162 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion, 6/17/24”

1. Question. IF Bohm continues to produce, do the Phillies resign him when he is eligible for free agency? At what cost? Does that move Aiden Miller to the outfield? Assuming the timeline is the same. I believe Bohm will get on average at least 20M per year. They could use Castellanos money to pay for the his salary.

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   1. Bohm turns 28 this year….in three years in his free agent year he will be turning 31, unless the Phillies extend him early and buy-out his arb yrs—he has two left right now. Also he is currently out performing past star 3B like Bregman, Riley, Arenado, Chapman and even Manny, so maybe it is the time to reach out to his agent and do a team friendly LTC…just the one hang up….Scott Boras does not prefer to do team friendly extensions. Not sure how Dombrowski will handle this…negotiate now or just let him walk in three years and try to resign him as a free agent, ala Aaron Nola.

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      1. In 3 years time BH may need to be the DH and Bohm could move to 1B. I’d buy out the ARB years if he is open to it. Boras got smacked around a bit this off season so it isn’t about what Boras wants.

         The players are aware of what just happened and I imagine they will start to make the decisions that are best for them.

         It was refreshing to have a capable 9th hole hitter last night and have some guys on for Kyle.

         Hard to believe it took them this long to figure out Rojas needed time in AAA. Also hard to believe they would give Merrifield $8 million.

         Not sure what they will do with Turner long term defensively as he is a horrid SS.

         Personally I don’t think the recent losing had anything to do with JT. Maybe the Boston series but the Orioles are a much better team than we are. Their schedule leading up to London and then the 2 series after was brutal. I guess we will see! Should they get back to taking 2 of 3 we’ll change our minds.

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   2. I don’t re-sign him. Even though Bohm is having a resurgent year, he’ll barely be a 4 WAR player. He’s improved as a defender, but he’s still negative dWar and it’ll only get worse as he ages.

      Not only that, Scott Boras is going to ask for the moon as usual. At most, give him a QO and that’s it.

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2. Nice post, Jim. With you on everything except the Dahl/Schwarber conundrum in LF. Kinda like can you tell the difference between sea salt and Iodized salt. You might be right, don’t think either is a candidate for a gold glove.

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3. The team needs to know by the trade deadline how much it can lean on Sosa, Dahl and Kerkering. This dictates how much more they’ll need to pad this roster

   My untouchables for now are Painter, Miller, Klassen,Caba, Tait and Crawford. I consider them potential future pillars. But Crawford comes off that list if he can help bring back a Robert, whom I would consider an immediate pillar.

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   1. Agree….and if WSox open the door for a Robert move….then Crawford should be included in the exchange. Sox will also want a minor league pitcher who seem likely to be successful in the future ……maybe the one guy who is showing that promise now is Sam Aldagheri.

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      1. agree on Aldegheri

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      2. I’ll just say it Roberts is not worth some of the packages being floated around…..

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         1. I agree. I am not a fan of Robert. Too often injured. High K rate. Low walk rate. He is a scout’s dream. Tools are elite. but I don’t see him as a Philly type player.

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   2. Fighter, honestly, there are no untouchables. Anyone can be had in the right trade. I believe that a Robert is going to cost Caba, Rojas, a top 30 prospect pitcher, and maybe a wild card or two now that Rojas isn’t on the active roster. Or perhaps a top 30 prospect outfielder instead of Rojas or Rojas and the wild cards.

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      1. Not sure Sox will want Caba ilo of Crawford….looking at their prospect list their number one prospect is Montgomery, a ss, and then there is Jacob Gonzalez another middle infielder in their top ten-number 7…..I think they will ask for Crawford. May come down to Dombrowski saying yeah or nay to that. If he somehow lets Crawford go…number 62 of top 100….the rest of the package would have to be lighter.

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      2. My reading of baseball history is that very few immortals slipped through the fingers of the teams which originally signed them. By that I mean they were not traded before their star had risen.

         That’s the argument for retaining prospects who match or exceed expectation, out-compete at every level and rise quickly through a system.

         Since this would represent such a small number of prospects, it would stake off only a small number.

         Frankly, if I were a GM, I’d love to do business with you or anyone who believes any of his own prospects were in play in a trade.

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         1. Few teams lose prospects that turn jnto immortals. But those that do likely have made any and all of their prospects available in trade.

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         2. I find your response insulting.

            I never said that I would or wouldn’t designate prospects as untouchables. I implied (and am now stating emphatically) that the Phillies have no untouchable prospects.

            Maybe you should expand your reading to include all of Dombrowski’s interviews.

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            1. Let’s clarify. I mean no disrespect to you. To the contrary, you have my deep respect.

               Let’s take you out if it. A GM forever unteathered to his elite prospects ilike a poker player who won’t bluff. If I’m an opposing GM, I’m all over such a GM if he’s making available a prospect (say Gunner Henderson in 2021) that in my stable would be untouchable.

               I think I get your reference tis to Dombrowski and his propensity to unload high value prospects in return for immediate help.

               There’s no basis yet for judging that in him for his tenure in Ohilly. He’s said he’d like for the team to set up to win multiple titles. I’d like that, too.

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               1. No one has said that Dombrowski is shopping any of his top prospects. They have reported that he has said that no one is untouchable. That doesn’t mean that he is including any of the prospects you hold dear in any of the trades we’ve heard of so far. It means that if some other GM makes an offer that makes the Phillies better, he’ll consider it if it makes business and baseball sense. I think it is foolhardy to have a business/baseball model that completely refuses to consider any option.

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               2. ”Foolhardy?” Could fit me to a T. You could cite Bagwell and Smoltz from the old days as high caliber players moved at the trade deadline.

                  Nowadays, I don’t expect movement of that caliber to be on the market at this deadline. So, theoretically any prospect could be at play but practically, I don’t see an offer coming the Phils’ way that they would see a need to jump on sacrificing their best prospects.

                  I’d be delighted with moves that brought back Tanner Scott and Brent Rooker , neither of which would cost the prospects we’ve had in mind.

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4. Excellent summary.
   Castellanos and Stott (of late) have been significantly underperforming.
   Was concerned about how the London excursion would impact the rotation –
   appears it has.
   In addition to his offense, Rojas has not been nearly as effective defensively and on the bases as last year.
   Agree Jim on our underperforming outfield.
   Realmuto key. Needs to get healthy ASAP.

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5. Jim. Excellent write up. I think I agree with everything. Maybe not Schwarber. But who knows. I too remember 1964. My first Phillies team I followed. I kept thinking they have to win but they did not till it was too late.

   JT without a doubt is the most glaring piece missing at this moment. Hopefully it is not a long term, and he is a quick healer. But he takes such a beating almost every game. The outfield is next. Seems to be just a lot of question marks and very little hitting.

