199 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion, 4/29/24”

1. ‘June 1, 2024: XX(B) Minor League player may require release if not added to Active Roster’…….so assume LHV guys like a David Dahl, and whomever else…..who are on minor league contracts. will try to hook on with another team if they so desire..

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   1. Also on May 1st. Keep an on Jordan Luplow (.383/.422/.654/1.076, 5 HR), too.

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      1. Ok…I missed the May 1st date also.

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      2. Pache a certainty to stick on the roster?

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2. Cristopher Sanchez wasn’t sharp but he battled, and Kerkering and Dominguez just totally blew it.

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   1. Guru, I worry that perhaps you are being unfair and not giving Seranthony all the credit he is due from last night’s game.

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   2. The Phillies keep repeating the same mistake with Kerkering. All he does is throw the sweeper. He’s not Mariano Rivera. He needs to throw his 98 MPH fastball, which is a weapon in and of itself. I really don’t like how they are handling him.

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      1. They did the same last play-offs with him…..they must have some logical reason for having him overuse that specific pitch. The results have not be effective.

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         1. ‘been’ effective vs ve effective

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         2. Yeah, I’m sure there’s a reason for it (I’m sure they just think it’s a great pitch – and it is – but that’s beside the point), I just think they’re wrong about that. I was sure they would move off of that approach after it backfired last fall and he threw an assortment of pitches this year in the minors. Then he was promoted and we have the same old failed strategy. It’s not like he has no other pitch options. Don’t get it at all.

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            1. If I am an MLB hitter and I can reduce you to just 1 pitch in your arsenal I can probably have some success against you even if it is a great pitch.

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      2. I am really confused by the Kerkering bashing today. He came on with 2 on and no outs. He allowed one hit which was against his 98 mph fastball. He got two outs with his sweeper.

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         1. I’m not bashing him. I don’t even think he had a horrible outing. I am just not a big fan of him throwing his sweeper 80 percent of the time. It’s going to catch up with him and them (just as it did last year) and, I don’t think it’s good for his development.

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            1. But, in terms of problems, yeah, Seranthony is a big problem right now, not Orion. I wouldn’t be putting Seranthony in situations where the game is on the line until he can figure things out.

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            2. His fastball is a negative runs above average outcome. Hi slider has a massively positive runs above average value. Right now he is not able to get people out consistently with his fastball.

               https://www.fangraphs.com/players/richard-kerkering/31776/stats?position=P#pitch-values

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               1. Still you need to show the fastball more than what he has been asked to do so far…everyting revolves the fastball. Maybe have the FB location in the upper third quadrants…at least for show. Hitters have a difficult time with upper 90s up in the zone located pitches.

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               2. That’s exactly right, Romus.

                  You still need to show the fastball. And, also, how is he going to get better with that pitch if he never uses it?

                  My view is that, if they think he’s a one pitch pitcher, he should be back in the minor leagues developing a second pitch. He’s not Mariano Rivera or Phil Neikro – he needs more than one pitch.

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   3. I didn’t watch the end of the game. But the box score doesn’t show Kerkering giving up a run. What am I missing?

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      1. Kerkering came in with 2 inherited runners and no outs. He proceeded to give up a 2 strike bunt, RBI groundout, RBI single.

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         1. You are upset that he “gave up” a 2 strike bunt and a ground out?

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            1. I wasn’t happy about the 2 strike bunt, and O’Hoppe did a nice job making contact on a nasty pitch. I was upset about the single he gave to Cole Tucker, a career .586 OPS (-2.1 WAR) in the majors.

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               1. imo expecting a RP to not give up any hits in an inning is an unfair expectation. The probability of giving up a run with a runner on 2nd and no outs is 64%. A 2-strike bunt is extremely rare to even attempt. It’s unfortunate that it happened, but it doesn’t seem like Kerkering blew it. Seranthony on the other hand is a mess.

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3. With Kerkering – the really unfortunate thing is that Rengifo – in my opinion the best hitter in that lineup – laid down a perfect bunt after fouling off two other bunt attempts. The likelihood that he was going to lay down a perfect bunt was minimal at best – the announcers were astounded that he even attempted it. That sac bunt is what sunk the Phils – next because of the single scoring 2 runners. Angels were extremely aggressive during the whole game – the bunt was just typical of their “all or nothing approach.” 

   But to lose the game on a wild pitch – SerA is just a mess.

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   1. SerA is that…….no way JTR, Stubbs or any catcher could catch that pitch…..try to blocking it maybe, but the spin on it would have had that ball sail off down the first base side of the back stop

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4. So tonight we have a LHP on the mound in Anderson….so Stott and Marsh sit in favor of Sosa and Pache I assume….also tomorrow night with LHP Sandoval pitching.

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   1. I wonder, if the starting pitcher has an early exit, do Stott and Marsh remain on the bench?

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5. Oh, God, I hope not. Stott and Marsh should be playing every day unless they need a break…which I don’t think they do while still in April. That said, I’m betting the manager keeps doing what he’s been doing.

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   1. Marsh can’t hit lefties. In 320 career plate appearances against them, he has a .583 OPS. This year he has struck out in 12 of his 24 plate appearances against lefties. He’s a great hitter against righties, and fortunately that’s 70+% of pitchers.

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      1. Stott, on the other hand, has a HIGHER career OPS against lefties — it’s .730 in 301 career plate appearances — than he does against righties. There’s no reason to sit him versus lefties.

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         1. Agree,,,,,,why sit Stott!,,,,but the manager seems pretty set in his ways…….now if he starts Marsh he wil start Stott…..seems when one sits the other sits also….in tandem.

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      2. I’m not bashing Marsh or even disappointed in him in any way but the following point is more to call into question this FO and the move to trade Logan O’Hoppe for him.

         At the time DD thought he was getting an everyday CF but as it turns out he’s not really an everyday CF.

         And now they are basically telling us he’s not really an everyday player if you feel the need to sit him against lefties.

