Phillies Discussion (1/1/2026)

Other Stuff

Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and have enjoyed the holiday season.

I’ve held off on adding this discussion, hoping to have some new transaction to celebrate.  Even if it was just a decision one way or the other on the Realmuto situation.  But nothing new to talk about and the comments thread is approaching 300.

I have enjoyed all the thoughtful discussion recently on possible signings, trades, lineups, and rotations.  It’s nice to see that almost all suggestions include not only who to get but also how to accommodate them within salary and roster considerations.

I didn’t see any discussion regarding a recent Baseball America article, “How MLB’s Next CBA Could Reshape College Baseball & The Player Development Pipeline“.  It’s behind their paywall.  The most interesting thing to me is in the last paragraph before the rest of the article disappears behind the paywall.  It mentions a couple possibilities I mentioned some time ago, fewer draft rounds and further contraction of the minor leagues.

It is entirely possible that the next CBA sees the draft reduced to as few as ten rounds and that affiliated full season minor league teams are reduced from four to three.

I’m sorry that I have nothing positive to add to the discussions you’ve been having.  The things I have to add would best be described as discussion killers.  I’ve tried to avoid doing that.  For instance, I’ve heard that Baltimore is not interested in trading Rutschman.  I looked at their roster, and they only have two young catchers on their 40-man.  I don’t know if they would be interested in turning full-time catching duties over to Bassallo who hit around .165 last season in 30 games.  But I don’t think Baltimore thought they would receive an offer of an Andrew Painter for Rutschman.  Might be an offer they couldn’t refuse.

The Phillies have been trying to find a trade partner to acquire a catcher.  I had heard of a deal with an AL Central team for a young catcher but that fell through.  The fact that I liked the pieces included probably means it was too good to be true and unlikely to happen.

Based on the Phillies’ attempts last season to acquire Japanese players; I would assume that they are themselves players in the negotiations this season.  However, I’ve heard nothing on pitchers or the Japanese players.

Important Dates – Bold text is used for the dates I’m pretty certain are accurate.  Italics (and a date range) are used for those which I don’t have solid dates.

  • January 15, 2026 (9:00 a.m. ET): Opening of the 2026 international signing period
  • February 11, 2026: Earliest date injured players, pitchers, and catchers may be invited to spring training
  • February 16, 2026: Earliest date all other players may be invited to spring training
  • February 21, 2026: Earliest date players can be required to report to spring training
  • March 26, 2026: Official opening of 2026 season; active rosters reduced to 26 (13 pitchers) by Noon ET
  • July 11, 2026: 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game, Philadelphia PA
  • July 12-13, 2026: MLB First-Year Player Draft, Philadelphia PA (Phillies drop 10 slots)
  • December 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET): MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement expires.

Note: These dates will be used unless/until notified differently.  (Note that there are many more dates to add from Spring Training through the end of the 2026 season and calendar year.  I will add when I have accurate dates for them.)

Transactions

12/26/2025 – Phillies signed FA C Mark Kolozsvary to an MiLB contract
12/22/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP Zach Pop
12/19/2025 – Phillies traded LHP Matt Strahm to Kansas City for RHP Jonathan Bowlan
12/19/2025 – Arizona traded LHP Kyle Backhus to Phillies for CF Avery Owusu-Asiedu
12/18/2025 – Phillies signed free agent RHP Brad Keller.
12/18/2025 – Phillies signed FA RHP MT Morrissey to an MiLB contract
12/18/2025 – RHP MT Morrissey assigned to FCL Phillies

298 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion (1/1/2026)”

  1. Happy New Year! I enjoy the posts and all the discussion.

    In the next 2 – 4 days we should have an answer on a few Japanese players notably Imai and Okomoto.

    Still 2 roster spots open so expect several more transactions.

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  2. Happy New Year Jim.

    “….fewer draft rounds and further contraction of the minor leagues….”

    Yep, I see that as the next step to not drafting kids out of HS, but letting the colleges do the development…..similar to the NFL.

    Now what they do with the Latin 16-year old signing scene remains a mystery. MLB pushes for a draft similar to the Rule 4 with the same bonus slotting….but the Latin MLB players have rejected that in the past.

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    1. Happy New Year to all. Romus never work. Not drafting kids in baseball out of high school. Kids get paid millions in football to attend college. College don’t have revenue to pay those kids. Kids will sue . Claiming they are denied the chance to make money

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        1. i wonder what percentage of players, drafted after tenth round. Ever play in majors. Makes sense if you have less minor league teams, to have fewer rounds.

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          1. rocco….not sure about that, but has to be a pretty low percentage, In the 2025 MLB Draft, which had 615 total selections, approximately 30% of those drafted were high school players.  Just in the first round alone, 19 of the 43 picks were high school athletes-approx 45%. And not sure there will be anymore MiLB team contractions….they are at the bare minimum now, 4 separate levels, plus those at the team’s own complex for additional training or rehabbing. Not sure they will touch the DR academies, that can open up a can of worms on the politically correct scene.

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  3. Happy New Year to all here. Special thanks to Jim for making this available. Hoping everyone has a safe and healthy year in 2026. Hoping the Phillies can make a deep run in October.

    Romus. I was wrong on the Buckeyes. They were totally out of sync the first half. I am concerned about the Hoosiers facing a similar deal today. Having a month off following your last game is just too long. Hopefully something is done to correct this for all teams.

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    1. Don…Happy New Year.

      Agree the long delay hurts the teams. Perhaps start out 1 vs 12…., 2 vs11…., 3 vs 10…. 4, vs 9 all the way down to 6 vs 7 – then reseed after those games are played, and top two seeds get the next week bye and then finally resume with the final four teams.

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  4. Happy new year Jim and everyone. Another fun year of Phillies talk on this blog. Thank you for all that you do to keep this community going.

    Obviously when I make a trade proposal, I have no idea if the other team would do it. It is just pure conjecture to encourage debate and discussion. I try to make them as realistic as possible but I recognize that I am a Phillies fan and thus biased. That said over the decades of being a fan, I have definitely seen a high correlation between the rumor mill and what ends up happening. When the rumor mill cranks up on a team and a player it often (not always) comes to fruition. My take is the anonymous sources are usually the agents spreading the rumors.

    While I have no idea what DD has in mind, I have a strong belief that he is not going to just “run it back.” DD loves to make big splashes and he knows how close this team is. He’s also a very candid assessor of our talent. DD is also very creative. No one saw the Luzardo trade coming but what a massive win it was. DD also loves to buy bounce back candidates, which Luzardo fit perfectly. That’s a quintessential DD trade. I think DD has plenty of ideas up his sleeve that he is working on. And I believe at least one of them will hit. We will know more on Imai by tomorrow. One interesting question is if Imai will get more or less money than Ranger. He is younger by 3 years. Will be a fun next few months.

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  5. Happy new year all! I’m hoping DD makes a move soon because I got the Phillies on the brain, starting to drive me a little nuts 🙂

    I’m thinking today is the day that Imai signs with the team…. so hopefully it’s the Phillies! I know money talks, but I also gotta believe that if you come from the Japan league and you see the way the Phillies fans react. It’s a big step down to go from what he would be used to to say some of these other ballpark, so we’ll see

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        1. Like I said….doubt the Phillies would ever get him. And at 3yrs/$54M, the Phillies could have easily topped that offer…….so tells me Japanese players do not want to play in Philadelphia…..Philllies need to move on and stop wasting their time on pursuing them and make it known publicly.

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          1. To be fair to the Phillies, Imai said he wants to beat the Dodgers and it’d be REALLY hard to beat the Astros pitch of, “we’re literally willing to cheat to make that happen.”

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          2. I saw 3 years, $63M, with an opt-out after each year. Phillies won’t do that. If he pitches well, he’s gone. If he sucks or gets hurt, or both, the team is stuck with him.

            That said, the Phillies could have easily gotten him, even if they are not a prime destination for Japanese talent. 3 years, $90M, or something like that, with no opt outs, would have gotten it done, I would guess.

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            1. In fairness to every team that didnt sign Imai… it’s pretty BS imho to get an opt out every year. I can see why they didn’t match that offer. As I was speculating it only makes sense to really bring him in if you can trade a SP. If the Phillies signed this contract they assume all the risk. Imai could stink and have another Walker on their hands… or they make room for him by trading a SP… then he bolts. Not worth it. Surprised NY didnt get him or LA… The Astros, a bit of a surprise…

              “If” they did get him.. was thinking Luzardo to AZ for Marte could be a good starting convo… or revisit the Steven Kwan trade rumors. Kwan at 8.5m for 1 year and Marte is basically 20mil a year.

              Well … im not a fan of 2026 so far!

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          3. For me, the best chance of the Phillies signing a Japanese player was Murakami, but when the Phillies re-signed Schwarber, that was out the window.

            The Phillies don’t really need starter help, so i didn’t think the Phillies really wanted Imai. With Bohm still on the roster and Miller waiting, the Phillies going after Okamoto didn’t make sense.

            This year, the Japanese players were at positions that the Phillies don’t really have a need. I think they could have signed one if they really wanted to.

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            1. The Phillies are reported as the only current MLB team that has never signed a player from a Japanese professional league (NPB), through the posting system. While some other teams have historically been less involved in the Japanese market, all MLB franchises have had at least one Japanese player on their roster at some point. 

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  6. Jim, I was thinking about the CBA and how it impacts the moves for this season. My guess is that the new rules will benefit middle of the road teams vs the big spenders & we should probably be sold teams. Shrinking the draft, im thinking that hurts the small market teams more than team like the Phillies. The Dodgers for instance will clean up on the undrafted players. Unless they lock out the Big market teams for a few rounds, I can see that benefiting the small market teams.

    Going to interesting.. just looking to see what they do with Payroll restrictions

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  8. To me, it will be a BIG miss if the Phillies leave this offseason without signing/extending one starting pitcher. For reasons that confuse me, people here seriously overlook Luzardo or view him to be average. He is not average and still has enormous upside. Luzardo is pretty much the perfect extension candidate. Why? Well, glad you asked. First, he is young – going into his year-28 season. For a guy who hasn’t thrown too many innings which means he has a fresh arm and projects to throw well and hard well into his 30s. Second, he throws freaking hard (97, 98) and has grade A stuff. Third, he has already shown how valuable he can be. Even in a year where he had a bizarre stretch where he gave up 20 runs over 2 consecutive starts, he still had an ERA under 4, was dominant in the playoffs, and was a 3.9 WAR pitcher. If you want to know how good that is, just remember that, on the other side of the ball, neither Harper, nor Schwarber, nor Realmuto, played to a 3.9 WAR. Yes, WAR has its limitations, but even when he was not entirely at his best, Luzardo was, on the whole, freaking awesome. Fourth, those missteps and his lack of a long track record, means that, right this moment, a long term or even medium term contract should be affordable. If they don’t sign him NOW and wait until he has a near Cy Young season next year (which is very possible), he’ll probably be too expensive with their other contracts. So if you’re looking for a pitcher to sign to a long-term contact right now – the guy want is Luzardo. That people are not seeing this is a little mystifying to me but, to my mind, if you can get him at an affordable rate you do it asap.

