Phillies Discussion 8/8/2025

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The Phillies took 2 of 3 from both Detroit and Baltimore to conclude their homestand with a 2-4 record.  They begin a 10-game road trip with 3 games in Texas, 3 games in Cincinnati, and 4 games in Washington.

This is your Phillies discussion.

While the Phillies start their road trip in Texas, the Mets are in Milwaukee.  They are mired in a 4-game losing streak and facing the team with the best record in the National League.  Go Brewers! (?) Cincinnati hasn’t taken advantage of the Mets slide but are on the road against Pittsburgh.  They are 3.5 games back for the final wild card, 4 games in the loss column.  The Giants 5.0 games back for the final playoff spot and are home against Washington.  They are only one game above .500 and need to start winning to close ground on the teams ahead of them.

I’m going to be away from internet access again, maybe as long as two weeks.  I’ll try and monitor the site as best as I can.  I’ve created additional discussions to publish automatically.  Generally open discussions close automatically within 7 days of being published.  So, there may be some overlap with multiple discussions open.

Important Dates

  • April 4, 2025: MiLB roster limits decrease from 175 to 165 players
  • July 24, 2025: End of FCL regular season
  • 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 12, 2025: Final day to assign draft picks to a roster
    • Draft picks must be assigned to a roster 15 days after signing a contract
    • UDFAs must be assigned to a roster when they sign a contract
  • August 15, 2025: Date prospects can be promoted and still retain rookie status
    • A player retains rookie status if he does not exceed 45 days on the active roster
    • A player retains rookie status if he does not exceed 130 at bats
    • A player retains rookie status if he does not exceed 50 innings pitched
  • August 19, 2025: End of DSL regular season
  • September 7, 2025: End of Threshers’ regular season
  • September 7, 2025: End of Threshers’ regular season
  • September 14, 2025: End of Reading’s regular season
  • September 21, 2025: End of IronPigs’ regular season
  • Note: These dates will be used unless/until notified differently.

Transactions 

August 2025
8/08/2025 – SS Roiner Cespede assigned to DSL Phillies Red from DSL Phillies White.
8/08/2025 – 2B Fernando Hernandez assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red.
8/07/2025 – Sent LHP José Alvarado on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
8/07/2025 – Jersey Shore placed SS Bryan Rincon on the 60-day IL retroactive to 8/6
8/07/2025 – 1B Brock Vradenburg assigned to Jersey Shore
8/07/2025 – Jersey Shore transferred RHP Sam Highfill to the Development List
8/07/2025 – LHP Angel Liranzo assigned to Clearwater Threshers from FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – LHP Jonathan Gonzalez assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Matthew Fisher assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Matthew Potok assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – LHP Cade Obermueller assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – LHP James Tallon assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Gage Wood assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Cole Gilley assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Tyler Bowen assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Jacob Pruitt assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Keegan Batka assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Cody Bowker assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Gabe Craig assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – RHP Richie Cortese assigned to FCL Phillies
8/07/2025 – OF Jack Barker assigned to FCL Phillies
8/06/2025 – Phillies signed FA 1B Brock Vradenburg to an MiLB contract
8/06/2025 – RHP Ryan Dromboski assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/05/2025 – Phillies activated RHP Joe Ross from the 15-day IL
8/05/2025 – Phillies optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Lehigh Valley
8/05/2025 – RHP Lou Trivino assigned to Lehigh Valley
8/05/2025 – Lehigh Valley IronPigs released RHP Austin Schulfer
8/05/2025 – Lehigh Valley activated RHP Austin Schulfer from the 7-day IL
8/05/2025 – INF Zach Arnold assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
8/05/2025 – INF Bryson Ware assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
8/05/2025 – Clearwater activated RHP Matt Manning
8/05/2025 – Clearwater activated OF Carter Mathison from the 7-day IL
8/05/2025 – C Will Vierling assigned to Clearwater
8/05/2025 – SS Nolan Beltran assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
8/05/2025 – SS Robert Phelps assigned to Clearwater
8/05/2025 – OF Jonathan Hogart assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
8/05/2025 – OF Nathan Humphreys assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
8/05/2025 – FCL Phillies released RHP Alexis De La Cruz
8/05/2025 – 2B Samuel Salcedo assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red
8/04/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP Lou Trivino to an MiLB contract
8/04/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP Jacob Waguespack to an MiLB contract
8/04/2025 – RHP Jacob Waguespack assigned to Lehigh Valley
8/04/2025 – Lehigh Valley released RHP Nabil Crismatt
8/04/2025 – Lehigh Valley released 3B Matt Kroon
8/04/2025 – Lehigh Valley released RF Óscar Mercado
8/04/2025 – 2B Robert Moore assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
8/04/2025 – Reading transferred C Lou Albrecht to the Development List
8/04/2025 – RHP Titan Kenedy-Hayes assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/04/2025 – LHP Kevin Warunek assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/04/2025 – C Kodey Shojinaga assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/04/2025 – SS Nikau Pouka-Grego assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/04/2025 – OF John Spikerman assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
8/04/2025 – Jersey Shore released RHP Drew Garrett
8/04/2025 – Jersey Shore released C Jared Thomas
8/04/2025 – Jersey Shore released 2B Pierce Bennett
8/04/2025 – Jersey Shore released OF Jordan Viars
8/04/2025 – Clearwater transferred LHP Juan Amarante to the Development List
8/04/2025 – Clearwater transferred OF Manolfi Jimenez to the Development List
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies released RHP Fernando Ramos
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies released RHP Pedro Reyes
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies released SS Isaias Dipre
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated RHP Peyton Havard
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated RHP Brian Walters
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated RHP Sean Youngerman
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated C Bennett Markinson
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated SS Matthew Ferrara
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated OF Jonathan Hogart
8/04/2025 – FCL Phillies activated OF Nathan Humphreys
8/04/2025 – RHP Alvaro Hernandez assigned to DSL Phillies White
8/04/2025 – OF Esterling Rodriguez assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red
8/04/2025 – DSL Phillies White placed RHP Alvaro Hernandez on the restricted list
8/03/2025 – Phillies sent RHP Devin Sweet outright to Lehigh Valley
8/03/2025 – Phillies sent RHP Brett de Geus outright to Lehigh Valley
8/03/2025 – Lehigh Valley placed OF Keaton Anthony on the 7-day IL
8/03/2025 – Clearwater placed OF Griffin Burkholder on the 60-day IL
8/03/2025 – Reading activated RHP Charles King from the Development List
8/01/2025 – Phillies placed RHP Daniel Robert on the 15-day IL retroactive to 7/30, right middle finger blister
8/01/2025 – Phillies activated RHP Jhoan Duran
8/01/2025 – Phillies activated LF Harrison Bader
8/01/2025 – Phillies optioned CF Johan Rojas to Lehigh Valley
8/01/2025 – Phillies sent RHP Aaron Nola on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
8/01/2025 – Phillies sent RHP Joe Ross on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
8/01/2025 – Lehigh Valley sent 2B Christian Arroyo on a rehab assignment to Clearwater
8/01/2025 – Jersey Shore activated 2B Trent Farquhar from the 7-day IL
8/01/2025 – Clearwater activated LHP Camron Hill from the 60-day IL
8/01/2025 – RHP Matt Manning roster status changed by Clearwater
8/01/2025 – Clearwater activated RHP Matt Manning
8/01/2025 – Clearwater transferred SS Brady Day from the 7-day to the 60-day IL

249 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion 8/8/2025”

  1. hope the slug keeps sluggin here (it’s hitting season) this little road trip and they take it light and play some solid ball and have some fun.. everybody hits!

    thanks for the new thread was just thinking of coming and cntrl+F “august 8,” on the old thread to see what’s new… hopefully your time away from the internet is a good one

    Like

  3. Ranger Suarez’ last 5 games:

    30 IP 36 H 18 ER 8 BB 25 Ks

    He’s at 107 IP for the season.

