Phillies Discussion (9/27/2026)

Other Stuff

Here’s a new Phillies Discussion. 

This should post automatically at 10:PM EST on September 27th.  Comments on the previous discussion should automatically close at the same time.

Important Dates

  • 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.)

 

229 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion (9/27/2026)”

  1. The Phillies finish with 88 wins (77 and 51 under Mattingly) and capture the last Wild Card spot

    Check out the American League playoff team records!

    Division winners:W-LPctWCGBL10Strk

    1Rays 98-64.605-5-5L1

    2Guardians 85-77.525-8-2L1

    3Astros 81-81.500-5-5W2

    Wild Card Teams: WLPctWCGBL10Strk

    1Yankees 93-68.578+9.55-5W1

    2Red Sox 87-75.537+3.05-5L1

    3White Sox 84-78.519-7-3W1

    Like

  2. Here are some stats that may, or may not, mean much.

    The average MLB OPS for this season was 719. Here are the Phillies who finished above average:

    Harper 865

    Schwarber 851

    Arraez 765

    Stott 735

    Hill 733

    Bohm, despite all the talk about his RBIs, ended at just 698.

    Finally, Hurrah for Alex McFarlane. Twenty five years old in Double AA and I’m sure written off as a prospect by some. But he jumped to the Big Leagues with an ability to throw strikes as 100 MPH and performed well.

    Like

    2. Relievers don’t generate the WAR like other positions and they are notoriously volatile from year to year, unless you are elite. McFarlane had 0.5 WAR in 19 games and he should be good for 1-2 WAR next season, which is still a very good season for a non-closer. Mayza and Bowlan had 1.5 and 1.3 WAR respectively.

      Like

  3. good stats there. The Phillies MUST start developing young offensive players through the farm or by trade. Their offense just never gets help and they rely on too many below average hitters. I just hope 2 of them get hot this postseason and maybe we could ride this pitching. We shall see.

    Like

    1. This is why Aidan Miller’s injury really hurt the Phillies’ plans. If he was healthy, he could have come in and moved Bohm to 1st, Harper to RF and the Phillies wouldn’t have had to trade for Arraez.

      Crawford is only 22 and even though he ended with -0.2 WAR, he ended the year healthy and he was negative mostly because of his defense in CF. Note that Chandler Simpson as a 24 year old had 0.3 WAR. I think we’re all expecting Crawford to improve next season (like Chandler Simpson in his 2nd year who plays LF).

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I’m disappointed we didn’t get to 90 wins but despite the ugliness we are in and I believe we have a punchers chance against the Braves.

    Is it likely we take 2 of 3 on the road? Probably not but strange things can happen in the playoffs and even though we won’t get to face Strider LOL we are capable of stealing 2 games.

    Many things went wrong this season but I won’t get into them until they are officially eliminated.

    If I could pick my WS I think it would be fun to see the Brewers and Rays square off. I like both of those clubs brand of baseball.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. LOL Maybe they would but doesn’t faze me Romus

        2 of the best teams in baseball IMO and on budget payrolls speaks volumes to power.

        Like

  5. I know game 1 is important but I’d be tempted to go Painter game 1 and if he struggles than bring in your worst relievers and sacrifice game 1. I don’t think the pitching plan matters bc I dont think they’ll score. Have sanchez and your best relievers for game 2 and mayne hope luzardo or Nola can go on game three.

    Give Painter a chance to be a Phillies postseason legened.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think Painter will go tomorrow, he would be pitching on normal rest. This is how I see it going:

      Tuesday: Painter

      Wednesday: Sanchez

      Thursday: Nola

      Wheeler will be available out of the bullpen on Thursday only. Luzardo has not ramped up enough to start. He should be available out of the bullpen for 2-3 innings.

      Best case, Wheeler starts game 1 of the NEXT round.

      Like

    2. I don’t think you can sacrifice anything in a 3 game series.

      The batters need to show patience and discipline and just do their best to try to sit one pitch one zone against Sale and try to run his pitch count up to the mid 90’s by the time the 5th is over if they want a chance at Gm1.. they knocked in 2 of him the last outing i believe which while not a lot is still better than 0.