         Personally and I’ve been saying this over a year he would rarely if ever come out of my LU. I’d play him everyday. if we’re talking about a 29/30 y/o player ok maybe you make that determination that he is going to be a platoon player for the rest of his career.

         I think a lot fans don’t truly appreciate what we gave up in terms of O’Hoppe. He’s just 24.

         At the time we traded for Marsh he was hitting .226/284/637 OPS with an astounding K rate of 36%. Today he stills Ks at a 32% clip.

         O’Hoppe was just 22 and in the minors. Ok yeah we know JT wasn’t getting moved but maybe he should have.

         Either the FO and the manager aren’t on the same page or one of them is borderline incompetent. 

         IMO LOL

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         1. DMAR……Marsh does bring Capt Jack Sparrow swagger to the team!

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            1. I think he’d look better with firecrackers braided in his hair like ‘blackbeard”……just a personal trademark ….. don’t throw me overboard matey!

               Which brings me to what happened to your 2nd Mate, Rocco and the guy in the “crows nest”, Denny? Hope they didn’t get some bad grog or wash out with the tide!

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               1. Skeet…yes I thought about that also…rocco is MIA…..and also Denny.

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         2. DMAR I am so very glad you started your comment the way you did – that you are not only NOT a Marsh hater but not disappointed in him.  I agree – thinking of who on this team I would want up to bat in a key situation Marsh may not be at the top of the list but he is near it. And obviously the Phils would likely not have had nearly the success they have had to date not only with wins, but with pitcher development, without Realmuto. It’s OK that some times trades benefit both team, isn’t it? Sure, the trade where the Phils got Realmuto wasn’t really one of them, but I don’t mind having lost Travis Arnaud(and Kyle Drybek and Michael Taylor) to get Doc Halladay. 

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         3. I would love to know how your.. P.8 …… really truly works.

            Is it a collaboration?

            Is it, I got you this guy….you play him!

            Is it, I really don’t think he’s an everyday player so just use him in matchups.

            listen, I got you these guys, some of whom you ask for, play them however you wish, but remember this, it’s your “dearie aire”!

            ….um Rob, John and I were talking the other day and you know we put an awful lot of money into ….. (pick your man) and we would like you to keep trotting him out there……. I know he can’t hit air right now, but play him anyway.

            ……add your own thoughts, ….would love to be an inconspicuous observer.

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            1. I too wonder this type of thing all the time Ruff

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6. I read an article on the Atlantic on Brandon marsh coming home again to Anaheim and I think topper said he will be in the lineup tonight and sit tomorrow; not sure about Bryson, but hopefully the same thing

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7. When the Phillies signed Merrifield, you had to believe that Marsh and Stott were going to have to give up at bats. They aren’t going to pay a guy $8 mill and not play him. 

   They are playing Castellanos every day because they are paying him $20 mill and hoping/praying that he’ll come around….eventually. But his at bats are sooo bad!

   Schwarber is probably destined to another sub .200 season but he is also making $20 mill. At least he is a home run threat. Can’t say that about the other two as of right now.

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   1. Despite how ugly it has been a veteran with a sizable track record will get a longer leash especially as you said one making $20 mil and at just 32 he is still in amazing shape.

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8. This just in for those who wish Trout would agree to come home again – reports that he has an injured knee requiring surgery but will not be gone all season. That poor guy can’t get a break…

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   1. Mike Trout is a future HOFer but he hasn’t come close to a full season since 2019. He has A LOT of mileage on that body. And he’s still owed 6/222 (not a typo). It’s just not going to end well for the Angels.

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9. There are just some things about a player’s career you can’t predict. Who would think that Ken Griffey, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols would slip so quickly in their 30s, while David Ortiz would play extremely well until he was 40. It’s so random. That said, things are looking positive so far for Bryce Harper – it looks like he will age much better than Trout, but we’ll see!

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   1. Both Griffey Jr. and Trout broke into the league at age 19 playing a physically demanding CF. So when they hit age 30, they both had a lot more mileage on their bodies than the average player.

      Albert Pujols won ROY at age 21 and even though he played a less physical 1B, he didn’t really get an opportunity to get more DH starts until he joined the Angels at age 32.

      David Ortiz got more playing time at age 24 and he’s been a DH most of his career. That likely saved his body.

      So what does this all mean? That playing a position is taxing on the body, and it will catch up to the player sooner rather than later. There’s always exceptions like Derek Jeter or Ichiro Suzuki, but for the most part, expect a decline starting at around age 33-35. Then it really gets ugly at age 36+.

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      1. ha pujols was actually probably like 24 tho

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      2. Actually, I don’t generally agree with the statement that Griffey and Trout broke down earlier because they played centerfield. Bill James studied this issue many years ago and concluded that players who started on the highest end of the defensive spectrum (centerfielders and shortstops among those positions but, of course, not catcher), actually had longer careers by far. And this makes sense because those who are higher on the defensive spectrum tend to have greater athletic ability. Lumbering sluggers are usually out of the league by their very early 30s.

         But these are just trends, sometimes a guy who you think should have a long career just declines more quickly or becomes injury prone and sometimes a big, heavy dude seemingly plays forever. That said, I agree that much heavier guys, even those who are muscular and not fat, often tend to wear down more quickly due to the added weight. This is one of the reasons why I think Bryce is in a good place – he’s a large and very strong guy, but he’s not overly heavy and is still lean and not too bulky, all of which is good. 

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         1. You can have longer careers, but it’s more about how long you can play at a starter level. For me, I would rather have a guy completely break down at age 36 so that I have no choice but to play his replacement or find somebody else. I don’t want a guy hanging around in his late 30s giving out less than 1 WAR annually.

            For Griffey Jr:

            age 36: -0.1 WAR

            age 37: 0.7

            age 38: 0.4

            age 39: 0.6

            age 40: -0.8

            Sure Griffey Jr played into his 40s, but you wouldn’t want him on your team by age 36.

            And that’s the worry with Bryce and Trea’s contract.