    The most he’s pitched is 155 IP.

    Is it a blip, a trend, or normal?

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    1. And to add more fuel to the fire, Ranger’s velo from 2021…when he basically became prominent:

      4SmrFB……and Sinker:

      2021…..93.8…93.04

      2022…..93.4…92.7

      2023….93.4….92.8

      2024….92.1….91

      2025….91.4….90.1

      The velo decline is most obvious. It may be one the factors in his latest slump.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Love fantasy baseball, I needed an OF when Chourio got hurt and was gonna pick up Moniak. Picked up Laureano instead.

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    2. i haven’t followed him .but was interested in your post. Did you see his numbers away from coors.. They call him coors merchant. Didn’t know coors was that hitter friendly

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      1. The Coors Effect…..one reason Trevor Story had doubters when he became a free agent….and then there was the case with Nolan Arenado before the trade to the Cardinals. They seem to put up great numbers in the thin-air of Denver, with less drag on the batted ball in the air, and at Coors Field.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Hit a 5 iron one time @ a Denver golf course, it was 150′ high over the green and still trucking …… guest said, ….. “you are going to have to come down a club or two”!😄

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      2. Yeah he has a .975 OPS at Coors and .671 away. Coors is definitely a hitter friendly park. But those splits are crazy.

        Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying Mickey is a great baseball player. Just happy to see that he has ground out a career. Good for him.

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  7. Have you all noticed Graves’ turnaround? He has now had 23 innings with no earned runs allowed and only 9 hits. Figure something out? Finally healthy?

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  8. It’s time for Nori to go up. He’s up to 270 after a slow start and has gotten on base 14 games in a row.

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  11. David Robertson is supposed to rejoin the Phillies on Sunday. I’m guessing Rangel gets sent down and Joe Ross becomes the long man.

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  12. Crawford has nothing left to prove in AAA. Even if we DFA Kepler, I don’t know where and how we play him. Marsh is on fire, Bader will be starting in CF and no way they sit or platoon Casty.

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  13. Mavis Graves appears to have turned it around……next season at Reading will be another test, but he may be the next Phillies pitching prospect with high end potential.

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    1. Romus you ever look at big lefthander Wilkerson strikeouts. If I am reading it right 160 strikeouts in 95 innings. That can’t be right?

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            1. Romus. I have always told the story that at South Alabama we had a hard throwing lefty. I have mentioned his name before. He had 3 fastballs. One down the middle of the plate. One in the middle of your ribs. One behind you. It was the hitter’s challenge to know which it was. Lefty had no idea which it would be. Stanky got the biggest kick out of that. During practices.

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            3. actually Danny Wilkinson is a curve ball specialist. He gets tremendous break on it with tons of spin. He played college ball at Villanova and had strikeout numbers there too. This year he’s been on the IL most of the season with a shoulder issue- is still on the 60 day IL on rehab assignment with Clearwater.

              fastball sits low nineties.

              Steve Potter

              Liked by 1 person

  14. Miller 2/4 with a double and his 42nd SB. 42 is nuts given his BA. Is he that fast or does he have Utley-esque baserunning instincts?

    Liked by 1 person

  15. All I can find on deGrom versus Castellanos head to head is 3 games. Castellanos is 1-7 with a 2B and 5 Ks. Would you think, could you imagine, should you even fathom that Thomson will sit Nick out tonight against deGrom?

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    1. I think Top sees deGrom’s last two starts on the road, 10 innings, with 10 ERs and perhaps in the midst of a little slump occurring, and maybe see if Casty can capitalize on it.

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  16. MilB.com prospect stock rise….Phillies:

    Phillies: Keaton Anthony, 1B (No. 14)Anthony wasn’t ranked in the preseason, but all he’s done is hit everywhere, so now he’s in the middle of the list with an up arrow next to his name. His overall .323 average this year hasn’t been Double-A Reading-caused mirage. It’s right in line with his .324 career average in the Minors after hitting .372 in college. His 139 wRC+ leads the organization among full-season players.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Glad to see, hope he keeps going becasue he will help bring in a good player at the deadline next year, possibly a trade during the winter if not. I can’t see where he fits in unless he can play LF… and even then .

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      2. Keaton Anthony is 1B/DH. The only way he plays for the Phillies is if Schwarber leaves, Harper moves to DH, and Anthony goes to 1B.

        And if he gets traded, he won’t get as much as you think. He’s already 24 and he has minimal HR power at a power position. He’s a 1B who’s hitting like a CF.

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        1. There are some hit over power 1B in the league but its not a common profile. Current Paul Goldschmidt, Naylor, Aranda, Burleson fit the bill and are successful. A couple of those guys have much lower K% than Anthony does right now though; he’ll probably have to reign that in. In terms of value, yeah. He’s the second piece if not the third in a deal for a significant player. Otherwise you’ll just be getting a reliever or bench piece back.

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  17. With all things being equal, this is definitely our best OF defense. Marsh and Bader need to play everyday and I’m more on board with a RF platoon than the other 2 spots. This might just be a 1 game thing but I guess we’ll see. You know that Casty is FUMING.

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  19. Luzardo was as good as he needed to be. Kepler did well in replacing Casty, Sosa came up big with the glove all game long. Bader and Marsh did well. Duran kept the door closed! Not spectacular win, but a good win nonetheless.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. The three guys we tend to rag on the most all came through again tonight. Kepler hit the ball hard and is so smooth in the OF. Marsh is crushing the ball, even the DP he hit into. A timely hit for Stott and if he’s not the best 2B in baseball, he has to be in the top 3. And now the Phillies have spiderman to close things out. Great come from behind win!

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      1. I am not sold on his hit tool. I love the rest of his game. But I am not confident that he will hit a lot. Occasional power. And will steal bases. Very productive player. Not a star. But productive.

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      2. The Phillies currently have 4 players in the top 100: Painter, Miller, Crawford, Escobar. History states that not all of them will stick in the the bigs, let alone be a superstar. If Miller can generate WAR for the Phillies and be starter level for even a few years, it’s better than the alternative.

        Players like Rollins and Utley are generational players. No team will be drafting players like that on a regular basis.