      Also it’s the playoffs.. they make it to gm 3, though it’s not normal.. i half expect Wheels to be ready to go, might never get the chance again, you really going to just sit on the bench being paid 47m?. Gm2 div series isn’t until Tuesday after Gm1 on Saturday so 2 days off between those so if they were to make it past Braves they could go Sanchez1/Wheels2 to open against LA

      Like

      1. They interviewed Wheeler after the game and he didn’t seem optimistic that he will be available to start in the series vs the Braves.

        Like

        1. always easier to say you don’t think something will happen then to create the expectation that you can or will.. to me it’s an all hands on deck and being down there in His homebase state, he makes an exception and mustards up the vinegar to pitch on less rest then normal

          Like

  6. I didn’t watch for the last week or so, just followed on my phone and saw a few batters.

    This team is so unbalanced. It’s a team with 3 superstar starting pitchers, a couple of decent starting pitchers, a star closer, two star hitters and an okay hitter and another passable player (Stott). The other players on the team are not good and it creates all kinds of problems.

    As for the starting pitching, it cannot be overstated how good those three starters are. According to my Google AI search, the Phillies were the first team since the 1913 Chicago White Sox (!!!!!) to have 3 starters with at least 6 bWAR. That’s incredible and it’s even more incredible considering Wheeler missed the first month of the season and Luzardo missed a couple of weeks. And since August, both Nola and Painter have also been very good – not quite great, but very good.

    But can they consistently hit in October? History and our observations would suggest they can’t. But if they can, they could win it all – I just don’t think they will do it.

    Like

  7. Unfortunately, recent history has shown that the game after a run/hit eruption (at least it is for them) like Sunday, results in a 4 hit, one run in the 8th game line. The starters lose some control in the 6th or 7th and a walk, swinging bunt and a gap double is usually the result. For Nola it starts with that one guy who runs up an 8 or 9 pitch count, gets a hit and it all unravels. He tries so hard to fight through it knowing there is no help in the bullpen but that little decline in control is enough to ruin a great outing.

    Like

  8. To those of you who think DD is just about on his way out the door – this from John Middleton

    “To be in the postseason five years in a row, that’s remarkable consistency,” Middleton said. “It’s consistency throughout a season, a sign of a really, really good organization, not surprisingly when Dave Dombrowski runs it.”

    Yeah, he (DD) is not going anywhere.

    Like

  9. Can’t figure out why Realmuto caught Nola on Saturday night. He was o for whatever and even Stubbs wouldn’t have done any worse. Stubbs could have started with Nola and maybe gotten a couple of innings out of Nola.

    After Nola goes out, then you could put in Realmuto. They still had another catcher on the bench in Marchan. Maybe they were saving Stubbs for the final inning when the score was 12-1 and he could have put a stop to it.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’d be SHOCKED if Stubbs caught Nola in the playoffs. Expect Realmuto to start all post-season games regardless of who is starting on the mound.

      Like

      1. That could be a mistake….Donny may regret ever doing that. You dance with the gal that you bring to the dance. Nola will throw two-strike pitches called for…and will be hit. Then JT will have his, as we have come to expect this season, RISP production at the plate.

        Like

    1. Luzardo is the opener, he’s not going 6 innings. Depending on his pitch count, it’ll be 1-3 innings. If the Braves are smart, they will work the count to get Luzardo out of there as fast as possible. Painter is scheduled to be next and should be able to pitch the bulk of the innings.

      Like

    2. Agreed – however long he can go he’ll still be better than whoever else would have started.

      Like

    1. rocco…Otto and Keaton need a fresh start in another org…..two RHBs that have the potential to be quality hitters……maybe teams like the Rockies or Angels could give them a better opportunity then here in Philadelphia.

      Like

      1. Kemp (age 27), Keaton (age 25), Reyes (age 25) are all DH/1B players for whatever reason. Since Schwarber is here for another 4 years, these 3 players have no opportunity to get serious ABs for the Phillies. All 3 will likely be headed elsewhere.

        Like

        1. All three have big time issues and probably have little future in this or any organization. Of the three, I still believe that Kemp is the most likely to have a big league future of some type. Reyes has horrible plate discipline and is already being exposed at AAA – plate discipline issues generally don’t sort themselves out – they generally ruin careers. Keaton just drive the ball well enough, or hit for a high enough average to be a big league first baseman. Kemp has legitimate power and a good approach at the plate – but his fielding is currently an issue. There have been a ton of guys like Kemp who end up being second division regulars.

