Phillies Discussion (5/7/2026)

Other Stuff

This is your new Phillies Discussion.

I’ll be AFK (away from keyboard) for about a week. This new discussion should keep the comments section from becoming too unwieldy.

I’m still suffering from “romus disease”.

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
  • May 2, 2026:Florida Complex League starts
  • June 1, 2026: Dominican Summer League starts
  • 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.)

249 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion (5/7/2026)”

  1. Inching closer to .500… sucks they dug such a big hole but guess they couldn’t provide their own inner clubhouse spark without adversity.. like they needed a villain and the villain was themselves and they had to sacrifice toppers head to feed the beast… right?

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  2. I guess here they close the last weeks discussion when the new week’s discussion opens, which is fine, but I did want to reply to the McFarlane discussion we were having. I respect those “everyone always wants to rush prospects” takes, but each case is different. I don’t think that wanting a 22 year old in the big leagues is ridiculous. Young arms can be dynamite, especially in post season.

    Now, I would fully agree with you guys that the twitter commenters who want gage wood in the majors now are ridiculous, and there certainly does exist that inclination to want to rush prospects, but if the guy is straight up unhittable in AA, and hes not like 19 years old, its ok to be aggressive.

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    1. Last year, McFarlane pitched 80 innings and he’s only had 10 innings so far. So he could definitely stay at Reading for more seasoning, especially when his walk rate is at 5.2. Note that when he got called up for 1 game and then got sent back down, the Phillies could have sent him to Lehigh but they didn’t. So clearly they want McFarlane to continue his progress at Reading.

      But he’ll get to Lehigh soon enough and he’ll make his debut sooner rather than later since he’s already on the 40 man.

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    2. Yes, the previous discussions get closed when the new one opens. But you can still continue a conversation.

      And regarding McFarlane, no one is suggesting that there’s no room for aggressive promotion in baseball. In fact, there’s an example of it on the Phillies right now. Kerkering started 2023 in A ball and ended the season on the MLB postseason roster. But there’s a big difference between what he did and what McFarlane is doing; Kerkering wasn’t walking guys while he posted gaudy strikeout numbers and low ERAs.

      Alex has had a great start to the year, but that doesn’t mean he’s MLB ready.

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  3. Mc farlane will start collecting SSI in June, these old projects we cuddle Is nuts

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    1. It has like zero to do with “coddling” or “babying” (I HATE that word, if you can call it word) prospects. If you promote a player before he is ready, he will get his rear end kicked and end up right back where he started. I believe Johan Rojas’s career went sideways in large part because he was promoted too soon.

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    2. rocco….sure he turns 25 years old next month, but his lost time due to the injury. I firmly believe he will be in LHV come some time in July, and maybe then after the Phillies evaluate him vs AAA hitters , he could see the majors in Sep, that is if there is a need for him.

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    3. Age is less of an issue when it comes to relievers. If he was a starter, then I would be really concerned.

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  4. Nice to see Romus and Rocco agreeing once again. No idea if this will post. Could not get on earlier.

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  5. You have to be really encouraged by how Escobar has flipped the switch and now is suddenly 283/803 after an awful start. Rincon keeping it up too: 274/907. Those two plus Nori (and Kemp just starting) seem to be the only guys really hitting now in the system.

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    1. Clearwater has a trio that I keep an eye on: Ferrera, Ferrebus, Beltran. Ferrebus is really ripping it but he needs to stay at catcher. There’s no path to Philadelphia if he’s 1B/DH.

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  6. Whatever happened to the (ridiculous) days of David Clyde? Maybe Romus would like to enlighten the PP gang about what that was oh, about a hundred years ago.

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    1. Hah…..Rangers try to make the 18-year old lefty an early star…another Vida Blue. He actually had good stuff, but he had no command. Tough to go from HS to the majors.

      On another note…. Alec Bohm ranks 177th out of 178th qualified hitters in OPS @ .443…..I think he may be involved in a deadline deal in July if a team needs a third basemen. Hope he can get his bat going until then.

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      1. Nobody will be trading for Bohm with his current OPS and salary. There’s a higher probability that he gets DFAd. Mattingly already sat him for Sosa in tonight’s game.

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    1. Baseball is hard and he’s likely still trying to find consistency in his mechanics after the long layoff. The stuff looks good, at least. I imagine if we had better starting pitching depth they’d let him get a mental reset in AAA.

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    2. He was shell shocked from the get go. He was nibbling all over the place and had no feel for any of his pitches. I believe all 3 of his HRs came on fastballs that leaked middle in to RH hitters.

      I think he’ll get 1 more start in the bigs, but obviously he’ll have to show something. For me, this is the second time that he’s had no feel for his pitches and that’s what’s concerning for me. None of this pitches worked tonight.

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      1. The first one was barely a strike and the second was inside by 3 inches. It’s hard to be upset when a hitter is just able to turn on a ball that would break most peoples bats. The walks preceding the homers were much more egregious for me.

        It was a terrible start no doubt about it. But that being said, this umpire is awful. Inconsistent, missing often, and sometimes missing BADLY.

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  8. Phillies pickup Grant Holman from Detroit on waivers. Reyes and Kemp about ready to swap places, Kemp with HR tonight. Not much hitting going on in our minor leagues.

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      1. My point, 3 guys in AAA, AA, A+ and A-. Ferrebus took one on the wrist last night, not sure of the severity. Has a past of injuries.

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  9. If Painter is struggling and needs the mental reset in triple A as Dan K writes, where is Ty-Win Walker when the Phillies need him?

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  11. Where is the pitching? While the Phils gave up 13 runs, the Iron Pigs have surrendered 24 in the last 2 games, the Fightins have let in 46 runs in their last 4 game, the Blue Claws, 31 runs in their last 3, the FCL team needed only1 game to allow 21 runs….ah, but the Threshers only gave up 9 runs last night

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    1. As for the majors, the pitching has been great recently – just one bad game.

      As for the minors, I think we can all get into the rut of judging the farm system by the overall performance of its teams. It’s fun when they win, but I just focus on individual prospects and know that 80-90 percent of any farm system is filler or fringe prospects. It’s not a big deal if they get blown out of some games or get shut out here and there. It just isn’t.

