260 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion (1/21/2026)”

1. Weston Wilson designated for assignment to make room for JT. His skill set was similar to Sosa and Kemp and all are right handed. He has good numbers and I expect a claim or even a trade for him.

   I am not disappointed by JT returning, he was the best option especially for the pitching staff.

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2. I’m just waiting to see if the Mets become the Redskins of the NL East. I remember when Daniel Snyder took ownership of that team and signed every big name FA that came about. Too lazy to look up their record under his tenure but it had to be pretty bad.

   He even tried to pry Joe Gibbs away from NASCAR to take another run and it failed miserably if memory serves correct.

   With or without a salary cap poorly run teams will still be poorly run teams.

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   1. Well, and Romus will I’m sure be glad to hear my thinking on this, the Mets have a little problem. The Mets’ biggest problem is that their GM doesn’t believe AT ALL in signing starting pitchers to long term contracts. As a result, the Mets have stacked up an enormous amount hitting (a good thing), but are relying on young pitchers to carry the team. As a result, aside from Senga, who has had his own durability problems, the Mets don’t have any established starting pitchers. As a result, unless the young starters almost all hit paydirt, even with their enormous payroll, the Mets probably won’t have the pitching to keep up with the best teams when it counts – at some point the lack of critical pitching will catch up to them.

      To Romus. Listen, I believe in the importance of pitching, especially starting pitching and a rock-solid closer (technically, having a closer shouldn’t be such a big deal and a closer by committee should work – but I’ve seen time and again over the years that it doesn’t work. Having a closer around whom to organize the bullpen is essential and a bullpen doesn’t work right without a closer. It never does). My issue was not the importance of pitching for the Phillies, but that a team with other needs that will likely be at least 3 deep in top level starting pitchers, is better off dedicating resources to a line-up that needs help, rather than a number 4 (or 5) starter who will, at most, start one game in a 7 game series and no games in a 5 game or less series. But, yes, starting pitching is immensely important and, good news, the Phillies are well positioned there.

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      1. I am not at all against signing a hitter like Cody Bellinger, but just maybe a Framber Valdez pitcher will add more juice to a Phillies rotation.

         I am still hopeful Dave D will add another piece or two to this roster,

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      2. The Mets are gearing up for Skubal. Potentially 90mill coming off the books this offseason

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         1. I could see that happening. It’s very hard to see Paul Skenes with any team but the Yankees, although I’m sure the Dodgers may have something to say about that. It’s sad that there is no chance whatsoever, under the current system, that Skenes stays in Pitttsburgh. If we think it’s bad being Phillies fans (really, it’s not), just think about rooting for the Pirates or Reds or Rays, places where hope goes to die – yikes!!!

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   2. DMAR……by adding Robert, to go along with Soto and Lindor, they definably are covering all the Latin countries with what is considered the best stars from those respective countries.

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      1. They would have been way better off just signing Ranger, but I’m glad they didn’t!

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      2. Its an interesting move by them. We’ll see how it all plays out. Cohen has probably directed Stearns to be opportunistic. If they were to get both Framber and Belly that might spell trouble for the division.

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3. Ultimately, the Mets are gonna Met. When Cohen took over, I was so worried that he was going to sign Realmuto to a long-term deal and steal him from us. But nope, he immediately went after James McCann. The Lindor trade and extension was good, but since??

   Verlander, Scherzer, Nimmo, McNeil have all been given big money and traded. Correa was given big money and quickly voided. Senga was a big deal, and it seems like they want to trade him.

   They chose not to give big money to deGrom, Alonso, or Diaz.

   So far, Soto has been good, but boy, it sure seems like he wasn’t all too happy last year. So let’s see how the next 14 years play out. I’m willing to bet he doesn’t finish his career in blue and orange.

   Let’s just continue to hope the Mets remain incompetent.

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4. FYI. If you’re interested, the files under Agreements, Rules, Rosters, etc on the drop-down menu are kept pretty current. They include free agent lists of pitchers and position players who have signed and who remain available as well as the roster, player, and payroll information I have always kept.

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5. is anyone else concerned that our top offseason acquisition was a bench coach?

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   1. Concerned yes, surprised no. I had a feeling that the Phillies will be operating within the confines of not paying excessive tax. According to spotrac, the Phillies are #3 in tax payroll.

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6. Is anyone else concerned that our top offseason acquisition has been a bench coach?

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   1. apologies for the double post, don’t post often and couldn’t immediately see my first one 🙃

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7. Bellinger back to the Yankees…..$32M AAV for 5 years with opt outs.

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   1. We don’t need ,Bo Or tucker or Bellinger. We have J.T. this will be a long season

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   2. If he performs like he did last year, he’ll be worth that contract, but his historical performance has been as inconsistent as you’ll ever see from a hitter, due in part to injuries. Who knows what he’ll do?

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      1. Well to his credit, “he takes a licking and keeps on ticking”! I never seen a catcher take what he took last year and for the most part answered the bell! Is he going to be there in 3 years maybe not we’ll see. We might all be watching golf in 2027 anyhow!

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      2. You realize this isn’t just about J.T who is a 250 hitter in decline. It’s there paying him and not getting a Bo ot Tucker or some offense player. Who can hit behind harper. And if what he has done. Last yr is worth 3 yrs 45 or possibly, 60. Boy I hope you kidding

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         1. They tried to get Bo. They weren’t willing to pay him $45M a year. I’m fine with that.

            People keep complaining about how the Phillies caved into JT’s demands but in the same breath complain that they didn’t cave into much more ludicrous demands of other players.

            JT was, unfortunately, just the best player the Phils could sign (outside of Schwarber or other DHs who they would have targeted had he signed elsewhere). And they got him at a premium, but one that’s not outrageous. I’ll take that over trading 2-3 players and having a full time back-up catcher hitting 9th just to accommodate the Phillies getting a new 3rd/4th best hitter.

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8. Ranger says first name d pronounced as ‘Rahn-her” in the Ven…..but answers to both in the US. IDK, the Lone Rahner just does not sound right.

   https://x.com/gfstarr1/status/2014043186872672503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2014043186872672503%7Ctwgr%5E1e4310b5fe601682da4e43155b8b1c6a019e0316%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.phillyvoice.com%2Franger-suarez-red-sox-introduction-name-jersey-phillies%2F

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9. I have mentioned here a time or two before that I saw Suarez pitch in Norwich, Connnecticut during the 2016 season. It was his second year stateside and he was pitching for Williamsport.

   The older gentleman I went to the game with was a big Phillies fan originally from the City of Brotherly Love. He was a linguist professor and as soon as he saw Suarez’ name, he said “Rahn-her”.

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   1. I thought Tom McCarthy would have made that connection way back when, since he knows the Latin name pronunciations and prides himself on that.

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10. Nola just committed to pitching in the WBC… for team Italy.

    Certainly was not something I expected to read.

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11. The Mets just crapped on DD. You’re content? We’re not. Trade for Brewer’s Peraltra (SP) …

    I feel like the Mets & Dodgers are just flexing their financial might, expecting the CBA to bail them out or this is the last chance for them to use this advantage before they get reeled in. Odd behavior from the Mets.

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    1. The Mets paid a heavy price for 1 year of Peralta. Say what you want about Jett Williams’ size, but he was pipeline’s #30 prospect this past season and a former first round pick 3 years ago. Sproat is now the Brewers #6 prospect and a former 2nd round pick in 2023. Sproat has decent minor league numbers and for now, looks to be starting depth.

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12. Mets got materially better today with Peralta deal.

    Here is my take on the 2026 Phillies…we are good enough to make the playoffs. But not good enough to win it all unless we make a material upgrade via trade that would cost us high end prospects.

    – If Wheeler is back and Painter lives up his potential, our starting pitching is top 3 in MLB. I think Nola has a bounce back year and Luzardo is elite again. Sanchez is a top 5 pitcher.
    – Our bullpen might be top 3 as well. Keller is a great addition. A full year of Alvarado and Duran. Lots of depth. Really good pen.
    – Our lineup will produce runs. No question. As nice as it would have been to add Bichette to the lineup, it still was 4th in OPS last year and 8th in runs scored. I believe that Garcia will be an upgrade over Casty. And Crawford will be an upgrade over Kepler. I like Crawford in the 9th hole and he could produce some runs.
    – OF defense will be upgraded. Garcia is a plus defender and Casty was the worst defender in MLB. That’s an upgrade from -11 DRS to +16. Crawford in CF allows Marsh to move back to LF where he is a plus defender.

    We are going to win a lot of games and a 92+ win season would not be surprising to me assuming health.

    But I think it will be clear that we can’t beat the Dodgers unless we make a big move at the trade deadline. And that will cost us big time prospects. So we will see how it plays out.

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    1. Exactly right. We have more than enough pitching and probably defense to make the playoffs and win the WS. We likely do not have enough hitting to really make a serious WS run.. Same old story. My sense is the Phillies have to hope that some of the young players and Garcia hit well and hopefully they can engineer a below-the-radar trade for a promising young hitter. I’ll bet some of the younger Orioles players who have ability but have struggled would be in play. For the right player (I need to think about that), Gage Wood would be in play for sure, but Miller and Painter (and Crawford to a somewhat lesser extent) are off limits.

       But the Mets made a very good trade yesterday, which shows off the superior depth of their farm system. They traded two decent prospects who, to me, are generally overrated (Jett Williams hasn’t done much in the minors – I’m a skeptic) for a great rental that puts them back on the map this year. But they didn’t trade away any of the gems they feel they must keep (McLean, Tong – although Sproat could end up being pretty good) and got a pitcher they absolutely needed to be competitive this year. Good job by them.

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    2. Hope you’re right, but so many ifs here. As for the offense, we certainly can score runs, but we also disappear for long stretches, often under the brightest lights.