          Like

    2. Otto Kemp will only play if the Phillies get blown out, and even then, that’s not a given. He’s literally the last position player off the bench. Kemp will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. To me, Otto Kemp was one of the biggest disappointments this year – he didn’t play well, even at AAA – it was an objectively bad year for him. Obviously, he’ll be a spare part in this series, but I feel there still might be something there. It is very common, when a player fails at the big league level and gets demoted for him to have a bad season in the minor leagues. He’s human, he’s down on himself, it’s pretty typical. But often, with an offseason to mentally recover, players like that come back and often succeed again when given a second chance. This is certainly within the realm of possibility for Kemp and, who knows, maybe he gets an at bat or two in an extra inning game in the postseason and it re-starts his whole career – it’s happened to other players (Gene Tenace was a no-name back-up catcher when he turned it on and became the MVP of the 1972 World Series and never looked back – for real).

        Like

  12. I get I mention Otto Kemp. And people want to try to prove me wrong. In what universe does a 234 hitter, with a sub 300 o p. Who is a terrible fielder, get a free pass. He isn’t a major league 67 strikeout in 197 plate appearance for a non power hitter. Praise him all you want. He can’t play.

    Like

    1. I’m not giving him a free pass – he had a really bad year and the fielding issues are clearly going to be a problem with him. That said, last year, he showed very good signs as a hitter with contact, power and plate discipline and really strong exit velocities (he wasn’t getting lucky). There’s something there as a hitter, but you’re right that the odds are against him.

      Still, you have to look at the player’s abilities and see if things might fall in place. Last year, Alex McFarlane looked like a complete dog of a prospect – but he’s really talented and, given a different role and a new chance he turned himself into a pretty good player.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. That he also played in the minor leagues and had an exceptional year there last year. If you just looked at initial small sample sizes of guys in their first go-around in the big leagues you’d have thought that Max Muncy, Josh Donaldson and even Aaron Judge would all be failures and you’d be wrong. I’m not saying that Kemp is likely to be a good major leaguer, I’m saying he has a better chance of being okay than you might think.

          Like

    2. I’m not giving him a pass, he’s not going to impact the game at all.

      At best, Kemp is the second bench player but his glove is not great either. So in that respect, he’ll likely be in another organization because the Phillies can’t rely on him to replace Sosa when he becomes a FA.

      Like

    3. Kemp and Anthony may end up in Korea or Japan. Their agents are probably exploring all options if the Phillies decide to move on from them after the season. Their agents and the players are not dummies, they can see the hand writing on the wall.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I think JM’s comments about making the playoffs 5 years in a row being remarkable is suspect given that if your payroll is consistently in the top 3-4 it should be expected LOL.

    The optics for the astute observer is why are you outspending teams like the Brewers and Rays at almost a 3-1 clip and getting embarrassed by them.

    For DD’s part he works within the mandate and the budget.

    If everyone spoke honestly in the media I’m sure DD would have said we needed to spend more to have a real chance and JM would have said we have to roll with what we have because I am not giving DD any additional budget.

    Like

  14. Jesus Luzardo with 5 innings of 1 run ball – you can’t ask for much more than that and . . . of course, the Phillies have also scored only one run. Surprise factor: 0.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. And a relief pitcher is in and we’re now behind. Sounds a lot like the regular season. Again, surprise factor: 0. Hopefully, they can pull off another one of their regular season late inning miracles, but this team is a very poor hitting team and, other than fine starting pitching, is boring as hell to watch.

      Like

          1. I’ll bet he’s going to try to get 2 innings from him and nail down the win as if the series depended on it. It might even be the right strategy. I guess we’ll see.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. I have no doubt he’s going 2 innings, he only threw 12 pitches. That means he’s out for tomorrow. So who’s getting the 9th? Bowlan?

              Like

  16. pointless observation: This year’s Phillies have two roster disappointments with the same initials of OK. Can’t think of any former Phils ever who also had those same initials. Let’s go Phils.

    Like

  19. Not that Brad Keller has having a spectacular season but him getting hurt, Kilian getting hurt and Kerkering’s meltdown really hurt the bullpen. Also, Raley was really ineffective and Mattingly moved away from him in high leverage situations.