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  12. On Painter:

    His FB had 0-19 whiffs. That’s pretty remarkable. It avgerave close to 97mph. They say he made some tweaks to it, if felt like it had more movement. What caught me is the when they said “We have to make it less predictable”?

    Doesn’t Painter have a crazy amount of secondary pitches? 6? Whatever it is, he has enough to not make his FB predictable. He might be tipping his pitches. Something Luzardo went through or was doing. I believe Luzardo is a basically like a mentor to him… they need to figure that out.

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    1. Little surprised he is now throwing a splitter. Surprised they are letting him do it…..assume because of his height, his fingers have some length and that helps in the gripping……it may have to be his out pitch. Hitters are crushing his FB—4Smr and 2Smr..

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      1. Most pitchers take years to develop – nobody should be surprised. I’m still really bullish on him. In his first full year as a starter Max Scherzer had an ERA over 4 and a month where his era was over 6 – for the year, he pitched to a pretty bad 1.3 WAR. In his third full year in the big leagues, Scherzer pitched to a 4.42 ERA and pretty crummy 1.4 WAR. Painter has the arm and the pitches and the poise. There’s no reason to think that he won’t be a great starter in a few years, but have patience. This is why he’s the team’s 5 and not a 3.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Painter’s fastball has less movement than the average fastball and it’s just getting pounded. He had no command with his fastball yesterday so that didn’t help. If he’s sticking with his current grip, then he needs to primarily go above the zone with it.

      He will have to experiment with a new grip in the offseason because what it is now, it’s just not working (even at 97 mph).

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      1. Painter’s 4 seam fastball has a negative 5.1 runs value. That’s the 7th worst in all MLB. Nola’s is 6th worst at negative 5.6 runs.

        Honestly, I have been looking for a silver lining with Painter’s stats and there isn’t much to find.

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  13. I like that Realmuto seems to be getting more time off this season, as a rested JT seems to be a better JT.

    However, we’re going to need somebody that ISN’T an automatic out when he fills in.

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    1. And we really don’t need TWO guys filling in and taking up roster spots who are automatic outs. Again, unless this is a limited-time mini-competition between the two guys to see who will become his back up for the rest of the year, it’s foolish in the extreme.

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  14. I got to watch the last couple of innings of the Mets-Rockies game yesterday. It was tied at 2 in the bottom of the 8th when the Mets brought in Kimbrel. He walked the first batter, gave up a hit, then walked the bases loaded. Up came Jake McCarthy.

    He hit a Sterling “it is high, it is far, it is gone”. The umpires had to check because the ball sailed OVER the right field foul pole. It traveled 448 feet. It was the longest homerun I have ever seen right down the line.

    This is a competitive Colorado team coming in. They are much better than the pushovers of the past few years. I’d love for our boys to sweep the series but I’d be just as satisfied with winning the series. Let’s go Phillies!

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    1. First, I’m stunned that Craig Kimbrel is still getting chances to pitch. Second, that royal purple faux fur coat is awesome.

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    2. The longest home run I ever saw down the line was hit by Dave Kingman, who hit more balls incredibly far than any hitter I can remember, including McGwire, Bonds, Stanton, Howard or Schwarber. He was a terrible baseball player, but he could launch a ball like nobody else.

      Anyway, he hit a ball down the line in the old Olympic Park in Montreal that hit the ring at the top of the stadium – a good 100 feet above the foul pole. There was no foul line at the top of the stadium. They had no clue if it was a home run or not. What a shot!!!

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  15. ruff – The coat is worn when a Rockies player hits a homerun. Lots of teams are doing stuff like that. I guess it’s fun for the players.

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  18. Any thoughts on the 2025 NL batting Champ and his current average? Let’s go Turner… pick it up.

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  19. Phllies are playing both Kemp-LHV and Escobar-Reading….at third base. Signals that could show Bohm’s exit…if it wasn’t obvious already.. Once Miller gets healthy, he may also get some game reps over at the hot corner. Phillies making sure they have choices once that day comes.

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    1. Miller was shut down again. Not a good sign. Escobar has started hitting better which is encouraging. Kemp needs to really hit since his fielding is sub par.

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  20. I have to give the Giants some credit, they knew that Patrick Bailey couldn’t hit AND wasn’t their solution at catcher so they traded him to Cleveland. Bailey still has 3 years of control left.

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  21. The Phillies have proved over the past few post seasons that they cannot hit elite pitching, especially high velocity hurlers. They’ve done it again the last two games versus the A’s and yesterday against the Rockies hurler.

    He was untouchable for five innings until he ran out of gas. The older the Phillies get the slower their bats become. If they even make a wild card run, it might surprise a lot of us.

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    1. Elite pitching is elite specifically because nobody can hit them. When Sanchez is on his game and throws 8 IP with 0 runs and 11 strikeouts, is that because the other team just isn’t good enough?

      It’s also not like the Phils were flailing away against Dollander last night. They had five walks and a handful of hard hit balls that just didn’t find holes before they finally broke through. That’s baseball. Sometimes you score a run without a hit, sometimes you smack a ball 340 feet with a 108 MPH exit velocity right at an outfielder.

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  22. what’s with this epidemic of migr lately? Three different guys in the past 2 weeks. Bohm, we should play him every 3rd day🤔.

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    1. I’ve seen/heard some discourse that migraines are more common in baseball than we think and that they just didn’t used to say it because of a stigma that they’re just, “bad headaches”. But now that people are starting to understand that migraines actually have debilitating side effects, they’re more comfortable saying it. And I guess that make sense. Baseball seems like the perfect storm of stress, lots of a travel, and varying sleep schedules to cause migraines.

      But if that’s not the case and this is actually just a rare coincidence, then I’m starting to worry there’s an environmental cause.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Burkholder with multiple hits three games in a row. This is very encouraging, especially if he’s found or changed something.

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  25. Anyone have any input on Ferrebus’ catching ability? He’s only 20 so he obviously needs to improve but does he have the arm and future potential to stay behind the plate? Steve, thoughts? Meanwhile, he continues to hit.

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    1. I only have second-hand information, so others may have a more complete view. But from what I’ve read and heard, he’s got an okay arm (enough to stay behind the plate, but nothing special) and is a little awkward as a receiver. He’s pretty athletic, so over time he may get more comfortable. But right now he’s not a lock to stay there.

