The Phillies continued to get very good starting pitching through the Mets’ and Astros’ series. Aside from a blowout loss on Saturday, they held the Mets to 2 and 1 runs in games 1 and 3 of that series. Then they held the Astros to 1, 2, and 2 runs in a series sweep where they were on the losing side. Now they take their anemic offense to Atlanta.
This is your Phillies discussion.
Important Dates
- April 4, 2025: MiLB roster limits decrease from 175 to 165 players
- July 13-15, 2025: MLB Amateur Draft
- July 24, 2025: End of FCL regular season
- July 26, 2025: One-game FCL semi-final
- July 27-29: Best of three FCL finals
- July 31, 2025: MLB trade deadline at 6:00 P.M. EST
- August 19, 2025: End of DSL regular season
- Playoffs TBD: 8 teams, 3 best-of-three rounds
- 6 division winners, 2 wild cards
- Playoffs TBD: 8 teams, 3 best-of-three rounds
- Note: These dates will be used unless/until notified differently.
Transactions
6/26/2025 – Lehigh Valley sent C Lou Albrecht on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
6/26/2025 – Lehigh Valley activated RHP Gabe Mosser from the Development List
6/26/2025 – Reading released RHP Andrew Schultz
6/26/2025 – RHP Koyo Aoyagi assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
6/26/2025 – Jersey Shore sent SS Devin Saltiban on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
6/26/2025 – RHP Giussepe Velasquez assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
6/26/2025 – LHP Zuher Yousuf assigned to FCL Phillies from DSL Phillies White
6/26/2025 – RHP Yordy Magdariaga assigned to DSL Phillies Red from DSL Phillies White
6/25/2025 – Jersey Shore sent OF John Spikerman on a rehab assignment to Clearwater
6/25/2025 – RHP Jose De La Cruz assigned to DSL Phillies White
6/24/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP Jose De La Cruz to an MiLB contract
6/24/2025 – Reading sent LHP Tristan Garnett on a rehab assignment to Clearwater
6/24/2025 – SS José Rodríguez assigned to Reading from Clearwater
6/24/2025 – Reading activated SS José Rodríguez
6/24/2025 – RHP Jose Pena Jr. assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
6/24/2025 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Jose Pena Jr.
6/24/2025 – OF Joel Dragoo assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
6/24/2025 – Jersey Shore BlueClaws activated OF Joel Dragoo.
6/24/2025 – OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
6/24/2025 – Jersey Shore activated OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu
6/24/2025 – Clearwater activated SS Juan Villavicencio from the 7-day IL
6/24/2025 – Clearwater activated OF TJayy Walton from the 60-day IL
6/24/2025 – OF Manolfi Jimenez assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
6/23/2025 – CF Dylan Campbell assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
6/23/2025 – Reading activated CF Dylan Campbell
6/23/2025 – Reading transferred 3B Luis Verdugo to the Development List
6/23/2025 – Reading transferred C Andrick Nava to the Development List
6/23/2025 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Drew Garrett from the Development List
6/23/2025 – Jersey Shore transferred LHP Mavis Graves to the Development List
6/23/2025 – RHP Yordy Magdariaga assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red
6/23/2025 – DSL Phillies White activated RHP Marco Sipion from the restricted list
6/22/2025 – Phillies optioned RHP Michael Mercado to Lehigh Valley
6/22/2025 – Phillies recalled RHP Alan Rangel from Lehigh Valley
6/22/2025 – Lehigh Valley placed OF Keaton Anthony on the 7-day IL
6/22/2025 – Lehigh Valley activated C Josh Breaux from the Development List
6/22/2025 – Lehigh Valley released LHP Nick Vespi
6/22/2025 – RHP Estibenzon Jimenez assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
6/22/2025 – Reading transferred RHP Wil Crowe to the Development List
6/22/2025 – Jersey Shore transferred OF Eduardo Lopez to the Development List
6/21/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP Marco Sipion to an MiLB contract
6/21/2025 – RHP Marco Sipion assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies White
6/21/2025 – RHP Wil Crowe assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
6/21/2025 – LHP Nick Vespi assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
6/20/2025 – RHP Wil Crowe assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
6/20/2025 – LHP Nick Vespi assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
Phuture Phillies 
Anemic is a great word to describe the offense at times. I know many here think just get to October and all will be fine. I remember the last 5 games of the Dback series and then that anemic offense last season against the Mets. Hope I am wrong but many of the same cast is on board again in 25.
BTW the starting pitching has been great. Hoping all the guys can stay healthy and keep it up.
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Don….maybe they need a shot in the arm …like bringing up a kid like Crawford and see if he can give them that spark. He has close to 300 PAs at LHV so maybe they are waiting until after the all-star break to make the move.
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I heard Tom quote a stat that in 1983 a year in which we went to the WS we had a stretch of 42 scoreless innings
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Romus. Not sure what they need. Seems like lots of peaks and valleys. Mets are doing the same. Guess who is in a peak at the playoff time will be best.
Just saw an article on TJ or Internal Bridge surgery. Grandson is July 10th. Not sure which now. Originally was to be the IB. Article said 36% of MLB pitchers have had one or the other. Also said most prevalent now is kids 15-19 for surgery. I can believe that just in the ones I know here in Indiana.
Hope the bats come back some this weekend. Maybe they really need Romus doing his bat burning ritual. Ruben said he would rattle the bats when he was bat boy.
Dmar. These things do happen no doubt. I also saw Phillies have now lost 9 of last 12 on the road. Three wins in Miami. That might be more concerning.
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Romus. I was wondering if Rexys is still flyers bar? I sometimes pass it taking my granddaughter.to school. Parking lot always packed. I have come to realize Phillies aren’t high on Crawford.
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rocco….they are still in on Crawford….maybe there is a magic PA number for him to reach at LHV, who knows.
Rexys….not sure if that is still orange and black ruled.
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Or maybe the hitters need to start making offerings to Jobu…
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One other thing mentioned after yesterday Phillies starters have now had 40 of the 81 games where they have given up less than 2 earned runs and gone 6 plus innings. That is an amazing stat to me.
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When I look at this offense vs 2022, it seems pretty clear this team misses two players… aka their style of hitting …
Hoskins & Segura. You don’t have to bring Hoskins back,but some bat like him or better. Same with Segura… the lineups needs a very tough out, one that rarely strikes out … and isn’t a double play machine. You basically have an automatic out in Rojas vs Segura, and no RH power bat who can also take walks. Both those things help keep passing the baton.
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Which takes it back to the design and the design was never harper at 1st.. they pivoted bc they needed to but they should have pivoted back last offseason and put him back in the OF and aquired alonso but missed opportunity/thinking by FO there
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Bring the kid Crawford up for God sakes. I don’t give a dam about his swing path and the no power thing. If he’s in the Major leagues long enough he will figure it out. Also don’t put in the bottom of the order either. He’s a leadoff hitter that’s where his impact is.
They bring these guys up, like Otto Kemp, and they figure he can’t handle the pressure so they bat him eighth. He has very little impact down there. These guys have been under pressure there entire baseball life with tournaments and scouts and fighting thru the minor league system. If they can’t handle we will know soon enough.
In closing my rant would they just leave the kid Stott alone and let him play everyday against lefty and righty pitching even when he’s not hitting his glove covers him. Plus he gets more walks and base hits in the clutch than most of the others.
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Kemp can have just as much impact hitting 8th as anywhere else if he was actually hitting. But his .616 OPS isn’t providing any value regardless of where he’s hitting in the order.
The line-up isn’t getting rescued by the next big AAA bat just waiting in the wings. Keep an eye on how Weston Wilson start hitting in the next few weeks.
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Ah yes, the good old days of Hoskins and Segura.
How did those 2 guys do in the WS vs. Houston?
Hoskins – 3-25 with 1 bb and 10 K
Segura – 3-21 with 0 bb and 6 k
They were not particularly tough outs, but they certainly passed the baton since neither guy did anything.
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no segura in that cardinals wild card series, no WS either so, you give and you get
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Really? They won the Cardinals series 2-0 where Segura went 1-5. They wouldn’t have won that series without winning game 1.
Maybe yes, maybe no.