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    1. Old Catch/ – speaking for me, I do like Luzardo. I would extend him, if you don’t trade him to strengthen then team overall. I mentioned dealing him because he is desirable and has a healthy 12mil salary, not 25mil+. It would stink to lose him, but if you were to replace him with another SP, you can then theoretically use him as a trade chip to strengthen the lineup. The lineup needs it imo. Too many times in the playoffs it felt like the lineup had to turnover to Turner/Schwarer/Harper to have a chance at scoring. They need hitters, trading Luzardo + signing an equivalent arm is one potential way to do that. The money has to work too, so … Luzardo it is.

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      1. The trading of Luzardo is crazy. Good left hand starters are so hard to find. Imo even with this lineup. Having Luzardo, wheeler, Sanchez. Makes you a contender. If Painter is pretty good this team will be real good.

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  9. Over the holidays, I went to the Dominican Republic with my family. While there, we went to a Toros game against the Gigantes.

    First, the game was electric. The crowd was awesome. High energy the entire game. They had a drum section in the stands and it was so fun.

    Johan Rojas plays for the Gigantes and he had a great game. Hit a homerun. Bryan De La Cruz (who is in the Phillies minor leagues) plays for the Toros. He was the MVP of the Dominican League.

    One thing that surprised me while watching the game was that the pitching was several levels below MLB quality. Reminded me of watching the pitching at Lakewood. A lot of upper 80s. Not great command. No really explosive, elite stuff. It’s a totally different (much lower) level of competition. So keep that in mind when you look at stats from the winter leagues. That said, if you love the game of baseball, it is a very fun experience.

    https://x.com/PhilsTailgate/status/2006205680206684639?s=20

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    1. Sounded like you and the family had a great time , and I am sure great weather….beach weather perhaps.

      Can understand pitching may not be high caliber. if anything it keeps the position players in baseball shape and keeps their timing at the plate relatively current.

      I say this every year now for the last three….but maybe Rojas has developed into a above average MLB bat.

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    3. It’s great that you had a good time at the Dominican game however I don’t think it completely accurate to judge a league’s caliber of play on one occurrence. Within the industry the Dominican League is considered the higher level of play for winter ball – comparable to AAA early season play while Venezuela, Mexico and Puerto Rico generally grade at high AA to low AAA and Australia is considered high A to low AA comparable. They are winter leagues so in general it’s intentional that pitcher’s velocities are down however there are fellas who will ramp up into the nineties or closer to their summer league velocity as the season progresses. 

      Games are televised and can be watched with subscription – I do that and report daily accordingly from box scores and notes I take. As you stated the contests are very competitive as teams sincerely try to win and advance to the playoffs and then the Caribbean Series. Johan Rojas was even reprimanded for comments he made about another organization in the heat of battle and was forced to issue a public apology. The guys take the games very seriously as do the fans – I’ve had players tell me that they truly enjoy the experience as compared to stateside minor league ball where the outcome of games isn’t necessarily the primary focus. They play baseball to win in the winter leagues – not about player development – guys get sent home if they don’t perform. 

      So long story short – while it’s true that you’re not seeing top velocities from hurlers it’s also true that they will spin the baseball like crazy to compensate to record outs.  It’s fun to watch with everything considered and also scouted well – many of the off season signings are based on winter league play including some of the Phillies minor league free agents this off season. 

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        1. yes – akin to most any other league – there are fellas that let it fly though – Aneurys Zabala comes to mind – rubber arm that sits mid nineties and hits upper nineties – Jimmy Cordero is another one – all of the Phillies off season minor league signings that pitched winter ball are big arm guys (mid to upper nineties) – Lenny Torres, Jonathan Hernandez and Genesis Cabrera.

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  10. Last winter Rojas played in the Dominican winter league and had an OPS of .771. This winter he again played in the Dominican winter league and had an OPS of .772. He’s improving!! 😉

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    2. this is why im expecting more out of Rojas, than being a defensive replacement. He could turn it on, but I would think that has to happen somewhere else. The Phillies might not even need a defensive replacement anymore. Will see.

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  11. I feel like I’m among the very few who still like Rojas. Unlike the vast majority of Phillies prospects I think he was rushed to the big team at least a year too soon. Water over the dam but if he had finished his year in AA and played a year in AAA I think he would be significantly better by now. I don’t think he was ever considered a “star” hitter in the minors, to skip a year and a half of development certainly didn’t help. He does have elite speed and defense – most contenders seen to be able to carry a weak hitter with plus defense at a premium position……of course if he would only learn to bunt

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    1. Your last line was what did it for me. I was optimistic last spring that maybe Rojas would turn the corner a little bit offensively. And by that, I mean bunting a lot more. When he showed early in the 2025 season that he still wasn’t very good at bunting, that’s when I soured on him. If he can just be a pest at the plate, he would have a spot on this team.

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  12. It’s perplexing to me that a ball player with his athleticism either can’t or won’t learn to bunt. It seems improbable that he can’t – with literally thousands of repetitions and the best coaches in the world I think any athlete should be able to improve. Unfortunately that leaves the thought that maybe he won’t or doesn’t want to…..that would be another story

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    1. Rojas will turn 26 in the middle of this season…….I suppose what you see now is what you get. He chances of ever being a regular OFer may have passed. He does provide defensive OF depth as a 4th OFer, and can steal you a base.

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    2. my notes on Johan – even Mr D admitted they attempted to make him something he’s not – a lot of internal Phillies correspondence on this …

      “simply put he’s an outstanding defensive outfielder – reads and jumps are pristine, range is wide and tracking is top drawer – that’s been evident since the first day I saw him play on the backfields in 2019 Gulf Coast League action, he’s also got a howitzer for an arm. It’s the offensive contribution that has been the concern, at the big league level attempts have been made to shorten the swing, take pitches, work counts, bunt for hits and hit line drives and hard grounders in the holes, utilizing speed as an asset – sounds like what Justin Crawford already is. The issue with Johan is that just isn’t his game – he’s always been an aggressive hitter who swings full, sometimes even long – he generally makes contact, lacks sometimes in plate discipline although has outstanding eye/hand coordination, hits pitches that others may not because of that. When struggling he lacks patience in approach. At his best he plays with an unbridled passion and flare, brings an energy to the field just with his presence, to me that’s a great thing to have on any team. We’ve said all along that he can be a special player if can put it all together, felt that the first time I saw him play in the GCL at the complex and had our initial chat – very pleasant and likable young man. I still believe he can be very productive in the show but it can’t be in a mold that’s not his. In 2023 at Reading he put up the type of numbers I believe he’s capable of approaching – .306/.361/.484 slash line with an .845 OPS in 354 plate appearances with 20 doubles, 5 triples, 9 home runs, 45 RBIs, 24 walks, 59 strikeouts and 30 stolen bases – was called to the majors on 7/14 that season. The Reading hitting coach at the time was Tyler Henson – he told me then “when Johan started to go good at Reading it wasn’t about the swing, it was the routine and the work that he did that made him feel comfortable, he got in the box and it was about executing the plan. The quality of his at bats got better and better as the year went on.” I firmly believe that for a plan to come to fruition both the player and coaches need to adapt – Johan is capable of hitting in the majors but it has to be closer to his own accord/makeup – a comparison is Victor Robles who didn’t truly discover his stroke till he left Washington for Seattle – it might take a similar path to a new beginning and rediscovery elsewhere for Johan to blossom – just sayin. He’s now playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic for the Gigantes del Cibao.”

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    1. rocco…..in Jan 1920, $100,000 in cash (plus a $300,000 loan for Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, using Fenway Park as collateral), hah…the deal launched the Yankees dynasty, ended the Red Sox’s championship hopes for decades —thus the Curse of the Bambino….they finally broke an 86-year drought in ’04

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  14. And in 1930 Ruth wanted a salary of $80,000 to play for the Yankees. When he was told that was more than President Hoover was paid, Ruth replied, “What the hell does Hoover have to do with it? Besides I had a better year than he did”.

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  16. Latest Ranger rumored news:

    “The Orioles, Giants, Mets and Cubs are among teams linked to Suárez,” Jon Heyman wrote. “He has elite command — he was judged having the best command in MLB and above-average location with six different pitches — but he hasn’t logged the enormous number of innings of Valdez.”

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  17. Moffo – I was born exactly 2 decades later. Maybe that’s why I am a Phillies die hard. Wasn’t that the year of the Whiz Kids?

    Always marveled how Jim Kostanty was a relief pitcher all year and then beat the Phillies (I think) in 2 STARTS in the WS.

    Who was the Tigers CF who started at SS versus the Cardinals in the WS after playing outfield all year? Was it Mickie something?

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  18. Yes, my bad. Kostanty was the Phillies closer who stated and lost twice to the Yankees in the 1950 WS. Moffo is correct. It’s old age. And the Mickey I am thinking of is Mickey Stanley.

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    1. interesting.. that’s going to add more fuel to our Bichette rumors.

      what is going on in Toronto… they aren’t acting like a small to mid market team anymore

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      1. Even though now was the perfect time for the Blue Jays to capitalize on their success by spending money, it’s still jarring to see them actually do it. I’m interested to see what Okamoto’s contract will be, considering that Boras is his agent.

        This likely takes the Blue Jays out of the running for Bichette and Tucker, unless they are willing to sign a short term deal.

        I believe the Phillies are not interested in signing any mega deals right now, so if Bichette wants to come to Philadelphia, it’ll be on a short term deal.

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      2. They surely acted like one….but Toronto is rated a large market….they get no Competitive Balance Round A or Round B picks…their TV market is huge.

        So maybe now they are flexing their muscles…..maybe new ownership.