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            1. Well, yeah, it’s a huge concern. The Harper contract was completely understandable at the time and you figured that, with his pedigree, Harper was likely to be pretty good or great for the first 10 years, with the last three being largely unknown. The Turner contract was/is a much bigger risk. There could be as many as 3 to 5 effectively dead years on that contract (where the player is effectively generating little or no WAR). It bears repeating that DD, as good as he is, gave baseball perhaps the worst long term contract in its history with the Cabrera deal – $240 million for 2.8 WAR – not a typo – 2.8 WAR! And if you had to point to what DD has done mostly poorly at in his reign as Phillies’ President, its probably negotiate long-term contracts. On the whole, it’s hard to give him much better than C in that area – and it might be worse. That’s not where he shines most.

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10. Trout needs to shed about 20/25 lbs….as Joe Torre did and once promoted…after 30-years old, the bigger weighing muscular star players should take the excess weight off and thus extend their careers at a peak performance level.

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11. Was watching Quick Pitch this morning on the MLB Network and low and behold our old pal Jon Singleton popped a mammoth HR for Houston.

    I’m trying to think of the oldest prospect from Phuture Phillies still playing.

    Jon now 32 has a little over 1 year of service time and is arb eligible in 26 LOL. Once upon a time it was thought he had a chance to be the heir apparent to Ryan Howard.

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    1. He got lost in the ‘weeds’.

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       1. LMFAO. He sure did. And he always had power and could hit the ball over the 420 sign.

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    2. Once upon a time people on this site were rendering their clothes and sobbing profusely at his loss in the Hunter Pence trade.

       between trading him and Adrian Cardenas (yes, who!!) the doom that was going to befall the team was biblical.

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       1. I was a big Jason Knapp guy. I still understood getting Cliff Lee was huge but I thought Knapp was gonna bite us

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          1. Unfortunately for Knapp, injuries ended whatever chance he was going to have. 

             D’arnaud is probably the 1 prospect they traded back then that went on to have a successful career. I will still take Halladay 🙂

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             1. Carrasco, Michael Bourn(made an all star game), and JA Happ all had success after being dealt during those years.

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                1. Forgot about Carrasco.

                   Bourn actually had more success than I remembered post Phillies and Happ had some random successful seasons but I look at Bourn/Happ a bit differently because both made their ML debut with the big club before being dealt so they weren’t necessarily prospects from the system.

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                2. I was upset about losing Lou Marson….he was going to be the next Johnny Bench in my book…and then to top it off, devastated by giving up Jason Donald in the same trade. I guess the Tribe mishandled their development into the major leagues.

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                3. Or maybe (and more likely), Marson and Donald were never all that good.

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                4. @Catch, 100% correct. At the time of the trade, my buddy (the Blue Jays fan) was adamant that Marson and Donald were closer to being lotto tickets than elite prospects.

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12. The Phillies were in “win now” mode when they made the trade for Brandon Marsh in Aug 2022. There’s no way that the Phillies were going to trade JT at that point in time so all that talk is moot. Not only that, JT was year 2 into a 5/115.5 contract.

    And JT ended up delivering 3.6 WAR for the Phillies in 2023. Logan O’Hoppe gave 0.6 WAR for the Angels. You could argue that the Phillies don’t make the playoffs last year with Logan O’Hoppe.

    If the Phillies weren’t in “win now” mode, then you trade JT when O’Hoppe is ready. But the Phillies are looking to get wins, and that made O’Hoppe expendable.

    In time, could this trade look bad? Of course, nobody knows what will happen. But in Aug 2022, it wasn’t an egregious overpay and I’m good with that. If O’Hoppe becomes an all star for the Angels, good for him.

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13. Marsh has been well worth the trade for LOH; he has had multiple major moments in 2 postseasons, not just in the regular season.

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14. JIM:…….. are you kicking butt yet?

    Respond:

    No butts of any size………………….. NBS

    1/2 butt.,…………………………………… .5B

    Reg. Size butts, no big mama! ….. RSB

    XL Butts, no XXX stuff……………….. XLB

    Taking on all butts, size no matter TAB

    (friendly keying convention)

    Hope you are doing well!😄

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15. Looking through the minor league stats on steve porters site….wonder if they found something in Carson Taylor. 24 year old 2b in AA so hes somewhat old for the league but its also not unheard of. Minor league rule 5 picks. Among the league leaders in many categories. He was once a 4th rd draft pick. Could be the classic case of an older hitter having success at Reading which weve seen so many times over the years, but maybe worth keeping an eye on just in case.

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    1. That is the unique , but enviable problem when a team has a loaded farm system….like the Dodgers……you will lose people eventually in the Rule 5. Ten years ago the Rangers had a top system and had to expose Doobie…and Rueben pounced on him. For awhile looked like a real win…but the shine and luster eventaully faded.

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       1. His off the field issues aside, Odubel Herrera was a spectacular rule 5 pick, second to Shane Victorino in recent memory. Shane gave the Phillies 8 years and 24 WAR. Odubel gave 7 years, 13.4 WAR. Odubel has similar WAR to Castellanos and Schwarber if you can believe that, and Odubel’s last game was in 2022.

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          1. Yeah…his first three years he was an excellent pick-up….even with the occasional bone headed play on the field. but whena player has three years of quality MLB experience entering his mid-20s, you would expect a continual ascension in production…just did not materialize. So for those three years he gave the Phillies quality offensive production.

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16. Nice to see Johan Rojas get the big hit last night. Hopefully it helps his confidence and he builds on it in a positive way.

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    1. not in the lineup today…seems weird. Let him build on that. Off day tomorrow too.

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17. Oh boy… Kyle Schwarber is starting in LF today. Turner to DH…

    Let’s hope Wheeler pitches well

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18. Come on!! Did the Phillies really strike out 18 times today?? Watched the game on MLB. Not a pretty sight. I’ll take a win any day but this was hard to view. 

    Nicky C after getting 3 hits including a HR last night, gets the golden sombrero today. He just flails away.

