Phillies Discussion (4/6/2026)

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Here is a new Phillies Discussion.

Apparently, I have contracted what has been dubbed “romus disease”.  I can only administer the site from my phone. 

I’ve been down for 10-14 days. Fortunately I had the previous article mostly completed and could edit and publish from my phone. 

Lengthy articles are currently not feasible on my phone. I’ll continue providing discussions with short preambles such as this one so you guys can continue to comment on the Phillies for as long as necessary/possible.

Romus, could you ask your tech guy how he fixed your problem?  If he’s okay with that could you email me his solution? I and my tech guy have tried several solutions including 3 different laptops, streaming on the TV, 3 different internet apps, 2 different service providers, and keep hanging even when I get through the front door. Please let me know either way. 

I can’t go to WordPress since I’m only an administrator and not the owner of the site.

Important Dates

  • February 16, 2026: Beginning of new waiver period (February 16 – April 24, 2026). Outright Waivers secured on or after February 16, 2026, remain in effect for 7 days or until 5 p.m. EST, April 24, 2026 (the 30th day of the 2026 season), whichever is earlier. MLR 10.
  • March 26, 2026: Active rosters reduced to 26 (13 pitchers) by Noon ET
  • March 27, 2026: Lehigh Valley season opener at home v. Toledo
  • April 2, 2026: Reading season opener at Akron
  • April 2, 2026: Clearwater season opener at Fort Myers
  • April 3, 2026: Jersey Shore season opener at Wilmington
  • July 11, 2026: 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game, Philadelphia PA
  • July 12-13, 2026: MLB First-Year Player Draft, Philadelphia PA (Phillies drop 10 slots)
  • December 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET): MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement expires.

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

270 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion (4/6/2026)”

  1. Walker has become too much of a whipping post IMO. At least he is with a few of my buddies that I text with during games. Surely I’m not here to defend his stuff or his abilities at this stage of his career but aiming any wrath towards him is tiresome.

    For starters he didn’t give himself the contract the Phillies FO did. Second he takes the ball and I believe gives his best effort. Three I don’t really hear him making any excuses or complaining about a role.

    I’m sure his purpose is simply to eat as many innings as he can in this his final year of the deal and in whatever innings limit is going to be placed upon Painter.

    If I have any displeasure over Walker’s starts its towards the FO. They should have seen it coming and did something to mitigate it during the off season.

    Especially given they had to know they weren’t going to resign Ranger and Zach would a pretty big unknown to start the year.

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    1. People should be relieved that only our sixth starter pitches like a 4/5 and that our rotation is so good and deep. His start yesterday was pretty typical of what you’d expect from a 4/5. On a good start he will throw 5-6 inning and give up 3 or 4 runs and once in a while will do a little better than that. Nothing has really changed with Walker.

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      1. Dmar/OldCatch — agreed, he’s become the easy target. I said this in the last thread, but I’ll build on it.

        On the FO,  $18M …The real issue isn’t the salary… it’s that he doesn’t profile as a major league starter anymore. The contract is just buying him time. Each start increases the likelihood of his release imho. For instance, there is 16.8M left on his contract, at 600k per start.

        IMHO, When he gives up 4 runs in the first inning, it’s not just the runs…it’s the mood it sends. The team immediately shifts to “we got hit a TON today” That’s way different than a guy who gives up 4 over 5 innings and keeps you in the game, even as the 5th/6th Starter.

        For ex: Wheeler,Sanchez there’s confidence they’ll settle in. With Walker, once it unravels early, there’s an understanding it’s not stopping.

        They’re professionals, but clubhouse psychology is real. He’s doing his best, but he’s just not a MLB caliber pitcher anymore.  The fustration from not being able to dump him is palatable.

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        1. Well your 1-4 in the LU had 16 PAs; 1Hit, 1 double that shouldn’t have been a 2B if the sun wasn’t in Moniaks eyes and a BB. Oh and 5Ks.

          That’s a lot of AAV in those 1-3 hitters. I know they will eventually get going but still…

          As an example in 2008 Kendrik went 11-9 with a 5 something ERA.

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      2. I agree, he’s exactly like a 4/5 pitcher. He’s good enough to hang around in a rotation and he’ll have some decent starts here and there. But you’re actively looking to replace him.

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    2. I think if Wheeler was healthy, then the Phillies might have tried to move Walker in the offseason to a team where he could start. As it is, Walker is the insurance policy.

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      1. Jim and Romus. Ruff teases me that all 3 of us have the Romus disease. I read all the issues Jim listed above. Here is my situation. I can access the PP site fine each time I click on it. Then the tricks begin. The last couple days when I click on either of the Continue reading link or the post link my screen goes blank and simply spins at the top forever.

        I have issues with NO other sites, so I know the issue is not my computer. Today about a half hour ago I tried and had no luck. So now thought I would try again before leaving for a while. I got in.

        So basically, I have no idea what my problem is. Ruff told me that when I have posted the posts have shown up. Because normally after I post like this I cannot get on site again.

        Jim’s problems are much more important than mine. I miss reading the posts but if I want to look at Phillies stuff I can go to the team site.

        Hopefully things get cleared up soon but no idea what my real issue is. Hi Ruff.

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  3. I’m not sure what the Brewers have going on and really what have they won but again I think about all the players a GM and a manager they had to let walk or trade because of money and they still manage to play winning baseball.

    My mind tends to wander and think what if we had that here with our budget. Or is it just easier in a city with low expectations.

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    1. The Brewers know that they can’t spend like the Phillies so they have to win in other ways.

      First, their drafting/player development is pretty good. Right now, they drafted Misiorowski in the second round. Jackson Chourio is a future star. Brice Turang is ripping it. They have always had a decent amount of CHEAP, home grown talent. It keeps salaries down and allows them to be more nimble if some of them fail.

      Second, when their players get expensive, they get shipped out. Players like Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Freddie Peralta, Corbin Burnes.

      It’s not the easiest way to compete, but they do a decent job as any. The Rays also follow this model, but they haven’t been developing players lately, so that’s why they’ve been losing.

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  4. I’m getting more concerned about Harper. Yes, it’s still early but I’m not liking what I’m seeing. He’s missing sliders and fastballs and his body language at the plate is not great. His defense is not great either.

    Alec Bohm is not playing great either but he’ll be gone next season.

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  5. When I can, I’m going to try to watch a full Gage Wood start to see just how good his breaking pitches are and how well he commands his arsenal. If he’s pitching as well as I think he might be, he will go through the system very quickly. I know I may sound like Romus, but, if he’s as good as I think he is, I would expect him to be in Reading by early to middle July at the latest. The rising fastball is reminiscent of a young Roy Oswalt (another 6 foot pitcher who threw up hill) – it’s pretty damned hard to hit. I still believe an end-of-year promotion to provide killer bullpen innings is well within the realm of possibility.

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    1. Roy Oswalt was super nasty. He threw hard, he wasn’t afraid to throw inside, and he had an assortment of off speed pitches.