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        1. The Blue Jays, Rogers Centre (the stadium), and Sportsnet (the entity that broadcasts Blue Jays games) are solely owned by Rogers Communications, a publicly traded company. They have money galore, but as a publicly traded company, they still have to answer to shareholders i.e. keep costs down. But after this postseason run, the money came flowing in like water and I’m assuming that Rogers is trying to keep the taps open for as long as possible (within reason).

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  20. Heyman reports Phillies are interested in Bichette. I’m sure this is all done by the Phillies to pressure JT. But at this point, I’d roll with Stubbs/Marchan/Heim(?) if it means we can have Bo Bichette somewhere in our infield.

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  21. yeah,”day dream believer”? Beckett? Bryce Harper’s would be Livid with Stott not the Second Baseman. Can You Bite the Bullett for 1 Year to Clear salary next year with Castellanos and Walker with other decisions; giving time to adjust salary to Accomodate Bichette at 28. Get under that big Salary Cap they are up against now.

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    2. What is hard to gauge is how much of a deterrent the CBA penalties are. I’d have to assume they are, since even the dodger wanted to reset them. Then they found the deferred money loophole. I thought they would’ve sone it this year, but it now looks like 2026, when Wheeler’s 42 million comes off the books. Hard to guage since we don’t really know that the budget is,

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  22. What do we think, Bichette rumors true or just trying to add the Phillies name to drive up the price? More importantly, what position….3B or LF? Soft spot for Stott and his defense makes him above average in my mind and maybe his bat can go back to the 2023 levels?

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  23. I loved to know, what Realmuto is asking for . I don’t believe rumors on us signing Bichette. Middleton won’t spend that kind of money that it would take to sign him.

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      1. Im speculating, but I would think Realmuto would look at a 2 year offer, really more like a 1 to 1.5 year deal due to the upcoming CBA negotiations. He probably wants the 3 year deal so he is essentially not right back in the FA market. This is assuming the CBA negotiations will cancel half the season… possibly the entire season.

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        1. That is good speculation. Owners appear to be ready to lock players out if MLBPA does not show some grace when it comes to certain agenda items.

          JT may not be the only player looking at that possibility, especially older players who are looking at 3 year or less contract lengths.

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          1. It’s a near certainty that owners will lock out players and games will be lost in the 2027 season. If you’re a small market owner, why wouldn’t you lock out the players? Just look at the Brewers: best record this past season and there’s talk about trading Freddie Peralta who’s coming off a 5.5 WAR season? And in the meantime, the Blue Jays give Cease $210M, Schwarber gets $150M, and the Dodgers give Edwin Diaz $69M. The Brewers can’t afford to extend Peralta who’s making $8M in his final year before FA. The difference between the haves and have-nots in baseball is ridiculous and needs to change for the betterment of the game.

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  24. Happy New Year Jim and fellow Phillies nerds. Still the best forum hands down for all things Phillies baseball.

    My expectations are low so a slow market could be in our favor. I still think we are the team to beat for the NL East. Still a playoff team at the very least and some excitement around a few key prospects. What more could I ask for?

    Painter and Crawford will make their MLB debut’s. Miller who I am still a bit suspect on but also really intrigued by has me excited for the season.

    Escobar who I was really high on came into his age 20 season with a blaze of glory at CLW faded a bit at JS then in a very small SSS struggled in REA. He will compete as a 21 Y/O in REA to start. I’ll be watching him closely.

    And then there is Wood who if things go as projected could be in town sometime in 2027. I expect Wood to see a number of levels this year. 3 is my prediction which would put him in REA to finish the season.

    And for good measure let’s throw Nori in there as well who also played at 3 levels last season plus a fine showing in the AZFL.

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    1. Nori is the guy I’ll be keeping an eye the most. He really only has 139 minor league games under his belt and has tremendous speed, walks as much as he strikes out, and I believe he plays a pretty good CF. He was challenged as a 20-year old in Double-A, and I’m hopeful he can make the adjustments necessary.

      Maybe him and Crawford seem redundant in the same outfield one day, but I wouldn’t care and would love to see them both roaming the same outfield and being nothing but pests at the plate and on the basepaths.

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  27. Happy 2026.

    Agree with the sentiment that JT is holding out for a ‘3rd Year’. That’s unfortunate. Very good player, now on decline, not worth a 3rd Year @ $13m+.

    The challenge is who to replace? JT’s defense / staff management is his selling point. Don’t see Marchan or Stubbs providing that level of competence.

    Does Dave go ‘in’ for Bichette, with the hope of finding an everyday catcher in the mold of an Austin Hedges – aka light on bat, but solid behind plate?

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  28. I think this JT fixation is a bit overdone. JT is still a good defensive catcher and he really is good at calling a game. He is no longer a good offensive player and his offense threatens to be bad in the near future. So I’m perfectly fine with getting another strong defensive catcher and going from there and replacing the offense with another FA.

    By the way, while I’m at it, while I understand the Garcia signing and letting Bader go, I think, it will end up being a mistake. I could easily be wrong, but I really got the sense that Bader had figured something out and could be a 4 WAR player for the next few years. It reminds me of Daniel Murphy. He went on a real hot streak during the 2015 postseason and the Mets figured that’s all it was – a hot streak – and let him walk. It turns out they were wrong and he was a superb player for the Nationals – a holy terror at the plate – for the next few years in his early 30s. I have a sneaking suspicion Bader turned a corner as well and I just think he meshed perfectly with the team and city. I’ll be sad to see him go. Now I just have to hope Garcia has a bounce back year (how did that go with Kepler, Merrifield, Michael Young and McCutcheon? Not too well, eh?) – I’m not that optimistic but unlike Castellanos, at least he’s a good fielder.

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    1. my only hesitation from moving on from Realmuto is his pitch calling. Wheeler & Him have had one of the greatest postseason runs in the history of baseball… kind of hard to mess with that. That said. I believe the lineup is much deeper in the playoffs with Bichette & a Revatalized Garcia. Could be a really tough 5 outs. I’d be very okay trading Bohm to make that happen, and at worse plugging in Sosa at 3B. Hopefuly that offense would be enough to overcome whatever edge JT brings to the pitch selection

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    2. Looking at Daniel Murphy’s past history, there was no indication that he was capable of posting 4.7 WAR at age 31 and 3.2 WAR at age 32. His OPS jumped to over .900 when his career OPS at the time was under .800. Obviously the Nationals reaped the benefits but after those 2 years, at age 33, he was finished.

      Bader’s career WAR is enhanced by his near GG defense (which hasn’t diminished) so he can get away with an under .800 OPS. He had a career OPS high at age 31 and while he could continue that OPS at age 32, I wouldn’t want to give him a 3/48 deal to find that out.

      The Phillies have Crawford and he needs an opportunity. Not only that, the Phillies need to save money somewhere. Losing Bader will likely hurt in the short term but giving Crawford CF is fine with me. The Phillies need to see what Crawford can do.

      Like

      1. Also have to wonder if Murphy had a little bit of chemical help for a couple of seasons. he went from a .750 OPS guy to a .950 OPS guy for 2 years as his power numbers exploded and then returned to baseline.

        Not something you see happen.

        Like

        1. You never know, but not something that seems highly likely in the era of heavy testing. It’s one thing to suspect Richard Hidalgo and the rest of the Astros pharmacy department of cheating in 1999, and it’s a very difficult thing to suspect Daniel Murphy of doing the same in 2015 when everyone was getting drug tested. Maybe he just figured it out. It happens and without any further proof it’s not really fair to accuse him of this.

          Like

      2. The thing that was strange about Bader was that his splits against lefties were pretty bad. That said I would have rather of had Bader at 1 year $10 than Garcia but Bader had good reason to think he could do better than that.

        So far though he is still out there but a few rumors popped up that the White Sox are giving him 2/$30.

        Like

        1. I’ll be disappointed if Bader is signed for 2/$30 and the Phillies didn’t bite and chose Garcia instead who I think is likely to be another one-year miss for this organization rather than the last missing puzzle piece. Between his positional flexibility, excellent fielding, great mojo/fit, and, perhaps, finally getting over the hump on offense, I believe Bader would have been the perfect fit in an outfield where there are very few, if any, sure things. I guess we’ll see.

          Like

  29. I don’t think Bichette signs to play 3B and I also don’t think the Phillies trade Stott so how do those things resolve themselves IDK. I honestly don’t believe the Phillies are in on Bichette. I guess we’ll see.

    I’ve been wrong plenty of times before.

    Like

    1. Unless the remaining FAs are willing to sign a short term deal, I don’t think they are coming to Philadelphia. Whether people here like it or not, I think the roster has mostly been settled aside from Realmuto’s waiting game.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. DMAR…I am still with your idea on signing Jonah Heim…… he battled a compressed nerve in his throwing hand and naturally experienced a performance dip after a strong 2023. Despite a strong 2023 All-Star year, lingering wrist issues and a tough 2024 led to his release as the Rangers looked …if his wrist issues are healed why not bring him on on a pillow contract or a low AAV two0year contract…..he is a Gold Glove catcher.

      Like

  30. From MLBTR Chat:

    Why has Jonah Heim gotten no attention?  Has he fallen off that badly?

    Steve Adams

    He’s been terrible for two seasons and is probably the third- or fourth-best catcher on the market at the moment. Have to imagine he’s waiting on Realmuto and Caratini to sign.Heim probably gets a big league deal, but if you told me he had to settle for a minor league contract/NRI, I wouldn’t be stunned. He’s batted .217/.269/.334 over his past 925 MLB plate appearances, and his once-elite defensive grades have cratered.That’s not going to be a priority for any club.

    OUCH!

    Like

    1. Ouch is right haha! With all that said we really just need him to kind of compete with Marchan. Marchan offensively is never going to put up JT numbers in his prime but if he is getting almost regular playing time I believe he is far better than the numbers he put up last season in a limited role.

      I guess we’ll see who blinks first.

      Like

      1. The question with Heim is his right wrist……if it is degenerative, then looks like that is not an option, but if they get a medical report and it is healed and well and he can also swing a bat without pain, then the possibility exists.

        Like

            1. That velocity is fine if his out pitches are wicked breaking balls. I’m willing to see how this plays out. In a worst case scenario he just gets offered back to his old team with a small payout. Very little risk and possibly a decent reward. I love Rule 5 picks.

              Liked by 1 person

  32. I know the talk has been about Bo Bichette and JT Realmuto. But (maybe out of boredom) I’ve circled back to Eugenio Suarez. If his price tag is 3/$69M and we can do without JT and Bohm, we’d probably end up saving some money for 2026. And he would give us a thumper behind Harper.

