Phillies Discussion 7/11/2025

Other Stuff

The Phillies continue to get very good starting pitching.  After the Luzardo game to open the Reds series (9-6 loss), Suarez and Wheeler combined to hold the Reds to 2 runs in 14 innings and enable the Phillies to win 2 out of 3 games in the series.  Then Sanchez, Walker, and Luzardo held the Giants to 2 runs in 18 innings in San Francisco.  Unfortunately, they only won one of those games. 

The Phillies close out the first half with a 3-game series in San Diego.  They are currently in first place with a 1.5 game lead over the Mets and with a 54-39 record and .581 winning percentage.

After the All-Star break, the Phillies will return to action with 12 games.  They play six games against the Angels and Red Sox at home and six games against the Yankees and White Sox on the road before the trade deadline.  The Phillies are off on the 31st, so if the roster remains status quo and they continue to play as they have through the first 93 games, Dombrowski and his staff may have a very busy “deadline day”.

Among other things like the bullpen and the outfield, a lot of attention lately has been focused on their struggles with Runners In Scoring Position (RISP).  I am frustrated almost every game as Phillies’ batters strand runner after runner in scoring position.  It is especially exasperating when they get a runner to third base with less than 2 out, a leadoff double, or load the bases and fail to convert.  The pre-, during-, and post-game announcers made reported the Phillies growing struggles reaching of-for-twentysomething before Kemp ended their desperation.

I was reminded of a similar streak of failure in the Phillies not-too-distant past.  During the 2008 World Series, the Phillies had a very public struggle to score with RISP.  They had a 2 for 38 streak through the first 3 games and into the fourth game.  And one of the 2 hits only moved a runner from second to third.  But they won the world series.  So, we didn’t care much if at all.  Of course, they had a closer, better bullpen, and a power-laden lineup to counter a bad run of scoring with RISP.

This walk down memory lane is not meant to deflect criticism of the batters.  I think they have earned all the criticism being piled on them.

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 28, 2025, 5:00 p.m. ET: Deadline to sign some 2025 draft picks
    • Deadline applies to players drafted out of 4-year colleges and HS
    • Players drafted out of JUCO are under a draft-and-follow policy, they can sign between the end of their JUCO season and the beginning of next year’s Draft for up to $225,000.
  • 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
  • Note: These dates will be used unless/until notified differently.

Transactions 

July 2025
7/10/2025 – Jersey Shore activated OF Jordan Viars from the Development List
7/10/2025 – OF Griffin Burkholder assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
7/10/2025 – IF Michael Nieto assigned to DSL Phillies Red from DSL Phillies White
7/10/2025 – 2B Fernando Hernandez assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red
7/09/2025 – Phillies signed free agent RHP Phil Bickford to an MiLB contract
7/09/2025 – RHP Phil Bickford assigned to Lehigh Valley
7/09/2025 – 3B Nick Dunn assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
7/09/2025 – Reading placed SS José Rodríguez on the 7-day IL retroactive to 7/8
7/09/2025 – Jersey Shore transferred RHP Drew Garrett to the Development List
7/09/2025 – IF Michael Nieto assigned to DSL Phillies White
7/08/2025 – Phillies signed free agent IF Michael Nieto
7/08/2025 – Phillies signed free agent RHP Nabil Crismatt to an MiLB contract
7/08/2025 – RHP Nabil Crismatt assigned to Lehigh Valley
7/08/2025 – Reading placed RF Felix Reyes on the 7-day IL retroactive to 7/7
7/08/2025 – Reading activated LHP Tristan Garnett from the 60-day IL
7/08/2025 – Reading activated 3B Luis Verdugo from the Development List
7/08/2025 – RHP Mitch Neunborn assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
7/08/2025 – 3B Aroon Escobar assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
7/08/2025 – Jersey Shore placed RHP Ethan Chenault on the 7-day IL retroactive to 7/7
7/08/2025 – RHP Saul Teran assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
7/08/2025 – SS Cole Roberts assigned to Clearwater from Jersey Shore
7/08/2025 – SS Rafael Oropeza assigned to DSL Phillies Red from DSL Phillies White
7/08/2025 – DSL Phillies White activated RHP Yael Arias from the 7-day IL
7/07/2025 – Phillies signed free agent RHP Markos Sanchez to an MiLB contract
7/07/2025 – RHP Markos Sanchez assigned to DSL Phillies White
7/06/2025 – RHP Mitch Neunborn assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
7/06/2025 – RHP Saul Teran assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
7/06/2025 – Reading transferred RHP Estibenzon Jimenez to the Development List
7/06/2025 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Reese Dutton from the Development List
7/05/2025 – 1B Buddy Kennedy elected free agency
7/05/2025 – Phillies sent 1B Buddy Kennedy outright to Lehigh Valley
7/05/2025 – 2B Samuel Salcedo assigned to DSL Phillies Red from DSL Phillies White
7/04/2025 – Phillies recalled RHP Seth Johnson from Lehigh Valley
7/04/2025 – Phillies optioned RHP Mick Abel to Lehigh Valley
7/04/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP Adonis Medina
7/04/2025 – RHP Adonis Medina assigned to Lehigh Valley
7/04/2025 – RHP Daniel Harper assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
7/04/2025 – RHP Jaydenn Estanista assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
7/04/2025 – Jersey Shore activated LHP Mavis Graves from the Development List
7/04/2025 – Enyel Garcia assigned to DSL Phillies Red
7/04/2025 – 2B Samuel Salcedo assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red
7/03/2025 – Phillies optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Lehigh Valley
7/03/2025 – Phillies signed free agent Enyel Garcia to an MiLB contract
7/03/2025 – Lehigh Valley released RHP Nabil Crismatt
7/03/2025 – Lehigh Valley released RHP Joel Kuhnel
7/03/2025 – Jersey Shore activated OF Raylin Heredia from the 7-day IL
7/03/2025 – Jersey Shore transferred OF Jordan Viars to the Development List
7/03/2025 – FCL Phillies released C Rickardo Perez

272 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion 7/11/2025”

  1. Jim,

    What is our opinion on what the Phillies will do this trade deadline? Also, if you were the GM, what would you do? Personally, I am hesitant to pay an exorbitant price on a reliever, so I may find myself shopping in the 1/2 year rental type. Though, I don’t know what kind of discount to expect even in that type of asset given the high demand.

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  2. I think if we make any deal with the Twins for a reliever, Bader has to come back as part of the deal.

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    1. A note on Bader: he’s right handed, but he has reverse platoon splits this year. It’s also his first season in 4 years where he’s hitting decently well. So there’s a very real possibility he’d just be the next OF we acquire that doesn’t live up to expectations.

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      1. Agreed…..at this point, I temper my expectations whenever the new face OFer comes aboard. It is a roll of the dice anymore. To be frank…I am happy with Kemp in LF.. And that Otto do it for me.

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          1. Would be nice if he wasnt relegated to the bench just bc hes right handed. Kepler stinks.

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  3. Andrew, I agree. He would be a great fit as a right handed bat that plays great defense and plays with contagious energy. I do not like the idea of giving up more than one of our top 5 prospects. If that is the cost, I personally would pass on a deal for a multi-year controllable reliever.

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    1. I think the Phillies have told us and shown us that Painter and Crawford are basically off limits.

      I think of Able/Tait/Miller/Escobar 2-3 are gone.

      With McFarlane/Mendez/Nori/Jean Cabrera/ K. Anthony i think at least 3 will be traded.

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        1. Hi Steve! Coming from you, that is obviously credible. So that means that Painter is no longer off limits.