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13. Bader or Buxton now please.

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14. Really at this point. I hate to see a panic move. Like trading miller, we aren’t good enough with that lineup, just play the yr until strike. DD really blew this off season.

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    1. I’m disappointed in the offseason too, but it’s not over and won’t be over until opening day. I think this teams needs one really productive hitter to get over the hump – just as the addition of Bader seemed to be the last domino in the line-up. Last year, the Phillies’ best move was a below-the-radar move for Luzardo for a middle infield prospect that, in my opinion, was overrated – not another long-term DD contract that we will grow to regret. DD does his best work with one hand tied behind his back. Give him too much money and spends like a drunken sailor in for a weekend bender. But give him restrictions and he can do something interesting.

       Also, to me, the below-the-radar player who could make a huge difference this year is Kemp. I think he has the potential to be pretty darned good. And while he struggled with production at times last year, he showed power and patience and his at bats were excellent – far better than those of players like Castellanos. He could be for real.

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15. Crawford is a bit of a wildcard here. Every level he has been at he hit with good average, great OBP, with speed, and low strikeouts. I know they plan on him hitting 9th so not to rush/pressure him, but if he continues the same in the majors he would make an ideal lead off hitter. Maybe not to start 2026 but I could see that change by seasons end or next year.

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    1. I agree, that’s the hope at least. The knock on him is that he has a high ground ball rate. In the minors, they are base hits, in the majors not as many will get througn. Now, my only concern if he is hitting some many ground balls, is if they are double plays. Other than Thant, i don’t care if gets his hits on the ground or in the air.

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       1. i would t worry about Double plays. He can fly

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    2. Crawford and Painter are big wildcards for us. Simply put, if they turn out to be impact starters then we are on a good path. If they turn out to be busts, then we are in real trouble. This roster desperately needs productive players on rookie contracts.

       I personally think that both will be very good MLB players and Painter will develop into an ace. I have always been the high man on Crawford. I think the ground ball rate is way over analyzed. It doesn’t matter for a player with his exit velo and speed. He is a high contact speed guy who will get on base and steal bases. Hopefully he is a plus defender in CF.

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       1. How good does Crawford have to be (stats) to be satisfactory his 1rst year? I think that’s about where he’ll end up after having his mettle tested.

          Painter, I don’t have confidence in and feel that his development will take sometime before or if he ever becomes the person whose expectations are Ace!

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          1. As a 24 year old, Michael Bourn slashed .277/.348/.378.

             As a 22 year old, I think Crawford can do .290/.350/.400 to start. If he can give the Phillies 2 WAR for his first year, I’ll take that. He’s still very young.

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             1. A .750 OPS in his rookie year would be a massive win for Crawford and, with his defense, would make him a 3-4 WAR player, at least. I’d take .270/.340/.380 – with his speed and defense, I think that would make him a 2+ WAR player. His growing plate discipline (which, oddly enough, nobody talks about – all they mention is how often he hits the ball on the ground), could be a big factor in all of this. If the improved walk rates transfer to the majors, he should be fine.

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          2. What’s your take on Chandler Simpson’s impact on the Rays? I think most think that he was a high impact player. his line was
             .295/.326/.345 with 44 stolen bases.

             Crawford has more pop than Simpson. For example, Simpson only had an 84 average EV. whereas Crawford was 90 mph average EV in AAA last year. Now Simpson strikes out less than Crawford, so it is not an exact comp. But I do think his overall line is going to be similar.

             I think Crawford could have a line of .270/.330/.420 for an .750 OPS along with 50+ steals.

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       2. I don’t see this as a make or break year for either player. This is a tough league.

          Both were high draft picks for a reason so I would suggest to the Phillies brass that they just let them play.

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          1. I agree. not a make or break year for the player, but definitely for the team. Meaning, this team is really banking on both Painter and Crawford. Not to suggest that rookie performance this year impacting their careers.

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             1. Couldn’t agree more. In my mind, the Phils only path to success in the near term is for guys like Crawford, Painter, and Miller to come up and perform well. Otherwise, if they don’t win the WS this year, then we’re looking at a lock out in 2027, and running it back with the Harper/Turner/JT/Nola/Schwarber core all two years older in 2028. The young guys performing well could help generate excitement. Otherwise, I predict CBP to be a miserable place come 2028.

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                1. ….and also Escobar in two years.

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             2. I want to enjoy the drama of this season but your thoughts on the available cash we have going into 27 assuming there isn’t a lockout?

                Rough calculation would be $38 Million from Walker and Castellanos and another $10 from Bohm so all in $48 million.

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                1. Part of the issue is that next year’s FA position player class is underwhelming.

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                2. Well we have to pay Luzardo to retain him.

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16. Phillies and Opt-Out Contracts:

    GM Preston Mattingly on the Baseball is Dead podcast from Dec, said that contract opt-outs aren’t something the Phillies do and have always been up front about in offseason talks. “We have not given opt-outs, and a lot of clubs don’t give opt-outs,” Dombrowski explained. “We’re not the only ones that don’t do it. I guess you never say anything’s in concrete, but you have to be careful. You can give long-term, big contracts, and then you can give opt-outs. You still have to realize where you are as an organization from a financial perspective.”  “I have never, myself, and still don’t feel, that it’s a wise move to make when you look at the risks that are attached to it,” Dombrowski continued about contract opt-puts. “Because the reality is if the player has a bad year, they opt in. If they get hurt, they opt in. So double the amount that you’re paying a player for one year, and that becomes two years. And can you afford to do that? And of course, we’re also involved when it comes down to [the luxury tax]. I know other organizations are, too. But if they opt out, it’s generally because [the player] had a good year then. So that has not changed for years. You always are open-minded to do things that you think are best, but it’s generally not a philosophy that I have liked, we have liked, to do. Will you be open-minded? I guess you’re always open-minded to anything.”

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    1. That was not a good comment from DD. He doesn’t seem to understand that the injury/bad performance risk exists and is even higher with signing players to long term contracts. If JT, Nola, Harper, Turner, Schwarber gets injured or plays terrible, we don’t have to worry about them opting in, they’re here for the long term.

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       1. He seems to equate all those risks to a financial perspective….their budget under the luxury tax.

          Granted the risks are there also for those LTCs-7/8/9 years…but the AAV is tempered because each year the tax threshold rises. Where is with an example like Bichette…if he get hurt or has a bad year….he will opt-in and the cost now for two years total is $84M. I can see both points.

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          1. Yes, but long term contracts can consolidate a lot of dead or unproductive money despite lower AAVs. Then you have to potentially pay another player to pay the position of a guy already under contract. Like if they can’t dump Casty.

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          2. A pundit on the MLB Network would always trot out the cliche “the price of playing poker” and it really is.

             Another one of my favorites has always been its hard to win when you’re afraid of losing.

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17. Philly fans . They in line at Stadium to buy tickets.

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    1. LOL I’ve seen some really bad teams rolled out over the years. I probably started really watching baseball as a kid with my dad 77/78 so I saw the 80 WS, saw us go again in 83 then the dreaded drought between then and the 93 team

       Then another awful stretch until the 06-12 years where we won a WS and went to another. A pretty bad spell leading us up to 2022 but its been solid since then…

       And I do think under Middleton we won’t experience those really long stretches of bad baseball teams.

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       1. Wow, never knew you were almost on the ground floor ……. just missed watching the Cincinnati Red Stockings inaugural campaign by about 7 years. I can see why Rocco is so impressed with your experience! You have my respect, oldtimer!

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18. If the Phillies could sign Bader for 2@$20M or $22M, would you do it?

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    1. Bader overplayed his hand and the Phillies signed Adolis Garcia. I doubt he’s coming back even at 2/20.

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       1. Agree……Bader coming back means Crawford does not get his shot for full time playing time.

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          1. I wouldn’t say it means that. I think it would just push Garcia and Marsh into a strict platoon with each other. With the occasional day off for Bader/Crawford.

             That said, I still don’t really expect a Bader signing. I wouldn’t mind it (especially a short deal), but I doubt the Phillies foresee him being anywhere near as good as he was last year going forward.

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             1. I agree Dan. Crawford LF, Bader CF, Garcia, Marsh RF platoon if that were to happen.

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             2. Adolis Garcia doesn’t sign with the Phillies for $10M unless he got the guarantee to be a starter, same like Max Kepler. I highly doubt that Garcia would have signed to be in a platoon.

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                1. Taijuan Walker didn’t sign to be a swingman, either. But situations change.

                   Fact of the matter is Garcia was looking for a pillow contract to rebuild his value, and the Phillies gave him that. He might prefer to be a full-time starter from the get-go, but he doesn’t have any kind of leverage to demand it. If the FO feels like they can upgrade the team by having him platoon and signing Bader, they’ll do that. Plus it’s not like he wouldn’t still be a single injury and/or good performance away from being promoted back to full-time.

                   Like I said, I’m not expecting them to sign Bader either way. But we already know they view Marsh as more of a platoon player, and Crawford wouldn’t be his partner. So there’s a pretty obvious solution.

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                2. In Walker’s first year, he had 31 starts. Yes, situations change, but that usually happens later once the Phillies decide that a) the player is not performing AND b) the Phillies don’t care if the player gets angry about it.

                   Garcia signed to be the starter to begin the season, full stop. I have no doubt about that. If the Phillies sign Bader, Crawford is getting pushed to the bench. Garcia will not be in a platoon to start. And in general, the Phillies are not giving Garcia $10M to be in a platoon. That’s also why Max Kepler got a lot of rope to start even though he was struggling like crazy. And Max Kepler complained to the media that he signed to start, not to be in a platoon.

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19. Weston Wilson picked up by Os.