      Personally I think Gage Wood going to the bullpen is remote. Why? Putting him on the 40 man would mean that he would be locked out like the other players. He wouldn’t be able to continue his development in 2027 during the lockout. If the Phillies are that dependent on Gage Wood, then their bullpen is in trouble. And the Phillies should be able to trade for an impending FA reliever.

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      1. The lockout may be a moot point for minor league development. I’ve heard that they may consider supporting the major leaguers by honoring the lockout and NOT reporting to spring training. FWIW, MLB is considering using minor league players in spring training games next season. As a ST season ticket holder, I would hope the ticket prices would be slashed to represent the talent drop off. That should be an interesting standoff if what I’ve heard is remotely true.

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        1. The minor Leaguers would be nuts, to lock themselves out. Lose a year of development for IMO. Greedy big league players.

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          1. I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Rocco. Losing a year for solidarity gives them no benefit whatsoever. Their main goal is to get to the bigs as quickly as possible and to get paid. If you sit out and let somebody else get ahead of you, you know who the Phillies will be promoting when its time.

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            1. Last summer Harper literally told Manfred to get the ‘f’ out of the locker room if he was talking a hard cap…..Harper should have thought it out more. With a hard cap would also come a higher mandatory floor….thus more of the pie will be shared by those younger players and role players and BP arms. At times BH can be impetuous in what he has to say.

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            2. Harper already got his. I think he was standing up for the next wave of big-name stars who would be affected by a hard cap. A mandatory floor won’t do anything for younger/role players who have the misfortune of playing for teams that would be up against the hard cap. The same players might not benefit from the higher floor on other teams. The cheaper teams might pay more for the middle tier of “proven” free agents rather than spend it on the young guys whom they already have control over for their first 6 years once they reach the majors.

              But my point is that Harper was sticking up for those underpaid young stars who haven’t reached free agency yet.

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          2. I almost agree with you Rocco. I would classify the owners as the greedy party. However, if we agree that there is greed on both sides, then IMO the players would be greedy on the side of capitalism and the free market while the owners are trying to artificially suppress free market activities with spending limits.

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      2. Whether they decide to keep him off the 40-man for developmental purposes is an interesting point and it’s a question about whether promoting him might interfere with his development or run him up against an innings limit. But I disagree that they are “in trouble” if an elite bullpen option appears to them in house. Lots of teams have done with their young pitchers, including Tampa with David Price. If he’s a potentially elite option in the bullpen, you’d have to give this some consideration.

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        1. Look at the Blue Jays last year. Yesavage was essentially on the same timeline as Wood could be – starting in Low A and finally dominating in the postseason. The big difference is that there are no rotation spots available for Wood (now, anyway).

          Personally, I believe the Phillies “bought” really low on Wood – little things depressed his value (his being shorter, converting from reliever with fewer inning under his belt, shoulder impingement, too many college WS innings [this concern is definitely legit]) and they were lucky he dropped to them.

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          1. The Blue Jays were desperate for healthy starters and promoting Yesavage was a calculated move that worked out.

            Ideally, the Phillies won’t need Wood if they have Sanchez, Luzardo, Nola, Painter.

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            1. Right, agreed, he won’t be a starter – but he could be a major bullpen upgrade. Would you want Jonathan Bowlan or Gage Wood to pitch in the 7th inning? No offense to Bowlan (who still has potential), but I think you’d probably want Wood. If he’s ready and hasn’t pitched too many innings, why deprive yourself of that asset? And it’s not like he’s never pitched in relief before.

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      1. Corey hosts a Phillies Podcast for PHLY and provides other Phillies content for them. He is also providing Phillies’ articles for SI.

        I have long criticized SI for their click-oriented reporting. Now at least we’ll know they have a legitimate Phillies’ baseball writer with Seidman.

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  7. Early in the season so small sample size but looks like good work by the front office in the offseason:

    (1) Crawford vs Bader (.118/.162/.235)

    (2) Not re-signing Ranger (8.64 ERA)

    (3) Garcia vs Castellanos (.188/.235/.250)

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    1. For me, these 3 moves were easy calls. Crawford needed an opportunity, Painter needed an opportunity, and Casty worn out his welcome.

      The easy calls for next season: Let Walker, Bohm, Garcia walk.

      It’s 50/50 on Alvarado.

      Sosa could be re-signed as a stopgap at 3B until Miller is ready. But I think Sosa could get a 2 year deal from somebody to start at SS/3B.

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      1. They should let Bohm walk but I’m not convinced they will. I hope I’m wrong.

        Sosa has been an exceptionally valuable and useful player for the Phillies. I think he’s a better player than Bohm but he’s been too valuable in the utility role for them to stick him at any position. I wouldn’t mind if they threw middle reliever-type money at him (2 years, $16 million) – he’d almost certainly be worth it.

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        1. I’m 80-20 that the Phillies will let Bohm walk. It’s at the same level where I expected Ranger to walk.

          There’s no doubt that Sosa wants to start. I don’t see him wanting to be a stop gap even though 2/16 is generous. It’ll come down to how much he likes the Phillies vs being a full time starter somewhere. If the Brewers offered him 2/16 and a club option to be the starter at 3B, that will be hard to turn down.

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          1. He’s going to be a great deal for someone who wants to start him. He’s played half the games (often just for an inning or two) the last two years and produced over 2.2 and 2.3 WAR those seasons – a huge value proposition.

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        2. Love Sosa but in the camp of we wouldn’t be as impressed if he played everyday.

          That said the FA class after this season is very thin on position players. Bichette could opt out and we could take another run at him but maybe that bridge was burned this past offseason.

          Corner OF is pretty weak too

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  8. Okay, I didn’t want to bring this up this early and certainly not when my access is so iffy.

    After watching the homestand, two-and-a-half games of poor offense in Colorado, and the same questionable moves (both with the lineup and bullpen), has anyone else wondered if this continues for another six weeks or so, do the Phillies move on from Thomson the way they moved on from Girardi?

    For instance, what happens if after the Dodgers’ series (game 59, May 31st) the Phillies are something like 27-32. Time to make a move? Still too early? Maybe instead of focusing on “running it back” with the same core players, maybe the problem is running it back with the same manager/coaches? Just saying.

    I know it’s early. And, I’m not advocating a dismissal, but I wonder if anyone else wonders the same thing. It’s easier to replace one manager than multiple players. I know the players all like him, but maybe that’s part of the problem. Just wondering.

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    1. Not me, I’m a huge fan of Topper. He’s not perfect (no manager is), but, to me, he’s pretty clearly the best manager they’ve had in the 33 years I’ve been following the team. I think he’s extremely good. I’m sure others will disagree, but that’s my two cents.

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      1. For many…until he gets that Ring….he will be second to Charlie. And then there are those old-timers like rocco…. from 46 years ago… there was Dallas Green. Getting that Ring means a lot.

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    2. Unless the Phillies are in the dumps (i.e 10 games under .500 at the break), any dismissal will likely happen at the end of the season, especially if the Phillies miss the playoffs or get bounced badly in the first round.

