average it out, he’s pitched like a 2 and there’s fewer years and less money associated with that status.

       LikeLike

22. Rocco, I am not sure Phillies will go 6. Kind of agree on Braves as well. Saw where someone felt the Yankees will be in pretty heavy on Nola.

    LikeLike

    1. I still like to think the Redbirds will swoop in on Nola.

       LikeLike

    2. IMO that is where Nola is going to end up. I said that sometime back on here, now we’ll see if it happens. If it’s about money and the fact the AL hasn’t seen much of him and he could be effective it just might happen.

       LikeLike

23. I would love to get Yamamoto but I still won’t believe we get a player from Japan until we actually do. My choice after Nola and Yamamoto is Jordan Montgomery, then Sonny Gray. It’s funny how there were the Castellanos rumors that he would be traded and now there are multiple reports that he won’t be. Amazing how big the analyst/guesser market is.

    LikeLike

    1. I would be shocked (and, frankly, disappointed), if we settle for someone who’s probably going to be a worse pitcher than Nola. I cannot imagine that DD is willing to take a step down there – it’s just contrary to everything he’s about.

       As for Casty, nobody is saying this, but the reason he’s not in the market is that nobody is offering them anything. He has negative value. The contract is worth more than the player so, yeah, why would anyone want to give any trade value for him? In any event, with Harper at first, replacing him now is a pain in the neck.

       LikeLike

       1. Catch, if we lose Nola because we won’t go 6 or 7 years, whatever it is, and have to rely on getting Yamamoto, I think we are in trouble. Snell scares me, I don’t know that he gets much less than Nola and he pitches less innings. I worry about the next guy not being as good as Nola. I have faith in DD, but, honestly, I don’t know what happens with these FAs and also worry that a trade costs too much in prospects. That brings up the topic of how much pain in giving up young talent is too painful? I prefer the FA route, and my choice has been Nola all along.

          LikeLike

          1. Spoken like a true Philadelphian (fandom as viewed from the perspective of Murphy’s Law). Relax. Our owner has money. Our President/GM knows what he is doing. Don’t panic – they will figure this out.

             LikeLike

          2. They both average 6 innings a start

             LikeLike

             1. Rocco, Snell just pitched 180 innings, the most he’s thrown in 5 years. Nola’s lowest, aside from the covid time, is 180. There is a big difference between them in innings pitched. Yes, Snell won the Cy Young, and pitched great. He still worries me over the next 5 snd 6 years.

                LikeLike

                1. But nola doesnt? Both are not worth 30 million for 6 yrs,

                   LikeLike

24. I remember a couple of seasons back on a Sunday night game when the Phillies lost a 2-1 or 1-0 game to Milwaukee and Eric Lauer. He totally befuddled our boys. If the Brewers are cleaning house, I’d love it if the Phils could get him in a trade. He had a tough season last year but he was quite good the previous two. He has one year left in arbitration.

    LikeLike

25. Check that. I think he has been outrighted and elected free agency. Worth a shot in my opinion.

    LikeLike

26. https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/23/milwaukee-brewers-vs-philadelphia-phillies-lineup-game-score-updates-citizens-bank-park/7423139001/

    I hope this comes through. This is the write up on that game.

    LikeLike

27. Eric lauer…..One possible reason why his performance suffered is because he has lost some FB velo.
    2021…92.7
    2022…93.3
    2023…91.8
    Cut-FB
    2021…90.2
    2022…89.8
    2023…87.9
    Brew Crew may know more than most with what is going on with his arm

    LikeLike

    1. …and he threw both of those FBs…4Smr and Cutter…80% of the time…he rarely throws a change-up , and lefties really need that pitch as their out-pitch at times.
       Someone will take a chance with him……Phillies could, but not sure where he will fit into the rotation…may be as a 5th.

       LikeLike

    2. i mean no disrespect, but a lot of scrubs have tossed gems against the phillies lineup over the years haha. He could be a AAA depth guy, but he shouldnt even be ahead of Sanchez in terms of starters at the ML level

       LikeLike

       1. Yes, great observation about the Phillies and their quests against AAAA pitchers. I have been trying to wrap my head around this issue for years and I have this theory; does anything else think we need to look into our advance scouting processor personnel?

          Does anyone else feel the same or have any theories?

          LikeLike

28. LOL! You are correct. I get totally into the team, took a couple of weeks to get over the disappointment and now am ready to reload. But along with that is the decades old worry that something will go wrong!

    LikeLike

29. I thought I was replying to Catch! Sorry, it’s out of order!

    LikeLike

30. I’d love Nola but contract length will be too prohibitive for me bc of his age, that’s why I really hope they shift to Yamamoto. Even if he’s underwhelming at first, and Burnes isn’t traded during the offseason they can try to trade for him or another good arm. Plus Sasaki is the real prize in a few years, this lays the groundwork like i mentioned in a previous post.

    Just out of curiosity, what’s Yamamoto ceiling compared to previous Japanese pitchers like Kurodo, darvish, sasaki, dice-k, etc. Better yet, does he have any comps to other players?

    LikeLike

31. Hi everybody! How is everyone doing? Phillies haven’t done much yet. The big headline is Aaron Nola and is he staying or going? So what does everybody think? Does Nola stay or go? If he goes, where does he go and what kind of a contract does he get?

    LikeLike

32. Some people are nuts. Blake Snell is a 2 time cy young winner. Younger and has way better stuff than nola. He’s filthy. I’d take him in a new York minute

    LikeLike

33. With zero action in FA, I guess teams are waiting to see what Ohtani, Yamamoto, Hader will get and and everybody else slots in behind them?

    LikeLike

34. Is this an extra slow FA opening or am I just so anxious for us to do something that it just feels really slow?

    LikeLike

    1. Once the winter meeting get started it begins in earnest, and will pick up…… thru the Christmas break….free agents and their wives/families want to know where they are going come the New Year.

       LikeLike

       1. This off-season so far. Is like Romus love life. No action

          LikeLike

          1. rocco…..LOL…..,no fireworks, no 4th of July!

             LikeLike

35. Just reading on MLB Trade Rumors how the Angels will be aggressive this off season working to get free agents. It was mentioned how Mickey Moniak had a break out season with the Halos.

    I’m happy for the kid but he struck out 113 times in 323 plate appearances and had all of NINE walks. To remain around for an extended amount of time, I think he’ll need to improve on those numbers.

    LikeLike

36. sign whomever besides Nola.. phils extracted all the value out of that arm and bringing him back on anything more then 4 years would be an amaro thing to do… Nol’s was always touted as free mover.. caravanning about etc.. now wife is preggers and he is looking to settle down… not to be a grinch but knowing how life goes i don’t see max effort coming out of him in his new contract whoever it might be.. signing nola is paying for a #2 and getting a 3 for a year then a 4/5 who will eat innings for years 2-5

    pass.. but thanks for all the innings over the years and for never getting injured

    LikeLike

37. What about 4/115 to Nola with 2 option years at 45/47? How would the Phils pull this off? I would think they have to offer Wheeler 3/110?

    Also, why does Wheeler get no mention of Cy Young? He led the majors in fWAR in 2023. Woopity doo 5.19 IP per game (career) and 4.95 BB/9 (2023) Blake Snell led NL MLB in ERA. It should be Strider, Wheeler, and Steele talked about for NL Cy Young.

    I would like to see the Phils lower k% in the lineup. Bohm can stay and should continue to progress offensively. Stott will definitely continue to progress. I’d like to see Gurriel signed and Verdugo traded for. Verdugo can’t hit lefties but Pache can platoon with him. Where does Castellanos go if they could get Gurriel and Verdugo though?

    LikeLike

    1. 45 a yr? Are y kidding.

       LikeLike

       1. Are you kidding for having a knee jerk close minded response? Have you looked at what Scherzer and Verlander got?

          I try to post to have people have good conversation here. The 45/47 would be team options. Maybe they would motivate Nola to become elite CONSISTENTLY.

          LikeLike

    2. “What about 4/115 to Nola with 2 option years at 45/47? How would the Phils pull this off? ”
       Type of options:
       Player, or Mutual or Club
       —Player…basically this is an opt out clause after the 4th year. But if he fails to live up to the contract at age 34 or 35….the club is on the hook since he will stay and get the 45M. and maybe the 6th year also…..so the contract becomes a 6yr/$207M contract if he goes the full six years.
       —Mutual…both player and club have to agree……if not, the 5th year and 6th year then will incur a buy-out amount ..some percentage of the contract.
       —Club……Phillies can pull the plug after the 4th year…..this type of contract is virtually extinct anymore for superstar free agents. Player agents will probably move on to the next team’s offering.

       The Phillies can make it a ‘Player’ option ..Nola will sign in a heartbeat……$34M AAV….whoa.

       LikeLike

       1. The only pitcher worth a long term deal (say beyond 5 years) is Yamamoto. I’d fire a shot across the bow of every team in the league and throw 10/$250 at him and give him opt outs after his age 30 season. A $25M AAV is nothing for a pitcher of his ilk.

          There are a number of guys on the lower tier who could adequately fill in for the short term. Stroman, Wacha Montgomery and Gray come to mind.

          I’m an optimist on some of our arms being ready in the next year or two-Abel, McGowan and Pan. Then of course there is Painter for 2025 and beyond.

          I want to be good for the next 10 years and not be reckless with anymore long term contracts especially for old pitchers.

          LikeLike

       2. I’m saying how do they get whoever #2 ends up being and keep Wheeler. Wheeler will be expensive.

          LikeLike

          1. Yes…. Wheeler will be expensive….but, more than likely, he will only be a relatively short term deal of three years thru 2027 or thru his age 37…think Arrieta.
             The number two starter guy, whoever that will be, can go further in length on their contract
             Phillies’ payroll will still be top 5 in baseball when all is said and done.

             LikeLike

38. Braves get Bummer from ChiSox, trading 5 players, 4 of them off 40 man, with Soroka the biggest name. Bummer is a pretty good set up guy.

    LikeLike

39. I believe its a good risk to trade for Bummer, Braves gave up nothing to get a quality guy who had a bad yr,

    LikeLike

    1. With Bummer just stand there he can’t throw strikes LOL

       LikeLike

       1. Yeah, but who on the Phillies can do that?

          LikeLike

          1. Hoffman can throw strikes …so can Kerkering when they let him throw his FB…Strahm is hot and cold…Alvarado and Soto hold yuor breath.

             LikeLike

       2. well we swing at balls, So he will be effective against us

          LikeLike

    2. rocco … ⬆ That is maybe your most accurate post in your many year history on Phuture Phillies.
       I said the same thing when I saw the reports last night. Alex Anthopolis bought a quality LHRP for next to nothing.

       LikeLike

40. I would really like them to sign Blake Snell, but if they don’t, the more I look at this, the more I would be okay with a 3 year deal with Sonny Gray. He has been excellent these last few years and has pitched like a #2 – in other words, he’s pitched to the level of an Aaron Nola. And with the money they save in signing Gray, they can move on and maybe give big money to a closer. We have to be honest about this – the lack of a closer cost them the opportunity to go to the WS this year – it just did. And, having watched baseball for so long, in my view, the closer by committee does not work, you don’t make a closer by just taking a set-up guy and throwing him out there in the 9th inning, and, at the end of the day a great closer is a big difference-maker. So, just do it.

    LikeLike

    1. I believe Alvarado is that closer. Thompson should just deploy him correctly and DD and Fuld should get him the situational arms he needs for those 6-7-8 Innings.

       LikeLike

       1. I like Alvarado, but I still would rather see him used in non-closer situations where, I think, he is more reliable. I have come full circle on closers. I used to think they were an expensive luxury. I don’t think that anymore. Pitching in the 9th inning should be no different than pitching in the 6th inning, but it is.

          LikeLike

          1. I’ve been saying this for years, it’s a different beast closing games.

             I think Kerkering is the future closer, and the Phillies need to start preparing for this by having him close in ST. Then give him some opportunities in the regular season.

             LikeLike

          2. I agree that closers are extremely important and I also agree that not every live arm is cut out or has the moxy for the role. I just don’t like spending gobs of cash on them LOL…

             The last 2 seasons were amazing in many respects I’d avoid behaving in a desperate manner if it were me.

             LikeLike

             1. This kid….Andrew Walling ….could be up if he is anything like Kerkering was from last year. According to Phillies people he has the right stuff…..check out A Fan’s View from today and read the write up. Looks promising. Should be in Reading this season….maybe gets pushed up to LHV also.

                LikeLike

41. I agree with you, dmar, but I don’t think the team does. And while Hader is the top Closer in the FA market, I don’t know that they are crazy about spending on him regardless of the rumors that we are. Assuming we lose Nola elsewhere, and I have not raised the white flag yet, and don’t get Yamamoto, which to me is the longest of long shots, am I the only one who likes Jordan Montgomery?

    LikeLike

    1. Jordan Montgomery is similar to Kevin Gausman in that they’ve had a middling career until they broke out with a career season at age 30. It’s always dicey with guys like that so you can’t give crazy contracts. If Montgomery is willing to go 5/125 with an opt out after year 2, I’m good with that type of contract. I’m not going 6 years.

       LikeLike

       1. Yup me too…

          LikeLike

          1. Nothing against Jordan Montgomery. He’s a good pitcher. But IMO he would make the Phillies rotation pretty redundant. 60% of it LHPs all featuring low 90s FB/CH/CB.

             I’d rank ’em this way:

             1. Yamamoto (don’t sleep on Dombrowski’s history of overpaying to get THE guy he wants).
             2. Glasnow/Burnes (for me, Glasnow would be the easier trade & love the power arm).
             3. Nola
             4. Snell

             LikeLike

42. Preference:
    SR
    Yamamoto
    Nola if under 6 yrs
    If not, Get Burnes or Glasgow

    Relievers
    Hicks
    Hader
    Lopez

    1 of each
    Id rather they slow play this off-season as to not get saddled with bad LT contracts. If the FO can make the right moves, they seem to have fire power coming

    IMO, it’s more important to extend Wheeler than it is to resign Nola… and Nola is one of my all time Phillies favorites.