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    1. Don’t expect it to happen but a Bader signing on a short-term (2 year) deal sets the team up to move on from Marsh in a subsequent move. A Crawford-Bader-Garcia OF with Kemp in the wings and Crawford the back-up in CF in the case of a Bader injury.

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20. Romus you are so smart . Hope they give Crawford a decent shot

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21. Should Miller have a stellar start in Lehigh and play a solid SS, why not bring him up at SS and put Turner in the OF? It is unlikely that Crawford/Marsh/Garcia all have stellar yeas. If so, Miller could present a very pleasant problem.

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    1. IMO Turner is more likely to slide over to 2B in the future rather than OF.

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    2. Miller’s calling card has not been fast starts. Either way if we see Miller this year at CBP I wouldn’t expect it until the latter half of the season.

       I also don’t see Trea ever moving to the OF. I agree that if he ever gets moved off of SS it would be for 2B. Not seeing a long term deal for Stott in the cards especially if Miller and Escobar start showing a lot of promise.

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       1. You’re right that Miller doesn’t specialize in fast starts (to the contrary), but he hit AAA last year and just kept on going like gang busters. My concern is more about giving him time to adjust to the majors. They have to keep playing him and playing him and playing him until the light goes on – it should be worth the wait. Last year, it looked like he would never adjust to AA and then the switch flipped and, just like that, he was a beast.

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          1. Agree. Mike Schmidt rookie year: .196/.324/.373, received 443 PAs. If you’re going to bring up a potential star player, you have to let him play.

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       2. I agree, I don’t think Trea is moving back to the OF. If his defense suffers, he’ll go to 2B. In general, we don’t want to put aging players in the OF. Ken Griffey Jr. had 10 GGs but by age 31, he was negative dWar the rest of the way. Trea Turner is 32. Bryce Harper is 33, he shouldn’t be going back to RF.

          Stott (age 28) still has time to turn it around but his agent is Scott Boras. Unless Stott goes wild in the next 2 years, I would rather give Escobar a shot.

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22. Probably best outfield option for this year

    Crawford in LF / Kemp playing occasionally

    Bader in CF

    Garcia in RF

    Kemp and Rojas as backups and platoons

    trade Marsh

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    1. I think they are pretty much done in the OF. Crawford will be in CF everyday; Garcia in RF everyday and Marsh/Kemp in LF platoon.

       I would have rather had Bader than Garcia but that ship has sailed and I don’t see it returning to port.

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       1. Yeah, the Phillies need to get pointers from the Braves about how to, and with whom to, negotiate these short-term contracts. I would have much rather had Bader (who can play anywhere in the outfield) at a slightly bigger contract over two years, than Garcia. But that’s just me.

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          1. The Phillies now have a reputation of doling out long term, big money contracts. Also, being buddies with Scott Boras is not helping either.

             The Braves don’t have that reputation.

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             1. Yeah, but I don’t see the two approaches as being mutually inconsistent. Once you push back long enough, the other side knows you’re not opening the bank and the issue becomes whether you are offering more than other teams.

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       2. Phillies fans “Can’t believe this team is just running it back with the same damn players”

          Also Phillies fans “I really wish they would sign Bader for the OF”

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       3. I’d prefer Bader too but I will say it’s highly unlikely Bader reproduces the season he had last year. They may be a wash offensively if that’s the case. I just prefer Bader given the proven CF defense. If they get a decent season out of Garcia (ala the Dodgers with Hernandez) that would be a homerun signing.

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23. Padres blogger suggesting they take Casty and play him at 1B

    https://x.com/TalkingFriars/status/2014411718265602144?s=20

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    1. V1 I find it hard to believe, unless we pick up like 15 of his salary.

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       1. Nobody will be giving anything of value for Casty. Teams will wait until the Phillies DFA him. For the minimum, teams will pick up Casty. Whether or not he can hit enough for a 1B, time will tell.

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          1. AJ Preller will…he takes anybody that has any modicum of a power bat…..Phillies will need to pick up a lot of the 2026 salary…….and maybe get an A ball player lottery ticket prospect in return.

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    2. I remember 2/3 years ago playing Casty at 1B was suggested when Rhys was let go and Harper’s return as an OFer or at 1B was debated.

       If the Phillies pick up half the salary, I’d then also ask the Padres for 500K of international monies.

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       1. OMG – the Padres are not paying Nick Castellanos $10m, let alone donating international money to the Phillies. If they can get someone to eat $5 million of that salary, it would be a miracle. I’m guessing $2-3 million max, but, most likely he is just released because nobody wants an old, expensive malcontent who has had a negative WAR. I think he has no market value at all.

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          1. AJ Preller is the unknown……he will do the unexpected.

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             1. He’s crazy, but I think he isn’t quite this stupid. Only a moron would take on $10m of Castellanos’ salary. So if it happens, I’m all in favor of that. Not holding my breath.

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24. Phillies invited 27 non-roster players to spring training in total. ..here are just some of the names of the position players….

    Infielders: Keaton Anthony,  Carson DeMartini, Aroon Escobar, Aidan Miller, Felix Reyes, Bryan Rincon, …..OFers: Dylan Campbell, Justin Crawford, Bryan De La Cruz, Dante Nori…..Catchers: Kehden Hettiger,  Caleb Ricketts.

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    1. Romus beside Crawford. Can you see any of them going north?

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       1. rocco…..no. Just Crawford.

          Assume Miller, DeMartini, Ricketts and Anthony will head north to Allentown and assume Nori,Rincon, Campbell, Escobar, and De La Cruz to Reading..

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          1. i think they like DeMartini. He needs to show a little more offense. Defense seems real good

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          2. Careful! Some people don’t like it when you use the words “assume,” “if,” or “hypothetically.”

             They’ll tell you, you can’t assume.

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25. So now that we appear “done,” is there any other way you wish the Phillies spent $66M (Schwarber, JT, Garcia, Keller)?

    What if they went hard after Bichette out of the gate and paid him his $28M to play 2B and then traded Bohm? That would leave the Phillies with $48M to play with.

    You saw the trade that netted Harry Ford. Maybe Bohm and something else makes that happen.

    I’ll assume it was Strahm’s time to go and Keller will be a better fit.

    That would leave them with $37M, no DH and no RF. Which…., that could still be Schwarber and Garcia at $40M. So did we botch the off-season or was Dave just not creative enough?

    What are your thoughts?

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    1. You can’t assume Bichette would have taken our offer earlier in the offseason. He already had a long term offer from the Jays before we got involved. He was pretty clearly waiting for the market to develop, and the Dodgers and Tucker did him a huge favor to reward his patience.

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       1. That’s fair. So what would you do differently with $66M? That’s what I’m asking.

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          1. Sign Keller (2/22: $9M, $13M)

             Sign Murakami (2/34)

             Sign JT with a higher AAV (2/40)

             Save the excess cash for mid-season trades.

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26. Aroon at number 6.

    https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/2b/

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    1. Nice to see.

       I took a peak at Miller, he’s #28 or so overall in top 100, but #9 out of top shortstops. This list has a lot of good SS Apparenlty.

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       1. Phillies had the expected three in the top 100…Miller, Painter and Crawford. Two should, or just maybe all three could be ineligible next season for that 100 listing.

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    2. #7 for 2026

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       1. Should be regarding Aroon, Romus’ post above.

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27. I know most are upset about the Phillies offseaon, but I will throw this out there… V1 alluded to it… but take a look at the 2027 payroll, essentially 2028. It’s 220mil .. without Wheeler. They really really need an effusion of young talent. I bet they are gambling on the prospects. Bichette would’ve been nice, but the offense can makeup for him over 2 players. If you want to see this team keep rolling, betting on the young guys who are very close, isn’t the worst plan. If they are right, and a few pan out, they set themselves up much better for 2028. I know nobody wants to hear it, so when you throw your tomatoes, add some garlic & oregano in there so I can at least make some sauce!

    The bill is coming due… 2028 looks like it. With the strength of the Dodgers, it’s not a bad plan to peel off a bit.

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28. Optimisim:

    Painter – 4.0 WAR season – starts dealing the playoffs, they start to save his innings.

    Crawford -2.5 War- 175 hits, 35SB, little to no power keeping his numbers down

    Kemp – 3.5 war -More offense than defense 25hrs …Hopefuly 30.

    Miller – 1.5 War – Late season add.

    Garcia – 4.5 WAR- CBP helps him get his swing back 25+hrs, nice defense

    Castellanos -1.0 WAR as 1B on another team. 🙂 5 mil in salary relief. I think there maybe a bit a bidding war for him between CWS,SD, LAA, SF (they always needs stars), PIT, & MIA. There is a market for him,but I think they are all playing Chicken. Yeah is defense is terrible, but his Bat for 3-5mil is a bargain for the upside.

    Bichette can kiss our…. Mets series are going to have same extra juice this year.

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    1. Bichette is a biggie for the Mets…but who scares me more is Freddy Peralta the pitcher they just got in a trade. He gives the Phillies fits. Phillies have career slash of .206/.268/.351 against him.

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       1. Peralta was the first move they made that I had to question whether we could/should have outbid them. On reflection, probably not (just because we don’t particularly need pitching and the cost was steep). But it obviously does sting to have them upgrade a position of weakness.

          That said, I can easily see him being the next, “star” player that flounders in New York. He’s only got 2 seasons of sub-3 ERA under his belt, and among his previous 4 seasons, the most recent one is the outlier. If he reverts to being a 3.50-4.00 ERA pitcher, Mets fans are going to be unhappy and things could spiral from there.

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          1. Plus playing in NYC in front of those fans….is not the same as Milwaukee and mid-western people.

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29. Is that stuff any good on the palate …… I understand they are caching alot of the bourbon these days. I think scotch is still a good buy.