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    3. My gut says “No” for a few reasons (likability, player accountability, Harper’s say, solidarity) It is an interesting question though. I can see it, but it’s 65-No/35-yes% at this point. You gotta kind of factor in the NL East race (however it unfolds) & the juggernaut that are the. Dodgers

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    4. I’m neutral but if a dismissal were to occur I think it would come with changes in the FO first. I think it would signal its time to plan for the next “so called rebuild”

      Thomson for his part has been really good because of the talent he’s had on the field and when he’s been not so good I think its because of the lack of talent he may of had in the BP.

      Ultimately I ask myself if another manager could have got more out of what Topper had/has and I answer probably not.

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    6. you can only let topper go if the bottom falls out. This clubhouse would revolt if they fire him. This is not a Girardi situation. Topper can be irritating sometimes with pen decisions but I am pretty sure he is considered a top ten mlb manager by those around baseball. Those aren’t easy to find.

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    7. Jim. I do think you may be on the right path. I mentioned to Ruff other day this team to this point reminds me of the past couple seasons. Big high points and many low points. Things may change but Phillies are sending out many of the same guy’s game after game. I have not seen every game like many of you, but I did enjoy watching the energy Sosa provided last week in the comeback win over the Nats. Seems to me this is missing a lot of the time. Energy.

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  11. And Painter’s start is over and it was brutal. First inning, he starts pumping fastballs and some sliders and he was a bit wild. Really, the only pitch he could maybe throw for a strike was his slider and it’s only an average pitch. He couldn’t throw a quality changeup, I don’t think he threw that many curveballs. He started throwing some sweepers and even some splitters, but they were only average and he couldn’t consistently throw them for strikes. Essentially, he was wild with all his pitches and he really couldn’t throw his changeup and curveball for strikes. So he was pumping his fastball all over the place and mixing in a non-fastball that usually wasn’t a strike. Painter got saved by some good plays by Trea and a bad swing by Chapman on a ball that was clearly outside. I know it’s only his second start but he had no feel today at all.

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    2. I’ve always thought that Painter and his year would be a work in progress. My hope is that, if he starts the year as a 3/4, maybe he can end it as a 2/3 – that would be tremendous.

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    3. FL kid right… not easy to grip the ball the same in SF/Philly cold weather.. hopefully with the warm comes some better action… think Garcia had his winter gear on again right… didn’t check game time temp but if it was sub 50 degrees i’m not shocked at the results… think his philly game was warm right 7’s… just something to consider… right?

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      1. watching him reach for that slow grounder while almost falling over was delightful though.. don’t ruin my funny moments by overweight fellas on the field

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  13. Kerkering is supposed to be activated for tonight’s game. I believe Backhus is the only bullpen reliever that has minor league options…

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  14. How volatile are relievers? Our old friend Jordan Romano is closing for the Angels and he has 4 saves. He also hasn’t given up a run. More surprisingly, he hasn’t given up a hit in 5 innings!

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    1. Technically Romano blew a save… when another old buddy JP Crawford was ROBBED of a homerun by Addell(SP?) for, his 3rd of game. If I was a mariners’ player or fan I would have been pissed!

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        1. the look on Crawford’s face was priceless. Dude was in shock. I would be having a mental temper tantrum! Imagine if that was a playoff game? Ofer steals 3 hrs and your team loses 1-0. Epic.

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    2. When I first read this, I thought I saw JC Romero and thought he’s been good enough that the Phillies tried to trade for him the last two deadlines. Then the fog cleared and I saw Romano. Wow, what a turn around. Could it be that although he’s pitching in a closing role, he’s on a team with much lower expectations? Easier to pitch on a small stage with no lights than on a big stage with world series expectations?

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  15. 2 topics:

    1 – this “Elite” conversation is already nauseating. Harper has 1 game… Phillies website is saying he’s back to “elite” status. You know what is “elite” … Harper’s post season stats. I’m good with his regular season. Get intot he playoffs, and let him do his thing. Harper & Danny Briere (different sport) just turn it on in the playoffs. Let it go. Regular season stats are “whatever” until the team wins a ring

    2- What does everyone think of Duran? I’m not saying I get Mitch Williams vibes,but for me personally, he hasn’t given me the shutdown closer vibe. At least what I felt like we were sold on. Could be wrong, im catching games here and there so far.

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    1. I was at the 2nd game that went extras and of course I watch almost every game. He has a strange knack for giving up hits on very weak contact.

      But so far his WHIP is a measly .88 with only 1 BB and 7 Ks in 5.2 IP.

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    2. Duran is not unhittable, but he’s pretty unflappable, reliable and very good. He also seems to be working on various pitches, so he has more upside. I’ve watched baseball for a long time and many things you used to hear about (the importance of RBIs, etc. . . ) have been debunked through use of analytics, but one thing that, to me, is pretty clear is that you really need a reliable closer and a bullpen by committee is almost always doomed to failure. If you don’t have a closer, your bullpen never works properly – it just doesn’t. Duran is a reliable closer and, while not a complete shut down guy, he’s awfully good and I hope they keep him around.

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      1. glad they got somebody better then the street fighter move dude from the year before but their closers have shit the bed here each october… so not sold on duran but he has the “stuff”… seems erratic with it though sometimes.. though he doesn’t walk many, i’m not sure i’m comfortable yet with him would have preferred they went and got MM.. he’s wasting his time with SD

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    1. Rumfield’s career minor league OPS is .796, so he’s hitting way above his weight. It doesn’t look sustainable and he’s turning 26 next month so he’s on the older side. But if he can produce for the Rockies, good for him.

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  18. 10 games in, Realmuto leading all Phillies position players in WAR (+0.4) and with an OPS+ of 126 (26% better than league average), just like everyone on this site predicted 😉

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    1. Let’s be clear, while we can argue if the Phillies overpaid Realmuto (they did) and whether they should have done that, they did it for the express purpose of getting his defensive abilities, including his management of the pitching staff and game calling and, in his defense, he seems to be really good at these things – probably a plus 2 defensive player (for now anyway). Anything he gives them on offense above league average is a plus at this point and his contract is priced that way. It’s not a coincidence that he’s batting 8th.

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      1. Marchan has caught 2 of the first 10 games, I think, and that, combined with days off in the schedule has helped. As long as JT doesn’t play too much, he’s fine.

        Topper’s acquiescence to JT insisting he play as much as he did 10 years ago is my single biggest gripe with the manager.

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      2. I agree that Realmuto has defensive and pitcher handling skills that make him invaluable. However, he wasn’t signed for the express purpose of retaining those skills. He had been told the Phillies were moving in a different direction with the Bichette signing and a Bohm trade for an AL Central catcher to be the starter. When Bichette backed out, the Phillies didn’t follow through with the contingent Bohm trade and circled back to Realmuto who took advantage of the situation and got his 15 per for 3 years plus incentives.

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        1. Guessing the C was Jeffers from Min? Maybe Quero from Chisox. Bohm alone couldn’t get the Teel’s and Jensen’s of the world

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          1. Honestly, I don’t remember. It wasn’t even necessaily the AL Central. I just picked a diviaion to avoid any speculation about the young catcher from Baltimore who was NOT mentioned. He I would have remembered. The point wasn’t necessarily the “who” but rather that the Phillies were ready to move on from Realmuto if they paid for Bichette.