    Wheeler labored all day but gutted out 5 innings. And was Soto closing because Hoffman was unavailable? 

    To see the game end with Schwarber with his back to the wall for the final out – yowzer!!

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    1. They raised the “bar” for sure! 6 innings of swing n miss baseball, but ugly as it was, better to be on W side of it.

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    2. Leaving Schwarber in LF in a one run game in the ninth inning was egregious management

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       1. This is true. I love Topper and, look, the team is killing it. But he’s done some weird stuff this month. How do you have Schwarber in left in the bottom of the 9th? Not worth the risk, even if his place was coming up in the line-up, IMO.

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    3. to expect a team; it’s players and managers to be perfect for 162

       games plus playoffs is ludicrous. Let Topper mix and match for a while; they’re winning!! And preserving arms etc for playoffs. He will button things up as season progresses.

       I truly wonder if people actually watch Casty’s at bats. Numbers aren’t there but he’s putting up better at bats. Does he “flail” away sometimes? Yes, but again, he’s not perfect. He’s having some bad luck too. I’ve seen some hard hit balls barely foul etc. that stuff doesn’t show up in box score. You’d fit in perfectly in the Br team stream app – Phillies community.

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       1. agree his at-bats are getting better. Still not producing much hard contact but he appears to be seeing the ball better.

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19. MLB.com….Hottest Hitting Prospects -April

    Phillies: Gabriel Rincones Jr . (No. 10)…Phillies Top Prospects…The Official Site of MLB…..After hitting well in the AFL in 2023, the hope was Rinconces would put up some serious numbers while calling hitting-friendly Reading home. He’s done just that, with a .300/.417/.600 line over his first 13 games. He’s third in the Double-A Eastern League with his 1.017 OPS and has enjoyed home cooking for sure, with a 1.222 OPS in five games in Reading.

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20. SportsGrid chooses Ranger Suarez.

    https://www.sportsgrid.com/mlb/article/national-league-pitchers-of-the-month-april-2024

    Gold Medal Pitcher of the Month: Ranger Suárez, PHI…March/April stats: 5-0 (6 GS), 1.32 ERA, 41.0 IP, 40 K, 5 BB, 1.3 fWAR

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21. The Phillies are basically 20% through the seasons (32 games). Schwarber is on pace for 120 runs, 40 homers, 95 rbi, 105 bb and 240 ks. Bohm is on pace for 210 hits, 60 doubles and 150 rbi. Turner is on pace for 130 runs, 225 hits and 50 doubles. Ranger is on pace for 25 wins and 200 ks.

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    1. Which is why we don’t take “paces” too seriously when they are seriously at odds with historical performances. That said, Schwarber’s pace is what he is now – which is one of the weirdest players in MLB history. Bohm is likely to have his breakout year and Turner seems to be returning to the player we hoped we were getting. And Ranger . . . is magnificent.

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22. Gelb has a profile of Klassen up at the Athletic. One comment that struck me is that, since he’s relatively new to pitching, is that his baseball age is a lot younger. Part of that, I imagine, is that he doesn’t have a lot of mileage on his arm, which could be important.

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    1. Yep…in only 97 innings in his three years during college….otoh, look at Pirates Paul Skenes…in his three year college career pitched over 240 innings. Though Klassen does not have a lot of innings….the wear and tear is also not a factor to him.

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       1. except he already had TJ surgery so he’s has some issues.

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    2. Good article. Thanks for noting it here. Very exciting prospect. Also really interesting quote from Mattingly,

       “As you’ve seen now, the last couple of years, we have a type. Right?” Mattingly said. “It’s big stuff. And the command’s not always there. But if you hit on these guys, they can end up being impact guys.”

       This is the opposite strategy that Almaraz had, who prioritized command over stuff.

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       1. 100 percent right. Instead of using a 6th round pick for plodding slugger or a middle infielder who will never sniff CBP, they are taking one big arm after another. I just love that. That’s the beauty of the long MLB draft – you can take chances and not worry about it too much if they don’t pan out.

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23. In the mild concern category, this has not been a good start to the season for Mick Abel. What’s most concerning is that a guy who, throughout his career, sat 96-98 is now sitting 93-94, and rarely touching higher. In other words, what was not a plus fastball is now a fringy average fastball. That is a massive difference. I’m not sure what that’s about, but it’s not good and I hope it’s a cold weather/early season thing, but if it’s permanent, yeah, he’s not your #2 prospect – that’s for sure.

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    1. You never know….could have some stuctural issues starting to creep up in the arm.

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    2. Catch…..seems to me that our pitchers with the “big hype” like Spencer turn out not to be … and the unheralded like Ranger turn out to be the real deal. Hamels of course is an exception.

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       1. Ruff – very true, especially with pitchers. I mean, Jacob deGrom was a 9th round pick and converted shortstop and he goes on to be one of the more dominant pitchers we’ve ever seen.

          The problem with pitchers is, of course, injuries, but also sudden losses in velocity that cannot be predicted and which often cannot be reversed. I mean, can and will Abel sit in the mid to upper 90s again? Maybe, I would think even probably, but who the heck knows?

          I like that the Phillies are working hard on developing pitchers and not throwers. It looks like the next big guy could be Adegheri. From what I can see, he’s a real pitcher. And the current Phillies rotation is a masterclass in pitching – Turnbull included. Those guys don’t need to shatter glass to get guys out, although some of them throw pretty hard. 

          That said, velocity is still important and you don’t want to develop guys in way where they lose significant velocity. For a young pitcher like Abel, velocity matters a lot. But maybe he fades out and the real next star in the rotation (aside from Painter – if he’s anything close to what he was, when he returns, he’ll quickly be one of the better young pitchers in baseball, with a virtually limitless ceiling), could be George Klassen. 

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          1. With starting pitchers, you just never know if they will pan out. At best, you draft/sign the pitcher with the most tools and hope for the best. The Phillies have had their share of early hits (Hamels, Nola) and misses (Jesse Biddle, Spencer Howard, Joe Savery) like any other team.

