Here’s a new Phillies Discussion.

Sorry for the delay publishing a new discussion.  I’ve been distracted lately.  I blame my age.  It doesn’t take much to distract me anymore.

Last weekend, I decided to compare the 2026 Phillies offense with a random Phillies team from the past.  I selected the 1968 Phillies.  I don’t know why, just a random selection.  The ’68 Phillies included Dick Allen, Johnny Callison, Tony Gonzalez, Bill White, Cookie Rojas, Tony Taylor, Chris Short, Larry Jackson, Woodie Fryman, Rick Wise, and manager Gene Mauch.  Mauch lasted 54 games and was fired with a 27-27 record.  The Phillies then had 4 different managers until Danny Ozark took over in 1973.  Several of the Phillies’ starters were part of the 1964 team.

Anyway, the current Phillies were slightly ahead of the ’68 Phillies.  But the older team actually hit better when you factor out the pitchers.  A lot of other things look similar until you consider home runs and strike outs.  The current iteration strikes out at a much higher rate (23.2% vs 15.8%).  But they hit for way more power (the current team has 93 HRs already and the ’68 team had 98 for the whole season).  The ’68 team was a 76-win team.

Baseball America published an article that includes a lot of MLB’s initial proposals for the next CBA.  They are very interesting.  It’s behind the paywall and I don’t have a subscription.  But I had a lengthy conversation this afternoon with someone who does.  Here are some of MLB’s proposals, the ones I can remember.

• elimination of high school draft eligibility
• juco players eligibility restricted (no longer eligible after first year)
• players become eligible 2 years after their HS class graduates
• plus, must be 20 years old by September 1st of their draft year
• amateur draft reduced from 20 to 12 rounds
• draft bonus pools cut by about 50%
• allow trading of draft picks with some restrictions
• an international draft with same or similar bonus pool as Rule 4
• no change in number of affiliated teams
• undrafted free agents can sign for $10K only
• competitive balance picks eliminated

That’s all I can remember.  Some were easy to remember because I expected them to happen.  A couple others (like the elimination of the competitive balance picks) were also easy because I wanted them myself or didn’t (international draft).  The whole BA article should provide some interesting reading.

Important Dates

• 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)
• July 13, 2026: 2026 Home Run Derby, Philadelphia PA
• July 14, 2026: 2026 MLB All-Star Game, Philadelphia PA
• August 3, 2026: MLB trade deadline at 6:00 P.M. ET
• August 13, 2026: Field of Dreams Game, Thursday game from Phillies at Twins series
• December 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET): MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement expires.