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    3. Ha! Well in fairness, everything prediction was predicated on Bichette over Realmuto. The whole “not running it back” argument.

      It’s coming up roses right now. The Phillies might have really dodged a 10 yr, 27mil contract. The NY media is already questioning if Bichette is a full time DH, his defense is that bad at 3B. We see Devers at 1B. With the way Garica & Crawford have added to the lineup, add Bichette’s bat (wouldve been nice) but his 3B defense is atrocious apparently.

      Another point. I thought the ABS strikezone would render Realmuto’s defensive value, but it actual seems to IMPROVE it. He likely is in the top % of challenges, throwing out runners, and his game calling… Realmuto is likely worth THIS contract as well. Getting a challenge call correct is a BIG win for the pitching staff.

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      1. Bichette would have been another classic “far too long” DD contract for a position player – we likely dodged a bullet there. That said, he should be a perfectly good player for the Mets for 3 years – it’s still early.

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        1. Glad we didn’t get the chubbster.. not sure why everyone wanted him here besides it was a change of face… way to save the phils from themselves Bo!

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          1. Yeah, I’ve always thought that where teams get in trouble is not paying star money for star players, it’s paying star money for good or worse players. Bichette is good, he’s not a star – and he’s not someone you want for 10 years for goodness sakes – 3 might be an overpay, but there’s no long term liability.

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    1. Harper is in the eighth year of his 13-yr, $330M. This contract will expire at the end of the 2031 season. The thing is, Harper will be 38 when his contract is up. It was expected to be a lifetime contract of sorts for Harper. Most MLB players do not play into their 40’s, especially when they debuted at 19. However, it seems Harper wants to keep playing past his current contract.

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    4. Haha of course he does. At the time he thought he might be the first player to break $500 million.

      He’s been great for this city but he does have a history of saying some whacky things.

      I don’t rule it out completely because JM hitched his wagon to Harper and it paid off in spades with attendance.

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      1. Agreed……I think DD and Middleton will seriously consider a 2 or 3 year extension. Boras puts them in a bad situation….if they say we will cross that bridge when we get to it in 3 or 4 years, Harper may not like that approach. So many factors athis age may dictate that it cannot be done….health and age regression as two,

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        1. But then they immediately implode and become one of the worst teams in baseball for the better part of a decade.Jokes aside, I’d tell Harper we need to wait to see what the next CBA brings and what our financials are going to look like in a few years before we can even think about crossing that bridge.

          I’m not inherently against re-upping a future HOF so he can play the rest of his career here. But it IS contingent on being able to find a spot for him on the roster as well as making the financial side work. We can’t be paying a pinch hitter $25M a year. If he’d take a handshake agreement to go year-to-year, or a contract that is basically ENTIRELY performance escalators, I’d say yes on the spot. But something tells me he wants more guaranteed money…

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    5. I wonder if he truly wants an extension, or just more value market value… aka Money. I would think after seeing these insane contracts, he thinks he’s very underpaid. So if you just redo his current deal and bump him to 35mil per year to match Schwarber? This to me is possible…as almost all the contracts that have been signed after Harper are at or below his AAV. I think Schwarber may have pushed that.

      The 2nd thing I’d say is… he likely maybe sweating a ring with this group and wants to be around for the next way, and go out like Biggo & Bagwell in Hou or all the recent STL greats. I think he just wants to ensure he’s playing the odds PHI gets a ring, and he is here for it. Or.. maybe there is a stat he is chasing that he is mum on… thinks he needs a few extra years 🤷‍♂️

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      2. Personally, Vegas gets a team in two years with a brand new stadium…smallish as it is….but it will be Vegas new for sure with all the bells and whistles Vegas is noted for….the new ballpark is a $2B, 33,000-seat, climate-controlled stadium under construction on the former Tropicana hotel site on the Strip, scheduled to open for the 2028 MLB season. Designed in an “armadillo”-inspired venue which will feature a sweeping roof and massive glass windows looking out to the Strip, wallah …..Harper is a Vegas guy, I’d trade him to the team, even with the extension he may, or may not get.

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        1. I would like that option, I can even see sending the whole right side of the infield to Vegas ……. yep on a clear day you can see forever!

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        2. Not sure Harper really cares about playing for Vegas. He’d probably rather be known as a guy that brought a championship back to a storied franchise.

          But side note, rather than, “wallah” it’s, “voila” or, “et voila.” A phrase we stole from the French, basically meaning, “there we are.” Just a little fun fact.

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          1. I’d be extremely surprised, with his wealth and his parents living in LV if he didn’t own some type of home or condo there so he can easily come and go and feel at home. That said, I understand that he lives in Haddonfield during the season and in Knoxville in the offseaon where he has made his permanent home – if media reports are to be believed.

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            1. Assume his wife’s family and his may still be in the Vegas area….she is from Henderson NV which is right outside the city limits of Vegas. And yes I had heard they are in Tenn at one of their residences. They also had a place outside Vegas when Middleton flew out there to meet with them and Boras 7 years ago to make the Phillies offer..

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  20. any extension is contingent on postseason wins and individual performance. Team makes it past Dodgers and Harper is a big reason why? Extension possible. Team wins World Series and Harper is a big reason why? Extension certain.

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  21. Didn’t think much of Rob’s lineup last evening. I think he gets the same productivity with the other guys. FWIW, they should have left Moore exercise his option. Sanchez didn’t bring his best, but it was good enough to win if you hit. Errors hurt

    Get them today!

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    1. For sure, Kemp missed a catchable ball for most decent LFers. It makes you appreciate the OF defense from when they first started this run to now.

      Garcia, has been nice to watch in the OF, its refreshing to remember.. “O yeah, that is a catchable ball” for my RFers after watching years of Casty out there. That said, he had a bad route on Kerkering’s Triple he gave up. Casty wouldve ran for the corner immediately since he’d know there’s no shot he’s catching it

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      1. I have doubts that Kemp will able to stay long term at LF. His first move doesn’t look good, and he’s not athletic enough to recover. He’s an infielder playing in the OF and it shows.

        Marsh I think catches that ball.

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        1. Agree, Kemp isn’t looking real good so, far. He has good speed, but his reaction time to the play is not. Conundrum is where do you play him and how do you get him game time without playing him? Actually, I haven’t seen him in a position that he really looks comfortable, even in the infield.

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          1. Kemp’s best position is probably 3B but I don’t think he’ll be able to handle it. He’s probably best suited for 1B/DH. If Kemp doesn’t adapt to LF quickly or significantly improve his glovework, he won’t last long as a bench player.

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  22. 6 runs only 2 earned and 0-6 with RISP sounds like a bad night.

    I don’t recall what our record was on get away days last season but I don’t recall it being good.

    Turner should be batting 2 or 3 not LO. He doesn’t see enough pitches IMO. Topper is afraid to stack lefties Crawford and whomever Harper/Schwarber.

    Easy fix bat Crawford 8 and whoever is catching 9. Oh yeah that puts Marsh/Crawford back to back. Easy for the opposing manager to bring in the lefty BP guy late in games and if you PH for Marsh you weaken your defense.