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Segura was a tough SO from what i remember, no? Someone of that caliber is needed. Thats how you manufacturer runs. Player hits a double, ground ball or fly ball moves him over. Vs 2 strikeouts which seems to happen a lot with this team. High contact hitter would be nice to balance out the lineup when it goes cold.
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My frustration with this team is approach and situational hitting was a big emphasis in spring training. They made a huge deal of that. But they’re back doing the same thing. Swinging at balls. Looking at strikes. Castellanos is back to diving at first pitches low and off the plate or swinging for the fences. Those at bats on Wednesday by Bohm and Casty in the 8th was everything wrong with this team.
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I saw this today that Kepler is saying that Phillies misled him in signing. Saying he was told he would be the everyday LF which has not happened. Maybe he has not looked at the .209 average he has, or he just wants to be the next Whit Merrifield. He is moving in the Whit direction. I did not realize that he really only had one great year in Minny. 2019. Had 36 HRs. I must have seen him play some of those games. I thought he would do better, but I do not like his swing at times Looks like his tennis days. Also nice to complain after his bobble in LF allowed the winning run to score. May have had a shot with a good throw and clean pickup.
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Agree Don. Was disappointed reading that from Kepler. He wasn’t mislead, he played his way out of being in the line-up everyday vs. left-handing pitching by not hitting.
His spot isn’t guaranteed. He seems to be on the DFA path similar to Merrifield last year. I suspect Crawford will be taking his place sometime next month.
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Kepler wasn’t misled, I think that was the initial pitch to get Kepler to sign in Philadelphia. But now that the Phillies are putting Kepler in a platoon, they know that Kepler won’t be happy, and the Phillies clearly don’t care. Kepler obviously won’t be re-signing with the Phillies and he’s saying this because he wants the Phillies to DFA him so that he can get a shot elsewhere for more playing time.
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The problem with going from Crawford to Kepler is that it doesn’t solve the offenses biggest problem – HR’s. Take out Schwarber and we have no one in double digits. Kepler is 2nd on the team with 9 hrs. Houston hit home runs in that series and the Phillies didn’t. I’m not sure Crawford helps with that. If Marsh, who is hitting better, was providing any power, then it’s an easier move, but it’s not.
I think the hope was the Kemp would provide that pop, but he has a .293 slug%.
I wouldn’t shed a tear if Kepler is moved on from, I just don’t know what that is going to look like.
Not to reopen a can of worms – but at what price would you go after Mike Trout? Like, after this year, he only has 5 years left. Granted, $37 million a year but that isn’t going to look super outrageous moving forward. You’d obvioulsy have to be very confident in his health, but man, I’d consider it.
If you throw Walker and Castellanos in for salary purposes (phillies still have more long term contracts but unloading those would be helpful in the short term). Just getting off the money . . . would the Angels take Walker, Castellanos, Abel, Kemp, Nori/Burkholder, Mendez (?) as a return? Granted, it’s a little more quantity over quality, but it does get them 2 starters, and a couple upside plays.
Alternatively, I’d be interested in Jo Adell. Breakout year, hits right handed. Plays CF. Hits dingers
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The Mike Trout train has long since passed. He has 10-5 rights and he’s given zero indication he wants out. And that’s not even including his injury history.
Jo Adell is a DH playing the OF. I have no idea why the Angels are playing him in CF. The Phillies would like his bat but have no place to play him.
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Trout – he may not say he wants out, but if the Angels came to him and asked if he would want to get traded to his hometown team, then who knows?
Adell – we’re running out Castellanos in RF so I’m not overly concerned with his defense. I would see Adell as a Kepler replacement
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Jo Adell has 2 more years of control left, the Angels will not give him away. He’s going to cost one of the Phillies top 100 prospects not named Painter.
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Agree, I see the caboose …… and it is getting smaller, smaller, …….. smaller, oops gone! You know, I bet he doesn’t even want to entertain the proposition. Let’s see, at the twilight of my career, I should go to my hometown and be thought of as the guy who is going to bring the troupe down “Broad” …….. nah I think I’ll ride it out here where I’m beloved …… they throw snowballs at Santa afterall.
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No one thinks Trout might want to try his hand at winning?
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He took the money didn’t he? How many people thought the Angel’s could win it all?
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Crawford can manufacturers runs I ain’t worried about HRs. His speed is s game changing. Romus m8 pls be careful
Cutting lawns today in Lansdowne. Ice is in the area
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I’m high on Crawford but a CF with little power is kinda Brandon Marsh right now. Over the last 28 games, Marsh’s number are almost identical to Crawford but with less steals and he’s doing it against big league pitching. I’d still like to see Crawford in some role, but if the idea is that you have no power from CF and LF, you are at a major disadvantage
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rocco…thanks for the warning, just finished cutting the lawn.
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Kepler is a .236 lifetime hitter. He’s 32 years old. I don’t think any other team is going to pay him 10mil a year. He’s had his moments this year just not enough of them.
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He took the money more than half a decade ago. That’s a long time for a team to build something.
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That’s right, he did, and where he built his reputation and his legacy.
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and as he looks at the rest of his career, he might want to win.
Maybe he’d prefer LA, but I can’t figure out why we are arguing over the possibility of him wanting to win and leaving.
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Mike Trout is turning 34 in August. If he wanted to win elsewhere, you would figure that he would have asked to be traded years ago, like Roy Halladay. He seems to be very comfortable in Anaheim. Or maybe he’s loyal to the team that drafted him AND gave him $500M total salary.
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Mike Trout is over the hill. Its too little and way too late. Besides, Angels with what amounts to an almost .500 record fashion themselves as a potential wild card team ??? They are more likely to buy at the trade deadline than sell, crazy as that sounds.
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As bizarre as this might sound – this team badly needs a RH hitting position player. If you’re DD – and you have guidelines that say – don’t sell all the farm it wouldn’t be entirely strange to reacquire Hoskins – he is not going to cost very much because of his $$ and Brewers don’t want to pay it / his player option is $4 M for 2026 and is mutual and payable 2/1/26. He makes 18 M now – prorate it for half the year. Move Harper back to the OF and install Hoskins at 1B. I didn’t say it would be pretty – but it might help the hitting. Now go fix the bullpen. I am not recommending this – merely saying stranger things have happened ?
Meanwhile there is a lack of punch throughout mlb this year. Where else can you get a strictly non DH hitter with some punch for a “lesser” cost ? It seems to me that the only way to fix the OF is to move Harper back out there and get another 1B ??? If Brewers can’t win the Central or look like a wild card at the deadline – Hoskins will get moved.
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Agreed. That was some of my thinking on trout – not that he’s the answer or that he wants to come – but the bar is so low for right handed hitting pop. Hoskins could play first, Harper back to the outfield, and DFA Kepler
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I guess most people have moved on with Kemp after his 65 PAs.
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Well I was never there to begin with, so I haven’t moved on.
He shows signs of being able to hit a bit but he doesn’t have a position and I don’t see enough bat to believe he’s anything more than a RH bench piece, like Weston Wilson.
Just another cautionary tale about falling for big numbers in the minors. Been through it with Singleton, Santana, Rizzotti, Cardenas, etc. etc.
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I’m in somewhat the same boat. Never expected him to do much to begin with, although I will say I think there’s more than just a bench piece there. Whether that’s a platoon partner or an actual starter, I’m not sure.
But I don’t mind letting him keep going out there until Bryce is back. We have no better options, anyways. And young guys usually need time to adjust to major league pitching.
That said, if we trade for a right handed bat, we should absolutely not be shy about optioning him. Whatever he ends up being, he needs consistent playing time to reach that potential.
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Not me, give the guy a chance to settle into MLB. Bring him up, make him play 2 new positions, a good many adjustments ….. adjustments, adjustments …… Crawford is next, get used to it …… same deal with the exception of position.
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i ready to move on from Miller.
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rocco……,MIller? The prospect at Reading..
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Really. Enlighten me. He is a 240 hitter. What am I missing!
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I guess it’s not a coincidence that Painter is pitching on the same day as Mick Abel?
Including tonight, Abel will have 3 more starts (ATL, SD, SF) before the AS break. It’s going to be a gauntlet for Abel and he’s going to have to show improved SO ability and less HRs or else Painter will be up quickly.