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Moffo – You got me on that one. I don’t know if you or many others on this site know of PeeWee Herman. In his movie he is trying to impress the neighborhood kids while riding his bike. He hits the curb and goes flying over everything and crashes out. Then, he says to the kids, “I meant to do that”. Well, I meant to and should have written the “best defensive 2B”.

    Liked by 2 people

  23. Miller has “maybe” turned the corner…..11 game on base streak and last night he had 2 hits (single & double), walked twice, stole two bases, scored three runs and posted two RBIs.

    Question for Mr. Potter: Did the Phillies really let Mayer throw 43 pitches in 1 inning ?

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    1. I continue to be impressed by his plate discipline and swing choices. Looking at his numbers and I was worried, but after watching the last two weeks it definitely is in there. He missed a long 3-run homer on Thursday or Friday night too by feet. I hope this is a pattern and not a trend. But I can see why the Phillies like this kid. Big fan!

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    2. no I messed that up – picked up the wrong totals – sb 11 pitches – 8 strikes – thanks for catching that – at least I know somebody reads the stuff I write 😂

      Steve Potter

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  24. After a few years of hoping the Phillies could get 3 outs in the 9th inning I think they have the guy we can feel pretty certain that he will get the job done. Now we have to hope the rest of the guys do their part as well.

    Romus, Rocco and others on a smaller note. IN vs PA this afternoon in the Little League Softball World Series Championship game on ESPN at 3 I believe. Both have excellent pitchers. PA a few more hitters. Should be good.

    Liked by 1 person

        1. The back foot slider to Joc was insane. Unbelievable pitch from a guy pumping 103.

          A hitter just has to guess. It is so calming to have a stud like that closing games. I remember Lidge the year we won it. Lights out.

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          1. v1. I was thinking about Lidge as well. There will be a few hiccups along the way. But they will be few and far between if Duran can stay healthy.

            I was thinking. In 22 Astros were probably the better team. But 23 and/or 24 Phillies had leads and if Duran was here as he is now they may have another title or two. Now it is up to all of the guys to get in a position to win. On their shoulders now.

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            1. Kimbrel lost 2 games in 2023 to the Diamondbacks. If Duran was on that team I think we win that series and are favorites in WS. Rangers were tough. So no guarantees. But the 2023 team was really good.

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            2. Don…believe it or not Duran has lost 4 games this year as a Twin……but has only blown two saves…..ranks 86th in that category. The leader at 7 blown saves is Dodgers; Tanner Scott.

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      1. Rocco. That is a big spread. Indiana has only scored 3 runs in the last two games. They lost game 1 so had to come back in loser’s bracket. PA has only played 3 to Indiana’s 5 games. May make a difference today.

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      1. That is really neat. Ruff told me where they were from when I first saw them in the Regional against Delaware I believe. PA trailed the whole game. Reagan Bills is really good. IN pitcher is really good as well.

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  26. Don – MA looked really good beating OK last night. Tough task for IN.

    With Alvarado, Robertson, and Nola returning soon I see Rangel and Lazar being sent down but who else? Will it be Ross or Romano?

    Lazar is going to be back next season. He’s pretty dependable and Thomson likes him a lot.

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    1. When Nola comes back, it’s going to shift Walker into a long man role. So there will be no need for Joe Ross.

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    3. ciada. I have watched some of these games. I agree that PA most likely has the stronger team. Both pitchers are strong but IN after the C and SS drop off. But if you can keep the other team from scoring you win. Most likely another close game. I like both pitchers really well and IN #2 is good also.

      BP is starting to take shape. I am still not sure the need for Robertson but guess we will see what his role becomes. I too like Lazar. Take away that one game he has been steady.

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      1. Hope Roberson can make his signing worthwhile. If the guns were accurate at LHV, his cutter topped at 93, most times sat at 92. MLB hitters can adjust, fortunately though he is only a one inning guy and maybe the defense will come up strong for him when the opponent does make contact.

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  27. Romus. So many games today end up with the BP guys getting the win or the loss that is not too surprising about Duran and Twins. They have lost several. I am not sure but figure the BP guy gets the win or loss in those extra-inning games. Some of those 4 may have happened then. I like the 2 saves. Duran is not going to be perfect. We all know that. But he is going to be so much better than what the Phillies have had for a long time. I have confidence in that.

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  29. There is something definitely off with Wheeler in the first inning. He was topping off at 94-95 with his fastball and he was throwing a lot of non-fastballs. I know that pitchers lose velocity as they age (Wheeler is 35) but it usually doesn’t happen this drastic in season without injuries. Wheeler at 97-98 is way more effective than 94-95. I’m officially worried.

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    1. Overall the staff …with LHV pitchers included….seems to be crumbling. Nola’s problems, Wheeler’s trickling down of velo, Suarez lately not the same effectiveness, Jesus L…hot and cool. Good thing we have Walker and Sanchez,

      Liked by 1 person

    2. It has not been a good year but thankfully, the Phillies don’t need him. You can recover from TJ, but it’s not entirely certain how effective you will be. Let’s hope that he goes into ST next year closer to the Painter of old.

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  31. Very nice outing by Jean Cabrera, 6 inn 0. hits 1 bb 5 k only 59 pitches? Aiden Miller with another nice game, too little too late? Hopefully big Phils are starting to peak, hopefully not too soon.

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    2. Why would it be too little too late? Pretty sure he will repeat AA next year. Wouldn’t it be great if he finished strong to build on for next year? For minor leaguers, it’s never do let for things to start clicking.

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      1. Why would Cabrera repeat AA? He’s already thrown over 140 innings at Reading over 2 seasons. He should be a lock to start 2026 at Lehigh.

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            2. It would be nice to see Aidan Miller close out the month of August on a strong note. I would expect, once he gets there, he’s going to have an adjustment period in AAA. Hopefully it will be a more rapid adjustment than his lengthy AA adjustment period.

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    3. Too little , too late?…….why? —-Minor league development is not always linear, though for Miller lately it has been in one direction…upward. In his last 11 games he is hitting .372…with 6 doubles and the one HR. He is making more contact….. his K rate in those 11 games is a tick below 20%. So he is showing some juice here late in the season. If he can continue this for the next 25 plus games left in the season it will be a good sign.

      I am thinking, there is a good chance the Phillies will select him to go to Arizona in the fall. The next step in his climbing the ladder.

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      1. Just a question, Miller has struggled for 4 months. I have noticed that his rankings haven’t changed much so I figured he must be showing promise. I’m definitely rooting for him because we need to continue adding young talent.

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        1. He is still thought of very highly. And you are correct, he may be showing the promise people have expected from him from the time he was drafted. The two dozen games will be a good indicator on his progression and if he has turned the corner.

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    4. I’ve been a severe critic of Taijuan Walker over the years — largely for a salary I haven’t felt he’s earned. But the rotation, with Walker, has moved forward even with Nola on the shelf, Abel being traded, and the wait for Andrew ‘Godot’ Painter not close to fruition.You could say that Walker made the Abel + trade for Duran possible.