    LikeLike

43. One of the ESPN writers Schoenfield has a article up now on why the Phillies should trade for Trout and what it would take to get him. It is a pay article so I only was able to read the first paragraph or so. It tells of Middleton pacing before the LCS series opener at CBP. Then goes on that there must be lots of pacing going on now in the offices after blowing the Dback Series. Mentions Middleton’s desire to win after being so close and DD always in a win now mode. If anyone has that script might just see what he says in the rest of the article. Just an FYI.

    LikeLike

    1. From the ESPN article:
       Phillies get Mike Trout + 35M
       Angels get Nick Castellanos + 15M, Justin Crawford, and Griff McGarry

       I love (and want) Trout, but this is an overpay IMO. If the Phillies are going to give up Justin Crawford, they better be getting more than a 20M net cash return. As I’ve mentioned already, Trout holds all the cards, and can make this more palatable for the Phillies (behind the scenes) if he wants to come home & play for a title here.

       LikeLike

       1. Hinkie….LOL….that was my Christmas wish jokin’ tongue-in-cheek suggestion to one of the Philly writers …..these national guys must scour all the newspapers beat guys and also the blogs for their sources.
          I will have to put a few more crazy ones out there and see if they bite.

          LikeLike

          1. Romus … you have become an influencer. Some influencers make big bucks on the world wide web.

             LikeLike

             1. LOL…..show me the $$$$.

                LikeLike

    2. Don….but would Trout want to play in Philly…it is a tough town! LOL

       LikeLike

44. I don’t think that Mike Trout is on the Phils’ radar, Don. Now, that desire of Middleton’s to win may make us the high bidder for Yamamoto, but I am still not convinced we are a destination for elite Japanese players. I would love to be wrong, and Hinkie right. And, Hinkie knows better than me, but I have no feeling that Trout wants to play here. Not that he isn’t a Philly area fan, but a lot more would go into playing around his hometown that may make it not as attractive. Plus, from our standpoint, he has a huge contract, has beenj injured the past few seasons, and would cost a ton in prospects. So, SP, yes, but I don’t think we see Mike Trout in red pinstripes.

    LikeLike

45. And, I didn’t see Hinkie’s post on the trade return. Nick C, McGarry and Justin Crawford. I am surprised that Hinkie feels this is an overpay. I thought the ANgels would want more, and Castellanos is more of a money exchange that who they would value coming back for Trout. I certainly believe they want want Crawford. I just don’t feel like a Trout trade is in the works.

    LikeLike

46. Hi guys. I knew someone would have the pay site. Should have known it would be Hinkie. Matt, I just saw the article. No idea on Phillies interest. But I sure think Trout would like to play in Philly. No comparison where the two teams are right now. He does have huge contract and injuries have been an issue. He has not played 100 games in 2 of the last 3 years. Romus, I know Philly is a tough place. BTW I learned last night that Max Clark also played football. So, he and Montgomery both were multisport kids. Still irked at grandkid.
    Hinkie, what would be a trade you would be online with at this point? I know it is lots of money, but I cringe when I see pitchers in a game knowing they are getting a million or more per start and some are just average at best. If I am going to spend big bucks it is going to be on someone who can help my team win every day. If Trout could stay healthy and play 140 or so games a year, I would think about it. I do not know how bad his injuries are.

    LikeLike

    1. My 2 cents on this. I am for getting Trout, even still. I would say it’s passed the digestible risk/reward point. Once the Team said they aren’t taking Castellanos trades … it’s over. No way the Phillies go Cohen on the MLB. Angels would need to pay Trout down 100mil. Then they could start getting serious. 150mil left over 7 years… doable but it might be more ideal to roll the parade without him … he had his chance. I think he’s okay with an Angels rebuild … retool… what whatever it’s going to be … the last sliver of hope, is how Trout feels once Ohtani leaves in FA + mixing out on suitable
       Replacement players.. then … “maybe”.
       I give it a 1% chance of happening now

       LikeLike

       1. Actually all the Angels need to pay down is 22%…or about $8M per year off Trout’s $35M AAV….that would put Trout in the neighborhood of $27M AAV for the Phillies over the life of the contract. Which is not that much off Harper or Turner’s contract.
          While taking Casty’s contract off the books for the next three years.

          LikeLike

          1. Romus – I don’t want to admit it, but I think the ship has sailed. i can’t let my mind go there anymore. What’s nice is they don’t need him the way they used to. Either way, there is a sliver of a chance now. After that, it’s a swan song 7 years from now at the deadline – Phillies are in it, Angels are out. Traded for a bag of balls to get him into his 2nd postseason …
             What a shame … for Philly phans and baseball fans everyone.

             LikeLike

             1. yeah…he will go into the Hall of Fame and probably may never experience a World Series.

                LikeLike

47. Come on its Thanksgiving next week, not April Fools. After October cider tends to get hard and I think you guys have been out in the shed too long!

    LikeLike

    1. Skeet….hah…Hood’s pumpkin nog…with some Brandy goes well.

       LikeLike

48. Yamamoto posted on Mondat, and 45 day negotiating window opens Tuesday. It will take far less than 45 days. Hinkie, I hope you are correct. Go get Yamamoto!

    LikeLike

    1. Yamamoto is the guy to get but there’s going to be a bidding war, likely between the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox. I think 7/210 or 8/240 will be the outcome. Middleton will have to pony up serious dollars.

       LikeLike

       1. Mets could jump in there also…Steve Cohen has been known to pony up the money…..which would not be a good thing for the Phillies.

          LikeLike

       2. He’s the right age and, if he’s as good as advertised, all of those dollars actually make sense. The overuse issue, however, is a real one. Pitcher overuse is the biggest concern before a pitcher is 25 or 26 – that’s when it really can short-circuit a career. Felix Hernandez was done by the age of 30 because of overuse and it may be one of the reasons Tanaka was never as good as advertised. It’s why Boras is so protective of Painter.
          Personally, I’m a little worried about it. He pitched a lot of complete games in Japan. Other than that, I’m on board.

          LikeLike

    2. My problem with Yamamoto is I am afraid he could end up with Mets because Cohen will pay him and Senga wants him to join them. That is a big pull. Also, Bosox signed the Japanese OF who loves Harper and he and Yamamoto played on the same team at one point. I think he will go where there are other Japanese players – unless – he wants to be the focal point of a Japanese player on that city/team. Other than Phillies being a good team, lots of $, and being the first Japanese signing (not player) that would strike me as Phils only edge. Still – Mets would not surprise me…

       LikeLike

       1. RU … I’ve read Yamamoto wants to play for a major market club and do something “big”. Winning a WS seems like something “big”. The fact that the Phillies have been close the past 2 years might go a long way with him. I think you also have to throw Bryce Harper into the equation. He is a global name.

          LikeLike

49. Romus, I did see an article agreeing with you that Nola ends up with Cards. Do you think they will pay the most or are there other factors involved?

    LikeLike

    1. I think the Cards will give him 6 years …..and the AAV the Phillies would have given him also…….plus I think family is not far down US61 outside Baton Rouge.

       LikeLike

50. Hinkie, see that your guy Quantrill has been traded to Rockies?

    LikeLike

51. I wrote it awhile back that the Angels would love to unload Trout’s contract. They are going nowhere with him. Reminds me of when Ralph Kiner demanded a big contract from the Pirates way back when and the owner told him that the Pirates could end up in the cellar with or without him.

    A month or so ago I wrote that Trout and money for Castellanos and a couple of middling prospects (not Crawford) could be doable. Trout plays right field next season and when Schwarber’s contract is up, Trout moves to DH for the rest of his days. It keeps him playing without getting hurt.

    LikeLike

    1. Ciada, Agree with you on Trout. I’m fine with getting him to replace Nick but not at the expense of any of our top 5 or 6 prospects. I think (just a hunch) there are 2 things in our favor (if we want to trade for him)…
       1. The Angels will want to lose that albatross of a contract and
       2. Trout has a no-trade clause and he may direct all talks toward Philly.
       It seems, if the Phillies had an oft injured guy who’s on the wrong side of 30 and making $37 million for the next 7 years, people would be saying we’d have to give up top prospects and pay down his salary just to move the contract. I don’t think the Phillies should give up much at all if they want Trout at the Bank for the next 7 years.
       Andy BTW… I think he would be an upgrade over Nick in RF as well as better protection for Harper in the batting order.

       LikeLike

52. NY Times has odds of Nola signing. Has Phillies still with best odds.
    Phillies +290
    Cards + 500
    Boston +550
    Orioles + 700
    Several at +1,000
    Yankees and Mets at +1,200
    Say they are going after Yamamoto.

    LikeLike

    1. I’m pulling for Yamamoto. I think he will be a good pitcher and it might open the door for future Japanese players.

       LikeLike

53. https://x.com/byalexcoffey/status/1725194399674503524?s=20

    Alex Coffey has a good piece in the Inquirer on the Phillies and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
    matt … you’ll be relieved to hear scouts from other clubs believe the Phils are a top 5 contender for the Japanese RHP.

    LikeLike

    1. I am hoping you are correct, Hinkie, and we get him. That would be a coup for DD.

       LikeLike

54. Phillies roster moves with their arb-eligible players:

    Agreed to terms on a contract with Cave, Covey, and Stubbs.

    Tendered contracts to Bohm, Sosa, Hoffman, Soto, and Suarez.

    Fleming was non-tendered.

    LikeLike

    1. Jim………why would you pick a guy off the waiver wire to non-tender him 11 days later? Is he damaged goods? Give me an idea what hypothetically is happening behind the scene to facilitate that type of action.

       LikeLike

       1. I imagine the Phillies tried to sign him to a contract at an amount lower than he was willing to accept to avoid arbitration. Or maybe the couldn’t agree to acceptable terms within the deal. Like maybe guaranteed money or a split contract.

          LikeLike

55. I honestly thought they would move on from Stubbs. Every indication is that Stubbs is a great clubhouse guy but I thought they would finally give Marchan a chance.

    LikeLike

    1. That still could happen. Machan’s restored option (if/when it is announced) gives the team flexibility. FWIW, Stubbs has an option, too.

       The agreed upon contracts are not so expensive that the Phillies are locked into keeping these guys if a better player comes along.

       LikeLike

       1. Ok, thank you…..wasn’t sure

          LikeLike

56. For the Trout hopefuls, didn’t he say a couple years ago that he’s not too hot on playing at home? Maybe suggested he likes less pressure and scrutiny than he would receive playing close to home?

    LikeLike

    1. Frank……I remember him mentioning that in an interview a few years ago, , but as he reaches the twilight of his career, he could have changed on that position…plus wife’s family and his own parents may want grandkids closer to home. Even ball players, when they cross that 30 year old line, have family needs that have to be addressed.
       And that other caveat….Bryce again made his plea.

       LikeLike

       1. I could swear, i read somewhere that his wife loves living in California, I think it was when he did last contract, One of the reasons he stayed,

          LikeLike

       2. Romus, thanks. Good points, especially about Shadow Owner Bryce.

          I wonder if there’s ever been a player in modern history who plays Bryce’s role.

          LikeLike

          1. At first thought, Tom Brady with the Pats comes to mind.
             But he won a ring a half dozen times.

             LikeLike

57. I would rather pursue Soto than Trout, imagine him leading off.

    LikeLike

58. Does anyone want to take a flyer on Brandon Woodruff? Sign him for 2 years, knowing he probably does not pitch this season, but have him for next year?

    LikeLike

    1. We already got one of those and ones the quota.

       LikeLike

       1. Understand your opinion, Skeet, but Woodruff has had a good deal of success at the Major League level, and I think it may be a wise investment. Doesn’t change Painter’s future roll on the team. I am not sold on the idea, but I can see the merit.

          LikeLike

          1. Woodruff is not going to sign for peanuts. He’ll probably still ask for 2/20 which means the signing team is effectively giving 1/20 for a pitcher coming off serious shoulder injury. There’s way too much risk here AND he’ll take up a 40 man spot so the team will effectively be operating on a 39 man roster for 2024.

             And if Woodruff proves he’s healthy at the end of 2024, teams will gladly give him 4/80 minimum.

             LikeLike

             1. My bad, the signing team can just put Woodruff on 60 man IR. I still think Woodruff is not going to sign for cheap.

                LikeLike

          2. Corey Kluber was an amazing major league pitcher then his shoulder went….

             Sadly that is the canoe Woodruff is oaring in!

             LikeLike

             1. Agree…..avoid pitchers coming back from shoulder surgeries….be it anterior capsuler, rot. cuff or labrum and even thoracic syndrome…most cases, they just are not the same pitcher as they were in the past.

                LikeLike

59. I would trade Castellano to Miami along with money. To get soler.has power and will Walk

    LikeLike

    1. rocco…another good idea from you this week.
       Soler is a free agent so you will have to pay him, I assume on a max two year contract of maybe $12 or $14M AAV.
       Then there is the Castellanos remaining contract of 3/$60M…..how much will Miami want to the Phillies to pick up…the more the Phillies pick up, a prospect of higher value could come back.

       LikeLike

       1. The days of Miami making bad trades is likely over with the Bendix hire…

          LikeLike

60. Soler is a DH only. He is a liability in the field. If anything, he is Schwarber Lite without the strong team oriented persona who is the team’s confidant. A good player on a team who needs power only.

    LikeLike

61. Bob Nightingale reporting significant process in Phillies’ negotiations with Nola, likely to find middle ground. He wants to stay.

    LikeLike

    1. If its three yrs with option, okay, not 6 yrs for big dollars, pls,

       LikeLike

    2. Reportedly 7 years $170-$175 million

       LikeLike

62. Nola supposedly signed – 7yrs for 170-175mil . Love Nola, I hope makes all the haters eat it. Now get Wheeler locked up

    LikeLike

    1. You love nola, worst contract ever,

       LikeLike

       1. I wanted Yamamoto, posted earlier up on this thread, but Nola is back… it could be worse a lot worse.
          His Salary is tradable down the line if needed, with some pay down. I’ll also say that beyond “it’s not my money” … I hope the FO has an idea what the SR dollar amount should be… with Painter, Abel, McGarry, and Sanchez (already doing well) if one of those young guns pans out… you significantly lower Aaron’s AAV by averaging against a major league minimum contract for a few years.

          Rocco I hear you, but huge drop off after the top 3 arms & it keeps our prospects.

          Don’t worry, Middleton’s got a lot of money

          LikeLike

       2. rocco- Strasbug of Washington already locked that one up – $245 mill and he never pitched again, really ?