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    1. I’m wich you……there are no other position players in the majors right now. that will make the $120M Fab Five live and play up to their salaries Phillies will only go as far as their bats will carry the team…..starters will need to throw shut-outs if the Fab Five do not live up to their billings

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        1. pretty crazy. The guy who hits balls on ground is 4th in hits in minors. With 97.leader has 101.

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          1. He won’t work.

            Dont u know that every player in AAA fields like the Bad news bears, and every player in MLB fields like Ozzie smith and Brooks Robinson..

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            1. Now thats a parallel I never realized before …… Alec Bohm incognito as Brooks Robinson …… who da thought! every player in mlb fields like …..

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    1. I remember watching how that one ended 1-0. Actually, over in the first inning. I hope history does not repeat itself. But I am concerned about the overall hitting of this group. Consistent hitting!!!!

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  6. Who we trade will obviously depend on who we get back. Everyone but Painter and probably Crawford could be dealt. Marsh, Kepler and Kemp are on that list too and possibly even our current RF. I think DD knows the window is closing for this group and will get us a closer and maybe a setup guy too. A right handed hitting OF is harder to find. Bader doesn’t excite me. I would like to see Crawford come up and see what he can do but it’s another lefty. Lots of rumors in the next 20 days.

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  7. Some thoughts to add to the trade rumors/deadline:

    it seems DD has determined this is the best chance of the next 3 postseasons to go for it, with Wheeler/Harper. I think all prospects are on the table, that includes Painter. Only in the right deal. For instance, moves have already been made, and it now becomes an embarrassment of riches to trade Painter for another Top100 player

    Lost in the excitement is the Dodgers. How healthy will the dodgers be come playoff time? I ask becasue… it would stink to trade the farm away to run into a juggernaut like the dodgers were supposed to be at the beginning of the season. They basically had 5 CY young flame throwers in their bullpen. The flip side is, how healthy will they be next season. Pick your poison

    I prefer Miller/Rooker over Clause/Kwan, and but thinking Buxton/Duran is the best as long as they get another BP arm. Would love to see BAL sell off some young talent to us. Will see.

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  8. Tac – Rooker has played parts of 13 games in the OF all season. That’s it. If you know you aren’t resigning Schwarber, then trade for him, hope for the best in LF the rest of this season and he’ll to be your DH for the next few years.

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    1. Clause blowup in the playoffs makes me weary … i guess he fixed the issue but that could be a folding up the pressure red flag. Not sure what would make me more nervous, Clause coming in the playoffs & walking the 1st batter or… seeing Mitch Williams come out of the bullpen!

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  9. Wondering tonight, Clearwater lineup. 5 guys starting hitting under 200. When do they bring up some guys from FCL? That lineup is really bad

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  10. Here’s an out of the box trade idea:

    Bohm + Painter + Miller + two others in 11-20 for Jose Ramirez + Clase.

    Ramirez is a star but he is also 32. Bohm can take over at 3rd. Painter is a potential Ace. Miller is a potential star at SS.

    Who says no?

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    1. Ramirez says no. If he had any interest in playing somewhere other than Cleveland, he wouldn’t have signed such a sweetheart deal with them.

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  11. I know everyone wants the big name controllable closer and set up man which I agree we need and probably an outfield upgrade. But I hate the thought of losing 2-3 of our 6 top 100 prospects. Could it be done w/o those 6? Why get controllable relievers and give up prospect capital when we can get 2 free agent relievers plus Alvarado back with strahm kiekering , banks, lazar etc? I see some people wanting to overvalue our prospects and others gutting our farm system for a top closer. I would love to see something like this happen that i’m about to propose and want to know if you guys think I am too far on either side. A Banks like reliever for Rincon and spikerman. A rental reliever-Aroldis chapman for Cabrera, Rincones, Mcfarlane A power 1st bat-taylor ward for Nori, demartini, ferrebus Also wondering if we could get a banks level reliever for kepler or t. Walker to a team in need if we significantly paid down what they are owed. Not sure if I’m being unrealistic or maybe undervaluing the cumulative talent in those packages. Would appreciate some help with this.

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      1. its a tricky spot for the FO, they have to navigate the sleeping powerhouse of the Dodgers, an Ace who says you got 3 more shots with me, in which one might be wiped away by a lockout season

        DD is going for it. Here is why imo. If not now, then it would be the offseason to improve the team, with one less chance with wheeler. The FA pool is thin the next few years. So instead of buying long overpaid FA contracts, trade your prospect capital to increase your WS title shots over the next 2.5 years… the team has been drafting much better even while playing well so they should be able to replenish. At the end of 3 years.

        Chapman is likely unavailable imo, BOS will make a WC run. So you’re going to have to dip into the Duran, Clause, Miller pool. Other trades arent bad ideas.

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  12. What a brutal, classic Phillies 8th inning. Bad base running by Trea and questionable decision by Dusty to hold him at 3rd. Castellanos did a good job getting back into the count but couldn’t help himself when it came to flailing at the last pitch for a weak dribbler. Trea still should’ve ran sooner on contact for that too.

    This team has needed a legit closer since they first started making the playoffs in the Harper era. Alvarado getting suspended really put them in a bad spot and now they likely need a high leverage 7th/8th inning guy on top of that. I don’t hate Lazar and Banks but I also don’t trust either of them late in a game against the Mets in the playoffs. It’d be hard to stomach giving up any of Painter, Abel, Miller, Crawford or Tait, but considering DD has tried giving up non top org prospects for above average rentals and that hasn’t gotten them over the hump in years past, I see him likely taking some bigger swings this year.

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  14. My cable company gives me YES, NESN, and SNY as part of my very expensive package. I have gotten to see Ceddanne Rafaela play all season for the Red Sox. The Sox are a young and exciting team. Rafaela hit a ball over the Green Monster last night to walk off the Rays.

    This kid is really good! He’s 24 and from Curacao. He started the season playing SS until Trevor Story was ready to play full time. He moved to 2B and when the Sox needed a CF, he moved out there. Some say he is already one of the best CFs in the game. And the Phillies have Rojas.

    I live less than a mile from the UConn sports complex. I got to see a few baseball games this past season. College has not incorporated MLB rules. There is no 2 throws over to first rule (and they throw over a lot). There is no 3 player relief pitcher rule. It makes for looong games.

    One thing they do have that I wish MLB would add is the double base at first base. They used to have it, I think, in slow pitch softball. I believe that if they had this “extended” base, it would protect the 1Bman from reaching out and hitting his arm against the runner.

    More importantly, the runner would not be running inside the foul line. He’d need to run toward the extended base and not be in the way when the catcher or pitcher fielded the ball and threw it to 1B like what happened last night when Suarez threw the ball to Harper.

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    1. Sox did with him, what the Braves did with Albies and Acuna…inked him long term when he was many years from free agency. But really…..Rafaela was not a prized prospect coming out of Curaçao when the Red Sox signed him at the age of 16 for a bonus of $10,000……good find on their part.

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    2. Ciada. College baseball did the double base this season. College softball next season. There is some push that MLB should do likewise. You make valid reason for it. Some youth leagues have for years. You are 100% correct that college games tend to take a long time. Some high school 7 inning games do and then you add 2 more innings.

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  16. I think the reason Walker is in the starting rotation is to showcase him for a trade. There are teams that could see him as a viable number five or number six starter. The Phillies believe they have several options for number six and number seven when Nola gets back.

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    1. There are number of play-off caliber teams right now who could use added pitching…especially those in the wild card arena….maybe the likes of the Rangers, Reds, DBAcks or Angels who all still have hopes of getting in.

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      1. You are correct …….. and I think the demand is greater than both quality and availability, which means ……. $$$$$ or minor league players.