   I think the Merrifield experiment is a failure. Seems to be the wrong guy for the time. Someone said you take the person you came to the dance with. I have wondered as you why Bohm and Stott are not in all the time.

   I just saw this so take it FWIW. Proposed Marlin-Phillies trade. Phillies get Scott and Chisolm. Marlins get McGarry, Klassen, Rincon, and Rincones. You guys know much more about minor league guys than I do. Is this even worth looking at by DD? Scott would be rental. Chisolm till 26 I think it said.

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   1. Rincon and Rincones are both on the IL. Rincones was just transferred to the 60. I don’t know if I would trade for injured players. Miami might though, their front office is a mess.

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      1. No idea if that trade is being considered. I just saw it mentioned. Back to 64. I just began following Phillies. I was 11. Phillies must have got maybe a few Game of the Week slots with Dizzy and Pee Wee. Usually, it was only the Yankees. I was a farm kid, and I could pick up the Phillies on a clear summer night most evenings. Think it was 1210 WCAU. May have that wrong. I could get Phillies, Reds, Cards and sometimes the Pirates. Jim, I have a question. During those last few games didn’t Mauch pitch Bunning and Short like every other day or maybe every two days? For some reason it seems I remember him doing something like that to try to get those needed wins. Thanks.

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         1. Bunning and Short then hold down the fort!

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         2. Don, I turned 9 a couple days before the losing streak started. I don’t trust my memory all the time. Certainly not for something like this. So, I looked it up.

            On September 1, 1964, the Phillies had a 78-51 record with 34 games remaining. Down the stretch the Phillies used a 4-man rotation of Jim Bunning, Chris Short, Dennis Bennett, and Art Mahaffey. Ray Culp was a fifth starter part of the season, but he was effectively dropped from the rotation after his last start on August 15th. He made 4 more appearances in August and just one in September on the 12th.

            The following will dispel the myth we all believed in. So, if anybody wants to believe Manager Gene Mauch went with Bunning, Short, Bunning, Short … stop reading.

            1-Sep: Bunning; complete game

            2-Sep: Short; complete game

            3-Sep: Bennett; 5.1 innings

            4-Sep: Mahaffey; 6.2 innings

            5-Sep: Bunning; complete game

            6-Sep: Short; 2.1 innings

            7-Sep: Bennett; complete game

            7-Sep: Wise; 0.0 innings

            8-Sep: Mahaffey; 0.2 innings

            9-Sep: Bunning; 6.0 innings

            10-Sep: Short; complete game

            11-Sep: Bennett; complete game

            12-Sep: Mahaffey; 2.0 innings

            13-Sep: Bunning; complete game; 10 innings

            14-Sep: Short; complete game

            15-Sep: Bennett; 6.0 innings

            16-Sep: Bunning; 4.1 innings

            17-Sep: Wise; 0.1 innings

            18-Sep: Short; 7.0 innings

            19-Sep: Bennett; 2.2 innings

            20-Sep: Bunning; complete game

            21-Sep: Mahaffey; 6.2 innings

            22-Sep: Short; 4.2 innings

            23-Sep: Bennett; 6.0 innings

            24-Sep: Bunning; 6.0 innings

            25-Sep: Short; 7.1 innings

            26-Sep: Mahaffey; 7.0 innings

            27-Sep: Bunning; 3.0 innings

            28-Sep: Short; 5.1 innings

            29-Sep: Bennett; 1.1 innings

            30-Sep: Bunning; 3.1 innings

            1-Oct: Off Day

            2-Oct: Short; 6.1 innings

            3-Oct: Off Day

            4-Oct: Bunning; complete game

            As you can see, Mauch never went Bunning, Short, Bunning, Short. He went Bunning, Short, Bunning the last three games of the season with an Off Day between starts.

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            1. JIm. Wow. That list is amazing. You are so good. Like you I was just a kid. 64 was the first year I started following Phillies. Plus, here in Indiana my info was very limited on a daily basis. Probably just my old radio in the bedroom late at night. I remember Mahaffey, Wise, and Culp. I draw a blank on Bennent. I have forever the 6 1/2 with 11 games logged in memory. I did look at list and in the final 11 Bunning and Short did start 8 of the final 11. I know back then a 4-man rotation was pretty normal at times. The 70s teams were really good but just could not get over the hump till 1980. Thanks for taking time down memory lane.

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6. I aimed to mention but your mention Jim of Braves reminded me I looked today at the previews Extra Inning game screen for tonight to see Phillies game time. There are lots of teams right above or below .500 on the season. Almost everyone on the screen at that time was near that.

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7. JUST SAYING lol https://x.com/MLBDeadlineNews/status/1802792541873692777

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8. Give up Klassen and McGarry for a career .248 hitter. I don’t know why DD would do that. But he has been known to give up prospects.

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   1. im not a Chisolm guy but mcGarry may never even pitch in the bigs at this point and Klassen has a crazy wide range of outcomes, but thats the kind of guy you have to give up if you want something back. Im not even sure the marlins do this

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9. Few things:

   1. Absolutely not gonna argue that JT isnt a huge loss, but I also don’t think that is why they are struggling. It certainly doesnt help, but Im willing to chalk up the last week to London travel + injuries + more road games. It has to be brutal. Hoping they can right the ship and take 2 of 3 in both of these home series. I understand the need to panic, but if someone told you theyd be 8 games up on June 17, youd take that all day. Just think there was so much going right that Murphys law says they were due for a stretch like this where everything that could go wrong does. Just have to mitigate it.

   2. Other than Painter, I dont think there really is an “untouchable” as teams who are going to give a potential championship team what might be their last piece arent going to settle for a pu pu platter of lesser prospects. If Miller and Klassen gets you Robert, I think you have to do it.

   3. Im sure hes a nice guy, but im very not in on Jazz Chisholm. Just think hes an overrated player who gets recognition because when he does do good things, he looks flashy as hell doing it. But his actual numbers are far from great, barely even good. This is his 5th MLB season and his WAR is 7. They have to dream bigger.

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10. I think you’re bribing too much credit JT and not enough to the travel and scheduling. These guys are finally back home starting tonight and I think you’ll see them regroup. As for Rojas, he needs to go to AAA (where he’s never been) and improve. His hitting including his bunting needs to be better. And I don’t think Dahl is less of a hitter than Rojas and there’s no way I want Schwarber playing LF anymore, he’s terrible there.

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    1. giving too much credit to JT

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11. Castellenos can only hit mistake pitches. His lack of plate discipline gets him carved up by staffs who have plate control. AZ and Baltimore ate him up. There’s no reason to expect another postseason staff from exposing him and turning him into an automatic October out. At this point, I’d feel better seeing Sosa out there. He has the arm. Event Matt Kroon.

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12. In 5272.0 career innings across 12 seasons in the majors, minors, and international baseball playing the field, Edmundo Sosa has played 5.1 innings in the outfield with 1 putout on 1 chance, 2.1 in CF and 3.0 in LF.