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30. Been thinking about things and yes, while I am bummed about Bo and the loser Mets swooping in to get him, my question is this….why didn’t Toronto try to resign him. Few outs from winning the world series, home grown player, ready to throw tons of money at Tucker, but not Bo. Kind of raises a red flag in my mind, like they know something is wrong under the hood at the lot and would rather depend on an unproven Japanese model because of reliability.

    I have a feeling this might end of being a blessing in disguise, especially the length of the Phillies’ rumored deal and this now forces the Phillies to depend on their youth, which many have been clamoring for years. Cannot wait for spring training and daily updates, have a feeling a few of these young are going to make things interesting….my main gut feeling being the Ottoman Kempfire!

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31. Bo did have a knee issue 4 months ago……..maybe the Jays knew the long term effect that may be coming.

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    1. A lot of criticism for what Dombrowski has not done this off-season, but maybe in certain cases (Bichette, Bader) he doesn’t want to chase career years. And maybe he’ll be proven right.

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       1. Let me correct myself before somebody else corrects me: The Phillies did chase Bichette but lost out when someone else chased him faster at the end.

          The result is the same. The Phillies don’t have either of the B’s, and maybe that will still prove to be in their favor.

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32. I have a question. If there is a work stoppage and the new CBA calls for a hard salary floor and cap, let’s just say $200M is the cap number and teams like LAD go into that stoppage with a $400M payroll, how would that work? Would they have to shed $200M of payroll before the following season?

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    1. Nobody knows. It depends on the transition provisions that they will need to negotiate under the new CBA. In other words, that’s another thing that will need to be negotiated and agreed to under the new CBA. What those provisions say may also be influenced by the various contracts that leagues and teams have with broadcasting networks and advertisers so that the new provisions do not result in breaches of those existing contracts (or limit those breaches to the greatest extent possible).

       I view the next CBA as the biggest set of labor issues since the players went on strike in the 1994 season – but the importance of these issues is even greater. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if no MLB baseball is played in 2027. And, I can’t believe I’m say this, but if they lose a season and fix their problems, it might be worth it. The league cannot continue to go in the direction it is headed. What makes it more complicated (or different) is that perhaps the biggest issue will be among the teams themselves. There are really big team markets (Phillies included) that are pushing the rest of the league around. There are small market teams that are screwed right now. And there are middle market teams that will ultimately end up deciding what happens (in my view). Then, on top of that, they have to sell their arrangement to the players. But, for the league to not be a joke, they HAVE to fix their problems to a great degree. Until recently, a major league team never really bought a championship. Sure, the big teams could buy star players and that helped a lot, but they also had to draft, trade for and develop players. That’s not entirely true right now. The Dodgers have bought two World Series championships in a row. On the other end, small market teams have no chance to be consistently competitive. They might catch lightening in a bottle for a year or two, but they simply cannot remain competitive over even a moderate period of time. This is not because they don’t run their businesses properly, but because they simply don’t have the money to retain even a good share of their best players. This is HORRIBLE for baseball and the fanbases. It must be fixed.

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       1. the old orginal is there a short version on line?

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       2. If the MLBPA does not budge….my recommendation to the Commissioner would be two leagues/conferences….a large market and a small market….play-offs set up within each , and finally the winner of each conference /leagues plays in the WS, will always have a small market team playing in it….and anything can happen in a 7 game series.

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33. Wow ! Romus like the Bible, David is the small markets?

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    1. Hah……for a hard cap to be implemented , MLBPA will want concessions…I wonder what they would be.

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34. Pirates for Casty???

    ESPN’s Jesse Rodgers projects (in one of his bold predictions for the rest of the offseason) that another rebuilding team will bite at the chance to get a former Silver Slugger:

    The Pirates still need hitting, right? And Castellanos still needs a new home. How about an in-state swap with the big-spending Phillies picking up most of the contract — say $15 million of the $20 million owed to Castellanos in 2026. The Pirates don’t even have to send anyone back in the deal. Just give them his money and watch Castellanos light up PNC Park, proving all the naysayers wrong. [ESPN]

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35. It’s nice to be able to get the free agents to Philly. This being said, the 1980 and 2008 teams will always be special because of the home grown talent. Schmidt, Bowa, Boone, Chase, Jimmy, Chooch, Howard, Cole

    i like to see Miller, Painter, Crawford join Stott and Bohm have chance in Philly pinstripes. In a strange way, I am glad Bochette didn’t sign with the Phillies.

    i know we all want to see a winning team but am I the only one who thinks the mercenary make up of the takes a little away from enjoyment?

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    1. True it is always more fun especially for us here at this site to root for a team with homegrown talent but guys like Sanchez count and JT was acquired for Sixto Sanchez.

       Back in 80 Pete Rose was acquired via FA and the 08 team needed Brad Lidge Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer.

       So all great teams need a sprinkle (at least) of outside players.

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36. Exhausted from a day of clearing snow, it warms my heart to think of Kimbrel pitching for the Mets this year.

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    1. Did you get away with only needing to shovel once? I have to do another round of shoveling every time I take the dog out. Eventually I’ll be able to see the ground… maybe before pitchers and catchers report.

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       1. You need a flame-thrower with this storm event.

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          1. Duran can throw some heat, call him over to close it out.

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          2. My luck I set the deck on fire

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       2. 3 times yesterday, I just stuck my head out the back door and I have to do it again this morning. But this time it’s hard packed sleet, so I really don’t know how I’ll be able to handle that. Forecast for the next 7 days is awful.

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37. Klaw seems to no longer hate the Phillies. Must be his Eagles fandom rubbing off on them. His new top 100 features four of our guys, with Escobar at 84 or 86 (read it an hour ago and then went back to dealing with frozen sleet). The wow moment is Miller at 6 (!!!!).

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    1. Once upon a time I really enjoyed ranking prospects then a few players greatly changed my mind on the amount of effort I put into it LOL

       Or even any faith I put into others effort to do it.

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    2. Aidan Miller at 6!! Wow!

       But, really, if the hit tool is real, Miller could be an impact prospect because every other tool is there.

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    3. Yep, Miller was #6, Painter #22, Crawford at #48 and Escobar was #86.

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    4. KLAW on Miller:

       Miller is a power-hitting shortstop who’s improved in almost every aspect of the game over his two full seasons in the Phillies’ system, and he’s going to push the Phillies into making some hard decisions about their middle infield before this year is out. … I don’t think he needs a full year at that level before he’s ready for the majors, just needing to refine some of his pitch recognition, and there’s a good chance that by July 1 he’ll be the best choice for shortstop at Citizens Bank Park

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       1. That is a very high endorsement of Aidan Miller.

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       2. been sayin that for awhile now – just sayin 🤦‍♂️

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       3. Anyone have short summaries of the other 3 top 100?

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38. Bader to Giants, 2 yr deal

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    1. Once Bader didn’t sign early, I knew he was headed elsewhere. Good luck to him in SF.

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       1. Missed opportunity. I would have much rather had Bader on a 2 year, $20 m deal than Adolis Garcia on a 1 year, $10 m deal. We’ll see how it turns out, but I think the Phillies did not make the right decision here.

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          1. As I always say when I criticize a move the Phillies make – I hope I’m wrong.

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          2. Or save the rumored 5 million on Casty in a trade and trade Marsh and there is your 10 million for Bader.
             Bader in CF, Crawford in LF

             Marsh used as part of a package to KC for Mitchell a C who is a year or 2 away.

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             1. If the Phillies start putting Marsh on the trade block, other teams will know why so you won’t get as much trade value back for him. This is similar to when Bohm was on the trade block last season and nobody wanted to part with anything significant.

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                1. Could be true and it that is the case then you keep him as Garcia insurance.

                   But I do think a Marsh, Escobar type offer would get you Mitchell.

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                2. Explain to me why Dombrowski would do that…Marsh and Mitchell are virtually the same player and to add Escobar, a top 100 player next season.

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                3. so a top 60 prospect at C is the same value as a platoon LF?

                   I was answering the lower value comment about Marsh.

                   I would offer Marsh and 2 prospects around 10-20

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                4. Sorry …thought you meant Garrett Mitchell of the Brewers.

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             2. I took a look at #75 prospect Blake Mitchell of the Royals. Although he’s only 21, he’s entering his 3rd full year in the system and he really struggled at High-A (.636 OPS). I think he’s at least 2 years away and that’s if he can start hitting.

                And why would KC give up Blake for a platoon OF making $5.2M? Marsh would not move the needle for the Royals and they would have to pay him.

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39. That Bader deal makes me wonder if there was another reason besides money for not bringing him back. Did he not get along with anyone on the squad? Bader is two years younger than Garcia. Makes no sense to me.

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    1. I’m guessing Bader either wanted a 3 year deal or more money from the Phillies. And then the Phillies said thanks, but no thanks and pivoted elsewhere.

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       1. They also want Crawford to take over CF so that role was taken.

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          1. I’m not 100% certain about that. I think if Bader was willing to go 1/12, he would be in CF and Crawford would go RF. It’s not ideal of course but for 1 year, I think they would have done it.

             Anyways, I think Bader overplayed his hand and he’s lucky to get $20.5M this late.

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             1. I’ll throw out some unsubstantiated theories on Garcia/Bader:

                Phillies probably wanted Bader, but factoring in that Casty won’t bring in any real salary relief… 1/10 it was

                Probably felt bader peaked

                I bet the FO thinks Kemp can have a better year than Bader.

                Maybe at the beginning of the offseaon, they knew they were in on Bichette/Bregman, figuring they’d get 1 of the 2, they’d wanted to lower commitment + $$$. If they did get one of them, and Miller progresses… or Kemp, you have a logjam. The one year deal looks more favorable in that light

                Lasty, Bader is likely the higher probability, but the upside on Garica is definetly higher. They went upside & financial flexibly. I would say that I do think Bader has 2 good years, close to a 3.0-3.5 WAR

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                1. The off-season OF situation to me:

                   -Castellanos – Although it may take time to play out, this was the easy decision. He goes in a trade for anything they can get for him. Or he’s DFA’ed as the fallback.