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      1. Ferrebus 4-5 today…. with a dbl ( 11)

        Now up to .368. And 1.034 ops

        btw Burkholder 4th multi hit game in a row today with 2 dbls

        hitting .385 in May

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    1. He should see Reading soon.. Between 2025 and 2026 he has 27 starts at Jersey Shore…..I can see another 5/6 more quality starts there and then maybe a promotion to Reading.

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  28. Marsh since the beginning of May last year has had the second or third highest BA in MLB. After today’s 4/4, he is at .353., tops in MLB. If he can sustain success against LH pitching this summer it will be time to think about an extension. Who’d have thunk it a few months ago?

    I suspect there’s more power in there; he’s a big strong man.

    Very satisfying win today.

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    1. Marsh has 1 more year of control and he’ll be a FA in 2028 at age 30. This is his first time entering FA and is looking to get paid. Marsh should be asking for close to his full value, at the minimum. Pete Alonso got got 5/155 at age 31. Who would be comfortable giving Marsh 6/175?

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      1. Not to fight the hypothetical you’ve given, but I think they can sign Marsh for less than that – maybe like 6/$145 – since last May, he’s been a damned good player. At the salary you identified, it’s a pretty close call.

        What I love about Marsh is that he’s a big strong guy, like Schwarber, so he doesn’t need to hit with his whole body. He can stay over the ball and hit with his hands. It’s a lot like Kyle Schwarber or Daniel Murphy toward the end of his career. Especially if he’s playing left field (where he’s excellent), there’s no reason Marsh can’t be a perennial 4 WAR (or more) player. It turns out that was a great trade (which I, admittedly, panned at the time – I was wrong!).

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        1. Unless Marsh really likes Philadelphia, I don’t think he’s signing for $145M. He’s on pace for a 6 WAR season, and If I was his agent, I’m asking for near top money. I’m only giving a minimal discount.

          Yes, Luzardo signed with 1 year left but he’s young enough to get a second contract AND his AAV is $27M (which is higher than Nola’s).

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          1. The Phillies may have more leverage than you think. It’s one thing to be on pace for a 6 WAR season and another thing to actually have a 6 WAR season – we will see where he ends the year and note that this has been an outlier year for him. He also still has problems hitting lefties – it’s a real thing. It’s a small sample size this year, but even with the improve BA his OPS is under .700 against lefties. The Phillies can also delay his FA clock so he’s not starting his FA contract until his age 30 season, which could also limit his marketability. I mean, he could wait it out, but he might be willing to give it a go and sign now. I like him a lot, but I might not give him 6/180.

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            1. Either you believe that better things are ahead for Marsh and you pay him a near top extension or you think that 2026 is an outlier and you let his arbitration years play out. I like Marsh but I think there’s still a lot of uncertainty with him so I would gladly let his arbitration years play out.

              Another question, if Marsh gets a 4-5 WAR season and you know that you’re not extending him, would you trade him in the offseason for a top 50 prospect? I would seriously consider it.

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            2. So either he’s a future star or it’s crash and burn? Sorry, I think there are a lot of outcomes for him in between those polar extremes. The question is, what do you expect a typical Marsh year to look like for the next 5 years or so and what are you willing to pay for that? I’m willing to pay him like a 4+ WAR player but probably not a 6 WAR player.

              Liked by 1 person

            3. Pete Alonso is not a 4 WAR player and he got 5/155. We all know what Trea Turner got and he averaged less than 4 WAR per year when he signed with Philadelphia. 4 WAR players still get crazy paid.

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    1. Thanks for your very informative report. How are Ferrebus’ defensive skills/potential?

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      1. I think it’s like a golf swing where you need to shift your weight into the ball at the proper moment – not too soon – to get the maximum amount of power. If you shift your weight too soon, your swing will be unbalanced and weak. That’s what I think it means. Other guys who actually played ball can let us know if I’m wrong about that.

        Liked by 1 person

  30. FYI – highly rated high school draft pick Matthew Fisher was rocked in his 1st Complex League start. Not a great sign.

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  31. Give Fisher time. My grandson played against him and said he is really good. Phillies wanted him pretty bad. Only 18 or 19.

    3Rs. Nice to read your posts. Rocco, I got your reply. I do not want to burden Romus with my nothing information.

    I have told Ruff Phillies need to get to .500 then we can see what they are capable of doing this season. Cannot keep floundering around a few to several games under that. Then the season does become late early.

    Again, no idea on if these posts. Seems like I can get in about once a week.

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    1. You are in Don.

      And agree…..Phillies cannot keep this two steps forward one step back routine going…they need a double digit win streak like the Cubs just came off on and get well above .500.

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  32. My long awaited stint to see Painter was a dud LOL. My buddy got us great seats (I never ask where our seats are when he picks them up) section 135 Row 6. I couldn’t really see where his pitches were landing but I sure had a great view of the HRs..

    But he and I both kind of called that they had already won the series and the A’s were going to be due. Hard to sweep in the MLB.

    But again all was not lost. Consistently taking 2 of 3 will get them back into the division race as well as a WC spot and the only thing that will matter is how they are playing going into the playoffs.

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  33. Alright …

    I’mma admit it… Marsh is making me look like an idiot. Good for him! Love to be proven wrong. I had him bumped for Kemp in the offseaon or trade.

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  34. Saw that Painter and Crawford graduated from their prospect status. Only Miller and Wood now on the MLB.com top100; none of the others entered (they would have Renteria next in line, per their current rankings).

    Liked by 1 person

  35. The solution to the Phillies inconsistent hitting problem lies on their current roster.

    The cause of the Phillies inconsistent hitting is that they have (and imo what lead to the downfall of Topper) the dumbest lineup construction possible. Their dumb lineup handicaps a huge asset and makes their offense one-dimensional.

    The Phillies are 12-3 when either Harper or Schwarber (or both) hit a homer. And they are 7-19 when neither does. The Phillies’ offense is reliant upon homers from either Harper or Schwarber. But, they have 2 of the top 5 fastest players in MLB and they rarely attempt to steal bases. That is because of where they are in the lineup. Crawford bats 9th so when he gets on, the logic is “why risk being thrown out when the big guys are coming up and can hit a homer?” Same logic is applied to Turner. Additional logic is, let’s keep the runner at first to open a hole for the LH Schwarber and Harper. That is so stupid! We are sacrificing a huge asset for no reason. The cost is that we don’t use our team speed to manufacture runs.

