230 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion, 9/8/24”

1. They play the Mets twice, and the Brewers. Let us not forget that they also play the Cubs and Rays, two teams that are playing really well of late. Up 7 is fine but this is no time to let down.

   Suarez with a gimpy back and no number 5 starter can be an opening for the Phillies to get knocked out of the bye round, not to mention possibly, just possibly not winning the division.

   As Mr. Jim wrote, splitting with the Marlins (after winning the first two) was not a good sign at all. The seven games with the Mets are critical. They really need to win at least 3 of those games.

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2. The only comment I would make is not sure this is the time for Phillies to be in a pacing mode. This morning LA has 86 wins. Phillies 85 and Brewers 82. It is my belief that maybe those 3 or 4 starts left for the number 5 spot might be the difference of being the 1, 2 or 3 seed in playoffs. It is my feeling that this may be the year to be a 1 or 2. It is going to be close for many of these spots these last few weeks. I just hope the Phillies can find someone who can at least keep the team competitive in these games. It is just so hard to comeback if you get so far behind so early in the game. Hopefully these young Phillies pitchers can learn from their auditions and come back at a later time ready to contribute.

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   1. Seeding could be real important if all three west coast teams get in. Being the wrong seed could mean a lot of cross country trips for two series in a row.

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3. Is there a current day Marty Bystrom anywhere in the Phillies system? Help!

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   1. You may want to check the hotels in Anaheim for somebody that speaks fluent Italian.

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4. Jim, I agree 100% with you on those last two games. The Phillies basically allowed a minor league Marlins team to put 19 runs on the board in those last 2 games. I remember 1964 well and I remember 2007 well. You have not won now your division until you win. Plus, those top 2 seeds are so much in play as of today. Phillies get a leg up and then give it right back. That is one of my concerns with this team. I know the season is long. I know the players get tired. But for me a really topflight team just does not get the daylights beat out of them. This has happened several times since that 18-3 drubbing by the A’s at All Star break.

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   1. The marlins are not the white Sox. They have a few talented players at the top of that lineup and some pitchers with good stuff.

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5. Next 13 games will make or break the Phillies.

   My fear is Nola not performing up to his standard….he pitches Thursday vs the Mets, then again vs the Brewers. He cannot afford to have his career Sept blahs.

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6. My question was – Marlins had one legit hitter in their lineup – Connor Norby who had smoked them for homers or hard hit balls in the previous 2 games they won – what in the world were they even pitching to him for ???

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7. Everyone needs to relax a bit. The last 2 games in Miami sucked but they are still in a comfortable position. Fanbase needs to get rid of the loser mindset that something bad is always going to happen.

   The Phillies need to go 9-10 in the last 19 games to get to 94 wins. That means these teams must go:

   Atl – 16-3
   NYM – 16-3
   Mil – 13-7
   LAD – 9-9.

   They have 3 games remaining with TB, 7 with the Mets, 3 with Mil, 3 with Cubs, and 3 with Nationals.

   Braves still have 4 games with Dodgers and 3 with Mets,

   Mets have 7 with Phillies, 3 with Braves, and 3 with Milwaukee

   Brewers still play 3 with Mets, 3 with Phillies and 7 with Arizona.

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   1. Should have noted that those are the numbers to win the division and potential a top-2 playoff position.

      To miss the playoffs completely, both the Mets AND Braves would have to go 16-3.

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   2. Thanks for that information……makes things more reassuring by the numbers.

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      1. yes!!! Especially since either the Mets or Braves are likely to lose when they play each other

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8. Romus. That is good info that 3up provides. My concern is not making the playoffs now. My concern is getting that 1 or 2 seed that I believe is an important thing this season. Maybe more than in a normal basis. Phillies own tiebreaker with Dodgers and need to win 1 game vs Brewers to gain tiebreaker with them. But a two or three game losing streak by anyone now can prove to be very detrimental at least to the seeding.

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9. If I could choose a seed for the Phillies – its the 2 seed. 1 seed and you get the winner of 4/5 which is probably Arizona/San Diego. Two teams I would not want to see in the NLDS. Let them knock each other off and then battle LA. Give me the winner of Brewers and ATL/NYM.

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   1. Jersey. You are correct that most likely it will be Arizona vs SD. Do not think either is going to catch Dodgers now though still possible. I agree they seem to be not the best matchups. Phillies seem to play Brewers well and we all know how Mets and Braves match up. Wherever the Phillies finish it will not be a cakewalk. I like the position they had last Fall when they led 3-2 in the NLCS with the next two games at CBP. Oops that did not end well. Guess I do not like that so well. No matter it is going to be tough. Phillies may matchup the best with Dodgers of all the teams.

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10. Nola had a rare clunker and Seth Johnson was shockingly lit up. They didnt have much life on Sunday.

    I have zero concerns because, A) Nola will be clutch come playoffs, B) Walker won’t pitch in playoffs, C) 5th starter won’t be a necessity in playoffs, D) hopefully everyone will be healthy

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11. Really important to win tonight’s game and get off to a good start, really set the tone.

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    1. Yes agree……they must rebound …..what is the word they always use these days? ..resiliency

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12. I truly believe the umpires should be checking Casty’s glove for “stickem” after maybe the 1rst & 6th innings! Any ball that hits that glove sticks!😎

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13. Thrilled they pinch hit for Marsh with a guy with zero situational awareness. Maybe take a strike against the guy walking everyone?

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14. Hoosier Don ……… oldtime baseball, 2 guys in front of you walk, pitcher fires the first 2 in the dirt, next pitch you hit into a double play, ….. are you kidding me?

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    1. oldruff. This game had a bit of everything in a 2-1 Phillies victory. Great job by Sanchez. Great job by the bullpen. Estevez included. Really difficult to recover after the home run play. But he did. Almost a great catch by Rojas. He just did not quite get in the right position. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you do not. And yes, baseball is a game of inches. I have mentioned before that I really like Clemens. Really happy for him and I just had a feeling he would come through. One thing before my next comments is I guarantee that he will always like Casty hustle down the first base line or for that matter any time. It is in his DNA. Dad would not have taught him to play any different than that.

       Now to the not so good. Maybe Marsh was pinch hit for because he dogged it down the first base line. He is safe easily if he hustles. Bohm does it frequently as well. I was always coached in all sports, and I coached the same way. It requires no talent to play hard and hustle. The Wilson move back in my playing days and coaching would have meant you did not play again for quite a while. The guy has walked the two in front of you, has thrown like 6 or 8 straight balls including 2 to you and you do what he did. Some here will say the game today is different. That is true. But stupid is stupid. That was stupid. Harper is great. But we have seen that move many times before. Fortunately, last night it did not come back to bite the Phillies. A month from now who knows.

       I wonder if Casty may have set a record for putouts by a right fielder in a game. He sure had several. I know there are many detractors here of him. I have talked about how big his bat is. I know he takes good pitches and swings at bad pitches. But he always hustles, and he never complains. He could have been my teammate, and he would have played for me if I was the coach or manager. I fully understand why Topper always writes his name in the lineup. You know exactly what you are going to get every game. The best he can give.

       Let’s get win 2 tonight.

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15. I like Weston, but removing Marsh from the game late when we have the lead is just dumb. He’s a Gold Glove left fielder. Having him and Rojas out there makes the job tremendously easier for our pitchers.

    And of course he then proceeded to kill a potentially big inning by swing at a bad pitch with against a struggling pitcher.

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16. 2nd time this week Harper admires a homerun, not …….. run will ya run! Good ab by Kennedy. Clemons you are the man!

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17. ESPN has Kolby Allard starting on Saturday vs the hated Mets.

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18. I don’t have a box score report tonight, so I’ll drop this here.

    I watched Painter throw another live BP this afternoon. I arrived early enough to watch him finish his long toss on Schmidt. I would guess that he got as far as 200-225 feet from his catcher. When he finished, he took a short break, changed, and made his way to Roberts with catcher Brahian Silva and hitters Kodey Shojinaga and Juan Villavicencio. There were far fewer spectators today – a coach, a couple trainers, a video guy, and a couple bloggers. No brass. After 8 warmup pitches where he did that thing where he positions the catcher’s glove and hits the spot, he was ready. He went through his full repertoire again. He got a couple whiffs on high heat and froze batters with a couple knee-buckling off speed pitches. The only ball put in play was a can of corn to centerfield. One think that I didn’t notice last week was that the coach would call in situations like 1 and 1 with a runner on first. When he threw his 15th pitch, the session was over. His velocity seemed as good as last week. His location seemed a little less sharp, maybe because he had 2 extra days off (he was supposed to throw Saturday and didn’t). Thomson said the plan was for him to throw every third day. So, Thursday it is. I wonder if they would consider letting him throw in the Threshers’ playoff game.

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    1. what an excellent report! I believe Painter is now back up to the top 50 prospects in baseball and the Phillies second highest prospect per MLB at #33

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       1. I went from 1 pitcher a decade … if that… to almost a full grown All-Star home grown rotation:

          Nola, Suarez, Sanchez… and not to anger the baseball powers that be… I’ll let you finish the rest. 3 ain’t to shabby, but I will gladly accept more.

          This run really needs a championship to cement its place in Phillies History.

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          1. Agree.

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19. There use to be a time in baseball…ages ago…when the manager would give the signal to a batter to “take a strike”…..evidently that has now made its way out thru the sands of time. Now it must be ‘swing at will’ as last night surely indicated.

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    1. I picked up one of Rob’s signals over the past few games. He shakes his head ……. (with this expression 😖) … it means ….. we’ll talk after the game! I wish I could pick up the one that telegraph …….. think, think, think, think!

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       1. oldruff. I have seen that expression. Maybe it is the crowd noise that mixes them up. LOL

          Regarding the 3 missteps last evening that fortunately did not end up impacting the final score. I only know one thing. The guy I played for back in 1971 at South Alabama would never have tolerated any of the three. Would have made no difference where you stood on the rank and file. I learned so much in the time I was there from him. He used me to send a message to his top guys. I got to play right field in a game. Made a really nice running catch in right center. I knew to run in as fast as I could. We all knew. But our dugout was on the 3B line, and I was last. Coach Stanky went ballistic on me, and you could have heard a sunflower seed hit the dugout floor. I was never ever last again in the times I got to play. I know this is 53 years later and we are only dinosaurs.