    In 9746.0 career innings across 12 seasons in the majors, minors, AFL, but not 2 college years playing the field, Trea Turner has played 439.2 innings in the outfield, all in CF and all in 2016 with Syracuse (AAA) and Washington in his second year of major league ball, zero innings during his first 3 seasons in the minors and zero in the 8 years after 2016. Career .980 in the majors.

    Just some facts you should know before suggesting that these guys play in the outfield this season.

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    1. If Darren Ruf could do it, I’m sure Sosa can make the switch.

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       1. The Phillies will definitely try to put Sosa in LF, but it doesn’t mean it will work. This isn’t fantasy baseball.

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       2. You should look things up before typing.

          Yes, first baseman Darin Ruf played 46.0 of 72.0 innings in left field for the Phillies when he was called up in September of 2012 and then 367.1 of 618.1 innings in the left and right field for the Phillies in his rookie season in 2013. But, he had also played in the outfield in the minors in 2010, 2011, and 2012, as well as 213.0 of 243 innings in the 2012-13 Venezuelan Winter League in preparation for the 2013 season.

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          1. Jim, it was a facetious response. Ruf was a lumbering cow out there. Sosa has played some spring training outfield. I’m not looking for him to be a gold glover. But the tone of your response was unnecessarily personal. I’m a fan, not a professional analyst. I appreciate all the effort you put into this site, but I’ll go back to lurking and leave the posting to fans who have more time.

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13. If push comes to shove and in an emergency situation the Phillies need Sosa’s bat in the lineup on an everyday basis…..Turner goes to the OF before Sosa, having played it in a pinch for the Nats way back when. But seriously doubt either go out there.

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    1. Sosa was taking fly balls in the outfield before last nights game. It will be interesting to watch the 2 outfield platoons. I like that they moved Marsh to left and put Pache in center to end the game.

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       1. Look, Sosa has proven himself to be a very capable offensive and defensive player. They owe it to themselves to see if he can play the outfield. As for whether he will be able to make a quick transition, sure, we don’t know, but, let’s be clear, left field and right field are lower on the defensive spectrum than the infield positions that Sosa fields quite well and he’s not a wood statue out there like Hoskins and Ruf, who were otherwise limited to first base – he’s a very good fielder and is mobile. There is every reason to believe that ultimately, he will be able to play those positions at least competently, but the question is how quickly could he transition. We don’t know the answer to that.

          And on Realmuto, yes, they miss him a ton. And I agree that his defense and game calling are what they miss most (although I don’t agree that teams primarily want defense back there – if that were true guys like Charlie O’Brien would have been career starters – you have to bring some offense). One thing I do believe is that this is, as much as anything, an audition for next year’s back-up role. I know Marchan has started well and it’s a SSS, but I’ve always believed he’s the back-up catcher for 2025 and he’s done nothing to disprove that.

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    2. Romus, if they were to need Sosa’s bat in the lineup in an everyday basis, I shudder to imagine what tragedy may have caused that.

       One or more infield injuries to Harper, Bohm, Turner, and Stott could be handled internally with Sosa, Merrifield, Clemens when he comes off the IL, Wilson, and even Hall if Harper is one of the injuries.

       An injury to Stubbs or Marchan wouldn’t affect Sosa. Garcia, Godoy, Roberts, maybe even Ricketts come into play while DD searches for a possible trade.

       If an outfielder goes down you can rush Rojas back up. Or, Kroon, I like Kroon. More likely, I think Cardenas. They traded for Cardenas after they activated Dahl. Seems like he was the insurance policy if/when they lost Dahl to waivers if/when they ever tried to send him back to Lehigh Valley.

       If two, then it gets interesting. This is probably why I wrote all the words above. Why not Harper to RF? He’s been there as recently as 2 years ago. If, let’s say, both starters went down, Castellanos and Marsh, you could have Harper in RF, Pache in CF, and Dahl/Cardenas in LF. Your infield becomes Bohm, Stott, Turner, and Sosa. Merrifield remains the utility guy.

       I’m not advocating Harper to right. I don’t know if the Phillies would seriously consider it. Just spit ballin’.

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       1. Yeah…….having the need for Sosa to be an everyday player would mean some kind of disaster amount of injuries among the infielders. I thought he would eventually get exposed as he played steady over an extended period of time. Then I looked at his 2021 season in St Louis….the most he has played in one season so far….113 games, he had an OPS+ of 104…last season with the Phillies was his next longest stretch of playing time it dipped below 100 to 93. So apparently his strength is as a great utility guy in relatively short spurts. Next month marks the two year anniversary of the JoJo for Edmundo trade…..seem to work out for both clubs.

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14. I am assuming that the rotation after the London trip has been a deliberate choice and that it’s not accidental that Sanchez and Suarez, who offer similar looks, no longer pitch consecutively. RLRLR makes more sense than RRLLR

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15. I like mixing the rotation up. Think that is a good move if all can stay healthy.

    Romus. More converts. The coach of my grandson’s 9U team attended Phillies game last night with his son. Got to see a good one for the Phillies. My son said they got his little guy a Phanatics baseball at the game. Baseball kind of wild looking. But the fanbase for the Phillies here in Indiana seems to be growing. LOL

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    1. Don…..last few years the crowds have come back…..$$$$$ flowing. Fanbase really global these days….my sister lives in Canberra and will see Phillies gear in Sydney when they go up there for a weekend. Of course Phillies send players to Adelaide every winter for AU ball.

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       1. Romus. I can see those crowds on the nights I get to be home and catch the game. Gone a lot right now with things but watch as often as I can.

          My son mentioned other day that the night at Cincy there was a guy in the Philly section who knew all the players and he was working think before game maybe after to help get kids a ball and/or signature. Marsh signed a ball for grandkid. I forget if he got the guy’s name, but he said he was really helpful for the kids and he made them wait their turn. You may know who the person was.

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          1. Sorry Don have not a clue who that could be….there may be over 300 FTEs within the Phillies organization. Perhaps the traveling secretary or maybe even John Brazer in marketing.

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16. Since Marchan has been up, I believe he has only caught Sanchez and Suarez. Am I mistaken? If so, why?

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    1. More on the Marchan support train.

       Yeah, what he said:

       https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-analysis/rafael-marchan-garrett-stubbs-jt-realmuto/591455/

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17. I also would rather see Harper in right and Sosa/Turner on left side of infield.

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18. I would bet a whole lot of money that the Phillies are not trading Miller. Tait too.

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    1. If they don’t pull the trigger on a game changing deal bc of Tait that would be a mistake. I like the kid a lot, but he could be nothing, could be a backup, could be a starter or could be an all star. His future has every possible outcome still. If you trade him now for a missing piece and he ends up making the 2030 AL all star team, it is what it is.

