270 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion, 10/16/24”

1. Andrew Painter is scheduled to pitch Friday at 1:30 MST (3:30 EST).

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2. Ehhh, front office put together this roster of players with poor plate discipline. 2023 AZ series told me all I needed to know about this lineup and it’s ceiling. Some of the most unprofessional ABs I’ve ever seen, grip and rip.

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3. Ok I am on board with moving forward albeit that really isn’t a rosy picture either LOL

   I’ll remain open minded that some changes will occur for the betterment of the seasons to come.

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   1. Dombrowski has to be creative in re-constructing the lineup. At least that is what he and Thomson hinted at the other day…roster construction. As for stars and who may be out there to sign…..he mentioned there were 8 all-stars on this team this year. so it may not be imperative to sign anyone else. He does seem satisfied with the core. But then again, that could be just smoke signals, and he may put on his trading hat and go to work.

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   2. I didn’t mean to come across as preachy. I didn’t intend to sound like I thought everybody should follow my lead. I was just explaining where my mind is right now. Sorry if I came across that way.

      I’m just completing my annual Offseason Roster and Payroll Information article. So, my personal focus is to look ahead. But I’m not wearing rose colored glasses and I’m not such a Pollyanna that I can’t try and see through the smoke and mirrors presented by Dombrowski and Thomson in their press conference the other day, as they should. They can’t come out and provide a roadmap to their offseason plans to the media. I expect change, a lot of change, maybe even some big change.

      So please don’t let a preachy sounding paragraph change the banter back and forth that goes on here.

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4. I would not about DD’d press conference too much. He is not going to say what players he isn’t happy with and what players he is looking to trade. I think moves, maybe even in the trade market, will be made this offseason. Wouldn’t even shock me if Aiden miller or Justin Crawford was available for a controllable bat to prolong their window. I don’t see us having a ton of room to add a big salary but I guess we’ll see.

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   1. *stress about DD’s

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5. Why or what is the reasoning behind players moving on from agent Scott Boras …….. saw that Castellanos is leaving him?

   Has he lost that “Golden Touch” or has the outrageous “big bucks” long-term contracts run their course?

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   1. According to Mark Powell of Fanside:

      “At the end of the day, Castellanos decision doesn’t matter all that much to Boras. Castellanos is not one of Boras’s high-profile clients, and he’ll still get paid for his portion of the deal he negotiated. It’s a win-win”.

      Perhaps Dombrowski will work some magic and move the last two years of Nick and his contract……eat some bucks and add a prospect to the deal. But that’s the easy part…..now find a team that is willing to make that deal.

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   2. Not sure why Casty would do that. It’s not like he’s going to be in line for another major contract after his current one is over. Perhaps Boras is not getting him endorsement deals?

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6. I think there is a compact the Phils(from the ownership on down through the PBO to the GM and the manager) made that the team architecture at its core would reflect the signing of Bryce Harper and guys Harper wanted to play with –Realmuto, Turner, Schwarber, etc. The least surprising news is that Topper and his staff was extended. The manager played the hand he was dealt.

   2025 represents the last litmus test for this “Harper +” strategy. It’s win or else as the contracts of Harper cronies Realmuto and Schwarber lapse at the end of the season. A great season for these 2 and the Phils in general in 2025 give them a future in Philly if they want it, otherwise not.

   The Phils will hedge their bets on their aging vets (rhyme) by adding to the team in free agency and progressing their top prospects — none of the latter a guarantee to contribute on day 1 in 2025.

   I take the failed attempt to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto last off-season (purportedly offered $325 M over 12 years) to signify that the Phils were more intent on competing with baseball’s big spenders than to be inhibited by the luxury tax and competitive balance constraints.

   It’s hard to believe the Phils won’t/won’t do more than a Whit Merrifield type of signing in the coming months. Win in ’25 and the costs become manageable. Lose and some significant contracts are coming off the books with a major retool to follow.

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   1. FWIW, Merrifield was another Harper-influenced signing. I was very surprised when they released him (as a Harper guy), although I felt it was truly warranted.

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   2. I think for the most part the Harper + strategy has worked. I think Harper knows talent for the most part. He’s the face of the franchise across most sports I don’t think that’s an uncommon strategy.

      If they really want to shake things up there though I wonder if they move on from Stott. He really regressed last year. He’s totally miscast in the 5 hole but when he’s led off he hasn’t thrived. It seems like he and Turner are the guys they’re frustrated with.

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      1. Aidan Miller gets shoe-horned in when he’s ready. (I haven’t watched him live.) Maybe Turner has just 1 year left at SS. Moving Stott this off-season would puzzle me. Next year not so much.He’s at worst a 1-year placeholder and, at best, a rebound integral part of the Phils’ future — but not in the 5 hole.

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   3. Did Yamamoto really consider signing with Philadelphia? I’m asking because it’s easy to offer Yamamoto a crazy deal if the odds of him signing with Philadelphia was slim to none.

      As for the Harper “cronies” Realmuto and Schwarber, they have more or less played up to their FA deals.

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      1. Who can say whether he genuinely considered it, but you don’t make that offer AND have Bryce Harper get involved if you’re not willing to follow through on it.

         It’s one thing to tell the agent that they’re willing to spend a lot. But when you involve the face of the franchise in your pitch, you’re telling EVERYONE. And it’s not worth the risk at that point if you’re not serious, because there’s always the chance that other bidders will balk.

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7. DD has to be the most overrated Phillies GM I can think of. Tell me what he has done other than spend Middelton’s money. How many trades has he really won? Some of his trades have been awful. This is a guy living off his name due to past accomplishments with other organizations, which mean nothing to me. Every other GM gets raked to the coals in this city except him.

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   1. Besides the fact that you’re not going to win every trade, if you’re trading prospects for vets in order to win now and you don’t win, the trade is usually a bust. That’s what happens when you’re a big market team with WS aspirations. So I’m not sure why you’re that angry about the trades.

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8. it’s time to move off the harper GM shit, enough with that.. he pandered to us we pandered to him, just another cog now imo, hate to say it but can’t let the stars drive the boat.. as evedience now eh? Bohm needs to go.. not sold on Stott either and obv outfield combined OPS is so bad for so many years it’s on the development imo to fix that.. why haven’t we been able to develop a single outfielder in years? maybe a defenseive plus if you consider rojas a development but damn fellas it’s bad.. alther/brown/rojas/ruff/hoskins/moniak/vierling/ etc etc… for shits sake the outfield is supposed to be your WAR machine.. put the shit defenders out there beisdes Center bc they can rake.. maybe should have made more a play on rooker.. idk but i’d personally unload marsh and rojas.. you can’t have a platoon outfield and you can’t have a shit ops center fielder.. your are stuck with trea now too so w2g on that one

   do you A continue the path and toss $ at the problems (yes they will)

   do you B realize the path wasn’t right and fix it (no they won’t)

   i’m prepared for C.. a Wild Card exit next year followed by me coming back and typing much of the same.. it’s been since what 2019 since Harp was singned.. so what 5 seasons? they don’t want to talk window and keep harping on we are peak form yadda yadda.. shits smelling an awful 2012 around lateley.. lof of guys wives buying houses planning lives moving forward.. i don’t sense the motivation from the core to do anything sans collect pay and say the right things when it doesn’t pan out.. i like that 2021/2022 time period with guys fighting and tyring to make impression.. 23/24 was complacency at it’s finest and now it’s worse imo.. we know 4 teams wen’t further, don’t see any of them getting worse next year either and imo most of the others who excited the playoffs all the same as the phils are in better position moving into 25

   this was a tough one this year, no sugar coating that.. the guys played like shit from July on.. vacation mode activated…. was like they all went down the shore and never came back… May/Jun also saw injuries which had that next man up attittude and that i believe was why they won so many games.. dudes buying in… on no bryce is down.. .dont’ let him down.. oh no trea is down.. don’t let the team down.. oh no JT is down.. don’t let the team down.. .Oh.. everybody is healthy? lets keep it that way and play easy… foot off the gas for sure, can’t blame the mindset with the lead they had but can blame staff for not keeping things focused.. imagine bobby cox treating the 2024 phillies the way topper did.. smh

   ruined the best damn month of the year, they should all be ashemed of themselves really for chasing all those piss poor pitches.. i’d have put a damn roll of tape around every guy’s bottom nub of the bat to make them chocke up regardless of the count, hell with the HRs make emstand in a small metal bucket with laces tied around their ankels till they can learn little league situational hitting for shits sake… the mets… the mets… smh.. don’t even are about the payroll equalness.. was still the mets.. chase/jimmy/ryno should have been on had to make sure the guys knew the stakes and the hate, it was missing

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   1. Im still pissed they lost to the mutts. They are terrible, don’t care what anyone says :). The big difference in the lineup from the WS run in 22’ is the following imo

      You replaced Segura, Stott, and Hoskins with Turner (chases), Stott (no longer worked counts) and Rojas (can field, hit no)

      Technically it’s Harper for Hoskins at 1B, but Im zeroing in on the lineup. Segura, Stott, and Hoskins from 22’ could keep a rally going to get to Schwarber, Realmuto, and Harper. They worked counts, stayed off pitches. I wouldn’t let Stott go yet, as he was tremendous in 23’ with this 2 strike approach, best in MLB for along time. He needs to get that back.

      Some OF FA to look at besides the obvious in Soto:

      O’Neil, Ozuna, T. Hernadez, J. Peterson, Santander

      Infield-Adames, Lowe

      SR – Flaherty?

      Relief -I will take Hoffman over Scott or the trade deadline pickup.

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      1. 100%.. the hoskins/harper at 1st trade was a monemental shift imo that was never “supposed” to happen.. “sup kid” look at the initial insta posts.. hoskins championed for harper.. sure it was more or less a lock vs manny and his despicable ways but this might really get to the crux of it, no matter what anybody on any platform wants to say.

         What happned during COVID.. who didn’t want the shot.. what way do the “Red” phils waver? Do what you will with information but it’s out there none the less and your 40 man says something regardless of it saying something in this day and age and the word on the street ins’t exaclty good when sir anthony and soto hit the bricks mid season..

         not going to put stock into it one way or another but i’d really like to see some advancement in south of the boarder players making a lasting impact and or the growing Pacific influence. We’ll be left behind in no time otherwise and you can take that take to the MF “Bank”

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      2. Just for clarity;

         Segura was no better in the 2022 playoffs than Trea was this year. Segura hit .219/.277/.250 vs. Turner’s .200/.294/.200. So, despite Segura striking out less, Trea actually drew walks more. And he made that count by stealing 2 bags in 4 games, whereas Segura only stole 1 in 17. Defense is a factor, of course, but you were only talking about offense.

         Stott saw more pitches per PA this postseason than he did last year. And both numbers are respectable. 4.69 this year, 4.24 last year. For comparison, Schwarber was at 4.42 against the Mets, and Bryce, while getting pitched around, was at 4.59.

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         1. Sure, fair points. What the stats don’t show is how Segura was tough to get out with 2 strikes, same for Stott the previous 2 years. Hoskins could SO, but could also take walks. For instance, 22’ may never have happened without Segura’s approach in the 9th. He’s a contact hitter. To clarify, im not saying Trea isnt a better player than Segura, because he is, but rather the lineup lost the ability to pass the baton, since we have no contact hitters anymore. Stott & Merrifield were supposed to be those guys imo. Didn’t happen this year.

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   2. I disagree with ypou about Matt Vierling. I think he is a good solid player.

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      1. Sorry, didn’t mean to lump him into the failures and do wish he and O’Hope were still here, not sure the decider in moving off either.. .the Harper+ JT signing i guess cemented the O’Hope deal but that will be seen as a loss for sure in the long run as Marsh is not going to out WAR O’Hope, no way no how

         stop signing anybody who can only go one way.. major problem on the roster is the platoon this platoon that

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         1. I agree with you on that.