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  17. Went to the Complex this morning and was gifted with Charlie and Nola sightings. Charlie’s doing well. He’s been here the past couple days watching Threshers and Complex kids. Good to see him up and looking healthy.

    Nola threw from one of the mounds between Ashburn and Schmidt. I watched from a distance as the coaches get a little squirrely when the major league players are rehabbing or even just working out. Anyway, Nola threw about 15 pitches softly from the mound. I knew the Phillies had reported that he would have to ramp back up like in spring training. But I’ve seen pitchers show up in February throwing a little harder. I guesstimated that he was tossing at about 70%. Then after a short break, like a minute or two, Nola got up again and threw another 15 or so pitches at what looked closer to full speed. I guess the first grouping was the equivalent of warming/loosening up. Anyway, it was good to hear the leather pop during the second grouping. I heard he threw on Wednesday. If so, he’ll probably throw again on Tuesday morning.

    BTW, I also heard that Painter is the only untouchable in the organization. The source is pretty good plus I believe that Gelb has said similar in recent articles. I tend to believe it. I guess we could argue that somebody might make an offer that DD couldn’t refuse. But I can’t imagine what such an offer might look like.

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    1. Now if Ben Cherington had the big ones….he could offer Paul Skenes to the Phillies for Painter, Crawford, Miller and whoever the Phillies select tomorrow in the first round.. Of course, Cherington would probably be fired after that.

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      1. If they made Skenes available, it would take a lot more than that package to get him. Current, young MLB players would be involved in any package too.

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  18. The Phillies should go after Brent Rooker. The A’s aren’t going anywhere. He is older and probably doesn’t meet there timeline as there roster is pretty young. His salary is managable. It could also open up the possablity of signing Tucker in the offseason if they lose Schwarber.

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  19. “If they lose Schwarber…” If they resign Schwarber, where are they going to play Rooker. He has played 13 games in the field this season as I wrote above. If he was a decent outfielder, the A’s would be playing him in the field.

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    1. The Phillies issues aren’t on defence. Granted having Rooker and Castellanso on the corners is less than ideal. The 1980 Phillies had Greg Luzinski and the 2008 team had Pat Burrell. The last few playoff ousters were mostley the result of the bats going cold. We need to roll the dice with a better offence. We still need BP help as well. As far as next year. Figure it out in the off season. With their starting pitching, the Phillie have an opportunity to go far. Their window won’t be open forever. We need Bats!!

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      1. “The Phillies issues aren’t on defence.” That’s kind of wild to say the day after losing by two runs in a game we gave up two unearned runs…

        The Phils are 12th in MLB in runs scored, 7th in batting average, and 4th in OBP. Meanwhile they’re 19th in defensive value, and 28th (!!!) in defensive runs saved.

        No team is perfect, and the Phillies have multiple areas they can improve. But if we HAD to pick just one thing that was the issue for the Phillies, defense is a much stronger contender than hitting.

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        1. i think my head will explode with this stupid runs scored. When we are 28 th in risp. Runs scored is so misleading. You can score 13 one day and only 5 over next 3 games. 18 runs in 4 games looks good. But you lost three. With this pitching staff you just keep saying there offense is good. It stinks. They don’t hit in clutch. That’s what counts.

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          1. And again, you’re only looking at their AVERAGE. There are, shockingly, other ways to score than a base hit. We’ve also been unlucky with balls in play with RISP.

            But fine, if you don’t want to look at runs scored because you can score a lot and still lose most of your games, let’s look at record. We’re 54-40. Which means we’ve scored more runs than the other team 54 times and scored fewer runs 40 times. That puts us first in our division, third in the NL, and 6th in MLB.

            Or do wins not count, either?

            As I keep saying, there is room for improvement on the offensive side of things. But people aren’t looking at the big picture. Our offensive “woes” are not specific to us. The entire MLB has less offense than what you guys seem to think. This isn’t the 1980s anymore. Pitching and defense have become so good that the only reliable way to score runs is to hit a homer. There are 8 qualified hitters with an average over .300. EIGHT. The MLB average is .245. Since 1990, 2025 ranks 32 out of 36 season in AVERAGE BATTING AVERAGE.

            The Phillies are by no means an elite offense. But by every definition of the word, they are ABOVE AVERAGE IN 2025.

            It’s fine to get upset when they don’t score a man on third with less than 2 outs. It’s fine to want them to do better. But to claim they are a bad offense is just an outright falsehood.

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            1. Dan….what strikes me, and not sure if it has always been this way, but teams that win in the play-offs out HR their opponents. I was always under the impression that good pitching and good defense will win the majority of the time…and all the team needs at that point, to put the icing on the cake, is timely hitting. I suppose HRs are basically timely hitting.

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            2. Im tired of Max Kepler. Im tired of Johan Rojas. Even getting tired of Stott. Im tired of “this guy is so good in the field but cant hit a lick!” and im especially tired of “we shouldnt trade for x guy because hes not good in the field.”

              I don’t care. Brent Rooker can take a lounge chair out to left field if he wants to and only catch balls when he doesnt have to move. I just dont care anymore, i want to see guys smashing baseballs. Its been 3 years now of the annoying “everyone goes cold at once” nonsense. Need some dogs in the lineup. Not saying Rooker specifically but i am really just done being the “its fine that he hits .208 because he covers SO MUCH ground in the OF” guy

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          2. where do you find they are 28th in RISP? Phillies batting average is 11th in mlb and 6th in ops. They are above league average in both.

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            1. He’s referencing our hitting with RISP in the last approximately 3 weeks. I believe we’re now 25th in batting average with RISP since June 22.

              Somehow 3 weeks is more significant than the season on the whole.

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          3. Don’t hit in the clutch. Now there’s an understatement.

            BTW, they have been a little unlucky at times on hard-hit balls.

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  20. what is there record since June 1st? One game under 500. I believe. And if they don’t fix this offense. They won’t win division.

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    1. Since June 1st, they’re actually exactly .500. The Mets are 1 game under .500. The Dodgers are 3 games over .500 (and 3-7 in July). The Cubs are 2 games over .500. The Yankees are 1 game under .500. The Padres are .500.

      But yeah, WE’RE the outlier. No other good teams have bad stretches.

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      1. Dodgers have the oldest roster in the MLB. Padres are 2nd oldest. Phil’s are 6th and the Muts have the 8th oldest roster.

        Is this common for the hottest part of the year to kick older teams buts? Probably. That would be fun to research. Are the younger teams doing much better since June?

        Surprisingly, the Cubs and Royals are among the top 10 oldest rosters.

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      2. Since Dan your a stat man. Don’t look at the game. Last 6 weeks we been exposed. Only 4 teams have scored less runs. Pirates. Braves. Giants.

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        2. Ignoring the fact that you made that stat up, if we’re looking at trends then you should be happy to know that since the start of July we’re back up to 15th in runs scored. And our expected stats are even better than that, suggesting that we’re STILL getting unlucky.

          So if we got figured out, that means we’re making adjustments now, right? Or do small sample sizes only count when they fit your narrative?

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  21. @Romus

    I’m not positive if it’s always been that way, but I do strongly suspect that number of HRs strongly correlates with MLB postseason series winners.

    For fun, I looked at the 1980-1989 WS games.

    1980: Phils hit 5 fewer HRs, but scored 4 more runs to win the series.

    1981: Both teams had the same number of HRs, but funnily the Yankees had lower BA and runs scored and won anyways.

    1982: Cards hit 1 fewer HR but scored 6 more runs on the way to their win.

    1983: The O’s outhomered us 6-4, which is the difference in a low-offense series win.

    1984: The Tigers hit for a lower average, but their 4 extra HRs carried them to the win.

    1985: Both teams tied in HRs, but the Royals held a huge lead in BA and runs scored. Kinda shocking this series went 7 when you look at the Cards’ offense.