          LikeLike

       3. Let’s see who is right. To the three t
          Thumbs down

          LikeLike

          1. rocco..I bet you are thrilled…you get to watch Aaron Nola in a Phillies uni for 7 more years!
             Life is good.

             LikeLike

63. It appears something is done with Nola. Details to follow.

    LikeLike

64. Wow! 7 years/$172M, Nola is back! I didn’t think we would go 7 years. Glad he is back. BP and bench upgrade are next.

    LikeLike

    1. I don’t know how to feel about this. I don’t think Nola is going to age that well, but giving $24.6 AAV feels like a discount. I guess he really wanted to stay in Philadelphia.

       LikeLike

       1. And to be honest, I would have rather signed Nola than to trade Crawford or Abel to get a pitcher.

          And Nola rolled the dice on waiting for FA and got paid. Now he needs to deliver.

          LikeLike

65. It is also being reported Harper to renegotiate his contract – likely an extension to give Phillies more breathing room with cash now and pay him into age 42 ? Then they would have more under cap space today to add other players – Wheeler hopefully soon.

    Is it possible this could be an off season where they don’t sign any free agents that require compensation ? That would be novel ? But I won’t bet on it ?
    Still need the closer.

    LikeLike

66. Signing Nola this early means that they saw the numbers for Yamamoto and didn’t want to go that far, or they weren’t serious players to begin with.

    Either way, until they sign an asian star, they are not a destination team for them.

    LikeLike

    1. I think it’s entirely because Nola’s camp wanted to get it over with. If the report that he left money on the table to stay in Philly is accurate, then his camp likely came to the table saying what the Phils needed to match or he was gone. And evidently the Phillies felt comfortable with the number, so they gave him it.

       LikeLike

67. Sorry rocco, a lot worse contracts than this. Sure, 7 years is longer than I would have gone but the AAV is less, and Snell doesn’t get less. And I never believed we were going to be one of the finalists even for Yamamoto. And I look at this signing and add the fact that Abel and Crawford and Miller are still here and that adds to the value of keeping Nola. So, I am happy with it and will worry about years 6 and 7 in years 6 and 7.

    LikeLike

    1. matt13 – we are wearing the same jerseys on this deal. I agree with you.
       No matter what – it was not going to be any bargain – at least we don’t
       mortgage the future to pay for it.

       LikeLike

68. Looks like Nola gave the Phillies a home town discount…less than $25M AAV…. in exchange for an extra year or two. Nola may be the first Phillies pitcher to get more than 5 years on a contract. Like to see what the 7th year details are on the contract.
    He is happy and the Phillies are happy.
    Looks like talks with Yamamoto, Snell , Gray et al are now off the table.
    Now get another reliever.

    LikeLike

    1. I know some on this board look at Nola .. and say he’s not an Ace…
       And I don’t want to get into that debate today. Wheeler & Nola are
       Something special in the playoffs. That’s what you need. Many of us probably don’t like the contract, but it keeps the Phillies strong overall. For instance, they still have their trade
       Chips to develop or add another piece. DD likely saw if he missed in Nola, it was a crap shoot. If the Braves did sign him, that’s a further distance between the division title than it already is.

       2 things I’ll say:
       This deal looks freaking awesome if Abel and/or Painter come in rocking (assuming Wheeler is extended)

       I always questioned if Nola loved Philly/the Phillies up until they made the playoffs. It’s cool to see that he does. For that, you gotta give him the treatment. For a long time nobody wanted to be here. He is one of the few players I’ll truly be happy for that get a ring. He’s going to do it. Harper’s going to do it. Enjoy the ride. It’s going to happen

       LikeLike

       1. What is very likable with the contract is the $24.5M AAV…..and after the 4th year, at his age 35 season or so, that is a modest discount that Nola gave the Phillies.
          He may not be a number two by then, but if healthy he will give you innings as a three or four rotation guy.

          LikeLike

          1. It feels like a six year deal to me at $28M per and they just added a year to lower the AAV, similar to Bryce and Trea deals.

             LikeLike

             1. Yeah…could be like that.
                Theoretically that would put the 7th year at $4M…which basically is similar to a buy-out amount.
                I have not seen the details on it.

                LikeLike

69. Wow, Nola has a full no trade clause.

    LikeLike

    1. That’s a throw-in for if he ever decides he wants to accept a trade (so he can keep his leverage with his new team). He’ll have 10-and-5 rights two years into the contract, anyways.

       LikeLike

70. Congrats to Nola and the Phillies.
    This is a good day for the team.
    Seven is a long time but I think he is the kind of pitcher who can make that happen. He is not a Strasberg type so hopefully he can stay healthy and help the Phillies add another WS banner.

    LikeLike

71. Phillies still in on Yamamoto. Cannot question Middleton/Dombrowski’s commitment to winning. This has turned into a model franchise. I do not put anything past them in their quest to win a WS title(s).

    LikeLike

    1. Hinke… Agreed. I won’t think the Phillies are out on Yamamoto until I see him sign with another team. Middleton recently talked about his legacy. He said, if when he dies, he has tons of money, nobody will care. But if he wins a WS or two, now that’s something special. I’m optimistic he goes all in on Yamamoto and we’ll have a rotation of Wheeler, Nola, Yamamoto, Ranger, Walker/Sanchez. That would be a formidable rotation. I’m not planning on Painter, Able, McGarry or anyone else until they come up and prove they can get big league hitters out. That may take some time.
       Fingers crossed!!!!

       LikeLike

    2. I think they will look to relief pitching next….there are some quality guys out there beside Hader.
       Heard some radio guys mention Adam Ottavino earlier ….not sure I would go there as the number one target..

       LikeLike

72. Possible next shoe to drop…
    Does DD trade Walker?
    SP are thin this year, and should be able to get a good piece for him…
    Could open the door for another top
    FA – Yamamoto (probably not) Gray, or Hader

    LikeLike

    1. Love that idea, Tac3 – trade Walker !

       LikeLike

       1. Good price for Walker – a guy who is not worth his over priced contract – yeah, sure. The other owners aren’t quite that dumb.

          LikeLike

          1. Catch – I’m thinking a BP piece. During the playoffs, all we heard about was the thin pitching of the contenders. Now the off-season is also thin to do upgrades… the supply & demand curve is right for DD, you can get an overpay for him now, if DD decides a to go that route. If the team believes in Sanchez …. It would be a calculated gamble. Shift the payroll around

             LikeLike

             1. The team still needs a closer in my view, and perhaps an outfield bat. The Nola contract will end up being roughly revenue neutral because it is being “financed” by not signing Hoskins (that’s where the money is coming from for this year, at least). If I’m the Phillies, I don’t re-sign Kimbrel. I trade Soto (more money freed up) and I bite the bullet and sign a closer. I doubt they’d regret that.

                LikeLike

                1. Not bad, Soto is estimated at 4 mil. I think both ideas are plausible. Swapping Soto out for either Hader or Hicks – sounds and a cheap Kimbrel replacement.

                   LikeLike

          2. I think many owners are still that dumb but there are very few FOs that dumb these days…

             LikeLike

73. Next up- extend Wheeler, sign a right handed hitting LF like Renfroe, and sign a RP like Hicks.

    LikeLike

74. Hinkie……….IYO did DD overpay on Nola?

    LikeLike

    1. I know I’m not Hinkie but I thought I’d chime in. In 2000, Bernie Williams was a free agent. Boston was all set to steal Bernie away. A 5 year contract was what they offered. Bernie went to Steinbrenner and asked how much he thought he was worth? Steinbrenner added a 6th year and Bernie signed. The 6th year was a throw away year. He wasn’t that good in that 6th year.The Yankees were in the World Series 3 of the next 4 years. The Red Sox did not get to the WS until 2004. What if the Red Sox had Bernie Williams in CF in 2000 to 2005? I’d bet a lot that Red Sox would be in the WS 3 or those 4 years. The extra year or even years could make it a win now scenario and we’ll worry about the future later. Ps. I know a pitcher and a position player are different but a key player is KEY PLAYER.

       LikeLike

    2. I’m not Hinkie either, but, in the scheme of things, I think Nola gave the team a discount, and perhaps quite a substantial discount. These days top pitchers are fetching in the $35-43 m dollar range, so to get Nola for a little less than $25m per year is, in my view, quite a coup. This is the second time that Nola gave the team a big discount. As for the duration, unless he gets hurt, there’s every reason to think that, even toward the end of the contract, Nola will be a mid-rotation starter – he can lose a few MPH and still be effective. This is the perfect contract to take the team through the transition from the Wheeler era to the Painter era.

       LikeLike

       1. The AAV is right. The length is probably a year more than I would have liked. But that’s the cost of doing business when you are the Phillies. Middleton/Dombrowski have already invested ~1B into the core. Can’t turn back now. This is likely Nola’s final contract so it’s no big deal for him (and his agent) to spread the 172M out over an extra year to lower the AAV and help out the team.
          Would I rather have invested in Yoshinobu Yamamoto? Yes. He’s the safer bet at 25 YO IMO. But according to an Alex Coffey source the team will still “aggressively pursue” the Japanese pitcher.
          It’s hard for me to envision Dombrowski running back the same starting nine & same rotation for 2024. IMO, he’s going to do something (at least pretty) significant to shake things up.

          LikeLike

          1. I agree I don’t see DD running back the same 9. This team needs tweaking – even with young players improving, it’s hard to see this team winning a WS as currently composed. I have some ideas about how to do that, but one would be adding a starter like Yamamoto. If they do that, they should really try to deal Walker – they would need to eat some salary to do that (he’s not a disaster, but he’s not worth that contract – no way).

             LikeLike

          2. Hinkie, Bellman & Catch……thanks for the timely and thoughtful responses to the question posed, appreciate it…..maybe a few moves left in DD’s bag!

             LikeLike

             1. If the Phillies do go crazy and sign Yamamoto, I first thought trading Walker was the next logical step. However, the more I thought about it, the more I began questioning that.
                The Nola deal “might” push the needle in helping the team re-sign Wheeler … and could even “possibly” have an effect on their chances with Yamamoto.
                Wheeler is close with Nola (and Jose Alvarado [found that fascinating/funny]). If the money is close, the chance to continue teaming with Aaron could play a role in Zack’s decision.
                Yamamoto (like all NPB SPs) throws usually just once a week. Dombrowski has the money to compete with other clubs, but unlike most other teams the Phillies POBO can point to (not just an opportunity to play in the WS, but) a rotation that is already five deep, and sell Yamamoto on the same schedule he was on in Japan. The 25 YO is small in stature, although he has a big arm (upper 90s in his last game this season). There’s a lot more that would go into this like accommodating Wheeler’s want to throw every fifth day & Rob Manfred’s threat to cap roster’s at just 12 pitchers (ridiculous!), but a 6 man rotation could be a selling point for the Phillies.

                LikeLike

75. I said a month ago I wouldn’t be surprised if Nola went and tested the market only to arrive at a deal to stay here. I also kind of likened him to Adam Wainwright with Cards. A guy that could age and be crafty enough to keep you in games as he ages.

    That said I am not thrilled with the deal with the exception like some others have said keeping prospects instead of trading them.

    At some point if these LT contracts go sideways you’re going to need a stout farm system of cheap MLBers to soften the blow.

    Crawford and Miller have really good chances of being dynamic MLbers sooner than we might all think. And if that’s the case a few of our everyday players become very attractive and valuable as trade pieces.

    LikeLike

    1. DMAR,
       “At some point if these LT contracts go sideways you’re going to need a stout farm system of cheap MLBers to soften the blow.”……well the good news long term for the Phillies on one of those LT contracts…Oakland heads to Vegas in 4 years……and probably Bryce, at age 35 or 36 by then, may want to head to his hometown.
       That team may want, and need for PR matters, his face out there for the remaining 3 or 4 years of his contract.

       LikeLike

       1. Oh G Romus I don’t want to think about that LOL!

          LikeLike

76. In a couple years or rotation will be Nola, Ranger, Painter, Abel & Sanchez. Might be cheapest and most effective in MLB.

    LikeLike

77. I want to know where the right handed power bat to play LF is coming from? I like Gurriel. He’s not ideal but shouldn’t be more than 18 mil. Who else may be a target? I would really like for there to be a way for Rhys to stay. There is no spot for him tho unless they trade Schwarber and Castellanos. For me, I would love to see Harper at 1b and Hoskins at DH.

    Some people keep talking about bullpen. I think the Phillies are good there especially if Thomson uses them correctly. No way they go after Hader unless he’s cheap. Not happening.

    I bet Yanamato and Gray are still possible. Interesting bench pieces/ starter if Rojas proves at AAA to be ready? Hicks, Merrifield, Keirmeir?

    LikeLike

    1. It’s going to be interesting to see how it unfolds – how the team ultimately ends up balancing FA & Prospect progression
       Abel, McGarry,Crawford. Could make significant moves this year that get them ready for 2025? Maybe sooner is they “Kerkering”it. I’d ultimately, in an ideal world love to see the Phillies replace Castellanos with Crawford, and Extend Schwarber as the DH. Marsh to LF, CF is Rojas… Pache as 4th or better. Cheap and good.

       Middleton is willing to spend, but spending could block some prospects in the near future. If you sign a bat for 3-4 years… Would Middleton be willing to have a decent priced bat sit the bench in year 3/4 if the prospect is better. My guess is yes, but … that’s not the norm.

       LikeLike

       1. Pache can’t hit. Why are we so in love with him?

          LikeLike

78. Cheers to Middleton – gotta love that he is willing to go to the 50% competitive balance tax…. Many fans all across sports BEG for this to happen, and Middleton is. Don’t know the guy personally, but Love him. One of the best owners in all of sports.

    LikeLike

79. I went on record early saying that they should resign Nola. I am very happy with this deal. Getting Yamamoto would be just unbelievable. Such a massive win if they can pull it off.

    https://x.com/sis_baseball/status/1726620161816613294?s=20

    LikeLike

80. There seems to be a lot more smoke regarding us and Yamamoto than I can ever remember in the previous postings of players from Japan. Hinkie would know better than me, but I don’t remember ever being thought of as a serious landing spot before. Maybe that is a good sign? Adding him also would just be terrific. I see a BP arm being added, just not Hader. And, a RH bat.