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          1. Sorry Don but while I agree that players too often don’t run to 1st base enough anymore the performative aspects of running off the field as fast as possible, etc. have rightly been thrown in the dustbin of history.

             I also grew up with coaches who loved to show how tough they were by playing those types of games and it didn’t make the team any better.

             Coach Stanky might have managed to make you run off the field faster but did he make you a better baseball player?

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             1. I politely disagree. He made me a much better player in the time I was there. Plus, I took a lot of it with me for many years after. The point was not running off the field. It was simply being accountable for your actions.

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    2. Basically, Romus that was not necessary. Players knew how to play the game to win. Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore. Wilson is by far not the only player who has and will do that. But it does mean he really while warming up has no clue what the game situation is at the time. He was a pinch hitter, so he only had like over 2 hours to know what the situation was. Stupid is what stupid is. That was stupid. I do think you are close. Even the automatic take on 3-0 is ignored by many guys who I would not call elite hitters today. That is on the manager who simply puts his head down when his guy hits the ball off the wall and barely makes it to 1B.

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       1. What do you want Thompson to do, pull Harper mid game in a tie ballgame? Unfortunately, it is what it is. The Larry Bowa style of managing no longer exists, and if you recall, they never made the playoffs with him and by the end of the seasons, players couldnt wait to be done. I just don’t get what fans want him to do in a situation like that. Harper is the franchise, the manager isnt going to embarrass him and create animosity as we approach mid-september. You take the good with the bad with a guy like Harper.

          Also, I have a hot take; not 100% sure harper isnt thrown out if he is running and goes for 2nd. Ball was a rocket and played nicely off the wall. Certainly would have been close.

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          1. FWIW….Harper did go up to Thomson afterwards and apologized for the lack of hustle…..and I think I heard them say he also apologized to his teammates. So he knew he made a mistake in judgement.

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          2. I would add to your hot take that I was more concerned about Harper trying to steal 2b afterwards to try to make it up.

             Was glad that he didn’t go there and compound the mistake.

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             1. Yup, everyone in the building and everybody watching/listening expected that. Good on him to know that and not give them another out. Also, Buddy Kennedy may never play for the Phils again in a meaningful moment, but hell always have that at bat with the crowd chanting his name. Thats just awesome.

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                1. Dan. I am with you on Buddy’s at bat. It was awesome. Without its Phillies most likely do not win in at least 9. Like Phillips shutout that at bat will be something he will always remember fondly. One thing I have noticed this year with the guys the Phillies have brought up is with the exception of Seth Johnson on Sunday almost all have contributed positively initially. Then some have had issuers later. My favorite guy of those who have gone back and forth is Kody Clemens. I just really like the way he plays. He is a guy I hope the Phillies can find a place for going forward. Not many times one has 40,000 people chanting your name. Plus, he maintained his focus. Maybe Seth can have that moment sometime going forward.

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20. Guys I have no issue if Harper had decided to stay at 1B. That may have been the best option. But in this case, it was the only option in a 1-1 game in the 9th inning. What if the ball had not come back to the fielder. He is still at 1B. My only point is I want guys to hustle that is all. He may have decided not to go although that most likely is not what he has done in the past. I am also fine with him not stealing. Some Phillies guys are not the only ones who do not hustle at times. That is just the way things are today.

    Romus. There should never be a need to apologize to your manager or teammates. Simply do your best. That is all one can ask of anyone. I sure hope Rojas did not feel the need to apologize to everyone after the home run. He did everything possible other than hold onto the ball. Simply bad luck.

    Guys I realize I am from an era where you were expected to play hard. Not just when the mood struck you to do that. I will be honest, and I see lots of games. For all the grief he takes on this site I have never seen Casty not do his best. Sometimes that is not good enough, but I am ok with that. Lack of effort is never up for debate.

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    1. No one is absolving Harper for not running to first base, he screwed up thinking he had just hit a game winning HR. He also knew immediately that he had screwed up and did what he should have, apologized to the manager and his teammates afterwards.

       My issue is that too many people from our era act like these guys aren’t playing hard, when the fact is they work harder today than players ever have. All of them spend hours every day both during the season and during the off-season working in the batting cages, lifting weights, studying video, etc. There’s a reason everyone throws 95+ and hitters are physical specimens. I have read plenty of stories about guys like Mickey Mantle showing up at the park still drunk from being out the night before.

       Yes, many players today don’t bust it down the line every time anymore, but I also think there is a bit of an organizational mindset in the league that would rather a guy not pull a muscle trying to beat out a routine grounder vs. spending 3 weeks on the IL because they tweaked something while getting thrown out by a step.

       Money is certainly a factor with player salaries but so is the fact that the overall talent pool is thinner and replacing MLB players with minor league players hurts the team’s overall chances.

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    2. I get your point, but you picked the only player to openly ADMIT that he can’t focus for the entire game during the regular season. And I can also promise you that he does not sprint to first on every ball in play.

       It’s not okay to stand in the batter’s box while the ball is still in play. But I also don’t mind players not killing themselves to sprint on a routine out.

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21. I will never understand how anyone, who loves baseball thinks it’s okay not to run hard on the bases . I. Don’t care if it’s a comeback to the pitcher You run hard.

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22. Rocco. I agree with you. That is just the way I was taught. But a different world these days. I always taught the young kids if they can simply put the ball in play 3 things must happen to get them out. The fielder must field the ball even is so called routine, make a good throw even if routine and finally 1B must catch the ball even in the batted ball was so called routine. Somewhere before the 1B catches the ball something may not go as hoped. That is why you always run hard. Oh well.

    But a really nice game by the Phillies last night. Contributions by many different players. Great job there. However, there may be some reason now for concern with Ranger. He appears to me to be healthy. But it is obvious he is not pitching as he did before the injury or simply early in the season. If the Phillies are to move forward in the playoffs, they need both Ranger and Nola at the top of their games. I do think the bullpen guys have righted the ship and are ready to go.

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    1. Don: Ranger’s overall velo has  decline this season.

       Just in his FB:

       April- 92.6….May- 92……June- 92…..July- 91.8….Aug- 92

       The last three years it has averaged from 93.4 to 93.8.

       I think they will want to see a few more starts this year and if it is more of the same from the latest outings, they then will wait until next season, evaluating him again, before making an offering on a LTC. Not to much different then what they did with Nola. Seems many Latin pitchers tend to lose velo as their career progresses into their late 20s and early 30s….I guess that is it with many pitchers…but, the truly great ones can keep the velo up later in their careers.

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       1. Romus. You make many good points. The only thing I will say is it appears at least from how Ranger looks in the dugout is that he is healthy. I am not a pitching guru so no idea why the loss in velo and really movement of other pitches last night. As some have mentioned on here with some of the guys the Phillies have tried in the 5th spot there is such a fine line to being able to be successful at the major league level and not. My concern last night with Ranger would have been how hard he was getting hit. Rob tried to milk one more inning because his pitch count was still low but just did not happen. I do believe for the Phillies to have long term success in the playoffs Nola and Ranger will need to contribute. Wheeler and Sanchez are on their games, but I think more will be needed. I do think the BP guys have regained their mojo again. That is a good thing.

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       2. It’s natural for pitchers to lose velocity as they age. Remember Patrick Corbin? He used to be super nasty throwing 95+. Now he’s throwing 91-92 and he’s way more hittable.

          That’s why you have to be careful giving long deals to starting pitching.

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23. What I don’t understand is how team thinks Kennedy is a better option than Kingery. Jetpax has had a great season, plays multiple positions. He is way overdue for a shot at redemption. Using the excuse that he is not on 40 man roster is bogus. Hope the local kid Kennedy shines, but don’t tell me he offers the team more value than Kingery.

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    1. No, I’m going to say it.

       At least as a hitter, Buddy Kennedy has statistically been better, has continued projection and the Phillies are justified in thinking he is better for their needs right now.

       This year’s OPS

       Kingery – .825 OPS

       Kennedy – .837 (and .910 with LhV) OPS

       Lifetime minor league OPS

       Kingery – .763 OPS

       Kennedy – .821 OPS

       Age

       Kennedy – 25

       Kingery – 30

       Look, Kingery has worked hard to improve and he has an interesting profile, including his speed on the bases and he’s probably a better fielder, but Kennedy is pretty clearly the better offensive player and he’s younger, so he has added projection. And Kingery has a long and not very good major league history. They were more than justified in giving Kennedy the opportunity (and, so far, he is rewarding their confidence), although I wouldn’t mind if they gave Kingery another shot at some point.

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       1. And, sadly, the MLB, or any professional sports league really, is not about “rewarding” guys who have worked hard. It’s about putting the best roster on the field/court. Sometimes, in a close case, a guy will get rewarded for working hard and paying dues – it happens. But that’s not generally how decisions are made in professional sports.

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    2. Scott Kingery is 30 and not only did he get his shot, he got paid. So the Phillies have a long memory in that the Phillies gave him $24M and got zilch out of it.

       Time for somebody else to get a shot.

       After this season, Kingery will be moving on elsewhere.

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24. By the way, I am a little taken aback by the Bryce Harper blow back on his failure to run. I think, he just got wrapped up in the moment and thought he was about to get into a home run trot. It was a misjudgment of the play. Also, sometimes, he hits a bad ball and gets so frustrated he doesn’t run hard. Listen, Bryce Harper should always run as hard as he can – there’s no excuse for that and he clearly should have run hard from the time he hit the ball the other day. But Bryce Harper is not an unmotivated or lazy player and he showed that last night by hustling like crazy. I just think this whole thing is a tempest in a teapot.

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    1. The fact that he did it twice in a week’s time is what the blow back is ………. the first time he made it to 2nd, but a good throw would have had him out by 3′. It’s a bad habit, you don’t need to admire your handiwork, Utley never did …….. you don’t need to do the 100 meter dash ……. just start running!

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       1. No argument that he should run hard all the time. But Bryce Harper is pretty Philadelphia savvy and, again, he’s not a lazy player, so I expect him to react accordingly. He gets caught up in the moment, but it’s not an excuse and it is a habit.