    1986: The Mets’ 2 extra HRs look pretty pivotal here. They trailed in pretty much every offensive category except HRs and runs scored. Each team won a laugher, each team won a 1-run game, and the Mets managed just enough offense to take 2 of 3 of the other fairly close games.

    1987: The Twins hit 5 more HRs on route to the win, but at least the Cards managed to actually hit at a respectable clip otherwise this time.

    1988: Dodgers hit 3 more HRs in somewhat of an embarrassing series for the A’s. But hey, there’s only so much you can do when Orel Hershiser throws 2 complete games with 2 runs total given up.

    1989: The A’s hit 5 more HRs (in 4 games) en route to humiliating the Giants. Not much to say here, the better offense won convincingly.

    So yeah. Obviously a super small sample, but in 10 series the team with more HRs won 6 of them and the team with the lower HR total only won 2.

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    1. This is a great post also. I wonder what the results would be since like the past 10 years since it seems like baseball has turned into TTOball.

      2008 Phil’s were an excellent TTOball team if I remember correctly. And they were in 2022 also?

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      1. I’ll keep it shorter this time, from 2015-2024, the team with the more HRs in the World Series has a 6-3 (with one series tied in HRs hit). Also, the Phillies were, once again, one of the outlier teams by losing to the Astros despite hitting more HRs.

        And yes, the 2008 squad was pretty close to a TTO team. We had the second most HRs in baseball, but were only 23rd in batting average. Although we were “only” 12th highest in K%. So we clearly favored one of the three outcomes.

        In 2022 we were 6th in HRs, 8th in average, and 16th in K%. So much more balanced, comparatively.

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    3. Thank you Dan. I looked quick and it must have been 2023 Phils I was thinking of that were TTO. I actually thought they had a better chance of winning the World Series than 2022.

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    2. not sure Harper would allow that. Shipping his Vegas buddy out. That said, im not as opposed to trading Stott as I once was. Definetly disappointing after the growth he showed previously.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Well maybe NOT that bad, but if he has say on who the Phillies go after… I gotta imagine he has say on who ships out

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    3. No way. Marte is signed for another 6 years and it would take something like Miller Tait and Escobar plus more?

      Its very hard to find any partners for batters. Maybe Bohm for Suarez and something like #5-10 prospect from Dbacks?

      The only trade I can come up with is Miller, Able, and Escobar/ Tait for Buxton and Duran. Buxton only plays like 80/90 games a year.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. No way it would take Stott plus Miller, Tait and Escobar for Marte. That’s way too much. Maybe Stott plus Tait plus another. But no way 3 top 100 prospects plus Stott.

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        1. Top 100 doesn’t mean crap after like top 30/ 40. That’s usually where 55 FV stops (if I remember right).

          I love Tait and Escobar but I have a hard time believing they would be rated higher than 50 FV at this point. No way Able is higher than 50 FV.

          I don’t want to see any of the top prospects go. If it was up to me, I’d get rid of Castellanos and put Marsh in RF. Kepler gone. Kemp starts in LF. Trade for Laureano. Crawford CF. Sosa 2b. Stott utility.

          Trade for Clase and 3 other relievers. YES 3 and hope two of them stick like Eyre and Romero. Those two were waivers/ after 7/31 deadline. It doesn’t take much sometimes.

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  23. At this point, Sosa should take over 2b in place of Stott. Stott is hitting under .200 since June 1st with little power and no .obp value.

    would be an offense upgrade and also would balance lineup. Might even make sense to send Stott to AAA for a reset.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Phils are 18-19 since June 1st. Some Phils’ performance since June 1st:

    Castellanos: 146 PA, .261/.301/.486 for an OPS of .787

    Marsh: 105 PA, .309/.356/.415 for an OPS of .771

    Bohm: 150 PA, .299/.360/.410 for an OPS of .770

    Realmuto: 122 PA, .330/.369/.400 for an OPS of .769

    No one is happy with a losing record since June 1st. But the above four players have not been the problem, offensively at least. Here’s a couple others since June 1st:

    Stott: 125 PA, .191/.274/.273 for an OPS of .547

    Kepler: 114 PA, .186/.298/.330 for an OPS of .628

    With the current roster, they might be better off just playing Sosa and Kemp. Kemp has been a plus defender — Kepler has been negative — and Kemp is much faster than Kepler (Kepler is slow, he has a 33rd percentile sprint speed, and Kemp has a 93rd percentile sprint speed).

    Like

    1. Actually you talking about Kemp’s speed reminded me of something that seems to be a recurring problem; does it seem like our 3rd base coach is extremely hesitant to send people?

      I don’t know if Wathan doesn’t get good reads, or if he’s just being extremely conservative because he doesn’t want to make a mistake. But to me it seems like he basically refuses to send even our fastest runners unless the play is virtually guaranteed to result in a run. If there’s ANY chance of a play at the plate, he’s got the stop sign up. I get doing that when you have the lead or it’s the 9th inning and you need multiple runs. But when the team is struggling to score, why not be extra aggressive?

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  26. Two more things about Kemp. His sprint speed is 39th in MLB. There are three Phillies above him: Turner (3rd in MLB), Rojas (4th), and Sosa (19th).

    And I know it’s only been 94 plate appearances, but his average exit velocity so far is 90.9 mph. Here is the total list of Phillies hitters whose average exit velocity is above that mark this year: Schwarber (94.1 mph), Harper (91.2 mph). That’s it. I’d give Kemp more ABs.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Agree, that Kemp needs to play more for several reasons. If I calculated properly our lefty bats in the past 2 games were 4 — 35, so much for the platoon system providing more offense. Just play who is productive.

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        1. ……. furthermore, 3 of the 4 hits were provided by Harper and Schwarber who play against whoever pitches.

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        2. If you wanna be really depressed about how ineffective our platoons have been, consider this:

          Marsh has a better batting average against lefties than Kepler has against righties.

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      2. If Kemp is going to be on the MLB roster he needs to play everyday. I hate that the Phillies tendency is to do that to certain guys. Older players with more years experience in the bigs should be able to handle that role but its a lot to ask of a player breaking in.

        Kemp reminds me of Vierling. Probably never a star in the league but useful and cheap. And maybe who knows he finds himself as an above average regular.

        But again the obvious flaw is Kepler doesn’t fit right now. And if he’s starting to whine about his role move on.

        Kepler OPSing 695 against RHP is bad and I’m sure not what they had hoped for from a $10 million spend.

        Like

  27. Kemp and Sosa in lineup vs RH Pivetta today, so Topper might just have run out of patience.

    Like

  29. Payroll Trivia…..$118M…that is the combined 2025 salary of five Phillies position players…I like to refer to them as the Fab Five, ….Turner, Harper, Schwarber, JTR and Castellanos. That  total salary is more than  9 other MLB clubs and their total of 40 man rosters. That is astounding.

    Further, if you use $20M as a minimum benchmark for a super max paid player….the Phillies now have seven…including Wheeler and Nola. Whereas  the Mets, Dodgers and Yankees each have five……and then it  is 4 or less for the remaining MLB teams. Without a doubt, John Middleton is going the distance and letting it ride with the money.

    Like

  30. New topic, but if anyone was following the Sanchez All-Star debacle, it’s reached probably the most favorable conclusion.