    LikeLike

    1. As Murray posted yesterday…Hunter Renfroe would be a nice addition to the OF as the RHB….good power, not much on BA, but at one time in the recent past, was a very good OF defender.

       LikeLike

81. RHP Spencer Turnbull was non-tendered by the Tigers…..coming off the TJ surgery from late 2021, he struggled in his brief return last year.
    There is that outside possibility that Dave D. will extend an offer to Turnbull on a one, maybe two year deal or a minor league deal…..he drafted him 9 years ago

    LikeLike

    1. Turnbull is definitely the type of guy we should try to acquire…

       LikeLike

       1. Sometimes those type players come around… …look what the Cubs did with Bellinger…I bet now they wished they had signed him to at least a two year deal.
          If the Cubs go ahead and sign Rhys, as one of the rumored teams in his bidding, …I am sure it will be a for a mufti-year deal.

          LikeLike

82. How expensive is starting pitching? When Lance Lynn (turning 37 in May) can still get 1/10 after posting -0.8 WAR. The Cardinals are really bottom feeding here.

    LikeLike

83. From Scott Lauber: “Atlanta reportedly made an offer – not their final, Lauber points out – of six years and $162M, an AAV of $27M. Los Angeles made essentially the same offer, increasing the total value to $165M. There’s an unknown third team that reportedly offered more money than Philly, as well.” Some might not be happy with the length of this contract so hopefully this will change some minds.

    LikeLike

84. Guru – Lance Lynn’s contract is actually worth 11 million. It’s a two year contract worth 10M each year with a buyout of a million if they don’t want him in year 2.

    And I agree with Moffo. I can’t see all the love for Pache. He is another guy who chases and comes up empty. He and Rojas are pretty much the same player.

    LikeLike

    1. “He and Rojas are pretty much the same player.”…..so your implication…only need to keep one, or no need to keep either?

       LikeLike

85. No disrespect to Pache, who I think is a fine 4th OF, but Rojas is the better defensive CF. If DD is really planning to let Rojas start in LHV, then we need a LF because Marsh goes to CF. Just getting a right handed bench bat I don’t think is enough. What is the point of Marsh staying in LF and Pache playing CF? I don’t know what happens. And, looking at the lsit of FA BP arms, after Hader, the best may be Hicks. Of course a trade is a possibility.

    LikeLike

    1. I would take a flyer on Liam Hendricks ..who is also out there.
       Coming back from non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer he got a brief look last year in May and June at the big league level and Triple-A….he did struggle. But maybe the further added time away from treatments he may be stronger and better.

       LikeLike

       1. Agree with Hunter Renfroe. He’d be a nice RH bat w/probably the best OF arm in the game. Would help the Phillies.
          Liam Hendricks won’t pitch in 2024. Had TJ this summer. Probably not a candidate for TJ 2 year deal for the Phils. They’d be more interested in help for next season. Jordan Hicks would be a great pick up.

          LikeLike

          1. Thanks Hinkie…did not know that about Liam Hendricks.

             LikeLike

86. Agree, Romus, I didn’t know if he was a FA, and what the status of his health is. But always liked him, and would certainly take a shot.

    LikeLike

87. Romus -I think that Rojas begins in AAA until he is ready mid season to return and Pache is the 4th OF. I really believe that Crawford is the CF of the future. He is an elite defender and he puts the bat on the ball. I liken him a lot to Harris of the Braves.

    LikeLike

    1. Ok……yeah IMO once Crawford is able to get a little pop in his bat. it will further enhance his value and abilities.

       LikeLike

       1. I cant believe they would add Yamamoto, without a deal in place for Walker, I am thinking ahead a little ,but with Nola at 7 yrs, Wheeler will get another two or more, yrs added, Walker i believe is three more yr, They are going to give Ranger at least 5 yr deal, Sandez i am starting to like, Where does that leave Abel, Painter. as starters?

          LikeLike

          1. rocco……more than likely once 2025 rolls around, Dave D will move one of Ranger, or Sanchez or Walker…..IF Abel and Painter, or even McGarry are in the majors as starters.
             I think most would like to see Walker traded, and the two lefties kept.

             LikeLike

       2. I’m not one for comps but a Kenny Lofton type career is what I see for Crawford…

          Finally a true lead hitter…

          LikeLike

          1. It’s a very interesting comp and you just might be right!

             What I don’t think people fully understand is precisely what that means. Kenny Lofton is one of the best players not in the Hall of Fame. He was 69 bWAR player and fWAR player. He was a big time star (even if he was not always recognized as such) and if Crawford turns into Kenny Lofton, we will have hit the jackpot.

             LikeLike

             1. Okay, wait, a thumbs down? Is there really someone on here who believes that it won’t be an excellent outcome if Crawford were to turn into another Kenny Lofton? If so, have the courage to speak up. I want to understand that.

                LikeLike

                1. Ok …now it is 2 to 1.

                   LikeLike

             2. Lofton should be in the HOF. I’m not going to go the route of “if Harold Baines….” But, if Tim Raines is in, Lofton should be as well

                LikeLike

88. I know they are downplaying getting Yamamoto, but I would think if Middleton can get that type of player he may go for it despite the cost. The team does need to get a good 6th SP option for the just in case. A 6th SP is actually used a lot (see Sanchez 2023). Right now Nelson and Strahm along with a handful of minor leaguers would fill that spot. I would expect a couple of at least minor league signings for depth.

    LikeLike

    1. That would REALLY make the Nola signing even better. We would have GREAT SP plus we keep all our drafts picks, international signing allotment and Top prospects…..win/win/win/win

       LikeLike

       1. You can never have too much pitching.

          LikeLike

89. 2 cents on a couple of things. Although I hold reservations about the Nola contract length as many here do. Kudo’s to the brass for getting it done. With such a weak FA class and so many teams in need of TOR help, I think essentially, we stole (for alot of $$$) Nola from the field. I’m primarily thinking of Atlanta who from what it appears are in dire need of rotation help. I notice their top prospects are all pitchers. Anyone have insight on these guys?
    Rojas – to me, his swing is max effort resulting in non-barreled balls to the pull side. I think he needs the work with the upper level coaching to use the gaps, but more importantly – slow the game down for him. He did exactly what they asked last year – now they can ask more. Triple A to start.
    A few have mentioned the team getting “stale”. I agree. with the length of contracts etc this lineup as it stands is going to look similar for a number of years yet. I’m not sure what its going to be but I still think there is an out of the blue trade coming that will surprise up. Just a feeling.
    Yamamoto – I think this would be a player specific sign to go to the next level of LT – but if they can pull it off – wow, just wow. Thanks for reading my digestion.

    LikeLike

90. I understand the idea that Rojas could use work on his hitting, and LHV may be the palce. That assumes he doesn’t get stronger over the Winter and has a great ST. mY question is What do we do? We can move Marsh to CF, and go get a LF. Who? I don’t think Pache starts in CF. He doesn’t hit either. Platoon 3 guys, Pache, Marsh and somebody between LF and CF? I have heard Renfroe, Kevin Keirmaier, who isn’t much of a hitter. Can Simon Muzziotti win a job in ST? Not joking, he played well last year for LHV. There don’t seem to be a lot of better options.

    LikeLike

    1. Rhys Hoskins for LF, share DH with Scwarber.

       LikeLike

    2. I don’t see the resistance to starting Rojas in AAA honestly. He didn’t play at all there last year, was only 22 when they jumped him up out of necessity.

       I don’t see using Marsh in CF where he is way below either Pache or Rojas and then adding what in LF to weaken the defense in that spot too… What are you going for the RH version of Schwarber in Left?

       Marsh had an OPS+ of 127 last season. That’s it end of story he’s your everyday LF. Sure have a RH bat with some pop to give him the occasional day off just use Wilson in that role.

       If anything getting the LH version of Pache/Rojas which they have in Muzziotti up to pair with Pache until you find a deal for him.

       At some point a month or two into the season Rojas and Simon are in some type of a platoon in CF manning the 9 hole.

       LikeLike

    3. Muzziotti had a great year and if it wasn’t for injuries in career he may have established himself. I wonder if they soured on him or not. I was a bit surprised he never got the call instead Cave, Rojas, Wilson, Pache and others did.

       LikeLike

91. Matt13 – I think if nothing changes – Marsh to start in CF (until Rojas is primed for more success offensively) Stopgap. Not ideal, i get that. As of now Pache is a 4th/5th OF. That LF gap – My preference would be a guy with a higher OB percentage and average to above avg D. In house candidates Wilson/Cave …. low cost FA filler…… If there is a trade coming – this is the area that will get all cleaned up IMO. And FWIW – you could very well be correct about Rojas and his Winter and Spring prep. Maybe he will be ready sooner. Just looks to me he needs to slow the game down. In order to do that he needs to see high level pitching for an extended period of time.

    LikeLike

    1. Simon Muzziotti at 24 in AAA all season 296/358/761 OPS….81 Ks 45 BBs. He’s always been a good OBP guy and low K guy…. 13% K rate in his MiLB career.

       Pretty even in his platoon splits too

       LikeLike

       1. Never understood why the org didn’t give Simon more of a chance.

          LikeLike

          1. Good point, Frank. I could easily see Muzziotti having a career like Ender Inciarte – an under-the-radar, productive and cheap starter.

             LikeLike

          2. Frank…..hate to say it, but a carry-over player from the previous regime.
             I do not think that is right, but have seen it plenty times in the past when a new command comes in.
             Same with Kingery at the end of last year….but instead it is Castro.

             LikeLike

92. Denny, I have a question. Did Rhys ever play in the outfield in the Minors? That would be a not too strong of defensive LF if that were to happen. But I do remember the days when The Bull and Pat the Bat roamed out there. I suppose it could be penciled in.

    LikeLike

    1. Rhys played LF for us at the major league level a couple years ago. No worse than Bull, Ruff, Burrell or Scwarber.

       LikeLike

       1. Why would we even go back to this and why would Rhys do this anyways? He was -3 dWar in LF in 2018 and he quickly switched back to 1B the following season. That ship has sailed a long time ago.

          LikeLike

       2. I get it Denny, but in saying that, you are saying he was horrible in left field, which he was. They are not paying Rhys Hoskins $17-20 million a year to be a butcher in left field, where his terrible glove will virtually negate his value as a hitter. I just don’t see that happening.

          LikeLike

          1. Yeah, I know but I wish we could keep him.

             LikeLike

             1. I will miss him too. I was one of his biggest supporters around here, but with Harper at first and Schwarber at DH (where he should be, by the way!), there’s just no room for him. But I really enjoyed watching him play here. He’s a legitimate slugger. A guy you can count on for about 30-35 homers and around 100 RBIs and not a bad OBP. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he has a career year this year or next and even gets some MVP votes. He’s limited but he’s a good player and guys who hit 30 homers and get on base don’t grow on trees.

                LikeLike

       3. I liked the “Bull” out there. They ask Bowa one time, “aren’t you afraid of those balls in no-mans land with the Bull back there” and he said “no, when he gets within 10 yards of me the ground begins to shake and I know to get out the way”! 😄

          LikeLike

          1. Nice one!

             LikeLike

    2. Is Jerry Martin still playing?
       Do not think the Phils or even Rhys envision that scenario…for sure Scott Boras may not care for it either.
       I think Rhys signs with one of three teams…cubbies, Padres or Giants….as their first baseman.

       LikeLike

       1. Agreed, Romus, even though Rhys loved it here, he isn’t coming back to play LF. I also agree that one of the 3 teams you mentioned is where he signs.

          LikeLike

93. We started the season thru the end of May at 25-30. If we started the season with the alignment we had to end the season we likely win 95 games maybe more.

    We don’t need a major up swell of offense in CF just really good defense from the position, BH the whole season and a more comfortable TT and we’ll be in the thick of it again.

    LikeLike

    1. An improved LH Bat for Pache to platoon with while Rojas develops in AAA would be what I’m looking for at this point. Jason Heyward might be a decent fit as an upgrade over Cave or maybe Kevin Long could fix Austin Meadows.

       LikeLike

       1. Phillies just signed Cave for an under projected arb number……do not think they will bring in a Jason Heyward that will be costlier….and not even provide the positional flexibility as Cave does.

          LikeLike

          1. Agreed Heyward’s days of being competent in CF are way in the rear view. I watched a ton of a young Jake Cave in Trenton manning CF as a Yankees prospect. He was phenomenal but not anymore.

             That was nearly 10 years ago..

             LikeLike

             1. From watching him, the one area where Cave is invaluable…he can play a very good first base……not sure anyone in the system can play all three OF positions and also be competent at first base……maybe Wes Wilson, just not sure.
                Now if the Phillies can sign Kiki Hernandez, now that would be an exception since he is very versatile.

                LikeLike

                1. And with Cave, it’s bizarre. He totally crushed AAA pitching, to the point where you would think there would be SOME translation to big league production (there usually is some relationship between AAA performance and big league performance), so maybe we see that this year. Like Weston Wilson, Cave has decent tools.

                   LikeLike

                2. Wilson over Kiki Hernandez.

                   LikeLike

94. Agreed, dmar. The defensive play of Rojas was a big upgrade, plus LF is Marsh’s better position, where I believe he is a GG finalist in the very near future, like he was in LA. I understand the idea behind more seasoning for Rojas. He did, in a SSS, hit .300 after he came up. Yes, he was overmatched in the Playoffs. But my question is, how is he getting reps vs elite Pitching if he goes back to LHV? Doesn’t he need to do that at the Major League level? We know he can hit Minor League pitching. I still would prefer to have him working on his strength off season, learning from Kevin Long at ST, and then applying what he has learned to his approach to Major League pitching, while giving us elite Defense. If we need to sit him against really tough RH Pitchers, then have a left handed bat off the bench to spell him. Just my thinking, because what he adds defensively is very important to the team.

    LikeLike

    1. I still like BA but man that was some of the weakest 300 I’ve ever witnessed and I watched it every night.

       You’ll remember a few seasons back Stott was sent down to AAA to work some things out. It worked well for him.

       The difference between Pache and Rojas defensively is minute IMO. Offensively they are about the same. Long term Pache is destined to be on another club but for a couple of months it would be a viable option if he showcases himself so DD and Fuld can maybe flip him for something good.