    Liked by 2 people

  20. I though the game was lost when Crawford couldn’t get the run in with 1 out. Hill miscalculating the fly ball by Albies, and Harper missing a 2 or 3 run hr just foul…

    Damn. It hurts they got to Duran, but dude left it over the plate to Riley. He can still crank them

    a game of inches. Phillies should’ve stolen than game, BUT they can win the next 2.

    Like

    1. Phillies are favoured tomorrow with Sanchez vs Mahle, but the money guys (Turner, Schwarber, Harper) has to be better than 1-10 with a walk and HPB. The Phillies will need to put up some runs because Duran won’t be available. Sanchez will almost have to go 7 innings.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Strange because Mahle has pretty much owned our LU with that change-up. We faced him with the Giants once and once with the Braves after they traded for him with little success.

        Hopefully they see it better today.

        If the won the series I expected it would be because they took games 2 and 3. Tall ask but here we are…

        More evidence baseball is strange. Tatis Jr barely had 3 HR’s through the AS Break and last night he leads the game off with a HR LOL.

        Whatever the Cubs are paying Counsel its way too much SMH.

        Like

        1. Cubs have no starting pitching. Their best starter is Imanaga at 2 WAR. Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera in the offseason and he’s been a disaster. They traded for David Peterson and a washed up Jameson Taillon. They did a cheap sign for Colin Rea. None of it has worked out.

          Like

    1. Already had the trifecta ….. PSU, Eagles and Phillies all 3 teams with lots of problems ….. all hands on deck from here on out!

      Like

      1. Pennstate has another James Franklin. Gutless. Eagles hired two bad coaches Phillies have 20 percent of a team. Good starting pitching. Bad bullpen. Bad offense, bad defense bad base running.

        Like

        1. rocco…..when it comes to defense, the old axiom…up-the-middle is key (catcher, ss, 2B and CF)….Phillies were last in the league in three, by SABR-SDI measurements…Turner last in MLB at -8……Stott worst also at -5 and Crawford last at -6…JT was a -1.

          When your shortstop is the worst in baseball…the overall team defense DRS will invariably be poor.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Honestly, I often feel like DD is just a complete moron when assembling his position players for a team and especially when deciding who to sign to long term contracts. He specializes in contracts that are far too long where he identifies “good hitters” that cannot really field and that, in fact, are not really good hitters (or if they are, they are okay hitters coming off a career year), so when their hitting goes to hell, they are negatives at the plate and in the field. And we’re going to get another 3-5 years of this nonsense because DD knows how to talk to Middleton (don’t kid yourself, this is a huge part of this) and Middleton is not discerning enough to see through the smoke and mirrors. It’s pretty freaking frustrating.

            Like

            1. Indeed….frustrating.

              I was hoping the new CBA. besides having the issue of the hard cap agenda on it, would also have the ‘buy-out’ availability of LTCs on the agenda, like the NHL has in their CBA. Seriously who in their right mind think Turner, at $27M AAV, will be an effective MLB player thru 2033 at age 40!

              What were Middleton and Dombrowski thinking!

              Liked by 1 person

            2. The year ends Nov 30th…..Dec 1st starts the lockout year….prior to that I hope DD and Turner’s party come together……and restructure the contract…..make it a type Ohtani/Bobby Bonilla defer 20/25 year contract. Lower the AAV but lengthen beyond after his retirement. He can then retire earlier and still have a lifetime payment…right now he is owed approx $190M thru 2033……it will have to be more than that if it is deferred.

              Like

            3. Exactly. It’s one thing to have a contract that, by all appearances, appears to be a reasonable contract when it was signed, but the Turner deal, especially the last half of it, was horrible and indefensible the moment it was signed.

              My view of things is that it’s time to find the next generation of Phillies hitters. They should be seeking trade partners for this and need to find a way to work guys from the minors like Aidan Miller into the line-up. And this should not be particularly hard to do since their existing players who are on the verge of free agency are not that good. Who cares if Alec Bohm leaves? He’s a below average hitter and fielder. I like Brandon Marsh the guy, but he’s a frustrating and limited player. And Bryson Stott, is okay, but he hasn’t earned a long term deal. All options should be open when it comes to this line-up and they must turn over the roster when it comes to position players and . . . . don’t you dare trade Francisco Renteria – he’s the only potential LA superstar position prospect they’ve had in the last 45 years and they need to hold onto him for deal life. It’s essential.