    What a pickle LOL

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    1. I do not know why I always thought Turner would be an ideal LO hitter….you are correct…he is a free swinger, sees few pitches and takes fewer BBs. Nori and/or Crawford would appear to be the guys for the future to put there. I miss the Ashburn/Dykstra/Carew type LO hitter.

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  23. By the way, although Crawford is very fast and might ultimately be a plus outfielder, he isn’t now. I’ve seen him miss a ton of catchable balls. So right now, no, he’s not a 70 defender and he’s probably not even a 55 defender in center. Baseball reference has him as a negative .20 so far, and that matches the eye test. Just saying. Maybe by the end of the year, with the work I’m sure they’ll do with him, he’ll be above average, but he’s not now – he’s average at best.

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    1. Crawford is definitely a work in progress in CF. I think he’ll eventually get better, but for now, we’ll have to live with the eventual misses in CF.

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    2. I’m skeptical of your claim ……. that’s approximately 6,400 baseballs you have seen him miss and they were all catcheable…….. seems far fetched to me!

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      1. That’s funny. Amaro uses “a ton of …” a lot. Every time he does, I ask my wife how much pressure is in a ton or how many missed calls are in a ton or whatever he just attached to a ton. Then I mutter “Stanford grad” under my breath. I think my wife eventually tunes me out during Amaro broadcasts.

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      2. Haha – okay, watch the games and draw your own conclusions, but so far, what I’ve seen in terms of his route running and balls skills in the outfield have not been great. But he’s fast and a very good athlete so if he works at it, maybe he will improve a lot but so far, not impressed with his outfield work (but have been pretty impressed with his bat to ball skills as a hitter).

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      3. Okay, okay, but seriously, I’ve seen the routes he’s run and I’ve watched him struggle with his outfield ball skills – and I don’t think I’m exaggerating the issues he has in the outfield. Of course he might improve – perhaps even a lot, but I’m not seeing the elite glove we were promised – at least not yet.

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        1. 😉…… perhaps a call to the “Secretary of Defense” for a mentoring “gig” would be in order. What do you think?

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  24. Currently, the top 3 worst defenders according to BR for the Phillies are Harper, Kemp, Crawford.

    We’ve already talked about Kemp and Crawford. I previously ragged about Devers but Harper hasn’t been great either. Harper’s range seems to have declined more this season. Harper is rapidly becoming DH only.

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    1. Few here probably remember but I saw Crawford and Miller a few seasons back at LKW and reported my initial impressions of JC in CF.

      Which were he didn’t have the natural reads I typically see when I spot great OFs. Especially on balls over his head. IMO that’s not something you can teach.

      I thought he would need to play a little deeper to account for that. He may be a bit better coming in on balls rather than going back.

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    2. Harper was not very good in the WBC on some throws that I thought a good 1B would make. Some guys are really good at bad throws and some not so much. It had seemed that Harper had improved in that area.

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    1. Davey Lopes had an amazing major league career – there was nobody quite like him. He didn’t become a big league regular until his age 28 season and then went on to play another 15 years or so and was really good almost all of that time and darn well near great in many of those years. He did every little thing well – played good defense, drew walks, hit for a decent amount of power, stole bases with a ridiculously high percentage rate of success and became the best baserunning coach I’ve ever seen, bar none. Loved that guy.

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    1. The bats have a bad case of the malaise. When they return home from the road trip, schedule the commissioner to come into the locker room and start talkig about a hard cap. That will get the juice’s going.

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  29. I know we gonna wanna launch Nola out in to Mcvoey cove (whatever it is)

    Ironically .. Devers it off a 94mph FB per the tracker. How accurate do we think that is? Was he hitting 93/94 at all in the game? It’s a decent sign id he is hitting 94 mph in the 6th… better without the 3run hr. Doesn’t really matter when your team hasn’t scored a run in 18+ innnings

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    1. One good thing about Deever’s homer is that we didn’t have to watch an outfielder try to catch the ball.

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  30. Wheeler’s velocity really concerns me. He was 91-93 yesterday. Sure he can carve up minor leaguers but that won’t get it done in the show. I don’t know the expectations of a player returning from this injury to know if he is ahead of or behind schedule. But there is a big gap between where he is and where he needs to be to be an ace.

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    2. Merrill Kelly was one success story I could find after the surgery for Zach was announced. He was a tad younger when he had it but timing was very close in the year 2020.

      He made 5 starts the following year in March/April with a 6.33 ERA. It improved May/June/July and August but crept back up in September. But again he was 32 at that time. He followed that season with a bunch of good ones.

      Zach at 35 going on 36 has to be a concern.

      That said if the hitting cannot right itself well…

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  31. Thomson says there will be batting-order changes. I would guess that means swapping Bohm/Stott for Garcia/Marsh. I wonder if time is running out for Bohm, possibly Stott too. If only Miller were healthy.

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    1. They both had really solid springs too which goes to show never trust what you see in Spring Training.

      Ultimately Mahle owned them all on that split. Not sure how many K’s and weak contact he got on balls down and fading away but it was a lot.

      You have to approach that split the same way as a knuckle ball which is if its low let it go. They just kept swinging at it.

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  32. I’m a huge Rob Thomson fan and don’t blame him for the team’s hitting woes, but on Aaron Nola . . . I mean, come on. How many times do we have to see the same bad movie? Once Nola hits the 6th inning (and, sometimes even the 5th inning), he needs to be on a short leash – if two runners get on, he needs to be pulled or he will almost certainly give up a big home run. This has been the same bad script for the last 6 years or so. And it doesn’t matter how well he has pitched up to that point. Lifting him in these situations is a necessity and will help both Nola and the team.

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    1. Once a batter sees Nola for the third time its curtains.

      Only the very good or ace pitchers can get away with seeing a batter for the third and/or fourth time and still get away with it.

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      1. I guess you can’t say it’s all moot because we couldn’t even manage to put a run across the plate. But Nola really labored that inning and if not for a great challenge on Chapman it could have been worse.

        That said a lefty or anything different from Nola to face Devers was the right call.

        A part of me also can’t help but think something is off in the clubhouse and could that be the mere presence of Mattingly…

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    2. Seeing Nola pitch 2 innings against the dodgers last october and hitting 95, and then seeing him in the WBC, I would tell him to air it out for 5 innings. That’s it. and if you go 4 2/3, zero runs, 8 K’s, then so be it.

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  33. I have been super hard on Nola for awhile now, even in his more successful seasons he has always been infuriating to watch with how he unravels after a mistake or a walk, and how he hangs meatballs to non-power hitters. Having said that, hes looked great this year.

    You can say all you want that he should have been pulled, and at the very least Banks should have faced Devers, but in the end of the day, sign me up for 6ip 3er every time from Nola. This is on the offense. For the 900th time since 2021, they are in a collective slump and nobody can it. Its nothing short of infuriating. But thats what you get when you keep “running it back” despite the stars getting older and the once promising young players showing that they are what they are and wont magically get better in their late 20s

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    1. Yes, 3 ER and 6 innings isn’t horrible – but the Nola unraveling in mid-late innings scenario is predictable so it was definitely worse than it needed to be. I just think that, when he gets a little tired his command suffers. Nola has a lot of movement and okay velocity, but when he gets tired, he loses his command and hangs pitches he can be very hittable for major league hitters. Leaving him in when he starts to struggle does nobody any favors.