       Miller I tend to agree with, but if its Miller and Klassen for Robert, i think it has to be considered. You have to remember they are competing with other teams who also need help, and teams have no obligation to trade us players for mid level prospects. The guys we traded in the Blanton, Lee, Halladay, Pence and Lidge deals were loved by fans, and nobody really came back to bite us too bad at all. Just have to make sure if you do trade one of those guys, you get the right piece back. Cant make a Tatis Jr for James Shields type deal.

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19. Sosa’s OPS in June is worse than both Stott and Castellanos so moving him to the OF doesn’t make them better offensively or defensively.

    Sosa was terrific in May playing in place of Turner but with increased exposure, his offensive weaknesses are getting exposed.

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    1. I am not entirely buying that explanation. Baseball is insanely hard and hitters go through hot and cold spells regardless of how good they are. Sosa has been around the league for the better part of 5 years and has gotten a healthy amount of ABs. I am sure there is a book on him. I doubt pitchers are just now learning about what he can and cannot do. I don’t he’s as good as he was when he was hitting way over .300 – but if his overall stats are close to his expected performance level going forward, he’s a damned good player who should be getting a lot of ABs on this team.

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       1. Sosa’s career OPS is 100 points lower than where he is currently in 2024. In contrast, Castellanos is currently 170 points lower than his career numbers.

          But somehow Castellanos needs to be replaced because he’s not going to improve to get closer to his norm while Sosa needs to continue to play because he’s not going to regress to his career norms?

          If I was going to bet on the rest of the season, I would bet that Castellanos will be better offensively than Sosa for the remainder of the season.

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          1. Who knows? I do also know that Castellanos is also not a good defensive player and that’s not changing (he does try hard at that – and so he’s just below average and not a disaster defensively). Let’s face it, it’s been a very bad contract so far for the team. Hopefully, he can bounce back, but, either way, Sosa should get a chance for more ABs subbing at various positions.

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             1. I’m fine with Sosa getting at-bats as the primary backup at multiple positions. They should release Merrifield since Sosa is better at that same role.

                The issue is everyone suddenly thinking he’s the answer as an everyday OF.

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             2. Catch. I totally agree that baseball is a difficult sport. Hitting a baseball traveling 90+ mph and moving is not an easy thing to do. I do though think umpires could do a much better job on balls and strikes. Some simply are not very good.

                I saw T Mac mention before London that Casty had the record in NL for games played consecutively without an error. Think it was like 407 or so a couple weeks bac, Kruk asked who had the record and it is someone in AL and I am forgetting who he said maybe Grossman but it is around 460 or so. I would say for the most part he is a conservative outfielder. That helps with the errors, but he does gamble once in a while. But if he fails those will not be likely an error anyway. I think it was Cone one night when Phillies were playing and there was a play at 3rd most thought was an error and he said it is really hard to make an error these days in MLB.

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                1. Castellanos main issues defensively are that he’s a slow runner and doesn’t get great jumps on balls so he doesn’t have great defensive range in RF.

                   He catches the stuff he gets to and does have a decent arm (not a great arm).

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                2. Castellanos lacks explosiveness, takes time to get up to speed, but as 3Up pointed out he catches what he gets to ……… also agree with both of you on Sosa ……….. and Merrifield.

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20. One thing that Phillies fans tend to do is get caught up in the hype when a player outperforms their abilities for a small amount of time (a month or so). They did it with Pache last year and that is still ongoing, even though he really hasnt been anything specials at all fans seem to think hes better than Rojas when they are really the exact same player, Rojas just had minor league options. They are doing it with Sosa now and honestly to a degree, even Bohm, who aside from April has been good but pretty much the same guy hes always been.

    This is not to insult the players or the fans referenced here, just to serve as a reminder that outliers occur. Sosa is the biggest example. Were really talking about moving him to LF to keep his bat in the lineup? Come on now, he is exactly what he is; a top tier bench/utility guy who can fill in for a few weeks at a time and perform admirably. Hes not an every day player. And I love the guy! Just willing to take 5 seasons worth of data over one months worth.

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    1. Dan, those are good points.

       However, a player’s performance changes over time. Some guys really do improve. Bohm is in his age 27 season – typically around a player’s peak. Sosa is 28. Both are having good years, but both actually look they have improved to a great degree, just as Ranger and Sanchez have improved as pitchers.

       What helps Sosa is that his fielding, especially at SS, is excellent. And Bohm has worked hard to become an average-ish defender, which reflects a lot of progress on his part.

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       1. One glimmer of hope for Sosa, at age 28, is the history of those players who took some time to get it going….the Bautistas, Muncys, Donaldsons, Posadas, Nelson Cruz, Jeff Kents, Gia Urshela even David Ortizs of the world. Then all the pitchers that have taken time to get going…the list is also fairly long.

          So I like to have hope that maybe Sosa is one of those late bloomers that the Phillies may have struck gold with.

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          1. Another glimmer of hope for Sosa; most of his increased offense has come off the back of his power getting better. Which has been happening over time. He’s literally hit for more power in each consecutive season since his debut.

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          2. If he becomes a 3-4 WAR player that alone would be extremely valuable for the next few years. That’s exactly what most of our cast is – 3-4 WAR players. Harper, when he’s healthy, is better than that. Stott, when he hits, is better than that. Turner, most years, is better than than. Realmuto used to be better than that (in most years), but he’s still in that range. But overall, the reason we score runs is we have a LOT of good hitters and we’re not like the Yankees where hitters 1-4 have to do almost all the damage.

             What’s cool about this setup is that, when we need to replace someone not named Harper or Turner (or Realmuto), we don’t need a superstar to accomplish that replacement. Good to remember when Bohm wants a ton of money and Aidan Miller is getting his feet wet.

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       2. It’s also worth mentioning that trends matter quite a bit. Especially when a change of scenery is involved. Casty has trended downward since coming to Philly. Which could be because he’s aging or any other number of reasons, but it’s what’s happened.

          Sosa, meanwhile, has trended up. It’s very easy to look at his career wRC+ of 100 and say he’s an average hitter… except… he isn’t. Not since joining Philadelphia, at least. Since the trade, Sosa has compiled himself a 112 wRC+. And it’s not a small sample size. He now officially has more PAs as a Philly than as a Cardinal. And, fair enough, most of that is on the back of this season. But this season also accounts for almost a third of his games played. And it’s also heavily reliant on his increase in power. Which is NOT solely from this year. His power has increased each season he’s played.

          I’m not going to go so far as to say he’s a starter level player. But I’m perfectly comfortable saying he’s a better player than he was in St. Louis. And I’m DEFINITELY comfortable saying I have zero faith in Castellanos. So yeah, if we’re talking about who should be getting OF looks, I’d honestly rather roll the dice on Sosa than continue relying on Castellanos.