       LikeLike

       1. There’s no reason to rush to do anything with Pache. He’s an extra outfielder right now, with a plus plus glove and some offensive potential. Long term, either he or Rojas (or both) is moved, but for now, he’s a useful asset even if he doesn’t hit all that well.

          LikeLike

    2. Do we really know he can hit minor league pitching? This was the first season he held his own after doing well at the AFL last fall. I don’t see the problem with him starting at LHV and earning his way up.

       LikeLike

95. There is no evidence that Pache and Rojas are same hitter, Rojas ship hasn’t sailed. , Pache ship sunk, he cant hit,

    LikeLike

    1. rocco…..so Pache is a hitter with titanic implications!

       LikeLike

       1. You made a funny. Good job Romus

          LikeLike

    2. Again I am not talking about a long term endorsement of Pache over Rojas.

       I’m coming from the perspective that I don’t need both Pache and Rojas on a 26 man; Pache is out of options and I’d like to be able to flip him at some point for something of need.

       It makes no sense to squander assets or not try to improve their value.

       LikeLike

96. Now i will ask the question, How do we improve, over what got us beat in playoffs, Lack of closer, Lack of discipline as a hitters.

    LikeLike

    1. rocco….just addressing your two areas of concerns……,one has been addressed already, Kimbrel has left……and maybe the second could be addressed if Casty is moved in a trade.
       Whether that gets them over the hump remains to be seen.
       For Kimbrel’s replacement in the pen…I hope Hicks could be signed.
       Trading Casty will be more difficult, unless Phillies are willing to pick up 40 to 50% of his $60M left on the contract.

       LikeLike

    2. Strahm had to make 10 starts that wasn’t ideal because Ranger wasn’t ready or he had visa issues again. Ultimately Ranger only made 22 starts and we need him to make 30.

       Kimbrel threw 69 IP the most of any other reliever on the roster. That just wasn’t the best management of a 34 y/o pitcher with 14 seasons in the league.

       Soto was terribly ineffective in the postseason to the point where they only gave him 3 IP and then you had a guy you were paying $18M who couldn’t even get in 1 game.

       And finally your 9 hole hitters cannot go a combined 410 OPS with 33% K Rate.

       For context Schwarber hit 5 HRS and only had 6 RBI.

       LikeLike

97. Not to rain on everyone’s parade but: “We have five starters that we like,” Dombrowski said. “I think when you look at some of the statistical models, we had the best WAR of our group of any team in Major League Baseball. So we like our five starters. We look like we are set.”

    LikeLike

    1. I take that as classic GM speak. I don’t infer from that we won’t be aggressively in on Yamamoto.

       The reality is Yamamoto is going to get incredible offers from a bunch of teams. I believe if he wants to play in Philly we will get him. If he wants to be on the West Coast then that’s where he’ll be.

       I believe it does mean we won’t be in on any of the other FA starters or looking to trade for one.

       It’s likely they are hunting for a RP to replace Kimbrel.

       LikeLike

98. I’ll be checking out some time around noon today and I don’t want to forget to wish all of you and especially Jim a Happy Thanksgiving.

    You guys are hands down the best Phillies fans I’ve never met 🙂

    LikeLike

    1. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. Almost noon, FWIW Suarez started the season on the IL. He was another WBC casualty. He developed a problem with his pitching arm trying to ramp up for the WBC. Never threw a pitch for Venezuela. Shut down and sent to Clearwater before the WBC started. End MLB participation in the WBC!!! (or at least Phillies participation)

       LikeLike

       1. How about allow only Braves and Mets participation in the WBC?!? 😉

          Happy Thanksgiving Jim!

          LikeLike

       2. Hopefully Suarez has a good recovery. And, maybe they can just encourage him to stay in the USA over the offseason. How crazy is it that someone like him, with a guaranteed job last year and next year, and a salary well over 2 million dollars per year has problems with immigration getting into the USA so he can make Spring Training!

          LikeLike

99. Happy Thanksgiving to all! “May the Bird of Paradise fly up……oops, wrong holiday………don’t forget “to step away from the buffet” for comforts sake and.. Romus easy on the Hood’s pumpkin nog and the brandy chaser, OK? BTW you all get a 👍 from me.

    LikeLike

100. I think they look at Yamamoto as a special case and if they can sign them they will and work things out after. I also like Hicks. To all of you, a very Happy Thanksgiving! Jim, I am very grateful for all of the work you do to provide thus site for us. It’s the best!

     LikeLike

101. Like others I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
     A special thanks to Jim for maintaining this site. I really enjoy reading all of your posts. Not many Phillies fans here in Central Indiana.

     LikeLike

102. Wishing all PP readers a Happy and Wonderful Thanksgiving.
     To rocco raccoon….I think your turkey is cooked,
     unless however, you get the bird to south Philly’s Cacia’s bakery early tomorrow morning.

     LikeLike

     1. Happy Thanksgiving. Cacia’s is a nut scene.

        LikeLike

        1. LOL yes it is…that is the south Philly Thanskgiving tradition…the Black Thursday turkey cook out….no butting in line either and have your ticket ready for pick-up

           LikeLike

103. Happy Thanksgiving to all participants on this site. My go to for inside information and affirmations. Thanks to Jim who makes this all possible. I am thankful to you all, Jim and his devotion , and to a great Phillies owner who permits us to have this great team. It simply doesn’t get any better than this.

     LikeLike

104. Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am thankful for Jim maintaining the best Phillies site on the web and for all of the hard and diligent work that go into achieving that, and to all posters for your informative, thought-provoking and entertainment comments.

     LikeLike

     1. Best? How about second best? This link was sent to me by a friend. Apparently, ALL Phillies blogs are ranked. I received it last December. We were third then, so this must be a living document. We dropped to around seventh during my hiatus.

        https://baseball.feedspot.com/phillies_blogs/#rightModal

        LikeLike

        1. Jim, you are #1 and Steve Potter is #2. IMO

           LikeLike

        2. Jim, Ratings are subjective, of course, but I don’t think it’s even close. You are Number One. Certainly, this site is the best for discussion, respectful debate and for following Phuture Phillies.

           LikeLike

        3. For those of us who are, and have been minor league prospect phanatics only three sites rank at the to for valuesd information……Phuture Phillies, A Fan’s View and Minor Thoughts.
           Perhaps they need to rank Phillies’ blogs by two categories…a Major league version and a Minor league version.

           LikeLike

105. I just saw a trade proposal on ESPN:

     Nick Castellanos, Justin Crawford, and Griff McGarry for Mike Trout.

     You do that deal?

     LikeLike

     1. Nick, Pache, Kingery, Cave and Castro for Trout. My version of 5 for 1. What say yee, Charlie Hustle? Somewhere, Von Hayes is crying.😅😂

        LikeLike

     2. v1. Think that is one that Schoenfield proposed the other day. I mentioned it earlier in the week. Did not get overwhelming approval from guys here.

        LikeLike

     3. Angels would still need to send 60/65 million to Phils. No way this ever happens?

        Is it really worth trading for a LF that plays 90 games a year that will need to move to DH ASAP? (I definitely understand Trout’s value in the playoffs)

        I would think the Angels would want a couple of interesting players like Baker. Maybe McGowan instead of McGarry. Someone like McGowan has a higher chance of contributing down the road.

        LikeLike

        1. If Trout says he wants to come back East…..then it probably happens.
           Turning 33 in August surely makes things dicey for whatever team he goes to.
           One team that could make a play for him and give up quality younger players, without denting their MLB roster, is the Orioles….and it is less than a 2 hour drive from Cumberland County.

           LikeLike

           1. The O’s could make a play for Trout but they don’t like to spend money and ownership might think it’s heading in the right direction without having to make a big financial commitment to a guy whose future is uncertain.

              Now, the Mets…

              LikeLike

              1. Yes Frank agree…O’s are notoriously on the low payroll side of contracts, however, with 6 prospects in baseball’s top 50, they can somewhat sweeten the pot and have the Angels pay down a good portion of Trout’s remaining contract. Angels just paying 50% reduced Trout’s AAV to $17M…which is a very manageable salary for small market teams….plus Trout’s stardom alone will bring in more revenue than they can imagine in sales and merchandise.
                 And yes the Mets, and Cohen, have no qualms about getting him also…..the money is not the issue there.

                 LikeLike

     4. If it really takes 55/60 million to Phils make a deal like this happen how much do you overpay by?

        Would you take Trout and no money back? Trout and just 30 million?

        How much do you think Middleton would overpay by? I would definitely think Middleton would approve the deal with just 30 million coming back.

        Who knows. Maybe in 2 years when Trout could go to DH, he could stay healthier with less wear and tear? Angels could argue the upside there. Would Trout be happy being DH though? I don’t see it.

        Plus maybe DH needs to be open for Turner/ Harper in like 5/6 years?

        LikeLike

        1. Like I mentioned earlier…no less than 22% of the Trout contract the Angels would need to pick up….along with Casty’s total of $60M over the three years left…that should make it more palatable to swallow.

           LikeLike

106. Swap out Rojas for Crawford and after all the financial matters are worked out make the trade.

     LikeLike

107. The Phillies blew it by signing Nola. They could have had Gibson AND Lynn for even less. Throw in Geinke and you’d have a trifecta.

     LikeLike

     1. Is Bartolo Colon available?
        What did Satchel Paige do lately?

        LikeLike

        1. Just saw Bob Walk is available

           LikeLike

108. I want Hicks, a right handed hitting LF like Renfroe, and a 4A SP for depth at LHV. That’s it. Yamamoto and Trout are not happening. Face reality. Our payroll is already super high, it’s not going to happen. Plus I hope they get Wheeler signed to an extension and I’d love it if they could buy one year of Ranger’s FA and get him locked up. I still think he has more upside.

     LikeLike

109. Does anybody read philliesminorthoughts.com anymore? Matt has a great post about Phillies hitters swing decisions there.

     LikeLike

     1. YES… Love philliesminorthoughts.com. Matt is very insightful and he writes great articles. Just wish he’d post a little more often.

        LikeLike

110. Just read that the Phillies are looking at Kiki Hernandez, Nick Senzel and Whitt Merrifield. When I look at these players I keep wondering why do the Phillies hate Scott Kingery?

     LikeLike

     1. Whit Merrifield has made all star games in the majors; Kiki has had multiple years of success in the majors; Kingery has not not Senzel’s ML levels of success in LV.

        LikeLike

111. We’ll for one, Whit Merrifield has been better in the majors than Scotty Jetpax has been in the minors.

     LikeLike

     1. You’re right but I think Phillies prior management ruined him at first and then the shoulder issue, but I think now he might still be salvageable.

        LikeLike

        1. Since it looks like we will have Scott Kingery to kick around for another year, let me try and dissuade you of the “Phillies ruined Kingery’s swing” misinformation that has been on this site for years.

           Back on March 3, 2018, Matt Gelb reported in an Athletic article (https://theathletic.com/260546/2018/03/03/how-scott-kingery-with-his-remade-swing-could-be-in-the-majors-as-soon-as-april/) how Kingery transformed HIMSELF from a 5’10”, 180 pound infielder with .388 slugging percentage in 2016 into one capable of producing prodigious opposite-field homers in 2017.

           Richard Schenck, a former college player, had researched how to transform a player’s swing into an Aaron Judge type swing. He tried his new theories out on a minor-league player named David Matranga. There were immediate results but they came too late in his career. Matranga retired and became an agent for PSI Sports Management. Kingery is one of his clients.

           Matranga suggested a meeting between Schenck and Kingery. Kingery listened and implemented Schenck’s suggestions. Kingery posted a .304/.359/.530/.889 slash in AA and AA in 2017 with 29 doubles and 26 HR. He made the Phillies out of spring training in 2018.

           “After the season I had, I was like, why doesn’t everyone hit this way?” Kingery said. “You have to buy into it. It’s just so different. If you don’t buy into it, you can’t fully understand it. You can’t get it. It feels weird. It feels uncomfortable. But if you make it your natural swing, you start to realize it might be the way people should always hit.”

           After a terrible 2018 in which he slashed .226/..267/.338/.605 and 8 HR with the Phillies, Kingery started 2019 in AAA. The Phillies wanted Kingery to return to the athletic style that made him a prospect. More line drives. More speed. Less thinking. He must recalibrate his swing path to achieve that. (flatten it out)

           “To Scotty’s credit,” hitting coach Joe Dillon said, “he knew he needed to make some changes and get more consistent.” We all know that he wasn’t able to correct his deficiencies in seasons since.

           In a March 29, 2021 article in the Athletic, Matt Gelb reported “But there is one thing Kingery wants to make clear: He does not regret making the changes he made — with an independent hitting instructor he met, not on a recommendation from the Phillies — before a breakout 2017 season in the minors.”

           “No,” Kingery said. “Those changes got me a big-league contract before I ever took a step into the big leagues. You know what I mean? It’s hard to just look at that and say, ‘You know, I regret ever changing my swing.’ I was a line-drive hitter, a groundball hitter. And the game changed. And those weren’t the guys that were becoming the superstars, the guys that were getting paid. Those were the guys that were coming off the bench. They’re defensive replacements and stuff like that. Those weren’t the guys that I was watching going, ‘I want to be that guy.’ So, the game changed. I always knew I had power. I also knew I was fast. So I would do a lot of bunting, a lot of stealing bases, a lot of line drives in college.

           “The year before I made the changes, I was in the Florida State League, and I led the league in doubles. But I had three home runs. … I was able to find this swing change that really clicked with me. And I think the reason it clicked with me is because my swing was so natural and athletic coming out of college. It was just what I’ve done. I grasped onto a few things really quick and they changed my swing for the better. Then I had an incredible 2017, and it was the line drives combined with balls maybe I caught a little bit better that became home runs. Because I’ve never tried to hit the ball in the air.

           “I think the more I started just practicing that swing, it got too far to the point where it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. And that’s what I’ve been searching for the past year and a half because I know it’s in there. It came out in the minors. It came out in 2019. Like, I know it’s there. But I would never regret changing my swing. Because, I mean, it got me to where I’m at.”

           So, Kingery went outside the organization to change his swing, got immediate results that got him a major league contract, couldn’t maintain the offensive output he generated in the minors, couldn’t revert back to his original swing, tried and couldn’t regain the offensive output from the minors even while the Phillies wanted him to “level his swing”, and doesn’t regret HIS decisions.