    Both Turner and Crawford should be hit in the middle of the lineup after Harper and Schwarber so they can manufacture runs with their speed. Actually Stott and Marsh are good base stealers too. Instead we make Crawford and Turner go station to station. And then comes up Garcia (which is also dumb roster construction. Here is my lineup:

    1. Harper
    2. Schwarber
    3. Turner
    4. Marsh (if RH starter)
    5. Garcia
    6. Crawford
    7. JT
    8. Stott
    9. Bohm

    That lineup frees up Turner, Marsh, Crawford and Stott to run at will. I give them all green lights.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Yeah, this is an interesting thought v1. You have to wonder how much internal dynamics play into the lineup — like how much guys push to be in a certain spot in the lineup, or how Topper/DM don’t want to mess with guys going well (Harper/Marsh raking in their spots — should you change?).

      I’d be in favor of trying this at the next hint of prolonged struggles (i.e., 3 games or more) for the offense. It also might help Turner snap out of his funk sooner if he gets to hit in between Schwarber and Marsh. My only two changes might be, however, to bat Harper 2 and Schwarber 1. I think they’d probably prefer that setup. Any reason you think Harper leadoff as opposed to Schwarber? Other thing I’d do is to swap Stott and Crawford. Maybe it’s just deference to an older guy over a rookie, but I kind of like Crawford in front of Bohm. If Bohm reverts to his norm, he has a penchant for driving in runs and that might pay to have a speedy rookie in front of him stealing second or scoring from first on one of a double in the gap.

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        • I got Harper at 1 and Schwarber at 2 because Harper has a higher OB% amd Schwarber is more of a home run hitter. So higher chance that Harper is on base.
        • Crawford has a .344 OB%, while Stott has a .262 OB%. So it is’t really close. Even if you think Stott has been unlucky with a bad BABIP this year, his career OB% is .315, which is still way below Crawford’s. I have no idea if Crawford can sustain his BA, but Crawford has a higher walk rate than Stott and seems to have a knack for finding ways on base. I don’t feel very strongly about this, but that was my thinking.
        • Also, if Bohm can get hot, then I swap him to 5 and Garcia to 9.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. I agree with the lineup construction, I believe you can squeeze more runs out this lineup by different placement. I will say, I disagree with this lineup free-ing up Turner to steal. If Schwarber walks or singles… Turner is stuck. If Schwarber doubles, & turner walks.. turner is stuck. That’s kind of the trade off i guess for having Harper & Schwarber get more at bats.

          I might argue to go:

          Harper/Schwarber/Marsh/Garcia/Stott/JT/Turner/Crawford/Bohm

          Some combo, if marsh keeps hitting,and bohm can pick it up to his RBIs, the lineup gets the 2 best hitters more at bats, sets up the middle of the lineup to occasionally do damage. Once the lineup is close to turning over, you have Turner & Crawford potentially on base to make for 2-run & 3run hrs. The lineup looks like it needs another bat either way. The way Bohm is going this year… it’s looking like him.

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          1. Turner is just not an ideal lead off hitter which I care more about than freeing him up to steal bases. As fast as he still is I’d rather him not be trying to steal so many bases at his age and for as long as he is still under contract.

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  36. With regard to the Marsh conversation its definitely interesting to see how that shakes out with Nori waiting in the wings.

    Nimmo at the same age got roughly 7/$144. I see Marsh in that category with a raise over that figure since that was back in 2023. Nimmo put up a 5 WAR in his age 29 season before signing that deal.

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    1. Not sure where you got that number. In December 2022, the Mets gave Nimmo 8/162 at age 30. That should be the floor for any Marsh deal if he continues hitting well.

      When Nori comes up, he’s going to CF and he’ll likely push Crawford to RF. Rincones is close too but I don’t think he’s starter level. Renteria and Burkholder (who has finally started hitting) are not close.

      So the Phillies need Marsh in LF. Whether they are willing to pay Marsh what he wants is another story.

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      1. Justin Crawford is pretty much exactly what I hoped he’d be at the plate. I player with a 60 or so hit tool and pretty decent plate discipline. But he’s been an unexpectedly bad outfielder – which I certainly didn’t see coming. The hope is that, with his speed and work ethic he can develop into an average or better defender. His hitting profile doesn’t work very well with a below-average glove, but he has time to improve.

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        1. His splits against LHP are horrible. Small sample, so hopefully it isn’t what he really is, but his line against LHP is .056/.150/.056/.206 OPS. that’s not a typo. He’s 1 for 18 against LHP. That concerns me more than his OF defense.

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          1. Besides the fact that teams are looking to get him out above the zone, he’s made ABS challenges on outside pitches that were clearly strikes. So he will have to improve his awareness of the strike zone.

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          2. That’s a great point. The problem with so many lefty hitters is their platoon splits are awful, which is a huge hole in their games. I wonder what his platoon splits were in the minors (I can’t get to his minor splits on milb.com – since he’s a major league player I cant’ seem to access those stats). So, yeah, there’s a bunch of concerns about Crawford for sure.

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  37. No argument from me….Bohm has hit poorly. But with 20 rbi’s he is a top 4 run producer on the team. Heck, currently he would be a top 4 or better run producer on most MLB teams. Signs of a hitting resurgence after last series…hope so, we need his bat and desire for rbi’s.

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    1. He’s a top 4 run producer if you use 1983 metrics. In reality, he’s been a bad offensive. RBIs are largely and empty stat. His OPS+ is 46 – which is horrendous. He’s been an abysmal offensive player – abysmal. Now, he’s going to be better than that over time, but, at best, he’s average-ish. Oddly enough his defense has been okay.

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      1. By the way, I feel horrible for Alec Bohm and he’s obviously a much better player than he has shown so far. But he is embroiled in a terrible situation with his parents where they have allegedly mismanaged his funds and won’t account to him and he has been forced to sue them for an accounting and damages. If I were him, I’m sure I’d find it super tough to focus and thrive and it would certainly rip my world apart so who can blame him for having not such a great year. This is similar to the terrible situation Ryan Howard found himself in. Just awful. Nobody should have to go through that hell.