             Abel losing that much velocity is a huge red flag. There’s more margin of error throwing 95-97 than 92-94. That said, I think the Phillies will give him this year and next to be a viable starter.

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             1. someone brought up a good point in another forum – the ABS. Is that where his struggles are?

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                1. What is ABS?

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                2. automated balls and strikes system I think.

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24. Seranthony has been awful this season and he has a $8M club option for next season when he’s 30. I’m still predicting that the Phillies will pick it up though.

    Jeff Hoffman is making himself some money entering FA next season at age 32. He’ll probably get more chances to close out games so if he continues to perform well, he might get closer money. He might get Raisel Iglesias money: 4/58. Not sure if the Phillies want to give him that.

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    1. I do think the Phillies can get Hoffman resigned for a little less (maybe 2 or 3M AAV less)….Iglesias already was a star closer with over 125 saves under his belt when he signed that large contract. Then again…knowing how generous Middleton is with his players, he may authorize Dombrowski/Fuld to go higher and just as long.

       As for Seranthony…….if this continues all season, then invoke the club option and then sign him in free agency for less. I think, but not sure, the new CBA allows that maneuverability without any restrictions.

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25. This is why I want Santucci or Schmidt as the Phils first rounder. Need more starters in the pipeline.

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    1. If they are there in the mid-20s that could be the possibilty…though with Dombrowski and Fuld they seem to prefer HS players. The kid (LHP) from Mt Lebanon PA , Shields , could also intrigue them.

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26. PNWPhan/Catch – I believe Schwarber was still in the game bottom of the ninth is because if the Angels tied the game, he would’ve led off the top of the tenth with the free runner on second.

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    1. Well, that’s a plausible reason, but I think I still would have taken him from the field. Am I right that you can’t switch a position player to DH? I know they changed the rule for Ohtani, but is that just for pitchers? I might have done that if it was legal.

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       1. I believe your assumption is correct, you can’t do that or you lose the DH.

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27. Troll – Castellanos has hit some hard fouls when he’s hit the ball. K-ing 4 times yesterday were strikeouts no matter what. He continues to chase that outside pitch. His HR the night before was to right field. 

    If you go back and watch on YouTube his +40 home run highlight film, he hit the majority of those balls to the right side of the field. That’s when he is at his best. He hasn’t been doing that this season.

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28. Can someone tell me why Hoffman didn’t come in to close out yesterday afternoon’s game.

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    1. He did close the night prior on April 30….maybe working two days in a row is not what the manager wants for his relievers.

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    2. he had thrown in 3 of the last 4 games. Thomson won’t use a guy 4 in 5.

       it’s a long season

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29. Getting real sick of the Phillies playing games with the fans on viewing games. AppleTV tonight and maybe on Sunday as well.

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    1. In March 2022, Apple signed a 7/595 deal for Friday Night baseball with MLB. It’s highly unlikely that the Phillies requested their games to be on AppleTV.

       MLB has another deal with ESPN for Sunday Night baseball. Again, I doubt the Phillies are asking to be on Sunday Night baseball.

       And this all about money. NFL has a deal with Amazon for Thursday night games so these type of deals are not limited to MLB.

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       1. Well at least I’m good on Sunday Nite!👍

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    2. I can deal with AppleTV just so long as they don’t have Buck Martinez as a guest announcer 🙂

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       1. I really don’t know how Blue Jays fans deal with Buck Martinez. He’s old school, his voice makes you want to use ear plugs, and he’s a mega homer.

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          1. Literally the worst and most annoying old man voice since that old “Pepperidge Farms remembers” guy from the commercials in the 80s and it’s not like his commentary is any better. 

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             1. Bob Costas’ resonation has begun grating on me.

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                1. For me, the issue with Costas is the arrogance. As if Bob is the final arbiter on all things baseball. Bob is very impressed with himself.

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30. Matt Winkelman with his end-of-April evaluation:

    https://philliesminorthoughts.com/phillies-minor-league-monthly-retrospective-april-2024/

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    1. Winkleman gave his opinion either on Twitter or on his site that he still has concerns about the Phillies’ ability to develop bats. The org philosophy used to be “grow the arms and buy the bats,” and maybe that’s still the philosophy. They’re certainly developing their fair share of intriguing arms from lower round picks or international signings (like Suarez, Sanchez, Kerkering, Klassen, Aldegheri, etc.). But what gives with not being able to develop above-average position players? Maybe Bohm and Stott are success stories, though Stott hasn’t started 2024 like he did 2023 and Bohm may finally achieve his first season of any real value in his fifth year. Other than those guys (who were first round picks), it has been an absolute eternity since we’ve developed an above average bat. It seems like this should happen a little bit almost by accident, but it just doesn’t for us. What gives? Hope Aidan Miller is the exception to this trend.

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       1. You forgot Hoskins,,,as a 5th round pick, he out performed his draft selection slot…I’d labeled him an ‘above average bat’ …another 5th round Matt Vierling now with the Tigers still has a chance to be average or a tick above.

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       2. Overall, yeah, they have not been good at finding or developing bats. Right now, it’s hard to know if the problem is more on the talent acquisition side or development side. This team literally has not had ONE star latino hitter since Juan Samuel in the early 80s. How is that even possible? Even if you have no idea what you’re doing, blind luck should yield better results than that.

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          1. Catch — That’s what’s incomprehensible. They didn’t even luck into anyone!

             Romus – You’re right, I thought about including Hoskins. They did develop a decent hitter with him. One example out of a dozen+ years still is maddening.

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31. https://x.com/PhilsPlayerDev/status/1786412840489787546

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32. Former Phil James McArhtur is the Royals’ closer?? I had no idea. Good for him but a huge miss by our minor league coaches in not developing him fully here.

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    1. you’re kidding, right? He was terrible for years in the minors and now that he’s being used in the closer role by KC that makes him good?

       he’s off to a decent start but his underlying numbers don’t say dominant closer. That doesn’t say to me a developmental failure but rather small sample size.