           Kingery is not the martyr that his fans would paint him to be. He’s exactly where one goes when one doesn’t heed advice from his coaches. And, he accepts that because he got paid.

           I will repost this every time somebody blames the Phillies for Kingery’s situation with the Phillies.

           LikeLike

           1. Jim, you shut my mouth. I just got off the Jet Pax train.

              LikeLike

              1. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Kingery. It’s just that I’m so tired of how easy it is to blame the Phillies for Kingery (and a lot of other things). There’s always a reason that we don’t know (or sometimes choose to forget). I only learned of the 2018 Matt Gelb article a month or so ago. It was written before I subscribed to the Athletic (or before I was convinced that Gelb had good sources, Meghan Montemurro hadn’t returned to Chicago and was still writing about the Phillies). I’ve been waiting for the right time to spring it.

                 I would have used Kingery off the bench last season just because we were paying him instead of Clemens or Cave or Harrison or Guthrie or maybe even Sosa. I don’t know that his presence on the bench would have blocked Rojas later. But, maybe it would have and we wouldn’t know for sure yet that Rojas could play at the major league level.

                 And, I do respect that he doesn’t try to rewrite his history. Instead he owns the decisions he made. I think that shows good character.

                 LikeLike

                 1. Jim…..very good information about Scott Kingery’s past….correcting the perceived notions of many.
                    I had also thought that Kingery getting sick with Covid may have adversely effected his stamina and strength for a long time.

                    LikeLike

                 2. Jim…….I agree, particularly with p.2 about the bench and you are paying him anyway and I don’t think it would have changed a thing as far as our destiny last year.

                    In retrospect his decision gave him some financial security, so yeah good for him, always liked his persona!

                    LikeLike

                 3. 100% agree, Jim. I didn’t know that story, but it does show character that Kingery doesn’t blame anyone else — not the Phillies, not his agent, not Schenk (Aaron Judge aside, Schenk’s student Kerry Carpenter (19th round pick in 2019) has been pretty good for the Tigers, with a 121 OPS+). Apparently Javy Baez is going to start working with him this winter.

                    LikeLike

           2. Moral of the story be wary of dishing criticism for you don’t know what you don’t know….

              LikeLike

              1. The Teacherman.
                 https://www.youtube.com/c/TeachermanHitting

                 LikeLike

112. Jim. Ok since you brought up Kingery. I have quick question because I forget how things worked out. My son did sign grandson up for Sandberg in a couple weeks. I knew he did not finish season, but I thought Phillies fired him. You said that was not the case. What really happened? We do not get many MLB guys here in Central Indiana or former MLB guys. Plus, I have got grandson to be a Phillies fan. He is looking forward to going to another game next year in Cincy to see Phillies. Also, my daughter-in-law is looking for kids’ jerseys but said most she is able to find are adults. Anyone have suggestions for that? Thanks.

     LikeLike

     1. Don……IMO, just not sure this was the case with Sandberg….but a week or so before he was an ex-Phillis manager, the Phillies played the Os in Baltimore in 2015..the Phillies were getting smoked…..so Sandberg put a position player in near the end to mop up….Frenchy Fancoeur…he wasn’t really getting hit, but he was a little wild but his pitch count was getting higher.
        So Sandberg goes out to the mound to talk to him……evidently Chase Utley was not thrilled that Frenchy was throwing all those pitches and may have mentioned it to the manager.
        Nevertheless he resigned about week or two later and the team had the worst record in baseball at the time. Pete Mack. took over.
        That may have been the straw that broke the camels back ,,,but the team was struggling mightily anyways.
        So it may have been a matte of time before he was let go..

        https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL201506160.shtml

        LikeLike

113. Romus, thanks. I had forgot he quit. But Jim mentioned that he was with Rueben when Rueben got a call. I could see Chase not liking that. Romus. Any idea on best site to find a jersey for a nine-year-old? Not sure which player he wants. But that is what he wants for Christmas this year. Also, just saw Phillies likely to talk with Yamamoto next week on Zoom. Saying Bryce and others are pushing for him to look at Phillies as a destination I also forgot Rhys played in LF some in 18. IU got rid of football coach today. Only owe him 20M plus..

     LikeLike

     1. Don….for Phillies gear try this site……http://fanatics.93n6tx.net/NKjZkK

        ………..Yamamoto will have plenty of conversations with MLB teams I am sure…..Phillies odds have to be low.

        LikeLike

     2. Don, have you ever been to Lakeville, IN? Need to make a trip there soon, maybe next week.

        LikeLike

114. Thank You, Jim, I didn’t know that story about Kingery. I, along with a number of us, was really high on him. I thought he was our Pedroia, a line drive, gap hitting guy with great speed and a plus glove. Don, we have a local place called Rally House where I have had luck getting a jersey for my 8 year old grandson.

     LikeLike

115. Romus and Matt. Thanks. I will give her the sites to check out.
     Denny. I just looked. It looks like in Northern Indiana. I have been to Shipshewana but not to LaGrange which is where it says Lakeland is.
     Sounds like it is a couple hours north of me. I am about an hour North of Indy.

     LikeLike

     1. Lakeville, just south of South Bend, traveling from Raleigh, NC to pick up a dog. Would like to do Mass at ND.

        LikeLike

116. Denny, that will be nice. We do the largest festival in Indiana at Plymouth which is about 20 miles South of South Bend. One of my principals at Carmel had season tickets years ago for Notre Dame. I played fastpitch softball back in the 70s and 80s and there were many good teams up in the Region area. Have a safe trip. If you are driving and go up 31 you will get about 10 miles from me in Northern Hamilton County.

     LikeLike

117. After signing Lynn and Gibson, looks like the Cardinals are reeling in a bigger fish: Sonny Gray. I’m interested to see what the contract numbers will be.

     LikeLike

118. They are saying 3/75

     LikeLike

119. That’s not a bad deal for the Cardinals. I’m surprised that there isn’t a 4th year or players option.

     LikeLike

     1. They had Gray as a 5.3 WAR pitcher last year and Wheeler only a 4.3 WAR pitcher. That doesn’t really compute.

        If Gray is worth 3/$75 at 34 what will Wheeler be worth?

        LikeLike

        1. Wheeler is going to get minimum 3/90 but likely 3/100. He’s been outplaying his contract.

           LikeLike

           1. I think the Cardinals are kind of out of their minds, especially with Kyle Gibson. We heard last year that the Cardinals finally realized that the modern pitcher needs to throw harder and they intended to restock their staff accordingly. So much for theories, although Gray is definitely a good pitcher.

              I expect Wheeler to get between $100-110 m on a 3 year contract extension. If they can get him for less than that, good for them!

              LikeLike

        2. Gray, Lynn, Wainwright, Gibson, & Mikolas. Old timer team rotation.
           Good luck Cards.

           LikeLike

           1. Wainwright retired the rest of those guys give you a ton of IP and Gray is a legit TOR piece I wouldn’t laugh it off just yet

              They also have a 23 y/o Kloffenstein who made 25 starts last season and logged 140 Ks in just 128 IP

              I don’t think the Cards are contending next year unless by accident but they do have some arms in the system that look promising for 2025 and beyond.

              LikeLike

120. Shota Imanaga posted today….Phillies may be a player.
     MLBTR predicts AAV of $17M over 5 years….Phillies could go a notch higher.

     LikeLike

121. I just read an article about the Phillies being interested in Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, is this legit or just clickbait. ?

     LikeLike

     1. I have no idea if the Phillies are interested, but he’s a legitimate target for someone. He’s headed into his age 25 season and is already very accomplished. Question, from looking at the stats is power projection – but his hit tool and plate discipline are very good.

        LikeLike

        1. Yes the power numbers are suspect but like you said, hit tool and plate discipline are excellent as he consistently has more walks than strikeouts. He’s the type of player we could use but I’m sure he wants to play everyday and I’m not sure he would get that opportunity here.

           LikeLike

           1. Yeah, he’s very interesting, but I’d rather have another pitcher instead because, as you said, where does he play?

              LikeLike

122. Phillies sign Jose Ruiz to a minor league contract per MLBTRS.

     LikeLike

     1. Just another batting practice pitcher.

        LikeLike

123. What do we think about signing Shintaro Fujinami as a reclamation project? Had a very high ERA as a starter but was better as a reliever. First is his exceptional velocity – the 6’6 righty’s frame harnesses pure gas, throwing fastballs at an average of 98.4 mph, 97th percentile in all of MLB, and he touched 103 in relief late in the year. 

     LikeLike

     1. Quick note on Shintaro Fujinami: the guy has an incredible pedigree. Fujinami was the equal to Shohei Ohtani as pitchers in HS. Some scouts liked Ohtani while others liked Mount Fujinami. Both decided to stay in Japan & play in NPB even though both were wanted by MLB teams. Fujinami does still have an incredible arm, but his relationship with the Kzone has been a real problem. If I had to guess I’d bet on Fujinami ending up a Padre. AJ Preller loves tools, high ceiling players/prospects. Fujinami should also fit in San Diego’s price range thus offseason.

        LikeLike

        1. Thank you Hinkie, I always look forward to your detail responses

           LikeLike

124. Hinkie – you’ve done it again. Great review and comment. Gift card to Beni Hana from me – in the mail. Thank you !

     LikeLike

     1. 😀👍

        LikeLike

125. Hicks would be my #1 target right now but Robert Stephenson is another guy I would go after. After he went to Tampa he had a .678 WHIP with 14.1 K/9 clearly dominant stuff

     Emilio Pagan is another under the radar guy with good stuff and a low BB rate. He had a sub 1 WHIP last season and would fit nicely in a set up role.

     And there are a few others that would improve the pen Neris, Brasier, Stanek and again I approach the BP as if Alvarado is my closer to start.

     LikeLike

     1. I have no big issue with Hector Neris. Because he has an out pitch (his splitter), I’ve always said he’ll be in the big leagues until he’s almost 40 – and he’s on pace to do that. But he will be expensive and, in my opinion, he’s not what they need because you could never rely on him as a closer (if you could, they would have signed him to that role 2 years ago). They’ve tried the old experienced guy route and that has failed pretty badly (Knebel, Robertson, Kimbrel). They either should pay full rate for a closer or identify someone who they think will grow into that role. Alvarado is great, but he walks too many batters to be relied on as a closer. I like him better the way Topper uses him – as a weapon to be deployed in late innings wherever and whenever he would be most useful.

        LikeLike

        1. Jose’s BB per 9 was 3.9 last season not great but his k/9 was 14 his Right Left Splits are really good too vs RHB his K rate is nearly 50% though that is where is BB problems occur.

           Hader’s BB rate for 23 was 4.8 his K rate 13.6 a slight notch below Alvarado’s. He also is a guy that complains about how he is used. I can’t see spending big $$$ on him.

           LikeLike

126. it is reported Sonny Gray’s deal was three years $75M…with a 4th year club option….which is a rarity anymore. But I see it as a 4yr/$105M deal since the 4th year, though a Cards’ option, will still need to pay him the $30M, whether he pitches in a Redbird uni or not, but it still counts under the lux tax threshold. https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/sonny-gray-14331/

     LikeLike

     1. i never knew how close Sonny Gray, and Arron Nola stats were. except for age. Didn’t realize Gray pitch that well as a starter. I think he is like a 30 War. 14 games over 500, 3.47 era. Pretty good numbers.

        LikeLike

        1. They are not too dissimilar in that they are not like the hi-velo variety 96 and up velo RHPs….they rely on guile and finesse to a certain degree and exceptional command with their off-speed pitches that keeps batters guessing. Gray also pitched for some less than stellar teams along the way….the A’s and Reds …to name two.

           LikeLike

127. dmar, you bring up a very good point. I have always believed that someone capable of regularly getting those last 3 outs has a lttle bit different demeanor than other RPs. I think Alvarado could do it, but Topper likes to move him around to differnet situations. Which means we have to have that other Closer. Hicks and Stephenson are good names, so who do you think could be that 9th inning guy the best?

     LikeLike

     1. That has not worked out so well for Topper so maybe he should just scrap that plan altogether Matt 🙂

        LikeLike

     2. But to answer your question of who I think the best 9th inning guy would be I think its Alvarado at this time and would make it his job to lose.

        I would not be afraid to let the season play out some and then if needed hunt for a closer in the trade the market at the deadline.

        LikeLike

128. dmar, I understand your point, but I don’t think that Topper is going to change. I also don’t think Hader is a fit because he won’t move around depending on matchups, so that would present a problem I don’t thin the team is paying to have to deal with. Hicks is the guy I would target.

     LikeLike

129. The White Sox have DFAd Adam Haseley.

     LikeLike

     1. Thanks so much Johnny Almaraz for him, and Cornelius Randolph and Mickey Moniak – 0 for 3 on three top ten picks. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, pal. What a disaster!

        LikeLike

130. OK, I was as disappointed and upset as anyone at Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner for that matter, getting themselves out by swinging at Pitches so far out of the strike zone that they were impossible to hit, and doing it in games 6 and 7 of the NLCS. But I do not understand the concept of “negative trade value” regarding Castellanos. I saw a chat on MLBTR and the writer was adamant about Nick’s negative trade value. The answer was to a ridiculous trade proposal, I grant that, but I dispute the negative trade value part. Forget the money, let’s assume the Phils eat 1/2. He hit .272, had 29 HRs and 106 RBIs, and I don’t consider him a terrible RF. Sure, he isn’t Roberto Clemente, but he can play it. There are a lot worse numbers being put up by players around the League. I am not suggesting that we are trading him or that I wasn’t disappointed or that his contract isn’t an issue. I just think he does have value, and was ticked off by the writer’s response. Sorry for venting!

     LikeLike

     1. add our catcher, to the swinging at bad pitchers category.

        LikeLike

        1. rocco……on a whole, many came up small at the two home games at a packed out ballpark. You just hope that they can learn from it, and in 2024 keep it as a motivating factor thru next season and hopefully into the play-offs.

           LikeLike

     2. Well, if you have to eat half of his salary in order to trade him, that’s pretty much the definition of negative trade value. That means he’s overpaid relative to his value (which consists of his offense AND defense).