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  39. Phillies signed outfielder Dylan Carlson on a minor-league deal. Carlson, 27, was once one of the game’s top prospects in the Cardinals system just 5 years ago…I really liked him .. …in 2021 BA had him ranked as the 9th best prospect in the minors.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Such a turnaround in his career……Rincon with his 7th HR in less than 150 PAa at double-AA Reading….with an OPS over .900. Hope he can maintain this impressive start…perhaps he will see LHV by the end of the summer.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’d so love to see someone else at SS here before too long, because Turner is proving his improvement last year is not sustainable. He can’t maintain consistency in focus without a herculean mental effort.

      So I’m definitely rooting for Rincon to continue hitting.

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      1. Turner is a wildly inconsistent player within particular seasons as he showed in 2023 – he can be pretty crappy for months at a time and then be the best player in baseball for a month a more. Why that is I have no idea. To me, the key for Turner is to continue focusing on his defense (year to year he can have 2 WAR swings in his defensive play) and not try to be a power hitter. Last year was a model year for him, playing plus defense and hitting to all fields with just enough power and having plus baserunning. Let’s be clear, Turner was a great player last year – but was just good other years on the Phillies.

        As for trading him, he has one of the worst long-term contracts in baseball (thanks again for that, Dave). So it’s a hard contract to trade and, on top of that DD wants him here so by the time they would want to trade him he’ll be complete untradeable. But if they traded him this offseason (sadly, they won’t), you could probably move the contract with the team subsidizing part of the deal. By the way, none of this should be surprising to anyone, when they signed him I was stunned that they would subsidize 3-5 dead years at the end of the contract. Who does that? It’s so foolish.

        On Rincon – he is sooooo interesting. This is a glove-first guy who has always had great plate discipline and is now growing into serious power. Let’s see where he is in a month but, for me, he’s probably going to be a top 10 prospect in the organization with a big, big up arrow. I mean, he’s been a vastly superior player in AA compared with the player he was last year in high A ball – there’s no comparison.

        Like

        1. Again, if Rincon can hit with power and a high OBP, he becomes a dynamite prospect – here’s the MLB write-up just on his fielding.

          “Thus far, all of Rincon’s value comes from his glove. He’s a no-doubt shortstop for a very long time, with plus actions, hands, footwork and more than enough arm for the premium position. Even though he’s not a burner, his defensive instincts give him plenty of range. He’s only played shortstop thus far, but he could easily slide over to other spots on the dirt if he ends up in a utility role.”

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  41. Nice outing by Wheeler last night to get through 7.1 innings. He was laboring at the end and he wasn’t dominant but he got the job done. The guy is a warrior.

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    1. Wheeler was regularly hitting 96 on the gun – that’s really all you need to know; everything else will follow as he settles in. He’s very close to being the ZACK WHEELER again, which bodes really well for this team’s chances.

      Like

  42. More proof baseball is weird. The NL Central doesn’t have a team below 500. The NL East only has one team above 500 and the Padres are in 1st place in the West (technically tied but still)

    The Rays are doing Rays things again with a first place standing 2 up on the Yankees.

    And lastly the AL West sees the A’s in first place.

    None of this is likely to remain the case after 162 but its always interesting.

    By the 50 game mark hopefully our Phillies can get to 500 by simply taking 2 of 3.

    Like

    1. And Cleveland is in first place, so 3 bottom-of-the-league payrolls are in first. Guardians might be the best run team in MLB.

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  43. This to me is weird, by if phillies make playoffs. With Wheeler and Sanchez in a series would be dangerous

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    1. You’re absolutely right! And they don’t need to be the best hitting team in baseball either, but they need to find a way to produce consistent offense – the feast or famine offense will kill them in the playoffs.

      I expect a huge trade for a hitter this deadline. Thank God they have their closer – them trading assets every year to plug that hole was getting old and, besides that, it never worked.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I mean, it never worked until they made a huge trade to get an elite, young, pre-FA player. It’s so easy to see Duran in that role for the next 5-6 years. He’s not the very best closer, but he’s a damned good one and they should lock him up when the time is right. It ain’t broke so don’t fix it – just keep him around.

        Like

        1. Jhoan Duran won’t be a FA until 2028, at age 30. He’s still going to get seriously paid. Think 4/80 or 5/100.

          The Phillies will not pay both Marsh and Duran.

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          1. We all hope Wood stays a starter but who knows by then he might be the closer thus they can save that coin.

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            1. Let’s hope Wood does not have to become a reliever – it reduces his value in a very big way, even if he could be a good reliever. Do the math. Sanchez was an 8 WAR player last year. 8 WAR!!! Duran, who was a very good closer, was at 3.2 WAR. So if Wood can be a good starter, that’s where he’ll go.

              Liked by 1 person

          2. They will do pretty much whatever is necessary to keep Duran (and I bet they will succeed). If they think Marsh’s gains are for real and he doesn’t price them out of where they would be willing to go, my guess is that they sign him too. Signing Marsh and Duran are not, to me, mutually exclusive propositions.

            My guess is that they try to get ahead of things by getting younger and cheaper in the rotation. One or two of their hot shot minor leaguers will end up replacing the Wheeler spot in the rotation in 2028 – which aligns with when you’ll need to start paying Marsh and Duran.

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  45. Phormer Phils Slugger Irreverent News Jon Singleton leads the Mexican League in HR’s, …While Ryan Howard is a Primetime Coach for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Banana Ball, Kyle Martin, ex Indy and Mex Slugger plays for Texas Tailgaters in Banana Ball. Darick Hall recently signed with Hagerstown of the Atlantic League. A Dylan Cozens, still in the package Bobblehead is available at my local thrift store for $7 . I have no idea what’s up with Carlos de la Cruz.

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  46. Trea Turner is sitting tonight presumably because he hasn’t been playing well all season.

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      1. Why can’t he do that at Jersey Shore and also see if he can’t hit better pitching ?

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        1. Maybe he could. But why rush it? Moving up a level isn’t just testing the player against tougher competition. It’s also asking them to get to know new teammates, as well as physically moving where they live.

          If he’s working on something, it’s okay to let him work on it for a couple months in the comfort of what he knows before taking the next step in the minor league chain. There’s a lot more risk to promoting prospects too early than a lot of commenters like to admit.

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  48. There was a guy I used to play softball with who would say after we’d lose a game, “You know why we lost, don’t you? They scored 3 runs and we only scored 1”. You can’t win many games when you only score 1 run.