    For those unaware, the Brewers rookie pitcher Misiorowski was named as a replacement for the ASG after making only 5 starts. Which is odd when you consider neither Ranger nor Sanchez made it at all. Well MLB said Suarez and Sanchez declined because they didn’t want to waive the rule about pitching so soon after a start. Ranger confirmed that he declined, while Sanchez’s agent said he wasn’t asked and would have pitched in the ASG if asked

    Well the Phillies paid out Sanchez’s bonus that he would have made for making the ASG, so it seems like it might have been the Phillies who said no. But they at least made it right and still paid him. So now he gets to relax over the break while still being financially rewarded for his excellent pitching.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. All-star games…….soon they will be history. Professional athletes cannot afford the risk and disruption in playing in them anymore. maybe just have players nominally selected ….but have all-stars of rookies and second year players play in the games….like a under 25 year old game.

      Like

      1. MLB has started doing “All-MLB” teams like the other sports have done, so the ASG will likely even stop being used for contract incentives going forward.

        It’s sort of sad to see people not caring about the ASG anymore, but it’s become one giant advertisement anyway. The HR derby is still pretty fun to watch. And it’s not like anyone cares about the ASG in the other major sports. So it is what it is.

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    1. Funny you say that. I had the Yankees and Cubs on earlier and the Yankee announcers said the same. But then came back with I hope the guys realize every game is important. Must not have registered. Cubs won.

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    1. I wonder if he is tiring? Missing his spots. Ive noticed a trend in the the last couple outings (not super scientific) that the home runs he gives up are towards the end of his outings. With his workload & recovery from injury, I got to imagine it’s a factor. The one hr was vs the Mets catcher, who has been in the MLB for awhile. Painter did hit 100mph in debut this year, gotta hold on to him to let him fully recovery.

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        1. I know he’s developing, but I’m beginning to be concerned about the number of HRs (13) he is giving up in these 5 inning sorties.

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  34. We just added to the back of the MLB bullpen for this season. I like the pick. Will be a starter long term. But he will pitch out of our pen in this post season.

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    2. Would love to see the Phillies rush this kid. Conflicting reports if htey would do so, but will see. Are they all in? If they are… gotta believe they rush the kid.

      Like

    3. A few weeks ago I mentioned how the White Sox brought Chris Sale along so I would agree that it is possible the Phillies can do the same with Wood.

      He has the stuff to get MLB hitters out the question will be does he have the confidence to come into a pennant and WS run and do it.

      Its a tall ask but I’d rather give that a go than to trade off pieces I think they should keep.

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      1. No one will know for sure till it happens. But on the CWS national stage Wood threw a no hitter with 19 Ks. I think he can handle the limelight.

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      2. If the scouting reports are true, that both his fastball and curve ball are plus pitches along with plus command, then that could absolutely play at the MLB level right now. Whether they do that or not, is tbd.

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  41. Wood is a bit undersized for a RH starting MLB pitcher, so I immediately thought bullpen this year, no matter what Barber says. Then 2 more college pitchers. Wow. I mean, there is almost no hitting in the system.

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  42. Not that I’m comparing these first 3 picks and I realize that it is a different era but Glavine and Maddux were both listed at six feet.

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  43. Sonny Gray is listed at 5’10”, Marcus Stroman is listed at 5’7″, Johnny Cueto was listed at 5’11” . . .

    Like

  45. A guy named Pedro was not very tall but seemed to do ok for many years. I only saw Wood on tv a couple times, but he reminds me some of Chase Burns. All these kids who pitch are high risks. You just hope for the best

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Guys, you seem to think it’s my idea only to draft taller pitchers but it’s a real thing. Also, the guys you are talking about are the exception and not the rule. Sure, it happens that shorter guys pitch well, but most pitchers are taller and bigger. Also, guys like Lincecum are the point – he’s a bit of a unicorn and his career was very short because he threw max effort.

      Like

      1. By the way, I like the picks a lot so far, and the fact that these pitchers are shorter means the Phillies were probably able to get a relatively good bargain.

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        1. Barbers take on 2 and 3 were that they have very unique low arm slots and that can create a lot of deception making their FBs play up. FWIW but yes we shall see.

          Watching Ranger all these years it always was perplexing to me that his stuff plays up the way it does.

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        2. Catch, sure, most pitchers are taller, but the first couple picks are listed at 6’0″, not 5’7″ (yes, Stroman is a unicorn), and there are plenty of successful major league pitchers in that range. I watched David Morgan throw for the Padres yesterday in San Diego and he certainly seemed to have a good arm. Listed at 6’0″. And I watched Adrian Morejon, too, and he has a great arm, and is an All-Star. Listed at 5’11”. Or look at the Giants, Randy Rodriguez is an All-Star this year, listed at 6’0″, and of course Sergio Romo was great for them for many years, listed at 5’11” Or the Cubs best pitcher over the past two seasons, Imanaga, listed at 5’10” Etc., etc.

          The point isn’t that pitchers aren’t usually 6’2″ or taller. The point is that are lots and lots of successful 6’0″ pitchers. In fact, of the 19 pitchers in the NL named all-stars this year, five are listed at 6’0″ or less (Morejon, Rodriguez, Peralta, Yamamoto, Abbott) and another is listed at 6’1″, just an inch taller than the Phils top two picks (Webb). So I think being concerned about the “shortness” of those two draft picks is illogical. If they were 5’7″ or 5’9″ it would be a different story, but not at 6’0″.

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      2. Lincecum also won two Cy Young’s and helped the Giants win three World Series (though more involved in the first two.). If we can get that out of Gage Wood, I’m OK with his career being cut short.

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    2. i don’t get the beeping short. Romus is 5″ 6 Don is only 5″7 and they were great college pitchers

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  46. All reports that I am seeing from the national press is that the Phillies had a really good draft so far. 3 really good arms. Kiley McDaniel listed the Phillies in his “5 favorite moves” article:

    Phillies try to jump the reliever trade market?

    Gage Wood has a chance to start long term but can also go straight to the upper minors — if not the big leagues — and potentially help the bullpen later this season, like a trade deadline addition. The Phillies’ next pick, Cade Obermueller, is another possible starter who also could move quickly as a lefty turning 22 later this month with two knockout pitches in his fastball/slider combo. Odds are good that at least one of them can provide big league value in the next 12 months if Philly wants to utilize them that way.

    https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45709412/2025-mlb-draft-kiley-mcdaniel-favorite-day-1-picks-best-available-day-2-prospects

    Liked by 1 person

    1. v1. Good post. I sent this article to Ruff this morning. Also, the guy’s last night especially the Tennessee coach is pretty high on Bowker the Vandy guy as well. I am ok with adding arms who may not be very far away. All 3 of these kids are about same age as Able and Painter.

      The other thing I pointed out to Ruff last night was the great percent of hitters who bat left-handed. There is an advantage to that. At first, I said 75% and then later said it may have been 90%

      Like

    2. Gotta imagine Dave/Barber were looking at this draft and said if there’s one guy in the draft who’s could help pitch in high leverage situations in the postseason this year, it’s the guy who threw a no hitter in the college World Series.

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  47. I do believe that scouting teams set a draft board and largely stick to it and do not think about the MLB team’s short term needs…that said, Barber made a point of noting that college arms are expected to move quickly through an organization and I do wonder if this suggests that Abel and Cabrera are likely on their way out at the deadline. And maybe, even the untouchable Painter gets sent out for a star level player?

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    1. While he did say they see him as a starter, do these words mean anything? He says we are not moving him to the bullpen LONG-TERM … does that mean he COULD be in the bullpen this year???

      “The stuff just stayed throughout,” Barber said. “And it was quality, quality stuff from pitch 1 to pitch 119 at the very end. So, especially with the ability to throw strikes at such a high level that he’s done, with the dominating pitches, we don’t have any – we’re not planning to move him to the bullpen long-term anytime soon.”

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Tom I was referencing the post by Steve Potter who was on the Conf call with Barber. He stated –

        No, was on the post draft zoom call. Mr. Barber said they plan on keeping him as a starter and that given his workload this year they will be careful with him. They aren’t concerned about his shoulder issues but will be cautious. Often times the Phillies don’t throw draft picks in games till the next season.