        If a team is looking for a DH, you could do a lot worse than Castellanos. But if you’re a small market team who needs every edge they can get i.e. stellar defense, you’re looking elsewhere for RF.

        As an example, Castellanos had 1.5 WAR because his defense was so bad. Johan Rojas had 2.5 WAR because his defense was elite. Look at the Blue Jay’s OFs: Kiermaier and Varsho. They both didn’t hit that great, but they were GG caliber defense and it boosted their value immensely. They both had 3.9 WAR!

        LikeLike

        1. Or maybe WAR over values defense a bit too much.

           LikeLike

           1. Just to add. If WAR is the best way to value players, then Christian Pache was more valuable to the 2023 Phillies than Schwarber and Bohm. (At least using Baseball Reference’s version of WAR).

              LikeLike

              1. You probably are correct , in that WAR may over-value defense.
                 Not quite sure, but WAR may value the defensive side, taking into account the positional value.

                 LikeLike

              2. We all like to see Schwarber cracking HRs but what we don’t want to see is his terrible range in LF. He’s giving the opposing team runs and extra outs. Yes, it seems odd that his defense is almost fully negating his offensive value, but that’s how bad defensively he is. He’s a DH playing LF.

                 BR has Rojas’ dWar at 1.7 in 59 games. If you think that BR overvalues defense, then perhaps Rojas is not as valuable as we think he is. So if you think that Kiermaier and Varsho are not that valuable, then Rojas falls into that same boat too.

                 LikeLike

                 1. I agree that Schwarber should be a DH only but think that WAR gives too much weighting to defensive metrics and SBs and is a poor measure of player value overall.

                    There’s zero chance anyone would trade Schwarber for Pache in any situation.

                    Same way the Walker had the 2nd highest WAR among the Phillies pitchers. Does anyone actually believe he was their 2nd most valuable pitcher last year?

                    LikeLike

                 2. WAR takes into account playing time. Sanchez and Suarez both threw a lot less innings than Walker so both had less opportunity to accumulate WAR.

                    A better comparison would be Nola vs Walker as they each had 30+ starts. Nola threw more innings but gave up a lot more HRs which lead to Nola having a higher ERA than Walker. The WAR difference is small but we can agree that Nola had a bad year based on his WAR.

                    LikeLike

                 3. yep, it does take into account playing time which is why Pache, who appeared in 48 games having a higher war than Schwarber/Bohm is even a bigger issue with its value in rating players.

                    Somehow 95 plate appearances and 227 innings of OF play were more valuable than Schwarber. That’s some amazing defense.

                    LikeLike

              3. You also have to watch out for small sample sizes. One year, in a small sample size Aaron Altherr played to like a 1.8 WAR over about 40 games, which made him look like a 6-8 WAR player. Needless to say, he was not.

                 LikeLike

     3. Look, Nick Castellanos is a decent player, but he is a negative WAR player in the outfield and he doesn’t walk enough or hit for quite a high enough average to be anything more than a good, not great, offensive player (although once in a while he’ll have a better year than that). As a player, he has positive value (or he did last year) and I’ll allow that I think defensive WAR is a bit overstated. However, negative trade value means only that he does not play to the value of his contract. Frankly, so far in his Phillies career, he has not. Whether you think he will play to the value of the contract in the future is subject to debate. And it’s not all that shocking for a decent player to have negative trade value. When Manny Ramirez was right in the middle of his career putting up ridiculous numbers for the Red Sox, the Sox (who were probably sick of his “Manny being Manny” antics) put him on waivers and nobody took him because they thought he wasn’t worth his contract. You could go around baseball and point out a lot of decent players who have negative trade value.

        LikeLike

        1. And negative trade value doesn’t mean a player can’t be traded or even traded for other players, especially if the team trading the player picks up part of the cost of his contract. It means, in my view, that someone will not take the player and his contract off your hands for a nominal player in return (a lottery ticket).

           LikeLike

        2. “You could go around baseball and point out a lot of decent players who have negative trade value.”…………….correct, .if you tie contracts to value, it really does not need to be only a decent player….Trout, Rendon, or even Trea Turner .
           Probably 3/4th of the league cannot trade for them and their contracts in entirety., plus able to absorb their productive decline in the last part of their contracts as the player ages.

           LikeLike

131. Japanese Pitchers Posted:
     1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto RHP, Age 25
     2. Shota Imanaga LHP, Age 30
     3. Yuki Matsui, LHP, Age 28…one of the top relievers in Japan
     4. Naoyuki Uwasawa, RHP, Age 30…. Uwasawa, who has trained at Driveline in the U.S., is viewed as a potential back-end starter
     5. Kōna Takahashi, RHP, Age 27…if he comes out, profiles best as a reliever in the long term.
     6. Masahiro Tanaka, RHP, Age 35…not the same success he had 10 yrs ago. E RA 5.09, along with a 7-10 record last season in the NPL.

     LikeLike

132. Romus – you are reading Hinkie’s playbook….

     LikeLike

     1. LOL….yeah he is very busy this time of the year.

        LikeLike

     2. Crazy all these yrs and people on here, don’t know that Hinkie is Romus pen name, He published his books using Hinkie Stallone

        LikeLike

133. Romus, you still amaze me how you find all these stats of everyone. I do not have the time to do stuff like that. LOL

     LikeLike

     1. Don….easy, you are still working and contributing to society…me on the other hand…..

        LikeLike

134. Romus – Trade Rumors showed Sonny Gray’s contract. Year 4 is with a 1M buyout. The Cards don’t have to pay him any more than that after the third year.

     LikeLike

     1. ciada.. it is a little more than just the $1M buy-out for the one year
        Contract Notes:
        —2027 Club Option includes a $5M buyout (deferred at $1M each of 2027-2031)
        —If the team exercises the 2027 option, the player can opt-out (forfeiting the buyout).
        Check out the details here…Car dinals have the club option in ’27:
        https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/sonny-gray-14331/

        LikeLike

        1. You are correct, sir. Word out is that the Cardinals are also tossing in a million $ a year from 2027-31 to you just for the hell of it. Well done, Professor!

           LikeLike

        2. They are calling it a 4th year club option but in general, it’s a mutual option for $30M for the 4th year.

           So Gray gets minimum 3/75 or possible 4/105.

           Either way, a solid deal for the Cardinals.

           LikeLike

        3. Romus……….year 27 thru 31 is so, when steady income dissipates he can still afford pumpkin nog with a brandy chaser. Pays to have a good agent that thinks ahead.😉

           LikeLike

135. There you go again Romus. LOL Mr Stat man.

     LikeLike

136. It looks like the Yankees are moving closer to a deal for Soto, and are a leasing contender for Yamamoto. That would be quite the off season for them. If Yamamoto goes to the Yanks, I see Ohtani to the Dodgers. I want us to get one of the Pitxhers from Japan, be it Matsui or Imanaga. It’s about time we made ourselves a particiapant. Yes, I have pretty much given up hope that we are in on Yananoto.

     LikeLike

     1. matt…..as long as Steve Cohen and the Mets do not sign Yosh Yamamoto I will be happy. I can live with him going to an AL club or even a NL-West or Central team.

        LikeLike

137. It’s no secret that I’m a big WAR proponent and for me, it’s a fast indicator of the type of season a player has had. But even then, it’s a still a starting point and you need to dig deeper.

     Like how Sonny Gray had 5.3 WAR and Wheeler had 4.3. They were both relatively healthy and threw comparable innings, but Gray’s ERA was almost a full run lower than Wheeler.

     Or why Bohm, Castellanos, Schwarber seem to be have consistently low WAR seasons. You dig deeper and you realize it’s not their offense…

     Or why Sanchez had the lowest ERA of all the starters but only 2.2 WAR. He only threw 99 innings.

     Or why Corbin Carroll had 5.4 WAR but -0.7 dWar with his speed. He has one of the weakest throwing arms in baseball and teams take the extra base on him all the time. I think Schwarber went 1st to 3rd on Carroll when he was in RF during the playoffs.

     LikeLike

     1. Also depends on who’s version of WAR you are using. Wheeler’s WAR on Fangraphs is 5.9 while Gray is 5.3.

        On baseball reference, Wheeler is 4.3 and Gray 5.3. Somehow Wheeler is significantly different between the two while Gray is exactly the same.

        All a matter of what underlying measures are included and how they are weighted.

        LikeLike

        1. I will say I personally think that Fangraphs has the better version and Baseball Reference has too much emphasis on defensive measures.

           LikeLike

           1. Not sure how Fangraphs can say that Wheeler had a better WAR than Gray when Gray had a much better ERA than Wheeler and led the league in FIP and HRs/9. Wheeler had a better WHIP though.

              LikeLike

              1. Depends on what they measure. Wheeler has a better k/rate and walk rate.

                 Wheeler is also a better defensive player 🙂

                 LikeLike

                 1. There’s no dWar for pitching. And even though we have all these pitching stats, shouldn’t ERA (and next FIP) be the most important stat for pitchers?

                    Anyways, you prefer Fangraphs WAR, I’m a BR WAR guy, that’s fine.

                    LikeLike

                 2. BR doe s have an extensive array of measurement tools that they utilize in determining pitcher’s WAR…or for that matter positional players.
                    https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained_pitch.shtml

                    LikeLike

                 3. yea. I know they don’t use defensive measure for pitchers. I was being facetious.

                    LikeLike

138. I’m not the biggest fan of Yankees prospects since it seems like they get over hyped year after year, but if SD wants to trade Soto to the Yankees, SD needs to at least get Jasson Dominguez as the centerpiece of the deal. SD doesn’t need Volpe.

     LikeLike

139. With the talk that the Brewers want to give prospect Jackson Chourio a big contract before he’s played in a ML game, a part of me is waiting to see if this contract blows up for the Brewers. According to MLB, there’s only 5 contracts that were given where the player doesn’t have any service time and you can guess which one worked out really well:

     Astros 1B Jon Singleton: Five years, $10 million (2014)
     Phillies IF Scott Kingery: Six years, $24 million (2018)
     White Sox OF Eloy Jiménez: Six years, $43 million (2019)
     Mariners 1B Evan White: Six years, $24 million (2019)
     White Sox OF Luis Robert Jr.: Six years, $50 million (2020)

     LikeLike

     1. Jackson Chourio …..ranked 16th in his signing class that year-’21…..Brewers signed him for $1.8M…Phillies signed Ricardo Perez, ranked 8th that year for $1M.
        One day the Phillies will sign a 16-year old who will develop into an emerging Latin superstar .

        LikeLike

        1. What ever happened to Ricardo Perez?

           LikeLike

           1. I assume persona non grata.

              LikeLike

           2. I Think he is in the landscape business, He cuts Romus grass in his summer home. in Puerto Rico,

              LikeLike

              1. rocco…..LOL, you haven’t lost it…. I guess you still give them a stand-up routine in L.A.

                 LikeLike

140. The Philadelphia Nationals … what would you guys give to get Soto? For 1 year… take a crack at it with Soto in LF…interesting

     For more than 1 year you’d need to clear salary space – Castellanos, Soto come to mind.

     Rojas, Abel, McGarry, and … who else for Soto? How much more painful does it got to be? I don’t think anyone ultimately really trades him for 1 year. They are going to want a deal in place.

     LikeLike

     1. One of the reasons why Soto is on the block is that he’s projected to get $33M in his final year of arbitration which would be a record.

        And you figure that Soto would want something similar to Aaron Judge’s 9/360 contract.

        There’s no doubt he’s a great player but the Phillies need to pass on that. We already have enough big contracts on our books.

        LikeLike

     2. I don’t want the guy!

        LikeLike

141. I personally feel he – Soto – was a better player when he was younger, 19-21. He is more passive as a hitter; doesn’t seem to hit with the same authority (not looking at hard hit rate et al) ; and frankly I think he dogs it as an outfielder. He won a gold glove last year??? Which was a poor joke. He appears to want to play with Trea and Harper – but I can envision Harp beating him up when he doesn’t hustle. I don’t think he is a Philly fit and for that kind of $$ I would pass. He works on the Yankees – a solid .500 team. We think of him as a second Miggy Cabrera – I would venture he gains too much weight and ends up with a shorter career ending at age 31. Pass…..

     LikeLike

     1. Agree……..you seem to nail it.
        His play in LF last season puzzled me…..apparently the struggles of the team got to him and he more or less paced himself out there.
        But when he rejected the Nats, more than generous offer two years ago…that kind of said something about him to me.

        LikeLike

        1. I don’t like him at all. He’s not even a guy I don’t like because he’s on another team he just seems like an immature jerk. He’s also a below average defensive player.

           His offensive profile however I love. He does it all hits for average and power and strangely he catches a lot of heat for walking too much.

           That type of profile at the top of our LU would play very well.

           Schwarber at LO just doesn’t work. He’s just not a good enough hitter and I don’t care that he BBs at a decent clip.

           LikeLike

142. Romus and Rocco. I have a question. Since you seem to know each other’s moves so well here on site do you know each other personally? I am hoping Denny got his dog and got to Notre Dame. Have not seen him on this week. If he drove, he would have come within a few miles of where I live.

     LikeLike

     1. Hey Don. Getting the pup next week. Scouting out hotels in the Chillicothe, Dayton & Lakeville areas to rest. It’s a 12 hour drive from eastern NC.
        Been sick this week, not much communicating.

        LikeLike

143. Hi Denny. Hope you get feeling better soon. That is a long drive. Must be a special kind of puppy. Looks like you are coming through Ohio rather than Indiana. I surely have gone or been near Lakeville back in the softball days long ago. I am sure you will be able to find some place nice to stay. I think when I went to South Alabama at Mobile it was like 12 or 13 hours from here. Good luck and I hope you get to Notre Dame as well.

     LikeLike

     1. Denny … what kind/breed of dog?
        I drove to Ohio to buy my (late) Bernese Mt Dog from a breeder back in 2005. Loved that dog.