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21. The Athletic reports that NEXT WEEK all AAA games will use ABS!

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    1. The sooner we can get players used to a non-human umpiring system the better. This season’s calls have been BRUTAL. If anyone has seen the missed call chart from last night’s SF-CHC game, you may have even felt violently ill.

       And for those of you who haven’t, I’m sorry for exposing you to this.

       https://x.com/UmpScorecards/status/1803073613995593806

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       1. Last night’s Phillies game was bad enough with horrible missed calls against the Phillies batters (no, a pitch at Bryce Harper’s ankles is not a strike) and pitchers (Christopher Sanchez’s pitches RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE called for balls).

          Last night, when Sanchez threw his “ball” down the middle of the plate, I screamed “are you __cking kidding me?!!” at the top of my lungs. Not appreciated by my wife who, at the time, was on a Zoom call with a member of our clergy (who, apparently, heard it all). Just another thing to atone for 🙂

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          1. now that is funny!!!! Best to go to church and light some candles

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22. If you want to see some crazy contracts, take a look at the Padres roster and you’ll know why I don’t the Phillies to be in that boat:

    Xander Bogaerts, 11/280. 1.5 years in and he looks like he’s in decline.

    Joe Musgrove, 5/100. Has been terrible.

    Manny Machado, 11/350. See Bogaerts.

    Fernando Tatis Jr, 14/340. Still only 25, too soon to tell.

    Yu Darvish, 6/108. Looks decent until you realize he signed this at age 36! Now he’s getting injured.

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23. I am once again begging Thomson to stop splitting the catching duties. Stubbs isn’t good. If you REALLY want to waste a roster spot on a cheerleader, whatever. But he’s not helping us win games on the field.

    That homerun ball was almost exactly where he called it, and his offense needs no explanation. Our pitchers perform worse with him behind the plate, and our offense suffers from him being in the lineup.

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    1. I fully acknowledge it was purely coincidental, but it still feels rather vindicating that they win the game almost immediately after Stubbs was removed.

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24. There is a lot of smoke on Robert Jr and the Phillies but I just can’t get excited about him. He does check a lot of boxes. He is young and under contract. Very good defensive player. Huge power. But he is often injured and has a low OB%. And I just don’t see him fitting in well with our culture. For what it is rumored to cost, I would pass.

    An alternative name, Hinkie’s favorite, Brandon Nimmo. I know the Mets just signed him to a long term deal. 6yrs @ $20m AAV left after this year. But they are clearly in rebuild mode and are likely sellers this deadline. Nimmo is signed through his age 37 year. Doubt the Mets really want that.

    How about this package. Nimmo for Castellanos (with a pay down), Crawford and Aldegheri.

    Nimmo really isn’t a CF anymore. But he is a huge improvement in over Castellanos. He is a high OB% guy. He plays with passion and energy. Would be a great culture fit. He is a lefty, but his career splits are pretty even.

    Thoughts?

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    1. Would be a plus move…but seriously doubt that NY Cohen would listen to any suggestions from a NJ Cohen. Traditionally, seems Mets and Phillies avoid trading with themselves.

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    2. No thanks.

       I don’t want that contract for the same reason you note that the Mets don’t want that contract through his age 37 season. His being left-handed also isn’t a great fit.

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    3. Look, Brandon Nimmo is a good player – quite a good player. But I don’t know why we need or want Brandon Nimmo. He’s expensive, his career is on the downside, his contract is way too long, he’s lefty (yes, that’s starting to be a problem – we need righty bats), and he’s as close as you are going to find to being a baseball clone of Brandon Marsh – who is the inexpensive, younger Brandon Nimmo. Nice player, but not here and now for this team already trying to creatively shed payroll in future years to accommodate its star players.

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       1. How about Randy Arozarena from the Rays…..he will not be costly in terms of prospects, since he is a rental and the Rays want him gone and they do not want to deal with Boras. He goes to LF, and Marsh to center with Pache.

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          1. Well, if you’re aching to spend a lot of prospects on a guy who hits .180 with a negative WAR, have at it! Seriously, I’d be fine taking a gamble on him with some lower level prospects but otherwise, why would you do that? Especially on a team with good chemistry.

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             1. He checks off a few boxes….RHB, will not cost an arm and leg i prospects….probably only one or two prospects in the range of 12-15 of the Phillies top 30, has played in the big games and do not go by what he is hitting now on a mediocre team, he will come alive for a play-off team….then let him go after the season’s is completed.

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                1. They just demoted Rojas for playing better than Arozarena is currently doing with TB.

                   If the goal is improving the big-league club, they should be looking for players who are better than what they currently have.

                   Hoping that he will “come alive” for a playoff team is wishful thinking. How long do they wait for that to happen?

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25. v1 – I like your idea but I don’t think Mets would trade intra division. I continue to say the best OF I see is Mark Canha of the Tigers – rh batter, great OB%, some power, and he hits when it counts. His defense is good also. Problem is – will Tigers buy or sell ? Canha is a free agent at year end but hits in the middle of their lineup. He is 35 years old.

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26. At v1 – I agree with you ref: Roberts. I just think he also K’s too much. Phils need another Bohm type hitter who gets bat on the ball.

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27. Romus. I got home late last night and flipped the tv on to check Phillies score. I also saw the tributes ESPN was doing for Willie Mays. As they spoke of all the great things he did they mentioned he did not receive great fortune from his endeavors. So, I wondered in today’s game what would he have earned? I guess maybe something along the Trout line. They mentioned that only Willie and the Babe accomplished some of the feats ever done. The 24 All Star games amazed me. I count myself fortunate to have seen him play some.

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    1. Don….he was the best, a 156 career WAR. The all-star games at one time were played twice in July….late 50s /early 60s. He played in both each year they had them that way.

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       1. Willie Mays is reputed to be the greatest all-around player in the history of the game. The reputation is well deserved. In the 13 seasons from 1954 to 1966, he led the NL in WAR 10 times and in all but one of those years his WAR was 9 or more and in 6 of those years his WAR was 10 or more (and in the seasons he didn’t lead in WAR, his war was 7.6, 7.8 and 8.7 – and could have led the NL in any given year – in other words, he never had anything less than a great season). Basically, an average Willie Mays year during that long stretch was a career year for a typical first ballot Hall of Famer. Amazing.

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       2. Romus. I had forgot the 2 games. But even 12 is amazing. He was awesome. I wonder how many times that catch in centerfield has been shown over the years? Do you think it might make the ESPN Top 10? LOL

          156 WAR. Wow. What number is considered really great. I know I see some of you guys talking like 60 or 70 WAR at times.

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          1. You are pretty much a guaranteed HOFer if you have 80+ WAR. Mike Trout already has 86.2 WAR, that’s why we always say that he’s first ballot.