    Turner-Schwarber-Harper-Suarez-Marsh-Garcia-Stott-Marchan-Crawford

    I don’t know…like I said, this might be out of boredom. But I like the idea of adding a power threat on a short term deal.

    Like

    1. From a Ranger to a Eugenio…..the Phillies and Dave D like to trade with the Angels, maybe they can use a third baseman like Alec Bohm. That would open the door over there for a power bat.

      Like

  33. Romus. Seeing that the Phillies will have a connection to the IU vs Oregon game. Schwarber is going to be one of the honorary captains. Hope he brings good luck. This will be a very challenging game.

    Like

      1. Good point Romus. I thought the same. Should be a really good game but sometimes one gets a couple breaks early and the game gets away. Never know. Oregon has lots of good players. Best Nike can buy.

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  34. Im sure the MLB/MLBPA wouldnt do this… but they really need to change up the offseason. The big players really should be off the board. I get negotiations but … damn … come on now. Plenty of solutions for this…instead of letting all these players float around the abyss. Pitchers and catchers report in less than 60 days. Big name players signing in Spring training is garbage for the fans imo.

    Like

    1. Other than that you’d love to see the team’s roster set early so you can dream on the season and that this is annoying, how does this affect anything? The players who want to play in fact are ready to play by opening day, so it really doesn’t affect the season. Teams are careful and want to assess the market place before they throw millions and millions of dollars at players. I totally get that.

      I think the timing is a non-issue, but that’s just me.

      Like

    2. Maybe I’m a sadist but I like the drama of these strung out negotiations LOL

      ST is so long and ultimately boring after the first couple of weeks these things add a layer of intrigue for me.

      Like

      1. DMAR…agree. After the St Patty’s day game it is all downhill from there….though MLB tries to generate more interest with that prospects game. This year we get to see Nori, Escobar and Miller again, and maybe Wood for an inning.

        Liked by 1 person

    3. I agree with Catch. Relative non-issue for the fans. Starters don’t play full games in ST anyway. (I’m more pissed at the WBC being held during ST.)

      Free agency dragging on is only a minor bookkeeping annoyance for me.

      However, don’t some of the other major sports have free agency windows? I don’t pay close attention, but doesn’t basketball have a flurry of free agent signings during a defined free agent period?

      Like

  36. The Phillies Show crew thinks there’s a stalemate over the length of JT’s contract and DD is duty-bound to explore what else they can do with the $23 million they paid him last year, before the music stops and everybody sits down, leaving the Phillies standing alone. But they also pointed out that JT signed relatively late last time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve heard they have agreed on the length, much to the chagrin of many of us here, but can’t agree on the salary. They’re probably pretty far apart. By far apart, I mean $5, 6, 7M per year. If it was $1 or 2M, they could probably bridge that gap even if the Phillies had to eat the difference, which they probably would.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. And by chagrin, I mean that most here hoped for a one-year deal maybe one-year with an option. Certainly no one wants to see a 3, 4, or more year deal. So, if DD gets away with 3 is that a win? Not if Realmuto gets the salary he’s holding out for.

        Also, based on media coverage where I see no one else interested in JT, it seems the Phillies only have to outbid themselves. I’d hold fast at 2/25 and let him think he’s won at 2/30. To heck with that third year. But if that failed, we’d probably be looking at another big contract in the infield and a relative hole behind the plate. (FWIW, I wouldn’t mind rolling the dice with Marchan and a cheap, solid defensive, free agent catcher.)

        Like

        1. I agree with you on JT, Jim. I also like Marchan a lot and believe he’ll hit more if he’s playing more than once every 8 or 9 days.

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          1. That may be part of it. But he’s clearly the best available. He just has an anticipated short shelf life.

            After the last lockout, didn’t MLB and MLBPA finally agree to pro-rated salaries or the season? Unless they lose a whole year, players will still get paid.

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    1. Stubbs ($925M split contract) and Marchan $860M) signed a couple weeks ago.

      Per Paul Casella via Mark Feinsand, Duran ($7.5M), Luzardo ($11M), Bohm ($10.2M), Banks ($1.2M), Stott ($5.9M), Marsh ($5.2M), and Sosa ($4.4M) have signed today.

      Salary figures for Marsh and Sosa came from Charlotte Varnes (the Athletic). Stott came from Robert Murray (MLB Insider).

      Like

        1. Yes. At least one pitcher on the active roster is here already. As I recall, a bunch of players have been here during past phantasy camps which starts in a couple weeks this year.

          Liked by 1 person

    1. My view is this meeting doesn’t get scheduled unless the Phillies have already agreed to match his number. No other reason to meet.

      A lot of news out there that if they sign Bo, they need to move Bohm and can’t resign JT. That is all likely true unless they get someone to take Casty by attaching a prospect. I honestly think that is in play.

      Like

  39. Here’s a real-world problem for some players.

    The Phillies have 2 players on their active roster who live in Venezuela (Alvarado and Marchan). They have 2 more on the 40-man roster (Cabrera and Chace).

    They have another 25 Venezuelan players currently on stateside rosters, most notably Aroon Escobar. They have 22 more on the two DSL squads.

    I admit that I don’t watch the news much, but I’m aware of the stuff going on in Venezuela. How might this impact these players as they try to report to the states for ST?

    The US doesn’t have an embassy in Venezuela, so it might be difficult getting the proper documentation to travel to the US for baseball.

    As a reference, Simon Muzziotti lost time when he couldn’t get back to Clearwater after COVID. The problem then was on the Venezuelan side of the process. Venezuelan procedures are probably more screwed up now than they were then.

    Just sayin’.

    Like

    1. My neighbors kid was playing on Marchan team He got out . Haven’t seen I’m yet, but Mom told me

      Like

    2. I think the number of Venezuelan players in the MLB last year was 63. Which includes star-caliber players such as Jackson Chourio.

      A lot of them have been trying to get stateside since the military operation. And I’ll keep politics out of it, but I hope that’s the biggest of their worries. Because a sudden upheaval of a country’s government can lead to a lot worse problems than travel issues.

      Like

  40. Regarding Alvarado: He is usually an early report. He reported early the last WBC year in 2023. He was throwing full velo in January then. When he reported back in Clearwater, he continued working out for the upcoming season. Then he ended up on the IL twice with elbow inflammation. Missed time from May 10th thru June 9th and July 9th thru August 21st. He had 21 fewer appearances than his average from full seasons in 2021, 2022, and 2024. He pitched fewer innings than his average over the same three years. However, he did post a career low 1.74 ERA in 2023.

    Still, those missed two months are one pf the reasons I hate the WBC.

    Like

  41. So if the Phillies can sign Bichette, which seems like a 50/50 proposal from the internet sages right now……There is another domino to follow and most likely involves Bohm, so someone leaked out that arbitration was a bit bumpy this year. Whether that is true or not, guess we will find out soon enough. There are some rumors about the Pirates needing a 3B……so Bohm to the Pirates for Henry Davis. Reading the pirates blogs/post, Davis is getting the Moniak treatment in Pitt and maybe a fresh start is exactly what he needs as well. RH hitting catcher that could play a corner OF position in a pinch, maybe we could unlock his 1.1 potential that the Pirates seem not to trust and have enough catcher depth to be willing to part with. There is no substance to this rumor…..just a thought…..

    Like

    1. Henry Davis is a creative thought, but honestly, his value is way below Bohm’s value. Davis is a throw in. His performance is abysmal through his entire career. he has a career .181 batting average. that is not going to play here.

      Bohm is a legitimate top 15 MLB 3rd baseman. He is not a star by any means, but he is definitely a starting caliber player. Davis looks like a backup after 3 MLB seasons.

      I still believe the plan is to use Bohm as bait to take most of Casty’s contract. I still think attaching a prospect is in play as an option to move off Casty’s contract. Who here wouldn’t trade Bohm + 75% of Casty’s contract + Nori for Bo Bichette? Personally, I would attach more prospects than just Nori for that deal.

      Like

      1. I agree….Davis alone would not be enough of a return for Bohm. Just just looking at some possible rumors and destinations and think he would be a interesting fit.

        I like the idea of dumping Casty’s contract and tying a prospect to the deal to push it through. I would be hesitant to use Nori to facilitate that deal, especially with how he finished last season. I have no direct knowledge, just internet blurbs, but the feeling I get is the Phillies trust him as a long term solution in CF than Crawford. Again, just my feeling and others could definitely prove me wrong/ say otherwise just kind of the vibe I am picking up.

        Like

      2. Pittsburgh sounds like a match for this plan… hopefully they would be willing to to take on all of Casty’s contract

        Like

    2. I agree that if Bichette is signed, the most likely guy to leave would/should be Bohm (he’s okay and nothing more) – they need to clear the path for Miller and reduce salary, which is huge with the tax added. Stott should be able to hold down that position for a year and do his thing at the bottom of the line-up.

      Like

  42. FWIW, Jon Heyman has now said the Phillies are the #1 landing spot for Bichette. We know he’s a puppet but I REALLY hope he’s right.

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    1. I doubt that he gets on the plane for an in person meeting unless the Phillies have already given him a number that he would accept. The agent would be an idiot to allow that to happen without already agreeing on a number.

      Like

        1. Yes, but we had Harper coming in and Machado also had other visits planned. Neither is the case with Bo.

          You have to ask yourself, why did they plan a Monday meeting? Why not get on a plane that day? Imo the reason is two-fold:
          1. Phillies – To give JT a deadline
          2. Bo – To give other teams a deadline to match the Phillies number.

          Like

    2. Okay, I think people are going a little overboard on Bichette. I do like him and adding him will obviously make the team better, but he’s NOT a superstar and he’s probably going to get a superstar contract (or close to it) and that creates it’s own problems. So here are the pros and cons of a Bichette deal.

      Pros – Bichette is a consistently very good player and, unlike, Bregman ,he is still young. He has a very good (bordering on elite) hit tool and solid power. The hit tool is important because to score in the postseason, you need someone who can hit elite pitching and I think Bichette has done this and can continue to do this. He is also a good righty bat, which they desperately need. He also can play a middle infield position, which is huge, because he might end up being a very capable second baseman (THIS is the correct spot for him, not third – you want him at a position where his bat plays well and the bat plays incredibly well at second. Also, third is where Aidan Miller will almost certainly play and they need to do everything in their power to develop Miller). If they sign him, I would temporarily move Stott to third (he’s played there and can do it), slot Bichette as your long-term second baseman and play the Miller thing by ear. In this scenario, Sosa remains a supersub (regular if a guy is injured), which is probably his highest and best use.