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   3. I disagree with ypou about Matt Vierling. I think he is a good solid player.

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9. Who was that masked man? SD surely gave the people in charge (which includes some players) a piece of his mind. And he wasn’t shitting around. That’s for sure.

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   1. IDK what any of that means, i’m just an avid fan who has watched since i could see out my eyes 10/18/82. Was a long slog till 93 then 07. You all have felt the same, don’t think many bucks post along here but you all know ball, many more than I but i played, you played, we know the game and when a dude is collecting a check vs when a guy is trying to collect a check and we got a lot of dudes on the later end of that equation and that equates to complacency no matter what.. it’s human nature, you can’t win against it besides youth.. “daycare” where did it go? only see it when guys are injured or 22/23 before we “arrived”

      tell ya what.. hockey is fun, always loved it.. starting to want to watch them more then even the phillies bc somebody over there finally got it.. give the youth the chance, they’ll break their back… paying guys on past performance might make you a contender but it won’t make you a winner like the 06-10 phils were.. 11 was the $ days imo.. that 2010 Playoff loss was the end of that hard nose era.. run into a fence, break a guys leg yadda yadda… grrrrr…… catch me in January when i’m hopeful again

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      1. Just curious…is this rocco?

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         1. lol no and I know another SD does post here and it can be confusing but this is my own vitriol and dismay at the state of things.

            Lindor hit that homer, was cleaning up LO2’s room, couldn’t bear sitting and watching so was just doing stuff and I literally fell to the ground and couldn’t curse so just let out a slow low groan, “oh no” much like I did watching ryno blow out his Achilles.

            felt almost as bad as the GM1 07 Rockies loss after 14 years of waiting

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      2. I’m glad you’re enjoying hockey. But maybe don’t put too much stock into the Flyers for the next couple years. They may be playing the young guys, but their young guys aren’t all that good.

         We’re a long way from the core of G, Coots, Voracek, and Simmer that made them so successful in their most recent run. In fact, the Phillies probably have the better pipeline at the moment.

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         1. Dan ……. where have you been ……… did they have you sedated?

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            1. I’ve been reading without responding mostly. Haven’t had much to contribute since there’s only so many ways you can say, “our hitters didn’t hit, our relievers relieved themselves on the mound, and our manager decided that making adjustments mid-game is for wusses.”

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               1. Ha! 100%

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10. SD …………. 2 volume edition, nice! IDK if you feel better, but I sure do! Just called my analyst and canceled my appointment. If the braintrust’s were paying attention I’m sure some change is imminent…….. no change, more pain.

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11. Jim. I agree on this team. The other 3 bye teams advanced. The only way the Phillies would have advanced was if the BP had completed the two possible 1-0 leads. That did not happen. 16 runs by BP is far from that.

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12. Romus never saw this kid Cade Smith for Cleveland. He looks really like a stud bullpen arm

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13. test

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    1. oldruff, you saying you need rest? Or you taking a test ?

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       1. Rocco ……… I feel strongly both ways ……. had a little skirmish with WordPress again …… good for the moment!😉

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          1. Same – Looked like I spammed the last comment section due to posts being delayed. I can’t say it made me look crazy… rather it helped confirm my insanity trait. 🙂

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14. As it relates to making major changes due to this playoff loss, I really think we need to take a big deep breath about that – we won the division, had the 2nd best record in baseball, and just were not in a groove heading into October.

    Now, what I am nervous about is the future prospects of this team if significant changes aren’t made. Not that they won’t win the next few Octobers, but the possibility they won’t be playing in some of the next few Octobers. Here are some serious questions about this current organization: 1) How long can Wheeler and Nola go without one of them having a major injury and/or a serious Father Time regression? They’ve both thrown ALOT of innings. 2) Where is the young starting pitching coming from after Painter? And let’s not assume Painter is going to be a savior, we can certainly hope but far from a guarantee. Abel and McGarry have serious steps to take to be part of a solution. 3) JTR is aging, and like Wheels and Nola have thrown alot of innings, JT has caught ALOT in recent years. I know he’s a stud but Father Time gets everyone eventually… 4) Marsh, Stott, and Rojas made no progress this year, and you can fairly say Marsh and Stott regressed. Trading them now would be selling low but what if these players again don’t perform next year???

    I do think, based on his great praise of Trea and commitment to his “improving” defense at SS, DD is going to try his dang best to do a Ruben Amaro special (Trade for Roy, exit Cliff) – find a taker for Trea and use that money on Soto. I think he will also be willing to eat money to move Castellanos and if Soto isn’t in the cards, look for another piece that’s a bit more gifted defensively and consistent and selective offensively. I might be in the minority here, but I’d really like to see a top of the order with Stott, Bohm, Harper, a RH replacement for Castellanos, and then Schwarber as the top 5 in this order. I think Stott could be a good OBP guy and like Bohm’s opposite field approach in that 2 hole.

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    1. I’d be extremely shocked if the team tries to move on from Trea Turner (again, having nothing to do whether I personally think that should happen – personally, I think it’s a not a horrible idea if only for the crazy length of the contract) and would even be mildly surprised if they move on from Castellanos (which I definitely think they should do).

       I actually think this team is pretty well put together on the mound. The starting pitching was generally good in the playoffs but the bullpen melted when it had mostly been very good all year. They had good relievers but they just didn’t pitch well in a 4 game series. It happens.

       The big problem with this team is the construction of the line-up and the lack of an elite righty hitter along with some very averageish hitters that Phillies fans seem to think are very good hitters (like Castellanos and Bohm – they are alright, but they are nothing special) and a terrible lack of plate discipline.

       If this team wants to make another big run while the current window is open, we need to seriously update the line-up and pay the price to find a lethal right-handed hitter. This version is getting very tired and teams know how to pitch to them. And Turner really needs to have a better season at the plate; he just does.

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    2. I like the Roy for Cliff, analogy. I can see that happening, but to me it’s more likely Schwarber that gets dealt over Turner if they are truly pursuing Soto. I love schwarbers bat, but if we are looking at all avenues, he does clog up the DH Position, and he has 1 year left. A trade frees up 20mil, you get prospects back, and in signing Soto you have a long term solution. I’d only do this if you know Soto is signing in Philly.

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       1. You guys make me laugh. They aren’t signing Soto, even if they want to. Even if they make big offers. Soto is going to sign with the Yankees or Mets or maybe the Dodgers (although LA probably can’t add another enormous contracts). He wants to be on a big stage. Abandon hope on this one. It won’t happen.

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          1. In the spirit of our old friend Hinkie, Soto, like most players, will take the highest offer. I think it is very likely we take a major run at him if we can move off the Castellanos contract (most likely), Turner contract (please Lord), or the Tijuan contract (no chance).

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          2. It’s also important to remember just how great of hitter Soto is. He’s 19th all-time in OPS+ and he’s now just coming to the peak of his career. And the players above him include dead ball players (raise your hand if you know Pete Browning and Dan Brouthers) and many Negro League players (I say this not because the Negro League players were not legitimately great – they were and deserved to be HOFers – but because I think it’s hard to translate things like OPS+ from the big leagues to the Negro Leagues and some of the numbers might be a bit inflated by comparison – taking nothing away from those great players).

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             1. Agree catch, and I know the game has changed, but for those of us old enough to remember 1993 and when Lenny Dykstra was still semi-normal, his incredible patience and plate discipline in the leadoff spot was incredibly valuable and I believe was a catalyst for enhanced patience and plate discipline by the guys that followed, primarily Kruk, Hollins, and Dutch, and to a lesser extent Mickey, Stocker, Milt, and Eisey. I think Soto could bring some of that mentality to this Phils team – “Chicks Dig The Walk”. Hard to believe but even 1993 Pete Incaviglia had a higher walk rate than 2024 Trea Turner. With his speed and the guy hitting behind him, a true crime.

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       2. DD has called Schwarber the best leader he’s ever seen – there is no way they are trading Schwarber. The bigger question on him is will they try and extend him. To me, it will either be Schwarber or JTR leaving after next season because Schwarber clogs up the DH spot 95+% of the time and JTR will need more games than that at DH in Philly with Bryce at 1B.

          Another significant question is where does Trea play next year if not traded? I don’t believe DD for a second that he’s playing SS, that’s just a statement to keep the trade value from cratering. Can this guy play CF or more likely LF? I don’t see how the issues making him a terrible SS get any better at 3B, but possibly 2B due to easier throws and more time to pick up his fumbles and recover in time. He can’t play SS.

          And what does this org think of Marchan? Will they give him an enhanced Stubbs role next year catching 40-50 games, or will they go outside the org?

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15. Well, the world knows who David Fry is now ……. stayed the Guards execution for the moment!

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    1. oldruff. I asked you last week if you and Romus knew who he was. I made my comment yesterday then forgot to press send till last night. Old age.

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       1. Hoosier Don ……. Romus and I … cannot be held accountable for your failure to launch type!

          Romus, aka, (Carnac) diviner & soothsayer extraordinaire knew all about David Fry, I, who am not worthy to carry Romus’s IPad knew little of David Fry ….. but, he has my respect now.

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16. Since anything is possible in the offseason, going to float a seemingly crazy idea. Trade Wheeler? What would he command in a trade? I’d imagine it’s still a huge return even with his salary. You can resign Ranger, and add a Flatery to the rotation with his money, even add a stopgap bat. Nola, Saurez, Sanchez, Flaherty with Painter (full time) ready for 2026. If you could get 4 prospects – 1 being a can’t miss prospect to plug in everyday, another top 25 BA prospect, and a top 100 pitching prospect… does it entice you to retool for an extended run with the revised core? Okay, throw your stones!

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    1. They are NOT trading Zack Wheeler, nor should they if they want to win the WS next year.

       I’m not saying he wouldn’t command some good prospects even with the contract (he probably would), but, no, with Middleton and DD, not a chance in the world this would happen.

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    2. This triggers an interesting thought – they won’t trade Wheeler – but could they try to free up Soto money by moving Nola? I know his contract seems crazy long to us but there are some pitching desperate teams out there that would likely jump at the chance of acquiring him. I don’t think we should do that but I’m wondering if DD might consider it. I’m guessing Nola probably has a full no trade clause which would greatly complicate matters…

       I think the way this team wins a WS is built around the strength of their starting pitching, and the hopes of a strong October 2025 bullpen with Kerkering closing, 22 Alvarado reincarnated, a multi-inning weapon named Painter, and a few contributions from Strahm, Hoffman, and another veteran reliever.

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       1. The money for Soto is there, if he will come here. Philly is one of the few teams he can genuinely negotiate with. 701mil over 12 years is 58 mil. Trade Schwarber 20, Alvarado 9, let Sosa go 3.8mil and use the 12/325 money you were going to give Yamamoto 27mil. It’s there without even trading Wheeler or Nola. If Soto would stretch it to 14 years (lol), then it’s more team friendly … or he does some Ohtani deferred bs.

          Only way I want to get rid of Schwarber would be for Soto. Obviously you’d want to swap Castellanos for Soto but if you need to clear money, there is an option.

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    3. Tac…you must be one outstanding wizard in your baseball fantasy league….trading Wheeler, now that is something else. Granted there would be takers, but no team will return any of their number one or two rotation pieces.

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       1. Ha 🙂 it’s early in the offseason, i’ll settle down before long! I just try to look at it from how the TB Rays would handle it. Not our “phillytude” viewpoint 🙂 I can easily see TB trading Wheeler, for a can’t miss everyday player, and couple prospects. What wouldn’t happen is them dipping into the FA market to come close to replacing Wheelers production in addition. If they did that, they would be the LAD. Will see, im not expecting Wheeler or Schwarber to go, but they are players other teams would ask about. They say they aren’t going to run it back… So who are they going to move? It’s gotta be somebody.