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          1. I think possibly his tweaking his elbow has hampered his HR production somewhat and he isn’t quite getting the distance he got prior to the injury and now Schwarber with a similar injury, who also, incidentally admires his dingers, but usually his are mammoth and no doubters.

             We are starting to really get dinged up. It will be nice to get JT and Bohm back soon, however the “duct tape” from Lehigh did a really good job last night.

             Need to keep our eye on Ranger, no need to rush out and sign him long term yet.

             Keep the petal to the metal and relax later, huh?

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             1. oldruff. I do not think it is blowback for Marsh and Harper on Monday night. My point is all players need to respect the game. That is all. I am sure as catch mentions that Bryce was ready for the HR trot to the cheers of 40,000. I get that. But the point was the game was 1-1. Bottom of the ninth. Not the middle of the game as someone said yesterday. Marsh last night was great running the bases. I thought he was very aggressive and alert. I always want guys who anticipate what is going to happen rather than those who react. That is my General Knight reference of the day. Harper was able to run when he saw those 3 doubles last night. As I mentioned yesterday, he may have had to stop at 1B because of the ball coming back to the fielder. I am fine with that. But since he stood there that was the only option. I am 100% sure we all want the same final outcome. I just want to sit down at night and when I watch the games, I want all players on all teams to respect the game. One last point since Romus and someone are mentioning Marchan below. JT is without a doubt the most banged up player on the Phillies. He takes a beating every game. He probably needs an ice bath after each game. He may hurt more than all the other 25 combined. But he always runs through the base. Never does he loaf. That is all we want to see. Respect the game.

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25. I’m pretty confident it won’t happen but if Rafael Marchan is now healthy, I’d give him a call-up to be a 3rd catcher. He has a clear path to a useful role on the 2025 roster and gives the team a more viable depth at the position now.

    Players returning from the IL present a roster crunch but if the team were instantly 100 % healthy, Marchan offers more roster value than Garcia, Kennedy, Stevenson and Wilson — and Wilson is the only player I might miss. But on a healthy team, Wilson is a 5/6 outfielder and a 7th infielder.The more Realmuto can be rested without a severe drop-off before the post-season, the better.

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    1. Marchan would be the ideal back-up…..great defensive catcher, calls a good game, plus arm and switch hitter who makes contact. Now if he can stay healthy.

       You have to assume in a 24/25 week season the regular catcher will be given off at least one game per week at a minimum, eg Sunday day game after a Saturday night game…..and as many injuries that JTR has experience over the last three years…he still has managed to catch approx 135 games on average the last three seasons. So it behooves Marchan to remain healthy as his back-up, and he would get to start at least 25 games a season.

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       1. Romus. Just me. But I think the Phillies like Stubbs better than Marchan. Stubbs has many of the same traits as Casty. I have no idea if one of both or neither return in 25. But I can tell from here in Indiana that the brass like them.

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          1. Yes they do. They must also like Marchan since they still hang onto him. He will be 26 next season. Took awhile for Chooch to break thru. They will have to make a decision…keep Stubbs and let Marchan toil at LHV, or move on from Stubbs. Still looks like they will carry three catchers on their 40 come December.

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             1. I am not a Marchan detractor at all. I have liked him every time he has been given a chance. Chooch is a good comparison for him. One just never knows other than health issues. Chooch was pretty dependable. Like I said I have no idea what the future hold or what the playoffs look like for in a month from now. But I can tell that Stubbs has all the traits that are admired by DD and Topper. You can see it from my living room in Indiana. Sure, everyone would like for him to hit more. But he always makes a concerted effort whatever that may be to help the team win in the games he catches. Plus, like JT he takes a beating as well. He is much like the Eveready Bunny.

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26. F-Flea – Agree totally about Marchan. I have always been a big supporter. I think management wants to give him a couple more games of rehab at LHV and then they will replace Garcia with Marchan.

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27. If Realmuto were 28, then Stubbs — as a back-up — is a luxury they could afford. But an aging Realmuto suggests both the need for a back-up who can assume a heavier load and then become Realmuto’s eventual successor. Stubbs is not that guy. Marchan may or may not be. There’s no other on the immediate horizon.

    If Eduardo Tait is projected as a candidate starter by 2027 or later, the best case is a low cost/no cost stopgap, rather than trading for one from outside the organization. Given Realmuto’s approaching ‘use by’ date, time invested in Marchan now to me is a sound investment.

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28. Romus ………. do we have any relief pitchers anymore that have a psychic demeanor like the “Mad Hungarian”?

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    1. oldruff. No idea for Romus. But I am very impressed with the BP at this time. Appears they have returned to the dominant force they were. One of the big improvements is in the free pass area. Way too many walks back when they were struggling. Great win. Nice sweep and good to be 30 games over 500. Good job Phillies’ Bring on the Mets.

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29. Great, great win for the red pinstripes tonight. Even though Wheeler had 8 Ks he wasn’t really that sharp. As usual, he gutted it out. Nice job by our whipping boy, Castellanos, to homer and score 2 of the 3 runs. Got to admit that the guy is always hustling.

    Up 8 with 16 to go. However, as always a “however”, the Mets come in playing incredible baseball with a pitching staff that has been lights out. Need to get on Quintana and have a stellar outing from whipping boy #2 Nola. It’s fun when they win. That’s for sure.

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30. Phillies have now gone 19-8 over the last 27 games. What has been the biggest reason. For me it is the bullpen becoming the dominant force they were the first few months. Hoping it can continue. Right now, I would put the Phillies guys up against anyone in the NL

    Now teams are hitting the homestretch to the 24 season. Phillies as of today are the 1 seed. They may soon possibly as early as this weekend be in a position to almost determine whether they want to be 1 or 2. They now have quite a bit of room with the Brewers and hold tiebreaker with Dodgers.

    So here is my question. It was mentioned earlier that maybe the 2 seed is best. IF Phillies end up 1 then most likely Dbacks vs Padre’s winner. Is that a matchup preferred. Both are very good on the backend but do Phillies maybe have an edge with the starters? Or at 2 seed the winner of the Brewers vs Mets or Braves. Would it be a detriment if it is the Mets, and the Phillies have just played 7 games against them to end the season. Or an advantage? If the Phillies continue to play well, I think they may have the opportunity to almost decide for themselves which they prefer. Just my thoughts. Anyone else?

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    1. I mentioned it earlier but I am in the camp of the 2 seed to avoid Arizona and/or San Diego as long as possible. Let them beat each other and then face LA. I have scars from last NLCS w/ how Lovullo used those arms to attack us after Game 2. And all the moves SD made at the deadline to the backend of the bullpen was impressive. I do like our strength – pitching and especially now the bullpen – vs. the Brewers and the Mets/Braves. Atlanta with their three starters in a five game series would be worrisome but still would like the Phils. And call me crazy, I like how we match up in a 7 game series vs. LA.

       In the playoffs I feel confident in two things – starting pitching and bullpen. I think Ranger will be fine come October. The question is and always will be the lineup. Watching them beat up on McCullers one day and then get no-hit the next. And then watching them crush Arizona in Game 1 and 2 but then bats go silent for the rest of the series was painful to watch. Finally, our homefield advantage is a great thing but slightly overrated. Final two home games in 2022 and 2023 we lost.

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31. Rays’ pitcher last night 29-year old Drew Rasmussen……TMac says he has had three TJ surgeries in the last 7 years…..that may be a first for me to see….. a guy accomplish that and still bring the heat upwards of 97/98. And he has pitched every year for the last 5 years-2020 thru 2024…….something seems amiss there, I am skeptical .

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    1. Romus. I heard that. Plus, T Mac said when he came in, he would most likely pitch 2 innings and later said he will be a starter next year. I agree the math may not add up. Believe he said all were the same operation. Kurk applauded him for his persistence. If he has pitched some each year, I doubt math is correct. I agree with your skeptics.

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       1. I think TMac got lost in the weeded details .Rasmussen underwent his first TJ in March 2016 as a sophomore at Oregon State. He came back throwing well and was drafted with the 31st overall pick by the Rays in June 2017, but they declined to sign him, apparently due to health concerns. He underwent a second Tommy John surgery in August 2017. But me thinks, his third elbow procedure was of the ‘internal brace’ method…..like Spencer Strider had done…this is done where an athlete’s existing UCL is reinforced with a tape-like suture that is anchored into the humerus and ulna. So technically he may have three elbow procedures but not sure it was three distinct TJ surgeries…just maybe the first two.

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    2. For some reason, I thought you could only have the procedure done twice and still be competitive. Medicine and Dr.s make me say ………. huh?…… a good deal, so medical comprehension is not a strong asset with me.

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       1. Guys. I am not sure. I am not a medical specialist. I know it is done much sooner now than it used to be. I do have a question. Why would you draft someone that high and not sign? Are you not supposed to do your homework before the pick. Then he ends up with the Rays anyway. I know medical things are so much better than back in my day. Surgery then kind of meant the end of career in most cases. Just took too long for recovery. But I also know that if surgery was probably needed it really never gets better on its own.

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32. Romus and oldruff. Just for fun. Let’s put the Dodgers and Phillies in the 1 and 2 seeds. They are kind of getting away from the Brewers with not many games to go. I know things can change but as of this morning Phillies have 88, LA 87 and Brew Crew 83 wins. So here is my question to the both of you. Among the four teams who make the playoff besides seeds 1 and 2. Rank the teams in order of your preference who you would like to see the Phillies face in the NLDS. You can put the Phillies at 1 or 2 if you like for this exercise.

    Mine. Brewers, Padres, Mets or Braves, Dbacks.

    Really feel the Phillies match up best with Brewers of this group. I have the Dbacks at 4 because after last Fall they have no fear of the Phillies. Might even be more confident. None of the 4 will be a cake walk.

    In AL KC looks good. Believe it or not Detroit is only 3 back of Minnesota.

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    1. Your order is good, but might want to flip flop Mets and Braves, depends on results of this next 3 game set. Last definitely are the D-backs, they have no fear or respect for us!

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       1. Mets and Braves are the same. Only 1 is going to make it.

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33. FWIW (prob not much ) Painter and Crawford are #1 and #2 on Bowden’s list of top 50 prospects throughout MLB released today

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    1. To clarify, this is a list of prospects he expects to place in his top 50 next year. So he’s not calling them the two best prospects in baseball.