              Liked by 2 people

            4. Tobacco Jawn wanted names for shirsys, that is what he got, can’t buy back your trophey but you can buy names that will sell merch

              Like

    2. I’m going to the Flyers opener tonight. My best friend loves all Philly sports. If the Fightins lose today then the Flyers drop the opener I might have to drive him straight to the funny farm.

      Haha

      Liked by 1 person

  24. well, boys has the same goes. They’re exactly who we thought they were. Poor managing, poor base running, the $90 million top three of our order doing absolutely nothing, a starting outfield with 2AAAA ball players, bullpen mismanagement starting, of course with the POBO and worst of always hearing the owners comments about our POBO the other day extolling how great it is to win to be in the playoffs five straight years; is he delusional? This is follow the exact same pattern of the great Phillies run in the late arts which did result in the world championship get eliminated earlier each year They better be big changes coming next season, but I’m not optimistic of that

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I wouldn’t say yesterday was BP mismanagement. Its extremely thin out there but I agree if you have your top 3 guys doing very little its hard to win.

      BH had so many pitches he should have done damage on…

      Like

      1. From everything I can tell from a distance, Mattingly handled a difficult situation well yesterday. But he can’t throw the ball – there’s only so much he can do.

        Like

  26. I don’t think Donny mismanaged the bullpen yesterday. It’s a current trend of going away from “9th inning closers” and going towards “stoppers”

    He put his best, most trusted reliever in the game in the 7th and 8th when I believe the Braves had 9-1-2 coming up in the 7th inning. If you get through the meat of their order, putting a Bowlan or Alvarado or insert crap here gets easier to choke down in the 9th inning when the Braves are on the back end of their lineup.

    If Orien didn’t crap out and Keller didn’t get hurt, there’s an easier 7th/8th/9th progression. You can only play the guys that you can play though.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Middleton is ecstatic that the Phillies have made the post season the last 5 years, even minus the big prize. Of course, he is. In that period of time, they have drawn over 3 million fans on a yearly basis. He can spend a little over the tax thresholds and still make plenty of dough even if the team craps out when it counts. Who’s got it better than him and Dombrowski?

    Liked by 1 person

  31. You’ve gotta give Schwarber and Harper some credit here – these two home runs screamed out “see, WE are not the problem” and, truthfully, they aren’t and never have been.

    Like

    1. Agreed, but there’s also a really good chance that the people who will attack Harper for misplaying the ball are the same people who demanded for 2 years that he play RF.

      I’m really impressed with how Painter has handled his 2 innings (and counting?)

      Like

  32. Where the Phillies are at this moment is pretty cool. If they needed him to, Painter could pitch another 5 or 6 innings.

    Like

    1. And they just squeaked by – I’ve been at work following these games online, but it seems to me that Mattingly has managed these games exceptionally well with half a hand tied behind his back.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. Bohm with the game winning HR. Painter with the win with 3 scoreless out of the pen. Just the way it was drawn up.

    Gotta think the Braves feel like this is a gut punch. I mean, the phillies walked like 8 dudes and didn’t have Duran, the Phillies gifted them runs, and they still lost.

    Liked by 1 person

  34. showed some Grit.. the entire Org should count their blessings Paint was able to pull that off… buy that man a rolex or something as a thank you

    so wheels gonna piss vinegar and demand the ball or they just going to let Nola go out there and maybe use Wheels out of the pen….

    really don’t want to be watching Nola give up long balls tomorrow in any situations.. i know he’s been better of late but man i do not have confidence in Nola not letting up at least 2 HR’s

    Like

  35. I thought the players bailed out DD today.

    As I said after the trade deadline, this is a poorly constructed roster. Harper is out of position and it nearly cost us. A line drive right at an OF is a hard play. It takes reps. I blame DD for that. Before that Bohm butchered the bunt. being right handed made it harder but he has to get an out at first there. brutal.