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17. Dodgers Bullpen is Unreal, Starters are giving Enough, 4-5 innings outta here. Different Hitters are coming through each game. Then Betts&Ohtani (Stars) Step up that game. The Pitchers do Not Walk people and every Hitter will not Swing outside the strike zone generally. Solid defense occasional mishap, like the late inning mishap SS &2B where 2 Runners were safe. /.How far away are Phillies from that Standard? 1) Undisciplined hitters 2) Breaking balls and OffSpeed vulnerability that continues. 3)Bullpen tendency for Walks. //Maybe it’s Good that the Phillies are not Playing the Dodgers, that would be a Disaster in our own back yard. The Mets have gone this far, just like the Phillies last year. Now the Phillies have to address their weakness with Some upgrades; I believe DD & Company Know what they are Doing, Do See The Real Issues, and will address them. “sometimes you trade good players for good players”.

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18. I have to remind the PP community that language is monitored here. If a word appears on George Carlin’s Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television List, you can’t use it here. You can extrapolate from that list to figure other words you can’t use.

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    1. I try my best to use PG language when commenting here, but I know sometimes I forget to go back and edit my first drafts.

       So apologies for the occasional extra work.

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       1. It wasn’t you, Dan. This week was the first time that language that James asked us to avoid happened since I removed the filters many months ago. We’ve been very intelligent in our use of language here. It was a new guy who got carried away multiple times in a comment. Ciada (I think) made a joking reference in a reply that the guy didn’t understand.

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19. I also have to restate a rule that you can only use one name here.

    SD, you have posted 32 comments since summer of 2020. You have used 5 different names, 6 if I differentiate between case – SD, sd, C, SteveD, zzzzzzSD, and Stephen DiGiacomo.

    Pick one and stick with it. SteveD (actually Steved) hasn’t been used since 2013 if you want to use that. Digdug is even available.

    On a personal note, are you in your 40s or younger? Father named Paul? Did he attend HGP? I may have been his best man.

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    1. sorry, when i go to do the comment and enter the email and name it then auto fills and i have to enter a name instead of my gov name that i guess i’ve missed on fixing from time to time. Just noticed the save my name/email toggle so hopefully that fixes it

       yeah i’m 42 as of today, father was not paul, i’m a Jr. so Steve as well. Born in camden/raised in camde, him not me haha

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    2. Somehow, I had to submit an email address recently and the system changed my name. It was SWL Frank, not what appears below. If you can instruct me on how to get that name back I’d appreciate it. Orherwise, I’ll stick with whatever the program has decided for me.

       Now, SWFL Frank appears in the box. I’m about to hit Reply. We’ll see what happens.

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    3. Jim, I, for one, would like to use my user name, SWFL Frank, but WordPress apparently has decided for me on a different name. If you can help me restore my original user name it would be appreciated.

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       1. ffantini 😂😅 …….. WordPress strikes again …….. Goodluck, Frank me fears you have been baptized ……. ye be Frank, …… no more😟!

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          1. Yep. it appears Word Press could use a little aretificial i ntelligence.

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20. The Phils will weed their lawn and do some new planting; they won’t be tearing up the lawn this off-season with an eye on complete reseeding. They won’t revamp in a way that triggers Bryce Harper coming in and demanding that he be traded.

    Zack Wheeler will go nowhere even though there would be an active market. Trea Turner is going nowhere in part because there would be no active market.

    The Phils are in ‘win now’ mode and they’re not going to strip the car to sell it off for parts.

    Dombrowski’s challenge is to add in a way that doesn’t block the path of that small number of prospects they really like, guys that could be contributing in a year or two.

    I don’t think it’s lost on Dombrowski that playoff teams with deep pockets are playing bullpen games. I don’t recall this happening in the playoffs before and certainly not to this degree. It’snot enough to be able to pencil in 5/6 starting pitchers in the off-season. with some notion that that constitutes real depth. Teams with $300 M payrolls opening playoff games with <$3 M openers. Who thinks that reflects sound business planning?

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    1. This is definitely an interesting time where the conventional approach the Dodgers tried to take – dominate with Glasnow, Yamamoto, Buehler, and Kershaw – has been replaced by let’s just have 8 guys that can throw an inning or two with 3 or 4 starters that can pitch 4-5 innings. So to your point, how does this change the Phillies approach, if at all? Do you give Ranger $20M per year, or do you try to allocate that money over different types of pitchers? Then again Yamamoto is getting $325M to throw 60 pitches and 4 innings every 6th day…

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       1. Time for a real introspective review of the team. JM wants a sustained team, a big window? Some of us our getting 2012 vibes. I can sense it, but believe it’s different since different ownership willing to outspend many teams this time around. To avoid 2012 again, a couple paths and here is an unpopular one:

          Take a TB Rays approach hybrid approach with a Big market money budget. Take a 1 year step back, but strengthen the next 5 years. They trade Ranger, Schwarber, Marsh, and Alvarado… plan to promote Crawford, Painter, and Miller by 2026, with the new prospects obtained in trades… and they go out and sign FA this year. The dream is if Soto would sign, but even if he didnt other options exist.… say they replace Ranger with Flaherty.

          Trading wheeler is unpopular, but if it meant Soto was a go… do you make that roster move? Soto+his craxy contract & top tier prospects for Wheeler, salary relief, but no GM1 Ace.

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          1. Tac, the Phils probably have less than a 2 % chance of signing Soto. Trying to persuade him to forego offers from contending teams to take the offer from a team trading away its #1 starting pitcher takes it down to about .002%. (So you say there’s a chance?).

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             1. Disagree that they won’t pursue Soto. You’re discrediting the Phillies as a major destination. Im not saying it’s a guarantee, and I don’t feel it’s a lock like it was back in the Harper/Machado days that the Phillies would get one of them. I’d put it closer to a 33.333% Chance. If he gets out of NYY, I goes up a lot from there. Will see. He’s a long term solution. He’s 26. Thats who you spend money on. If he will take yours.

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                1. 2 percent is more like it. Their offer will be matched or approximated by the Yankees – he’s not coming here. It’s so unlikely it’s comical.

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          2. The Phillies aren’t trading Wheeler. Can we stop this nonsense you can’t win a championship without him and his extension hasn’t kicked in yet. That’s not how winning organizations do business.

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       2.  “So to your point, how does this change the Phillies approach, if at all?”

          It’s a good question. To me it means having a potential 6th starter stretched out and ready on short notice on the active roster. And it means a minimum of 2 prospects at the AAA level — no worse and hopefully better than Kolby Allard, Tyler Phillips and Michael Mercado.

          I’d love for the Phils to sign Roki Sasaki from Nippon Professional baseball and re-sign Spencer Turnbull.

          Phils’ starting pitching in 2025 could look like :

          Wheeler-Nola-Sanchez-Sasaki-Suarez-Turnbull-Painter-Abel with Taijuan Walker in the wings (don’t ask where the wings are located).

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          1. Maybe those are the wings of the Angel of Baseball Death.

             Please, for the love of God, NO MORE TAIJUAN WALKER!!!

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          2. Phils offered 12/325 mil for Yamamoto and Sasaki is regarded as being more talented… so I think it’s fair to say the Phillies go after him with the mindset he’s “special exception”

             When you break it down, can another prized Japanese player really go to LAD? IMO, that takes them off the board. NYY? They gotta resign Soto, so I’d cross them off, though as one poster mentioned they can shed Money quickly as well. I’d say the 4 realistic teams are LAA, BOS, PHI, & NYM.

             if they did, he’s gotta be considered your #2, or 1b once proven in the MLB.

             I’ll stop spamming, but before I do..I see JM going after both Soto & Sasaki with the hopes of getting one of them. I think both players fall into the special exceptions category. When they missed on Yamamoto last year, i think the attention immediately turned to Sasaki. Only way I see them not going after him is if the Wheeler contract was their answer to not getting Yamamoto or Sasaki

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             1. Tac….is Soto QO eligible? If so the Yanks will probably slap it on him. In any event, Juan Soto will be getting somewhere close to a $500M contract this offseason and the teams have no doubt already been preparing their pitch and entry for the Soto sweepstakes. While the Yankees could end up winning the World Series,  JS may or may not put on the Yankees’ pinstripes for 2025. Understand now even the Nationals will be making their pitch for him to return, and the Jays in Canada may need more than Bo and Vlad Jr to get them over the hump. And of course the Dodgers will jump in the fray at some point….and Steve Cohen and the Mets will top the bidding….even with Alonso situation hanging in the balance.

                I can see Middleton making his pitch, but as in any game of poker, just to raise the ante.

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21. One of those relievers Buddy B mentions in his post is Ben Casparius. He is a Connecticut boy who pitched as a reliever at UNC for two years. Wanting to be a starter, he had to sit out a year when he came to UConn where I got to see him pitch 3-4 times. With the Huskies he started 15 games, went 8-5 and struck out 127 batters in 92 innings. He’s done a really nice job in the Dodgers bullpen. And Romus, LA drafted him in the FIFTH round.

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    1. Dang….teams are stealing our 5th round picks, the word must have got out.

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22. So since Ranger hurt his back and he had a (relatively) bad 2nd half, there has not been much talk of extending him. Heading into his final year of arbitration, how much do we think it will take to resign him? And… will it be worth it? I’m asking because IF he’s not going to sign, or he wants crazy money, perhaps he can be moved for a good, steady outfielder who can play good defense and not strike out 200 times per season. Or maybe a good third baseman where we could move Bohm to first and put Harper back in RF. Not sure who that might be but I do know that if we needed a pitcher and we wanted to trade for Ranger, folks would be saying we’d have to start with Miller or Crawford.

    Times yours,

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    1. Just because we aren’t talking about it here and the Phillies aren’t talking about it doesn’t mean it isn’t being pursued.

       Also, we have good outfield defenders, we need a stud right-handed power hitter.

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       1. IMO, the Phillies will follow the same plan as they did with Nola….let Ranger pitch thru-out his walk year, and then evaluate the market and make their offer.

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    2. I don’t think Ranger comes up high on many lists of top FA’s going into the 2026 season. A lot of SP’s have injury histories but he has no history of logging as many as 160 innings in a season.

       Ranger made $5,050,000 in 2024. In arbitration, he could get a spike to $12.5 M. If the Phils wanted to buy out his arb year and extend him, then 2 years @ $14 M would be as high as I would go. I wouldn’t offer more years and wouldn’t be heartbroken if he declined that offer and walked when he can. Will the Phils or any team see more or better from Ranger than what we have seen? (I don’t mean for 2-3 months.) I’m not sure.

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       1. His back issues will be a negative for him……he probably needs to come into ST in better shape. And if he pitches next season without an extension offered to him by the Phillies, in his walk-year, then he will be highly motivated.

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          1. “Shape” is a very interesting descriptor with Suarez. He looks soft and needs to start working out in the offseason.

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       2. FWIW, MLBTR estimated Suarez’ arbitration at $8.9M.

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23. I don’t think the Phillies need a better team as much as they need a better constructed team. I know it’s been done to death about how Schwarber is a value leading off, but he hits a homer leading off and we lose 3 to 1. I think he is better suited to the middle of the lineup protection for Bohm and Harper that’s where you get the big inning. That’s what extending the lineup is. Another thing is they’ve got to get a real leadoff hitter with speed at the top of the lineup ( Justin Crawford) I hope ,but if he’s not ready a rental player for a year or so. Another problem is JT. If he’s going downhill don’t bat him fifth so he doesn’t hit into so many rally killing DP’s. I have all the respect in the world for him but hit him 7th or 8th and don’t wear him out. Marchan is the obvious replacement but every time he sneezes he on the IL. Stubbs is a great clubhouse guy, but not a regular. Keep your fingers crossed until Tait gets here ,if at all. I don’t think the solution is to throw anymore money into the problem. We need the kids like Painter, Miller and Crawford to get here and hope it works out. We already lost too many draft choices.

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    1. Besides losing a draft choice or two on signing QO players….the Phillies also lose a portion of the funny money credit line in the international market.