        LikeLike

        1. Loved those types of dogs, people behind us had one, it passed and just got a similar breed of puppy.
           We are getting a Native American Indian Dog, have one already, this is her half- sister. See link about breed; https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.powwows.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2Fnative-american-indian-dog-1-scaled.jpg&tbnid=cXrfddWSJqlcNM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.powwows.com%2Fnative-american-indian-dog-origin-fun-facts-and-how-to-adopt-one%2F&docid=DnIN4dzkAkHcNM&w=1203&h=1024&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F2#vhid=cXrfddWSJqlcNM&vssid=l

           LikeLike

           1. Beautiful dog Denny….

              LikeLike

           2. Denny…great looking dog, and looks like a little bit of wolf to him or her.

              LikeLike

              1. Definitely has the wolf look to them, but don’t all dogs come from the wolf-line.

                 This breed was developed in the ’90s to resemble the wolf-look that were in the Indian Dogs; they are an Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky & German Shepherd mix.

                 LikeLike

                 1. With those genetics, that dog is gonna be a near-infinite ball of energy.

                    Be sure to give it plenty of “jobs” to do!

                    LikeLike

                 2. Great looking dog, Denny. Hope she brings you many years of happiness (and vise versa) 😁

                    LikeLike

                 3. Thank you, much appreciated.

                    LikeLike

              2. That dog looks like Big Betty. Romus remember her? She worked at Irish pub

                 LikeLike

144. 3up, Romus, Catch, and Guru,…………excellent discussion on DWAR today by you guys. 👍

     LikeLike

     1. Thanks, bro – these conversations are always fun.

        LikeLike

145. Reds look to be bolstering their BP signed both Nick Martinez and Emelio Pagan. Martinez gets 2/$26 and Pagan 2/$16

     LikeLike

146. dmar – I think the Reds are looking at Martinez to possibly be a starter.

     LikeLike

     1. Perhaps but he only made 19 starts the past 2 seasons. Last season specifically he made 9 starts out of 63 appearances.

        LikeLike

        1. Maybe they will use him as an occasional opener, like the Rays did for awhile with their relievers.
           Small market teams have to find any and all means to remain competitive.

           LikeLike

           1. LOL the Reds payroll is so minute the highest paid player before these 2 additions was Hunter Greene at $3.3 million so Martinez and Pagan immediately become the highest paid players on that team.

              LikeLike

              1. With that in mind…maybe have two leagues….a Big Market league and a Small Market league….top six from each league in the play-offs, and eventually a World Series between the two markets.

                 LikeLike

147. Today’s Athletic features an article titled “Baseball names on the rise: 12 potential future stars in management and coaching.” Two Phillies are among the 12 persons discussed: Preston Mattingly and Caleb Cotham. This is yet another example of a very well-run franchise.

     LikeLike

     1. Ani Kilambi also mentioned in HM (others receiving votes). I believe Sam Fuld would have also been listed, but I suspect he was actually one of the anonymous baseball execs who was polled. Wasn’t going to vote for himself. Just my suspicion.

        LikeLike

148. Romus got some votes too….I couldn’t help myself with that one – rocco was also thinking it…..

     LikeLike

149. Romus got some votes too ! I couldn’t help myself on that one – I said what rocco was thinking

     LikeLike

150. Alex Coffey, in the Inquirer, had an article previewing the Winter Meetings. She lists 3 possible BP arms I had not heard mentioned before. Chris Stratton, Yariel Rodriguez and Ryan Brasier. I believe there is definitley going to be a RP added, and I don’t think it will be hader. My first choice is Hicks, but what does everyone think of these possibilities?

     LikeLike

151. “Yuki Matsui, LHP, Age 28…one of the top relievers in Japan”
     Guess who his agent is. No, not Boras. How about a former Phillies’ assistant GM whom Matt Gelb tried very hard to run out of town? Bryan Minniti. Wonder how/if that will affect any Phillies pursuit of the reliever.

     LikeLike

     1. Yes…..that would be a strange dynamic if the Phillies get serious about Matsui.
        Dombrowski came in after Klentak, but not sure if Minniti and Dombrowski crossed paths in that transition.

        LikeLike

        1. PoBO Dombrowski moved Minniti and Scott Profrock from their assistant GM roles to consultants, Josh Bonifay from the director of player development (offered and turned down a scouting position, instead became Rangers director of player development), and released the minor league field director, Chris Truby, in September 2021. DD was hired on December 11, 2020.

           LikeLike

        2. Money and opportunity has a way of healing many wounds. Lest we forget, Boras was the agent for J.D. Drew and Boras was a sworn enemy of nearly all Phillies fans . . . until the Phillies started signing his clients.

           LikeLike

     2. So we have Strahm Soto and Alvarado as lefties in the pen and when I scan our division I don’t see many lefty hitters you would say are elite. Olson maybe…

        Of course if he is really good it doesn’t matter what side he throws from.

        LikeLike

152. Did Minniti and DD ever cross paths at any of DD’s prior stops?

     LikeLike

     1. They overlapped in Philadelphia. See my answer to Romus above.

        LikeLike

153. Marlins hire Gabe Kapler as Asst. GM. They are clearly buying into 100% analytics.

     LikeLike

154. Not sure my last comment was completely accurate! I just read he is Assistant GM #4, so a lot of cooks in that Marlins kitchen

     LikeLike

155. A couple of weeks ago, Arizona signed former Phillies RHP Francisco Morales.

     LikeLike

156. I am really hoping that the Phillies are going to give Marchan a legitimate shot at making the team this year. He is 25, has been a long time in the system, and is not getting any younger.

     LikeLike

     1. I don’t see JT catching any less games this season therefore Marchan is best suited in AAA playing everyday and acting as insurance.

        I love Marchan and it sux for him not to get a shot but as they say timing in life is everything and with JT signed for another 2 years who knows if that will ever come here.

        LikeLike

     2. And if I’m not mistaken he is playing in the VZ League slashing 365/467/1.043 OPS he has 10Ks to 12 BBs

        That’s to follow his numbers at LHV of 297/391/831

        LikeLike

        1. It is a shame that Marchan, along with Muzziotti and to some extent Darick Hall cannot get better opportunities.
           All probably are capable MLB players …maybe just not 4WAR or better guys.

           LikeLike

        2. Just to put winter stats into perspective, the eight teams in the VWL may have as many as 47 players on each roster. That’s over 350 players in a national league that might put maybe 50 players in the major leagues. So, players like Marchan are coming home to play against less competitive players. Marchan is one of six players on his team with a batting average over .350. Three more are over .300.

           These winter games are pretty much just to establish seeding for the league playoffs for the Caribbean Series. Most major leaguers don’t make an appearance until the playoffs are near.

           Marchan’s AAA line also bears some scrutiny. He played in just 51 games (his age 24 season) as he started the season on the injury list. Hamate injury, I think. Stubbs put up similar numbers in his last full season at AAA, 84 games, his age 25 season.

           Now, I believe that Marchan will get a fair look this spring. He and Stubbs both have an option remaining. Stubbs signed a split contract, I believe a portion of the $850K is guaranteed. So, money shouldn’t be a deciding factor coming out of ST.

           I do very much disagree with a later comment by another person that “Marchan will offer a lot more than Stubbs does”. No one can know or does know that such a statement is true.

           LikeLike

157. Realmuto started 130 games at catcher each of the past two years which means Stubbs started 32 games. Realmuto seemed to be gassed by season’s end. Bring up Marchan, start him 42 games (which is a little over 25% of the time) and drop Realmuto’s load down to 120 games. Marchan will offer a lot more than Stubbs does.

     LikeLike

     1. Yeah…but can Marchan wear the overalls like Stubby!
        https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcSxA-Vkg2oirtdTn75diOZVj-DoqJamjIT-AMO8UXEmjG5aGe3BoE8Oz4fikRaks5ycj9FrL7ARrJi61XsTSt4clCs3p9JSZFMSNUPRAWTr_UxbJ8p1CT4k5J8a0OoJmU8eNRNO8Q&usqp=CAc

        LikeLike

     2. Except Marchan doesn’t really offer more than Stubbs.

        Stubbs last full season in AAA at the age of 25 was very similar to what Marchan did last year. Stubbs also posted an .800 OPS in the majors with the Phillies in 2022 so he’s shown the ability to be productive offensively with limited opportunities. Stubbs is certainly more athletic and runs much better, making him similar to Realmuto in that regard. It also appears that the Phillies pitchers like throwing to him, he’s well-liked in the locker-room, and he’s low-cost.

        Moving to Marchan doesn’t save them any money and doesn’t make any noticeable impact with the big club.

        LikeLike

        1. Agreed. If Stubbs is well-liked in the clubhouse, switching to Marchan is not worth it. Their performance in a back-up role would likely be very similar.

           LikeLike

           1. I like Stubbs and I’m okay if he stays, but I think Marchan is quite a bit better prospect than we are giving him credit for here. His upside is a starting catcher on a good team, although, obviously, he may not achieve that upside. Stubbs is a back-up all the way (and, in the immortal words of Jerry Steinfeld – “not that there’s anything wrong with that”).

              LikeLike

              1. Don’t see Marchan as anything more than a replacement level player. He has plate discipline but almost no power; has a good throwing arm but otherwise his defense is average with mixed opinions on his handling of the staff.

                 The fact that they got Stubbs who’s a comparable player for basically nothing is an indication of what they have with Marchan.

                 LikeLike

                 1. I don’t see Marchan like that at all. I view him as an elite defensive catcher (like 2-3 WAR elite defensively – just ask Hinkie), who doesn’t need hit much to become a regular. As for his offense, he’s a late bloomer as catchers often are and there’s reason to believe that his hit tool his good enough and his power is going to develop enough for him to be more than okay at bat. Think of him, offensively, more as another Carlos Ruiz type. At age 24, Marchan had an .839 OPS in AAA – not bad at all. At age 24, Carlos Ruiz had a .684 OPS in almost the same number at bats at AA. Don’t sleep on this guy – with their payroll, this team is going to have to continue to promote low cost, capable players. Marchan fits in very well with what they will need to do in a year or two when Realmuto is off the payroll (and, no, we do not want Realmuto in the line-up as a non-catcher when his contract is done – it would be like throwing money out the window)..

                    LikeLike

158. I believe Jim has said in the past that the pitchers like to throw to Stubbs. Moreover, for what it is worth – Stubbs is clearly the team’s mascot – and as Romus points out above – his contributions to the fashion, flair, and unique characteristics to the team are enjoyed by all. That may not be a reason to keep him rostered but he also contributes.

     LikeLike

159. Stephenson, Yates and Middleton are three other righty RPs to consider. All had more Ks than innings and Yates should be better one more year removed from his surgery.

     LikeLike

     1. We all know that Middleton has the inside track, right?

        LikeLike

160. Winter meetings begins on Sunday in Nashville……trade rumors will abound along with rumors on free agent signings.
     Dave D”s three year anniversary as Phillies’ POBO/GM also coming up in a few weeks.
     And Nashville was the location where he was rumored to head a expansion franchise at one time.

     LikeLike

     1. What are some trades that DD pulled off at the winter meetings in the past?

        LikeLike

        1. Miggy and Willis from the Marlins in 2007 was one.

           LikeLike

161. I believe the Cespedes for Porcello trade was the last day of that year’s Winter Meetings, and the Sale trade, if not during the WM, was pretty close.

     LikeLike

     1. matt/Denny…do not forget the biggie…Miggy and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins.

        LikeLike

162. DD’s other trades at winter meetings or in the December timeframe:
     Acquired Sale for Bosox for Moncada + others – 2016
     Acquired Max Scherzer + others (Phil Coke – reliever) – 2009
     this was a great deal for the Tigers as they went to the playoffs for the next 3 years.

     LikeLike

     1. Because of the dearth of starting pitching in the league, maybe Taijuan Walker could draw some interest.
        Not sure he is entirely sold on coming back anyways after the play-off snubbing.

        LikeLike

        1. Walker is such a weird case. I obviously wouldn’t mind if they moved him and I still cant’ believe they would sign a player like that to a 4-year contract, big value contract.

           But, as frustrating as it was to have an $18 million a year pitcher on the first year of his contract who was not good enough to pitch one freaking inning in the playoffs (really, when you take a step back, it’s staggering), Walker actually pitched to the value of his contract last year. He has an important place as an innings eater who wins games for a good offensive team. He has value on this team – but he’s not a winning postseason type of player – in fact, he’s literally not a postseason player at all as he’s not good enough in that context to even get on the field.

           LikeLike

           1. Well there are teams out there who need starting pitching….hopefully Dave D can accommodate them if they inquire about Walker.

              LikeLike

163. I would not be opposed to that, Romus, and there are still upgrades out there other than Yamamoto. I know bringing Nola back was a big move, but I am not a big fan, and DD has not been either, of just running it back. I think new blood brings fresh energy, not to mention talent. We definitely need another BP arm, or 2, and one needs to be a high leverage RP. And, I still want a bench upgrade. If we hold a few $ on Walker’s contract, I think there would be interest in him.

     LikeLike

164. matt……..yes new blood can bring fresh energy.
     Phillies are probably aware that to move Walker they may have to pony up 20/30% of the remaining contract, and there are contenders out there who need pitching like the Padres for one, and also the Dodgers.
     Red Sox are also looking to bolster their rotation.

     Now saw where the Met s are going heavy on Yamamoto….which is the last team I want to see him go to. Hopefully he goes AL.

     LikeLike

165. Romus my cable is out. Can y fix it?

     LikeLike

     1. Help Romus if it isn’t fixed, I will have to talk to my wife. I can’t do that

        LikeLike

        1. rocco….LOL.
           I do feel bad for your wife.
           Why not head over to LIVE in south Philly…plenty of action there.

           LikeLike

166. This move by the Brewers to sign a 19 year old AA prospect to an 8 year $82 million deal is beyond stupid. Completely illogical.

     https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39033613/sources-brewers-jackson-chourio-agree-8-year-82m-deal

     LikeLike

     1. Very odd……and they signed him for $1.8M in Jan 2021 as a international signing. Turns 20 in the spring. He moved thru their system in lightning fashion.
        Basically they bought all six years of controlled and tacked o the added two….free agent at 28 years old—but club options for both ’32 and ’33.
        I guess they think he is the real deal and the next Acuna Jr…if he does…Brewers got a good deal out of it.

        LikeLike

167. 82 million for a double a prospect. WOW

     LikeLike

     1. You know, sometimes I think $$$ is no object. If so, spend baby spend!

        LikeLike

168. I’m closing this article to comments. The new article is –

     War, huh. What is it good for?

     LikeLike

Comments are closed.