    But the bats bailed them out. And Painter!!! wow what a turnaround from earlier this season. he might turn out to be the star pitcher that he was projected. awesome performance.

    let’s get one more boys!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I really can’t believe painters turnaround. Before the injury I love his stuff. Then it looked like he just lost it. Now he is becoming a good starter

      Liked by 1 person

  36. The kid really pitched great after Caleb came out and probably told him they can’t see your stuff in the shadows just go after them. Harris 5 for 6 off Painter – now 6 for 7 – but his hit was harmless. Very impressive performance. He just threw hard – 100 mph !
    Sanchez was fabulous too – what grit ! He got charged with 3 runs – nonsense- if Harper catches that ball – Braves only score their initial run. He was the warrior today !!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That initial run ……… Sosa was playing so far off 3rd allowing the steal of 3rd, basically uncontested …. no throw, subsequently resulting in a run ….. runner still on 2nd maybe wouldn’t have scored? IDK.

      Like

    1. I thought he had a pretty good day, he had some nice plays at 1B, he did have one questionable play on the bunt, but overall I thought one of his better days. Big bat, winning RBI. Has another one like it and DD liable to give him $25 mil avg/yr for 10 years!😉

      Liked by 1 person

    1. His changeup has been a revelation. Whoever taught him that grip needs a nice fat bonus.

      And we all knew he had the stuff. But I’ll say again; the fact that he had a couple things go wrong and he just locked in is a HUGE development from earlier this year. Being mentally unshakeable might be the most important skill for a professional, and I was worried that would be an issue for him.

      Not anymore. This is your time, kid. Show em who you are.

      Liked by 2 people

  39. It’s October Now Boys! Let’s get some and have a real Red October.. time to make Sean Connery rise from the ashes and hunt Ramius down!

    Liked by 1 person

  41. So me and my buddy were in the Xcite center parking lot tail gating the Flyers home opener (which we won’t talk about) and we had the game on the radio including everyone around us.

    The whole parking lot erupted with cheers when Bohm went yard then Painter gets a K on the ABS.

    Pretty electric moment. We should have ended our night there.

    Like

      1. Rpmus, v1 post on painter 80 sweeper. 80 chang. Not a expert, but that’s ace stuff,? Or am I wrong

        Like

        1. 80 is the highest grade a pitch or skill can have in the scouting/grading system. Painter had to heal up, get his command back and work on his pitch shape. He did all those things and he’s still a work in progress. I told people to be patient with him – he has too much ability not to be at least a solid mid-rotation pitcher, and he still has ace upside. His struggles last year and this year, will help in the long run. He has become very resilient.

          Liked by 1 person

  42. If we don’t close this out with a win I won’t be totally in the dumps. My only want was that they don’t get swept in any of the series they play.

    Getting 3 of 5 against the Dodgers seems like another tall ask but bring it on. If we somehow get our SP to align we can do it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They just needed to get some mojo back, they lost it basically all of September by pressing and not letting their pitch come to them. They are all highly skilled but all seem to be head cases at the same time.

      i really hope harper is at 1b today though, i don’t want to see him in the outfield for the love of the baseball gods let that be the end of that

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Playing the OF to make room for Arraez was convoluted but at least defensible. Playing the OF in a playoff game to make room for Sosa’s .280 OBP is insane.

        Liked by 2 people

  43. Nola eh…. hope wheels is ready in the pen if the hits start coming and coming fast

    Praying to the knucklecurve gods today

    Like

  45. The Phillies have used 3 starters, Luzardo, Sanchez, and Painter, and McFarlane and Duran in the first two games. They’ll start Nola tonight with, I imagine, Wheeler in the wings. Luzardo claims he’ll be ready for a few outs. When it gets late in the game, they’ll come back with Spiderman. Does anyone else from this bullpen get in? What’s the use in having a bullpen at all if you can’t depend on the pitchers in it?

    Like

    1. so say it’s the 4th inning.. nola’s at 70 ish.. tied 2-2.. 1 out.. man on first.. Nola’s faultering we need some arms… who’s coming in?… would figure they use wheels.. 47m man.. gotta use what you are paying for

      Like

  49. We need another Derek White event – Homer; great catch; key stolen base; all the above. Will miss Sosa ….

    Like

  50. The last 2 times that Nola has pitched, it has been with JT and a TOTAL disaster. Nola wasn’t going deep in this game, so bring in JT afterwards. Nola is CLEARLY more comfortable with Stubbs…why mess with a good thing ???