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24. I’ve seen him mentioned a couple times, so I’m gonna throw out a few points about Roki Sasaki. I’m not as plugged into Japan as Hinkie was (and I also want to say again, we all hope you’re well, Hinkie). But I know enough to say that there’s some misunderstandings floating around regarding him.

    First, Sasaki’s ceiling is higher than Yamamoto’s. But the problem is that Sasaki is both an unfinished product, AND he is a health risk. His results in Japan are uneven. Sometimes he’ll dominate, and sometimes he’ll look very pedestrian. He’s also been treated with kids gloves since he was a teenager (which is fine), but it didn’t prevent him from hurting his arm this year. And that injury may be the reason his results this season have been far less stellar than previously.

    Second, it is by no means a guarantee he will be posted this offseason. There’s been a few reports that he changed his mind, maybe in order to try rebuilding some of his value. There’s also been more than a few reports that his NPB team is not currently willing to post him. So there’s really no reason to include him in any plans for this offseason until he’s actually posted.

    And that brings up the final point; there’s basically zero chance we get Sasaki if he’s posted this year. Why? Because he’ll have been posted. Yamamoto was a free agent. That’s why he got so much money (and we STILL couldn’t land him using our financial might). Sasaki will be subject to the international bonus pool rules. So we can’t even outbid other teams. That means if he forces his way over to MLB this year, it’s basically to play with one or two specific team(s) of his choosing. And that’s not going to be the Phillies. Most likely it’ll be the Dodgers.

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25. WordPress won’t let me do a long post about Sasaki, so I’ll just say that he’s not likely to get posted this year. And if he is, we’re basically guaranteed to not get him. He won’t be a free agent, so we won’t be able to outbid everyone. Which means he’ll just go to the team he likes the most (AKA the Dodgers).

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    1. I found and released your comment.

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       1. Thanks. Seems like WordPress has gotten extra finicky lately. I know posts not showing up is likely a spam filter, but it’s also had problems with losing connection to the server, duplicate posting, and signing in.

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26. What if the issue is not the players or the GM? What if the problem is the advance scouts. Dbacks see a Phillies’ vulnerability and execute to exploit it. Phillies have no equivalent plan for the Dbacks. Phillies can’t shut down Mets. Dodgers throw two shutouts at the same team days later. Did the Mets suddenly get worse? Or did the Dodgers have simply have better plan?

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27. At the trade deadline, the Phillies made a very attractive offer for Garret Crochet. Expect the Phillies to revisit the trade this offseason. I wonder if the offer goes down because 2 months of a playoff run were lost.

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    1. Jim. I can see the Phillies doing that. The Dodgers were also mentioned at the time but they are starting to get some of their guys back now. But who knows Crochet is really good. I watched him in his last outing. He was outstanding.

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28. The Phils pinch hit for Johan Rojas 12 times in 2024, 12 times he was removed before his defensive skills could be utilized to best advantage at game’s end.

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    1. Obviously, his hitting skills were weighed in the balances ….. and found wanting ……. and the truth of the matter is there were numerous other occasions probably where the same thing should have been done. Thomson’s revelation that Rojas is wintering in Clearwater (summer school) means the skillset isn’t acceptable.

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       1. Skeet…….he may only be a 4th OFer going forward. After 500 PAs…he has a 23% K rate and only a 4% BB rate…..his WAR is defensively weighted. Though many MLB players have lower BAs with two-strikes on them…..Rojas last season’s BA was .180 after he had two-strikes in the count….and he draws fewer percentage of walks than most MLB players.

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29. Oldruff/skeet before Word Press and Romus. You guys need to be nice to me. All the Word Press horror stories is why I try to stay simple. Other than forgetting to press send. Oh well. I had mentioned agree to a post above about Phillies not being a serious bidder for Soto. I like Soto. But I do not think he ends up in Philly. Just my opinion. Tac felt differently which is fine. Then Jim had changed discussions, so I simply was like the 5th post agreeing with Jim it was time to move on from 24. Phillies need to learn but do need to move on.

    Romus. Here is one thing I have brought up at times and it is mentioned above. The Dbacks figured it out in the last 5 games that the Phillies would swing at balls if you simply made them start as strikes. So, did none of the teams the Phillies played the first half of the season watch the NLCS a year ago? It was apparent after the all-star break the teams the Phillies played had watched or had talked with Arizona. I actually think Arizona did almost the same thing again when the Phillies visited there this season. Maybe that caught the attention of others. Whatever happened needs to be fixed in some form going forward.

    Soto most likely ends with the highest bidder. Most likely NY. Regarding Mets. Mets did not get worse. Brewers shut them out for 8 1/3 innings and then one bad pitch. Phillies had two 1-0 leads. If BP had thrown 6 shutout innings like the Dodgers Phillies would have advanced. If you do not allow the other team to score it is unlikely that you lose. Oldruff that could be one of your wisdoms. Instead, BP starting with a clean inning in both games gave up a bunch of runs. Believe it was 10 in those 2 games. That pretty much assures defeat.

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    1. Agree Don….Soto does not end up in Philly but one of the other large markets like NY or maybe even LA…Dodgers not Angels. As far as the Phillies approach….swinging outside the zone they were near the top in league. Reflects in higher Ks and less BBs/OBP. If they keep chasing, they will keep coming up short.

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       1. Romus – Soto has the QO, but that obviously wouldnt matter. Lot of negadelphia going on. I guess you guys haven’t gotten used to the new grass yet. Im still not saying Soto is a lock, but this is the post Harper signing Phillies. I’d stop dismissing it so fast. Soto seems like a private guy, private guys usually don’t fancy NYC Long term.

          On Sasaki… my bad, i just assumed from last winter, it woudl be a go. Given his hype, kind of shocking his struggles. I just assumed he’d be coming over here to grab a crazy contract.

          Okay, back to Halloween prepping for a Trunk or treat. I took my young son (5) to the Halloween Spirit store…. He was cool … until he saw a regular clown… it set him off 😂 All the other scary stuff in the story but the clown did it to him.

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30. Tac. I am not anti-Soto in the least. I think he would be great in Philly. At the moment I just do not see a fit. Now 6 weeks from now that may be a different story. If some moves are made, I could possibly see a Philly push. I feel the Phillies will definitely revisit the Crochet market. The White Sox cannot keep him with the supporting cast they have around him at this time. I have changed my tune on him. I watched his last two starts and he is a competitor.

    Early in the Fall I did not think there would be much difference from the 24 lineup and the one in 25. The way the last two seasons have ended without reaching the WS has changed my thoughts. It appears this group is better being the hunters rather than the hunted. So, I can now see at least a couple moves being made. No idea what they may be. Forget if you mentioned moving Wheeler. Phillies moved Cliff Lee. That did not work out so well. Believe Rueben has said it was the worst move he made as GM. It might work if you hit a home run on the guy coming back and at least one of the prospects being the real deal. Wheeler would only be of interest for a team ready to win right now so the market will be limited. But no doubt there would be a market. But I think he stays. I think Ranger might be moved.

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31. Baseball’s a sport; baseball’s a business. Middleton’s consolation this season despite little playoff revenue is that the team played to full houses. Trade Wheeler and they’re still a big budget team. But if you signal a move to start stripping off parts, fan indifference sets in.

    It’s not a move Middleton would make. A move like that would be based on an entirely different understanding of where the team is compared to the view the owner has expressed.

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32. I really don’t watch other teams play, a lot This is my first real look at Soto. What a stud he is. .His approach is excellent from what I have seen fouling off close pitches he thinks are close. But not in his wheel house. When he gets his pitch he doesn’t miss

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    1. rocco….so correct….he doesn’t give away any ABs. over 4000PA…career 19% BB rate, 17% K rate…..IS0…248……59% swings on pitches inside the zone….and only 17% of swings outside the zone.

       He is a Tony Gwynne with more power.

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       1. Romus. Better athlete than Tony was. But that takes nothing away from Tony. He could hit anyone.

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    2. Rocco. Good points. I call it swagger. He has it. He knows he is really good. I do get to see lots of games with the Extra Inning package I have so I see him frequently. I would love him in Philly, but I do not see it happening. I think the White Sox have to do the same with Crochet that the Nats did with Soto. The sooner they move Crochet the more they are going to get in return to speed up the rebuild.

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33. I don’t have stats to back this up and I’m not able to watch any games to have firsthand views to back it up, but my impression was that Rojas’s defense the year before last was transformational but this last year it was OK maybe there are physical limitations that impacted that this past year but for me the question is whether he can regain that defensive excellence. If you can, I am all in on him in center and not just late innings

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    1. I watch at least 145 games per year. Rojas hasn’t shown me that he has earned the CF position by any stretch of the imagination. He will make the sensational catch that his speed affords him the opportunity to make from time to time. He to me, makes mental gaffes from time to time in the field and on the base paths. Fighterflea mentions below throwing to the wrong base. If there was an award for “ugly” base hits, he would win it outright. Romus mentioned him being a 4th outfielder, which I think is a very fair evaluation. I believe he could have been better if he hadn’t been rushed the bigs.

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       1. oldruff/skeet. I have a? Why only 145? What are you doing with all your spare time. Rojas does swing at times like he is chopping wood. He has to be average on offense to be the everyday centerfielder for me. Many times, he appears to me he really has no approach to what he is trying to accomplish with each plate appearance. But he is young and maybe he can improve there.

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34. Rojas started 109 games in 2024 and was lifted for a pinch hitter in 12. It would be great if he could hit enough to justify a steady spot in the lineup. To date he hasn’t earned it.

    Rojas doesn’t always throw to the right base. He covers a lot of ground and catches most of what he gets to. I’d grade his fielding at 65 though some might score him higher.

    The rise of Justin Crawford puts Rojas’ future at risk in Philly, particularly if Crawford can hit lefties.

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    1. p.3 …….. actually, Crawford doesn’t have to hit left handers all that well to outduel Rojas (.212).

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    2. Rojas like Robles and Michael A Taylor before him had a promising MiLB profile. You just never know if they will adjust to the MLB level pitching night after night.

       All you can do as an organization is keep adding these guys to your system and then hope to hit on one.

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       1. I know why they did it at the time (and it was justified), but in the long run, I don’t think they did Rojas any favors by having him skip AAA – he’s still catching up as a hitter. How much he can adjust and improve is entirely unknown, but his inability to take walks so far in the big leagues hurts his profile because he doesn’t have a lot of power (so far) and he doesn’t hit for a high average. But he’s still pretty young, so we’ll see.

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          1. The issue with age when we speak on Rojas…he turns 25 next August. Its getting late early for him. He needs to pick it up next season at the start of the season. However, even if he ends up being a 4th OF….that is still good with his defense in all three OF positions.

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             1. Okay, but come on, let’s not accelerate his age. Next year is his age 24 season – he’s at an age when many (but certainly not all) prospect improve dramatically. Will he? Yeah, I have my doubts for sure and lot of that has to do with pitch selection.

                One my favorite BS arguments you always hear with guys who have terrible pitch selection/walk rates is how they are going to be more selective next year, blah, blah, blah. Jimmy Rollins used to say that almost every year – never happened. For like 19 out of 20 hitters, it’s complete non-sense. Once in a while a guy will develop better plate discipline and draw more walks, but it’s extremely rare. If anything it often gets worse when a player’s reaction time slows – like Ryan Howard who couldn’t lay off of low outside pitches (hello Casty and Trea!).

                So, while I think Rojas could (and must) improve his plate discipline a little, I don’t think that’s where you would see improvement. I think he could improve his average, definitely improve his bunting (an important skill for him) and even improve his power, but it will be harder for him to improve his plate discipline a ton.

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          2. The biggest issue with Rojas is that he can’t make contact. Similar to Cristian Pache, either he’s guessing too much or he can’t react in time.