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Really three tough exams for Mick, should tell whether he has passed the bar or not. Maybe not the best situation for the club if he falters and they were intending to move him.
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Couldn’t agree with you more, Guru. I think the Phils are hoping Abel can hold his own so teams will still be interested in him at the trade deadline.
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Otto Kemp and guys like him are part of the reason some of us love baseball. Like Kemp, most of us were never taken in the amateur draft. It’s easy to root for a guy who overcame injury to fulfill at least part of his dream. To me he looks much better than some filler players we’ve seen on the big team. .
I don’t know his ceiling. Don’t know if he’ll last the season on the big team though I’m guessing he will. I wouldn’t want to bury him after 65 ab’s the way some experts might. You understand pro sports in an altogether different way than I do.
Good players are resourceful and understand setbacks. Being called up from the minors and being discovered as not ready isn’t the end of the world. Saving roster spots for filler players is a loser’s mentality the Phils have fallen into.
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They said Hunter Brown other day was a D2 kid from Wayne State. Now a few years later he may start the All-Star game and currently has the lowest ERA in majors. I too like stories like those.
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I think we will know a little more about Otto Kemp when Harper returns. Obviously Harper’s playing 1stbase, he’s too good there to do otherwise.
Otto will probably go the way of Weston Wilson unless they unload Kepler somewhere. It’s a pity because (based on a small sample size) Otto probably can handle LF most of the time. 3rd base is out because Bohm and Sosa are better than him.
For Otto the future looks uncertain unless a deal is made. I personally like his potential in his bat. He has a smooth stoke is not overwhelmed and there’s more than .240 in there.
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“For Otto Kemp the future looks uncertain ,,,”
I’d agree if it’s for the right reasons. The Phils face a dilemma with Alec Bohm. Is he the third baseman of the future in Philly? How do the Phils see Aidan Miller? Their SS of the future or moved to 3B? How about Carson DeMartini who must be exceeding team expectations at this point?
Can Kemp hold his own in LF or is he strictly a corner infielder? I don’t see the analogy to Weston Wilson who is a journeyman 30 year old.
The Phils have to wonder who will provide the pop in their lineup going forward. Slugging numbers are down for Harper, Realmuto, Bohm, Marsh, Kepler and Stott. If Kemp can provide it, he won’t be looking for a position. A position will be found for him.
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There isn’t a dilemma with Alec Bohm, he’s not part of the future. When he was on the trading block last offseason, that told you all you need to know. He’s turning 29 in August, he doesn’t hit enough to be a 3B, he’s average defensively, and his agent is Scott Boras.
IF he’s still on the roster for 2026, he’s not re-signing with the Phillies.
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I’d throw last off-season and Bohm out of my analysis if I were you. The Phils projected a lot more power then than they do now. It’s not that Bohm offers much power but you don’t subtract where you need to add. When the Phils batted Bohm 8th or 7th, that was one thing. Their batting Bohm 3rd in the order tells a different story of how they see Bohm. Bohm will be back next year and it will take someone offering more to displace him thereafter.
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Bohm is batting 3rd because Harper is out and there are a lot of players not hitting well.
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The Flyers pick Porter Martone at 6th OA, here’s a vid of him,
https://youtu.be/vbXbEbg5QeU
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they should have picked Stott.. I have seen enough of him no bat 319 obp. Imo isn’t good enough
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Martone was seen as a possible 1st overall pick, the Flyers hit a homerun here imo, the skating needs work and he’s got heavy feet but he’s got a lot of skill.
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OTTO !!!!
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https://x.com/Phillies/status/1938784638425800884?t=vnhvO5Bgj2U6QfpUmDeAEA&s=19
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Painter’s line 4.1 innings 5 H’s 2 R’s 2 ER’s1 BB 5 K’s 91 — 64
Abel assumed scratched by rain delay.🤭
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Steward @ JS 6.0 Innings 2 Hs 2 R’s 2 ER’s1 BB 4 K’S 82 — 55
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Bryce Elder is the poster child of what happens when you have middling stuff at the major league level. You just get rocked because you’re trying too hard to be perfect. There’s just no room for error.
And Elder’s minor league numbers are not that bad:
3.78 ERA, 1.206 WHIP, 9.3 SO/9
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Perhaps lost in the anemic offense of the team is the spectacular year Trea Turner is having. His defense has been good too.
If Crawford can be the everyday centerfielder, make Marsh/Kemp the platoon in LF, DFA Kepler. With those changes and Harper back, the offense will be somewhat less anemic.
In 2011 the Phils finished 2nd (Halladay), 3rd (Lee) and 5th (Hamels) in Cy Young voting. This staff could be similar. So far, in terms of pitcher WAR, they are 2nd (Wheeler), 3rd (Sanchez), and 7th (Suarez).
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Wondering when the Phillies will promote Crawford…..all-star break is in a few weeks….I just assume it will be around that time. And a Marsh and Kemp platoon may be an ideal scenario in LF.
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Turner is still subject to the occasional attention lapse, unfortunately more often in close games. The other night he cost Wheeler a run with a careless failure to get the glove down. At some point Friday the league ruled that an error; I know the scorers have become mind-blowingly lax, but calling that a hit seemed particularly egregious.
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I don’t think it’s more often in close games, it’s just more memorable in close games.
I’ve always held the theory that Trea just gets in his own head. When he has time to think about what he’s doing (routine plays), he rushes a step and makes a miscue. You pretty much never see him make a mistake on plays he has no time to think about it.
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So after Painter/Abel who is the next best pitcher in the system?
Chace even when injured?
Steward?
Hayes?
McFarlane?
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Before I answer this question, I want to say that the Phillies have no issues developing starting pitchers (debut year in parentheses) :
Aaron Nola (2015)
Ranger Suárez (2018)
Cristopher Sanchez (2021)
Mick Abel (2025)
Andrew Painter will likely make his debut this season.
Now to answer the question, it’s probably Jean Cabrera. He’s 23 and holding his own at Reading. We won’t see the “real” Alex McFarlane until 2026 when he’s a 2 years removed from TJ.
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Perhaps Pan sometime in mid-2026, since his TJ was well before the season….Nov 2024.
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Romus. Just wondering these old guys. Who stink pitching for us in minors. Do the Phillies get them from there fantasy camp.
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No, from Rotorua, NZ known for its hot sulforus pools which literally makes them smell like farts ….. and that’s the truth.
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Im a cabrera guy, i think hes extremely likely to be a decent 4 or 5, and extremely unlikely to be more than that. Almost seems like hes destined to be Joe Blanton-ish. And there is nothing wrong with that.
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I’m going to publish a Draft Discussion shortly. It won’t be as good as anything Hinkie provided but it will provide basic draft information and a place to talk about the draft on the days running up to the All-Star break.
Please remember it is a forum for 2025 draft discussion, a separate discussion to be kept separate from other topics. It is not a place to continue complaining about past picks or the past/current draft philosophy. That horse has been beaten to death in weekly open discussions. If you must, keep it there.
Both discussions will remain open for comments concurrently.
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I heard pitchers are paying there manager, to start against Phillies. This lineup is terrible
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i have a trade. Finnegan and adrams from nationals. For Miller, Abel, Cabera, and Escobar. Too little? Too much?
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Crawford 2-3, 2 dbls, BB, outfield assist
.335
but I guess Kepler hitting .209 is a better option…..
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Kepler 0-4. Making his case.
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@Romus or Rocco ….. you have both been at this a long time. Romus since he carried Abner Doubleday’s document satchel in the civil war.
A golden Sombrero is when you K 4 times, I think. What do you call 4 errors in the field? Tonight Castro at LHV had 3 throwing errors and a fielding error.
4 errors is a _________.
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….rosy palms.
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… prelude to release???
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Miller 0/4 last night, down to .229 now. I’m getting a little concerned. I know he’s young for the league but….
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https://x.com/Mitch_Rupert/status/1939379785429565662
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i never thought. We have have the sixties Phillies lineup again. But we do, the spirit of Bobby Wine. Ruben Amaro SR. Vince Di Maggio. Live on with this team
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The 1960’s Phillies brought back some not so fond memories to me as a kid. The team finished in last place in 1960 and 61. In 60 they were like 59-95 and if you thought that was bad in 61 they finished 47-107, and lost a mind numming 23 straight games in a row.