      Cons/Downside – People think he’s a star hitter. He is NOT a star hitter. He’s a very good hitter – about the equivalent of Trea Turner (they are almost hit twins) with worse plate discipline, as good or better hit tool and a little more power; and he’s also worse and more limited than Turner as a defender. He also probably has no further projection – although what he is right now, is more than fine. Given that he is not a star hitter, you do not want him in the outfield or a corner infield spots – if he is at one of those spots, he will be overpaid. The concern with Bichette will be less about AAV than it will be about years and a stupid crazy long DD contract. Please, God, not another contract that takes him through his age 39 or 40 season – with DD, I’m worried about that.

      IS IT WORTH IT? The player is definitely worth acquiring/signing. The devil will be in the details and DD will be in charge of the details. Unfortunately, this plays into DD’s biggest weakness – free agent contracts, where he constantly overpays and overextends. So, to me, whether this is a good idea or bad idea will depend almost entirely on the length of the contract. 6 or 7 years is fine – at the end of a 7-year contract, Bichette would be 34 and probably still productive – 8 is a concern and 9 starts to be pretty bad news and if it’s 10 or 11 years like the Turner contract – UGH – nobody else does stupid long contracts like that with very good players (i.e., non-superstars and Bichette is definitely NOT a superstar).

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree, he is not a star. But he is an all-star level player that is entering his prime years (age 28+). He is also a right handed hitter, which this team desperately needs.

        He has been a consistently very good hitter his entire career. Here is his career OPS by year:

        2019 0.930
        2020 0.840
        2021 0.828
        2022 0.802
        2023 0.814
        2024 0.598
        2025 0.840

        Obviously 2024 is an outlier year. But the rest of his career is pretty consistent OPS that puts him in the top 50 in all MLB every year. He has no handed split issues. And his K rate has consistently decreased over his career, with last year being his lowest at 14.4% K rate.

        That’s a pretty hard to find package.

        Like

        1. Oh yeah, he’s a very good player, don’t get me wrong – and definitely good enough to pursue and he could be a key piece of the puzzle to winning/hitting in the postseason which is of immense importance and which they clearly do not do well enough now. The question will be the terms of the contract.

          Like

      2. By the way, I suppose it’s possible that the Phillies target Bichette for third and Miller for second, but I hate the idea of moving Bichette down two rungs (short/second/third) on the defensive spectrum to start his deal.

        Like

          1. That’s EXACTLY what they should do. My guess is that Bichette should be a much better second baseman than third baseman or shortstop, Stott can slide to third and the door is open for Miller when he is ready.

            Like

      3. Haven’t seen anyone claim Bichette is a superstar. I think it’s useful for contending teams like the Phils to covet All Star calibre players. Bichette is a 2-time All Star which doesn’t augur future enshrinement in Cooperstown.

        I value positional flexibility with Bichette and reject the idea that Bichette would have to be more than the best player at the position to which he is assigned — whether 2B, #B, LF or anywhere else.

        Like

        1. My statements about playing him at second as opposed to third are not random. You want a player to play at the most valued defensive positions on the defensive spectrum that they can competently handle. Stated differently, if you have two identical and very good hitters and one is an average fielding shortstop and the other is a DH (or average fielding first baseman), the average fielding and very good hitting shortstop is worth much more than the DH because it’s easier (and far less expensive) to find a DH who can hit than a shortstop who can hit. This is one reason that Trea Turner has been so valuable – he’s a shortstop with really fine offensive production. The fact that, last year, he went from below average to above average with the glove took him from very good to back to being a star again. If Bichette can handle second, put him there and keep him there until you can’t.

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  44. I think if Bichette plays 3B, he will be a good 3Bman. His glove will probably be better than Bohm’s but his arm may not be as strong. If Bichette is signed and plays 2B, he should be a good but not great 2Bman.

    That means Bohm is exiled and Stott moves to third where he will probably be a good but not great 3Bman. In the meantime, you’re moving one of the best defensive 2Bman in baseball off of his now natural position.

    Does it make sense to move those guys around and have your defense be just okay at two positions or do you keep Stott at second where he is a GGlover. I don’t know much but I’d keep Stott in his best position.

    Like

  45. Jon Morosi reported earlier that this is the second meeting between Bichette and the Phillies. Does the fact that it’s not an in person meeting mean anything? And I agree the Monday’s date is to give JT one final chance to accept their offer or the Blue Jays one final chance to sign Bichette. With that being said, I would rather the Phillies sign Bichette instead of JT.

    Like

      1. The unfortunate aspect is his DRS over the last five years at shortstop has been a collective negative 25 and has trended downward each year. Second base may be his final stop in the infield.

        Like

  47. Bichette is very intriguing, it’s the change the team needs. I hope the FO rolls the dice. Bo can apparently hit any pitch, actually makes contact,something that is desperately needed in the playoffs

    Many times to win, you need almost everything to go right, and some luck. Adding Bichette to Turner, Schwarber, & Harper is 4 all star caliber players. Add a bounce back year from Garcia, Stott finding his swing … Crawford’s Bat translating to the MLB…. And Miller waiting in the wings. That could be a scary offense, if everything clicks. I don’t really see that with resigning realmuto but I do worry Wheeler & Sanchez could be less effective in big games, but hopefully the offense can do it.

    The other aspect to note would be the over defense of the INF & OF, with only the catcher potentially downgrading. Now, if DD can get Jeffers from the Twins .. it might not be such a big drop + 20hr potential

    Fun Times, Do it DD!

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  48. Castellanos and Bohm to Anaheim for Jorge Soler and Travis d’Arnaud.

    Saves us $8M and maybe Kevin Long can help two, once-decent bats.

    Like

    1. And why would Anaheim do this? Yes, d’Arnaud and Soler are both pretty much finished, but Casty is finished and Bohm is rapidly getting there. So Anaheim has to pay $8M more and hope that Bohm isn’t finished? Pass.

      Like

      1. Isn’t Anaheim connected to Arenado? And Castellanos would still bring value as a DH. To me, Anaheim would be getting a lot more production for $8M and it fills two holes for them.

        I’m trying to figure out what teams are idiots to trade with. Anaheim ranks right at the top. So why not try to make a deal with them? It’s the same as trading with the Marlins. Look how much talent they’ve traded away in the last 7 years. What do they have to show for it?

        Like

        1. Sign BoBi……..trade Bohm, Alirio Ferrebus and Jean Cabrera to the Angels for O’Hoppe……..welcome back, well, the names have all changed…since you hung around…but those dreams have remained…and they’ve turned around…who’d have thought they’d lead you…back here where we need you?

          Like

        2. The Marlins are cheap so they are trading away their current talent (before they get expensive) to obtain future talent.

          The Angels are too loyal. And they are willing to spend, but they’re spent it poorly.

          Casty would have value as a DH if he was making $2M. At $20M? Not so much.

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          1. Well yeah… that’s why I said to take back Soler and d’Arnaud who combine to make $22M in favor of Bohm and Castellanos who combine to make $30M. It’s only an $8M layout for an average 3B, and a .270 hitting DH who we all know can still get streaky.

            Look, I don’t want to defend this idea too hard, because I’m not totally in love with it, but I figured it could maybe be an option.

            Like

  49. On December 9, 1982, Hayes was traded by Cleveland to Philadelphia for Jay Baller, Julio Franco, Manny Trillo, George Vukovich, and Jerry Willard.

    Like

  50. Baseball America has released its top players in the international signing period that opens in 10 days, and they have the Phillies slated to sign the player they rank as the second best in this class: outfielder Francisco Renteria from Venezuela.

    Like

    1. I have read a bunch about Renteria and I have never been as excited about a LA signing by the Phillies as I am about this one. It might not work out but if it does, he could become one of the best players in baseball. He’s basically the type of prospect we have never, ever signed since I’ve been following the team.

      Liked by 2 people

        1. Maikel (the other) Franco.

          Not comparing them as players at all, but in terms of potential there weren’t many as high as he was. There’s a reason he was a top 50 prospect in all of baseball. And in a class where the prospects above him almost all have had long MLB careers (with a couple future HoFers in the mix).

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          1. Maikel Franco was not a high profile signing. He was a low profile signing who took off after his minor league career started, but it took some time. Ortiz was pretty high profile to begin, but not quite like this guy if I’m remembering correctly. I won’t comment on Julio Franco – he was long before my time.

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            1. He didn’t say anything about high profile, just potential. Maikel had the potential of a perennial all-star.

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          2. Maikel Franco;s signing bonus was modest compared to many other they signed…….in 2010 he received a $100,000 signing bonus, The next year Carlos Tocci recd $750K.

            Phillies return on investment was good with Maikel.

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        2. Memory needs refreshing……besides Ortiz for $4M , there was Ricky Perez, Brayan Gonzalez,, Sterlyn Caba now with the Marlins , Arky Gamboa, , Starlyn Castillo, William Bergolla and more….mostly all ranked in the top ten of their class and all with big bonus pay-outs.

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          1. None of the guys you mentioned (with the possible exception of Ortiz) were nearly as exciting as Renteria when they signed. They were all different variations of the same Sal Agostinelli middle infielder prospect. Sal did some good things and he was okay, but he was unbelievably overrated as a talent evaluator/finder. We kept being told that the problem was that they weren’t giving him enough money to do his job. Then they did give him more money – a lot more money – and the results did not improve. Just saying.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Honestly, the maddest I’ve ever been as a guy who follows Phillies prospects was going to spring training and seeing Carlos Tocci in person. When I saw him I was fuming. There was no way that this little weakling of a boy (he looked like a middle school cross country runner and that is not an exaggeration) – who had NO physical projection whatsoever (skinny little arms and shoulders) – was ever going to hit big boy major league pitching well. No chance. Zero. No matter how fast or good of an athlete he was – he had no shot at all. From that point forward, I became as much of an Agostinelli doubter as I was a believer. And he signed some other outfielders who were pretty much in the same mold. What on earth was he thinking?

              Liked by 2 people

          2. OG Catch – I was never as disappointed as when I saw Dom Brown for the first time. I didn’t get to see him in the minors, so I only saw him up in Philly. This kid apparently had an offer to be a WR at University of Miami and then was ranked right up there with Harper, Trout, and whomever else.

            When he got to Philly, I didn’t see a guy who looked athletic enough to be a WR at a major college. His overall defense was awful and I thought, how is this guy rated so high? Figured he was a 30 or 40 defensively on the 20-80 scouting scale. He made Bobby Abreu look like Clemente lol.