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             1. Nah, he makes contact at an OK rate (19% K rate vs the MLB average of 22%) but he just can’t impact the baseball. His average EV in 2024 was 82.4 mph. The MLB average was 88.4 mph in 2024.

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          3. But when you watch Rojas (who is basically a defensive replacement outfielder right now) and knowing that Crawford is in the wings, it’s a little like watching the Eagles last year with guys like Eli Ricks at cornerback and now some stud young players man that position. Yeah, the guy playing now is passable, but there’s a really elite prospect who most likely, when he gets on the field, it will become immediately apparent that is superior to the guy there now. Crawford will be promoted to AAA probably to start the season or shortly thereafter (I’d be pretty surprised if he’s not in AAA by May 1). The length of stays in AAA are notoriously unpredictable (Chase Utley, of all people, play 1 2/3 seasons in AAA – it’s hard to believe, but it obviously did the trick), that said, I expect that if he does fine in AAA, Crawford will likely be promoted sometime in August or September because he is likely to be a significant and immediate upgrade over Rojas and his ceiling is extremely high.

             By the way, on an unrelated subject, if Marchan is healthy this spring, he needs to be the back-up catcher. Sure, they can sign another vet to be in AAA, but Marchan is a superior player to Stubbs; it’s just not close at all. Of course, if Marchan gets injured in ST (which is the underlying issue here), we could be stuck with yet another Stubbs season, which is not ideal

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             1. I think there will be a platoon in CF to start 2025. If Rojas still can’t hit and Crawford rips AAA, I think he’ll be up in May.

                Marchan is out of options I believe so he should be the backup, unless the Phillies really don’t believe in him.

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       2. I know why they did it at the time (and it was justified), but in the long run, I don’t think they did Rojas any favors by having him skip AAA – he’s still catching up as a hitter. How much he can adjust and improve is entirely unknown, but his inability to take walks so far in the big leagues hurts his profile because he doesn’t have a lot of power (so far) and he doesn’t hit for a high average. But he’s still pretty young, so we’ll see.

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35. I just hope when Crawford’s time comes, there is no great concerns on his ability in being able to hit LHPs, like there is now with Marsh. I looked at Ohtani’s splits vs LHPs in his first three years in the majors…ages 24-26 and he had his own issues when it came to LHP..one year down, next up, then down….but he eventually came around. Crawford no doubt will be younger than 24 when he makes his MLB debut, just hope it does not become a big deal and then they decide to start a platoon with him.

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    1. When Crawford comes up, he’s starting against everybody. He should do ok vs lefties because of his contact ability, but his OPS will likely take a hit. But we’ll be talking about a 21 year old here. He’ll still be developing. He won’t be a finished product when he makes his debut.

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       1. Crawford could easily have a 4 or 5 year developmental timeline as he gets stronger, picks and chooses his spots and develops his approach at the plate. This isn’t a Juan Soto or Albert Pujols type who comes into the big leagues fully formed. But he has a chance to be good/solid, right away.

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          1. I believe Crawford must be a hit right away along with Painter, Miller and Tait in a couple of years.

             It’s unrealistic to expect the Phillies to rely on out spending every team for superstars every year. Sooner or later they’ve got to spend the money on scouting and player development.

             As much maligned as Bohm, Stott and Marsh are they have talent and come relatively cheap by MLB standards. You can’t pay everyone on the team 20mil. a year.

             Whether it’s a gamble or not, I believe Crawford at the top of the lineup may be the shakeup the lineup needs. It’s a risk I agree, but the kid seems to have the pedigree and stats in the minors to back it up. Just dreaming I guess, but imagine Schwarber in the middle of the lineup protecting Harper and Bohm instead of setting meaningless records for the most leadoff homeruns.

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             1. With the possible exception of Painter, nobody is expecting, or should be expecting, that these young players will come in and be big stars right away. What we need is for them to be solid MLB regulars who are improving. If they are more than that, so much the better.

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                1. Who’s expecting them to be stars right away if ever? I do however see competent major league players, if track record is an indication. Not all will work out I understand that.

                   The Dodgers and the Yankees have useful players who are not stars. Maybe you also make a trade or two to help the team.

                   Painter looks to me like the closest to major league ready providing he’s healthy now. Crawford looks good and should be a better hitter than Rojas. The rest are possibilities.

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             2. I don’t want to say this, but the odds of the Phillies hitting on all 4 (Painter, Tait, Crawford, Miller) are real slim. There’s a reason why FA is what it is. I think if the Phillies can hit on 2 of them, it’ll be a huge win.

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36. Thank god the Mets are out. Really didn’t want to see them go all the way.

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    1. I second that… them losing makes my Thanksgiving day dinner a bit more palatable. I’ll have to take some ribbing but I can easily deflect now they got dumped in the NLCS. I may or may not ask where the gravy is … is it in the fridge, or over by Utley’s corner 🙂

       A little annoyed the Injury plagued dodgers smoked Manea but the Phillies couldn’t. They really need to reveiw “WHY”… im guessing it’s what we’ve all ready beat a dead horse on .. but for the stubborn players to accept, and actually change this time around.

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37. 2024 was the last option year for both Marchan and Stubbs. Marchan would be picked up elsewhere I believe. I’d take a chance on losing Stubbs.

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    1. Stubbs is as replaceable as a major league player gets. If he’s not on the Phillies he’s probably competing for a AAA spot, so he probably sticks around here for a while trying to compete for that spot and hooks on somewhere else if he’s told Marchan is the victor (as he should be).

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       1. I see Stubbs playing a key role for that Banana team in 1-2 years…

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38. Romus and oldruff. Appears the Yankees and Dodgers had no issues with being the 1 seed and a bye. Although the Dodgers were on the brink of elimination against Padres and then the pitchers decided to pitch like 30 some scoreless innings in a row. If the opponent does not score it is difficult to lose.

    Maybe the Phillies can take some solace in the fact the Dodgers bowed out very quietly in the playoffs a year ago as the Phils did this year. Neither hit nor scored any runs. Doubtful Dodgers bullpen was as dreadful as the Phillies was this year. On the bullpen. I know some disagree, but I was really never much on the Estevez bandwagon. I hope those 2 young kids have success, but this already looks like a bad trade. I am also not nearly as much on the Hoffman bandwagon as some. He resurrected his career with the Phillies a year ago, but I am not sure he will ever be “the” guy in a high leverage situation. Just my opinion.

    Finally, as the Yanks and Dodgers prep for the WS I think the Phillies best window for a WS title in the near future came and went last October in games 6 and 7 vs the Dbacks. This particular group of players were exposed and as long as the core of the team remains the same and it almost has to in the immediate future look for much of the same approach from opponents. I do think they would have hung another banner had they won either game 6 or 7 in the NLCS. Think they matched up well against the Rangers. Oh well.

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    1. Exactly, this whole “it’s bad to be the 1 seed” talk is small sample size nonsense. It’s better to have a first round bye and it’s even better to have that bye and home field advantage. Sooner or later, the numbers should reflect this advantage.

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39. Sounds like Crochet was a target at the deadline … so was Robertos… Any chance a renewed trade interest is for both of them? Id be neverous if I was marsh and that’s the case. 2 of Marsh, Rojas, and Crawford could easily go if thats the case.

    That said… I’m still holding out hope for Soto,as a legitimate pursuit. It makes too much sense imo, but will see.

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40. catch. I agree. The more advantages one can have the better the chance to advance in the playoff system of today. The Phillies had that advantage in game 1 and Wheeler was beyond excellent. But the bullpen was beyond dreadful. I was pretty certain the series was over after game 1. Back when I coached in the 70s-90s mostly. Four different sports and various levels. Middle school, high school and travel ball. We as coaches always looked for the 7o’clock prime time player. There are many 4 o’clock great practice players. But when the lights become the brightest, they frequently fall into the background. I think these playoffs are an example of that. The teams with the most 7 o’clock guys are the teams that in most cases advance. For that reason, I am going to go with the Dodgers in 6. Both have plenty of those guys, but I think the Dodgers may just have a few more.

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    1. Don…that is funny in a way…..seems every play-off year some undescribed player steps to the forefront…..Tommy Edman of the Dodgers, Jose Iglesias of the Mets or David Fry of the Guardians….and propels themselves to center stage. Granted the big bats do play their part, but these lesser known guys seem to emerge every fall.

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41. Romus. Are you laughing at me? oldruff may be. The thing about the 7 o’clock player is you may not know who they are until they prove it to you. Your examples are spot on. Ranger is kind of one of those guys. Even though he had a poor 2nd half he gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead after 5 innings. You cannot ask anymore of him. Other than maybe 2 more innings. But it did not matter.

    My first experience with the 4 o’clock player was my junior and senior years of high school basketball. We had a team that could really score lots of points. One of my teammates led the state our senior year around 34 points a game. But it was a kid a year behind us. M-Th. at 4 o’clock he was an incredible player. But when they put fans in the stands and turned out the lights other than over the court he checked out as well. If he could have only been good not great, we would have had an outstanding team. But instead, every time the coach put him in those 2 years, he performed like the Phillies bullpen did in the Mets series. Dreadful. He was a great kid and a really nice person. But it was something he never overcame.

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    1. Hah….Indiana HS basketball is a pressure cooker, some kids thrive, others melt…..just ask Gene Hackman!

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       1. Do they still measure the courts before the big games to make sure they haven’t shrunk or grown larger?

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          1. LOL……those days are gone by the wayside.

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          2. Goal. Not court. Goal is 10. Court is 84 x 52. You guys are ruthless. LOL Hoosiers. Wow. My school was Hickory. Carmel was South Bend. We had around 400 kids and they had around 3,000 in 3 grades. But my 70-team scored 89 points in Sectional semi. Most they gave up. They were state runner-up. Every game I played in was like everyone in Hoosiers. By my time the gyms were much larger. But the crowds still right on top of you.

             Romus you are correct in the thrive or melt. Baseball is no different. Some rise to the occasion and some do not. They always talk about Ranger having a slow heartbeat. That helps but you still have to produce. The guys who can slow the moment down are the ones who succeed. The really good ones thrive in the moment. Ohtani, Betts, Soto and Judge live for the moment. There are plenty more. Most likely who is best of these 4 wins but as you said it may be someone not on the radar. Kiki Hernandez has been very good.

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             1. Yes….Kiki is doing it again….you just never know who will step up their game and become a hero..

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42. I’ve become a bit intrigued with Otto Kemp recently, and in Steve Potter’s new write-up of him, this quote popped out at me: “he excels at third base, makes spectacular plays there.”

    I (and others) think Bohm could use a change of scenery, which would leave a large hole at 3B. Any remote chance Kemp could compete for that in spring training?

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    1. If by some miracle that Bohm gets traded, you figure Edmundo Sosa will get first crack at 3B. Then Otto Kemp should be in the mix for the backup IF job.

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       1. It would be astonishing to see Bohm moved in general but in particular without him being replaced by a big leaguer of proven pedigree.

          Bohm seems confident he will be back which is likely the result of recent conversations with team brass.

          Sosa is a valuable backup. Does anyone think he’s an every day starter for a contender? I don’t.

          I don’t know what Kemp could do in ’25 to put himself in the conversation to start at 3B. Maybe hit .330 in AAA with an 850 OPS with Gold Glove calibre fielding.

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          1. Agree with you on Sosa.

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             1. Skeet….IMO, Sosa will eventually get exposed if he is tasked to be an everyday starter.

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                1. Agree, on that, I have him a reserve at best.

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    2. No. If the Phillies trade Bohm it will be because they have acquired another veteran third baseman to take his place.

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       1. Jim, how do you evaluate Miller? Also what would think the timeline for him to be on a major league field?