      I see no use to factoring Painter into any role on the big team this year. But with Wheeler and Nola fragile and Suarez, Sanchez and Luzardo approaching MLB career IP maxes, having Walker as a 6th starters is invaluable. I never thought I’d be saying that.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. It’s hard to do as fans, but you have to learn to take money out of the equaition. Yes, his salary (and Castellanos’) is hindering us from spending money on other players, but that’s not our problem and it’s totally out of our control. He’s a member of this team, and we have to judge his numbers without money attached to it.

        John Middleton has shown that he will break luxury tax thresholds in order to win. The man is a billionaire. Taijuan Walker taking up approximately 5.5% of the 2025 payroll shouldn’t have any bearing.

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        1. Money will ALWAYS be a part of the equation, especially with luxury tax thresholds. The GM’s job is to assemble the best team within the fiscal constraints as set by the owner.

          But just because somebody is a billionaire, it doesn’t mean that they want money thrown around for nothing. Even the Mets owner realized that throwing crazy money around doesn’t guarantee anything.

          If a player is seriously overpaid on your team, do you really want that player on your team in the future? He’s taking up money that could be deployed elsewhere.

          Castellanos is here now so we’ll root for him. But in the offseason, the Phillies should absolutely look to replace him.

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    1. He topped out at 95 and he even went as low as 93 in the last inning. Thomson did the right thing by pulling him after 5 innings.

      The Phillies leaned on the usual relievers to sweep out the Rangers. I’m not sure who’s going to be available tomorrow. I’m guessing Duran won’t be available, and it’s a near given that David Robertson will make his debut tomorrow for the Phillies.

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  33. Two nice games today. Nice comeback win for the Phillies. Bottom of the lineup came up big today.

    Congrats to the PA softballers. Rocco, I had a feeling game would most likely be a 1-0 final. It was.

    Also great to see the Mets continue to lose. Appears it may be Phillies vs Dodgers for that #2 spot in NL.

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    1. Just when you think the Mets are done, they seem to come to life. These last 45 games will be interesting. Soto has been in a deep slump since the all-star game but have to be wary if and when he breaks out of it.

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  34. The past two games Turner, Schwarber, and Harper have gone a combined 1-21 and the team won both games. I’m kind of glad because it shows the rest of the team has picked them up along with the pitching, of course.

    The starters have done a great job going deep into the games and what can you say about the bullpen. Only problem seems to be “spiderman”. The guy stinks! He gave up a hit today. What’s going on with that?

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    1. I think that 9th inning should make us all smile a little extra. A HBP, a 3-0 sacrifice bunt. A squibbler through the hole. A stolen base. A sac fly for an extra insurance run.

      In sum…. we played baseball. How about that!!

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    2. The part I am having a hard time adjusting too and not used too …… he actually throws strikes! All the Phillies prime relief pitchers keep you on the edge of your seat, never sure if it’s a walk or a K, but the “Tarantula” actually throws strikes!🫣

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      1. I agree. I think Sosa made two or three plays that the wacky, inflatable arms guy would not have.

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    2. I am pretty much on board with this, especially in center and left. If you try to platoon Casty, for better or worse, that will turn into a distraction because he can be such an entitled jerk about his playing time (as if his performance gave him that license).

      Anyway, the biggest thing on Marsh is that we may be seeing a true, large adjustment in how he performs at the plate. I am finally seeing a big strong guy who, has a short swing and can turn on pitches. If that’s for real, he might be able to take a major step forward in his development. There’s a lot of ability in that body.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Castellanos is the poster child for how managers have to be part babysitters and manage egos.

        Marsh is 27 and the Phillies control him for 2 more years. If Marsh wants to get paid, he needs to put it all together and show everybody (including the Phillies) that he’s starter level, maybe even a future AS.

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    1. Though they are leaking oil right now, the Tigers look like a lock to me in the AL-Central. Maybe the Guardians will make it a closer race, but having Skubel, who is just too good for them to go into long slumps

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  37. Its good that we are winning and even better that some of the production appears to be broadening out.

    The Brewers are white hot right now and were the first team to 70 wins. They are a good regular season team but may not be built for the playoffs.

    August generally speaking is not a month for front running teams to be peaking but for a team like the Brew Crew who was pretty much 4-5 games back of the Cubs most of the early season its perfect timing.

    That team the past couple of years in the new playoff format has proven to be very dangerous.

    Could also be the Reds who are getting Green back Wednesday night to face us.

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  38. Here’s my view of the starters:

    • Wheeler – my guess is that he’s easing back in and rebuilding arm-strength and velocity and is not trying to overdo it. If he’s not worried, I”m not worried. Expect innings and pitches to be limited to around 85-95, tops, for the next month or so.
    • Sanchez – nothing to see here – going through the normal peaks and valleys of a season, but he’s become an ace or near-ace. Baseball reference has him #1 in pitchers WAR this year – ahead of Skenes and Skubal.
    • Luzardo – went through a horrible rough spell, but here is on the other side, staying the course. If the price is right, they should sign him this offseason before he gets horribly expensive. If they can pay him like a 3/4 – do it! That’s his downside (if healthy), his upside is a legit #2.
    • Suarez – the velocity declines are real and, short-term it’s not a huge problem, but long-term it’s a big concern and probably why they won’t re-signed him to a long deal. This year is probably it for Ranger as a Phillie, unless he signed a pillow contract, but I’m not seeing that.
    • Nola – if he can be a solid 3/4, I’ll take it.
    • Walker – hopefully, he’s pitched his way into an offseason trade where the team pays little salary and gets a decent prospect or two – frankly, I think he has. In the meantime, his flexibility is very helpful. He’s been the pitcher I had hoped Joe Ross would be (but hasn’t been).
    • Painter – this is his adjustment year. Looking forward to how he does next year.

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  39. Pretty sure Walker wants to start so if a decent deal comes along, I think it’ll be best if he goes elsewhere. He’s been a good soldier so far, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to bounce between starter and bullpen for 2026. Jean Cabrera can be the #1 depth guy at Lehigh.

    Not sure what I want to do with Luzardo. He’s been healthy which is good, but he’s had some crazy ups and downs this season. I think he’s more of a 3/4 pitcher which is fine, so I wouldn’t mind paying him accordingly. I would offer him a 4/70 extension and see if he bites.

    Like

    1. Luzardo….24 starts…12 starts are in the number one or two pitcher category….6 starts are real embarrassing clunkers….and 6 other starts MEH. He is now 46 innings shy of max IP he had two years ago….and he has about 8 more starts to go. So he will be closely watched over these next six weeks of the season.

      Like

  42. Just a comment on Aidan Miller. I did not realize this, though I know he’s young or AA, he has not had a single at bat all season where he is older than the pitcher. Every pitcher he has faced has been older. Do I know how much older? No. But I think that’s important to keep in mind. We’re fortunate where we’re at a place organizationally where we don’t need him immediately on the infield. If his BB/SO ratios and August show his potential, maybe he’ll just need more age/experience to become the star prospect we hope he will be.

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    1. I’m amazed by the stolen bases. Miller is leading the Eastern League in steals with 44. And Carson DeMartini has 42 across A+ and AA this year.

      Like

  43. MILB just released its mid-season top 100 https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/top100/

    10. Painter

    48. Miller

    68. Crawford

    Others:

    54. Tait

    Abel not listed.