            Like

  51. Kepler just got hit with an 80-game suspension for PED use. Must be using Alvarado’s weight loss medication.

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    1. If that’s how he hits while using PEDs, he’s gonna have to be the one paying to play for his next team.

      Like

  52. I think Juan Samuel was the last great Latin player who ever put on our uniform. I love Chooch but I believe it’s Samuel.

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    1. Are we only talking about position players? Because we’ve got a pretty good list of pitchers at this point (both starters and relievers).

      For position players, we’ve had much less luck. But we have one currently on the HoF ballot in Bobby Abreu.

      Like

        1. Well I didn’t know the criteria was, “drafted/signed as an amateur by the Phillies.

          He definitely put on our uniform a few times.

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    1. Well I guess it depends on your definition of, “great” then. I don’t personally think of Samuel in that tier. Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez were in the same ballpark as Samuel was, to be honest.

      And if we’re including pitchers, I’d definitely have Ranger above them.

      Like

    1. Closer than you’re remembering. Different players, clearly, but Samuel was an average hitter and poor defender. Excellent base runner with a little bit of power. But that only gets you so far with a career .315 OBP.

      Cesar, on the other hand, was more like an average all-arounder. Decent bat, decent glove, decent runner, little bit of power.

      And then Galvis was a much more extreme player; poor bat, great defense, but had some pop when he was actually able to make contact.

      They all got there in different ways, but all 3 are firmly in the, “okay players, but easy to replace” tier. Samuel had 4 pretty good years early in his career with the Phils. But then he was just a guy that stuck around for a long time after that. Cesar’s peak is actually fairly similar to his. And Galvis was a low peak, but fairly consistent thanks to his glove work.

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      1. I watched all 3 players live at the park and there was no comparison. With all due respect, I don’t care what the analytics say about them. Analytics don’t account for players reading a hit to right field and going first to third. I’m sure you’ll find one that says they do but they don’t. Analytics is killing baseball.

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        1. It’s fine to have difference of opinions regardless. I do find the, “analytics is killing baseball” mindset amusing, though. Just because baseball has always been an analytics sport. It’s baked into the sport. Batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, fielding percentage, earned run average, etc. etc.

          I always find myself wondering where the cutoff is for each individual person. Generally seems like it’s whatever was publicly available when they were growing up.

          Liked by 1 person

  56. Don’t forget George Bell. Signed by the Phils but lost in the Rule 5 draft I believe. Had a nice career. He was one of the original DR players signed when the team had great scouts there.

    I loved Samuel too – but I think the league caught up with him and he was a huge hit initially and then gradually petered out over time.

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  57. In my amateur opinion, if Bichette is signed, then I’m more inclined to trade Stott than Bohm. Stott might get you back a decent prospect with a team like the Pirates. Stott to Bichette is a major upgrade and Bohm is playing for a long term contract this year. Miller could be ready to play 3rd next year if Bohm goes elsewhere. We would be a little too right handed since Kemp and Sosa bat right but Marchan is a switch hitter so it would be four right handed and four left handed starters plus a switch hitter. Sign Bichette, go with Marchan, add one more starter on a one or two year deal in case Wheeler isn’t ready and see what catchers can be had for depth.

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    1. Ya know… I think the Phillies doing something unexpected, like possibly signing Bichette, has us hoping that they will go all-in. While the difference between Stott’s $5.9M and Bohm’s $10.2M doesn’t seem like a big deal, I think we are all assuming Bohm is the one to go because of the $4.3M difference.

      But I do find myself thinking about the potential return of Stott vs. Bohm. Bohm is a league average-ish 3B who should hit .280 albeit with limited power. I think we see a trade of him as mostly a salary dump because he doesn’t really fit on a contender or a rebuilding team, and those middle-of-the-road teams might not want to lay out $10.2M AND give something back in return for a “meh” player on a one-year deal.

      Stott on the other hand, is a superb defender, cheaper, and has two years left before becoming a free agent. I think a lot of us truly believe he can be a .290+ hitter, with pesky tendencies at the plate. My question is, do other teams see him in that light? I fear they see a glove-first, .245 hitter with 10-15 homer potential. And that’s not too appealing.

      So what do the Phillies do? We all believe Bohm is on the chopping block, with either Bichette or Stott playing out of position at third and possibly Bichette learning 2b on the fly. But I’m hoping Dombrowski is exploring both possibilities. It would kind of make sense to just swap out Bichette and Stott and call it a day. Let Miller force his way onto the roster. Between Turner, Bohm, and Bichette, someone is going to miss a month at some point.

      And to your point Sit C, I would love to trade Stott for a bullpen piece, or a platoon RH OF bat, or a catcher and go from there. Even if ends up costing us a little bit more. This is where the “stupid money” comes into play. Middleton wants to be a big boy spender, then lets really go all-in. This is the window. In 4 years, we might have a very ugly and old team. Let’s go for it now!!

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  58. Sit C – I believe the idea is that they need to clear Bohm’s $10M in order to get Bichette. Plus, with Stott having more time before FA and the fact that he can play SS, it would be better to hold on to him.

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  59. Let me pose this question to the group….

    Suppose the Bichette thing doesn’t work out. Would adding JT Realmuto AND Bader help ease some of the pain?

    Assume we had $15M earmarked for JT. Alec is owed $10M. Bichette probably would’ve cost $30M. That’s a $5M gap Middleton would’ve had to deal with.

    Suppose we keep Alec at $10M. We snag JT for $12M. We snag Bader for $12M. That’s a $34M outlay as opposed to $30M for Bichette (and not having a catcher).

    Would that be an acceptable consolation prize?

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    1. If we did sign Bader and put him in center and Crawford in left, then what about Marsh and Kemp ? I’m all in for Bichette. JT had ample time to accept their offer and it’s time to move on.

      Like

  60. Romus. Scharber did his part last night. Did not see 56. But Ducks gave many. Post holiday spirit. Told Ruff it was karma for Lanning running up the score on TT.

    Richie. I just found some of my old cards and Von Hayes was one of the ones I sent a pic to Ruff of the other day. I remember that trade.

    Thinking something is going to shake out with the Phillies in the next week or so. Currently in kind of a limbo situation with JT. Someone is going to have to blink so things can be finalized for the team.

    Finally, last few days I have had difficulty getting in. Wondered if Word Press is acting up. Actually, took me several tries to get where I could make a post now.

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      1. Hi Romus. Still one more to go. Last one can sometimes be the most difficult. Phillies of 23 recall that with Dbacks. No idea what they might do. I am couple hours from Bloomington.

        Hope you guys are able to get on PP better than I am. This was my easiest in sometime. Several times it does not open. Then other times only a few posts show. Sometimes if I get to the reply to it does not work so I will cross my fingers here.

        Kind of getting down to the nitty gritty for Phillies. Would guess somethings will shake out in the next few days.

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  63. Bregman signs for $35m AAV and 5 years. Similar WAR to Bo but Bo is 5 years younger. So that puts a comp on Bo at 10 years $350 mil. Hope we can get him for less. But that is probably his market.

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      1. My opinion is that a player doesn’t meet with teams until the agent believes that the team is willing to meet a price that the player will accept. Doing so otherwise is a huge risk to a player. I don’t see many examples in MLB with big FA where there is real bluffing. Usually when a team meets with a player (especially more than once) there is a real shot at a deal.

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    2. I don’t buy the Bo Bichette rumors to the Phillies at all. I think this is a case where both parties can benefit from perceived interest in each other so behind the scenes maybe the team and the agent contrived the plan to share this rumor about meetings, etc. The goal here for the Phillies is to get JT to wake up and lower his price and get a deal done. Bichette’s interest here is to drum up his price with other suitors based on the perceived Phillies interest. I don’t see any way the Phillies are going to add another $25-$35 million a year contract long-term.

      From my perspective, in general, I love the idea of getting younger by signing or trading for a player of Bichette’s age and capability while simultaneously getting younger at the catching position, even if it is a defense first catcher only to pair with Marchan.  But I’m not convinced as shit is the move that they can make.  I hope I’m wrong.

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      1. Dave Dombrowski doesn’t strike me as a bluffer. I honestly can’t think of a time when he was bluffing. The rumors are based off actual meetings which don’t happen unless the agent believes the team is serious and can meet the price. Whether it gets done or not is a different point. But they are definitely seriously interested.

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      1. I don’t know if they will sign Bichette, but I don’t think this whole exercise is a gigantic head fake. They have better things to do and that is not DD’s style nor the style of upper management. If they are meeting with Bichette they have legitimate interest at some level.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. The $175M is split, with a portion deferred, reducing its luxury tax value……in his 3-year, $120M Red Sox deal, $20M of his $40M annual salary was deferred, paid from 2035-2046……the Cubbies expected a similar percentage (around half) of his annual $35M salary to be deferred. The deferred money (e.g., $20M annually) will be paid out over many years after the contract ends, often with escalating amounts (e.g., $2M, $4M, then $6M annually).

        For the Cubs the benefit is that lowering the AAV for luxury tax purposes.

        Wonder if the Phillies will ever do deferment contracts.

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  64. I think Bregman signing with the Cubs creates a new maelstrom for the remaining free agents and big $ teams. It is now reported Bosox may shift their attention to Bichette – reasonable now that he is willing to play 3B and they just lost their 3B. Yankees have reached a serious impasse with Bellinger which has them looking at Bichette also for the punch they may lose – or do they shift their attention to Tucker ? Dodgers are always there thinking if a player is better than what they have they will leap – clearly, Bichette is better than anybody Dodgers put at 2B – Edmonds or Rojas.

    Despite above, I agree with “Catch” it seems to not be DD’s way to lead a player on merely to create a subterfuge to sign another. I think he is a straight up business man and doesn’t have time for the “feint.” He has interest in Bichette or he wouldn’t bother to report that interest to beat writers.

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    1. I agree the Bichette interest on the part of the Phillies is serious. The Phillies are usually pretty good at keeping information out of the media when they don’t want it there. This meeting is publicly broadcast several days in advance. The suspended time before the meeting is to give other parties (including Realmuto or the Yankees or the Dodgers) a chance to make any plays that could be more in the Phillies or Bichette’s interest before an agreement becomes just about official.