You really had to be a fan to watch them on TV. Which I did faithfully hoping that they would get better. They did in the mid 60’s, but gravitated back to last place by the end of the decade.
They featured a host of marginable at best major leaguers such as Choo Choo Coleman,Bobby Malkmus, Joe Koppe,Ted Lepcio,Tony Curry , and Joe Morgan but did feature a few good players later on like Johnny Callison, Tony Taylor,and Tony Gonzalez.
I won’t knock the so called pitching staff because they had little to no support like John Buzhart,Jim Owens, Chris Short and Art Mahaffey who got better later on.
But at least we had the Eagles who won the NFL Championship in 1960.
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Schwellenbach was really dealing last night. His breaking pitches were incredible. I don’t see the Phillies doing any better today if Strider is even close to being on his game.
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I’ve not been a big fan of the Dave Dombrowski era in Philadelphia and feel he is a middle-of-the-pack executive at best. I acknowledge success he has had elsewhere.
Like many, I don’t think he did enough tinkering with the roster post-2022 to bring home a ring. But something has changed that I can’t turn a blind eye to. While Dombrowski has helped create a truly formidable starting rotation — as good as any within memory — this otherwise does not look like a team where a little tinkering is going to lead to achievement of a goal.
That may be another way of saying that DD has backed this aging team into a corner from which there is no obvious exit.
But Dombrowski appears to have spent to John Middleton’s limit, cannot identify impending free agents on other rosters who can make a difference at a reasonable cost, and has no obvious chips to play to make this a top contender.
I expect Dombrowski to do at the trade deadline what he has done in the past — find a little help in obvious areas of need. But for the first time I find myself being ok with the reprise of an underwhelming performance by the president of baseball operations.
The trade market this year sets up in a way that will make significant improvements to the team unaffordably expensive. To those saying he has to strike before the window of opportunity closes. I respond that the window created in the aftermath of the Harper signing has likely already closed and that it is a new window — including a combination of old and new pieces — that will have to open.
The Phils are likely to make it to the post-season with or without major changes. There’s a chance they could win it all with the current roster. If they do, it will be through a combination of factors including some well paid hitters performing closer to expectations. But pushing all the chips to the center of the table won’t produce a title with bats in a doldrum.
Some of the chips the Phils have — key prospects — are not going to be the most coveted prospects on the market. Including Aidan Miller, Justin Crawford, Mick Abel and yes, Andrew Paintter. Every team looking at these guys is going to recognize that they need more seasoning and can’t be considered a sure thing. That means the Phils will need to spend more (quantity) for the returns that might move he needle.
I simply don’t want to sell the farm for a slight improvement of long shot odds. If the Phils don’t make it to the World Series this year, I would hope and expect a top to bottom look at the team in the off-season with major changes made in pointing towards the future. And that future needs to include many, most or ll of the best prospects they have currently.
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Noticed a few players are speaking out over the last few weeks…..Castellanos and the Top debate over his defensive aspect in RF…..then Kepler about why he was initially brought to Philly and given to him assurance on his role.
Not sure this is a sign of anything evolving in the locker room. But Top and the team do not need distraction in the middle of the season.
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Agree, ………. appears some seeds of dissension are in the air ….. maybe both will be planted somewhere else.🤞
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Whomever we get to replace some of these stiffs (insert your fav. name here) __________ please make sure the replacements are proficient in positive RISP situations.
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team is 9th in baseball avg with RISP. 4th in ops. Was a struggle today but they’ve been solid in 2025 overall.
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My 2 cents…..sign Ranger
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I’ve looked at the numbers .. gonna be pretty tough, and you’d likely have to pick between Schwarber or Ranger… bringing them both back is pretty darn tough… but off the top of my head …
drop Kepler, promote a minor, decline Alvarado’s option replace with minor or half priced arm, left Romano go.
other moves likely needed to make both their salaries work, Trade Bohm, and then salary dump Casty & Walker. Possibly trade Sosa.
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you got Luzardo as well to think about.. either extend or trade to make room for Ranger. He’s getting as much as Nola, likely more …. But somewhere around 25 mil p/yr for 6 sounds somewhat. In the ballpark
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let realmuto walk would help
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Strider throws 4 pitches out of the zone—all balls ….JTR then comes up and get the first two pitches also as balls…then decides to swing at the very next pitch…..rolls it over and grounds out…..what was he thinking!
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Romus. My thoughts as well. Simply the new era of baseball. This is done all the time now and even at the travel ball circuit, so hitters are used to it. The 2nd and 3rd situation later were not much better. But again 2025 baseball. Fortunately, it worked out in the end, but I do believe the game today showed the need for that guy at the end who is pretty certain to get the 3 outs in a 1 run game in the 9th. We just have to wait and see what happens.
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cant let ranger walk. I think 4 yrs 90 might get it done. But mets need pitching. And they will spend.
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$15 million per year gets you laughed out of the room.
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wow. That was some bad math..
4-90 is probably a little low but in the neighborhood.
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Boras will want 5 or 6 years….4 years will not get it, unless there is opt outs after the first and/or second year
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Jeff Hoffman,who was healthy throughout his time in Philly, failed physicals in Atlanta and Baltimore this past off-season. He had an old shoulder issue.
Would I be shocked if Ranger’s back presented an issue impacting his market this off-season? No, I wouldn’t.
With Wheeler, Nola, Sanchez, Luzardo and the kids under team control, there’s a $ number Ranger could attain that the Phils won’t, and shouldn’t, match.
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okay 4 100 million 25 a yr. Let realmuto walk.thats 20 right there.
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I salivate to think what Ranger, even as a rental, would bring back in a trade with an AL contender. His value would be sky high….at least a team’s number one prospect would have to be the price..
Boston- .Roman Anthony or Marcela Mayer…..Cleveland-Chourio or DeLauter…..Tigers-Max Clark or Upper Darby’s Kevin McGonigle…Astros-Matthews or catcher Walker Janek…..Royals- catchers Jensen or Mitchell…..Mariners- Emerson or Montes.
It would be the riskiest move Dave Dombrowski would make as the Phillie GM since he has been here if he decided to move Ranger next month.
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Only way Ranger gets moved is if Andrew Painter comes up and instantly shines before the trade deadline. It’s uncertain, at best, as Painter may not even being called up by July 31. But some long shot development has to happen.
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Romus I love Ranger. But there is a risk with his back Would Baltimore part with there Shortstop in a deal. I love that kid. Get him move turner to third. Let bohm walk .
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Getting Boston to include Chapman might really make him ponder a deal.
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I was thinking Chapman would be a good get but I wasn’t thinking Boston still thinks they are in this to go out and get a rental starter.
I don’t know what quality of player Ranger would return but I’m sure they are listening. And even though I am one of the few that would consider moving Ranger it would only be for a very high caliber prospect I can control for many years to come.
And unless someone really blows me away I simply hold onto him
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Romus. Thinking big like that has worked at times in the past. Also has not turned out so well either. I do think some fairly big move is made. I am not sure it will involve Ranger though being on FA year may play a part. Who knows. He is really good right now.
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I’m not opposed to this line of thinking, but not sure he gets your #1 prospect because he’s a rental. Granted, you can drive a hard bargain because of the QO.
I doubt Boston is looking to move much considering they are unlikely to make the playoffs. Though maybe you could convince them on Jhonyston Garcia and Aroldis Chapman.
Detroit should be interested but I doubt Clark is on the table. Maybe McGonigle or Raineer (though the latter is out for the year).
Cleveland (I had to read that twice because my mind went to Jackson Chourio) – maybe Chourio or DeLauter. I think DD would lean DeLauter since he’s more MLB ready.
Royals – maybe on catchers, but I’d target the one in AA. With Tait and Ferribus, not sure they are looking for one that far away.
Mariners – I’d be maybe more interested in Harry Ford and see if I can also get a reliever from them. I doubt Lazaro or Emerson is on the table. Though maybe you could convince them on Emerson.
All that being said, it’s hard for me to see DD make his team worse this year. If he trades Ranger, I think a piece coming back would have to help them now. So if it’s a prospect that could slide into the OF or a prospect plus reliever, then maybe . . .