                   -Bader – He’s been a gypsy for years and felt his performance in Philly earned him a chance to get off the treadmill. If he was willing to take a 2-year $20 M offer at the outset, he might have remained a Phil. If the Phils wouldn’t offer that, it’s likely a blunder. Bader can play anywhere in the OF and would have blocked Crawford only if they had 2 solid outfielders under contract Guess what? They didn’t and don’t.

                   Garcia – Never gets signed if the Phils inked Bader.

                   The remaining pieces would have been Bader, Crawford, Marsh with Kemp in a platoon. And you play Crawford anywhere you want in the OF.

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                2. We all like Bader. He was a breath of fresh air. He hit when it counted. He was excellent defensively. But he also had a career year. We might have been sorely disappointed if he returned both in red pin stripes and to his career norm. I’m eager to see if Crawford can live up to his potential and if Kemp can continue to improve. Both a lot younger than Bader.

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             2. I don’t think Bader was lucky at all. I think he was unlucky. Bader played to a 3.9 WAR last year, which was worth a LOT – and, by the way, he not only played well on the Phillies – he played very well for the Twins too. And he played best when lights were the brightest, which has a lot of value too. The real issue with his contract is a projections – can he do it (or something close) again? But even if you think he’s only a 2.5-3 WAR player, that’s worth a lot more than $10.25 million a year. It’s possible he stinks this year, but even if he is just good – it’s a great contract for the Giants and, to me, a big miss for the Phillies who could use, his fielding, hitting, positional flexibility and good vibe mojo. I would have brought Bader back at that money and perhaps a little more. To me, he’s a good gamble and a lot better bet than Garcia. Again, I hope I’m wrong and Garcia has a come back season for the ages.

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    2. Miller is pushing somebody to the outfield at some point or going to change the dynamic so no sense in getting into any longer then you have to deals atm

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       1. We’ll see about that. I heard Miller was going to be taking reps at 3B so we will be able to see clearly what position he plays in ST. Clearly 3B will be the fastest way for Miller to play in the bigs.

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40. Look, no one knows the future, but Keith Law is not one for hyperbole. He is a very tough evaluator. He said two things of note today:
    1. Aidan Miller is a star
    2. Crawford is an easy 2 WAR player with upside if he hits more line drives instead of grounders. Said he is an 80 runner and a 70 defended in CF. Noted his 7.3% swinging strike rate and great bat speed.

    I mean if we hit on Miller and Crawford we are going to make a serious run.

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    1. Crawford is interesting, many say he is not a good defender because someone said that he was not. From what I have seen (not a whole lot granted) he seems pretty good. An 80 runner and 70 fielder is really really good. He should get to many plays its just a matter of actually catching them. Look at Casty he caught just about everything he got to rarely making an error, however he was just slower. Then Rojas he was fast and got to many plays however he would make a boneheaded play once in awhile.

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       1. I heard an analyst for Baseball Prospectus say that the Phillies had Crawford playing an almost bizarrely shallow CF, and that may have affected a lot of the data about him. Phillies MILB staff have been adamant he’s fine in CF.

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       2. If Crawford has a fielding issue its going to be his reads. Great CFers know instantly once a ball is hit where it is going to end up.

          Some play deep some play shallow depending on their confidence level going back or coming in on balls.

          This will be something to pay attention to in the spring.

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41. Another article connecting Casty to Pads

    https://friarsonbase.com/padres-first-base-need-is-dragging-them-into-a-messy-phillies-breakup-01kfvyesvwrt

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    1. If the Phillies would pick up 100% of his contract…maybe get one of the Pads lower prospects in return…maybe a Kale Fountain or Ty Harvey

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       1. Its not much of a limb more like a fallen tree trunk but I’ll go out on it and say we end up getting nothing for Castellanos and no takers on any of his salary.

          Any team that wants him will just wait for the DFA.

          Hopefully I am wrong but again at this point its only money saved. We’re not talking about much in terms of players coming back.

          I’d feel better if one of the remaining SPs kind of fell to us but if the vault is actually closed on Citizens Way that probably doesn’t happen either.

          We’re almost a month from the WBC starting March 5th. I’m excited for that…

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       2. Why on earth would the Padres pick up his entire salary (for a player who played to a negative WAR last year, was below average as a hitter, the worst outfielder in the big leagues and has trended down significantly over the last 3 years) AND give them a prospect? Give me an explanation for your reasoning that is more than “well, AJ Preller does nutty things sometimes.” My view is they get nothing for him, but even getting $5 million of salary relief – and no prospect in a trade – would be a massive win for the Phillies..

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          1. I would also view it as a win if the Phillies pay all of his salary (except the MLB minimum) and trade the Phillies a potentially useful prospect. This is all better than an outright release, which is where this thing is currently headed.

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             1. That is what I posted…..Phillies pick up the whole salary and get a lower tier prospect from the Padres in return.

                Preller would probably be attenable to that….since if he is DFAd the Padres as a play-off team last year, will be low on the totem pole in claiming him.

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                1. Okay, got it – yeah, that could happen. If I’m the Padres I want no part of Castellanos, but if he’s at the MLB minimum, it’s possible.

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                2. Im thinking Castellanos market could be heating up. You see the prices the top FA got… you’re looking at rolling the dice on a guy who has power, leadership, … sure he is atrocious defensively but… put him at DH… it think you have something. He could have a great year if all he is focusing on is hitting. Im sure he is humbled.. that he has almost no takers.. EVEN with the Philies paying his salary down. That last year was a killer on his deal. That said, i though SF, CWS, CIN, MIA, AZ, SD, & PIT would like to take a gamble on him at the league minumum … but if these teams sense the team in front of them is thinking the same thing.. thats where is might push to 3million, and in an all out bid 5mil. Whatever the Phillies get relief off, is technically x2, so 5mil would get Middleton back on DD’s side. I think 3mil is realistic if this market keeps up vs gambling if he’ll be there though the claims process.

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                3. Tac3….when Casty feels he gets disrespected ….he bears down that much more. I think he feels that way now. I think during that truncated Covid year , his first in Cincy, there may have been some criticism…..man, the following year he exploded. So whomever gets him, probably gets the revenge Casty at the plate.

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42. On another note the early schedule is favorable to a good start dare I not jinx them. We don’t play against a 2025 playoff team until April 20th where that is 21 games into the season.

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43. To add to the Aidan Miller hype, ESPN has him at #10 in their updated rankings published today:

    https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47684202/top-100-mlb-prospects-2026-kiley-mcdaniel-konnor-griffin-kevin-mcgonigle-jesus-made

    Painter is at #27 and Crawford at #69. And FWIW, Eduardo Tait is at #38.

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    1. They are high on Tait. Law had him rated at #93 on his list.

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    2. Aidan Miller being this highly ranked makes their miss of local boy (Media, Bonner) and potential superstar Kevin McGonigle much more palatable.

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44. Tait might be a superstar.

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    1. I guess the question with the Twins, will they be able to keep his bat at catcher. I have seen so many of these Latin plus bat-catchers not progress suitable enough for MLB standards defensively behind the plate. Teams have rushed them up because of their bats, and then they take awhile before they develop defensively….and some do not.

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       1. who would you rather trade at the same point of their development? Tait or O’Hoppe? What about now, who do you think has the better career?

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          1. O’Hoppe was further along in his development when he was traded.

             I think O’Hoppe could have a better career, as a catcher.. He has proven it at the MLB level that he can catch. Tait ‘s ceiling at the plate, is probably higher than O’Hoppe’s was. He is only 19 so he still has a way to go.

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             1. O’Hoppe has NOT been a good catcher defensively so far. This has been reported repeatedly.

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                1. He is still catching I see….last two years has caught over 250 games…..he cannot be that bad.

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                2. how many games has Castellanos played in RF? Just because O’Hoppe has stayed behind the plate doesn’t mean he’s good there.

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                3. Personally that is one way to look at it….comparing him with a pretty bad OFer. In his mid-20s he still has room for improvement in some key metrics, like DRS.

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       2. There is no doubt, zero, none that Eduardo will stick behind the plate – excellent arm, strong will, tremendous work habits and a sponge on instruction. He will be a major league starting catcher – no one with any kind of baseball acumen who has ever seen him in person has ever said otherwise – the Twins specifically asked for him in the Duran trade – in fact they would not have consummated the deal unless he was included.  Kid is a stud. 

          Steve Potter 

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          1. i believe that. Duran was going to cost. It’s a shame the Phillies couldn’t get past the Dodgers, I think they make a deep run if so. I hope Duran is worth it, and extended. Tait is like the one who gets away that the fan base regrets trading.

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       3. Romus, in reply to your post about Casty’s big year in Cinncy, that could happen again, but he’s a little older now and might not have as much ability. I hate to use the old expression, but he might have since lost a step or two. And with Casty that would mean timing him with an hour glass.

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45. McDaniel says on ESPN that if Tait would have been available in the draft, he would have been one of the top picks, perhaps the top pick. Knowing that we don’t have a good young catcher in the system, yeah, that hurts a bit for sure. His value is, however, highly tied to his ability to stay behind the plate – I guess we’ll see. It will be fun if Gage Wood can do his best Trey Yesavage impersonation and make the squad before the year ends. They could sure use him.