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  66. Some add on notes:

    -the interest is real. It makes way too much sense not to.
    -the money can work a few ways, but trading players & or eating CBT for 1 year

    -I think 30-32mil a year for 6-8 years is the offer. If shorter, it could bump to 5/35

    -Realmuto is now plan B, he played his hand wrong. His agent has played him into Freddie Freeman/Braves territory if he really wanted to resign with the Phillies. It’s gotta hurt too, phillies players have been texting Bo to come to Philly and they have to know that means Realmuto is out. Wonder how JT feels about that aspect?

    -speculating – but since the players are tight, what’s the possibility that JT is being used as leverage by “the core” to add an impact player BEFORE he resigns? I say this knowing how important JT is to the pitching staff, prep, & championship aspirations? Unlikely but if the Phillies do sign both Bichette & JT you’d have to wonder a little, no?

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    • For the record, I did not say the Phillies are deceiving Bichette. My belief is both parties understand an agreement is completely off the table but the perceived interest between them helps each of them in their pursuit of their respective objectives. This type of situation happens regularly in the upper echelons of corporate America, most notably the tech industry, politics, and most recently in college coaching circles. I find it hard to believe it’s not possible across MLB.

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    • Ohtani’s contract was the single greatest pro-player contract in any sport in my lifetime. Second only to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. Ohtani’s massive deferral completely changed the game. Now massive deferred dollars are the price of admission. I see no other option going forward for any team that seriously wants to compete. In the Phillies case, deferral solves the Casty problem. Note, Romus was first to report the Bregman deferral on here.

      https://x.com/UnderdogMLB/status/2010359557013606586?s=20

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      1. Did not realize the Cubs’ deferral money was going to be that high….$70M.

        Bregman has already made his fortune for life, this just extends it even further.

        Phillies need to be thinking along those lines…maybe they will with JTR.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. It’s a dangerous game of kicking the can down the road. For a team like the Dodgers who have unlimited money probably not an issue. But the Cubs and Phillies are not like the Dodgers

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    • A few things are happing here:

      1. I think there will be more competition for Bichette.
      2. I believe the Middleton has seen/heard how excited the fan base is for Bichette over Realmuto, and Bichette is now the best option.
      3. I think we are going to do what we do best…Sign Bichette for 12/$350M.

      I think the urgency is there. I think the All Star Game in Philly changes the calculus on how much Middleton will spend for this season. And adding Bichette certainly makes us a better team than what we’ve had over the last 4 seasons. I think it gets done either Monday night or Tuesday afternoon.

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    • With the impeding signing of Renteria, I was wondering who are some other names currently in the org that are legit prospects or have interesting enough tools for me to keep an eye on. I really don’t follow those guys until they get into the upper levels like Aroon Escobar. If/when he is signed I will for sure be watching him going forward. I haven’t been as excited for an international prospect since the Jailyn Ortiz days. Bought a bunch of his rookie cards thinking he would be the next great phillies masher. Thank you in advance.

      Oh, someone mentioned how skinny Carlos Tocci was and I want to point out that Von Hayes was no Ryan Howard and carved out a nice career with good power numbers. Heck, he was called the stick. Body type makes a difference but I don’t think it’s the end all. Plenty of guys succeed with less than ideal body types across many sports. In our city alone look what Davonta Smith is doing currently on our beloved birds, Iverson is a HOFER and was 5’11 on his best days, and Giroux was no Lindros and is a borderline HOFER.

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      1. I can suggest three catchers that  could be more known in 2/3 years or so. 

        1.Anderson Araujo – 17 years old …….2.Cesar Mujica  – 18 years old…..and  3, currently playing in Australia, Alirio Ferrebus .i

        All from Venezuela and all with plenty of potential.

        Liked by 1 person

          1. Araujo was one of 3 promotions stateside along with 12 releases from among the DSL teams as the Phillies prepare for the start of the international signing period this week.

            DSL has a limit of 35 players per roster. Phillies now have 48 players on their 2 DSL rosters.

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    • Way back when, during the Harper and Machado debate. Middleton admitted that he saw a fan poll that Harper was the overwhelming choice and that it influenced his decision to go all in for Harper.

       He has to know how excited this fan base is about Bichette and want him over JT. I honestly don’t know how he reverse course and sign JT instead. 

      Now if he can sign both, great….but it has to be Bichette at this point. JT seriously over played his hand and it might cost him. 

      Attachment.png

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    • A week ago I didn’t think we were seriously in the Bichette sweepstakes. What a difference a week makes LOL.

      I’m thinking this ends up being a deal in the neighborhood of $264-$300 with some possible opt-outs for the first time in a long time.

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      1. And that would seal Bohm’s fate IMO. Which means things get really interesting on what this FO staff can receive in terms of value for Bohm who essentially is a rental for the 2026 season.

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        2. Everyone is making too much of this Alec Bohm situation and trying to figure out what they can get for him. The bottom line is that if they sign Bichette, Bohm is an expensive (he costs about TWICE his salary) and unnecessary luxury who they plainly do not need if they sign Bichette since either Stott or Sosa can play third (and, by all indications, pretty well) and Aidan Miller is coming. Someone will want Bohm and they get as much as they can get and move on. What they need to do now is get $20 million of debt off the books if they sign Bichette – what they can get for him is a secondary consideration.

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    • for what it’s worth, this White Sox blog said that it would make sense for them to take Casty + a prospect…

      “That’s where the White Sox come in.

      Chicago still needs a corner outfielder, and right field remains wide open. Castellanos, in particular, could make sense — especially if the White Sox are able to extract additional prospect value in the deal. If the Phillies are desperate enough to dump his contract, the Sox — a team with plenty fo payroll flexibility — could step in, take on most or all of the money he’s owed, and have the pot sweetened with young talent.

      That’s a rare win-win.”

      he said a win-win…I will email the Phillies to let them know that I am willing to drive Casty to Chicago if they can make this happen. Anyone want to join us on the road trip?

      https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/white-sox/players/the-white-sox-should-capitalize-on-phillies-desperation

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      1. I seriously believe you are far more creative than our current POBO. As long as the prospects attached are lower level guys, someone legit plus a lottery ticket, I’m in. I would not support it being Painter, Crawford, Miller, Nori, or Escobar.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. For the cash take…..wonder what tier prospect would they take……a Nori, a Saltiban, a Cabrera, a Escobar.or maybe someone further down the ladder.

        IMO, it would have to be a lottery pick.

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      3. “Most or all his salary”? Where do we sign up! That would be ideal, but i think at most you can expect half of his salary to be taken on with a tier 2 prospect added, but more realistically you’re looking at 3-5mil with a lower tier 2/high tier 3 prospect going to CWS. CWS does it because they know if Casty is released, he is not picking CWS as a “free agent”

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        1. No one is taking on most of the Castellanos salary. Phillies were willing to pay someone else $10M to do his job in RF but one of the other teams is going to pay $20m for Casty?

          Throwing in some mid-tier prospect isn’t going to get you there either no matter what some random blogger suggests.

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    • What time is this meeting today?

      I hope JM can sense that this sports town needs a pick me up. Sign Bichette, and you’ll get immediate focus on the Phillies. Good business move. I have no idea what it’s really going to take at this point, but they need a signature within the next 24 hours. The market is in a spin with Bregman off the board, the time to strike is now.

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      1. If Middleton was a REAL Philadelphia sports fan, he would have signed Bichette at half time last night to give the Eagles a boost like the Cubs did with Bregman to help the Bears.

        Or he could have just offered to pay a random fan to be the OC, I guess.

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          1. Romus. Only one ugly year at this point. Us Cowboy fans have just grown numb to being irrelevant yearly. Be strong buddy.

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    • Who was the catcher that was suspended by the Phillies for a year? I think it was in 2024 and he kind of resurfaced in 2025 a little bit. Wasn’t he promising? What’s his story for 2026? I can’t remember his name.

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      2. Ricky P. is gone, and probably will just not resurface in the Philly org. again. They cut bait. In his international class of 2021 he ranked 8th and got $1M to sign… he .just did not materialize as they hoped.

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      3. Rickardo Perez. He was a promising prospect when signed but ego and other behavior (nothing illegal) led to the suspension. He was on borrowed time up until his eventual release. He played 1B exclusively in 2023-24. He was DH-only in 2025. He was never asked to play on any of his country’s winter league teams. He is currently out of baseball.

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        1. Yeah thanks Jim. I used the clues Romus gave me and figured it out haha. I kept getting stuck on Ricardo Pinto all day and I knew he was a pitcher.

          That’s too bad. Just a really bad attitude I guess? Oh well. What a waste for him and the Phillies.

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    • Ken Rosenthal stated that he puts the Phillies as the Favorites to sign Bichette. This is going to be a longgggggggg day for us Phillies fans

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      1. rocco……four kids who may be Phillies before the week is thru:

         Luis Hernandez(….(SS, Ven): A premier talent with elite bat speed, projectable power, and high baseball IQ, considered a top prospect in the entire class.

         Francisco Renteria…..(OF, Ven): Known for his physicality, athleticism, and power potential, he’s expected to command a significant bonus.

        Johennsy Colome…..(SS, DR): A smooth-swinging shortstop with power potential who could project to third base.

        Wandy Asigen…..(SS, DR):  highly-rated DR ss with advanced offensive skills for his age. 

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      1. It was only a Zoom call. Might have just been his agent. A lot of tea leaf reading here. Bregman and/or his team met with the Phillies twice and he actually visited Philadelphia before Christmas and the local media missed that. I think Bichette’s price tag goes up due to Bregman’s signing. Not necessarily because of what Bregman got but because Boston has entered the market.

        Is there traction? I can’t say. I do know that Realmuto remains their top priority. If he signs, they are essentially done this offseason. If they sign Bichette, they still have to sign a catcher and still have to find a trade partner for either Bohm or maybe Stott, most likely Bohm.

        Regarding Castellanos, I can’t believe that what a Chisox blogger says has been interpreted as Chisox internal planning any more than what is suggested here or in other Phillies blogs could be interpreted as Phillies internal planning. I know that the Phillies turned down at least one deal where a prospect was attached to Castellanos. A non-top 30 prospect. I do not remember how much if any salary was attached. I’m pretty sure that all the release talk reported by local baseball writers probably killed an early deal.

        Liked by 1 person

    • If the Bichette signing does not happen, there will be alot of upset Phillies fans. He’s been the talk for the last week and has generated alot of buzz. Everyone always brings up Kyle’s leadership and JT’s game calling and all these other intangibles but that has gotten us no where in the postseason but utter disappointment. Expecting Garcia and Crawford to take us to that next level is fools gold. 