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I’d also include Texas as a potential team to target. Clear need – not out of it. Not a huge fan of Adolis Garcia but he adds RH power to the outfield. I’d love Evan Carter, but I doubt they’ll deal him. Not sure the rest of their prospects line up very well with what the Phillies need.
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I think it could easily go to $27.5 per year for 6 years. Nola is currently at $24.5 AAV. Boras doesnt get what he used to, but he will see $$$ with Ranger. No way he won’t cash in on him. It also doesnt help when you got wheeler making 42mil. You going to argue Ranger is worth just about half of what Wheeler is worth? The fact that he hasnt been extended already says a lot.
If it comes down to it… who are you taking Ranger or Luzardo? It might come down to that.
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Correct…it will be between Ranger and Jesus. Fortunately the Sanchez contract is team friendly all the way thru his age34 season. Wheeler at $42M, Nola at $24M. Luzardo or Ranger will be in that $25M or more AAV area….now it is getting pretty steep on just 4/5 pitchers.
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Before we start giving Ranger whatever he wants, note that his velocity dipped a lot today vs the Braves. His FB average was 89 MPH. He was still effective, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
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What does everyone think it would cost to get a deal with Luzardo done this offseason with 1 yr of arbitration left? 5 yrs for 100 mil?
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The Phillies have Wheeler, Sanchez, Nola locked in for 2026. They also have Painter and Abel available. The Phillies shouldn’t pay everybody. If Abel is part of the future, I would trade Luzardo and try to get a top 100 prospect.
And before somebody complains about depth, The Phillies will have Jean Cabrera at AAA.
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i thought his fast all was 92. Sinker was 88-89. Yesterday?
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Yes, he topped out at 90, but lots of 88-89 yesterday.
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Crazy idea — what if, just for 2025, when Nola comes back (August?), they make him a 1-2 inning reliever? If his fastball velocity could tick up 1-2 mph in short stints, it makes a world of difference for his performance. Sure, in 2026 they can stretch him back out to a starter — remember, he got Cy Young votes LAST YEAR — but for 2025 they already have 4 good starters, which is all you need for the playoffs.
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I hear you, but, personally, I fear Nola would struggle in that role. Of all the Phillies’ pitchers, he’s the one who has struggled most with change or a disruption in his routine or schedule – even the advent of the pitch clock was harder for him than most. I also think he would be REALLY unhappy if asked to do that and his attitude would not be great. And, I get it – they are paying him a ton of money to pitch and be used as the team sees fit, but in reality, it might not go well. I hope I’m wrong, however, because I don’t see how you pitch him ahead of any of the other 4 guys and if you do, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons (to placate a highly paid player, not to put the best pitchers on the mound when needed).
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Exactly. I mean, the alternative is he doesn’t pitch in the playoffs. Which seems weird, because he’s definitely one of the Phils’ 7 or 8 best pitchers, right?
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Right – it totally seems weird and not right.
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https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/bryce-harper-injury-return-otto-kemp-phillies-lineup-20250630.html
This is a pretty good article. I agree with most of what David Murphy says here, although I’m not sure they couldn’t find a bat on the trade market (although they will need to be creative). I also now firmly believe that Otto Kemp has a bright future as a solid and very inexpensive OF bat (he’ll end up in left field I suspect and then float around the IF giving guys a day off). We were told Kemp can’t hit breaking pitches, yet I every time I see a replay of him doing something special at the plate, there he is pounding a breaking pitch. I know he hasn’t quite really turned on the gas – but all the little things I see when I watch him at the plate are so good – there’s a lot there I believe. As a little bonus, Kemp can field!!
Personally, I think they need to find one solid, reliable BP arm (we all want a closer but a solid 7th or 8th inning guy would be fine) because I think at least one of their starters AND Mick Abel AND Andrew Painter will be BP arms starting in early to mid-September as the team transforms itself from a team trying to win as many regular season games as possible to a team trying to win the WS.
Now, we need them to promote Crawford, who I am beginning to think has a unicorn-like hit tool and if he does, with his improved plate discipline, who knows what he could become?
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By the way, Seth Johnson was sitting 97-99 yesterday with his FB. I know I’ve said he’s not the answer this year, and I think that’s probably right, but he seems to be an evolving talent and they should try to hang onto him. He has the type of profile many good relievers have (former starter, takes a few years to find his place on a roster, has a lot of pitches and decent command, able to increase velocity significantly in short outings).
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I agree with this. The bullpen panic is certainly warranted, but it is important to realize that as long as they can get to the postseason, the bullpen issue could solve itself with starters moving there.
Jack Fritz has a “Luzardo to the pen” idea that Luzardo himself might not be too keen on, but it is easy to see the appeal. He could be a dominant power arm for the stretch run, and given his history of injuries and how he hasnt thrown nearly this many innings in awhile, I kind of love it. Would rather have him fresh in the pen than hit a wall as a starter due to the massive innings increase. Who knows if they’d do it though.
And yes Crawford needs to be up. Enough of Rojas. Marsh has been better but does anybody really trust him in a big spot? Need this infusion of energy in the lineup with Kemp and Crawford. I get all the worry about his ground ball rate and all that, but heck, how many times have the Phillies been in a spot where a ground ball is all they need to get a run and they don’t do it?! At some point you just gotta say “hes hitting .330+ at AAA, you have to give him a shot at least to see what he can do in the bigs.” Even if he does have some of the issues that many fear he will have at the highest level, he would still be a better option than the guys we have.
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Luzardo obviously wouldn’t be happy going to the bullpen but he’s under arbitration, and really, he has no choice if the Phillies push him there.
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not everyone said that Otto can’t hit breaking pitches 🤓nor that he couldn’t play solid defense.
Steve Potter
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I believe one analyst posted that Otto K could not hit breaking balls…..KLaw I think….and it seem to have legs across different Phillies’ boards.
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Hey Jim is there any word on Manolfi Jimenez?
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Jimenez is one of the few bright spots among the regulars on the Phillies FCL team. He has been among team and league leaders in most offensive categories. This season his walk rate is low, but his K-rate is pretty solid. It would be nice to see his power increase as he matures and advances. Right now, he is an outfield-only guy who has logged most of his innings in CF and RF. He was recently promoted to Clearwater. It will be interesting to see how he handles the promotion against better pitching.
If he continues to improve, he’ll likely start popping up on the prospect lists. Until then, the scouts at the Complex are aware of who he is. He may pop up as a wildcard/add-on in some deadline trade this year. Much like Jadiel Sanchez a couple years ago.
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feluix Reyes. Anyone have knowledge of him,,? He never hit a lot until this year. If I am reading it right
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He is among the team leaders for Reading in most offensive categories. He lags a little behind in OBP because he hardly ever walks (5 BB/164 PA = 3%) but his K-rate has been under 20% each of the past 2 seasons (17.3% in 2024 at Jersey Shore, 15.9% this season). He has migrated from OF to corner infield-only (2023 and 2024 seasons) back to OF this season as they seem to be looking for his best defensive fit.
He played in the shadows of Anthony and Miller most of this season. With Anthony’s promotion to AAA and DeMartini’s promo to AA, he’ll still be playing with higher ranked prospects but may begin to garner more attention if he continues to out-perform.
He’s a big, hulking fellow. I don’t think his listed 195 pounds is close to his actual weight. More likely 225. If he walks more (to satisfy the experts) and maintains his low K-rate while developing a little more power, he might offer an outfield option in the next 2 years. Problem is that he’s 24-years-old and already Rule 5 eligible. I don’t think he needs to be on the 40-man roster this year but he better be on the AAA roster to avoid losing him during the minor league portion of the draft so they get to see how much more he can develop.
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I’m thinking in terms like would Boston give up Chapman for players like a Reyes or a Jimenez…
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no
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Guys, the Phillies are not, not, not, not trading Ranger Suarez. He’s the number 2 starter on a team trying to win a WS and he’s pitching like a Cy Young contender. You can arm chair the discussion all you want, but he’s not going anywhere – and, really, he shouldn’t be.
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Personally, I’m confident they won’t trade him this year and, short of a devastating injury, they will tender him, but I still don’t think they’re going to sign him long term. The worst part of this is that I think the Mets or Dodgers will and he’ll be a thorn in our side for the rest of this decade. That’s my fear and I don’t think it’s an irrational one.