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      3. I would think by seasons end he finishes in Reading and pitches the lion’s share of his 2026 Innings there. But yes absolutely JS is next stop.

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          1. The breaking stuff can be filthy and the fastball is also a dominant pitch. I’d say he’ll probably be at JS in a few weeks. He could pitch fine in Reading now but I like that they are just having him work on his stuff and not rushing him. If he were 2-3 inches taller and had some history as a starter, he would have been a top 10 pick (big league scouts don’t like shorter power pitchers, and there’s good reason for this – they tend to burnout earlier – but Wood pitches with his legs so he may be the exception to the rule).

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          2. I’m impressed with what I just saw. He has a good slider, his curveball has some break, he had command.

            The issue now is how many innings Wood will get this season. Painter had 38 innings before he moved up to JS, but Wood has been mowing down people. I’m guessing at least 20-25 innings before he gets bumped up.

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            1. But Gage Wood is a far more experienced and older pitcher than Painter was in his first year in the minors so it’s natural he would be promoted more quickly. I expect Wood to be in Reading well before the end of the year.

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  36. D-Backs coming in hot. 7-3 in their L10 7-6 overall.

    Braves tied with LAD for best run diff at +34 so that is something to keep an eye on.

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  37. In previous seasons, I’ve called for Thomson to be a little more pro-active in riding the hot hand. Whether that was letting Sosa get some more starts, letting Marsh hit against some lefties, or moving guys up in the order when they’re on a hot streak.

    I’m happy to see that he didn’t wait too long to try something this year. Swapping Marsh and Bohm in the order is a good move until Bohm starts finding holes in the defense. I’d probably still have Stott hit after Garcia, though.

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  38. That loss was hard to stomach. Luzardo was rolling and then he couldn’t throw strikes.

    I’m going to be happy when I don’t have to see Bohm in a Phillies uniform anymore. Aidan Miller needs to get healthy.

    And Dante Nori better be untouchable in any potential trades.

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  39. Before the gallows is erected can someone tell me whether Gillispie is someone we need to watch. He is 3 — 0 with an ERA of .000. I don’t know how many innings are in that body of work, but he had 6 last night according to the e boxscore.

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    1. Gillispie is already 28 and he’s depth at Lehigh. His major league career consists of 34 innings (6 starts) the last 2 years. Maybe Gillespie gets lucky and he gets some spot starts due to injuries. Or he goes into the bullpen as the long man. Or best case, the Phillies flip him for a team’s 15-30 prospect. A few years ago, the Phillies traded away Oliver Dunn (who was ripping AA) for some prospects.

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  40. If Moises Chace didn’t get TJ, I wonder if Luzardo would have got his extension. The hope is that Chace pitches again this season, and then builds himself up in 2027 (if there’s a short lockout since he’s on the 40 man). He could theoretically be ready to look for a rotation spot in 2028 at age 24, when Wheeler is gone. I’m also expecting Gage Wood (will be age 24) to be ready for 2028.

    2028 rotation: Sanchez, Luzardo, Nola, Painter, Wood/Chace

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  42. Boy, can Crawford run. Pop-up barely half-way down the left field line and he makes it to 2nd relatively easily. The triple last night was fun.

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  44. No, Moffo – TyWIN is just getting started. Two runs in the first was business as usual. Then Walker threw 4 scoreless after that. But this team is going to struggle if they are only going to get 5 hits.

    Homers are nice like last night with Marsh and this afternoon with Schwarber and Harper but sooner or later they are going to need to string together some hits to win games. Hopefully, sooner.

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    1. I have to give Walker some credit. He could have easily imploded after the 1st inning. He found his 2 seamer and he used it to get the outs he needed.

      But you’re right, 5 hits won’t get it done. Bohm and Turner are messes right now. Stott is close to turning it around.

      Justin Crawford is 8th in average in all of baseball.

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        1. No thanks – that’s a pretty big overpay for Edwards.

          Get well soon, Aidan Miller – I suspect he’s the piece they are missing, but will he develop enough for them to use him this year? Every week that goes by makes it look less and less likely.

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            1. Well, as much as you would like to replace him, the catcher isn’t going anywhere and the second baseman probably isn’t either. So that leaves third base (Bohm is very replaceable) and the one of the outfield spots because Marsh is an above-average left fielder and platoon hitter and I think they will figure out the right-hand part of the platoon. To me, that leaves third base and right field up in the air unless Garcia really starts hitting and I’ve been skeptical about that all along. I’d love Miller to get back and become a mid-year replacement somewhere. I think this year, when we hit the trade deadline, DD will finally add a legit bat, or so I’m hoping.

              But listen, no doubt that this team’s biggest problem, by far and away, is the hitting and if something doesn’t develop or change, they will be bounced from the playoffs yet again because they didn’t hit enough. We are on the same page there.

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  48. Painter having a migraine just put the bullpen in a bind, especially since Walker only went 5 innings yesterday.

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  49. i’ll tell you what Mr. painter has a major league curveball and a major league slider. In fact his secondaries are outstanding when this kid learns to command that fastball we’re looking at a future race

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  50. Get sick and tired of watching the “Elite one” trying to stretch the envelope on something that isn’t there. The guy covering 2nd was filing his nails when Harper slid into 2nd.

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      1. Romus ……… I got a feeling that Dusty’s opinion is of no consequence when the “Elite one” is on the basepaths. As was the case innings later at 3rd ….. when he didn’t need to go on contact. There were no outs, wasn’t being forced ….. no just wanted the limelight, I think!

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  52. The Phillies had 1st and 3rd with nobody out TWICE and couldn’t score a run. The hitting is so bad, it’s crazy. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Crawford needs to move up in the hitting order.

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    1. It doesn’t do any good to have 1rst & 3rd nobody out if you are going to commit stupid base running blunders. Harper had 2 today and I’m not sure what if Marsh just got caught on a hit and run, but it looked like a straight steal to me.

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      1. I’m actually guessing hit-and-run because the pitch was way inside AND coming from a righty side-armer. That ball had to look like it was going to hit him the entire time he was swinging, but he still took a hack at it.

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    3. I think this is correct. We have only scored in 4 of the last 36 innings.

      This is what happens when you are HR happy. Team is anemic. I move Crawford to leadoff and sit Bohm for Kemp.

      This is an 85 win team at best

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  53. Alvarado is really stinking it up, isn’t he? Could being on ‘roids made him that good before when now he’s bad without them? Looks like he won’t see too many more high stress innings for awhile. They’ll probably replace him with Mayza for now.

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    1. will have to monitor. Did he look good to you last year when he returned? I thought he was fine…. Maybe it’s the weight he’s carrying around? 🙂 Kidding aside, i think he may have to tweak something. He’s been a top level/near top level reliever for a while. People have a good book on him by now.

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    2. The issue with Alvarado is he’s very wild and now with the ABS challenge, his close strikes are more often balls. It’s not a coincidence that his walk rate has jumped to 5.4.