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I’m going to be one of those fans..but to be fair …technically you need to add Painter & Kemp to the foos gold formula. Might want to throw Miler in there as well by seasons end if he looks ready. I agree, after 2022-2025 … it’s definitely a hope & a pray. It’s not something the Dodgers would do.

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        1. Better said than me and I agree. It’s almost like the regular season will be an afterthought if no other changes are made and our next big move is to bring JT back. There will be zero excitement on the part of the fans. Guess we have to wait until the postseason to see if anything really changes.

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      2. Boston didn’t want to give Bregman a no trade clause on a shorter deal than what Bichette is going to get so I say its 50/50 between us and Boston.

        Also for players at this stage proximity to family and their roots play a big part in where they sign. Spring Training location etc. Bregman was born in NM, Cubs train in AZ.

        Bichette grew up in FL has been with Toronto his whole career. I’ll bet the house that he signs with a team that has their ST facility in FL.

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    • A question I always ask myself when DD signs one of these reclamation projects is do we have a guy in the minors who we can pay very little to do just about the same level of production?

      Could Felix Reyes if given a shot hit 227 and put up 19 HRs? IDK but in AA last season he hit 331 with a 924 OPS and 15 HRs in just 410 PA’s….

      Adolis Garcia has a ton of experience at the MLB level I get that but who knows. Every once in a while maybe take a flier on a guy already in your system.

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          1. If I were him…..I might try giving catching a shot.

            Does not always work out…..but the one time was Bob Boone it turned out alright.

            Then I look over the years all the hitting catchers that were challenged defensively…..Gary Sanchez, Alf, Jesus Montero, et al….they were given their MLB opportunities but eventually faded away.

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      2. And if Felix Reyes can’t hit in the majors, then what?

        High payroll teams like the Phillies trying to win a WS can’t just “give a shot” to a guy who hit well in AA without some plan on what happens if he flops in the majors.

        Garcia has a proven track record at the big-league level but if he struggles and Reyes plays well in AA/AAA then they have an option to make that move. IF they open the season depending on Reyes and he struggles, then then have to overpay with prospects at the trade deadline to find a replacement if one even exists.

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      3. One big problem with Reyes is that his walk rates are really bad – to the point where they make his chances of success in the big leagues extremely low. Fortunately, his K rates are also pretty low.

        Liked by 1 person

    • So, if this meeting was not a serious one but one just to get JTR to move off his demands for the Phillies benefit, and one for other Bichette suitors to up their offers or Middleton is going to walk away with their prized free agent, what would that look like? Would it be in person or over Zoom? I mean, they’ve “talked” before and there are corporate jets, so why, if this was serious, and a signing was imminent, would they not meet in person? Next, aren’t the Phillies the most discreet org in MLB that keeps their news mostly silent? How is it possible that all of a sudden all the talking heads of the national media know about a zoom unless both parties wanted everyone to know about it? Was this the Phillies only offseason Zoom? They’ve probably had tons, including with other big ticket free agents earlier. We’ve heard almost nothing on the Phil’s intentions until a deal is done….until now.

      Guys, it’s not happening…

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      1. I think Tucker has all of his offers in hand and is ready to pick. I think he is holding off until Bellinger signs, just in case Yankees or someone else goes overboard with Belli. And Bichette would be the third domino to fall.

        I think everything that you are hearing is all coming from Bichette’s camp. I do not think he will get $300M (what he is rumored to be seeking). But I do think he is trying to drum up as much as he can for himself.

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    • I can tell you that the meeting was sincere and real – that what John Heyman reported this morning is accurate. I can also state that there is a viable path forward for a deal to happen and that other moves would be required as well. It is not a smokescreen.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Well… if you ever stood a female up … this must be what it feels like :). I’m sure you old dogs on here know!

      well will see what happens, I’m thinking when the music stops, the Phillies end up with Realmuto. I’d love to be optimistic but I’m not feeling it. I Feel like Middleton will sign off on a fourth star, which technically is Realmuto, but it has it limits. The limit has to be less than 35mil per year since they passed on Bregman, but realistically it’s between 27mil Harper/Turner got to the 30mil Schwarber got. I could see pushing to 32mil AAV but I think that’s when the Phillies drop out – 8yrsx29mil is the sweet spot

      that extra year to Castellanos really hurt. If you could’ve flipped schwarber & Castellanos deals … would’ve been perfect. Obviously walker hurts too.

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      1. That’s the problem – people think Realmuto is still a star. He’s not. He’s a below average offensive player and good defensive catcher with a little bit of pop. And he’s a catcher who is going to be 35 and his offense has declined precipitously over the last 4 years. So $35m AAV – what? I’d like them to keep him under $15m for only 2 years committed, but there is certainly no justification to pay him $20 m or more – he’s just not worth it.

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        1. to clarify, I didn’t mean 35mil a year for realmuto, it was for whichever big FA they are targeting – Bichette, Tucker, Bellinger etc Realmuto might be worth half that

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    • I think if you look a baseball-reference’s war of JT, you can continue to follow the trend over the last 4 years. He went from an elite 6.5 in 2022, to 3.5 in 2023, to 3.0 in 2024, to 2.5 in 2025.

      I think it’s safe to assume he would be worth about 2.0 in 2026, 1.5 in 2027, 1.0 in 2028. So really, with no other teams presumed in pursuit, 3/$30M seems pretty fair to me.

      If we do sign Bichette, I can see us offer JT a deal with heavy deferrals. We might be the only show in town for him.

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      1. The past $$$$$$-to-WAR ratio was $8M to 1WAR. Not sure what it is anymore. But if he is now a 2WAR player than an AAV of $16M may be the going rate. But we are now talking Phillies and what they would normally dole out……you can up that going AAV rate.

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      2. Andrew, totally agree with you but I would go one step further and suggest due to injuries (games missed and worse performance when playing through added injuries) that JTRs WAR will be <3.0 total for the next 3 years.

        I think replacing him with Bichette and exploring younger, cheaper options that bring good defense and bat ninth would be a tremendous step towards expanding the window of contention.

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        1. Hey I hear ya man. JT overplayed his hand. I guess he was looking for that Yadi Molina money?? Oh well. Loyalty only gets you so far with this fanbase.

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    • The Arenado deal is very interesting comp to Castellanos. St. Louis paid almost all of his remaining salary for the 2 years remaining. While he is still a good defender, he had a .667 OPS last year. Pretty terrible. Aranado has a lot of deferred money. Gets $2-3 mil per year until 2041. So not an exact comp to Casty who is on an expiring contract. But they got an 8th round pick last year back as a prospect. I do wonder what the package would be if he didn’t have so much deferred money to offload.

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      1. It’s really not that good of a comp for Castellanos. To me, it explains why Castellanos is worth MLB minimum AT MOST. D-Backs paying $5.5 m per year for two years of Arenado, but, unlike Castellanos, Arenado is a premium defender and plays a higher value defensive position. Castellano isn’t any better of hitter (and might be a worse hitter) and plays a non-premium defensive position about as poorly as it can be played by a bona fide major leaguer. Every team is just waiting for Castellanos to be released and then someone will give him an invite to a camp where he could be cut. He has no value or negative value. We should wash the notion of getting real salary relief for him or a player of value for him from our binds. Not happening, nor should it.

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    • Mets just offered Kyle Tucker a $50 MILLION AAV deal. Mind totally blown, even if it’s a 3 years deal with an opt out in there somewhere. I mean, he’s a good very player, but $50m per year? Totally insane.

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    • Soto at $51M….Lindor at $34M and Tucker at $50M…..$135M on three players…they still have 37 other players to be paid.

      I guess Cohen does not care how much lux tax he will have to pay.

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      1. I’m sure he doesn’t’ but you gotta watch out for the Mutts. They have some good prospects coming per the MLB Top 100… I’d of rather they retained Alonso. Tucker is better than Alonso, Nimmo, and McNeil. They likely add the Astros pitcher or Suarez. It’s better money spent imo, especially if the young talent is for real. Bichette would go along way in holding them off imo, with kemp, Crawford, Miller, Painter, Wood, and hopefully some more/

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        1. Yes they will spend to get the stars they want.. Will have to see what all transpires. Tucker is another LHB with Soto…so they will need also to have a solid one or two RHBs to balance out their lineup. Lindor as a switch-hitter helps in those regards.

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    • Andrew – If Realmuto would take Molina money as you write, that’s the deal the Phillies would jump on. Molina got $10M his last year and $9M the year before that. If the Phillies could get Realmuto to sign for 2 years and $19M, they’d sign him in a Philly minute.

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      1. Molina was a replacement catcher at that point …age 38 and 39. In fact a replacement catcher for his last six years But he did get a three year deal at age 35 for $20M AAV.

        Have to assume JT desires length more than AAV.

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    • To pass the time, how does everyone feel about the big 5s age & “potential” declines? (Harper, Turner, Schwarber, Wheeler, and Nola).

      Curios to see who is in what camp, as it was pretty much unheard of being a MLB player going into age 38-40 seasons. Nola is signed though age 37. There are significant advancements in sports medicine/training … so where is your money at?

      Can Harper have a better than average age 37 season? How long is Turner good into his age 40 season? Schwarber? Wheeler is in a bit of different boat and I know some of you have already written Nola off.

      Are the Phillies the only team with this many large contracts going into player ages where they traditionally should be visiting the ballpark, not playing in the games?

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      1. question came about after reading the write up on ArenaDO … who is one of the game’s great 3B, not the greatest but its pretty darn high up. He just dropped off a cliff. So.. will see with the Phillies players.

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      2. Before Zack Wheeler got hurt, I think he would have been at the minimum, a 3 WAR player. He still had the velocity and he has an assortment of pitches to get hitters out. Now, nobody knows what he will be.

        Wasn’t a fan of Nola’s contract and didn’t buy into the reasoning that he would age gracefully because he can get hitters out with reduced velocity. His velocity dipped and his trademark command really faltered in year 2 of his deal. I think he could bounce back though but he might have to reinvent himself later in his career.

        The Phillies had to pay Schwarber and the 5 year deal might look bad in the final 2 years. Need for him to stay healthy and keep doing what he’s doing.

        Harper going to 1B is better for the longevity for his career. He’s still only 33 but he has a lot of mileage on his body. The Phillies shouldn’t give him an extension. I’m hoping for 2 more years of elite production.

        Turner’s contract is the one that scares me the most. He plays a demanding position where most SS decline in their mid 30s. Derek Jeter was in full decline at age 36. Turner is signed until age 40.

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