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46. He could be the ghost of ,Mike Anderson. One of the best prospects I ever seen in minors, never did anything in majors. I think in triple a he hit 340, 36 hrs. 109 rbi. And was a great centerfielder with a cannon for a arm. So let this kid do it in majors. Before we put him in elte company

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    1. Funny you mentioned Mike Anderson. I was thinking about him the other day and looked up his AAA stats on baseball reference. He is probably the biggest example I can think of for a guy who did not come anywhere close to fulfilling his potential. I mean, the fall off was so dramatic that you have to look at him as an extreme outlier. If you looked back at 20 guys who, at such a young age, put up similar stats to those generated by Mike Anderson, at most, 1 or 2 would have as poor of a big league career as Anderson had. Hey, it happens.

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47. Keith Law, the renown prospect scout, does not have as positive opinion of Eduardo Tait as Kiley does. He points out that his defense needs a great deal of improvement insofar as ” he is a below average receiver and blocker who swings at everything right now.” While “he is a high risk high-reward prospect who shows enormous power for his age (19) he swings at everything right now.” “He doesn’t strike out much but has a well below average sense of the strike zone, chasing pitches out of the zone 32 % of the time leading to a ,286 OBP in his time in HIgh A with a 3.9% walk rate.” Law states that he understands why the Phillies traded him, and why the Twins wanted him ; ” if he stays at catcher and makes even some progress on the swing decisions he’s a 20 homer regular at a very tough position.” And if he doesn’t stay at catcher, “he still has a path to be an above-average regular if he improves his plate discipline further.” Law rates him at # 93 on his 100 top prospects.

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    1. Yup, prospects get different reactions from different evaluators – it’s pretty typical especially for a player with Tait’s profile/skills.

       What’s unusual is when a prosect that isn’t at the tippy top of the prospect pyramid and doesn’t have earth-shattering stats but gets as many uniformly excellent reviews as Aidan Miller. I believe in him too but I urge patience when he is brought up to the big leagues. At every level (other than AAA, oddly and encouragingly) he has struggled for some time before breaking through. So if he struggles for a while, hang in there, something great could still be coming.

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48. Interesting analysis of the Bader signing on ESPN:

    “This past season, split between the Twins and Phillies, was the first time he had 500 plate appearances, hitting .277/.347/.449 for a career-best .796 OPS, while flashing his usual plus speed and defense (92nd percentile in range).

    The offense was likely a fluke. Statcast’s expected numbers were a .220 average and .374 slugging, right in line with his career norms. While there were some changes under the hood — he traded more strikeouts for a few more hard-hit balls, while also improving his walk rate — the improved numbers seem to come mostly from a .359 average on balls in play, well above his career mark of .305.”

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    1. He’s’ interesting in that now that he has signed with the Giants… knowing this outcome, would he have accepted the 10mil 1 yr option? With the Phillies. Gotta believe he was thinking he’d get a better deal.

       He did get 11 mil more… but.. with the lockout he’s not going to get paid. Assuming a whole year is lost, or close to it, its becomes not such an obvious decision.

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       1. And with Bader now playing in a bigger ballpark with spacious gaps, he may get plenty more doubles and triples.

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          1. fair point, his HRs will likely dip though. Pros and Cons… His defense can be on display but he’ll have to face Dodger pitching more, and have to add the Phillies staff back into the mix. Good luck to him, but I see it as a good bet he returns closer to his career norms. His a compliment piece, a great 4th OF, but can he be a starter? Thats what is essentially a 1 year deal will prove. I think he sticks around the league a longtime though. He’s a better hitting Rojas. He’ll play till 36/37

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49. Some prospect love coming Phillies way. Im not as bummed on missing out on Bichette now. I think the Phillies have measurable talent coming. Crawford is CF, LF at worst. His bat is what then need. Contact. He’s rated at a 75. The only faster guy was Quinn that I can remember. Watching Crawford’s highlights, I saw 4 or 5 hits that may not be at the MLB, for all the hype on his ground ball totals. I saw 1 that a 3B likely gets to but can’t Throw him out. 2 that likely are caught from defensive positioning … and 1 that a 2B likely gets to, but it would be close. Im hyped for Crawford. Miller is going to make someone expendable at the deadline. Likely Bohm …but if Stott doesn’t watch out it could be him. Possibly Marsh, since the Phillies have a history of trying to hide bats at LF

    I also say… I think the hype for Painter has mistakenly died down.

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    1. I wouldn’t say, “mistakenly.” There are some people who look at his numbers last year and write him off, and that is a mistake. But people that are worried about his arm health moving forward are justified in lowered expectations.

       You pretty much have to expect TJ for a pitcher at some time in his career at this point. But for it to come before he makes his MLB debut puts quite a damper on expectations, because now you’re wondering if he’ll need a second before he can finish developing.

       He still has the upside of a top-3 pitcher in MLB. But every time his arm gets sore we’re gonna be holding our breath.

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50. Interesting comp for Aidan

    https://x.com/jcammisabsbl/status/2016545554063585286?s=20

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    1. If Miller becomes David Wright, I would be ecstatic. Wright had a really good career. His career slash is .296/.376/.491.

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       1. But for a bad back injury, David Wright, who was a superb player, is a Hall of Famer. He was that good. If Aidan Miller becomes David Wright, and soon, we are in for a big treat and maybe a WS title. Not kidding.

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    2. That is exciting to see….also Miller’s lower limbs below the waist appear to be more muscular than Wright’s were. Whether or not that will mean anything significant remains to be seen, but however could generate more push or power from his legs.

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51. Fangraphs view of the Phillies prospects:

    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/philadelphia-phillies-top-34-prospects/

    Thought this was interesting about Kehden Hettiger:

    “The hitting environment in the Sally masked Hettiger’s power, his carrying tool. This guy can really swing it. His hands are explosive and generate blood-thirsty pull-side launch, with Hettiger showing average big league power as a college-aged prospect with room on his frame for more strength. Hettiger also has a real approach and tends to target high pitches, the ones he’s suited to crush. He’s probably going to strike out a bunch (he K’d at a 29.1% clip in 2025) because he runs deep counts and sells out for power when he swings, but his feel for contact also might improve some as he focuses solely on hitting left-handed.

    Lefty-hitting catchers with this kind of bat speed are uncommon, and that’s what is giving Hettiger some prospect value here. Though the Phillies gave him a shot of espresso at Double-A in September, Hettiger is still very much a developmental prospect, especially as a defender. His receiving and pitch framing are sushi raw, and some of the pitchers in Reading were visibly frustrated by his struggles at the very end of the season. Hettiger has also played a lot of first base; it wasn’t until the last month of 2025 that the Phillies really dedicated Hettiger solely to catching. He’s athletic enough to have a shot of sticking back there, though it’s probably going to take several years before he’s good enough to handle the duties of a big league job.”

    Maybe he’ll turn into the heir apparent to Realmuto in 2029 (after JT catches like 400 games the next three years).

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    1. Sounds more like a poor man’s Cal Raleigh, but I’d take that!!!

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       1. Raleigh had a .902 OPS as a 21 year old and then the following year at age 22, he jacked 29 HRs across 2 levels.

          As a 21 year old, Hettiger had a .687 OPS. I don’t feel confident that Hettiger can rack up the HRs this season at age 22.

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          1. Fair enough, but Raleigh was at Low A when he was 21. Hettiger had a .718 OPS in High A as a 21-year-old. Just for comparison, here are two catchers in their age 21 season at High A:

             Player A: .232/.330/.389 for a .718 OPS. 8 HR in 355 PA.

             Player B: .256/.319/.345 for a .664 OPS. 8 HR in 499 PA

             Player A is Hettiger. Player B is Realmuto.

             I see Hettiger’s progression as 2026 at AAA (age 22 season), if things go well, in 2027 he’s at AAA (age 23), maybe could be a backup in 2028 at the MLB level, or another year at AAA. Again, if things go well, he’ll improve his defense and put up OPS numbers in the 700s at each level. And then we’ll see . . . he’s a prospect. Most fail. But he has a shot.

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          2. Hence the “poor man” reference!

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    2. Assume between Ricketts and Hettiger, the Phillies are hoping one shows enough at Reading and/or maybe LHV to eventually step up as a back-up to JT

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52. When I look at hitting prospects, I look at peripherals more than the main hitting lines. The stats that I prioritize:

    • K% – under 20% is good unless you have massive power. 70 MLB hitters had under 20% last year
    • BB% – over 10% is good. More walks than Ks is elite.
    • Only 14 MLB hitters had under 20% K rate and over 10% walk rate
    • Line Drive Rate – Over 21% is good (only 46 MLB players had a LD% over 21% last year)
    • Average EV over 90 – 84 hitters in MLB had an Average EV over 90
    • Hard hit % over 40% is good. 105 MLB hitters did that last year. As a bench mark, Kyle Tucker had a 40.2% hard hit rate
    • Swinging strike rate – under 8% is good. Only 37 hitters in MLB last year had a swinging strike rate under 8%

    To give you a sense how hard it is to check all of those boxes, there were a total of 4 MLB hitters last year that had:

    • BB% over 10%
    • K% under 20%
    • Line Drive over 21%
    • Ave EV > 90
    • Hard hit % over 40%

    Those three were: Kyle Tucker, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer.

    Tucker had the lowest swinging strike rate at 8%, then Vlad at 8.4%, Springer at 10.7%

    Why do I bring that up? There is a prospect in Phillies system last year that had a:

    • K% – 18%
    • BB% – 11.5%
    • Line Drive Rate – 22.9%
    • Average EV – 90 mph
    • Hard hit % – 40.7%
    • Swinging strike rate – 7.3%

    He did that as a 21 year old in AAA. Now obviously, there is a big difference between doing that at AAA and doing that in the majors. But my point is that it is a rare combination of having good plate discipline, hitting line drives, hitting the ball hard at a high rate and having a high contact rate. If Crawford is also a 70 defender in CF as KLaw says that he is, then he has a chance to be a star. Ignore the ground ball rate. It doesn’t matter. BABIP on ground balls and fly balls is the same. LD% is the key metric for batted balls along with average EV and hard hit %. 