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    2. Looks like KC pitching coaches got him to junk the 4Smr and change-up and throw the 2Smr sinker, slider and cut FB as a reliever now……and velo on the FBs=sinker and cutter is 94-96. Maybe that is what it took to get him to reach his potential.

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    3. Give me a break. James McArthur is 27. The Phillies tried to develop him and his numbers went downhill at AA at age 25. All the blame goes to the player, the Phillies gave him years to develop.

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33. Don’t look now but the Phillies lead the majors in wins with 21.

    And only the Braves have less losses with 9.

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    1. Romus. I just had Extra Innings preview and wondered if the Phillies 22 wins were the most. Saw Guardians only have 20. Think they had the most last week.

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34. Anything wrong with Nola that he only went 4 innings?

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    1. He was super wild and the Giants elevated his pitch count by taking walks and fouling off balls. I think he threw 46 pitches in the second inning which was crazy. It’s a miracle he made it through 4 innings.

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       1. TKS, Guru.

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35. Ruiz called up

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    1. Put me down again for hating that Miller for Marte trade.

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36. Keep an eye on Klassen’s early exit last night in the 5th. Assume Phillies will be cautious and put him on the 7 day IL to start.

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    1. he walked off with the trainer after two straight walks,pointing to his right shoulder

       https://x.com/Mitch_Rupert/status/1786569675200979040

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       1. Hope it is nothing serious and just needs some rest….shoulder concerns have to be monitored very closely.

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          1. One thing I like about the organization is that they don’t mess with the health of their players. Klassen is going to get shut down. I suspect he’ll miss at least 2 weeks to start. This pretty much puts to end any thought of an early promotion to JS.

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             1. Yeah that will probably be the protocol. Also assume imaging will be done to see if there is anything going on in there. Hope for the best for the guy.

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37. yeah Matt W was all over on Twitter last night; without Apple + I was on Twitter most of the night

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38. Great article on Miller

    https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-prospect-aidan-miller-progress-20240425.html

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39. Didn’t realize that the FCL started today. Always good to have another box score to look at! Caba, Tait and Rickardo Perez all in the line-up.

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    1. I hope Perez does well…his bat has been plus in the past. Though looks like he will be changing positions in the field…catching may be out of the picture now.

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40. The Marlins got proactive and traded Luis Arraez to the Padres. It was a right move for the Marlins since they knew that this year was lost, but I’m wondering whether or not the Marlins would have been better waiting and hoping for a bidding war when the trade deadline got closer.

    Either way, yet another punch to the gut for any Marlins fan.

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    1. If the Fish are looking to be sellers early …maybe Phillies hsould look into moving T Walker and 1/2 of his salary cap-hit to the Fish for Trevor Rogers, whose last three years have been nondeciprt since 2021, but maybe the Phillies can unlock something there. Of course Fish will also want a prospect to go along with Walker…maybe Marchan or even MLBer Pache.

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       1. The Marlins traded Arraez for 4 prospects/lotto tickets. Pache is not a prospect anymore and although people here don’t want to hear it, Marchan isn’t a prospect either (and he’s injured anyways).

          If I’m in the Marlins GM, I’m looking for prospects, not somebody who can give me wins like Taijuan Walker. Trevor Rogers is fast approaching change of scenery status, but he’s still under control for 2 more years and he’s still only 26. I would try to get Aldegheri and a lotto ticket (perhaps Hettiger) for Trevor Rogers.

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          1. Makes sense on Marchan…..though I see their new PoBO Kanthan and good ole Gabe Kapler, now their Asst GM, taking a half-priced Walker for two months and moving him onto a contender at the trade dealine for prospects. And yes I can see them asking for an Aldegheri or a Mavis Graves, but that would be a hard sell IMO. Before that I would have them consider other prospects at the hi or low A level.

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       2. I like the way you think! Don’t get a big head, but your not just a pretty face, by the way will Rocco resurface after the derby or do you think we will have to wait til after the Belmont and Preakness.

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          1. LOL…..as for rocco……he is big into the horses, no sense bothering him. He will probably make his trek up to Saratoga NY next month.

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41. Good news and bad news today.

    The good news is that the Phillies don’t think Klassen’s injury is serious.

    The bad news is that Trea Turner’s hamstring injury is a lot more serious than anybody thought. He’s projected to be out 6 weeks, and the expectation is that Sosa will get the bulk of the starts at SS. Kody Clemens will be called up to take Trea’s place on the active roster. My most serious injury in my life was a hamstring injury in my 20s, and it easily took me a month to recover. It was rough, walking was difficult.

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42. I just saw Jason Werth in the walkover at the Derby. They talked to him for a minute or so as he walked over.

    That is bad on Trea. I saw that on the scroller. I see Phillies are in a rain delay at moment.

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43. Romus. I am just seeing on CBS that Kopech and Mason Miller are both being listed as possible early season trade possibilities.

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    1. Don…you can bet Dombrowski will be in the running for one of them if and when they are put out there by the WSox and As. WSox’ Kopech will probably cost an arm and leg….Miller maybe just a leg.

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       1. Kopech isn’t a FA until 2026, for Miller it’s 2030!

          Both these guys are going to cost significant prospects, at least 1 in the top 100.

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44. I saw on MLB that Miller was the AL relief pitcher of the month. Think it was 1.35 ERA and 8 Saves. He is good. I have not seen Kopech.

    Good start tonight for Phils. Could have maybe had more. NC was safe on double play. Flores was off the base.

    Looks wet and cold in Philly. It has been in the 80s last few days here. Raining pretty hard now. Will they get game in tonight?

    How did Trea get hurt. In the field or running bases. I do not have Apple tv but I get so many games I am not complaining. $160 for lots of baseball games.

    BTW I heard today that WNBA has a 93% attendance increase over last season. Shows you the Power of One. Indy is on a high right now with Pacers and Fever.

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    1. Trea Turner aggravated his hamstring, according to the news, while he was sprinting around the bases to score on the passed ball. I also did not see it.