       I honestly don’t understand the point of doing a list like that. Either call them a top-50 or don’t. No need to hedge your bets on what you think you’ll rank them next season.

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       1. Dan…agree….all these machinations of prospect lists can border on the absurdity at times. I prefer, just list them…..and I like BA’s best tool lists per org.

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34. Bowden has recently added the prospects conversations/articles to his portfolio offerings. I don’t think he is as good as many others of the national set and was wisely criticized in his initial top 50 article when he omitted both Painter and Crawford. I think this is a “makeup” article admitting that he shouldn’t have omitted them in the first place – among others.

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35. To Hoosier Don – and your placement of future playoff seeds –

    However it works out I do not like Phillies playing San Diego or Arizona. San Diego may have the best bullpen for shortening a game to 5 innings ; Arizona clearly has the Phillies’ number. We will see what happens with the 7 upcoming games with the Mets but I think their hot streak will end somehow ? They, the Braves, Brewers, and the Dodgers don’t scare me – the Phils seem to play all of them pretty tough. Although, the Brewers have a very good bullpen too and are playing with alot of heart – also great defense.

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    1. RU. Most likely San Diego and Arizona are going to be 4 vs 5. If Dodgers end up 1 then the 3 west teams will knock 2 of each other out before NLCS. That might be best path for Phillies. I believe the Phillies can beat any of the other but feel any of the others can also win in a short series. Phillies needed Dbacks in a 5-game series a year ago.

       Someone else also posted the 2 seed being the best path a few days ago. Can we go back to game 6 of NLCS a year ago. I like those odds best. But that did not work out.

       Does anyone feel the 5-game vs 7 game series make any difference who the opponent may be?

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36. Sanchez pitched on Monday and Suarez pitched on Tuesday. Therefore, Thomson can use Sanchez on Saturday and Suarez on Sunday on four days’ rest and bypass Allard until next week. However, Thomson likes to give his pitchers that extra day’s rest when an off day comes up.

    My question here is for the old timers like myself who lived through the debacle and heartbreak so many years ago when the Phillies had the big lead and blew it. What do you think would have happened if Thomson was the manager in 1964 at season’s end instead of Gene Mauch?

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    1. ciada. I was 11. That was the first Phillies team I followed and the first heartbreak of many over the years. I brought the 64 season up one time and Jim mentioned over the last games that Bunning and Short did not go every other day like rumor always was. It just seemed that way plus I only had a radio broadcast.

       I really do not know. From time that I saw Mauch later with Angels he and Topper seem to be similar in demeanor. But I really have no idea. I hope this team has a better ending.

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       1. Don I am in Louisville . I see a lot of Indiana plates. Is it close to you?

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          1. Rocco. I am like 30 minutes north of Indy. Thus about 2 1/2 hours north of Louisville. Not that far.

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          2. Rocco. Indiana is just on the other side of the bridge from Louisville. I am sure many who live in Indiana work in Louisville. The bridge is a toll bridge, so it takes a pic of your license plate and then you get the bill later. We got one of those this summer with the RV.

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          3. Rocco. Google Arcadia, Indiana. I am like 15 minutes from Grand Park the huge baseball complex in Westfield. Like Jim being able to go see young Phillies prospects in Clearwater I have been blessed to see many of the best young players in the Midwest the last 10 years.

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       2. LOL….Don did seem that way….but during that stretch of a 10 game losing streak Art Mahaffey and Denny Bennett each started two games….Short and Bunning the other six-three apiece. And the odds of a home team being swept in a four game series is like less than 12%..Phillies managed to do it. back then.

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          1. Romus. The 64 team came up once before and Jim posted the pitchers for maybe the final 30 games Bunning and Short started like 8 and 6 times each, but the other games were some of the guys you mentioned. Was Rick Wise in that time or was he later? That is 60 years ago. Wow.

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             1. Funny you should ask?

                Rick Wise was 18 in 1964. He and Johnny Briggs had to be on the team because they were bonus babies and if not on the team, subject to the draft. A week earlier Mauch had given Wise a start, but the Giants got to him in the 4th inning.

                So, he got a 2nd start in a doubleheader against Casey’s Mets, went 6 innings and got the win. Guess what happened in the first game ……… Jim Bunning pitched a no-hitter (perfect game). Wise was 5 – 3 in 1964. Spent 1965 in the minors with the Arkansas travelers.

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                1. oldruff. I will go back into my archive stuff. I am pretty sure Jim replied to me. If that is the case it is still on my computer. I forget how 64 team came up but remember the story of Bunning and Short. Thus, Jim listed I think it was maybe last 30 games. Could be wrong there. But he had who started and how many innings. I knew Bennet and Mahaffey was listed as Romus said. I just thought Jim referenced Rick Wise as well in there somewhere. I did not realize Wise was a rookie. I remember the perfect game by Bunning. If I can find the post in the archives, I can at least give you guys the date and you can go back and find the post. I was only 11 at the time but have always remembered the 6 1/2 game lead with like 10 or 11 to play. I may be wrong here but did the Phillies wind the last game or two after the lead had disappeared? Mauch never really recovered from that collapse. I do not think he ever made the WS. I remember his Angel team losing after maybe having a 2-game lead in playoffs once.

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                2. FYI – today is Rick Wise’s 79th birthday!

                   Thanks, Rick, for your great pitching for the Phillies and thanks even more for bringing the team Steve Carlton (although, ironically, when the team had Steve Carlton, I was not a Phillies fan).

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37. Don….only the last 12 games of that season collapsed matter….Phillies lost the first 10 in a row of the 12, and then won the last two games of the season…..meaningless at that point. Skeet was correct on the young bespectacled Rick Wise and Johnny Briggs.

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    1. I was not for sure on the 10 losses. So, it was 6 1/2 with 12 to play. For some reason I always thought it was 11 games. Makes no difference. That is incredible to lose 10 in a row at that time. I did remember them winning those last games after they had blown the lead. That also means oldruff’s reference to Wise and Bunning doubleheader win and perfect game were earlier. They surely were not the last day of the season.

       I guess that is why you play 162. I always said baseball was different than football and basketball that there was no clock. That is not true any longer but still no time limit on the length of a game.

       Romus. Rocco is in my neighborhood of the country.

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       1. Yeah Dpn….rocco is down there….sees a lot of Indiana plates, they make them in the other pen cell blocks, his block they make the Kentucky plates!

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       2. June 21, 1964 was the date Wise got his 1rst win and Bunning threw his “perfect game”, but also important was that the other bonus baby, John Briggs age 20, got his 1rst major league home run. In 1971 Wise got his own no-hitter and had 2 home runs to boot ……. he did it all that day!

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          1. I remember Wise and the no hitter and home runs. I graduated in 71. Then Lefty went for 27 in 72 on that outstanding Phillies team. LOL. At least they got better as the 70s progressed. Too bad the Big Red Machine was around. All of this was right at my time.

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38. oldruff and Romus. The post Jim made was on June 18. He listed from September 1. All the games and starters from that point. He mentioned Phillies were 78-51 on that date. So, at 129 games at that point. I have no idea if it can be brought up but maybe you can go back and read if you like.

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39. So basically, Bunning and Short pitched 2 of every 3 games down the stretch. Does that show that Mauch pushed the panic button?

    And, do you think Thomson might ever do the same thing if the Phillies go into a slump these next two and a half weeks?

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    1. ciada. That was always the myth that they did every other game which was not quite the case. If Nola and Ranger are on their game, no way. If not, I do not know. I am pleased to see that the BP guys seem to have righted the ship at the right time.

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40. Little bit lost in thread…

    I don’t care who the Phillies play in Oct.. I care that they are healthy, & locked in. If so, they will win. If not, wellllll I don’t want to think about it.

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41. Per my recollection, the ’64 Phils were without Frank Thomas (on the IL) who provided protection in the order for Callison and Allen. The current version of the Phils have a bunch of guys (Schwarber, Realmuto, Bohm, Hays and Sosa) on track to return shortly. The Phils are holding out hope Turnbull can make it back this year.

    Topper seems the opposite of a guy who panics. The team has benefited from bench players and call-ups who have filled in under the bright lights. Ranger Suarez will continue to be a concern until he shows he can log productive innings and approximate his early season success. The team seems resigned to Taijuan Walker having no role in meaningful situations. Alvarado and Kerkering encourage the hope that the pen can be as strong and deep as ever.

    Even a fully healthy lineup will need to show all bats will not grow cold in the post-season.

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42. Twins released minor leaguer Derek Bender after the Single-A catcher tipped pitches to opposing hitters, an official with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. Bender, playing for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, told multiple hitters on the Lakeland Flying Tigers what kind of pitches were coming from starter Ross Dunn on Sept. 6.

    Wow….why would a guy do this!

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    1. supposedly he said he wanted the season over so didn’t want them to make the playoffs

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       1. He may have hurt his chances in pro ball now…..though reminds me of Bull Durham, catcher Crash Davis-Kevin Costner told the hitters what Nuke Laloosh was going to throw and they creamed it.

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          1. I suspect he’s ended his career in pro ball except for Independent leagues.

             Quitting on your team is on of those unforgivable acts.

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             1. That is what I saw in an article as well. So many strange things happen anymore. It said he was tired of playing.

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             2. Pretty much reflects he wasn’t to be cut from the cloth of a ballplayer. He wanted the season to be over …….. and now it is, a different vocation is on the horizon.

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43. Nola pads his league lead by giving up multiple homers in another of his “one bad innings”

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44. The Aaron Nola extension could turn into the Phil’s’ worse signing ever before it’s done. A guy on that salary who can’t give you September is as valuable as a doctor who can’t stand the sight of blood.

    I’m wishing now Atlanta had outbid us this last off-season. He’s going to be overpaid for so long.

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45. i said the day they signed Nola . 7 yrs for Nola is nuts.

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46. Our boys better beware. The Mets have come to play. I’ve been writing it over the past 4-5 weeks that they are really putting it together at the right time. They are a better team than the Phillies right now. They have five really good starters, a pretty good bullpen, solid defense and a tough lineup.