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    1. Very interesting analysis! And if Crawford is a 70 defender, we will be thrilled.

       By the way, I think the corollary to your numbers is that at a certain level in the other direction, the player becomes unplayable. For example, K rate over 35% (or even 30% for most), BB rate under, say, 4%, etc., etc.

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       1. Yeah, there are three players who had at 30%+ K rate and a 7% walk rate:

          Riley Greene

          Eugenio Suárez

          Jordan Beck

          Green hit 36 homers and Suarez 49 so they got away with it. But Beck is not good.

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    2. I don’t buy this Crawford is a liability in CF baloney.

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       1. Bob, you will find there is more baloney here than a “meat market”!

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    3. I concur with all of your analysis as these often dictate what can’t be measured which is what a hitter sees. I’ve always been fascinated by that part of hitting.

       In the MLB it goes beyond hand eye coordination.

       Its what their brains can process in .40-.43 of a second. How they couple the physical with what they might intuitively know the pitcher is going to throw in that moment.

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53. ESPN ranked prospects to 200. Um, Rinocones one spot above Wood and like 30 above Escobar is a choice. William Bergolla being at 199 is also fascinating.

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    1. Rincones ahead of Escobar is a big head scratcher. I’ve seen prospects like Rincones my whole life (big guy, has a lot of power, suspect contact skills, strikes out a ton, can’t hit lefties) and, frankly, they rarely pan out. He could end up being the exception (his power is legit and the walk rate is fantastic), but I’m not holding my breath on that one.

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       1. Recently, Dylan Cozens for one.

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          1. You got it!!! Even Dom Brown, who was a much better prospect than Rincones, didn’t pan out.

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54. A lot of posters have been here a long time… Im not going to just come out and say it… to awaken the baseball gods… but this is it. This is the moment many of us have been waiting for again. For the farm to produce measureable talent. Ssssshhhh but yeah I think we are about to see a few sprout this year. Mix that with the FA core & the previous core… it’s coming together. My wrecklessly speculation is we are about to see 3, with 1 or more to follow.

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    1. Tac, to your point, in the Fangraphs’ Phillies list, 7 of the top 8 prospects are estimated to arrive in the majors in 2026 — Miller (1), Painter (2), Crawford (3), Wood (5), Chace (6), Cabrera (7), and Rincones (8). The only one of the top 8 not due to arrive for a few years is Escobar.

       Not all 7 of those will pan out — I hear you, Catch, about Rincones — but if three or four do? Well . . . it would help!

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       1. If 2027 does have the owners deciding for the lock-out….then I would like 2026 to be the year that the Phillies let some of these kids get an extended opportunity. …because they may not have much of a chance in 2027.

          For example….why not move on with Marsh….and let Rincones and Kemp split the time in LF. Offer Marsh to a club that may have an excess of catching prospects like the Royals (Mitchell or Jensen) or the Cardinals (Rodrigues, Bernal or Crooks), or the WSoc (Teel, Quero).

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55. https://x.com/JackFritzWIP/status/2016935002869481975?s=20

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    1. That is impressive for Miller…..just hope a MLB breaking ball will also be a good pitch for him to hit. He may see a lot of them when he first gets up.

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    2. Jack Fritz is the same guy who said that Harper is the greatest Phillie of all time due to the eye test. He wasn’t even born when Schmidt retired. He’s a boob.

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       1. Then somebody better tell him to watch some Schmidt highlights. Not only is Schmidt the greatest Phillie of all time (his accolades are ridiculous), he’s likely the greatest 3B of all time.

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          1. That’s just silly. Bryce Harper is the best hitter on a team I’ve rooted for, but Chase Utley was a better overall player (and that’s no slight, Bryce Harper is tremendous). But, as great as he is, there’s just no comparison between Harper and Schmidt, who is probably among the top 25 or so greatest players of all time and, by wide acclaim, the greatest third baseman of all time (and there’s nobody who is particularly close to him, although Adrian Beltre finished with quite a flourish).

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56. The Athletic has rated the Phillies farm system as 15 among the 30 Major League teams, noting that the club has three players in top 50, one other in the top 100 and then drops off rapidly. The author then asks “Would you rather have a system that gives you a dozen or more future big leaguers, where none will be more than a decent regular, or one that gives you a couple of stars and a couple of strong regulars, but not much else? “

    Good question. I think I’d go with a handful of potential stars.

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    1. Fair question, and it’s likely different for small vs Big market teams. If you can be greedy as a “Phan” … you prefer the 3 stars + a few regulars easily.. because you know Middleton will spend to bring the FA to fill out what the minors can’t produce. 3 home grown stars + a few FA classes… you got yourself a WS contender. As a bonus, your interest is year round. Great formula.

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    2. You go with stars pretty much every single time. The baseball world (and the sports world on the whole) world is a talent pyramid. The players at the top of the pyramid are MUCH more valuable than just average big league players who the Phillies can acquire for moderate cost (Sosa is a good example of this). And the most value you get is when you have players on the top of that talent pyramid on low-cost, pre-free agent contracts. Also, more talented players tend to have not only better careers, but much longer careers.

       So if this current group produces a couple of stars and a first division regular (or mid-rotation starter) that will prove to be enormously valuable.

       I mean think about the late 90s and early 2000s Phillies. They weren’t pumping out one big league regular or great starting after the next – indeed, the total volume of big league players was actually fairly low, but when they hit, they hit it big with Rolen, Rollins, Howard, Utley and Hamels and those stars fueled the best era in Phillies history and it wasn’t by accident.

       So, stars it is. And it’s not a close call.

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       1. It’s really not close, you go for the superstars who can get you 40+ WAR (Rollins, Utley, Hamels) over their lifetime. You’re lucky to draft guys like that 1-2 times in a decade. That’s why there’s so much hype over Painter and Miller.

          Just look at the Mets, who have they really drafted that has delivered 40+ WAR in the last 10 years? Nobody.

          10 years before that? Jacob deGrom.

          The one player that has superstar potential is PCA and he got traded to the Cubs. Oops.

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57. BTW, this was Keith Law’s top prospects as reported earlier, and his question.

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58. Law also refers to one of the 3 Phillies prospects, within the analysis of the minor leagues this way, “all 3 of the top prospects could be stars (but only one of whom is really on that path right now) ” – he does not name him but he is clearly referencing his # 6 Miller.

    On another note – I really hope that DD is waiting in the weeds to sign one of the remaining SP who can’t find a home – Quintana, Bassitt, or even Valdez for that matter. I think the staff needs a solid backup starter rather than relying on Walker to be the # 5. I shuddered when it was written several days ago that the Mets are talking to all three of them – that’s what they need, as do the Phils.

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    1. Walker is only the #5 until Wheeler returns. If they sign another starter who gets dropped when he returns?

       No team is signing a big $$ FA to be a “backup” starter.

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       1. If Painter pitches well I think he may max at around 130-140 IP which is close to what Ranger gave us last season 157 over 26 Starts. Painter made 26 starts over 118 IP with an almost 1.5 WHIP.

          We got another 21 starts out of Walker for 121 IP.

          We can safely rule out Valdez but Quintana or Bassitt would likely be had on 1 year deals for nominal amounts.

          I guess you roll the dice because there isn’t much at AAA in the event that one of the 5 you have misses any extended time.

          But I’d want a hedge for Painter as there is a chance he may need to be sent down to work on things.

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          1. Yes, if you can get someone on a 1-year deal that’s a different story but I doubt Quintana or Bassitt won’t be able to find a deal better than a 1-year/moderate $$.

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             1. You might be right and I’m sure that is why both guys are probably still out there. Holding out for that or those extra years or a stronger AAV to take a 1 year deal.

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                1. These older veteran starters have already banked a decent amount of money already so they are holding out for a starter job at a reasonable rate. I think if somebody is willing to give Bassit 1/15 or 2/30, I think he would sign for that. 1/10 or 1/8, maybe not. Not sure if anbody wants to give Quintana a starter job coming off 1.3 WAR and a decreasing SO rate.

                   Otherwise, they can wait until after the season starts because some team will get desperate when their pitcher(s) get hurt.

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    2. I’d take any of those guys and see it as an upgrade to our SP depth. Guys that can give you innings save your BP over the course of 162 and that’s a good thing going into the playoffs.

       130/170/192 are the IP for each of those 3 last season. Past performance not indicative of future performance of course.

       Though the Mets addition of Peralta has me a little worried now. I’d be even more worried if Valdez falls in their lap. If not for his creep move crossing up his catcher he’d probably be signed by now.

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       1. Bassitt on a pillow contract would help……though he may want two years and at his age that is probably all that will come offered to him.

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          1. Nick Martinez is another reliable guy still out there who has proven he can swing between BP and Starting.

             Last season we had Mick Abel who do we have this year that resembles that player in AAA?

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             1. Jean Cabrera will likely be one of the first pitchers promoted for spot starts if the need arises.

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                1. Jean Cabrera is not even close to the answer.

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                2. Note that Mick Abel stunk at Lehigh at age 22 but turned it around the following season. He also didn’t exactly pitch well at Reading either.

                   The bar is not that high for Cabrera, and realistically, nobody is expecting Cabrera to be Bubba Chandler. Cabrera is depth for now and I think he’ll perform well enough to get a shot in 2026. The rest will be up to Cabrera.

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          2. Romus can you start new discussion? This one is so long. Tells us about you military service

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59. 1 Statcast fun fact for Phils’ 3 Top 100 prospects

    https://www.mlb.com/phillies/news/statcast-fun-facts-aidan-miller-andrew-painter-justin-crawford?t=phillies-pipeline-coverage

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60. Phillies signed Dylan Moore and it was commented that it paves the way for Sosa to be traded to Boston for a starting pitcher….does not say who.