    They have Aidan’s tools at Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50

    My take: That is a star. Elite tools. I don’t see him as a 55 hit, but man if he could get that then awesome!

    Crawrford’s tools Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 75 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55

    My take: 55 hit with 75 speed is a star offensive player. 55 hit with his 10% walk rate is like a .280 BA /.375 OB% guy. With his ability to steal bases, that is a star. Honestly that is like Trea Turner with a little less pop.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Puzzled with their assessment of Miller’s run tool of 50. As an infielder it cannot be defensive centered ,,,,,so it has to be on the base paths. Stolen bases has to be considered, along with first-to-third speed. and home-to-first. IMO, he is at least a 55 run.

      Like

    2. Plate discipline is as valuable as virtually any of the tools they list and both have excellent plate discipline.

      On the hit tool, 55 seems to high for Aidan and too low for Crawford. I think Crawford is a bit of a hit tool unicorn. He doesn’t hit the way the way people want him to hit (driving the ball all the time), but he does hit and it works for him.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Intrigued by 4th round pick RHP Sean Youngerman…..ranked 116th by MLB prior to the draft and 18th in the Phillies system, . Could be a sleeper. Some teams get these college arms outside the 2nd or 3rd rounds, like the Brewers, and develop them into solid MLB starters. Time for the Phillies to grab one.

        Liked by 1 person

  46. I guess Thomson is not the only manager who leaves his pitcher out there too long. Francona left Abbott out there in the 8th and the Phillies capitalized. By the 6th inning, Abbott was losing effectiveness.

    Liked by 2 people

  47. Kyle Schwarber is on pace for over 50 homers so I looked up Ryan Howard’s 58 homer year for comparison and Mike Schmidt’s projected 1981 season.

    AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS

    Kyle 585 108 147 24 1 56 130 104 187 .252 .376 .584 .960 (projected)

    Ryan 581 104 182 25 1 58 149 108 181 .313 .425 .659 1.084

    Mike 531 117 168 29 3 47 137 110 107 .316 .435 .644 1.079 (projected)

    These are probably the best 3 slugging seasons I have witnessed by Phillies players.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ryan Howard in his prime was so good. Top 2 hitter every year. Monster power and good batting average. We didn’t appreciate how great he was. Shame about the Achilles.

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        1. I’ve talked about this before, but hard not to imagine what the “Golden Era” would have looked like with Jim Thome there for his 6 year,85 mil contract… the only thing it needed was the DH. Little bittersweet to see it now, considering you had Thome in his Prime, and what turned out to be Howard’s prime years.

          Rollins, Utley, Howard, Thome, Burrell, Werth, Victorino, Ruiz, and plug in who you want for 3B…

          Good luck!

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      3. Absolutely, we didn’t appreciate him enough, took him for granted. His effort to get to 1B when he blew out his Achilles still haunts me.

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    2. Bryce Harper’s 2021 season with a 1.044 OPS wasn’t half bad either. He didn’t hit quite as many home runs, but, from about mid-season on, when he had a 1.188 OPS (!!!!) he was a holy terror at the plate. I was almost surprised when he made an out.

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      1. I really was hoping that when we signed Harper, that he would go on a similar 4-5 year run comparable to Howard’s 2006-2009. I really like Harper just thought he would hit more homers because the power is there.

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    3. Another thing to keep in mind . . .

      Think about how much joy the steroid era is robbing us of right now. Had there been no steroids, Aaron Judge would probably hold the single season MLB homer record right now and we would be wondering if Schwarber (or Cal Raleigh) could take a run at that record and we would be on a daily homer watch for Kyle. Thanks for nothing Bonds, Sosa and McGwire.

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  48. Starting to get a good feeling on latest catching sensation in the org….Anderson Araujo……7 HRs in less than 45 games and an OPS over .950, and slashing .306/.392/.563…..and still just 17- years old. If he continues, he could be a Top 30 guy at this time next season after the next mid-term grading..

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  49. On these games I only get the Reds announcers. Like them I thought some strange things took place in the 8th inning. They mentioned that Abbott had not gone 8 innings at any time this season. But Sosa and Wilson ruined that. Why was he allowed to pitch to Turner and then the RHP brought in for Schwarber. No sense. Should have begun the inning with the reliever. Anyway on the Phillies broadcast could you see if the HR was fair. The only shots they showed it was hard to tell.

    Then Robertson made it through the 8th inning. Still not sure of that move.

    I asked Ruff this during the game as Walker continues to pitch well. If the Phillies maintain this lead in division could we see them go to a 6 man rotation when Nola returns to save a bit on these guys. Lots of innings pitched by the starters.

    Finally at 69-49 Phillies go .500 the rest of the way they get to 91 wins. I am not sure Mets can get to that number. But I can see the Phillies getting to 26-18 in these final 44 games. That is 95. Maybe slightly better. It is going to be hard to catch Brewers but they are in with Dodgers who are getting healthy. I think getting the 2 spot is important if possible.

    v1. and Ruff. Yes Ryan Howard was really good. Albert on MLB Tonight spoke different times on that 2011 season. How the Cards snuck in to the playoffs. He mentioned how they came to Philly for 4 games. Doc, Lee, Hammels, and Happ. Won 3 of 4. We all know how that 2011 season ended. Doc giving up that run in 1st and Ryan getting hurt on final play.

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      1. Rocco. One of the nice things of getting only Reds or Cubs announcers is that I am able to learn things that may not be brought up on the Philly broadcast because it is known in Philly area already.

        Few things I learned last night. Romano ranks in the 99th percentile in release point. Means he is deceiving and ball gets on you quicker than you think He is 6’5″ so that makes along with his stride a shorter distance. I am sure Wheeler is similar.

        Also that the Phillies and Reds are 2 and 3 in scoring runs after the 6th inning since the All Star break. Held true for Phillies again last night.

        One other that I did not know is Phillies have the best record in MLB vs RHP starters 54-29 and one of worst though now 15-20 vs LHP starters after last night.

        I had also never seen a pitcher Kerkering throw out 3 new balls in a row like he did. Of course he threw the one he accepted in the dirt. Ruff said he saw Moyer where the ump just let him look in the ball bag. That is pretty funny.

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        1. “I had also never seen a pitcher Kerkering throw out 3 new balls in a row like he did” Maybe a little gamesmanship of sending the umpire a bad batch of baseballs for the closer 🙂

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  50. Romus – Araujo has the perfect size for a catcher, not too short, not too tall. He has struck out 37 times in 166 PAs. Very good. At the lower levels, the Phillies tend to use their catchers at that position every other game. Tait would catch, then DH. Araujo catches, then plays 1B which shows he’s a better athlete.

    In his prime, Ryan Howard was a beast. Maybe the most feared hitter of his time for a few years. Think what it would have been like if the NL used the DH back then. They didn’t, did they?

    Finally, a mini survey for those who would like to reply: Bohm returns very soon. Who goes down? Wilson or Kemp.