    Over the last ten years, they have been a thorn in the side of the Phillies. In that time they have won 30 more games than the Phils head to head. A couple of years ago, I think they won 15 of 19 games head to head. Talk all you want about flushing this one but the Mets have the early momentum.

    The last fifteen games for the Phillies are not a cakewalk. The competition is stiff and that includes the Nationals. With the fifth starter, Suarez, and maybe now Nola question marks, this team better take notice. If the Mets sweep here, the lead will be down to five games. If I sound nervous, it’s because I am.

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47. Appeared to me, beside Nola giving up a pair of 3 run HRs that we were devoid of any offensive firepower until it didn’t matter and the left hander who can’t hit left handers put 3 on the board!

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    1. There is no doubt that the Phillies have some concerns. Ranger and Nola maybe the most but the inconsistent offense is one for me at least. Phillies may score 8 or 9 runs today. Hope so. Nola is an enigma. He was so good in innings 3 and 4 and then just a base hit barrage. The fact that it happens so often is the concern. It is almost always in the middle innings but how do you know as a manager when. Phillies really need a win in one of these two or it will be game on with the Mets.

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48. AARGH. The sky is falling, the sky is falling.

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    1. yeah it is falling 7 yrs of a guy, who is regression. Tying up all that money..They can’t touch the braves. Freeman goodbye. We ain’t over paying. They get a guy who is. Great. Need a pitcher. Let’s make believe we want Nola. So Phillies overpay. Go get Sale so cheap and he we will cy young. Dd has loaded us with some bad contracts.

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       1. rocco…..September Nola….now 11-19 with an ERA of 4.55….he just cannot get over the blahs in Sept.

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       2. Holy schadenfreude.

          If you want to be a Braves fan so much, no one is stopping you. But before you go, make sure you remember that they handed an 8 year contract to Olson instead of “over paying” Freeman. And Olson has been worth about half as much as Freeman has this year.

          So if you’re gonna complain about Nola’s contract, at least be consistent and complain about Olson’s when you’re talking on a Braves board.

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49. Rocco and Romus. I am never in favor of a 7 yr. deal for any pitcher. Just too many things can go wrong. Lots of money for someone who only plays every 5th day. Even T Mac addressed the big Nola issue. He is really good for a portion. Innings 3 and 4 were vintage Nola. I believe he had like 6 Ks going to the 5th. In fact, he had a no hitter through 4 innings. The mystery to me is what seems to happen frequently sometime in the middle innings. Just seems to be a bad inning in there somewhere. He goes from really good to basically a batting practice pitcher in like a few minutes. That is shocking to me. I really cannot think of another pitcher who reaches the extremes like that.

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    1. Don…third time into the lineup-4th or 5th innings…..he needs to come up with another out pitcher, and not show it early on into a game…..a splitter would be ideal. Dan Haren use to do that.

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       1. Romus. I am not sure. I watched the entire game through the 5th inning last night. Nola really had issues with command in first and second inning. But got out of them. He was maybe as good in the 3rd and 4th as he has been all season. There may be something to your thought of another pitch though he seems to have numerous pitches. In the 3rd and 4th ball was moving everywhere. In the 5th it was simply coming in with the message of hit me hard on it. They did. Somone way up the pay scale from either of us have some figuring out what to do. It is a concern right now that only Wheeler and Sanchez are on their game. For the Phillies to have a legit chance to advance in the playoffs at least one of Nola and Ranger has to give them some good innings. At least get them to where the bullpen can take over. Walker is out. So realistically you need to be able to count on 3 starters. Where is Mad Bum when you need him. It did seem back in the day every time you turned around, he was pitching meaningful innings for the Giants in their runs.

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          1. Even when Nola was lights out in the 3rd and 4th innings he was still averaging around 20 pitches per inning for the game. Anytime he gets that high you can count on a bad inning coming up. Another precursor for trouble is when a batter will work him for a 7 or 8 pitch count. He usually ends up walking the guy or putting a no movement ball down the middle of the plate. Its got to be a mental block of some kind. Maybe a sports psychologist should be put on the payroll.

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50. Aldegheri got bombed by the Astros last night.

    Phillies starting pitching in the playoffs is a worry. Sanchez is bad on the road, Ranger is not Ranger and nobody knows what they are getting from him, and Nola is inconsistent. Wheeler is top notch but they desperately need a real #2.

    One of the announcers a few games ago suggested rotating the starters in the playoffs so that Sanchez only starts at home. I don’t know if that is feasible but should be looked into.

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51. The funniest part about people complaining about Nola’s contract are that they’re the same people who advocate for going all-in to win a championship and for the Phillies to use their financial might to overcome their (relative) weakness at drafting.

    But then they complain when the Phillies do exactly what they asked for.

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    1. There are those on here who do not advocate for the ‘length’ in the contracts. …ie Harper and Turner, and we know how that will end up. However when it comes to pitchers, I would go with breaking the bank on their AAV for the first few years, maybe three years, and then slide down the payroll pole in the last two years with a club option or buy-out in year 6….so basically 5 years plus one option year. normally a late 20-year old or 30- year old pitcher will be good to go to his mid-thirties on the LTC.

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       1. Breaking the bank on AAV means signing fewer players. The front office has been handing out extra years on purpose to lower the AAV so we don’t lose draft picks due to the luxury tax threshold.

          If we had signed Nola to a shorter contract (had he even been willing to do so), we could not have afforded to trade for Estevez this year.

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          1. Basically that is revisionist history….can be the same if they had not signed Walker to $18M but instead to $14M and Casty from $20M to $18M the team could afford other assets along the way. My philosophy is going forward…..less length and more upfront AAV will give the team more flexibility in the later years of a contract….if a player initially accepts that kind of an offer great, if not…move on. The Braves Alex Anthopoulos seems to have a mindset similar along those lines….take it or leave it.

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             1. It’s not revisionist history. They’ve literally been adding years to lower AAV. Which they’ve been doing so they have more flexibility to sign/trade for other players. They have explicitly stated a desire to have wiggle room at the deadline to add where they need to each year.

                If you don’t want to use Estevez as a specific example, fine; Nola’s lower AAV allowed the front office to build the team in such a way that they’re currently the best record in baseball. If he’s at a higher AAV, we don’t have all the same players. Maybe that means we don’t have Walker or Castellanos, or maybe it means we don’t have Turnbull to start the year. Or, most probably, if Nola had a higher AAV, maybe we don’t re-sign Wheeler.

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                1. You raise a question, do you think Turnbull is with us or pursued by us after the season?

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                2. You miss my point……the higher AAV up front does not have to but a ‘max contract’ like the NBA does, just high enough to attract a signing. But also upfront money can also have the ability for a club to reduce the length of a contract. And anyway, you cannot go by what their current contractual obligations are currently right now ….they have already decided to give out the inordinate LTC that will hamper them down the road.

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                3. @romus Yes, I’m aware. But the higher AAV resticts their ability to make moves RIGHT NOW. So the longer contracts are, ironically, win-now moves. Which is what so many people have advocated for.

                   The contracts the Phils have been handing out are a legitimate strategy; you keep AAV down so you can make other, short-term additions year-to-year which allows a higher chance at winning in the current “window”. You’re trading some flexibility in the future, where you may or may not have a competitive team, for some now when you know you have one.

                   But at the same time, they’re not fully mortgaging the future by setting a limit on spending so they don’t lose draft capital, as well as holding onto certain specific prospects who they deem to be potential cornerstones for the next window.

                   It’s not a flawless strategy, and it can certainly backfire. But it’s a measured approach and it’s the exact type of move you make if you’re trying to win RIGHT NOW.

                   Also lost in all of this is just how expensive starting pitching has become. And, for all his flaws, Nola just doesn’t miss starts. We’ve been trying for 3 months to replace TURNBULL. Imagine if we had to try to find a replacement for 181 innings of 3.61 ERA as well.

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                4. @romus, Yes, I am aware. They’re trading future flexibility for current flexibility. It’s literally a win-now move (but without fully mortgaging the future by holding onto some key prospects and not losing draft capital via the LTT).

                   Also lost in this is how expensive pitching has become, as well as Nola’s durability. For all his flaws, Aaron simply does not miss starts. We’ve been spending 3 months trying to replace TURNBULL. Can you imagine where we’d be if we also had to replace 180+ innings of 3.61 ERA pitching?

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             2. Don’t understand what you mean by giving them more up front AAV. The AAV is the Annual Average Value of the contract. Giving them $40 million in years 1-3 and $20 million in years 4-6 is not any different than giving them $30 million for 6 years. The AAV is the same either way.

                Unless you are advocating for shorter contracts with higher AAV then Dan’s point is that limits the money you have to spend on the rest of the roster.

                The reason DD is giving guys longer contracts is to lower the AAV for luxury tax purposes.

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52. Romus – You write that Nola needs that “out” pitch. Over the past few years, he was using a change up to left handed hitters and it seemed to be effective. Haven’t seen him use it much this season. Did he trash the pitch? Am I wrong about this?

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    1. ciada,,,,,did not trash it, but uses it less…even this season he cut back on the change-up in favor of his 4Sm FB thru the year. His change-up percentages by month this year…Apr-13%….May-10%…..June-9%….Aug-8%…..Sep-5%.

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       1. ….missed July—11%

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53. @oldruff

    Regarding Turnbull, I think it’ll depend in part on how he looks when he finally gets back, and in part on what the team plans to do with Walker. If he looks fully healthy and effective when he comes back, I think another team will give him more money and entice him away from us. Likewise, if the plan is to hold onto Walker for another year, we’ll let him walk.

    However, if we’re determined to move on from Walker and he isn’t able to fully make it back before the end of the year, there’s a good chance we’ll sign him to another bridge deal with the promise to start (until Painter is hopefully ready to take over).

    He’d be great depth to have in either case, but he’ll definitely want to go somewhere where he’s likely to be a starter. And if we let Walker have a spot, that won’t be here. We’ve already got 4 solidified spots, and we’re planning on having the 5th be taken by Painter as soon as he’s ready. Turnbull, when healthy, is good enough to be guaranteed a spot somewhere.

    If I had to put odds on it, I’d say 30% he stays.