             Over 100+ WAR is a something you might see every 20 years or so. Mike Trout was headed to that until his injury issues.

             156 WAR is beyond ridiculous. Remember when Barry Bonds was destroying pitching (with likely steroids)? His career OPS is 1.051. We haven’t seen anything close to that since.

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             1. You nailed it. 80+ WAR is the line of virtual guranteed HOF admission. The only players who have 80 WAR who aren’t in or aren’t going to get in have other baggage having nothing to do with their baseball achievements (Pete Rose, Curt Schilling).

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                1. Sorry for the typos – I am at work and type quickly between projects.

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    2. Trout is definitely the best comparison. They’re both inner circle HoF players.

       If he signed before FA like Trout he’d likely be low-300s. If he signed in FA, probably 350-400 depending on the market that year.

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       1. Trout WAS the best comparison until he hit an injury wall and his performance went down during his 30s. Incredibly, Mays’ best stretch was from ages 31-36. At age 40, Mays had a 6.3 WAR season. To give that context, I think Harper has had one season over 6.3 WAR and I am NOT trashing Harper. Willie was stupendous in every way.

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    3. Think of the Othani contract with the Dodgers without all of the deferred money as a ballpark figure for what Mays would earn in today’s game.

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28. You guys are awesome in your knowledge and sharing it. For some reason it just struck me that he really did not make that much money considering how great he was. Timing is everything.

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29. Romus. I forgot a couple things they said last night. Willie missed 2 seasons with military obligations though they said he was stationed on a base in Virginia most of the time. Add 2 more WAR years to 156. WOW. Also said his 1st hit was off of Warren Spahn and it was a home run. Spahn joked that he made Mays. Said if he had simply struck him out Willie would have never been any good.

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    1. Don…his rookie year, ’51, his first 32 PAs he had one hit…did not look too good….then he turned it around and the rest is history. And you are correct, he missed about 270 games during the Korean War, his WAR probably would have been around 170.

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30. Phillies need a .300 hitter imo, like Alvara (sp) the lead off guy for Padres, was traded from the marlins. Let schwarber, Harper, castellanos, and turner provide the power. Hopefully bohm can start adding more .. but between bohm, stott, marsh, & realmuto that should be plenty of complementary power. Need people to keep the train moving. A non-strikeout guy would be nice. Walks aren’t as cool as hits but .. I bet they peeve MLB pitchers more

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31. Wrote this on the minors link: Drop one of Marte-Ruiz-Ortiz and put Lazar on the forty. He may turn out to be the Kerkering of this year.

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    1. What’s wrong with Jose Ruiz? As a long man, he’s done exactly what the Phillies want him to do. Eat innings and don’t give up much runs.

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       1. You are right, Guru. I was basically just throwing names out there. Like Martin writes, I should have included Castillo and Allard before casting shade on Ruiz.

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32. Sey Hey Kid, RIP ………… forever an all-star…….. you set a high water mark for decades to follow, not only in performance, but in integrity as well!

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33. Max Castillo and Kolby Allard have not exactly been getting lots of outs this season

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    1. Teams take flyers on street FA pitchers all the time and hope they can get lucky, like Spencer Turnbull. But most of time, they end up like Kolby Allard. But you still have to try because there’s not enough pitching to go around.

       Last year it was Erich Uelmen.

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34. Stott seems to really be out of synch in the box ………….. appears to be guessing (incorrectly) on the pitches and many times on strikes in the inner 3rd recoils like it almost hit him. In a funk, hey stuff happens.

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35. I like the trade banter. Some potential trade candidates I like who could be good fits:

    Bryan Reynolds – probably doesn’t want to be traded, nor will the pirates consider it if they’re still in contention. If they’re out of it by the deadline though, could potentially be in play. Could see something like 2 of Crawford, Caba & Tait + Alghederi/Klassner getting it done.

    Tyler O’Neill – has been mentioned before on here I know and might be more difficult to pry from the Sox now considering they’ve been hot and could still be in contention by the ASG. If the Sox are sellers, I think 1 top 15 and a couple top 30 guys could get it done.

    JJ Bleday and Brent Rooker – both solid righty bats. Rooker could be the righty power bay they need to replace Hoskins’ production from last year. Would imagine it’d take the same/slightly less as O’Neill to get either of them.

    Lane Thomas/Jesse Winker – haven’t heard either mentioned on here. Nats are hovering around .500, but if they become sellers, I like them as an intra-division trade partner > the Mets. Thomas started slow but has been hot and has legit 25-30 HR power from the right side. Winker is having a solid season and shouldn’t be too costly from a prospects standpoint.

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36. These are minor league Phillies that are untouchable, IMO. At least I wouldn’t trade them.

    Painter

    Miller

    Tait

    Crawford

    Practically untouchable:

    Caba

    Klassen

    Aldegheri

    Escobar

    Phillies can’t afford to trade top minor league pitching prospects since they have so few thanks to Painter’s injury, the complete collapse of Abel and McGarry, and the Ben Brown trade.

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    1. If this is your untouchable list, then don’t be angry when the Phillies don’t make any trades.

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       1. I never am when they don’t make desperate trades for rentals or over the hill types. I’m from the Fergie Jenkins era and I don’t want a repeat.

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          1. Like Ryne Sandberg?

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             1. You’ve got to know how to scout your own prospects. It’s not easy. Some of it is luck, but some of it is scouting and projection. It’s hard to know what the Cubs wanted when the Phillies trade for David Robertson, but I think, at the time, McGarry was more highly rated. And yeah, I was behind that too. What we wouldn’t do now, to sub McGarry for Brown in that trade. Brown could be a mid-rotation starter for a long time – and might end up being better than that. Oh well.

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                1. No disagreement there. But the question that I ask is: was Robertson critical to success? Was he valuable? Sure? Did he put us over the top to a WS victory- no? Might we have ended up with the same result without him? Maybe- we’ll never know.

                   Many times, when considering the need for a complimentary piece to a team loaded with stars, the question for me is whether the move is more psychologic for the fans and team or whether the need is so burning that it must be filled even at a painful price in prospects (who may or may not impact the future)?

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                2. based on the WS or bust criteria for evaluating a deal, not sure why everyone still cries about the Jenkins and Sandberg trades. Neither of them ever won a WS.

                   As for Robertson, The Phillies don’t make the playoffs without that trade so giving up Brown was the price of a WSTrip.

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                3. Huh? They gave away two HOFers for two magic bags of beans AND the Phillies didn’t win anything. Historically terrible trades. Please let’s not say the Jenkins and Sandberg trades weren’t bad or were not a big deal. Of course they were.

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37. Matt Winkleman with his updated rankings: https://philliesminorthoughts.com/2024-phillies-prospect-ranking-a-june-snapshot/

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    1. That is a solid read, thanks for posting it.