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  54. I am looking at our minor league teams. Question can they play and collect there pension. At same time? There really old guys pitching for us. Harper to right field Reyes to first

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  55. Colorado Rockies have a rookie first baseman named TJ Rumfield. TJ was drafted by the Phillies in the 12th round out of Virginia Tech in 2021.

    That following winter he was traded to the Yankees for Nick Nelson. He worked his way through the Yankee’s minor leagues and was traded last year to the Rockies. He got called up and is raking so far. In his first 16 games as a rookie his batting line is .308/.362/.481/.843. He is a left handed hitting first baseman.

    Not sure what his ceiling is, but great to see a 12th round pick make the majors and contribute.

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  57. Cubs coming to town with many of the same struggles we are experiencing. 5-5 in their L10 as are we. Only difference really is their run diff is +10 ours is negative 16.

    Our team OPS rank is 19; team pitching by ERA we are 24. Conversely the Braves are 3 in OPS and Numero Uno as a Pitching staff.

    In the FWIW category…

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    1. The team OPS is now .673. We all know who the culprits are: Stott and Bohm. And Garcia is in a heavy slump.

      I predicted that the starting rotation was going to be slightly worse than last year and that has largely held up so far.

      Outside of Alvarado, the bullpen has been excellent. If Kerkering wasn’t injured, I think Mayza doesn’t make the team. But Mayza has been lights out. Again this shows the volatility of relievers.

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      1. I agree with your point above regarding the ABS. It definitely has by all metrics shrunk the strike zone. Certain teams or players are doing a better job as hitters with that as a back drop.

        Unfortunately I’m not sure our hitters have picked up on this trait just yet as they still appear to be swinging at everything.

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  58. Painter had his off speed pitches working and lo and behold, he had a good start. He’s not Wheeler/Skenes/Skubal where they will work off their fastball. Painter’s fastball is more of a complement than a primary weapon. I think Painter is more like Max Scherzer (which is still pretty good), where Max can easily throw you 3 non-fastballs to strike you out.

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    1. Interesting. I think all of his stuff, including the fastball, is under development. I saw a spring training start where he did all kinds of neat and funky stuff with the fastball, including making it rise and making it move laterally. I haven’t really seen that in the first few starts of the year, but it could be part of what he does going forward. But the development of his off-speed pitches has been eye opening. I never expect to see a 23 year-old with that many effective pitches and, when I was watching, I also thought of Max Scherzer.

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        1. The Phillies would kill for 40 WAR. I believe the only home grown pitcher in the last 50 years that accumulated 40+ WAR for the Phillies is Cole Hamels. Aaron Nola will eventually get there.

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  59. There’s no doubt that Mason Miller has been lights out but the Padres trading Leo De Vries has the potential to be an all time blunder. De Vries, ranked #4 on pipeline, is 19 and he’s already slashing .333/.429/.528 at AA. To put that into perspective, Derek Jeter at age 19 was in low A and had a .770 OPS.

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    1. The Padres produce more prospects than anyone and essentially trade them all away ever year. Works like a charm, except if you want to win the WS. I literally could not be a Padres fan – even if I lived in San Diego – they would break my heart every year and I wouldn’t be able to take it.

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      1. That is how AJ Preller rolls. Drafts well, has good international signings, except Japanese players it appears, and then proceeds to distribute the prospects to the highest bidder. IMO, the fans of SD are to be admired.

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        1. It’s the world balancing out the fact that they get to live in San Diego. You can’t have perfect weather, great craft beer, AND a World Championship baseball team. It just wouldn’t be fair.

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  62. rocco,,,,Phillies exploded for 13 runs…that brings up their average runs scored considerably. The next two they probably will get one run apiece, that will bring them back to their mean.

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    1. baseball is strange. on a night when everyone in the starting LU records a hit JC goes 0-5 lol

      What is the +/- on Phillies runs tonight and I’ll take the under…

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  63. Well, last night we got a glimpse of what a guy looks like who throws 97-99 MPH, has a straight fastball, poor control (let alone command) and very average-ish breaking pitches – hello Seth Johnson. That said, not a lot of guys throw that hard and so I haven’t given up on him, but he has a lot of work to do before he can be a functional major league pitcher. Fortunately, for him, he’ll be working with the best pitching coach in the majors who took a mediocre minor leaguer like Sanchez and turned him into a Cy Young candidate. I’m obviously not suggesting he can do the same for Johnson, only that he’s the guy you’d want to be working with Johnson.

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    1. Out of nowhere, Seth Johnson gets a golden opportunity (probably because Max Lazar is hurt) and pretty much blows it. I don’t think he can repeat his delivery consistently. He should be the long man and he’ll likely stay in the bigs until he’s needed again, but if he starts walking guys again, he’s gone.

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    2. And a funny thing about Sanchez. Having watched him give up a 11 hits in his prior start and struggling a little in this most start with control, without looking at his stats I was sort of under the impression that he was off to a mediocre start to his year, but he’s not. Operating at far from peak efficiency (for him), he’s 2-1 with a 2 ERA and has accumulated 1.2 WAR which leads the league! And, seriously, he’s really not at his peak – I’ve seen him pitch a lot better. My God what a great pitcher he has turned into.

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      1. Sanchez has been pretty good but his command with his changeup has been a concern. His current walk rate of 2.8 would be his highest since 2022.

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        1. Well, yeah, that’s my point – he’s not even close to being at his best and he has still accumulated the most pitching WAR in the NL. That’s amazing.

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  64. I have been reading both here and in the media that there are calls for the Phillies to consider signing Justin Crawford to a long-term contract. Listen, I like Justin Crawford a lot, but, to me, he just does not have the profile that makes a long-term big dollar contract a sound investment. You sign position players to long term contracts if you think they profile to be superstars or at least big time stars with the intention of paying good money to avoid paying ridiculous money later. Justin Crawford does not currently profile to be a big star. He profiles to be a first division regular if things work out well. Also, players with his skillset tend not to age particularly well after their early 30s. Most importantly, players with his skill set generally do not get really big contracts – and one of the only players who did, was his dad, and that turned out to be a terrible contract. So, at least for now, I’m certainly not giving Crawford a big dollar long-term deal – but if his development takes an unexpected turn, maybe I’d consider it in a year or two, but certainly not now unless it’s an absolute steal (like the first Sanchez contract was). And, again, I like Crawford – quite a bit actually – but I’m keeping my powder dry on a big deal for him if I’m the Phillies.

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      1. Agree completely that it’s crazy talk, but it’s being heard all around, including on NBC Sports Philadelphia. I’m not making up the buzz on this. If all goes well, the player you’d most likely target for an early contract would be Miller – but that’s nowhere near being on the table now.

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        1. Just saw the article on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

          There’s no guarantee that Crawford will develop the power required to be elite. We need Crawford to be more like Shane Victorino and not Juan Pierre and he’s not showing that yet. So the Phillies should definitely wait on giving him a long term deal.

          As for Painter, there’s always the injury risk when it comes to pitchers and he’s coming off TJ. It’s not a surprise that most long term deals are NOT for pitchers. And this point is likely moot anyways with Boras being Painter’s agent.