    Banks will take the loss tonight but Kerkering lost this game. Last night Duran-Duran went up the ladder against Cedanne and struck him out. Kerkering gave him a cookie in the middle of the plate.

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  49. I’ll probably catch some criticism for this, but as much as I love seeing Marsh on fire, I just don’t think it’s sustainable. I’m confident he’ll come back down to earth, especially against lefties where he’s historically struggled pretty badly.

    I get that he’s massively over-performing and currently one of the league leaders in batting average, but we also have to remember this is the same guy we were talking about platooning with Kemp at the start of the season. Giving him $100M+ seems like an over-reaction to his inflated stats right now and would be a mistake in my opinion, especially with everything else already committed financially.

    Honestly, it might even be worth considering selling high while his value is through the roof. This team desperately needs a legitimate CF and another right-handed power bat. Crawford just isn’t a viable defensive CF, and while maybe Nori can become that guy eventually, he’s not the answer this year. This might sound crazy, but what about trading Marsh and Stott back to the Angels for Neto, Trout, and some cash?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Zach Neto is a borderline superstar so the Angels won’t be trading him for a struggling Stott (who’s closer to FA than Neto) and Marsh. Note that if you have concerns about Marsh, the other teams will have concerns also. If Zach Neto was available, he should be able to net 1 top 25 prospect and 1 top 100 prospect easy.

      Trout has 10-5 rights so if he hasn’t demanded a trade yet, it’s likely that he won’t do it.

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  50. Imo if Crawford can’t play center. Then with his non power, and not stealing bases he is a not a player to keep. I believe they have to get a right hand bat. Now

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    1. You know Carl Crawford never hit more than 19 HRs in a season in a career that spanned 15 years. His highest total was 19 and that came in his age 28 season.

      With regard to his CF play he may never be Victorino out there but he will improve over what we have seen so far.

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  52. If I have any issue with JC thus far its that he still hasn’t fully embraced his own scouting report. They still attack him above the hands with velo then a lot of soft stuff way down in the zone.

    He had one nice take on a ball up last night and he’ll need to do more of that or look for that pitch and catch up to it.

    Obviously he his strong enough that HR to dead center last night was crushed with serios back spin.

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      1. I think the vibe is we’re calling up younger guys and expecting them to be what might take them 5-8 years to become.

        even the best prospects are not likely to be Trouts and Harpers but they can still be pretty good.

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    1. I regretted that contract on here. The day they announced it. This GM likes to waste Muddletons money

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        1. It was all fairly predictable. They made the unforgiveable mistake of following a good contract with a bad one. You get through the good contract and move on or do a cheap short second deal – it’s one of the secrets of the Eagles’ success.

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  54. Jean Cabrera got demoted to Reading which doesn’t bode well for him in the near future.

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  55. For those worried about Marsh cratering, you’re right that there’s basically 0% chance he hits .340 all year. And he’s likely to drop back to around .200 against lefties.

    But on the bright side, he has an expected batting average over .300. And also remember… this is now a YEAR of him hitting over .300. He had that horrific start to last season that made his overall stats worse, but since May of last year he’s been hitting over .300.

    Is he really a 6 WAR player? Probably not. But 3-4 is very realistic.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Phils need a right-handed hitter. Maybe now is Kemp’s time, though he wouldn’t have a position unless it’s decided that outfielders are no longer required to catch fly balls.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Kemp needs to just stay at 3B. Clearly he’s not cut out to be a LF. He can play 3B for the majority of the time at Lehigh and he can go into ST looking for a job.

        I admit, I’m starting to get intrigued with Reyes in LF. He made a strong throw yesterday from LF to 2B that almost caught Contreras. He’s obviously going to be a work in progress there but he moves ok for a big guy.

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        1. Last night was the perfect win. Ranger pitches excellent doesn’t take the L and Schwarber comes through again to take 2 of 3.

          It was pretty wild to hear the Boston fans and one point chant sell the team LOL.

          Skenes/Wheeler Matchup on Sunday should be a great game and come down to a will of the Bullpens.

          Lastly I saw a stat on QP this morning that our run diff is +23 since Mattingly took over.

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        2. Of course, implied in the discussion about Kemp is that Bohm owns the third base job. The Phillies might be tiring of his long funks and be willing to move away from him. We know they’ve made him available for trade in the last two off seasons. Maybe they soon decide to cut bait. He obviously has little trade value in a walk season so it could be difficult to make a change but, at some point, maybe you decide winning now is the priority and personnel complications be damned.

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      2. Bohm’s seems to have gone back to sleep after his brief re-awakening. We can’t rely on Miller until told he’s 100%, so we need a 3B. I do wonder if he played there full-time and worked with Figueroa on the big-league club whether he’d be passable there.

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        1. he has certainly been terrible for most of the season, but he was 2-4 last night and he’s gone 8-18 in his last five games. This is the only stretch of the season in which he’s been good.

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        2. L14 Days Bohm is hitting 316/366/866 OPS and crazy as it sounds a much better defender at 3B than Kemp.

          And I really like Kemp and think he can be part of the big club somehow but you can’t just have him get a handful of ABs a week.

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          1. I’m happy that Bohm managed to work himself into an average-ish defender. And he’s definitely been due for some of his balls in play to find gaps.

            But the thing that worries me about his recent streak; he’s getting hits, but outside of his 2 homer day he’s not really squaring balls up. Since the start of May his expected batting average is a robust… .244.

            Better than he has been? Absolutely. Good enough to make up for his deficiencies? God no.

            But you know, maybe this terrible start to the year is a big misunderstanding. We merely didn’t understand what he was telling us. When we asked him what he played and he said, “3rd” we assumed he meant 3rd base. But he really meant 3rd day.

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  57. No doubt that Adolis Garcia is a plus defender and seems popular in the clubhouse, but he’s not hitting enough. When do the Phillies push him to the bench, move Marsh to RF and have Felix Reyes get extended plying time in LF?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Garcia appears to be DD’s annual installment of bringing in a once successful veteran outfielder who doesn’t work out for the Phillies. I have three words of unsolicited advice for DD: Play Marsh everyday.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I don’t think it’s DD telling the manager(s) to sit Marsh.

        The one benefit to having such weak OF depth is that it is (almost) impossible to sit both Marsh and Crawford at the same time. And since Crawford is the new guy, Mattingly has been letting Marsh play against the non-elite lefties.