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54. @oldruff Regarding Turnbull, I think it will partly depend on his health and partly depend on what we do with Walker. He’s good enough to get a starter spot somewhere, but realistically we’re only looking for someone to bridge the gap to Painter.

    The Phils will definitely offer him a contract, but I doubt they’ll guarantee him a starting spot in the rotation. So if I had to put a number on it, I’d guess 30% he stays.

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55. Bohm in lineup today for LHV

    https://x.com/PhilsTailgate/status/1835022130213187616?t=NQmALY2ih6Yd5eTckXsIqA&s=19

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    1. Bohm 2 — 4, hit & 2b.

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    2. Also saw that Sosa was in the lineup too so both should be back soon

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56. There’s talk here of revisionist history so it’s good to recall what the team knew going into the season. They had Wheeler, Nola and Walker on hefty multi-year deals, Tuenbull on a low cost 1 year deal and they seemed intent on extending Suarez and Sanchez (successfully in this case).

    When Turnbull went down and it became clear he wasn’t returning in a hurry, I advocated in an upstream dialogue for the Phils to sign Trevor Bauer, available on a short term minimum contract. It was a move an ‘all in’ team could do. It was a move a team mortgaged to the hilt with salary constraints could do. It was a move that a team with a reputed strong, veteran clubhouse culture could do. They didn’t do it when they were without Turnbull nor when Suarez experienced back problems. Bauer’s season in the Mexican League is over (he was 10-0) and they could sign him now while the rotation is showing question marks. He wouldn’t be eligible for the post-season but just getting a good seed now seems so important. Still, the ‘all in’ Phils won’t do it.

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    1. This obsession with a 33 year old pitcher with a career 3.79 ERA that hasn’t pitched in the majors in 3 years and is known to get into fights with both teammates AND fans is fascinating.

       Barry Bonds has fewer people in his corner, and that dude was one of the greatest hitters ever.

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       1. I’ll cop to being a fan of winning. “Obsessed” is not too strong a way to phrase it. Others may prefer lovable losers. If you’re paying to drive a Lamborghini, don’t go cheap on the spark plugs. Baseball’s not a sport which rewards sentimentality in building a roster for crunch time.

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          1. yes, you’re just a better fan than everyone else.

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    2. Zzzzzzzzzzz

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    3. Perhaps MLB has decided to ban Bauer from MLB…….just not announced officially.

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57. Allard ……. really …….. 80 to 90 mph offerings and another guy who can’t throw strikes. I can’t bear to watch this farce. Never fear though …….. they are getting the longman up. Strategy is to exhaust them running the bases today and throw all our resources at them tomorrow in the hope we can win 1 out of 3.

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58. Rather amazing the Phillies just cannot find someone who can take the 5th spot and keep game competitive. oldruff. I think your guy Long Gone may be next.

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    1. As me Gran Pappy from the Dutch Country used to say …. Wery nice comeback …….. wery, wery nice!

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59. Cancel the tears for 24 hours. Phillies magic number is now 7 after a big comeback victory. How about that Ty Walker, huh!!

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    1. Credit where it’s due. I was not impressed with his pitch locations/stuff, but he kept them just off-balance enough for just long enough to let us get back in the game.

       If he can refrain from giving up multiple runs for the next couple weeks, I don’t mind letting him start a meaningless game at the end of the season.

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60. The Phillies needed to not get swept in this series and they did just that.

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    1. Guru. Agree. Lots of contributions today. But for me the 3 innings by T Walker were the most important. Kept the game within reach. Appeared on tv the big difference for him today was he was throwing strikes, and he kept the ball down. Just a guess on my part but I think this will most likely give him another shot in 5 days. No one else has claimed it. I am really impressed with the Philles BP guys right now.

       This gives some breathing room.

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       1. Don….did he have his splitter working today? Did not see that part of the game.

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          1. Romus. He really did not throw too many pitches. First batter got a hit but then a double play. Doubt he threw more than 15 pitches in any inning. Where he has been in the middle of plate and too high, he was down and more on the edges. Plus, as Kruk mentioned he was getting ahead instead of being 2-0 to each batter. He was not throwing very hard but just better location. I am sure he will get the start in 5 days. No one else has taken it. Do the Phillies need 2 more starts for the 5th guy?

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61. Great win for the good guys this afternoon. Harper earned his money today. Surprised me how the Mets went down without a fight. Stevenson and Marsh versus right handers. Rojas and Hays/Wilson versus lefties. Might as well start Walker next time up for the fifth starter. Bauer is to baseball what Kaepernick was to football. IMO unfair to the QB.

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    1. Bauer is a totally different situation to Kap. Kap wasn’t involved in any legal issues, wasn’t getting into fights with teammates, wasn’t harassing fans on the internet. Kap also sued the NFL for collusion and they eventually settled with him outside of court, which is very rare for the NFL (the entity, not NFL players who are often on the OTHER side of such settlements…).

       Bauer is free to sue the MLB for collusion. But good luck arguing in court that the team owners didn’t have valid reasons to not sign him without conspiring in the shadows.

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       1. You’re leaving out so much that is important. Bauer was subject to MLB discipline based on a record that included what you mentioned and more. Based on that record (unchanged in the interim) he served a suspension of more than a year.

          Others have served suspensions and been reinstated. I’ve seen reports (essentially rumors in writing) that MLB will not stand in the way of his returning.next season. If true, it would be the only reason I can think

          of why the player didn’t seek recourse in the courts. Baseball’s always been protective of its status seemingly exempt from antitrust laws. Few things smack of antrust more than collusion in restraint of employment.

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          1. No major league team wants Bauer. He last pitched in a major league game three years ago, for the Dodgers. He completed his suspension — the longest ever issued for violating the MLB domestic violence policy — 21 months ago. What he has to say about it all…..“I don’t believe that I was given a lifetime ban.”

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             1. No major league team wanted black players until Branch Rickey and the Dodgers broke the color bar. Now Trevor Bauer is no pioneer and he is certainly no hero. Or moral exemplar.

                But among the reasons offered for maintaining the color bar at the time was that it would disrupt team culture.

                The blowback that a GM signing Bauer would get could in no way approximate what Rickey and the Dodgers, experienced though other teams followed suit.

                the unthinkable becomes thinkable once somebody does it.

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                1. Once blackballed/banned…..hard proving any collusion since he was reprimanded with that suspension. And I believe there are clauses in contracts about perceptions of illegalities in the contracts. Who knows, next year some team could try it with signing him…..or he may try Asian leagues.

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                2. I hear you, and I get the Trevor Bauer stigma, but I cannot, for the life of me, analogize creepy Trevor Bauer with civil rights hero Jackie Robinson.

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                3. In a world where we have convicted felons in the public sphere, I keep in perspective that Trevor (“No Choir Boy”) Bauer has not been convicted of anything. Feel free to respond or not but think I’ve exhausted the subject. I don’t think the Phils have a surprise signing in them. And next year if the Phils need a starter in their rotation the way they do now, I hope they go young.

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                4. Holy smokes, we’re still talking about Trevor Bauer? Didn’t the Phillies recently host a campaign against DV (the purple t-shirts)? So you want the Phillies to turn into hypocrites and sign Bauer?

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                5. And yet Domingo Germain pitched in the majors this year. A lot of the discipline,both official and unofficial, in sports is terribly arbitrary.

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62. Just an FYI. See they are saying Glasnow done for season. Dodgers sure have had issues with Pitchers.

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    1. The Dodgers and Braves are exhibits A through Z of why teams were willing to pay so much for Nola in free agency. A top-30 pitcher who never misses a start is massively valuable to a team. For as frustrating as some of his starts can be (because we know what he’s like when he’s truly on), every single contender would gladly take his contract off our hands and say thank you.

       Wheeler’s time in Philadelphia is basically the equivalent of finding a unicorn. A true ace who also doesn’t miss starts is basically unheard of in the modern game.

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63. Oh, almost criminal to not mention Cal Stevenson’s career game! Kudo’s for outstanding contributions on both sides of the ball! ……….. did you see that Johan?

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    1. After Marsh’s bunt, I thought for sure there was no way we were gonna score. Glad to be proven wrong. And now Cal has video proof of being a true MLB hero. He won’t even have to tell his story to his grandkids; just tell them to do an internet search on his name and watch for themselves.

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64. Bohm went 2-4 with a double at LHV

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65. Let’s take the series today. A Phillies win today will put both the Braves and Mets in the rear-view mirror for the most part and let them fight it out for the 6th spot. A Mets win keeps the life support for still on. Just take care of business. I think Sanchez and BP guys will be up to the task.

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66. Hoping that Sanchez has a good outing today. It will set a trend because his next start will also be against the Mets.

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    1. But on the road at Citi Field……he has issues when not at CBP

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67. Romus & Hoosier Don ………. Roberto Clemente Day ……… What are your memories?

    Here are mine. A Humanitarian which in reality is more important than a ball player. An excellent ballplayer that could do it all. One thing that stands out to me was this …… there was no location that you could pitch him where he couldn’t hit it. Balls or strikes didn’t matter, if he could reach it with the bat ……. he could hit it! Good to remember him, a live too short.

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    1. Skeet…yes all of that from the human side…and on the field, his arm from the right field corner to third base on a rope and then when at the plate, the twitching and head shrugging and movement, then hitting any pitch anywhere near the plate. Probably best Rule 5 drafted player out of Dodgers org……Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton. and Johan Santana are up there, but Roberto Clemente has to go to the top of the list.

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    2. I missed this yesterday. Sorry. He was a great player for the Pirates. Yes, he was a great person as well. Lost his life taking stuff to others. It was really nice that last hit was 3,000. Believe it was Christmas Day when plane crashed but I may be wrong on that. I remember him well.

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68. Even when the call is benefiting Sanchez, this ump’s zone is making me feel like I’m gonna vomit. I hate having an ump that impacts the game.

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69. Well say goodbye to the Mutts. Magic # is now 6 for the division with win 90.

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70. For all those who like to complain about the bad bunting, Phils had excellent sac bunts two days in a row; first Marsh then Rojas.

    Winning with two guys shortening their strokes with 2 strikes and going to opposite field.

    So, who are these guys and where have the aliens hidden the real Phillies? %)

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71. Well played game indeed. Bunting was good as you mentioned, pitching was superb, big hits at key points of the game and the “duct tape” from Lehigh played a key role again. Good team win ……….. Brew Crew next!