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          1. Miller will be a fine major league player, but maybe for another team. If he survives the offseason and remains in the organization, I expect he’ll start seeing time at third base in spring training and in Reading next season. That will give the Phillies the flexibility to slot him in at shortstop or third base if/when Turner is finally moved off shortstop or Bohm becomes too expensive through his next two arbitration years. FWIW, I would flip Turner and Stott. Turner has logged almost twice as many innings at second base than in center field in the majors. He last played center field in 2016 and second base in 2021. He’s a middle infielder, the transition to second base should be much easier that a move to center field. And Stott, like Turner was a career shortstop. Hopefully, he would be able to transition back to the position. As for a timeline on Miller, that would depend on which organization he continues his development. If with the Phillies, I would hope the Phillies not rush him to the major leagues until his is ready to handle major league pitching. I would guess mid-2026 season. With another organization, I don’t care. Not our concern anymore.

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             1. Jim. It seems you feel Miller may be a trade chip this winter. I know it was reported the Phillies made a serious offer for Crochet at the deadline. They said Painter was not part of the package but one would think Miller and some other high prospects were included. The White Sox have to move Crochet. Longer they hold onto him the more his value goes down most likely. You may know who was included last summer. Now what do you think it would take for a deal to happen?

                Regarding Bohm he is a puzzle. He had a really great first half and then not so good a second half. Reminds me a bit of Dominic Brown that one season when he hit like 20 some home runs in the first half of a season and then not a lot after. My biggest issue with Bohm is his immaturity he shows on many occasions.

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                1. Yes. I feel that he and a couple other top prospects could be moved in the right trade. Crochet would certainly be one of the targets who would have significant prospect and active roster cost.

                   Bohm is not a puzzle to me. He played well until the injury. I’m convinced he returned at less than 100%. His frustrations were understandable. I choose to view them as passion rather than immaturity.

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43. Love the prospects talk regarding Kemp and the others with a higher profile but I don’t know how to project guys until they’ve stood out at AAA for more than a month.

    Let’s see how the kids adjust once opposing teams have film and eyes on them.

    The Phils should shape their roster this off-season on the theory that the big team will get absolutely nothing from prospects in 2025. That’s where to set the bar and every surprise will be positive.

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    1. He is starting to look like trade bait imo. That’s Good for him & the club. Hope he makes it to the MLB, sounds like he battled, told the naysayers to be quiet while he did his thing.

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       1. Kemp and others will likely be invited to spring training. If he impresses, he and others could fit into their 2025 plans. They have options. The Phillies need players they can yoyo between Triple-A and the majors. Clemens, Kennedy, and Stevenson are among the players who are out of options

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          1. Four players who seem to be true hitters….more contact than power right now, but have the strength to achieve more pop….Kemp, Carson Taylor, Keaton Anthony and Gabe Rincones. All should get their shot at LHV this upcoming season. Also hope the Phillies management tries to get a few more versatility in the field…i.e., Taylor with some catching again, Anthony with some corner OF play

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44. Here’s a new and different explanation for Stott’s disappointing season at the plate. He was a new father this past season. Maybe the new baby altered his schedule at home enough to have a little influence on him? It certainly had to affect his normal routine and lifestyle. I know it sounds like a stretch, but it’s a pass I’m willing to afford him for last season.

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    1. Many young players seem to go thru an early season of struggles in their careers…..regroup, recharge and prepare in the off-season for the next. I am confident he will adapt and rebound.

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    2. They spoke about the new baby a few times during the broadcasts. Like any of us who have had kids we all know it is a completely different routine. Especially the first time. I agree. I do hope he bounces back. He was so good at the plate in 23. Romus. You are correct as well that sometimes young guys just have an off year and then tweak things a bit and bounce back. With all the technology available in the game today corrections are easier. Sometimes it is something very small that gets everything out of whack..

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       1. I really think that Stott’s trouble at the plate starts with moving him out of the lineup against lefties. After all the new baby didn’t affect fielding and range at second base. He should play every day.

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          1. “After all the new baby didn’t affect fielding and range at second base.”Didn’t it? His defense was elite last year, whereas it was only above average this year. A new baby could easily impact is reaction speed (lack of sleep leads to slower reflexes), and that would impact both his ability to hit MLB pitching as well as his ability to react to where a ball is hit. And fielding metrics suggest he got to way fewer batted balls this year than he did last.

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             1. I feel the whole family culture of all the guys played a part in it really, a few others had kids or had them end of the last season… lot of home buying, new routines, expectations, LIFE.. it’s hard sometimes even for professionals.. hope they don’t beat themselves up too much this winter

                kind of a what they wanted to have happen happened.. a family clubhouse/tight knit culture..but with that comes attachment, a lot of close knit relationships.. harder to make sound descisions from top down when that exists like it seems it does now

                upcoming year will really test things, the measuring stick is realy looming this year

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45. 3 obvious points I’d like to stitch into a theory with a bearing on how the Phils and other teams manage their prospects and operate in the trade environment in general.

    –Teams have options in the off-season to rebuild their team that they don’t have around the trade deadline. Free agent signings occur in the off-season.

    -The relatively new playoff format makes more teams buyers and fewer teams sellers at the trade deadline. Players performing well and prospects with an upside take on a luster as trade objects at the deadline.

    -Season ticket and other ticket plans have been sold to fans long before the trade deadline. The (revenue) hay is in the barn for teams not expecting to contend in the playoffs.

    So what? We know that, right?

    Why should the Phils or any team with sound financial coffers trade off top prospects in the off-season? You let them develop until they reach a plateau or until they’re blocked by someone seen as more valuable.

    The Phils don’t have have any real top prospects who are blocked at the moment.– position players or pitchers. Marchan may or may not be seen as a top prospect but he’s no longer blocked.

    If, at the trade deadline a player with value looks blocked, then and only then do you put him in a package in a trade for someone offering immediate help. And the Phils, at the deadline, look for complementarity — a trade partner with player(s) who no longer can help a non-contending team’s revenue picture. Imminent free agents fill this bill.

    Am I saying to never trade top prospects? No, I’m just saying if you do, do it at the right time in the right circumstances for the right reasons.

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46. Excuses ,What a joke. He couldn’t catch up to fastballs. Guess it’s the babies fault.

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    1. Last year he hit .296 against four seam fastballs, .351 against sinkers, .291 against cutters, and .283 against sliders.

       But sure, he suddenly lost the ability to hit fast pitches for no reason whatsoever.

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47. rocco….that may be true….but his overall peripherals were actually similar maybe even better than his first previous year…..his K rate was 18% and BB was 10% in 2024…..vs 2023 were his K rate was 17% and BB was 7%. The difference was his line drive percent and fly ball percent….LD% was just a tick lower in 2024 than 2023…but his FB% and IFFB% was higher in 2024 by 4%-

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    1. Bottom line he popped too many balls up which are almost outs.

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    2. i am going by a report I read. Had trouble with fastball, 93 andabove

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48. I agree with Jim on two things above. First, Bohm had a really good, consistent season until the injury and I think he really just lost his timing and it’s hard to get that back in a short time under a spotlight. His immaturity has always been about him trying too hard, or wanting to be better. We’ve never seen lazy immaturity from him and so I think passion is a better descriptor. Second, on Stott, yes he had a bad year and who knows about the baby, but I am not worried about him at all in the big picture. I also think he should be playing SS.

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49. Painter pitches Thursday afternoon, 10/24, 1:30 PM MST.

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50. Jim – it’s the offseason for both the Phillies & Angels… is it okay to start the Trout to Philly rumors yet? 🙂

    Not saying it’s happening, but I’d bet Trout’s mind is starting to shift. He’s got 6 years left on his deal. 33 yrs old. If the Angels can’t make a run this year, I think he asks for a trade. Angels were in the easiest division in baseball, and they couldn’t get it done. 88 wins was all they needed + winning the H2H vs Astros… or 89 wins. To top it off… he see’s Ohtani in the World freaking series… that has to change his mindset imho. Plus the bad taste of USA WBC.

    35 mil a year isnt so bad, if a deal is made where the Angels pay his salary down to get better prospects. … Say 60 mil total… I think a lot of contending teams would be interested. Get him for a reduced roll, of 130gm, baby him. Will see. I think it heats up this year. If the Angels don’t have a big offseason … can’t imagine he doesn’t see the writing on the wall.

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    1. From a GM standpoint I am sure Perry Minasian would make a Trout deal., just to get out of that LTC and the burden it is to their future…not so sure Arte Moreno would. but if you are wanting to spitball trade names…how about Casty, Walker, Abel and Rincones for Trout. They get out of the money in two years and the Phillies maybe get a healthy Trout for awhile as he reaches 34 in August.

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       1. So much of this is a medical question. Is Mike Trout likely to return to full health after this injury? Does he have any nagging medical condition that is likely to arise again? Even without that, he has become incredibly injury prone and next year is his first as a truly older player, so there’s the natural decline issue.

          It seems, here, you don’t even think about moving forward without satisfying yourself he could be healthy after reviewing a laundry list of medical reports.

          It’s hard to believe, but this was Trout’s and Judge’s age 32 season.

          But if you could get the Angels to eat almost half of his salary and just tried to get him to play 115-20 games a season, it might be worth it for the playoffs alone. We are talking about one of the greatest players of all time.

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          1. Aaron Judge broke into the league at age 24. Trout was roaming CF at age 19. There is way more mileage on Trout’s body. And Trout himself even admitted that DH will be his likely destination in the near future. Delivering .800+ OPS at CF is way more valuable than doing it at DH.

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             1. I’ve never heard the “mileage” observation to applied to a position player other than, perhaps, a catcher. Maybe there’s a little to this, but I just think that Trout is both injury prone and unlucky. By the way, over the years, Judge has also lost a ton of time to injuries.

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                1. In general, mileage applies for the “up the middle” positions: CF, SS, 2B, C. These positions are the most taxing for the body. Most players at these positions are not productive into their 30s.

                   For example, Ken Griffey Jr posted 5.5 WAR at age 30. The next 10 years, Jr posted 7.7 WAR total.

                   As for Aaron Judge, he’s a large human, similar to Giancarlo Stanton. At a certain point, their bodies won’t be able to handle the OF. It’s a credit to Judge’s conditioning that he’s able to be productive at age 32, although his defense is starting to suffer. Stanton has only posted 4.7 WAR in the last 6 years of his deal and he’s pretty much a full time DH now.

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                2. I’m not sure I agree with this with respect to CF, 2B and SSs – at least in terms of them wearing down. What I think more typically happens is that elite defenders at those positions lose a step and can no longer man those positions defensively but their offense isn’t good enough to justify them moving to a lower value defensive position. I mean, if Johan Rojas is no longer a plus outfielder, what value does he have on a baseball team? Or when Jimmy Rollins became a below average offensive player and no longer a plus fielder – you couldn’t put him at DH or first, right? Not because he couldn’t play those positions but because his offense would not justify that move.

                   But I don’t think it’s about them wearing down and becoming more susceptible to injuries – at least as a group.

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                3. @Catch, if you don’t want to call it mileage, that’s fine by me. I’m still going to call it that. There’s a history of HOF players at those positions not being productive by their mid 30s when they break into the league young.

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       2. I see him playing out 2025 in LAA, but I’d do it. I’d okay a lot of different versions of a trade with the goal of keeping him healthy for the October. Imagine where his mindset would be next year if the team goes form 63 wins to 75wins… and still last in the division with 3 real years of his contract left. He has everything but the ring. I’d be shocked if picks loyalty over a ring at this point.

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    2. Part of me would do it if they can clear some of the bad money on the books (Walker). I wouldn’t give up a prospect of value to the Angels though and thus I doubt they move him. I would only play him in LF which downgrades the center field defense drastically if Marsh isn’t moved.

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    3. Trout needs to make the first move and say that he wants out. However, with his injury history, not sure how many teams would be really interested unless the Angels eat a lot of that money.

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       1. I agree with this. Signing him to this contract was not a bad idea when it happened, but it’s turned into another Pujols situation for the Angels, the NY Jets of MLB – just a churning dumpster fire of a franchise.