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    2. Make that 5.

      I gotta say that Brian Barber is a man of his word. Last week he was asked about the strength of the draft and he said college pitchers and HS middle infielders – so he’s drafting consistent with his draft evaluation. I generally like the way the Phillies have been drafting pitchers, so I’m good with this.

      Liked by 1 person

  51. 5 college pitchers, first relief pitcher. 6 year college player with a nasty slider out of Baylor Gabe Craig. Also today we are seeing the size with the RHP that we typically see from the Phillies

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  52. From MLB

    Craig works exclusively out of the stretch with a high release point and pounds the zone with both of his offerings. He’s a two-pitch reliever who turns 24 ten days before the Draft, but he also could move quickly to the Majors. He could factor into the first five rounds as a deep-discount candidate.

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  54. If I didnt know any better Id say they are trying to find one or two pen arms for the stretch run this year so they can potentially save some prospects from having to be traded. And I don’t hate it.

    Liked by 1 person

  55. Not sure which thread to post in. Youngerman, the OSU round 4 draftee, started the opening game of the Big 12 tournament and did not pitch at all in the 4 games of the regionals. Did anybody read that he was hurt?

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  56. The Phillies may have gotten a diamond in the rough with Gabe Craig of Baylor. By selecting 5 college pitchers in the first 5 rounds, it seems like the organization is throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.

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  60. I just read that Rotoballer (whatever that is) has rated the 30 major league teams. The Nationals are listed at 27, the Marlins are 25, the Braves are 24. This rating claims that 3 of the 7 worst teams to this point are from the NL East. The Mets are at 7 and the Phillies are at 5. That must mean that the NL East is the worst division in baseball.

    Wow!! I’ve got to find something to do rather than just watch time go by. Okay, Romus or any of you others, what band sang, “I’ve got nothing to do and all day to do it. I’ve got nowhere to go and all night to get there”?

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  63. Definitely over slot. Gonna take 2nd round $ probably. Although he is old for high school as he turned 19 in the spring. Our resident Hoosier has written often on him.

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    1. I am going to text some of the guys connected to IU. This is kind of weird. They told me other day if in top 3 rounds no IU. With the NIL stuff going on I have no idea what will happen here. IU has had 2 OFs picked. But their pitching lacked a bunch. We will see what happens with this. My grandson played against him a few times over the years and said he is very good. I had another favorite Indiana kid. Last I knew he was headed for Louisville. He had the TJ at 15 and now I am told can pitch with both hands. I have not seen this. Hope it works for both.

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  65. Tom B (or are you really Tommy Shaw) and Romus – You are correct, Sirs. Got to see the Mr. Roboto tour in Hartford a little over 40 years ago. Never liked Dennis DeYoung’s songs much but overall Styx was/is a great rock band.

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  66. Indiana commit. Doesn’t seem like he has ruled out turning pro. He was ranked in the top 30? 50? Like the pick.

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    1. This is the worry with HS guys in the later rounds. The Phillies should already know much it will take for him to sign.

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    1. and 47 by Keith Law

      Fisher is a tremendous athlete and former quarterback who’s been sitting in the low to mid 90s this spring with a hammer curveball and good attributes to both pitches, along with a slider and changeup to round out his arsenal. His fastball gets good ride thanks to a high spin rate, and it plays up a little because he gets so far out over his front side at his release. The curveball is sharp, almost 12/6, although it softens up when it’s in the mid-70s and is best when he gets it to 80 mph or harder. He doesn’t have much mileage on his arm, at least not from pitching, as he was still his high school’s starting quarterback last fall. He did suffer a minor fracture in his throwing elbow while playing football as a junior, but it’s not expected to be an issue for his baseball career. Fisher turned 19 in March and is committed to Indiana.

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  69. Jimmy P – I promise to stop this nonsense after one more post.

    Tom B and Romus – If you want to see something really inspiring, go to YouTube and pull up Tommy Shaw and the Cleveland-based Contemporary Orchestra singing/playing “Angry Young Man”.

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  70. They were connected to Fisher as potential 1st or 2nd round pick, they know what it will take to sign him, this is where the savings will go. It will be interesting to see if we draft a HS bat in the 11-20 range that will sign for low to mid 6 figures

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      1. But you can go over as long as you have saved $ in rounds 1-10 as well as go 5% over your total bonus. We have signed HS kids at pick 11 like Boyd/Hettinger for mid 6 figures in the past.

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  71. A few mocks had Bremmer falling to us one as late as a month ago. The Angels go and take him 2nd overall.

    I wonder how hard it was to pass on Laviolette. That kid can hit. Reminds me of Tucker. The Guardians sitting there at 27 must have been really surprised to see him still there.

    This will be an interesting draft to look back on in 5 years.

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    1. Man, I don’t know . . . can’t imagine the 21-year-old Kyle Tucker hitting .258 in college, which is what LaViolette hit this year . . . hit tools are hard to scout

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  72. The IU connection beat me to the reply. He said he does not know if the Phillies will save enough in the first picks to over slot Fisher. He also said he is not sure what his number is for the Phillies or what he is getting from IU. The NIL stuff is out of control and no way of really knowing. They did not think he landed at IU if picked last night. Today who knows. Someone mentioned a Million. He might be at that or close with IU. I have been told the IU QB is in the $3M range.

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    1. Indiana landed a great coach in Cignetti for football and kept him after making the expanded playoff. IU QB may get $3 million but baseball players at top SEC schools aren’t getting that out of HS.

      Liked by 1 person

  73. Broke the pitcher string with a HS ss in round #9.

    Matthew Ferrara (Toms River HS East – NJ)

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    1. Ferrara may become a utility ML player one day if things work out, interesting what $ it will take to keep him from college.

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  74. Don – I don’t think a baseball player will get nearly close to the amount a football QB will get from NIL. Indiana baseball is not exactly a juggernaut in the Big 10 so there is a really good chance he turns pro. It would be nice if he comes to Phillies U. And he’s 6 foot 3 to boot.

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    1. Though ciada….understand PSU hockey NIL for future number one draft pick in the NHL in 2026 draft…Gavin McKenna was $700K. Hockey , with schools that have it, generates revenue…bu not nearly as much as NCAA football or men’s basketball.

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      1. Big-10 is a major player when it comes to college hockey, so I suspect they have more NIL money available than most.

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            1. Next there may be Flyer pick Porter Martone…talks with family, agent and Flyers may have him headed there also…Aug 1st is deadline date for enrollment…classes start Aug 25th.

              Right now cannot see Fisher heading to IU…..unless they can come up with a NIL worth million or more.

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        2. Penn state hockey also has Terry Pegula, billionaire owner of the Sabres and Bills and he loves Penn State hockey. McKenna also got less than 1 mill

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      2. Guys. My IU guy got back. I have no idea what he will do. Like v1 he went through the picks. Thinks 1 and 2 are probably slot picks or close. Then sees some room for Fisher in others. But he said he has no idea what number Fisher is demanding. He lost lots going from a 1 to a 7. I hope the Phillies can sign him.

        Regarding the NIL and now Revenue Sharing it is so difficult to know what is being given to these kids. I do know one thing. IU is one of the best funded programs in the country. Fisher would be the marquee recruit. There are some/few baseball and softball players who are getting mega deals. How much no one really knows.

        Ciada you are correct that QBs and Point guards are getting the BIG deals in NIL era. But it is just crazy the amount of money some are getting.

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  75. I love, love this draft so far. Really. I think they are having such a smart draft. Even the 5th round and 8th round picks as a senior sign to re-allocate money to Fisher. But both look like bullpen arms.