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    1. just an FYI – Eduardo also played some first base and even practiced at third base- the reason he DH’d often when not catching was twofold – to get him off his feet as he caught the majority of the games and also because he is a superior hitter. It has nothing to do with athleticism, Eduardo is very athletic. Anderson is a good prospect who had an outstanding month of July however he’s got a ways to go defensively as a catcher – Eduardo is more advanced and was at the comparable age of 17. That’s not to say I’m not excited about Araujo’s potential but it’s a misstatement to say he’s a better athlete than Eduardo just because he played more first base.

      Steve Potter

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    2. At is point, I keep Wilson and send Kemp down. Wilson is a better defensive player at more positions and is hitting better right now.

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      1. Tend to agree. Seems the pitchers have figured Otto out at this point. Also, appears he is not up there with the confidence he had early on.

        v1. I agree Phillies are best with Bader in CF. But he has to hit some to get the daily position. So far not much in that regard. I asked Ruff in bottom of 8th if both RF and LF changed. Any one wonder why Casty stayed out there. I know he was coming up but Kepler most likely would have seen a RHP. I thought 3 moves were coming and only 2 did. But a win is always a good win.

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    3. ciada…….also Araujo bats righthanded. That is important…..many LHBs struggle mightily with LHPs…..because they do not see them as much. And as they go up the ladder it can be more difficult as the pitching gets better. Araujo should not have that issue vs LHPs. Will see how it goes for him next season….maybe he will be in the states or maybe let him spend some more time in the DSL as an 18-year old..

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  51. So Walker has made himself not a total sunk cost. 2 of 3 years with the Phillies have been average to very slightly above. The cost is still too high for the performance, but he’s not a sunk cost and may even net us a prospect or two this offseason. The question is… would you trade him in the fall if you had to eat half of the salary? Or would you rather keep him for depth if your rotation next year is Wheeler, Sanchez, Nola, Luzardo, and Painter. To me, a couple question marks pop up for all of those pitchers other than Sanchez and possibly Wheeler depending on how he finishes the season. It might be valuable to have Walker here to start the year… who’d have thought?

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    1. With Painter’s struggles this year I don’t think they can go into next season expecting him to be a lock for the rotation. I do think Painter will get there and still expect him to be really good but I would keep Walker as my 5th/6th starter to hedge my bets.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. If I’m Walker and the Phillies are not willing to let me compete for a starter job in ST, I’m asking for a trade.

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        2. I do think he would be competing for a starting job. He would be competing with Painter to see who comes out of ST.

          IF Painter is really strong in ST, then a trade could happen to move Walker but that would leave the Phillies very thin in case of injuries in the rotation.

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    2. Agree you can’t rely on Painter as the 5th, but I’d rather trade Walker and try to find a less expensive 5th starter while you wait for Painter. But it’s crazy we’re even talking about still wanting him around.

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      1. Good luck finding a reliable 5th starter on a 1-year deal. Can certainly find someone coming back from injury/struggles on a prove-it deal but that’s taking a risk. It might work out well or it might fail.

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        1. There will be older free agent pitchers out there. Chris Bassitt for one, will be out there….37-years old, and he may take a one or two year deal in the range of $16/18M AAV.

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          1. $18M is what they are paying Walker. The stated goal was to find a cheaper option.

            Also, why would a FA starter with other options sign with the Phillies if they won’t promise him a starter’s spot. The Phillies goal is to replace this guy with Painter sometime in 2026.

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    3. Yes, in a heartbeat. I know we are in the midst of a playoff push, but a quick glimpse into the future.

      Phils should be at could be below the 244M CBT Thresold, at 233.3mil. To get there, I have them resigning Schwarber @30m, Reamulto @14m (sorry Rocco!), trading Walker & Castellanos eating half the total, and letting Romano, Ross, Kepler, and Ranger walk. Promote – Crawford and he is your OF with Bader & Marsh. Promote Painter, and he’s your 5th with Wheeler, Sanchez, Luzardo, & Nola.

      I don’t expect them to stay there, but it would imo allow them to resign Ranger if they wanted, possibly even trade Luzardo for a different piece. Do they make a run at Tucker? The money is theoretically there, even with Schwarber. Im assuming they don’t but will see. Id be interested in adding Helsley to pen to pair with Duran, Alvarado, Kerkering, and Strahm. Good Luck. Tucker at 35, Helsley at 10…. Theoretically doable as long as Middleton doesnt really mind that CBT tax. Which woudl be another 15mil for him…. Thats a hellva team is Painter & Crawford are for real.

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    1. I have no doubt that Otto Kemp is going down once Bohm is healthy. He won’t have a position to play and his glove at 3B needs work.

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      1. not sure if hes gonna get a lot better there at this point. Hes solid in LF and 2b, so he has value. Im a big fan and think he belongs in the majors but Wilsons big hits lately might mean he has to wait for the next injury

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        1. Dan…..come Nov, …..one of Wilson or Rojas or Kemp more than likely get DFA and Crawford gets added if he is not added before then. Marsh and Casty remain, while Bader and Kepler are free agents….one can be made an offer to return.

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          1. Why would you DFA Kemp? He’s just getting used to the major leagues – and he dominated in AAA. Giving up on him this soon would be nuts.

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            1. No reason to DFA any of them? All three of them have options (I think Wilson has 1 more) and can be sent to AAA if they don’t get a bench spot.

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            2. You can carry a limited number of OFers on the 40…and the DH has made it extremely discerning in putting that number into focus. Will also come down to the catcher 40 number….2 means another OFer or INFer can be saved, three catchers and one less in either category.

              I am a Kemp fan…….and hope he stays put. And the numbers, with Crawford added, is at six OFers (Marsh, Casty, Crawford, Wilson, Rojas and Kemp), assuming both Bader and Kepler are let go. That is a good defensive OF….but questionable for overall offensive production. I do not know what Dombrowski will do, but if there is a veteran RHB OFer in free agency with a bat he may lean on signing him. Will he trust Wilson or Kemp to provide that offense…will he see Rojas progressing. I think he knows what he wants and rather have the veteran MLB player out there.

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            3. Does not matter if they have options come Nov 21….you protect your 40 best, or less if you want to participate in the Rule 5 draft. Option availability is valued during the season.

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    2. I agree Kemp needs to be in a LU everyday and the Phillies did right by him giving him that on his initial call up. Lately though the ABs just aren’t there so back to AAA to work on some things.

      He’s young enough where as WW is the perfect candidate to stash on the bench.

      I don’t think it is giving up on him by any means. Obviously he’ll need to work on his 3B defense but at least they now know he is adequate in LF. I think its always been can the bat play in the MLB.

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  54. PhilPhan – My bad for assuming that Araujo is a better athlete than Tait. I’ve seen neither of them play except for Tait a little bit when guys here post him hitting.

    At the same time according to Baseball Reference Tait has played all of 2 games at first base and that was back in 2023. I hope that both kids turn out to be solid MLB players.

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    1. yes official games that’s true – I align with you in hopes they both reach the majors. In the Dominican they have unofficial games they refer to as the “tricky league” – that’s where Eduardo played quite a bit of third base and some first as well – he’s a legit catcher though and hitter – that’s the focus of his development.