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

Transactions

June 2026
06/18/2026 – Phillies recalled RHP Seth Johnson from Lehigh Valley
06/18/2026 – Phillies selected the contract of RHP Bryse Wilson from Lehigh Valley
06/18/2026 – Phillies optioned LHP Tanner Banks to Lehigh Valley
06/18/2026 – Phillies optioned RHP Andrew Painter to Lehigh Valley
06/18/2026 – FCL Phillies placed OF Maylerson Casanova on the 7-day IL
06/18/2026 – RHP Rainy Mota assigned to FCL Phillies from DSL Phillies
06/18/2026 – OF Jaeden Calderon assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
06/18/2026 – OF Manolfi Jimenez assigned to FCL Phillies from Jersey Shore
06/17/2026 – RHP Evan Gates assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
06/17/2026 – Jersey Shore released 1B Brock Vradenburg
06/17/2026 – Clearwater activated OF TJayy Walton from the 7-day IL
06/17/2026 – C Cesar Mujica assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
06/16/2026 – Phillies signed FA TWP Lyle Miller-Green to an MiLB contract
06/16/2026 – Phillies signed FA 3B Riley Tirotta to an MiLB contract
06/16/2026 – Phillies recalled RHP Max Lazar from Lehigh Valley
06/16/2026 – Phillies placed RHP Brad Keller on the 15-day IL retroactive to 6/14, right forearm tendinitis
06/16/2026 – Phillies released RHP Jackson Rutledge
06/16/2026 – Lehigh Valley placed RHP Andrew Bechtold on the 7-day IL
06/16/2026 – Reading placed LHP Wesley Moore on the FS IL
06/16/2026 – 3B Riley Tirotta assigned to Reading
06/16/2026 – RHP Cody Bowker assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
06/16/2026 – RHP Gabe Craig assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
06/16/2026 – RHP Tanner Gresham assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
06/16/2026 – RHP Ramon Marquez assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
06/16/2026 – SS Nikau Pouaka-Grego assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
06/16/2026 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Tanner Gresham
06/16/2026 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Ramon Marquez
06/16/2026 – RHP Luis Avila assigned to Clearwater from Jersey Shore
06/16/2026 – TWP Lyle Miller-Green assigned to Clearwater
06/16/2026 – Clearwater placed LHP James Tallon on the temporarily inactive list
06/16/2026 – C Gabriel Flores assigned to FCL Phillies from Jersey Shore
06/15/2026 – Phillies activated RF Steward Berroa from the paternity list
06/15/2026 – Phillies optioned RF Steward Berroa to Lehigh Valley
06/15/2026 – RHP Matthew Fisher assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
06/14/2026 – Phillies signed FA 2B Luke Ritter to an MiLB contract
06/14/2026 – Lehigh Valley placed RHP Levi Stoudt on the 7-day IL
06/14/2026 – Lehigh Valley activated LF Felix Reyes
06/14/2026 – Reading placed C Kehden Hettiger on the 7-day IL retroactive to 6/13
06/14/2026 – 2B Luke Ritter assigned to Reading
06/14/2026 – FCL Phillies placed RHP Alexander De Los Santos on the 7-day IL
06/13/2026 – LF Felix Reyes roster status changed by Lehigh Valley
06/13/2026 – RHP Wen-Hui Pan assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
06/13/2026 – Jersey Shore placed RHP Ryan Dromboski on the 7-day IL
06/13/2026 – Jersey Shore sent LHP Juan Amarante on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
06/12/2026 – Phillies placed RF Steward Berroa on the paternity list
06/12/2026 – Phillies activated RF Derek Hill
06/12/2026 – Phillies placed RF Adolis García on the 60-day IL, right latissimus dorsi tear
06/12/2026 – Phillies recalled RF Gabriel Rincones Jr. from Lehigh Valley
06/12/2026 – RF Pedro León assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
06/12/2026 – SS Nikau Pouaka-Grego assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
06/12/2026 – C Gabriel Flores assigned to Jersey Shore from FCL Phillies
06/12/2026 – RHP Wilmer Blanco assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
06/12/2026 – Clearwater placed LHP James Tallon on the temporarily inactive list
06/12/2026 – OF Maylerson Casanova assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
06/11/2026 – Chicago (AL) traded RF Derek Hill and Other Considerations to Phillies for CF Dylan Campbell and 2B Jose Colmenares
06/11/2026 – Phillies designated RHP Jackson Rutledge for assignment
06/11/2026 – Lehigh Valley activated C Lou Albrecht from the Development List
06/10/2026 – RHP Mitch Neunborn assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
06/10/2026 – Reading activated RHP Braydon Tucker from the Development List
06/09/2026 – Phillies sent LHP Kyle Backhus on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
06/09/2026 – Lehigh Valley activated C René Pinto from the 7-day IL
06/09/2026 – Lehigh Valley placed SS Liover Peguero on the 7-day IL retroactive to 6/7
06/09/2026 – C Caleb Ricketts assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
06/09/2026 – Reading placed OF Dante Nori on the 7-day IL retroactive to 6/7
06/09/2026 – C Gabriel Flores assigned to FCL Phillies from Reading
06/09/2026 – FCL Phillies transferred RHP Eligio Arias from the 7-day to the 60-day IL
06/08/2026 – RHP Wilmer Blanco assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
06/07/2026 – Clearwater activated RHP Sean Youngerman from the Development List
06/06/2026 – RHP Zach Pop elected free agency
06/06/2026 – Phillies sent RHP Zach Pop outright to Lehigh Valley
06/05/2026 – Phillies signed FA RHP Bryse Wilson to an MiLB contract
06/05/2026 – RHP Bryse Wilson assigned to Lehigh Valley
06/05/2026 – RHP Gabriel Barbosa assigned to Jersey Shore from Lehigh Valley
06/05/2026 – Clearwater placed OF TJayy Walton on the 7-day IL
06/05/2026 – OF Maylerson Casanova assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
06/04/2026 – RHP Gabriel Barbosa assigned to Lehigh Valley from Jersey Shore
06/04/2026 – Reading activated RHP Estibenzon Jimenez from the 7-day IL
06/04/2026 – Reading activated C Gabriel Flores from the Development List
06/04/2026 – Reading placed LF Austin Murr on the 7-day IL
06/03/2026 – Lehigh Valley released RHP Bryse Wilson
06/03/2026 – Lehigh Valley transferred C Lou Albrecht to the Development List
06/03/2026 – Reading transferred RHP Braydon Tucker to the Development List
06/02/2026 – Phillies activated RHP Aaron Nola from the paternity list
06/02/2026 – Lehigh Valley activated RHP Lou Trivino from the temporarily inactive list
06/02/2026 – Lehigh Valley activated OF Keaton Anthony from the 7-day IL
06/02/2026 – Lehigh Valley sent C René Pinto on a rehab assignment to Jersey Shore
06/02/2026 – Lehigh Valley sent RF Pedro León on a rehab assignment to Jersey Shore
06/02/2026 – RHP Daniel Harper assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
06/02/2026 – Reading activated RHP Daniel Harper
06/01/2026 – Phillies optioned RHP Nolan Hoffman to Lehigh Valley
06/01/2026 – Lehigh Valley activated RHP Nolan Hoffman
06/01/2026 – Lehigh Valley released RHP John McMillon
06/01/2026 – Reading released LHP Cristhian Tortosa
06/01/2026 – C Gabriel Flores assigned to Reading from FCL Phillies
06/01/2026 – Reading activated C Gabriel Flores
06/01/2026 – Reading transferred C Gabriel Flores to the Development List
06/01/2026 – RHP Chan-Min Park assigned to DSL Phillies
06/01/2026 – DSL Phillies placed RHP Chan-Min Park on the restricted list