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45. I think Sosa needs to work a little bit on his footwork down there at 2nd while Turner is recuperating. Not all the ump’s will be that accommodating.

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46. Turns out all it takes to get Castellanos on the bench is to be winning by 11 in the 7th inning.

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    1. Right, ………..like little league …………you have to get everyone in the game, you don’t want some parent to say, ”how come Johnny didn’t have to play in the rain”.

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47. Phillies have most wins in baseball. Many on here were all worked up when we were 8-8. Now silence when we have the best record?

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    1. Don’t worry. They will have a 2 game losing streak soon enough and the comments will pick back up.

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    2. The things is, when you’re pitching, especially starting pitching, is really, really good, even when you don’t hit much, you can roughly play .500 ball and when you do hit, you can rack up the wins really quickly. I don’t think they Phillies are going to play .680 or so ball all year, but this is a very, very good team (probably a 95-100 win team – that’s outstanding) – certainly the best Phillies team since the 2011 season. Whether or not they will in the playoffs – who knows? And imagine how good they’d be if Castellanos was the player they thought they were signing.

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    3. You don’t need to talk when you have the best record, your play does your talking for you.

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48. With Turner out for the next 30/35 games, it will interesting to see how the team reponds and what the results wil be. I am cautiously concerned about Sosa for that strecth of time at SS….he may be exposed. But he is the next man up and this an opportunity for him that he really never had in the past, here or in St Louis. Now he needs to grab the bull by the horns. Phillies have an option of moving Stott over there to SS and letting Merrifield or Sosa play second base, Merrifield might as well start earning that $8M contract.

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    1. It’s a huge opportunity for Sosa to prove that he’s more than a backup. He knows that he’s not starting in Philadelphia. A good stretch could increase his trade value since he’s not a FA until 2027.

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       1. Right….Sosa must seize the opportunity presented to him. If he stumbles, the Phillies may have to make a positional change…..moving Stott over there and sliding Merrifield into 2B.

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          1. I don’t understand their reluctance to move Stott to short and put Merrifield at 2b as the primary move for the next 6 week. Not like Stott has to learn a new position. The Dodgers moved Betts without any great stress so not sure why it would be a problem for Stott.

             Sosa is not an everyday starter and it’s a mistake to try to make him one.

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             1. I think as long as they continue to win…they do not want to disturb anything……they may have Sosa there just for a short type of probation thing. But agree…..just move Stott over there and Merrifield has played 2B the majority of his career.

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49. I’m curious to know when was the last time that the Phillies had to eat money on a DESCENDING player in order to facilitate a trade.

    I know the Phillies did this with Jim Thome after the 2005 season in order to open up a spot for Ryan Howard.

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    1. Cannot remember anyone right now but…… a proposed trade from Mike Fisher of “That Balls Oughta Here” lands them a struggling now, but one-time special player. Fisher’s trade proposal moves Nick Castellanos and a “top pitching prospect” for  Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. The outfielder, who signed a lucrative 14-year, $340 million deal, would fit in as Castellanos’ replacement….who the Padres see Castellanos as some cap relief and on an somewhat expiring contract in a few years.

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       1. A “top pitching prospect” could only be Painter. Even then nobody really knows after TJ surgery.  Abel is not a top pitching prospect. 

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          1. You just never know about pitching prospects…TINSTAAPP. Abel in a month from now could be the cat’s meow again on prospect lists. Tatis , otoh, has been in a two year funk……since the shoulder left labrum surgery and PED suspension…..and the past issue with a certain other star teammate. So it looks like there would be warts and risks from both sides in that particular trade.

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       2. why would the Padres do that? They just traded prospects to acquire Luis Arraez. So then they turn around and trade their young star away? It doesn’t make any sense to me that they would want to do such a trade. And who the heck wants Castellanos at any price? He’s a black hole in the line-up. For a contending team? Nah.

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       3. That’s click bait trade proposal by Fisher. If SD would take that package, then DD would personally drive Castellanos and Abel across the country today. that’s not close at all. First, Tatis is not having a bad year. He is already a 1.1 WAR. He is a gold glove defender that hits for power and steals bases. He is 25 years old and already has 18 career WAR. No one trades that type of player, and certainly not for that package.

          I agree with Catch, no one wants Castellanos. First, he is a mess right now. Bad defender and looks terrible at the plate. No one is taking him unless we eat $45m of the $60m remaining and attach a great prospect. Even then the return isn’t going to be good. We are stuck with Nick. Hopefully he can find his way out of this slump.

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          1. I will say that I feel a little bad for Castellanos (as bad as you can feel for a guy who makes $20 million a year – so much money in the real world that it’s hard to even get your mind wrapped around) because it is very clear that he works and tries very hard and he’s not a baby about his struggles. He owns it, takes the heat and he keeps working, so I do respect the man and hope he can turn it around for everyone’s sake.

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       4. I’d try sending him to the IL saying he has an Oblique injury or something that he’s been trying to play through. Gives the player a way to safe face and take some time off to clear his head then a rehab assignment to see if he can get right.

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    2. They sent cash to the Nats in the Howie Kendrick deal back in 2017.

       The only other trades they sent cash since then was with minor league players, as far as I can tell.

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50. The Phillies can’t go into October with this version of Castellanos and DD has to know that. He also isn’t the best option to come off the bench if he’s replaced so I suspect he’ll be moved one way or another before the deadline, assuming he continues to play this way. I suspect we’ll see him get hot for a bit, level off, and go into the playoffs with him in the lineup as a streaky hitter with no idea which version we’ll get series to series. If that’s the case, the Phils need, IMO, a left handed platoon type guy on their bench who can start a game in RF during the playoffs against a tough RHP and on all other nights be a pinch hit threat batting for Rojas or Castellanos when the situation warrants it. 

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    1. They do know that. They are just going to try to keep helping him break out of this. There is precedent for a mid-year breakout – last year with Turner and Pat Burrell was dreadful until mid-year in 2007 and then broke out. The problem is that the guy just can’t lay off bad pitches. I’m not sure how you fix that – it’s not just a swing adjustment.