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  58. How bad has the Phillies been this season? Wheeler is now 4th in WAR even though he missed a lot of time rehabbing from his surgery.

    Liked by 1 person

  61. Please no more Nola. It’s just terrible. DD picked him over ranger. Middleton pls fire this guy.

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    1.  On Nola…..”Going back to the start of last season, he has made 26 starts. With runners on, he has allowed 69 hits and posted a 12.22 ERA, the fourth-highest mark in the Majors in that span among pitchers with at least 25 starts.”

      Too many lefties pound him….and many with wo strikes on them.

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  62. mop up duty. Can’t send him out there. The team will fell hopeless when he starts. Just think of the bad contracts this GM has given out. We mostly agree Nola was on decline. When they were talking contract. What did they see ? Couldn’t they see the decline?

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    1. The Phillies are a loyal group, perhaps too loyal. At a certain point, they need to do what’s best for the team. Baseball is a business first.

      I still think letting Ranger go was the right call especially since the Phillies re-signed Luzardo (who’s younger than Ranger) and they had Painter waiting. I had no issues letting Bader walk. Crawford needed an opportunity.

      Letting Hoffman go was always going to hurt because he was so good for the Phillies but I was ok with it. Can’t pay everybody, and I thought maybe Kerkering could have stepped into his role.

      Letting Hoskins and Eflin walk were easy calls.

      I only wanted a short term deal with Nola and if he wanted 7 years, it was going to be for someone else. First, he didn’t throw hard and if declined even a bit, he was going to be hit. You can really count one 1 hard who’s able to dominate in their mid 30s with reduced velocity: Zack Grienke, Jamie Moyer. Another thing, when the pitch timer came into play, I thought it would hurt Nola more than others. Nola liked taking his time on the mound. It takes a special talent to survive with reduced velocity and I didn’t think Nola could do it.

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      1. So you think Nola was better choice than signing ranger. Cause that’s what they did.

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        1. Nola got his deal in 2024, Ranger still had 2 more year of control.

          It’s more likely that Luzardo was the replacement for Ranger.

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          1. Its called foresight. Atlanta would have let him walk and signed Ranger. To extension at there numbers.

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            1. It’s funny you should mention the Braves, because the Braves were going hard after Nola in FA. They offered him very similar money to what we ended up giving him.

              And then they didn’t pursue Ranger.

              Don’t get me wrong, Nola’s contract is shaping up to be the worst ever for the Phillies. But if you want us to emulate the Braves, this is a bad example.

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  64. I got to watch the last 4 games our boys played. Three were on NESN and last night was an MLB freebie. I don’t understand why they are playing Sosa in left field instead of Reyes. He’s not an outfielder and even though he made a nice catch early, he showed his inexperience on the pop fly that he called off Turner and it dropped in. He flails away at that outside breaking ball just like Castellanos does. He occasionally comes up with a big hit but not often enough. I do give him credit because if he doesn’t run out the ground ball that Griffin muffed, the Phillies don’t come back and win that game.

    Turner just puzzles me. He’s got the most beautiful right hand swing. He’ll have a game where he gets 3 or 4 hits and then he doesn’t do anything for the rest of the week. He still makes a lot of big plays in the field. Sometimes it looks like he’s just going through the motions.

    Schwarber is amazing when he gets on one of his streaks. These homeruns are so important. He single handedly kept the Phillies in the game last night. What the heck happened on that slide into third base when Harper just missed the grand slam? How does Schwarber not get to third base easily?

    Finally, I feel really bad for Nola. He must be in agony with his performances that go back to last year. He’s only had a few good outings and two of them were for the Italian national team. I really hope he can get it together.

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    1. Ciada …… couple of things Schwarber isn’t the most atheletic guy and they time with a Mundial. I think both Harper and Schwarber thought the ball was out ….. I know Harper just stood at home watching before he realized ” Shoot, I gotta run”!

      Turner, ….. he’ll make the really tough plays ….. its the routine plays he buggers up ….. too complacent on them it seems.

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      1. Mundial

        Sosa, yep he isn’t an outfielder …… saw that twice last night ….. onetime he got away with it, huh?

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    2. On Sosa versus Reyes, the answer is pretty simple: Reyes is slashing .158/.158/.263.

      Neither of them are good outfielders, but Sosa at least has the upside of sometimes getting on base. Reyes needs to be sent back down to get work in, because the current situation clearly isn’t helping him.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Very interesting. He can hit, and if he posts this offseason, he’ll only be 28. Not sure if he can stick at 3B (his glove is looking below average) but will likely have to go to a corner OF in the near future.

      The Blue Jays gave almost 30 year old Kazuma Okamoto 4/60. At age 28, Sato is likely to get 6/100 or even 6/110.

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    2. He played in the WBC so they did get to see him for a bit at third and at the plate. But hopefully this is not an underlying reason for the intense scouting , but perhaps Miller’s back issue is more serious than they initially thought..

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          1. Rocco …… Pancho was “Big”, ….. you remember him, rode with his buddy “Cisco” every Saturday morning! …….. those were the days, huh?

            Like

          2. Recall Pancho was a natural first baseman. To get him into the lineup they stuck himat second where he was a fih out of water. Remember Eddie Bouchè at first. To bad he was arrested for exhibitionism in the off season. Someone should write a history of all the dashed hopes and screwups of our beloved Fightins.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Speaking of reminiscing: does anyone recall a springtime flash in the pan Tony Curry from. the Bahamas. So enticing, one of the then Daily News sportswriters penned a poem to him.Oh, the years of futility and false hopes. Where have you gone Seth Moorehead? Ray Semproch?

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            2. Ted Kazanski, Joe Lonnett (twice), Chico Fernandez. Then the stars: Rip Repulski, Stan Lopata and, of course Robbie and Richie.

              Liked by 1 person

            3. I remember “Stosh” Lopata, ….. all the kids in the neighborhood emulated his elevated hands, buckled knees batting style ….. good memories!

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    1. If it were me, I would not have pitched C. Sanchez in the 9th inning of a 6-0 game. He is their ace and they are going to need him at full strength for a long season. Leaving him in there for close to 110 pitches in a game he didn’t need to be in anymore, while not crazy, was also not ideal and I hope they get him rest wherever they can so he’s fresh for late in the year.