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I also agree they won’t sign him and Luzardo – it will be one or the other. That said, I don’t think they’ll trade Luzardo before next year even if they sign Ranger unless it’s an offer they truly can’t refuse.
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Fortunately, you are not the POBO or GM. If the Phillies do not get to the WS or win it….and they keep Ranger…shame on them because as from the recent past…as per the LA Angels who only received a compensatory draft pick after the second round of the 2024 MLB draft as compensation for losing Shohei to free agency, and they used that pick, which was the 74th or 75th overall selection, to draft right-handed pitcher Ryan Johnson from DBU …Arte Moreno insisted on not trading Ohtani when he was healthy and at his peak, and then had to deal with the results
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Look, I respect you a lot Romus, but I don’t understand this comment at all. Sometimes we get stuck in our little prospect echo-chamber on this site and lose perspective of the goal here. The goal is to win a WS. Yes, you have to do some balancing and it’s hard, but you’re trying to win a WS. Having Ranger gives them a significantly better chance of doing that and they DO have a legitimate shot of doing it. So you need to keep him. Trading him not only impairs your ability to reach that goal, it would absolutely incense everyone on the team and would send a horrible message to future free agents and fans. Teams who have a realistic shot of competing for a championship do not trade away their best players in the middle of a season, regardless of whether they’d get more WAR from the trade than they are giving up. So no, shame on them if they trade him. But, I’m not worried about it because they won’t.
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And in return on the personal insult, I’d say, fortunately, YOU are not the POBO or GM – if you were, and you traded Ranger for prospects right now, your tenure would be an extremely short one.
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And, while we’re at it, the Angels analogy is about as poor as you can get. The Angels were a hopelessly inadequate franchise when they had Shohei and had no shot of competing for a title. They obviously should have traded him. That has NOTHING to do with the present situation the Phillies find themselves in. Give me a break.
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I agree that it is highly unlikely DD or Mattingly trade Ranger. I don’t know the answer to “should they” as I have no idea what might be offered.
I do subscribe to the thought that the Phillies are one of 5-6 teams that could win it all.
And I am happy to watch that play itself out.
And I think both arguments have plenty of merit.
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By the way, with all the Ranger stuff going on, how gratifying is it to see how great of a pitcher Cristopher Sanchez has become – he’s a legit 2 right now and I don’t think he’s reached his ceiling. Pretty amazing and a great contract.
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It’s nice that Sanchez has performed well enough to put all the Curtis Mead talk to rest. This trade seems to have the potential to be one of the most lop-sided trades in the Phillies favor in their history.
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I loved Rick Wis for Steve Carlton.
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Rick Wise
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As I put more thought into it, Realmuto for Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, Will Stewart, and future considerations that became international bonus slot money has become decidedly one-sided in the Phillies favor.
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At the time I hated the trade but quickly grew to love it. I considered this when I made the statement above. The difference (for me) is that Wise was a solid starting pitcher. At the time of the trade, both were coming off All-Star appearances and had somewhat similar statistical seasons. One pitched for a great offensive team, the other for the Phillies. The trade was a punishment for Carlton who dared to try and negotiate a raise. The Cardinals packed him off to the last-place Phillies for what appeared to be reasonable compensation in the one-for-one deal. Wise went on to pitch another 10 years collecting 277 starts, 113 wins with a 3.74 ERA, 86 complete games, 17 shutouts. While Carlton amassed 13 seasons that paved his way into the HOF before 3 truly forgettable seasons rounded out his career.
I guess my point is that Wise wasn’t chopped liver. He also wasn’t Steve Carlton.
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Clearwater Threshers’ catcher Eduardo Tait has been selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game on July 12th.
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Nice – I have to keep reminding myself that he’s only 18!
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Bryce Harper back, Buddy Kennedy is DFAd (as expected).
Kemp is on the bench with Kepler in LF vs a RHP.
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Kepler….ugh
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It seems pretty obvious to me that they are going to give Kepler a short additional amount of time to prove himself and, if he doesn’t, I expect he’ll be released. The leash has to be super short by this time, especially with Crawford waiting in the wings and Kemp holding his own.
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Do know that Kepler still has a higher OPS than Kemp (barely). It’s also higher for the period since Kemp joined the team (.688 to .673.)
Kepler will play regularly vs RHP and Kemp will play most of the games vs LHP. Kepler is staying and playing until they make a decision on Crawford.
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Yeah, doesn’t surprise me – but Kemp appears to be an ascending player, whereas Kepler was brought in to be a reasonably high quality professional bat. It seemed like a good signing at the time to me, but he has been a disappointment and there’s no long term commitment to him so if he can be replaced, no love lost. If he hits, that’s good too.
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Nola reached his 10 years of MLB service time. Congrats to him. He’s represented Philly and the Phillies with great class…
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phillies are rumored to be in on two pirates relievers. Bednap and Santana. Wonder if true what Pittsburgh would want?
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The Phillies do like Santana. Bednar not so much. The rumor was started by a talk show guy in Pittsburgh and repeated on the afternoon show on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Neither is the Phillies’ primary interest/target.
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If the Phillies do trade for a back-end reliever, expect the prospect capital spent to include Escobar and or Tait.
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ty I think I saw it on twitter
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For Bednar and Santana, I’d offer Aidan Miller, Jean Cabrera and Hendry Mendez. Bednar has 2 years of team control; Santana has 3. Pittsburgh might do better moving the 2 to 2 competing teams. But if the Phils could do this, the mid-season is a success. Keep the rest of the farm and go forward.
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Respectfully, that could be one of the worst trades in team history. A prime SS prospect for a reliever who was so bad he was sent down to AAA in April. This is what I hope they DONT do. I would love a better bullpen arm but not in a lopsided deal like this.
Bednar has Brandon Workman/Jeryus Familia written all over him; I can see it now, he comes here, gets rocked a few times, fans turn on him, and he implodes. One thing I am pretty big on is not succumbing to guys who put up decent bullpen numbers on bad teams who play in cities that don’t really care. These guys come to Philly and have no idea what it is like to pitch on a July Friday night in a packed house with fans who are treating it like a playoff game. No thanks.
Look, you wanna take a shot on him with Jean Cabrera and maybe Felix Reyes or something, great. But Miller belongs nowhere near this deal
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D Dan – Agree on what you said about Crawford coming up. Would you rather have Rojas hitting against LHPs or Crawford?
Crawford, I believe, would do no worse against lefties than Rojas has. He’d put the bat on the ball more; that’s for sure.
I like Rojas a lot as a team player but he has plenty of options left. It is not like when the Phillies were reluctant to let Pache go because he was out of options.
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Glad to see Painter pitching in the Futures game, joining Tait as Phillies reps….July 12.
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Romus I thought I heard he isn’t pitching
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Yes, he was selected but will not pitch in the game.
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Could there be a reason for declaring his non-use other than the organization not wanting to put Painter’s use in the hands of a manager from outside the organization? The situation suggests that the “July-ish” Dave Dombrowski referred to as Painter’s call up date will be after the MLB All Star break. Not a shocker but news of a sort.
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Correct, more than likely the call will come after the break or before end of July…..it is an honor still to be selected.
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I think Painter is not quite ready, but he’s getting there. I think they are going to want him to see him have consecutive very strong starts before he gets the call. Exactly how he is going to be used is a bit of mystery. They have 4 lights-out starters right now. If you start Painter, what happens to Aaron Nola when he comes back? What happens to Nola in the postseason is anyone’s guess, but he’s going to start when he comes back so it creates a very weird log jam – there’s very little precedent for a rotation that is so deep that an elite minor leaguer finds it hard to get starts.
I think it’s possible they go with a 6-man rotation, at least for about a month or a month and a half, to make sure everyone is rested and then sort out the playoff rotation in September, with guys moving to the pen. If it’s me, I try to see if I can use Abel out of the BP – if that works, then you don’t have to trade him for reliever who will almost certainly be much less valuable than Abel in the long run. I don’t see why Abel couldn’t be excellent in 2 inning stretches for the rest of the year. He has the arm and stuff to do it for sure.