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          1. If not for the planned lock-out, the LTC discussions for Crawford and Painter would not be happening.

            Apparently the owners more or less have already decided baseball in 2027 will not be occurring or significantly delayed, AND the financial aspects of contracts and the threshold /cap will be affected by whatever is decided, I can see the reasoning behind offering a LTC to Crawford.

            Painter and pitchers I’d hold off. Crawford I’d do it, buy ut the six and add two or maybe even three. Whatever happens in the CBA finalization that would affect his contract, would fall under a grandfather ruling.

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            2. I struggle to see why the lockout would incentivize a team to sign Crawford (as opposed to some other player, like Paul Skenes or Gunnar Henderson) to a long-term deal. As I see it, the lockout is probably going to end with the big clubs having even less money (relatively speaking) to spend on salary so I get why you would want to tie down a future superstar to a reasonable contract (which is why the Sanchez and Luzardo contracts make so much sense – those guys are either stars or have star potential), but you wouldn’t want to tie yourself up to long-term expensive deals for guys who are not stars, but only good to very good players. I don’t view Justin Crawford as a likely future star (although I do think he could be a very good player – perhaps a 3-5 WAR guy on a given year), so I don’t see why you’d rush to give him that money and tie up your even more limited payroll. As for Painter, I agree with Guru that Boras isn’t going to be encouraging him to sign a long-term deal even if the Phillies wanted to do that (which they might).

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  65. If there’s a pitcher who should get traded by the break, it’s Jose Soriano. The Angels are not going anywhere and they really need the talent infusion. Zach Neto is a star and I would consider giving him a long term deal. But everybody else needs to go, including Mike Trout. Man, I would not want to the GM of the Angels. This roster is awful.

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    1. The Angels are just a terrible, dumpster fire type of franchise. I mean, when you have Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani at the peak of their abilities and you still can’t make even the playoffs, that’s a huge indictment on the entire organization.

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      1. It’s tough to run a franchise where the owner will pay for big names, but ONLY for that. And I do mean only. This is the franchise that wouldn’t put an AC in the weight room. During the summer. In Anaheim, California.

        It’s also the organization that had to be publicly shamed into financially helping a prospect of theirs that was in a serious car accident (as a passenger, even, so it’s not even because it was, “his fault”).

        There’s a lot of awful owners in sports, but Arte Moreno is on the short list of the very worst ones. I often struggle to decide if I hate him or Fisher more.

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  66. Rocco ………. Sergio has a Driver you can have actually used in the Masters, some nostalgia for you ……….. not sure on the head of the club?

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    1. oldruff I don’t know if it’s true. Ut don is still selling Easter plants in Indiana same. Be can’t post, too busy 😔

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    2. The FCL and DSL rosters on their Home Pages are not necessarily updated. The Phillies have quietly brought a handful of DSL players stateside to the Complex for XST. As of today, Rentaria is not one of them.

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  68. Griff McGarry has been traded to the Dodgers for international pool space AND a player to be named later (or cash considerations).

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    2. That sounds like a good trade. I don’t see McGarry pitching for the Phillies anytime soon and they need international pool money (seriously, they do). Perhaps the Dodgers can unlock some of his potential – have at it!

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  71. Before burying Johnson, please consider the following. He entered the game and walked the first batter, then retired the next three batters he faced. He threw 18 pitches. Not too terribly bad for a first appearance this season.

    Now, he spent all spring preparing to be a one-inning pitcher. He made 6 appearances for Lehigh Valley and threw one inning in each of them. He threw well enough to be the first man up when the Phillies needed a bullpen arm. Maybe second if we consider the pitcher who made the opening day roster in place of Kerkering.

    Then, after a successful, 18-pitch appearance, Thomson decides to have him do something he wasn’t prepared to do – pitch another inning.

    I suggest that this isn’t so much a player blowing an opportunity, but rather a manager expecting more than he should from a guy who wants to please his manager and coaches when asked if he can go another inning.

    Now, the Phillies have optioned Johnson and called up Chase Shuggart. Probably the guy they wanted initially but he pitched on Sunday and probably wasn’t available to pitch last night. Shuggart is another one-inning pitcher, 5 one-inning appearances so far for Lehigh Valley.

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    1. If you’re wondering, a one-inning pitcher is a real thing. The Phillies train a pitcher to be a one-inning pitcher or a bulk reliever. A bulk reliever is expected to throw two innings. Just two. So, I find it particularly egregious to expect two innings out of a one-inning guy. So, yeah, I’m pointing a finger at the coach, manager, or analytics group that made that decision.

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      1. That was exactly my thinking. Some guys just aren’t good at (or sometimes not prepared for) going multiple innings. When your routine is that your night is over when the inning ends, it can be very difficult to be both mentally and physically prepared to go back out there.

        Even if Thomson just wanted to give it a shot to try to save some arms, he had no business just leaving him out there to die. Hope Seth doesn’t take it too hard. He still looks like a potential major league contributor to me.

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        1. I get the extra pitches thrown, but he struggled throughout the outing in almost every respect. I am not burying Seth Johnson at all and it’s hard to know how much this poor outing reflected his development as a pitcher and how much reflected it just being a bad outing. I’m just saying from my perspective he has a number of things to work on, but he has a big arm too and you can’t teach that. But the idea that he blew the golden opportunity and now he’s going to be buried, just does not seem to be true. The Phillies would love nothing more than for Johnson to become a late inning option and they will give him every opportunity in AAA to develop those skills. I don’t see this at all as being a one and done opportunity for Johnson.

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          1. Oh, crap. I did not realize I was replying to one of your opinions. I thought I was replying to Guru. I don’t see the comments in the same nested order you guys see them. I see them in date order. Had I realized I was contradicting one of your opinion pieces I would have stayed in my lane.

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            1. Oh my gosh, we are all just offering our views here. No worries at all. I was just saying that I hold out hope for Johnson too – you never know when the light is going to turn on for one of those hard throwers.

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    2. They have had to rely pretty heavily on the BP so far. I expected that and thought they had added some really good pieces out there that could handle it.

      So far it hasn’t been the case. All the starters are averaging under 6 IP per outing.

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    1. Let’s be real. Zack Wheeler knows how to pitch and his command will roll into shape over time as he builds stamina and gets more repetitions. The only serious issue is whether he can continue to gain velocity. So when I hear that he’s sitting 94-95 after previously sitting 92-93, it’s a huge relief and suggests that he’s just going through the last stages of recovery and the build-up to throw 85-90 pitches. Very good news.

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  74. Sorry to hear the “Romus Disease” returned, Jim! Don53 has problems as well with WP. It seems like it depends what day it is. With me, it seems to lockup from time to time and you need to be prepared to rekey a good bit of the time. Phillies seem to be lethargic, would have made book after the 13 run outburst they would lay an egg! Bohm is a beaten puppy!

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  75. I don’t do any sports betting but if there was a prop bet on Phillies runs scored last night I probably would have taken the under with high conviction LOL

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      1. I don’t like either of those bets tonight on Phillies runs scored. On paper against Imanaga maybe we shouldn’t score 5 runs but I think we do…

        But I wouldn’t bet on it. I see us having a good night at the plate…

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