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  74. He’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

    Zack Wheeler is lighting up the gun between 97 and 98 MPH today. It’s a freaking thing of beauty. With all due respect to Fried and Schlittler, no team has a lefty-righty ace combination like the Phillies if Wheeler remains healthy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. And when “good Luzardo” throws, it’s the top 1-2-3 in the game, About 20% of the time “bad Luzardo” is on the hill . . .

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      1. He’s suffered from some bad luck so far, but mostly his bad starts all have one thing in common; the opponents simply aren’t swinging at his offspeed or breaking pitches.

        I’m not sure if it’s an issue of pitch tipping or what. But if they simply sit on his fastball, he gets rocked. So when they seemingly KNOW what pitch he’s throwing, he’s in trouble.

        If it is pitch tipping, then I’m not sure how they aren’t able to reel it in at this point. Hopefully it’s not something that requires a full rework of his mechanics.

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          1. Painter will be fine. If he pitches like a 4/5 for the early part of this year, it’s okay. He still has a very bright future. While he’s struggled more than I would have expected, having watched him pitch, his demeanor and his stuff – I expect him to become an excellent pitcher.

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  75. Tip of the cap to the Phillies. This is the first time they have swept a series in Pittsburgh 2015 and beating Paul Skenes no less, wow!

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  76. Phillies are hot right now, but I still think they need a RH bat. If they can somehow get Trout to waive his 10-5 rights and get him to Philly, I think it would transform this team to a very serious WS contender. Turner Schwarbs Harper is a solid 1-3. A solid RH cleanup hitter like Trout who also can play good CF and has philly ties would energize the fan base, protect Harper in the lineup and mitigate Crawfords defensive struggles by moving him to corner OF.

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    1. Crawford has made some spectacular plays out there in the last week or so….by the eye test to me, he seems to a very capable defender.

      As for Trout defensively in CF….career negative 12 DRS…last 5/6 years he has been a minus by the metrics.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. If you wanted an often injured player that can still produce Buxton might be the better option depending on what they want in return.

      I wouldn’t give up much for him though. I’d see if the Twins might simply be interested in dumping some salary.

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      1. He is their most important and high profile player. I doubt the Twins would trade him (they wouldn’t put him on the block before) but if they do, between his low price and performance, they will want a LOT for him, a real lot.

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        1. I honestly don’t think they should do anything other than let this thing play out.

          That said I’m sure GMs are always having dialogue with various clubs. Every season we see deals where we say wow I didn’t know he was available for that or I wouldn’t have paid that for him.

          Hopefully DD doesn’t do anything where we say Gee that was way too much.

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      2. Even though Buxton has a well documented Injury history, he’s still only 32 (younger than Harper, Schwarber) and he’s already posted 1.7 WAR. Not only that, his remaining contract is only 2/30.2. It’s still going to cost something like Gage Wood and Alirio Ferrebus, and that likely won’t even be enough.

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    4. Here we go again. Yes, Mike Trout is having a resurgent year. But he’s 34 and I don’t think anybody believes that he will keep this up for future years. Not only that, his remaining contract is particularly onerous: 4/148.

      This train has left a long time ago. Let it go.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Very exciting. The assortment of pitches that I saw from his last outing were eye-opening. This promotion is fully consistent with the notion of a potential big league debut late in the year. I’m not saying it will happen, but that it allows it to happen if he continues to dominate. Pretty exciting and another really good recent first round draft pick by all appearances.

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    2. That’s pretty aggressive. I can’t recall another pitching within a year of being drafted skipped a level….

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        1. Skeet….last pitched on Friday……..so he could be ready, after he settles in, Thursday or Friday. Unless they hold off until they return home from Maine next Tuesday.

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    5. That is very aggressive. That means that he’s been listening to what the Phillies want him to do and he’s been exceeding their expectations.

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      1. The promotion of Gage is to challenge him. Develop his off speed usage early in counts. They felt that he would most likely do more of the same in high A as he’s done at Clearwater so they felt it was best to challenge him in AA.

        And if he is good, then yes maybe it sets him up for a promotion to AAA or higher but he’s got a lways to go before that. Patience is required, he’s very talented but he’s not close to the show just yet. 

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        1. That sounds about right. They are doing this, in part, so that a promotion to the big leagues may be possible, but it’s far from guaranteed and may even be unlikely. But the talent is very, very real.

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  78. I know Don M. may not want to do a Kevin Cash tactical maneuver, but why not try Banks as a two-inning Opener for Nola. Opposing managers are loading p their line-up with LHBs. Banks may be able to get thru the two innings, and maybe Nola can get thru the lineup twice from there semi-scathed..

    Liked by 1 person

  79. Kemp back, Reyes down. If he’s not going to play regularly, I don’t see the point of Kemp with the big club. Maybe Mattingly will utilize him better.

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    1. Robin …….. while he is hitting better, he is still K’ing too much to suit me, but I agree he doesn’t appear to be a guy who can do well with infrequent use.

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        1. Don said he’s too poor to go on cruises. He was in PP today but WP only let’s him read on certain days. Right now he’s working on his “Sweeper”, he has “Hi Hopes” he’s getting the call at the trade deadline!

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    2. Utilize Kemp better? I doubt that. Don’t forget that Sosa needs ABs too.

      I mean, you look at the Phillies starting lineup and pretty much the entire infield is set. The only thing you can do is maybe sit Crawford against tough lefties. Or maybe Adolis will start losing playing time because he’s struggling.

      Kemp and Reyes will have to adjust to being backups if they want to stick in the bigs. There’s no starting spot for them. It’s not easy being backups but that’s how it is.

      2027 will be a different lineup but we’re not there yet.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. The Phillies are “set” with their multiple zero and negative WAR position players. Say what you want, but if a righty came in and hit like a demon – say, like 2017 Rhys Hoskins – I’d bet a boatload of money that dude would play a lot because their righty hitters are just awful.

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  80. Imagine you’re the Blue Jays and you give superstar Vlad Guerrero Jr. 14/500 and he’s struggling in his first year of the deal with 0.6 WAR.

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    1. Imagine your Middleton. Walker 18 million , casty 20, garcia 10, realmuto 15, nola24. I would be sick

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  81. kind of crazy to me that taijuan walker still has no takers at league minimum salary. I guess you can have too much pitching.

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