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51. I wrote this before that the Angels take Walker and Castellanos and some lower level prospects for Trout. The Angels would also have to add some cash. Trout plays RF on a more limited basis next season and when Schwarber departs, he moves to DH full time.

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52. I agree that it has to start with Trout’s desire to be moved and to his ability to play well and healthy from season start to the trade deadline. If he doesn’t want to leave Anaheim, it’s like speculating about the Phils acquiring Judge or Ohtani.

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53. SOG ……….. I looked at the calendar …… TROUT FISHING DOESN’T OPEN TIL APRIL ……… get a life!

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54. I’d rather the Phils invest in a veteran younger than Trout who’s in his prime as the Phils transition off of expiring contracts in 2025/26.

    The Angels appear to be pondering how to unload the Rendon contract. From afar, the impression one get gets is that Rendon fulfilled his last major professional goal when he signed his long term deal. (The Ben Simmons of baseball?)

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    1. I knew Rendon has been a bust of a contract, but hadn’t heard he is resembling Ben Simmons. Disgraceful if so.

       @Oldruff… 😃. In fairness all i suggested was that his mindset is likely starting to change. I can see him asking for a trade at the end of the 2025 season. He’s got 6 years left as of now. The last year is probably a throw away due to his health… so let’s go with 5… 2025 is not looking good. How many teams go +25-30 wins? They have 1 prospect in the the top100. I guess technically 2… but they got MLB exposure last year. So … 4 years of the contract left with the A’s looking like they are rebuilding better… not a good look. He’d be smart to foresee this and ask this offseason.

       As a pure baseball fan… i want to see Trout in the playoffs. He is one of the greatest players of all time. The commissioner of Baseball should step in and tell Art he needs to be traded. Put him on the Dbacks. On the orioles. Rangers, Houston…Just get him out of that cesspool of an organization. Of course I’d love him in Philly, but at this point let’s free him from LAA. (I get he may not want to leave, but he’s likely loyal to a fault at this point)

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    2. Yeah, good luck with that. Anthony Rendon has been crazy hurt the second he signed that massive FA deal. He hasn’t played more than 58 games in any season for the Angels!

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55. While on the subject of the LAA… I saw a link promoting Ward as a potential trade option for the OF. If that trade happened, you might have to announce adding a minor league team to the Phillies organization … Now welcoming your Double A Anaheim Angels 🙂

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56. With all due respect to Mr. Trout – I submit his career is likely over. With the accumulation of injuries and now the frailties of having to recover from so many of them for the last 5 or 6 years it appears that his HOF career has ended. That said, can he play 20 games and hit 8 hr etc. – possibly ? but there will no sustained Mike Trout play as we knew him years ago. Sad, but true – to have him in Philly might be nice as a pinch hitter every 3rd day etc. but to man a position for even 75 games of the season has expired.

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    1. that’s pretty eye opening … Rendon said the quiet part out loud. That would be incredible for a 9-5 employee to say, let alone a MLB ball player… Damn. He thinks it boring? Lol That cat has no idea. It’s never happen, but I’d love to see him work a real “boring” job for an entire season … at the salary you’d earn. This dude would wise up real quick.

       ”Hey Rendon, welcome to the “team”, it’s your first day. Do everyone else is doing. O … and I know it’s game 1 of the season, but we’ve been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but we are still going to need you to hustle like we are trying to make the playoffs… as a “team” of course. Okay, see you around champ “

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57. Rendon is a despicable human being – who signed a multi million dollar contract for years with the intention that he would show up whenever he felt it was something he wanted to do – when he wanted to do it. I will never forget that when questioned why he was a baseball player, his reply was, “I don’t care for the sport, it is boring, out of touch with current times, but it is something for me to do.” I hope the guy gets hit by a bus in the parking lot – while he is yet again, headed for the D L .

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    1. RU ………. I sense that you are holding out a little bit on your true feelings for Rendon ……. please don’t sugarcoat it, ….. just take a deep breath, let the bad air out and tell us how you really feel about him!

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       1. When your average person would give his left arm to be a major league player, let alone one who makes hundreds of millions of dollars, his disinterested responses are definitely infuriating. He doesn’t care at all and that makes him kind of a bad guy in my view. If you’re not going to give it your all, then quit and stop stealing the money.

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          1. Perhaps just another reason why the Nats let him walk after they won the WS. This will be his last gig-Angels- I am sure. Five years in LA….total of 257 games played. Arte Moreno must not be thrilled about those circumstances.

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          2. “When your average person would give his left arm to be a major league player”

             Or give his left leg to be an NFL kicker.

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       2. O-ruff – yes, I am in the undecided camp !!

          One has to wonder did the Angels ever talk to the guy before they signed him ?

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    2. Hard to blame the player. Its the idiot FO and owner that gave him that awful contract.

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    3. If I remember correctly, Rendon comes from money. That may be the reason for his laissez faire attitude.

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58. Romus let’s play your G.M what do your offer White Soxs for Roberts and Crochet?

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    1. rocco….what would I offer and what they want are two different things…..but knowing Dombrowski from the past, if he stays true to his roots, he will offer Crawford and probably Painter. Who knows, from one perspective, Painter could also be showcasing himself in the AFL.

       What would I offer…..Ranger, Crawford and Caba…..take it or leave.

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       1. AFIK, Painter and Crawford were never on the table.

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    2. Funny, I was thinking of that. I wouldn’t do this but for Crochet and Robert it could take Bohm,Hays and Crawford. How would you like to be the exec breaking the news to Bohm? “We’re sending you to not only the worst team in baseball but a historically bad team. Have a nice day!”

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       1. They will want a pitcher also…..all teams want a pitcher in any deals it seems anymore.

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    3. Rocco. I think the Phillies revisit the Crochet market again this winter.

       Romus. I have been busy so not on much lately. Are you now doing a White Out for your signature?

       Oldruff. Got to help Roumus.

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59. You make that offer only if there’s something to the rumor that the Phils have interest in Alex Bregman.

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    1. Signing Bregman would be a huge mistake. He’s already 30 and he seems to be declining already. He’s going to want a substantial contract, something like 7/200. The Phillies already have Turner’s contract which likely won’t age well.

       If Boras is willing to go for a short term deal, that I would be ok with.

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       1. HUGE MISTAKE. It will be a bigger mistake than the Castellanos contract.

          DD has some real questionable talent evaluation issues from my perspective. It’s one thing to figure out who to draft or what young player to trade for. When you sink big money into a FA deal, dammit, you can’t control if the guy will get hurt or will decline, but otherwise, you need to nail it pretty much every time, both on the talent evaluation and the terms. DD often screws up both ends of that equation. He has his strong points to be sure, but screwing up FA contracts, and making them way, way too long, yeah, that can haunt a team.

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          1. catch,i agree… but to give a little shade to DD… I think his valuations are on.. its more so The players/agents just won’t take anything sort of reasonable. The player only signs if they feeel they are overpaid in terms of money & years. it’s pretty nuts, even from afar. The MLB really needs to do something, if they won’t let players hit FA before age 30 in most cases… they need to cap the number of years a player can sign for. Something has to give. It sounds like to me the Phillies plan to have dead/badmoney on the books when they have a new core coming up.. and that is how they envision building long term. Once the bad contracts falloff, they resign their new core. JM doesn’t care what players are getting paid when .. just that the park is filled. Thats how I see it. DD may have tipped his hat to that by holding on to the Painters, Crawford’s, Millers, etc. we gonna find out though… because there is some serious money on the Phillies payroll

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60. I don’t covet Bregman and don’t want to pay what I fear the asking price for Crochet and Robert.

    I wrote above about the timing of deals and thin the Phils can improve their rotation depth and OF this off-season through free agency and an international signing.

    Whatever we think of Painter, Miller and Crawford, they are “just guys” until they show they are knocking at the door by performing well at AAA. The timing is wrong for moving any unless there’s a deal tipped in the Phils’ favor that hinges on including 1 of the 3. Can’t imagine some other team valuing any so highly at this point.

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    1. They are all pretty well regarded, but Painter is a highly coveted asset and teams will try hard to trade for him.

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       1. Agreed…being out a whole year he is still rated 5th among all RHP prospects…..and one of the youngest. His value is extremely high as he pitches today.

          https://www.mlb.com/prospects/rhp/

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          1. Romus. You are back to normal on my screen.

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             1. Well, it took me a full afternoon to get “him” back to normal ……. your turn to get him back to normal next time ….. I’m exhausted!😉

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                1. I can tell you are exhausted. I was afraid that Romus had become a 4 o’clock player that when the bright lights came on, he simply dimmed into the background. But he has come back as the 7 o’clock phenom that he is. Romus’s bright lights are back on tonight.

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       2. As I’ve said before, Painter’s ceiling is Hall of Famer. Highly unlikely he does that, but that is definitely his ceiling. Our last rookie pitcher you could realistically say that about was Hamels (Nola was not quite at that level).

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          1. If Hamels had pitched maybe 2-3 more good seasons (3-5 WAR), he would have been in the conversation. He was a hell of a pitcher. As it was he pitched to a 59 WAR, which is enormous – like 5 WAR behind Roy Halladay (but a peak that was not quite as good and no Cy Young awards, but what a pitcher!).

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             1. Hamels may not be a HOFer but he was immensely valuable for the Phillies. 59 WAR is no joke. Nola won’t be getting to 59 WAR.

                If Painter even has Nola’s career, that would be a success.

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             2. catch. Agree. I really enjoyed watching Cole pitch. He was a pitcher by all measurements.

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61. Expect to see a lot of movement this offseason – recall his resume – he’s traded / traded away – Sale, Price, Scherzer, Cabrera, Piazza, Fielder, Cespedes…

    Since joining the Phils, he has avoided that kinda trade in exchange for FA signings and ‘edge | margin’ trades.

    Not sure why – maybe he saw too much positive chemistry in ’24 Phils to trade for a Chisholm, Booker, Lane Thomas, Flaherty, Crochet Maybe he wanted to Farm to develop a year.

    My sense is that Dave reverts over, we’ll see movement.

    Obviously there’s a core already here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t add some mix of –

    • RH Power Bat to hit behind Bryce and play either LF or 3B
    • #2 or #3 LHP to sandwich Wheels and Nola
    • Leadoff / table setting CF (aka Nails 2)
    • Closer
    • Super Utility guy – to pair with Clemons

    And he’ll do this not by signing the high FA Bregman or Soto’s of the world, but trades for controllable 25-27 year olds.

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62. Back to Painter for a moment – there was a story that at the trade deadline there were only 2 teams in on Crochet – one was the Phils (other was Dodgers) but they (DD) ultimately turned down a deal which included Painter among others for Crochet. This was reported by 2 Phillies writers – not the national know nothing group. I frankly don’t see them trading him – no matter the offer.

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    1. Perhaps one reason he did not trade him in July was becasue he was rehabbing still,,,,and the Sox wanted more in the package to compensate if he could not come back like they wanted. If he gets the 20 innings in the AFL and does well, who knows what happens then.

       Personally I hope he does not do anything and refuses any offers for Painter…I think Painter could be the Paul Skenes story of 2025. And that is the uplifting the Phillies need.

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       1. The injury complicates trading painter. This time last year, no chance of trading Painter. Now, the best they can hope for is a stretched out started going 100 inning or a bullpen arm. Not sure how they go with him, but i can now see them potentially being intrigued enough to trade him since his value to the team this year is really muted in away. Not having him last year hurt. Personally, I think they were continuing on him like Skenes was supposed to be before he got hurt. I think they hold on to him, but … if the right deal comes along….I would get worried.

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          1. Painter was awesome again today…3 innings , one hit, 3 Ks and only thru 6 balls. Announcers could not say enough about him.

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    2. RU all I heard was the offer was really strong and that it did not include Painter. I agree that Phillies are not going to move Painter.

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    3. Which writers? Which prospects?