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    1. I could see how that makes sense. Sosa, Kemp, and Moore all right handed utility players with similar abilities. Sosa has become both good and a bit more expensive $4.4 million, which is not a lot. But if he can bring in another useful player while his value is high I could see such a move.

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       1. As between Sosa and Bohm, to me, it’s a no brainer, you move Bohm, who gets paid twice as much, and, frankly isn’t better than Sosa. You use that money to sign someone to a pillow contract. Sosa can hold down third until Aidan Miller gets here and then he can continue to do his super sub stuff that he’s great at. Moore is a shot in the dark at this point.

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61. Kemp, Moore and Sosa are quite a bit different. Kemp can play multiple positions but not SS. Moore can play SS but not really well. Sosa plays SS very well and that’s where he stands above the other 2. Stott can play a decent SS but if he or Turner goes down, that’s when they need Sosa.

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62. ZiPS is a projection system developed by one of the writers at Fangraphs. The ZiPS projected standings for 2026 were just published: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-late-january-zips-projected-standings-update/

    Key excerpt regarding the NL East:

    “The Phillies’ core is fairly old, so this team is not inevitable, though ZiPS still thinks they’re the one to bet on in 2026. ZiPS expects a bounce-back season from Aaron Nola, and a lot will come down to just how healthy and effective Zack Wheeler is. If Wheeler gets back on track quickly, the Phils ought to be able to shrug off Ranger Suarez’s departure fairly effectively. Andrew Painter’s projections aren’t exciting, but he does have significant upside remaining.”

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63. if interested …

    Phillies original draft picks or free agent amateur signings now with other organizations : 40 man roster occupants in Bold – 22 on 40 man rosters, 39 on minor league rosters – 25 international signees, 36 stateside draft picks or UDFA’s

    LHP Sam Aldegheri – Angels – signed 7/2/19 from Italy 

    C Travis d’Arnaud – Angels – 2007 round C-A draft pick 

    C Logan O’Hoppe – Angels – 2018 23rd round draft pick 

    RHP George Klassen – Angels – 2023 6th round draft pick – now on Angels AAA roster 

    RHP Mark Leiter Jr – Athletics – 2013 22nd round draft pick 

    RHP Manuel Urias – Astros – signed 3/17/18 from Mexico – on Astros AA roster 

    RHP Carlos Carrasco – Braves – signed 11/25/03 from VZ – on Braves AAA roster 

    INF Luke Williams – Braves – 2015 3rd round draft pick – on Braves AAA roster 

    RHP Jacob Waguespack – Brewers – signed 6/22/15 as UDFA – on Brewers AAA roster 

    C Andrick Nava – Brewers – signed 7/2/18 from VZ – Brewers High A roster 

    LHP Jojo Romero – Cardinals – 2016 4th round draft pick 

    RHP Victor Santos – Cardinals – signed 11/14/16 from DR – Cardinals AAA roster 

    RHP Ben Brown – Cubs – 2017 33rd round draft pick 

    LHP Hoby Milner – Cubs – 2012 7th round draft pick 

    LHP Erik Miller – Giants – 2019 4th round draft pick 

    UTL Scott Kingery – Cubs – 2015 2nd round draft pick – now on Cubs AAA roster 

    RHP Yacksel Rios – Cubs – 2011 12th round draft pick – now on Cubs AAA roster 

    OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu – D’Backs – 2023 9th rd draft pick – D’Backs High A roster 

    RHP Connor Brogdon – Guardians – 2017 10th round draft pick 

    SS JP Crawford – Mariners – 2013 1st round draft pick 

    RHP Jason Ruffcorn – Mariners – 2021 8th round draft pick – on Mariners AA roster 

    RHP Adam Leverett – Mariners – 2019 15th round draft pick – on Mariners AA roster  

    RHP Gunner Mayer – Mariners – 2019 5th round draft pick – on Mariners AA roster  

    SS Starlyn Caba – Marlins – signed 1/15/23 – DR – Marlins Low A roster 

    OF Emaarion Boyd – Marlins – 2022 11th round draft pick – on Marlins AA roster 

    RHP Tyler Burch – Mets – signed as UDFA 6/12/19 – now on Mets AA roster 

    RHP Robinson Martinez – Mets – signed 8/25/14 from DR – now on Mets AAA roster 

    RHP Griff McGarry – Nationals – 2021 5th round draft pick 

    OF Leandro Pineda – Nationals – signed 7/6/18 from VZ – now on Nationals AAA roster

    INF Kervin Pichardo – Nationals – signed 6/24/19 – DR -now on Nationals AAA roster 

    C Rodolfo Duran – Padres -signed 6/15/16 from DR – now on Padres AAA roster

    INF/C Francisco Loreto – Pirates – signed 1/15/24 from VZ – on Pirates FCL roster

    RHP Enrique Segura – Rangers – signed 1/15/22 from DR – on Rangers High A roster

    RHP Aidan Anderson Rangers – signed 6/18/19 UDFA – on Rangers AAA roster

    RHP Tommy McCollum – Rays – signed 7/20/21 UDFA – now on Rays AAA roster 

    LHP Ranger Suarez – Red Sox – signed 4/1/12 from Venezuela 

    LHP Joel Valdez – Reds – signed 9/22/18 from DR – now on Reds AAA roster 

    LHP Brandon Leibrandt – Reds – 2014 6th round draft pick – now on Reds AAA roster 

    RHP Julian Garcia – Reds – 2016 10th round draft pick – now on Reds AA roster 

    RHP Connor Seabold – Reds – 2017 3rd round draft pick – now on Reds AAA roster 

    OF Mickey Moniak – Rockies – 2016 1st round draft pick 

    RHP Eiberson Castellano – Rockies – signed 7/2/18 from VZ – on Rockies AAA roster 

    1B TJ Rumfield – Rockies – 2021 12th round draft pick – on Rockies AAA roster 

    RHP James McArthur -Royals – 2018 12th round draft pick 

    LHP Bailey Falter – Royals – 2015 5th round draft pick 

    RHP Hector Neris – Royals – signed 5/28/10 from DR – now on Royals AAA roster 

    OF Matt Vierling – Tigers – 2018 5th round draft pick 

    INF Hao Yu Lee – Tigers – signed 6/15/21 from Taiwan 

    RHP Drew Anderson – Tigers – 2012 21st round draft pick 

    OF Josueth Quinonez – Tigers – signed 1/15/24 from VZ – now on Tigers DSL roster 

    RHP Mick Abel – Twins – 2020 1st round draft pick 

    C Eduardo Tait – Twins – signed 1/15/23 – Panama – now on Twins High A roster 

    RHP Geremy Villoria – Twins – signed 1/15/25 from VZ – now on Twins DSL roster 

    LHP Tyler Gilbert – White Sox – 2015 6th round draft pick 

    INF Curtis Mead  – White Sox – signed 5/4/18 from Australia 

    RHP Seranthony Dominguez – White Sox – signed 5/31/12 from Dominican Republic

    INF William Bergolla – White Sox – signed 1/15/22 from VZ – on White Sox AA roster

    RHP Luis Pacheco – Yankees – signed 10/3/16 from VZ – on Yankees AAA roster 

    C Abrahan Gutierrez – Yankees – signed 3/6/18 from VZ – on Yankees AAA roster 

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64. So would you rather have Eugenio Suarez and whatever prospects you can get in an Alec Bohm trade for $15M or would you rather just have Alec Bohm for $10.2M?

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    1. Rather have Bohm.

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    2. agree on Bohm. Team doesn’t need another 200 strike-outs in the lineup

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       1. I’d rather have neither. Right now, Bohm adds precious little to this team but additional salary that could be used for more important needs. Sosa is at least as good of a player as Bohm, and the long-term third-baseman is probably 2-5 months from being here. And, if the team needs a utility guy while Sosa takes over at third, hey, guess what, they have that guy in Moore? That Moore acquisition is, to me, telling. It tells me they are shopping Bohm and are trying to get a decent deal before ST goes too far. They would then use the money saved on Bohm for another starter on a one (may two) year deal – this is a much better allocation of their resources in my opinion. I mean, if they keep Bohm it’s not the end of the world, but I’ll tell you this, it’s the type of thing Howie Roseman would never do, and for good reason. But this ain’t the Eagles, so here we are.

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          1. Roseman wouldn’t have offered arbitration to Bohm and let him walk. Everybody knows Bohm is not worth $10.2M.

             But I hope Bohm proves me wrong. Let him get 3+ WAR, the Phillies attach a QO offer, and Bohm goes elsewhere.

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             1. Of the top 15 selected in 2018’s draft…only three remain with their drafted club…..Mize, Bohm and Gilbert.

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             2. Of the top 15 selected in 2018’s draft…only three remain with their drafted club…..Mize, Bohm and Gilbert.

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                1. Bohm is likely not re-signing with the Phillies. Mize is probably in the same boat with the Tigers.

                   The crazy thing is that Bohm’s career WAR is 5.3 which puts him tied for 8th in the first round. In hindsight, it was a brutal draft.

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       2. Strikeouts have been a problem in the lineup and Bohm is not part of that problem as he has one of the lower K rates. Higher K rates are usually from Schwarber, Casty, Marsh, and Sosa & Kemp. I think Garcia also has a higher K rates too.

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          1. Yeah, Garcia is hovering around a 28% K rate for his career. Granted, last year was his lowest ever at 24.7%, which is only below average rather than outright bad.

             Maybe Long can help some more with that. Last year practically our entire lineup had K rates below their career averages, so it’s not impossible he’ll be able to keep it manageable.

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65. Crawford taking defensive lessons from Eric Davis this offseason. Cleaning up his first step. Good article.

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66. New discussion at

    Phillies Discussion (2/2/2026) | Phuture Phillies

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