    Fisher is a heck of a pick at 221. I am sure they know his number. I bet they can cobble together close to $1 mil for Fisher.

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    1. I expect our 3rd rounder and 6th rounder to be under slot. and our 5th, 8th and 10th to be way under slot. maybe only $10k each. So I feel confident that they will sign both Fisher and Ferrara

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      1. Whoa…….those three slots are worth a total of over $800K and you think the Phillies will get all three of those picks to sign for a total of $30K. If that happens , I will give the Phillies financial guys handling the dough for the draft Wall of Fame inductions.

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          1. v1. My IU guy who is connected is not sure what Fisher will demand. I do not know what number he gets from IU, but it is lots more than some here think it will be. He is the marquee recruit. All these 17-year-olds have agents now and money has to go to them as well. As I mentioned above IU is a very well-funded NIL program. They can find money if they need to do so.

            Liked by 1 person

          2. No idea what the number is for Fisher. Lost less than Sunday night if he signs. You are 100% correct on the football and basketball. A kid needs to be a football player these days. That is where the cash cows are today. One thing I know is IU did not get Fisher to commit for peanuts. Not with Tennessee, LSU, Louisville, Wake Forest, Vandy lurking around. These places have money if they want to use it. I do not know how long these baseball deals are in length with Phillies, but the NIL/Revenue Sharing is annually. So are we talking apples and oranges or are they similar. I do not know the answer to that. But I am certain Fisher got a good deal to commit. Does it match what the Phillies can do I have no idea.

            Texas Tech has gone nuts on the college softball scene in the last year. There are always outliers to the norm.

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  76. Phillies must like their Indiana area scout. Another pitcher picked from Indiana

    Cole Gilley (Indiana)

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        1. LOL. I have some sources on Fisher. Gilley is older. He is an ISU guy from Columbus near Bloomington. The one thing that stood out to me in the write up is he had 10 wins. Onley one other Big10 guy did. To me that means he stays in games. I really do not know any specifics, but ISU almost made the CWS in 24. Believe they got beat in a game 3 of the Super. I need to review that for sure. They have a good program. IU is able to land hitters who do well. Not so much on pitchers. Why I wonder if they may have significant dollars in Fisher. But now sure.

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    1. yes really hope we can sign him; read a little about him made me think of Pedroia. Gamer with some pop, high baseball IQ that may turn into a 12 year pro if he hits his ceiling and things go right for him. Stunned after the Fisher pick, but maybe he wants to turn pro ASAP.

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  78. Have got to agree with V1. I think it’s 8 out of the 10 picks don’t want to or can’t go back to college so they will sign for very little. Aren’t picks 11-20 guaranteed about $20K or so or am I way off on that?

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    2. For rounds 11-20, I don’t know if there is a minimum, but a team can sign each pick for up to $150K without it counting against the pool. Anything over $150K counts against the team’s pool.

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  80. I am not suggesting anything, but I just watched all 27 outs of the gauge Wood no hitter in the college World Series and I have to say I see some Spencer Strider in this kid powerful legs like tree trunks and that little Kick he does after releasing the pitch…

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    1. I don’t know, Pops, are you sure you’d want Strider? I mean, he’s listed at 6’0″ . . . 😉

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    2. I saw a good bit of that LIVE. Was working late… here I am wanting to see the Stanley Cup playoffs. The kid had a hellva day. Shame it wasnt on campus… 🙂 Would’ve ended his “no hitter”! I kid.. but we all know

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    3. Agree some. I think he reminds me of Chase Burns some. Not sure how big Burns is. I try to watch the Regionals and Supers. and CWS. Wood has electric stuff. I felt going into CWS Arkansas had the most talent, but they found a way to lose 2 games. Game 2 was strange how they lost it. Simply put snatched defeat from the jaw of victory. They did that a few years ago missing a pop up by the dugout that would have won.

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  81. By the way, JT’s pop time was 1.74 on the caught stealing of Tatis in the 7th!! Velo on the throw was 85 mph. Crazy good numbers. Any slower and Tatis steals the base.

    Liked by 1 person

  82. Wow on Fisher as late as they got him. I expect the FO knows how to get him the money he “wants” to turn pro… on the books or off. The only time that kids better see an Indiana field is visiting friends in the offseason!

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    1. Tac. We will see. It may not be 50/50 but it is not a slam dunk as it would have been Sunday night. I am pretty sure of that. No idea on $$$ numbers being tossed around.

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      1. Don… I gotta say.. i would be hella disappointed in the Phillies if they can’t get that done. On the books… sure… if the kid wants more… and it’s reasonably reasonable … pay the kid off the books. Everyone has done it since this country started.. No need to take the moral high ground all the sudden. If Middleton won’t do it, i hope some one in the organization has the sense to funnel some “value” towards him :). if they need help,let me know!

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  84. Buxton said he won’t waive his NTC and he’s a Twin for life. So we can stop theorizing on trades for him, I guess.

    Still very interested in their relievers, though.

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  85. Phillies weekly had a good show as always.

    They made a great point about the club house being loose when the kids were showing progress in 2022. Bring up Crawford, Marsh RF, Kemp LF if they can’t get someone like Ward for LF.

    Avery Owusu-Asiedu looks interesting with the Blue claws. He’s the fastest guy in the org apparently. How 6’4 230 have a 134 iso?

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  86. Phillies weekly had a good show as always.

    They made a great point about the club house being loose when the kids were showing progress in 2022. Bring up Crawford, Marsh RF, Kemp LF if they can’t get someone like Ward for LF.

    Avery Owusu-Asiedu looks interesting with the Blue claws. He’s the fastest guy in the org apparently. How 6’4 230 have a 134 iso?

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  88. Ugh we got tickets to Saturdays game last month. I’m 3-0 in games attended and all 3 have been pitched by Sanchez. Saturday it looks like Walker.

    My streak is at risk…

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  90. How much extra do you have to pay the MVP of the 2025 all-star game to extend him? Carpe diem😂

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    1. If teams didn’t know about Schwarber before, they know now. He’s going to get paid, likely not by the Phillies.

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  91. The Schwarber conundrum seems to be the news, post all-star break. I’d say it will be difficult for the team to navigate in these waters. Schwarbs has the leverage.

    Tradewinds just a Zephyr so far, need to start building in intensity.

    When is the wine and dine the recruits …… this weekend?

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    1. i am wondering does Schwarber. Get 5 yrs ,125.? Do mets sign him let Alonzo walk? Or do Dodgers pay him 60 yrs. 160 million?

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      1. Don’t count out the Reds. Schwarber grew up a Reds fan, attended high school in a suburb of Cincinnati, married his high school sweetheart who by the way attended the University of Cincinnati and reportedly runs a business out of that area where they also both still have family and friends. During his next contract, their children will begin attending grade school. It’s possible they won’t want to disrupt their education with a future move. We often talk about hometown discounts when a new contract is discussed. If interested, Cincinnati might get that hometown discount. Oh, and by the way, I heard 5/$130M before the season started. His in-season production and All-Star heroics may have solidified or even increased that rumor. If the Phillies can’t get an extension before the end of the season (and we haven’t heard that there were pre-season deadlines for negotiations with Schwarber or Realmuto), I think he’s gone.

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        1. Feels like it’d have to be a massive discount for the Reds to be in play. While they gave Votto over 200M over a decade ago, they have never in the history of the team given a free agent even so much as $70M.

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            2. I think it’s much more likely than not that Schwarber comes back here. If he goes to the Reds, odds are pretty good that, to the extent he really wants to win, he will come to regret that decision. The Reds are classic small to middle market team, much like Milwaukee – they can pay a guy or two, but they can’t compete long term with teams like the Phillies. I just don’t see that happening. If he goes with another team, I could see a team like San Francisco in a big market (how happy must the Giants’ management be that it’s now a one-team region?) and that needs a slugger in the worst way.