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    1. Agree…and more than just duct tape, more like Flex Tape from LHV…they have all come up big. Give credit to the scouting dept and DD and SF in obtaining Clemens, Wilson, Stevenson, Kennedy and even Dahl for that brief period.

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72. Great win today. As I have said all along. You play the game to win. Phillies made all the plays today and at the end of the game yesterday to basically send the Mets playing for that 6th place. Home runs are great, and Harper had 2 yesterday. But there are other ways to win games. You have to be able to do both. Sanchez was great. BP was great. Wilson and Kennedy came up big. Then the season long punching bag makes a great catch and clutch hit, and JT comes up with the winner. Bad decision by Mets to pitch to JT with base open. Maybe that is why they are 9 games back now.

    On to the Brewers and get that 1st one and tiebreaker is Phillies for both teams.

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73. Rojas’ bunt was excellent but it went for naught. Neither Schwarber (with one out) nor Turner could get the runner in. Schwarber, in particular, had a really bad series. I think he was 1-10 with a bunch of strikeouts. Overall, two great come from behind wins thanks to the LHV boys and Harper.

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    1. Correct that he only had 1 hit, but also “only” 3 K’s and 2 BB’s. He was putting the ball in play, just not with as much authority as we’re used to.

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       1. That is an area that the team has improved in recently. Not as many Ks. Balls in play mean the possibility of something good happening. Rojas bunt still well executed. Phillies would have scored if the throw to first had got by. Two really close plays on those bunts both days. Those plays put pressure on the defense to make the play. Mets did but almost did not.

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74. Wow, the Bums put up 7 in the 9th including back to back to back HRs. Magic # 5.

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    1. oldruff. I watched the end of the Brewers vs Dbacks. It was wild as well. Dbacks led 5-0. Brewers then 8-5. Dbacks tie it at 8. In the 10 the Brewers score 2 to lead 10-8. Dbacks score 3 to win 11-10. Both of these teams will be formidable in playoffs.

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75. Here’s a huge shout out to the Phillies’ scouting and development department. Year after year overlooked players in the minors develop and turn into solid major league players and even sometimes turn into stars. Historically, the Phillies did not target these players, which was a waste. Well, that’s changed. Now, players like Jeff Hoffman, Jose Ruiz, Wilson, Stevenson and Buddy Kennedy, are appearing and helping the club and Michael Mercado and Seth Johnson could still become productive big league players. This team desperately needs to continue to acquire and develop these players in order to provide depth and payroll flexibility.

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    1. good points catch. Big contributions from those guys. It all adds up. Agree as well on Mercado and Johnson and Philips. It takes time for some. Think Jeter went 0-30 or something like that. He turned out ok. Everyone cannot be the star.

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    2. There’s a lot of luck involved too. Remember when the Phillies gave $3M to Matt Moore? The Phillies also had Chase Anderson that year.

       Just last year, the Phillies had Jake Cave. Traded for Cristian Pache.

       The year before, Johan Camargo.

       So getting Jeff Hoffman off the scrap heap was big and that’s why teams do this all the time. I like what Jose Ruiz has done this year but he could turn into Andrew Bellatti next year.

       The Phillies (like all teams) are taking chances on change of scenery guys hoping to unlock something. Eventually, you’ll hit on some guys.

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       1. Let me address the luck part of that.

          In a way, it’s luck and in a way, it’s not luck at all and perhaps you’re acknowledging this. I mean, is it luck that Jeff Hoffman turns into an all-star? Yes, for him specifically. But is it luck that the Phillies have systematically identified numerous players who have upside, acquired them, and then coached them up in a way that some percent of them might succeed? No, that’s not luck, that’s design and execution. That’s playing a strategic long game well and reaping the benefits. So, I’d say, on the whole, this is not luck at all.

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          1. If you go by percentages, the Phillies (and most teams) will have a high failure rate for these change of scenery, scrap heap signings. Just look at what Mickey Moniak and Spencer Howard have done after they got traded.

             In general, if you really want value from these types of signings, these players should eventually become starters and not backups. Watching Kennedy, Wilson, Stevenson getting big hits are nice, but you can argue that some of these guys would be hard pressed to make the team as a backup next season.

             So how many of those Jeff Hoffman type signings (and he’s doing it for 2 years now which is huge) have the Phillies had in the past say 10 years?

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             1. Are we specifically talking about minor league free agent types? Or also buy-low trades? Also, how long do they need to be successful?

                Because Bellatti is another trash heap pickup with a full year of success. Stubbs is a backup, but more valuable than you’d expect for no investment. Marsh and Sanchez were trades, but both buy-low and wildly successful since their acquisition.

                Wilson is interesting because he’s a big regression candidate, but he’s now over 100 PAs of 145 wRC+ in the majors. I dunno at what point they just decide he’s gonna stay on the team until he fails.

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                1. I’m talking about players on the major league roster for the Phillies who were signed off the scrap heap or traded for minimal return. And they need to be at least starters in order to give back true value.

                   The Phillies gave up Mead and O’Hoppe for Sanchez and Marsh so I don’t I consider that as a true buy low.

                   Bellatti only did it for 1 year and it was only 0.8 WAR. Hoffman is giving 4 WAR over 2 years which is spectacular for a reliever. Hoffman is pitching like a $12M per year reliever.

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                2. I disagree that Marsh wasn’t a buy-low. O’Hoppe was a great prospect and is looking like he’ll be a starting MLB catcher for a long time. But Marsh was a top-10 prospect in baseball. At their highest values, Marsh was absolutely worth more than O’Hoppe in a trade. And Marsh is now on pace to post his second consecutive 3+ WAR season for us. A trade for a cost-controlled, young, 3 WAR player in a one-for-one swap for a prospect simply doesn’t happen.

                   Now HOW MUCH of a buy-low he is can certainly be debated. But if we traded Marsh this offseason, we could expect a better return than what we gave for him. And if the Angels traded him before his debut, they could have gotten more than just O’Hoppe.

                   As for Sanchez, it’s probably more accurate to call it selling high on Mead. Combined with excellent scouting to pick Sanchez specifically.

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          2. Basically, as old baseball guys use to say….luck is the residue of design.

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76. catch, I wish I could agree with you but I can’t. There are 5 forms of intake germane to the acquisition of young players:

    1) The amateur draft has been in place since 1965. The Phils haven’t had a huge number of “hits” from their top draft choices and can’t point to great success in developing sleeper choices, whether you look at the nearly 60 year or the more recent history. if you measure on the basis of MLB performance.

    2) Undrafted free agents are admittedly like lottery tickets with little likelihood of any individual signing being successful. But there’s a long history here with not much to show.

    3) International signings are a big issue for me. The Phils have an academy in Venezuela and more recently one in the Dominican Republic. If it hasn’t happened yet it soon will — Juan Soto will have more WAR individually than all the Latin signings in Philly history. The Phils’ international signings are not Hall of Famers and with Ranger Suarez the exception this year, they’re not All Stars.

    4) Rule 5 selections haven’t produced much for the Phils and Victorino and Herrera don’t match the Rule 5 that got away from the Phils, George Bell.

    5) Rule 4 is another longshot category in general but it’s not an area with a history of success for the Phils.

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    1. Woeeeee, wait a minute.

       You used my post, which addressed a very limited avenue of player development and acquisition (namely, mature minor leaguers who are either free agents or were acquired for very little cost) as an excuse to address your views of the the Phillies entire system and entire scheme of player development over the course of many years.

       I was NOT commenting on all of that – not even close; and I think we can all agree that, historically, they have been subpar in almost all departments relating to the farm system. That said, it appears many things are improving with the team’s talent acquisition and development departments and when those improvements are real and identifiable, I’d like to point that out.

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    2. 1. I guess we’re just ignoring Nola, Hoskins, Stott, JP Crawford, Bohm, Jojo Romero, Cole Irvin, Vierling, O’Hoppe…
       2. You admit to them being lottery tickets, but act surprised when they don’t win often.
       3. Wrong again. Soto is still at least a couple years away from matching Julio Franco alone in WAR. Let alone the combination of him, Chooch, Bell, Samuel, Ranger, Dominguez, et al.
       4. The Phillies have two of the most successful rule 5 picks EVER, but that’s not good enough I guess.
       5. Rule 4 is just the official name for the amateur draft…

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       1. funny thing is that for fans of WAR, Victorino produced significantly more WAR in his career than did George Bell who are the 2 players given as examples.

          Must be that whole overvaluing of defense again.

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          1. Shane Victorino was an above average defender. He had 4 GGs.

             Geroge Bell had zero range.

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             1. George Bell won a league MVP in a year where he was a 5 WAR player (baseball Reference). He hit .308 with 47 HRs and 134 RBI with an OPS of .957

                Meanwhile, Victorino was a 6 WAR player in a season where he hit .294 with 15 HRs and 61 RBI with an OPS of .801

                I don’t care how many gold gloves you win, there is ZERO chance that that Victorino’s season is 1 win better than Bell’s.

                Unless Victorino saved 32 extra runs on defense, Bell produced that many more runs just on HRs alone. Forget the extra 70+ RBI. No in in their right mind would prefer to have had Victorino over Bell in those comparable seasons..

                WAR overvalues defense and position.

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                1. In 2018, The Phillies put Hoskins in LF. Hoskins had a .850 OPS which resulted in a respectable 3.4 oWar. However, his defense was putrid so he had a -3 dWar. Was his dWar incorrect? Who here would have been ok with Hoskins playing LF in 2019? Clearly the Phillies didn’t like what they saw because Hoskins went back to 1B in 2019.

                   WAR may overvalue defense but I don’t believe it’s by a lot. First and foremost, range matters. If you’re giving up an extra hit or letting the hitter get an extra base, that adds up over a full season. You may not realize it’s happening because once the ball scoots pass the OF for a 2B, you’re not thinking that maybe if a better defender was there, he would have cut that ball off. This is known as the Castellanos effect. If Casty can get to a ball, he looks decent. But if Marsh was playing RF, you’re wondering how many balls that Marsh can get to but Casty can’t. And how many spectacular plays that Casty has made going back quickly?