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       1. Agree, and the situation is delicate because he’s been and is a good clubhouse guy, and is a popular part of this team’s chemistry so there’s more to consider here than other situations, not to mention the years and dollars remaining.

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          1. That team’s chemistry can be a tricky formula mixture…two years ago the WS appearance and loss, last year NL series and loss….anything short of a WS appearance this year, may see an alteration of team personnel for next season. But for this season…..they probably will not mess with any major personnel changes….other than perhaps add a reliever at the deadline.

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    2. If the Phillies move Castellanos, it’ll be during the offseason. And the Phillies would likely have to eat $30M of the $40M that he’s owed. I wonder if DFAing Castellanos is a consideration (similar to when the Red Sox DFAd Pablo Sandoval).

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51. Starlyn Caba showing a little pop in his first game this year

    https://x.com/PhilsPlayerDev/status/1787141704916619657

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52. Interesting stuff from Robinson Pina, 25 year old at AA Reading. Decent career peripherals – 505 IP / 416 hits / 638 Ks – issue for him has been walks – 249.

    This year with small sample – 24 IP / 25 hits / 32 Ks / only 3 walks

    https://x.com/PhilsPlayerDev/status/1787168292131479655

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53. If I may go back to Sosa, he bats a lot like Castellanos. Sosa cannot hit a slider, a curve, or a sweeper off the plate. Sometimes he’ll chase a pitch that is a foot off of the plate. 

    Like Castellanos swinging at that pitch, there probably is no cure for it. Move Stott to shortstop, Merrifield to second base and put Sosa back on the bench as infield depth for when Stott has to face a tough lefty.

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    1. Sosa is streaky, and yes, he’s susceptible to the down and out slider. But I think I still want him at the plate instead of Castellanos. Casty is lost, and watching the game yesterday, the announcers feel that he’s guessing too much.

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    2. Sosa isn’t a starter, but neither is Merrifield. Whit has finally come alive with the bat, but he’s still a bad defender. Whereas Sosa has actually been pretty good offensively thus far and is a good defender.

       Merrifield will still get plenty of PAs, but Sosa has done enough to be the guy getting the starter reps.

       (For those curious, Sosa is slashing .262/.303/.450 for a 103 wRC+ and .324 wOBA in 391 PAs since coming to the Phils)

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       1. I actually think Merrifield is a starter but only at 2B which means Stott will have to move to SS for a while…

          Merrifield getting regular ABs would bring a lot more offensive production than Sosa.

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          1. DMAR……Merrifield does have over 700 games at 2B……so he is more than capable to go there for a stretch of 5/6 weeks. However, not sure he would give you the defense at second base that he once did in his younger days. The Phillies may have to do that with him.

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54. One of the things they also mentioned was that Casty also is swinging at 47% of first pitches. Pitchers know that and he is not getting a strike because they know they can get ahead 0-1 by not throwing one. I agree he is a mess. I wonder if any team has ever had a regular batting around .150 after 6 weeks or so. But he and Sosa made huge contributions last night. Broken bat single by Webb and stolen base by Casty got 2 runs and Phillies win by 1.

    Romus. I agree as long as things are going well Phillies will be reluctant to make any major changes. If the starting pitching remains strong that can overcome many other shortcomings at least in the short term.

    It is interesting when you see many of the batting averages posted each at bat and then see a 24-11 record. But good teams find many ways to win. Phillies are a good team.

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    1. “I wonder if any team has ever had a regular batting around .150 after 6 weeks or so”

       Yes, there are a few of them out there. Arozarena is hitting .143 for TB. Bichette is hitting .195 for Tor. Olson is at .197 in Atl. In total, there are 19 players with enough at-bats to qualify for MLB awards hitting under .200 right now. 

       Castellanos is totally lost right now but will have a loooong leash to get on-track.

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       1. I think can of about 57 million reasons ($) why he’s going to be given every reasonable opportunity to work this out.

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          1. The money is certainly a big part of it. He was also a 30 hr/100 rbi guy for the team last season so he will be given a chance to rebound.

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       2. 3up. Isn’t that crazy. Think Schwarber was only 205 or so. Probably many under .240 or so. Wow. Different game than when I first started playing and watching as a kid. I am amazed watching young kids today. No big deal in striking out. I hated striking out. Just different times.

          As I watch on tv Castellanos just has too long of a swing for me. Just too many things that can go wrong. And most are going wrong right now. Announcers mentioned last night he had I think it was 68 extra base hits last season and has 3 now. I may be off on top number, but it was a lot.

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          1. Don…..when baseball did away with those outlandish shifts….the thinking would be more offense and higher BAs …not sure it has happened for many of the hard-core TTO guys.

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55. Rookie pitcher on the mound for the Giants and what does our brilliant leadoff hitter do?

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    1. There are probably 25 other teams in baseball that wish they had Kyle Schwarber on their roster and 29 that wish they had him in their clubhouse. 

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       1. With all due respect, they can have him.

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56. It seems the Phillies never do well against pitchers making their MLB debut.

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57. Rojas 4th inning at bat was one ugly AB. Look at 2 down the middle and swing at 1 a foot outside.

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58. Glad to see JTR stressing FBs with Kerkering today….9 FBs and 5 sweepers/sliders/curves.

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    1. Agree……..and I like the keystone combo of Stott/Merrifield better then Sosa/Stott. Por Favor do the Phillies have you on “Retainer” for these subtle suggestions you make from time to time.

       The other night I saw DD looking a little stressed up in the box …. thought maybe you were exerting pressure on that proposed Tatis/Painter for Castles exchange!

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       1. LOL……Skeet you are a dandy. And that trade proposal was from a blogger guy from ‘That Balls Outta Here’ site….typical clickbait article.

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59. Closing this discussion. New discussion at

    Phillies Discussion, 5/6/24

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Comments are closed.