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       1. Todd Zelecki (sp?) had the main article I saw and Gelb made a brief mention of it in The Athletic I believe. The trade offer was never fleshed out other than naming Painter as among the players that Chisox wanted for Crochet. Writers said, DD passed on doing the trade. No other players were mentioned.

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63. Painter was 98 on the gun in a 5-pitch 1st inning today and threw 3 strong innings overall. 32 pitches with 26 strikes. A game announcer is touting Painter to make the Phils opening day rotation. Well …

    I never want to dump on any Phils’ top prospects. But an unproven Painter (or Miller or Crawford) can’t be the centerpiece of any deal that moves the needle for the Phils immediately. There are 7 pitchers currently ranked higher in MiLB than Painter. The talent is there but he’ll have to pass the test of time in moving beyond low pitch and inning limits

    Otto Kemp connects on a grand slam for his 3rd homer in the AFL. Kemp’s hitting clean-up.

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64. Otto Kemp just went yard again. Two 2 homer games in the AFL so far. The first was nearly 110 MPH off the bat. He’s got all the RBI so far in a 5-0 game.

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    1. Bohm ……….. just reportedly said …….. oh 💩! ……. and spiked his helmet!

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       1. oldruff. Bohm made great strides especially the first half. It has been mentioned that his fall off happened after the hand injury. I agree that an injury like that does have major effect on his swing. But I felt he had dropped off prior to that as did most of the Phillies did the 2nd half. I am sure Romus could give an account of what he did prior to the injury. He has all the stats.

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       2. I get the joke, really. However Kemp played RF today.

          Will be interesting to monitor his progress. It’s been so long since the Phils had a prospect blow-up out of nowhere. Anyone remember Tony Curry?

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          1. Been a long time indeed, since someone showed up that wasn’t expected to show up. It would just be our luck to get a position log jam out of it and then, trade away the wrong guy, the guy that is the real deal.

             Earlier in this discussion thread a commentor was saying how Otto was making such spectacular plays at 3rd. I hope he keeps the petal to the metal and makes it really difficult for them!

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          2. Yes, I remember Tony Curry. The first major league game I attended with my dad and brother was June 26,1960. I was 11 years old. Tony Curry as in that game playing RF.

             It was the first game of a double-header we for I don’t remember why only stayed for the first game. It was against the Cardinals who had Stan Musial, Curt Flood and Bill White in the game.

             The Pitching matchup was Larry Jackson for the Cards vs John Buzhardt for the Phils. The game was won in the 12th inning on a homerun by Tony Gonzalez over the high rightfield wall at Connie Mack Stadium, a rare Phillies victory.

             Ruben Amaro Sr. ,Clay Dalrymple, Tony Taylor, Dallas Green, as a pinch hitter, played in that game.

             Buzhardt went all 12 innings for the win. Larry Jackson went 10 for the cards. It was a different game then.

             I looked it up on Baseball Reference. The Phillies had 17 doubleheaders that year. Ernie Broglio was the losing pitcher in relief in the first game, but he was the winning pitcher in the second game. He won 21 games that year.

             I was convinced that Curry was going to be a star. What did I know?

             Except for Bill White, Clay Dalrymple, Bobby Malkmus and the immortal Julian Javier everyone that played in that game is dead.

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             1. Great memories for you. I turned 15 on your special day at the ballpark. I loved the family trips to Connie Mack and especially, twilight double headers. The 60’s team had some very interesting personalities ……. big Gene Conley, Dave Philley ……. Harry the Horse Anderson …. good reflections. Maybe your Dad felt 12 innings in the 1rst game was enough … seats weren’t padded as I recall.

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                1. Harry the Horse Anderson was traded for Tony Gonzalez in one of the Phillies greatest steals of all-time. Tony was quite a good player at bat and in the field, but unnoticed on a last place team.

                   Now that I think of it Joe Morgan is still alive. Not the Joe Morgan in the Hall of Fame. But the Joe Morgan that later managed the Red Sox and couldn’t figure out that Pedro Martinez was spent in that playoff game against the Yanks and was fired. He hit about .170 for the Phils that year but he was in that game also.

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65. Which of these guys do you think are really on our serious interest list? So much so, that DD is seriously lining up trade scenarios.

    Stevan Kwan

    Louis Robert, Jr.

    Cody Bellinger

    Kyle Tucker

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    1. oldruff. Of your list I would pick Kwan and Tucker. I think both can fill a need that the Phillies have. I like Kwan a lot. I really like Tucker. He does need to stay healthy.

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    2. You can scratch Bellinger and Kwan off your list. Bellinger has an ‘opt out’ clause in his contract which he probably won’t exercise cause he’s he’s overpaid based on recent performance. Why chance it? If he opts out, he’s a FA and not a trade target.

       Kwan is a Cleveland GM’s delight, a low cost star who is over-performing his contract. He’s not even reached his arbitration years and suits the team’s budget to a T. Cleveland is a contender so the only idea that their budget might otherwise permit — Kwan for a bunch of low cost top prospects — doesn’t improve their immediate competitiveness and makes no sense for them.

       Dombrowski would be the one putting down the phone receiver (if they still use landline) when he hears what Cleveland would ask for Kwan.

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       1. Clevelands weakness is starting pitching would you give up Ranger, Abel and De La Cruz for Kwan and xxxxx?

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          1. My response to you is “Could the Phils get someone close to Kwan from free agency or Japan and save the payment you propose?”

             I really don’t know kind of a prospect a healthy Abel is. We’re accustomed to thinking of him as a castoff but I’m not sure.

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    3. Bellinger can opt out. But do we want another $30m / 30+ player?

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       1. I’m not an advocate for Bellinger, not all that keen on him. He had a decent year considering the time he spent hurt. Never a good idea to run or jump into the ivy at Wringley Field (ders bricks in back of the ivy and dey are hard)! Cody would be a last resort and then I’m still not sure I’d do it.

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66. I wouldn’t trade Painter even up for Crochet.

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    1. That is interesting. Both have some issues. Believe this was Crochet 2nd season so whatever that means for control. He was very limited a year ago and even at the end this season he was being limited to 4 or 5 innings. I think from the trade deadline till his last start he never threw 60 pitches. In the last game he was allowed to get out of a bases loaded jam and was in the early 60s. I know Painter is really good. Crochet is really good as well. But both are high risks right now.

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67. How much time does Crochet have left before free agency? I think it two years. If so, I don’t think they should trade for him for 2 years.

    And for those old timers (like myself), on Fernando”s record run when he was a rookie, wasn’t it the Phillies who gave him his first loss?

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    1. 4-0 Phils win – in front of 52,000+

       Valenzuela retired the first two batters of the game, Mike Schmidt hit his 12th home run of the season. The Phillies got three more runs in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Keith Moreland and Gary Matthews and a sacrifice fly by Garry Maddox.

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       1. Thanks SoCal, my old mind is still working okay (as is yours).

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    2. ciada. believe more than 2. He was in college not very long ago.

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68. Don – I just checked baseballreference.com and it showed that his earliest free agency is 2027.

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    1. Crochet did have shoulder issues a few years ago while at Tenn., (2020) and then in March 2022 had TJ surgery….so he does come with his share of medical risks. This season was really his second full season of pitching in the last 5 years.

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       1. If you think Painter is a likely #2 or even an ace, then there’s no way in the world you trade him for Crochet. The Phillies will have nearly 7 years of control of Painter. Crochet is a FA in 2 years. The value of that additional nearly 5 year period is everything. And I mean VALUE – the differential between player cost and performance.

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          1. I would’ve moved Painter for him at the Deadline but I’m glad I’m not in charge. Miller is the best I’m offering, Painter is off limits even if I sign Crochet to a long term deal.

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       2. Romus. There is no doubt he has risks and risks. But when he is good. He is Skubal good plus maybe a little more velo. I was down on him when he was making all of those demands at the deadline. But I watched his last two outings. He has electric stuff. There is no way the White Sox can keep him. They have to get the best deal they can get. I am not saying it will be the Phillies. But someone will ante up for him. Crochet is in the Mad Max competitiveness area. It is simply going to be buyer beware. If he can stay healthy for the next 3 years, the Brinks truck will be in his driveway.

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          1. Understand 88-year old owner Jerry Reinsdorf of the Sox may be selling the team….listening to offers. that may have a bearing whether or not they start trading any of their better players. In any event, getting Crochet will mean parting with top prospects and maybe a current rotation pitcher….you know it will not be Wheeler, Nola or Walker….so who is left…Ranger and Sanchez.

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             1. Phillies made a big offer some said back at deadline. Did not include Painter. So, Romus who was included then that was rejected? Would the same offer get the deal done today? I have no idea. It may not be the Phillies that pull the trigger on a deal, but I do think he gets moved.

                Speaking of moving. Take the Phillies starting 9. Let’s put Casty, Rojas and Marsh in the outfield. Of those 9 who is in the starting lineup on Opening Day 2025? I am going to say at least 7 are.

                oldruff, Rocco and anyone else feel free to chime in with your thoughts. I know lots of talk, but I think most return for another shot. They did win 95 games but limped to the finish line.

                WS pick is still Dodgers in 6.

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                1. Don….to begin with the July offering to the Sox probably did not include any starters from the rotation …since why disrupt the chemistry as the Phillies sat in first place. so it must have been prospects. An off-season trade now will probably include a combination of a starter and prospects.

                   And I cannot see them coming back with the same team…three consecutive regressions in the play-offs…not sure that is a formula for future success. Who goes and who stays I cannot even image. Dombrowski probably is mulling over all scenarios now. I’d perhaps would try to sign Teoscar Hernandez for LF, move Marsh to RF and try to move Casty. But Hernandez will cost at least $25M AAV for 3 or 4 years……maybe more AAV money knowing the Phillies.

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                2. Hoosier Don ……. I don’t think DD can return with the same team again. They were going to work on swing n miss last year. They were still swing n miss this year. To change the swing n miss you need to change faces.

                   The outfield needs steady faces ….. screwing around with the likes of Pache, Rojas, Hays, Marsh, Dahl, Stevenson, Schwarber, Castellanos, etc. in 2024 in the hope of coming up with a magical formula won’t find success in 2025 anymore than it did in 2024. Close, but no Cigar …. is what it gets you.

                   Get Marchan up, try to improve the left side of the infield defensively by some manner …….. but, can’t trot the same exact group out there again.

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69. Good points oldruff. Believe the swing and miss is still a work in progress. Maybe they need to concentrate on the swing at strikes portion of that scenario

    Agree that outfield is maybe less than a work in progress. I have seen here a proposal of Bohm and two prospects for Tucker. I think I would take Tucker in a minute. Not sure who the prospects would be.

    Locks for 25. Harper. Turner. JT. Schawarber. Near locks. Casty. Stott. Possible moves. Bohm and the two outfield spots. But I am not sure they give up on Hays so soon. He has a great base on ball rate. Like zero. He never walks. Marsh some are in his corner, and some are not. Rojas at this point is what he is. A defensive specialist. Somehow, he has to hit some.

    I agree that it is really difficult to stay status quo. I think the saying is something like doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That is the issue.

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70. LOVE the WS ……. the BIG STAGE …. the BIG MOMENT …….. the CLIMAX … the DELIVERY !!!!! …….

    Good baseball, last evening nice way to open the World Series. Happy for Freddy ……… should cement him in LA forevermore ……. 😓😥😩 Atlanta…

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    1. Skeet…in this WS…there probably will be at least a half-dozen Hall of Famers playing…..Judge, Soto, Cole, Ohtani, Freeman and Betts are close if not almost locks. Then there is Kershaw who was not added to the Dodgers’ play-off roster.

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       1. Dodgers in 6. You guys sure are nice to each other.

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    2. Dam oldruff. Sounds like your describing a hooker

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71. New discussion at

    Phillies Discussion, 10/27/24 | Phuture Phillies

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