                   Second is the arm strength and accuracy. If players are running on you with impunity, you got a rag arm and probably shouldn’t be in the OF i.e. Rhys Hoskins.

                   The one thing going with Bell was that he had a strong arm.

                   No doubt that George Bell had a monster season. But if you ask me whether I wanted Bell in LF or Victorino in CF for their careers, I know who I’m selecting.

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                2. Not talking about their careers, I’m talking about 1 season. Are you going to tell me that Bell’s MVP season wasn’t as good as Victorino’s?

                   If the answer is no, then WAR is a flawed measure of performance that overvalues defense because the offensive numbers are not close.

                   Don’t change the subject with Hoskins, he didn’t have an MVP season.

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                3. You’re mixing context neutral and context dependent stats.

                   How much better than average was Bell offensively in HIS ERA? How much better was Vic in his? Keep in mind, average and HRs aren’t the only thing that goes into offensive value. Walking, running, stealing, bunting, etc. Also matter. And uh… Vic was a pretty good runner.

                   Now do the same question for defense.

                   That’s why Vic’s WAR is higher.

                   Now keep in mind, WAR isn’t perfect, it’s just meant as a quick way to compare players. A 1 WAR difference is not that much. So if you want to argue one or the other was ACTUALLY more valuable, it is possible to do so. But the point is that Vic’s overall contributions to team wins is at least in the same realm as Bell’s was in those specific years and in those specific contexts.

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                4. WAR is not a perfect comparison and I never said it was. I like it because it gives a very good indicator of what the player is. George Bell raked in his mid to late 20s. WAR says that. George Bell was a poor defender. WAR says that also. That’s it.

                   MVP has always been about offensive numbers. Ryan Howard won MVP and he was a terrible 1B. Howard didn’t even have the highest WAR on that team, it was Chase Utley. Utley had a monster 7.3 WAR with 2.1 dWar. Howard won because he had 2/3 of the triple crown.

                   Instead of comparing players from 2 different decades, how about teammates from the 2006 season? Would you rather have Chase Utley’s year or Ryan Howard’s MVP season?

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77. Romus. Direct and Disney agree. Here is a question for anyone. I know Wild Card are best of 3 all at home of top seed. I know the NLCS is best of 7 with a 2-3-2 format. But I forget for sure the NLDS. I know it is best of 5 and that Phillies have beat the Braves last two seasons in 4 games. So, if a game 5 is it at the home of second team or does it go back to site of first two games.

    If Phillies can get at least 1 win in Milwaukee they own the tie breakers. So, they are now 2 up on the Dodgers and 4 on the Brewers for the 1 seed. So does that really mean 3 and 5 if they can get at least 1 win against the Brewers?

    Also, the Tigers are almost to catch the Twins. Tigers have best record of like 22-10 since sometime in August. Phillies have to be really close Think they were 18-8 after Rays so would be like 20-9 now.

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    1. The best of 5 series are a 2-2-1 format, so 2 home, 2 away, then the final game at home for the top seed.

       Check the date: since 8/11, the Tigers are 22-10. In the same time frame, the Phils are second at 21-11. Any date after that, we’re either tied or beating them in record.

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78. Thanks Dan. I thought that was still the format but was not for sure. I had told Romus awhile back that the Tigers were sneaking up on the Twins. They were in the 5 or 6 game range then. They actually had a stretch in this where they lost like 4 or 6 after winning several in a row. They may make if difficult on Twins especially if they have any games left with them. Believe it is 2 or 2 1/2 today.

    I knew if the Tigers were 1st at 22-10 the Phillies had to be right there. Those are pretty close.

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79. catch, I recognize that we’re looking through the lens with different apertures. I honed in on your opening sentence:

    “Here’s a huge shout out to the Phillies’ scouting and development department.”

    I don’t think there is a metric useful to one’s understanding of baseball that would give the Phils high marks in this area compared to other teams.

    Observing this site as I have, I recognize there would be someone chiming in and saying “Well, you’re overlooking their strength in developing …” (and I wasn’t disappointed in this case).

    The Phillies don’t have a knack of drafting/developing starting pitching, they don’t have a great history with 1st rounders or sleeper picks, they haven’t achieved productivity from their Latin American academies, they haven’t drafted a Hall of Famer since Mike Schmidt.

    Experts rank farm systems annually and my point is that if one were to rank farm system productivity over the last 10 years or 60 years, the Phils would rank at or near the bottom. I’m encouraged about some prospects currently and hope they buck the trend.

    I watched the Nationals debut Juan Soto and Victor Robles at pretty much the same time and wondered why the Phils’ Latin American operation couldn’t touch that of various other teams. Soto, if he remains healthy, will produce more WAR than the Philly Latino signings who wore a Philly uniform. Can’t credit the Phils for knowing what they had with George Bell.

    So I covered all the categories I did because none represents an area of Philly strength. I love the team and don’t delight in running down scouting and development. But if you think it’s an area of team strength, then you’re ignoring what other teams have done and ignoring that the Phils have been building on free agency.

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    1. You have some valid points, but you keep posting blatantly wrong information. You also move the goalposts.

       The Phillies don’t have as much success in international signings as some other teams, but they’re also late to the party. We haven’t found a superstar yet, but those guys are literally 1 in a million. But Ranger is up there in terms of most valuable LatAm signings. He’s not Soto or Acuna, but you can only credit two teams for those signings. So we have a top 5-10 LatAm signing. That’s pretty darn good.

       Likewise, we’ve had some pretty bleak periods of drafting inability, but our recent track record is actually good. You seem to vastly overestimate how often other teams hit in the draft. Because having a top-30 SP (Nola) and FIVE first division starting infielders (Hoskins, Bohm, Stott, Crawford, O’Hoppe) active at the same time is massive. Plus some other more fringe players.

       Also, your claim that we haven’t drafted a HoF since Schmidt is both a pointless claim (HoF players are rare. Most teams don’t draft them very often) as well as patently false. Even ignoring the fact that Utley is likely to get inducted before he falls off the ballot, and the fact that Hamels is a borderline HoF himself… Scott Rolen was a Phillies draftee. It’s been ONE YEAR since a Phillies draft pick was inducted into the HoF.

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    2. It is incredible that you took what I said out of context yet again after I explained what I meant, which was clear from the initial post in any event and was incredibly narrow.

       Look, go ahead and rail on the team for their historical failings. God knows I have.

       But please stop suggesting that I was in any way addressing the team’s drafting, international free agent signings, other perceived failings, or anything other than picking up below-the-radar mature minor leaguers. I WASN’T!

       Now, if you think the Phillies have RECENTLY (forget about anything before 2022) done a poor job acquiring mature minor leaguers for little or no cost, then we can have a conversation, but otherwise I haven’t addressed any of the other topics listed in your airing of grievances.

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80. Well, they did draft HOFer Scott Rolen.

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    1. And Utley is most likely getting in before he falls off the ballot. Plus Hamels is a borderline case himself.

       You have some valid concerns, but you mix in way too much blatantly false information with it.

       The Phillies, historically, are not good. But in RECENT history, they are actually much better. Our current FO and owner can’t be held accountable for 100 years of racist and/or stingy owners.

       The Phillies currently have a top-30 SP and FIVE starting infielders, and a starting OF all active that they have drafted. Nola, Hoskins, Bohm, Stott, JP Crawford, and Vierling have all individually produced AT LEAST 2 WAR in a single season. O’Hoppe is at 1.6 in his first full season as a 24 year old.

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       1. Plus Bailey Falter is at 2.1 WAR this year, and Cole Irvin posted a 2.0 WAR season in 2022.

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81. They also have a SP in Suarez, and a RP in Kerkering produced from their international signings/draft

    Also, Scott Rolen was drafted/developed by the Phillies and is in the HOF.

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82. So Rhys Hoskins is not doing so well for the Brewers: .702 OPS, -0.5 WAR.

    He’s getting $12M for 2024.

    He has a $18M player option for 2025 that he will definitely opt into.

    He has a $18M mutual option ($4M buyout) for 2026 that will likely not be exercised.

    I like Rhys, he’s done a lot for the Phillies on and off the field but letting him go into FA was the correct call. The Phillies can’t be sentimental when it comes to FA contracts.

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    1. Yeah, even if he was hitting as well as we’d come to expect, letting him walk was still the right move. He’s not as good as either Bryce or Schwarber at hitting, and those are the only two positions he can play. Simply no room for him on our roster. But I do hope he rebounds in a big way next year.

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83. Still amazes me how so many other teams can come up with Latin superstarish position players and the Phillies seem to come up empty, and pay out more……….the Brewers signed Jackson Chourio to a $1.8M deal  back in January 2021. Maybe that changes with Tait and Caba.

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    1. 50/50 proposition, I think. Then again, when the day of reckoning comes, you might have hit the “daily double” or the “glue factory”!

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    2. I strongly agree. The Phils have had an academy in Venezuela for years and 1 in the Dominican Republic for 2 years, while scouting there much longer.. They have no shortage of money; just a shortage of results stretching back as far as anyone would care to look. It’s not a current aberration; it’s a historical pattern.

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       1. I think the academy in the Ven is now closed….the one in the DR…Boca Chica, became operational in 2017.

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84. Imagine you’re a brewers fan… how pissed off are you that they traded Corbin Burnes at the beginning of the year?

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    1. This is what happens when you have a cheap owner. They traded Josh Hader early too because of his cost.

       Now the owner gave Christian Yelich 9/215 at age 28 and coming off back to back 7 WAR seasons. All signs pointed to this being the right thing to do. But the first 5 years of his contract, he’s been averaging around 2-2.5 WAR and he’s now getting hurt. The last 4 years of this deal could be ugly.

       The Brewers are now in a bind with Willy Adames who will be a FA at age 29. They can afford to do it, but will they gave Adames the long term deal he wants? He’s a 3 WAR player, he could get 7/160.

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       1. I don’t know if they’re cheap but they are also not overly generous. They are a classic small market team – there’s just nowhere near the revenue that the big market teams have, including the Phillies. Be glad teams like this exist – it makes it easier for big market teams like the Phillies to compete.

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85. Closing this thread. New article at

    Phillies Discussion, 9/15/24 | Phuture Phillies

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