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I was watching Wheeler last night. I believe he his stuff is as good as any Phillies pitcher I can remember. Imo only Carlton might be better What a pitcher. More reason for Our owner and GM to get a bat and bullpen arm. This guy starting a series in playoff. Is as good as it gets in odds to win first game
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Wheeler may be the best free agent signing in their history-almost 30WAR in 6 seasons…..Harper is probably right there also.
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The thing that’s so amazing about Wheeler is his consistency – 2 earned runs or less, 6 or more innings, every five days again and again and again. The incredible thing about Wheeler is how hard he works and how much he has improved since he came to the Phillies. When he arrived, he threw pretty much two or three pitches – a power fastball that he kept down and located well and a good curve and I think a slider that he mixed in. Since that time, he’s greatly expanded the pitches he throws and has learned to throw a rising fastball and moving 2-seamer that is superb. He’s got like 5 or 6 pitches that he can throw wherever and whenever he wants. I wasn’t a Phillies fan when Carlton was pitching, but the only guys I can really compare since I’ve been watching the team in the early 90s are Schilling and Halladay. Schilling was more dominant, but less consistent. Halladay was, for 2 years, even better (although this year, Wheeler’s been every bit as good), but it was only 2 years. Wheeler is just freaking amazing. Equally amazing is that Suarez has been every bit as good as Wheeler (but started late) and Sanchez has been great and, aside from 2 starts when he was tipping his pitches, Luzardo has been super too. This rotation absolutely matches up well with the 2011 rotation and, while the top 4 might not be quite as good, they are 7 deep, which is insane.
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i think this is right Phillies won 58 games the yr Carlton won27. That’s hard to believe. That’s how great he was.
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On the deadline & Ranger:
Im not sure there is a player out there that excites me. The 2 PIT relievers… not thrilled to have to potentially give up either Miller or Escobar … & Tait for them. That is such a high price to pay IMO. They do have control… and are relatively cheap for this team. Probably 6.5 mil total but … 2 of our top 5 prospects for 2 relievers… that are not of the high end caliber … just 7&8th innning guys.
On Ranger, when I first thought of trading him, he was pitching different. Nola also hadn’t shown how ineffective he was… and the team wasnt really playing that “well”. The Dynamic changes now as they look more like a contender vs an aging roster. DD has to determine if this year is the best shot at a WS over the next 3 years. Once Wheeler is gone, it’s a whole different ballgame for this club. Wheeler could legitimately carry this team to a WS title….2 wins per series if needed. How much of the farm are they going to empty? We will see. That said… if one of the big guys goes down in the offense or wheeler himself, you definitely trade Ranger at that point. It was a different scenario early, so will see at the deadline.
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On Ranger, over the three years prior to this year as a starter…..has missed almost 20% of the games he could have started. His back seems to be an issue every season. Additionally his FB velo…4Smr, Cut and Sinker has ticked down. Turns 30 next month. This year—4Smr-92….Cutter-86.9…..Sinker-90.5 (which he throws the most). He has pitched exceptional over the last 9 games….but this was also seen last year in April and May. Like mentioned earlier….keeping him and not getting to the WS is a mistake-or not winning a ring also. Baseball is a business, whether we like it or not, and right now his value could be worth more in the future thru a return on him in a trade. Some team could give up a reliever along with a tier one prospect.
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I fully understand the logic here, but I just don’t think they are trading him. A team that is in contention for a title arent going to give a guy with his numbers to another team competing for a title (could you imagine Ranger facing us in a world series game? sheeesh!)
Unfortunately they are in an unenviable position where they pretty much have to keep him for the season, and then will likely lose him for nothing. I do hope they at least try to retain him, hes been in the organization since he was 16 and is a quintessential organization success story. But money talks, and it seems more unlikely than likely that they are able to keep him based on how many other teams need starters while the Phillies have a surplus.
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I can see your point….and with Boras as his agent, forget about any emotional home-town discounts. Come 120 days from now he may just be history in the Philly organization.
In some respects, not all, wish the Phillies would operate like Crane and the Astros do. The emotional ties are severed when it comes down to the business aspect of baseball. Except for Altuve…..they have moved on from the core of their WS teams that won them rings. Middleton, i a very generous man, but the money expended is sy=till waiting for that elusive ring.
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The FO still has time on this decision, and it’s a big one. IMO, it’s not just about trading Ranger or keeping him. If you keep him, you are essentially trading Escobar & Tait, & possibly higher to get some relievers. So is the team better in 2025 with Ranger & 2 relievers, or is the team better in 2026 with No Ranger, and added reliever, a top prospect (likely near MLB), and still having Escobar & Tait in the fold for Ammo after another round of FA fixings.
A little too early to be set on this decisions imo. It’s getting close though. Time for the FO to poo or get off the pot time.
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2 weeks away, but by then time to pull the trigger or pick up the “red” phone ……… and then live with the consequences!😒
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The Astros take emotion out of the equation when dealing with their own players and they are very heavy into analytics i.e. don’t crazy pay players into their mid 30s. They have let a lot of good players go. Once they realized that they couldn’t re-sign Tucker, they traded him. The Phillies would never do that.
Their only long term contract is the remaining 4/92 for Jose Altuve, and it was front loaded.
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Crane and the Astros are a large market team but act accordingly like a small market team…and so far are successful at it with their titles in hand. When they let Correa walk after their first title, I thought they are so inanely stupid…..boy was I wrong, Jeremy Pena a 3rd round pick out of Maine University, of all colleges, has been lights out for them….they have continued to empower their youngsters
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Romus, you have to also respect their scouting department. They are really sharp. Trading Kyle Tucker and getting back Cam Smith (who’s already 2.3 WAR at age 22) was a stroke of genius.
I would be very wary trading prospects to the Astros.
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No disagreement here. Phils have been way too loyal to “their guys” since the 2000s. They refused to break up the 2008 core and even extended Howard when he was clearly on the downside of his prime.
You can’t go too far the other way either, and make players and agents feel like you dont value the players as individuals, because that will make players not want to come her. But you have to find a balance. What the Astros did with Tucker was fine because it was before the season started. The Ranger situation was a bit different because he was injured at that time and his value then wasnt as high as it is now, but in a perfect world that would have been the ideal time. Or maybe just pony up for him; hes awesome and everyone loves him haha.
But yeah going back to the early point, loyalty is cool but I do believe rosters should be changing more than we do. Just to change things up, add new blood and change the overall dynamic. This team got to the WS in 2022 and since then has been so hesitant to do anything but put the same guys out there and hope something different happens. I think it is cool to keep the core guys; Bryce/Trea/Schwarber. They finally brought up Kemp even though their hand was forced and hes been solid and I think is only going to be better. There is no reason that Crawford shouldnt be up yet. Kepler is real bad and his media comments were BS; get him out and get Crawford up. I also hated the Nola extension since day 1 and while it is still to be seen, it kind of feels like that one might be a disaster. I do wish they would feel less of a need to cater to guys just because they are “our guys” and be willing to have a little bit more of a revolving door. New blood is a good thing on any team, sports or professional. It keeps everyone on their toes and motivated and prevents them from getting complacent!
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The only issue I had with the Howard deal was that it came 2 years too early. But I understand why. If you recall, the other first basemen who were set to become free agents were Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera. None of those contracts ended up well. At least we were done with Ryan after 5 years, while the others were 8-10.
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If analytics was more prevalent back then, the Phillies would never have given Howard that extension and let him walk. The Phillies got absolutely no value from those 5 years.
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unless they are improving an area of need, its not going to happen. DD has been adamant that you never take for granted the opportunity to compete for a title.
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The “hometown-discount” situation with Ranger might be more complicated than it seems. The Phillies management made a special effort to bring his family here from Venezuela (I think Gelb had a piece on that a couple of years ago). He was pretty miserable without them. That might mean something extra to him. But my guess is that even with that kind of thinking it’s hard to see how he fits into any kind of sane budget unless they get wildly creative and/or find someone who can take at least one of our bad contracts.
On the Phillies show Amaro has said a couple of times that management must be responsible with making sure that he can withstand the second half of the season (his velocity was down on Sunday) before trying to lock him up. One would assume that they know his medicals pretty well.
FWIW Amaro also said yesterday that he thinks Kemp is the kind of hitter they would be looking for on the trade market and it’s best to save their trade capital for the bullpen.