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    2. Interestingly overlooked Ricardo Perez. Since the Phillies may have apparently already determined he is not in their plans as a catcher within the organization going forward, maybe they should showcase his bat as much as possible. Perhaps he could be moved to another club in a trade package as a catching prospect once again.

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       1. I don’t view him as anything more than a throw-in in a trade right now. Not sure why you’re so fixated him. He’s just another guy in the system. The luster has worn off a bit.

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          1. He hits…luster has worn due to the disciplinary suspension last year…was ranked top ten in his international class. If he does well then other GMs may want to take a chance/

             https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2021/international/

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38. Rojas had a bunt single tonight after a solid single up the middle in his 1st at bat.

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    1. Update: 3 singles and a walk, I think I like Romus’ plan best, I don’t want to see him back until 200 PA’s have occurred and we start seeing some 2b’s & 3b’s hit in the gaps. Rooting for him, want him to succeed.

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    2. Thomson had noted in his press conference after the roster move that Rojas had instructions to bunt at least once per week. Think that’s one of the issues they had with him in Philly.

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       1. update: 4-4 and a finger, yep a finger, I’m not lying so help me, honest I swear, no there are not 2 Rohas’ on the ironpigs, it’s true!

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          1. No, not a finger a dinger, I would like so much to send auto-correct back to the minor’s (developmental).

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39. Thanks you Cole Hamels for the 2008 title and the no-hitter in Chicago. I believe he has the most WAR (59) of any home grown Phillies pitcher in the last 50 years. He’s so good, Aaron Nola barely has half of Cole’s WAR total.

    Fun fact, Cole Hamels doesn’t even have the highest WAR of any player drafted in the 2002 first round. Zack Greinke is #1. Matt Cain was #3.

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40. I’m betting Turnbull goes back to the rotation in four days to face his old teammates in Detroit..

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    1. If Walker doesn’t go on the IL, I’m betting that Walker will get the start but he’s going to be on a very short leash. And I think his next start will determine whether or not he stays in the rotation.

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       1. Thomson is talking to Walker today….to see if he is ‘healthy’. I think that translates to, time to sit it out for awhile.

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          1. If Walker says he’s healthy, it’s going to be an issue. I saw some balls that hit 87. Thomson will have to convince Walker to head to the bullpen, and no starter wants to head there. This could get ugly fast.

             I would be very surprised if Taijuan Walker is on the 2025 opening day roster.

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       2. How can you put a guy on the IL that has stated publicly he is feeling great, but his split just doesn’t feel right.

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41. Looks like the Phillies are finalizing an extension with Cristopher Sanchez to buy out his arbitration years with some team options. This is interesting because he wasn’t eligible for arbitration until 2026, and that means he would have been a FA at age 32. I’ll take a guess at the numbers:

    4 years including arbitration: 1, 3, 5, 8 = $17M

    I’m guessing 3 team options of $13M each with a buyout of $3M each.

    So he’ll get $26M guaranteed from the Phillies, with the potential of becoming a 7 year, 56M deal if all team options are taken.

    Again, this is just a guess on my part.

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    1. And if you’re wondering why Suarez is not getting an extension, don’t hold your breath for it. He’s 1 year away from FA, this is similar to when Nola was 1 year away and rumours eventually came out that he wanted $200M. In the end, he still got $172M.

       Suarez is headed to FA guaranteed. He’s looking to get paid, like all pitchers.

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       1. Suarez’s situation is a bit unique, in that if he maintains his current performance and qualifies as one of three or four nominees for the Cy Young, his last arb year could be an arb value close to or over $20M AAV. This season has been an unexpected pleasant surprise. Now the Phillies could let him do a Nola like you say…he will turn 31 in Aug 2026 his free agent year, and resign him for 4/5 years….or maybe try to buy out his last arb year and still extend him….seems like, at his current performance indicators, that may just as costly as if he reaches free agency on the open market and they resign him anyways..

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          1. Nola played the FA game with the Phillies and still got $172M. There’s no incentive for Suarez to take an early deal, unless the money for FA pitchers collapses, and that hasn’t happened yet, thanks in part to the Phillies. Everybody knows that the Phillies want him back, so it’s a safety net. He’ll still hit FA and see what’s out there. If he doesn’t get crazy money, he’ll just go back to the Phillies.

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             1. The primary incentive for pitchers to take an early extension…fear of injury like a TJ or worse yet a shoulder. The Phillies are a generous org so if they offer to him, he probably will take it. That is of course, unless he hires Boras Co to rep him….then he goes out to the open market.

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    2. As one writer claims….”allows a player to secure life-changing money before a theoretical injury or poor performance lowers their stock, while teams attain the opportunity to delay the player’s free agency for a few seasons.”……….at one time the consensus opinion was that Klentak get taken in the Mead trade.

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42. So Taijuan Walker has a blister? After 2 quality starts in 10 starts? Give me a break.

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    1. It’s a pretty open secret that teams can put a pitcher on the IL basically whenever they feel like. Just the general wear-and-tear from pitching will show enough “damage” to justify it. It’s just a matter of if it’s worth going through the motions.

       For Walker, the conversation was probably, “would you rather work out of the ‘pen or have a couple weeks off to try getting right?”

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    2. And we have two more years of him. Yikes, hope he puts it together.

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       1. Unless Walker gets hot in the second half, he’s gone during the offseason. I think the Phillies can use some combination of Mercado and Painter to take the last starter spot in 2025.

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43. It’s official, Taijuan Walker is on the IL retro to June 22. Turnbull will get at least 2 starts. Michael Mercado has been called up and will make his debut once he gets into a game. Lucky for the Phillies, I think Mercado was in line to pitch today’s game for Lehigh so Mercado should be fully rested.

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44. Anniversary today…..107 years ago…22-year old Babe Ruth starts pitching a game for the Red Sox vs Washington Nationals. Walks first batter, Ray Morgan , on four pitches…Ruth gets mad and punches home plate umpire, Brick Owens, in the face. Gets ejected from the game….Ernie Shore relieves, Morgan gets caught stealing, Shore retires the next 26 batters,  and pitches a perfect game….oops, since Ruth walked the lead-off hitter it was later relabeled just a no -hitter.

    Washington Nationals vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: June 23, 1917 | Baseball-Reference.com

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45. Is it just me or Rojas seem to be a better bat than Pache?

    Don’t get me wrong both sort of look outmatched at times.

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    1. The gap between AAA and the bigs is enormous. While Rojas doing well at AAA is a positive sign, he still has to get it done at the ML level.

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    2. Yes, Rojas is a better hitter than Pache but he has options and Pache doesn’t.

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46. Missed today’s game but am delighted to see Sanchez threw up zeros on the day after he extended.