      Steve Potter

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      1. Jim……thinking now the Phillies may not bring up Crawford this year, with Bader’s acquisition. Thus saves a service year start time for next year, and is not Rule 5 eligible come Nov. Is that correct?

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  55. Bader will most likely accept his side of a $20M deal. It’ll be the Phils who decline. They’re not going to pay him $10M although I do think they could negotiate a two year deal for $15M to keep him around. Kemo will not be DFA’d

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    2. would be shocked if Bader accepted his side of the option. He can get a better long-term deal after having a productive season.

      Especially since he has a $1.5m buyout so in his next deal would need to be more than $8.5.

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        1. I might be wrong but Bader is the type of player that won’t see much more than a 1/2 year deal. Much like the one he received this past year.

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      2. I like Bader in CF. But somewhere along the line guys he has to hit some. I knew he was not going to change the offensive side of things much. But he does play a good CF. v1 wants him out there all the time. I think he can be if he figures out a way to contribute some hitting. I am surprised Toppers bats him 6th.

        Anyway the next 2 games will be the lefty platoon most likely. Reds have 2 RHP going next couple games. We will see if he is still out there or on the bench.

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  56. Whoa! There’s a reason why this is Bader’s sixth team in his career. Those early six or so seasons he played for St. Louis are long gone. If someone is willing to give him a 2 year $15M deal, I believe he jumps at it.

    I might be wrong but if I remember, it was back in 2018 that Suarez made his first Phillies start at Great America Ballpark on a Friday night. The Reds roughed him up that night. Here’s to a better outcome.

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    1. I suppose the writer should have taken into consideration that the Twins recent first round draft choices have been two shortstops…Culppeper-’24 and Houston-’25…both out of college…that may be one reason they elected for the catcher vs another shortstop.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Good point. But I think they would probably only do that if they felt it was close. Always take the highest upside prospect unless you think two are similar upside then you can go with position.

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    2. I could easily see a team valuing the 18 year-old Tait above Miller. Not a crazy assessment at all.

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      1. If you think Tait is an MLB catcher with 60 grade power then that is definitely better than a shortstop with a questionable hit tool, who might be a 3rd baseman. It all comes down to if you think Tait can stick at catcher or have to be moved to 1B/DH. But agree. Not crazy at all.

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  58. I think we can stick a big old fork in Ranger. 5.36 era in his last 7 starts. Velocity no bueno, batting practice pitches.

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    1. Looking like Taj used to look… maybe put ranger on a weighted ball program.. bunch of meatballs… hanging some big breaking/off speed up in the zone.. was pretty ugly.. even with the close pitches his “stuff” looked very diminished… get a fresh arm in soon and give him a rest to see if he can gain his velo back for the end push

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      1. Well, I think Ranger’s alleged lack of hard offseason training is catching up with him. I don’t know if this is true (that he comes into ST totally out of shape but I trust those who have seen him), but it would make sense. If you give him a QO and he accepts it, I’m guessing he comes in in the best shape of his life ready to roll next year, although you would have thought he would have done so during this, his contract year.

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  61. Marchan caught Suarez’s last 2 starts resulting in 6 and 5 runs scored. Before that JT caught him and he went 7 innings 4 hits 0 BB 5 Ks with 3 runs all on a home run and the prior game was a 5.2 innings 1 run game. Marchan caught Suarez July 20 and he allowed 6 runs as well.

    So the last 3 games Marchan caught Suarez resulted in 6, 5, 6 runs JT resulted in 3, 1, 3 runs.

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    1. If you look at the numbers from Marchan’s starts behind the plate this year:

      Suarez: 6.86 ERA in 22.1 IP

      Walker: 3.00 ERA in 9 IP

      Sanchez: 2.52 ERA in 39.1 IP

      Luzardo: 8.71 ERA in 9.1 IP

      Abel: 0.82 ERA in 11 IP

      Nola: 7.43 ERA in 20.2 IP

      The reality is the sample sizes are way too small to glean anything from it. Luzardo has a 1 ER in 7 IP outing with Marchan and an 8 ER in 2.1 IP outing with him. Suarez has the recent bad outings and a scoreless 6.1 IP with him. Nola has just been poopy in general.

      I think there are pitchers who obviously prefer to throw to one guys (i.e., Greg Maddux and Eddie Perez). But if Marchan were a true liability, Stubbs would be the backup catcher.

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  62. A catcher calls for a pitch. It may not be the best pitch in a certain situation but it is up to the pitcher to execute the pitch. Suarez is in a rut. That’s where the blame lies. Hopefully, he’ll work his way out of it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m not ready to dump Ranger’s issues on Marchan but your description completely misses the dynamic of the pitcher/catcher relationship and having a catcher that can read swings.

      A good catcher recognizes when a hitter is locked into a pitch/location or when the pitcher doesn’t have a certain pitch working. It;s much more involved than just putting down a finger and catching the ball.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree that the pitcher has to execute and the catcher is not the one pitching. But they do have to work together and sometimes a pitcher works better with a different catcher. And it can work the other way around where a pitcher can do better throwing to Marchan over JT.

        The umpire and defense can also affect this to a point. So there is a lot of factors.

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        1. Ranger’s velo has trended down now…4Smr and 2Smr-sinker:

          2021….93.8….93.04…2022….93.4….92.7….2023….93.4….92.8….2024….92.1…..91….2025….91.4….90.1….

          He seems to be morphing into a Jose Quintana type pitcher going forward. Relying more on finesse and location. Oddly overall this year his ERA and FIP are virtually identical……indicating he is having a good, consistent season, and that the defense isn’t significantly helping or hurting the results but the last few months that may not be the case….since his ERA has really ballooned. For him it will be important to locate his pitches.

          And in three months……assume the Phillies’ will QO him?

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      2. This overstates the impact a catcher can have. It is not about the pitch called as much as the location. Ranger missed his spots and got hit by bad location. Andujar’s homer was on a pitch middle middle. Right in the center of the plate. Horrible location. Catcher would never call for that. His velo is down a lot. Stuff is not as good. It’s that simple.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Basically for Ranger it is a double-whammy….lowering and trickling down velo, and then top it off with poor location. He has about 7/8 more starts to get it together…at least for his next contract.

          Liked by 1 person

  63. Really interesting piece in the Athletic on Fisher, who is from Evansville, Mattingly’s home (and his wife and father’s). Mattingly established a relationship with him early in the draft year, which surely helped talk him into signing (as did Don’s status as a local legend).

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    1. Robin. I am sure the Mattingly connection is very strong. I mentioned that to others prior to the draft. It appeared that the Phillies were the only team that had him rated as high as he was for them. My grandson played against him back in the day and he said he is very good. So let’s hope all works out for everyone. I was really high on 2 Bulls kids. Surprised they were not picked. One is going to Louisville. The other to Wake Forest. Romus. The one to Louisville is the one who had TJ at 14.

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    2. I read it. Good article. Key points:
      – raw multi sport athlete. Kind of a throw back. Now kids specialize in one sport. But they think that means upside.
      – low to mid 90s fastball and good breaking stuff
      – big time competitor. Not just in football but ate innings in HS
      – think he is a #3 type starter who eats innings and competes. But given his work ethic there is upside. Great body to develop from.