I am also guessing also that when Crawford is called up depends on a chain reaction involving the health Harper’s wrist, which continues to remind me of Utley’s knees. I am so not thrilled with the “it’s not going to get better so I might as well play now” line.
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Ranger is performing great, but this is where the Phillies should stay disciplined and let him walk into FA. Ranger is now having back issues, his velocity wavers, and he’s only thrown 150 Innings in a season twice. Not only that, the Phillies have not 1 but 2 possible replacements for him in the rotation (Painter, Abel). Did I also mention that Ranger’s agent is Scott Boras? Give Ranger the QO, let him decline it and move on.
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Rocco – Wheeler started the first game against the Mets and did not give up a run. Yet, the Phillies lost. No matter how spectacular the pitcher is, if the team with multi million dollar contracts doesn’t score, you still lose the game.
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Gives you a great chance, every time he pitches. They got to find a right-handed bat. I hope they don’t resign realmuto. He is done
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rocco……I hear you on JT, but who can catch like him. That is a very critical position. They may have to offer him a two-year deal….do not think he will stay around for a one year deal. I like Dalton Rushing of the Dodgers…he is blocked there by Smith, and I think he is ready….but what pitcher can the Phillies give up this off-season that they would want!
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Other consideration about JT; Wheeler absolutely adores him. He basically says JT is the reason he pitches so well after every start.
If he’s open to it, I’d re-sign JT just to be Wheeler’s personal catcher even if we DO find an alternative in the offseason (which is unlikely; the catcher market is barren).
He shouldn’t be making the premier bucks anymore, but if he’s willing to be paid for his current production instead of his past production, he’s welcome back on the team in my eyes.
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There is a precedent. From 1976 thru 1979 Tim McCarver was Steve Carlton’s designated catcher.
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Phillies need to make a trade for a young, controllable catcher and resign JT. They should pretty much split time and JT will serve as a mentor. I advocated for that to happen this past off-season. Harry Ford was my target, but I guess we can forget that altogether. I am also not afraid of dealing Andrew Painter for the right piece.
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Ruff. Where have you heard that comment before? Hmm. No one has ever won 0 to ?
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Ernie said we’ll play 2 tomorrow!
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Being hopeful…but Phillies may have another nugget in 20-year old OFer Manolfi Jimenez at CLW……a very economical signing by today’s terms-$300K back in 2022- and his been a hitting with good results.
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has vs his
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The Phillies now have 6 players in the MLB Pipeline Top 100.
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I can’t remember them every having more.
10 Painter; 22 Miller; 49 Crawford; 63 Tait; 87 Abel; 97 Escobar
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Two observations:
1.) Abel will probably graduate from prospect lists in 17-18 days. He’s more likely to reach the 46 days needed than he is 50.0 innings pitched to move off these lists.
2.) Miller and Crawford seem like they should be reversed. Crawford is on the verge of a callup. Miller looks like a 2026 ETA is a little optimistic.
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Thats all the news DD needed to hear… he’s absolutely trading 2 of those 6 at the deadline. My guess is Abel & Escobar.
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i wonder how much Dodgers will pay Paul Skenes. ?
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Dodgers or Yankees…….but that will have to wait until 2030. If the Prates and GM Cherington were to do their thing….he could be traded a year prior to free agency, one of those teams, for a number of prospects.
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Should trade him now, he’s even worth more prospects today than he will be then.
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Why do you think that?
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Because it’s more years of a premium pitcher at a discount price.
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With all of those years of control, he’s their best chance to get enough young talent to be competitive for a team unwilling to spend.
Pirates have good pitching including some pitching prospects coming soon, but they can’t hit.
A team like the Red Sox would be a perfect trading partner since they have positional prospects that are MLB ready and need pitching.
A deal of Anthony/Arias/Garcia would give the Pirates 3 top-100 ranked position players, 2 who are ready for the majors today and for Boston, they would have Skenes/Crochet leading the rotation with money available after the Devers trade to address the rest of the roster.
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That would be something that Cherington should consider….though I would want Mayer ilo of Arias.
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Well yea, I would want Mayer too if I were the Pirates.
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True will get more in value…….but what message does that send to the fan base. In one respect, Dombrowski could trade Christopher Sanchez this off-season and get quite a bit of talent in players or prospects.
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Same message it would send to the Phillies players and fan base to trade Ranger when the team is leading the division?
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Apples and oranges.
Ranger, in all respects, is now a two-month rental for the Phillies. And a true knowledgeable fan will know reasoning behind that kind of a move, especially in light of the fact two promising young controlled arms are now ready for major league contribution.
I will give this up….it would be riskier overall for the Phillies trading Ranger this month, than the Pirates trading Skenes right now. But sometimes you just have to roll the dice.
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For me, it’s about not disrupting the team chemistry and having the chance of facing Ranger in the WS. BUT, when you have an elite prospect like Painter waiting, it gives me some thought. If the Phillies can get a top 100 prospect for 2 months of Ranger, I would have to think hard about that.
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Actually, it seems that a true knowledgeable fan would recognize that the team is in a win-now situation and would question why they would choose to make themselves weaker (and potential rivals stronger) for the playoffs in 2025 in exchange to potential future gain.
Those promising young, controllable arms are just that right now, a promise for the future but they are not an upgrade over what they currently have available.
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When 8 veteran players …all over 30 with play-off experience, especially over the last three seasons no less, together making over $200M combined, which incidentally is more than 21 other MLB teams, a knowledgeable fan should know….they alone should be able to carry a team thru the play-offs into the WS. Then add in the veteran semi- young core of position players, there should be no reason to believe not having Ranger would impair their success. BUT, even with Ranger these last three years……they have ‘Bailey’ faltered and have regressed……..so what makes it any different now by not moving Ranger at the deadline.
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Watching the game on Gameday and looks like Abel totally lost it. Not sure if he was trying to be too fine but walking 5 guys will get you an early shower. At this point, I’m not sure if Abel gets his next start.
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He did, but two of the walks were a direct result of the umpire being bad.
He probably still would have walked Machado, but he called a blatant strike a ball. And the swinging strike on Merrill should have been strike 3.
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Abel wasn’t anywhere near the strikezone, not even close for the most part, with the exception of what Dan mentions below. There was no way most of would be tempting enough to swing at.
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I didnt get a chance to see the game other than the “game story highlights”, so im just speculating. The last outing vs the Mets, may have shook his confidence on his FB. Again im speculating… but all the big names cranked his FB. I wouldn’t be surprised if he shied away from the Padres big names with his FB. DD is probably the maddest, a good outing would have gone a long way. Luckily he’s got a few starts before the deadline to right that ship
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Time for a Painter? It’s July-ish where I am.
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Cant pitch this kid. And Painter isn’t ready. I lost who they use
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Terrible game in many ways. Rojas getting some hits, but we should be lighting up Pivetta.
Did you notice Rob motioning the infield that they were going to bunt, ……. they did and we got em …… we must have someone adept at sign stealing ….. cool!
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It’s Painter time, worst part is Abel has lowered any trade value he had built up this year.
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You want to bring up painter. Who is only going 4 innings or 50 pitches? He isn’t ready
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After Spencer Schwellenbach of the Braves shut down the Phillies, he was diagnosed with a fractured elbow! He’s out at least 4 weeks!
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this lineup is so bad a guy with broken arm stopped them. Lmao
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I don’t know if they still ride people out of town on rails but DD will find out if he trades Ranger.
I hope Painter is every bit as good as they say, but I’d be careful about bringing him up in the heat of a pennant race until we’re certain about his endurance.
Interesting how nobody even mentions Aaron Nola, anymore. Maybe he’s a guy to trade if someone can afford him. And then sign Ranger to a bing re-up contract.
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Nola is both injured and has 10-and-5 rights. He’s not going anywhere.
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I’m afraid you’re right. But a fella can always hope, at least after the season.
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Crawford 3-4, BB, dbl (17) .341
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Blue Claws threw a combined (7 inning) no hitter, with McFarlane throwing 5 of those innings (4 K’s, 1 BB). Not bad.
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I am closing this discussion before the weekend series starts. The new discussion is at Phillies Discussion 7/2/2025 | Phuture Phillies.
The Draft Discussion remains open at 2025 Draft Information | Phuture Phillies.
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