    Untouchables: Hardly such a thing for me, but maybe gotta keep Painter to see how he’ll turn out post TJ; intrigued by Caba, but has a long, long way to go. If I had to choose between Miller and Crawford, I’d let Crawford go. Just have this feeling he may prove to be a AAAA speedster-glove guy.

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47. So far 59 innings pitched without allowing a HR…Sanchez is working in the elite category with that metric.

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48. Ran across this article this week during the Willie Mays tributes. In 1963 Marichual and Spahn were locked in a pitchers dual (shutout) for 16 innings. Marichual threw 227 pitches and Spahn 201. Spahn was 42 years old at the time. Mays came to bat and hit a HR ending the game. Spahn said “the pitch was a helluva pitch for the first 60′”. Later claimed he made Willie the man he became. Future abs thereafter Willie was 1-25 against Spahn. Imagine throwing 2 times what is the regular limit of pitches today in one game.

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49. Sanchez 1 HR allowed, Logan Webb is 2nd with 5. This site was ALWAYS filled with Curtis Mead posts, so who deserves the credit? Klentak or Caleb? Along with CS.

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50. Romus. Son is taking the little guy Wednesday to Detroit to see Phillies vs Tigers. I think once again they are really close to the Phillies dugout. I know he is excited. He told me when he was leaving for his travel game Saturday. I saw again something I am not sure I have seen before over the weekend. Team scored 2 runs in an inning. Eight batters batted. No ball was hit fair. 3 walks, 2 hbp, and 3 k’s. It was super weird.

    Sanchez was really good yesterday. I am surprised Phillies went 5 starts and losses with Walker before making a move. As we all know every game counts. Hoping they can find someone who is effective in that spot. The other 4 have been great but you cannot give one game in 5 away.

    Finally, I have been watching CWS finals. Looks to me Vols have adopted the MLB approach. Home run or strikeout. 2 HR’s saved them yesterday. 17K’s doomed them Saturday night. See what happens tonight in game 3.

    See it is really hot in Philly. Stay cool. It has been mid 90’s here as well for several days.

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51. Here is a question for the draft guys. I have seen Philly having interest for the North Carolina outfielder at pick 27. He has lots of home runs. I did not get to see them play any. I have noticed in the games I have seen in the CWS that many players have several home runs. So, my question to anyone is it attributed to the bat, balls maybe carrying farther or none of the previous. The thing I noticed in these final games that some of these guys hitting the balls out are not really big guys. So, I just wondered. Thanks.

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    1. Don…those aluminum bats are ridiculous. MLB scouts take that into consideration…..the scouts also will flock to the summer leagues, like the Cape Cod League and the Northwoods League…..college guys have to use wood bats. Division One baseball colleges should partner with MLB and together to find a way to use wood bats. When it comes to financing it….I think it can be done, both D1 colleges and MLB are raking in the $$$$.

       Also hope grandson enjoys the game on Wednesday…looks like Turnbull may get the start vs his old teammates.

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    2. Don…the power bat OFer you are referring to is RHH Vance Honeycutt. Great power and size……but has a lot of swing and miss….but apparently that would work in the Phillies OF.

       https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/vance-honeycutt-701689

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52. Romus. I knew it was Honeycutt. I played softball with some Honeycutt’s back in the day. I was informed last year that bats are no longer aluminum. They are composite bats. I did not know that one of them would break but they do sometimes. Plus, they supposedly only have so many hits in them I was told so kids use an old bat for batting practice. Oldest grandson bat handle broke a year ago after a couple months. Shipped it back off to Oregon I believe, and they fixed it or sent him a new one. But it was under warranty. It was one of those $500 bats but almost all of them are now. So, these bats are supposed to be toned down from ones of years ago. In regard to Honeycutt with lots of swing and miss most have lots of swing and miss. Did you notice I mentioned that Tennessee had 17 Ks in the game 1 final. A & M only had to get 10 defensive outs. The day of the line drive hitter is disappearing. Whoever worked with oldest grand kid over the winter has him hitting lots of fly ball outs rather than line drive ball into the gaps. But they all swing for the fences. Just a different time.

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    1. Don…..so now they morphed from alloy to a polymer of sorts….and now bats are composite….anything to make it easy to hit the ball further and lighter to swing to generate better bat speed…sheeesh.

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53. Romus. Yes. I mentioned aluminum last year and they looked at me like I was stupid. I did not know they changed the makeup. But I do now. I do know they are all Super expensive. The bats for the 9U kid are like $500. He has 2 or 3. So, the way they are now is they are like 31 or 28 and drop 10 for a little guy. Meaning 21 or 18 oz. The older ones have a smaller drop like a drop 3. Say 32 length and drop 3 means 29 oz. There are many different sizes. Plus, they all want a different one. Till last Spring I did not know they broke, or they can be fixed. Or they have a warranty for a year I think it was. Plus, they have like 20 other items the kids can buy to wear as well. You name it you can buy it. Also, those bats are much better for strikeouts and long fly balls. I watch that weekly. BTW I am still upset from Babe Ruth days when I saved my money and bought, I think it was a Johnny Callison bat and let one of my teammates use it and he broke it the first time. I never got to use it. Callison had a thicker handle. I did not like the thin handled bats. Those were like ancient days now. LOL

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    1. Yes….I see the new composites after 2/3 years lose their pop…as it said. What a rip off.

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    2. Remember the old fungo bats…I guess there is no need for them anymore.

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54. I do remember the fungo bats. Here is a funny that I see frequently. Coaches who cannot throw a ball up very well and hit infield or outfield practice. I learned to do that throwing rocks up and hitting into or fields at home as a kid.

    HIs bat a year ago was bought for Christmas. It broke by the end of April. But they did get it back pretty quickly. Ten days or so from west coast. I think you are being really generous with the 2/3 year. Might be more like months. They get new bats every year. They all have 2 or 3 bats in their back bag. Go to Dick’s and look at prices.

    I aimed to mention earlier. I see Sporting News has an article up saying many Phillies are leading in All Star balloting. They mention it might be a record. Since pitchers are selected, I guess we are only speaking of the 8 starting spots. I did not read just saw caption. Know Bohm and Harper are at the top.

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55. Romus. CBS has most recent voting. Phillies and Orioles have 6 guys who may move on to Phase 2 of voting. Bohm and Harper lead. JT, Marsh, Turner, Casty are 2nd. Stott and Schwarber are trying to catch Araez and Ozuna. Article says it wonders if Philly fans will get them in. Voting ends June 27. Soon

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    1. Stott is really having a down year…he does not deserve an all-star selection…..also noticed he is ranked 232nd in MLB in EV….86.2 mph….and Barrels/PA% comes in at 227th with 2.8…. Johan Rojas who is ranked 228th in MLB is at 2.6 Barrels/PA.%.

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56. Closing this discussion. New discussion at

    Phillies Discussion, 6/24/24 | Phuture Phillies

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