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            3. The Giants would be a team for Schwarber to land with. They will pay for sure. In the AL…could be the the Texas teams that could open up their pocket books for him also. Rea;;y like Middleton to pay the men however….I think the length of the contract will be the determining factor…..Phillies will out-lengthen all competitors when it comes to that part of the contract. They usually do.

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            4. I’m sure we’ve all seen the story (in the Inky?) that Schwarber wants to stay in Philadelphia, including plant his family here. However, we also know money is important. In most cases, I am hesitant to give a big, long-term contact to a veteran, especially one of limited position versatility, but Schwarber would be the exception for me. He should retain his power for several years and he’s definitely a plus in the clubhouse from all I’ve read and seen.

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  92. Stark was just on 97.5. Two takeaways:

    1. Executives he’s talked to are convinced DD is gearing up for something big, involving a controllable closer.
    2. Scouts from other teams have told him that Wood’s fastball is unhittable and he will likely be up in September

    Chew on that!

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  93. Unhittable? he had a 3.8 ERA in college. I do want him here in Sept, but lets temper expectations

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      1. He’s had a month layoff since his no-hitter in the CWS. It’ll be another week before he’s at the Complex. By then, the FCL season will be over (on the 24th) and that team has no chance of post-season play. He’s 21 years old. He likely faced good hitters in the SEC. But, once above Clearwater where he would face similarly aged batters, he would face increasingly older and better batters until he reached Reading where he would be 2-3 years younger than the average hitter in the Eastern League. That seems like a tough ask of a first-year pro.

        He has probably been following a starter’s routine and pitched on the same day each week. I don’t know how difficult it is to convert from a starter routine to a reliever routine or even if that is the Phillies’ plan. I would think they would still have to acquire relief help by the deadline. I hope they don’t base deadline decisions on maybe Wood’s being able to pitch in late August and September. If he can’t and they didn’t acquire help because they thought he could, that would be poor planning.

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    2. Yes, pretty sure if his fastball was unhittable, he wouldn’t have been available when the Phillies picked. Everyone really needs to take a step back about how this guy’s going to help solve the pen.

      Similar to how Kemp was going to solve 3b and then LF and how Crawford is going to solve CF.

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  94. The problem with the word unhitable is, …. there is no one to comp to him (alias Mr. Unhitable). So, can we agree that he is unhitable except on the days he is not.

    Futhermore, Kemp and Crawford cannot solve the 3B and CF problems if management deems there is no problem, which is apparently their conclusion, evidenced by their daily roster and lineup cards.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Don’t know about Crawford yet but Kemp has reached 100 PA and has one of the lowest.ops ‘s on the team. He’s not solving anything.

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      1. He is a little lower than Kepler’s 86, but higher than Stott and Rojas. So he has that going for him. I’d like to see Top put him in LF for 20 or 25 straight games…..but as long as Max K. is still on the team that will not happen.

        Liked by 1 person

        2. But he did play 20 straight games while Harper was out with the wrist injury. From June 7th to June 29th, he played in 20 games in 23 days.

          Unfortunately, his performance was below Kepler’s

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            1. Now there’s a cherry pick. Lets go 1 further. Mike Schmidt famously hit .196 in his first season with the Phillies in 1973 and then went on to become a HOF. Obviously, Kemp is destined for the HOF because he’s been better than Schmidt.

              It’s not about writing him off but rather making the point about tempering expectations with guys like Kemp, Crawford, and 2025 draft picks coming in and solving the team’s weaknesses.

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            2. Oh, and Roman Anthony’s OPS is over 100 points higher so yes, that’s a huge difference. His OPS on the Phillies would place him 3rd, just above Trea Turner.

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            3. I think opportunity is lost in your discussion of Schmidt vs Kemp.

              SCHMIDT 132 G 367 ABs .196 Avg.

              KEMP 27 G 89 ABs .247 Avg.

              Kemp was brought up to span the time of Harper’s IL time, later utilized at 3B, 1B and LF until Kepler shot off his mouth about being misled about playing time. Kemp will never get the opportunity to match Schmidt’s stats unless someone goes on the 90 day IL or Rob quits or maybe a trade.

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            4. It’s really not helpful (or fair) comparing Otto Kemp (or almost anyone) to Mike Schmidt. Schmidt was a lot younger and also hit 18 homers and drew 62 walks in about 3/4 of a season. If your point is that even great players can start off slow, then that’s valid.

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  95. I regard to the height of pitchers earlier; I have always felt that the Phillies had a type. The pitchers they drafted always seemed tall. But I’m 5-8 and 3/4, so they all look tall to me. I did a check of the pitchers the Phillies have drafted since 2014 and found the following.

    The height of pitchers drafted by the Phillies creates your basic bell curve. They have drafted 186 pitchers during the last 12 drafts. I started keeping player info in 2014. I’m counting Aaron Brown as a pitcher since he was drafted as a two-way player and converted to pitcher after an attempt to make it as an outfielder. These were the heights reported when they were drafted.

    Ht. – # drafted
    5’10 – 2
    5’11 – 5
    6’0 – 7
    6’1 – 22
    6’2 – 27
    6’3 – 37
    6’4 – 37
    6’5 – 25
    6’6 – 13
    6’7 – 7
    6’8 – 2
    6’9 – 0
    6’10 – 2 (one was Kyle Young who reached 7’1 by the following spring)
    Total – 186 drafted

    Those pitchers still in the organization from the Phillies down to the FCL total 119 and follow a similar curve but lose the outliers at 6’8 and 6’10.

    Ht. – #
    5’10 – 3
    5’11 – 4
    6’0 – 11
    6’1 – 20
    6’2 – 21
    6’3 – 19
    6’4 – 19
    6’5 – 11
    6’6 – 9
    6’7 – 2
    6’8 – 0
    6’9 – 0
    6’10 – 0
    Total – 119

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    1. I suppose that 6’2″ thru 6’5″ range is a popular range for most teams drafting pitchers these days. And most young kids now probably grow into that range.

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    2. And in the interest of being completely anal, the pitchers on the 40-man roster plus Nola, Alvarez, and Painter. Twenty-four in all (active roster in bold).

      Ht. – #
      5’11 – 1 (Sweet)
      6’0 – 3 (Lazar, Luzardo, Cabrera)
      6’1 – 4 (Banks, Johnson, Suarez, Chace)
      6’2 – 6 (Kerkering, Strahm, de Geus, Rangel, Nola, Alvarado)
      6’4 – 5 (Robert, Ross, Walker, Wheeler, Mercado)
      6’5 – 3 (Romano, Sanchez, Abel)
      6’6 – 1 (Cusick)
      6’7 – 1 (Painter)

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  96. With 9 teams vying for 6 playoff spots in the NL, the Phillies just might have to win the division. Winning 2 of 3 versus the Angels would be a good start.

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  97. @Catch …… in the discussion of Kemp/Schmidt …. not only opportunity, but timing as well. The current Phillies are leading the pack by the slimmest of margins. The 1973 Phillies were 71/91 ….. finished 6th in the NL East. They could afford to plug Schmidt into the lineup despite his struggles. Rob gets a little herky jerky and a nervous pencil on the lineup card. I agree with Romus, I would like to see what Kemp could do with steady playing time. Maybe we will.

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    1. I actually think Thomson likes Kemp and that if Kemp continues to produce, he’ll continue to get more playing time. Apparently, Kepler had a year where he produced like this (poorly) in the first half and then was great in the second half – so we’ll see.

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