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  64. Most pretty much assume that Suarez goes the free agency route. Some predict that the Phillies will give him a QO to get a draft pick.

    If Suarez continues to struggle, will that bring down the possibility of getting the high priced long term contract that he was/is expecting?

    If that be the case, would the Phillies still QO him with the possibility that Suarez takes the one year pillow at about $22M? That’s a pretty big chunk of cash!

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    1. I do believe the Phils will QO him as he is a very good pitcher.

      It will be interesting to see if they transition him into the pen as a set up man for the playoffs. Shorter stints may work very well for him now and he has had success there previously.

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    2. Whoa……$22M for a pitcher on a pillow contract to prove his worth. They will need to make a decision.

      Not sure you are allowed to QO him, and then try to sign him as a free agent at a lower AAV , multi-year contract….they may have to wait until June 15 to do that.

      I’d just let him walk, like they did with Nola and see what he gets offered in the open market place, then if they want make a reasonable LTC offer.

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    3. I would never accuse a player of tanking but Ranger would be better served going into FA without a QO attached to him.

      On the low end he probably commands a 3/$48 deal.

      I see little risk to tagging him

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  65. Zero chance I’m taking the chance on paying Ranger 22M for one year. He has long term disaster written all over him.

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        1. I guess, beyond the 1 year and 20 Million, are the odds that Ranger takes the deal or opts for Free Agency. I think it’s highly likely he does the latter and, if it were me running the show, I’d offer him the QO and take the draft pick. If he calls my bluff, I know I have a pretty good pitcher every 5th day…and that’s kind of a big deal in today’s market.

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        2. that’s a reasonable take…but … I’m willing to bet there is a team out there with an unreasonable FO. Probably at least 2 of them. If Saurez has his typical postseason performance. He’s going to get paid. His stuff maybe down now, but he’s capable of pitching in big games on any stage. He’s got ice his veins as they say. I bet he signs something stupid. The question is… if he performs well in the playoffs, do you trade Luzardo for a piece (maybe a C prospect, 3B, 2B) and resign Saurez to a Nola type deal? Thats a pretty likely scenario in my book.

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          1. There is absolutely no way that Saurez should be re-signed by the Phillies. He doesn’t come into ST in shape, his velocity is declining, and now he’s having back issues.

            I hated the Nola contract the second it was signed. He’s in year 2 of a 7 year deal and now he’ll be lucky to pitch 100 innings this season. He currently has 0 WAR.

            So Nola has none of Suarez’s issues and Nola has been crazy hurt this year and you want to give a 7 year deal to Suarez? Just let Suarez walk.

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            1. in fairness to my point, I wasnt saying I would … just that some team is going to offer him a Nola type deal “if” he has his typical playoff performance. I think they will overlook his regular season issues which seem like they could be due to conditioning. Again, he has to have the playoff success again. Im sure he can talk a good game up for one offseason to get a team to offer big money.

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    2. Agree…let him walk unQOed….with Boras as his agent it will be a strung out negotiation with whomever….plus the draft pick under a QO is really not great….if the team that lost the player -the Phillies in this case- exceeded the CBT threshold in the previous season, they receive a compensation pick after the fourth round of the draft.….so it is a prospect ranked around 140th…the one true benefit is the slot money…which was a little over $500K this year.

      If Boras is not happy with any offering he will have him sit out like he did with Snell and a few other pitchers……then Phillies can sign him on June 15th with their offer.

      Liked by 2 people

  66. Romus, here are the answers to earlier questions. Sorry for the delay.

    Easy answer first. Crawford is Rule 5 eligible after the 2026 season. Calling him up now doesn’t change that. Painter and Kerkering ARE eligible this year. However, Kerkering is on the active roster (and 40-man roster) and cannot be selected while Painter will have to be protected.

    Regarding his service time start, I’m a little less clear on that. I don’t have internet access on my laptop (I’m doing this on my phone) so I don’t have all the resources available that I’m used to. But, here goes. I don’t think 6 weeks this season would affect his service time enough to be of concern since I expect him to be in the outfield at the start of next season. Maybe he gets enough service time to be a Super Two, but that only adds a fourth year of arbitration while decreasing his pre-arb years by one year.

    And finally, I think the decision to not bring Crawford up this season was cemented at the deadline. They added an outfielder without trading one. Unlike many, I don’t think they ever entertained the idea of releasing anyone.

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    1. I agree but I expect Crawford to get a cup of coffee when the rosters expand. If nothing else they want him to come up and get a taste so he is more ready for next year.

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  68. Crawford 4 AB 1 R 2 H 3 RBI 1 K .331

    Bohm 1 HR

    Big Boys in a 2 game hitting funk, JR doing what he does best!

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  69. Don….. pointed out to me that in 27 innings we have failed to score in 25. While we fret about Suarez, it is the bats that fail us the most. Post-game discussion was about the big bats not being able to keep the hitting tempo up.

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  70. Billy Joel wrote/sang in his song “Piano Man” a line that went “when I wore a younger man’s clothes”. Well, back in the mid 80s I was in Florida on vacation from teaching with a couple of friends. We stopped one noon time at an adult dance bar for a beer.

    The DJ started playing a song and a very lovely young lady came out and started to dance around a pole. We were talking when the DJ bellowed out, “She won’t strip if you don’t tip”. Point being: You won’t win if you don’t hit.

    Score a couple of runs early to take some pressure off your pitcher. If the money bats don’t do their jobs and lead the way, it makes it hard on everyone else. And beware: The Mets are waking up. Need 3 of the next 4 in Miami.

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    1. He is on fire right now, we will find o ut this weekend, he can be brought up the 15th or beyond and not lose rookie status or arbitration.

      2-4 tonight with 3 rbi s 37th sb and 27 th double

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  73. it seems pointless to make roster decisions on august 13th. Assuming the Phils make the playoffs, everyone who is screaming in August to lock up Schwarber might be saying let him go if his bat goes cold in October. Everyone now saying Suarez is cooked may say sign him long term if he goes 5-0 in the postseason. Obviously, you need a roster (and especially a pitching staff) that wins enough in the regular season to make the playoffs, but we all know the only thing that really matters is who shows up big (or small) on the way to winning those 11 (or 12) postseason games. Castellanos hit .412 last postseason and Schwarber hit .125, Turner hit .200, Bohm and Marsh each hit .077, Stott hit .182, Realmuto batted .000. Who deserves the huge contract if that happens again in 2025?

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  75. The lousy Phillies game today/night has been exceeded by the Mets- Braves contest which in the bottom of the 6th includes 12 walks, a 9 run inning, and some of the most abominable pitching seen. At this juncture it stands Bravos 11 -6 ; after the Mets led 6-0. It appears to be a saving grace to a miserable Phillies game and another abandonment of our ace, Sanchez. I think they sent the bats out.

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  76. Nothing is more dangerous in sports than a good team that is just happy to be there. The team with all the expectations is always the team under the most pressure.

    Watching the Phillies is like watching a 3.5 hour movie. While the movie is really good 2 hours in you just want to get to the last 15 minutes and see how it ends.

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