    Liked by 2 people

  51. Tough end to the season. Was nice to see them have some fight in game 2. Questionable decision by Mattingly to start Nola (with no Stubbs behind the dish) instead of Wheeler. Once Nola gave up those 3 runs, I said this lineup needs to score 9 to win the game. Hitters rolled over against a pitcher who was working at 7/11 a year ago. The lineup continues to show up small in the postseason. The other reality is that they had no chance making a run with the current state of the bullpen.

    As much as people want to blame Dombrowski, I don’t think there are many things he did that I would’ve done differently at the time the moves were made. Arraez was the best hitter available at the deadline. He turned the lineup around, then went cold, then got hurt before the playoffs. Raley had a sub-2 ERA and then turned into a turd. Kilian got hurt. Adolis was great defensively and when he finally looked like he was starting to come around with the bat, he got hurt. People criticize the Nola contract, but if it wasn’t for him and painter pitching the way they did in the second half, they don’t make the playoffs at all. JT has been historically unlucky with his bat and provides a lot of undervalued intangibles behind the plate. The Turner contract is awful, but nobody criticized that move at the time it was made.

    Mattingly is gone. Kevin Long should be gone. Cora will be the next manager. Bohm, Sosa, Alvarado, Arraez, Garcia, Raley, Mayza, Castellanos, Walker all come off the books. That’s close to $80M. Stott and Marsh could be trade chips (Marsh could’ve yielded much more in July).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Max your the reason. DD will keep this job. What a excuse maker. J T is unlucky ,LMAO. Adonis was coming on. Nola deserved his contract. You have to be a relation to Middleton i really hope you ere joking

      Like

    2. “As much as people want to blame Dombrowski, I don’t think there are many things he did that I would’ve done differently at the time the moves were made.” << I honestly can’t believe that is a real take.

      First of all, Dombrowski has been the head of the Phillies for 6 years. The current roster is completely his doing. Any holes in the lineup are his doing.

      He is the one who signed Adolis this past offseason with no back up plan. He is the one who has overseen our farm system that is bereft of impact players and bullpen arms. He is the one who has consistently put out terrible defensive teams year after year. He is the one who re-signed a 34 yo JT with basically zero catching depth.

      “Arraez was the best hitter available at the deadline. He turned the lineup around, then went cold” << Arraez is not and never has been a game changing hitter. He is a competent singles hitter who doesn’t take walks and has no power. his entire profile is based on BABIP which is always prone to streaks. I assume that you are not suggesting that we would have won this series if Arraez played? He is not a difference maker. And worse, his inclusion in the lineup makes our defense terrible across the board. Harper is clearly not a right fielder anymore. Bohm is not a 1B. Stott doesn’t hit enough to play 3B. It was a panic move and we way over paid in prospects.

      I can go on and on. It’s just a bad, bad roster construction. Parts don’t fit. No depth. Terrible strike zone discipline. Atrocious defense. Bad bullpen. He has made several good decisions. No question it is not all bad. But his overall body of work with the Phillies has been mediocre imo.

      Like

      1. Yeah, what he said . . . lol.

        But we’re going to get another 3-5 years of him – lucky us.

        Like

      2. Nobody was complaining about Arraez in August when the lineup changed its entire approach and got hot after he arrived. Was he a perfect player? Obviously not. But what impact bat was realistically available at the deadline that they should’ve acquired instead?

        The bigger point is that most of the moves people now criticize were moves nobody was upset about at the time because the Phillies were clearly trying to go all-in and win a World Series. Dombrowski made aggressive moves ownership wanted, and they made sense given where the team was. You can criticize the results in hindsight, but it’s hard to blame him for making moves that looked like the right ones when they happened. They’ve had a championship-caliber roster for basically five straight years. They made a World Series, were one game away from another, won 95+ games multiple times, and continually entered October as a legitimate contender.

        At some point, the players have to perform. Dombrowski didn’t make Turner, Harper, Schwarber, Bohm, Stott, etc. collectively disappear offensively in multiple postseason series. He didn’t make a lineup that mashed all year suddenly lose its approach against mediocre pitching. And I don’t buy that defense or Arraez is the reason they’re sitting at home right now.

        Middleton wanted them to go all-in for a championship, and Dombrowski built teams good enough to win one. Were some moves short-sighted as a result? Absolutely. But if they win one of those World Series, nobody cares. The biggest failure of this era IMO isn’t that the roster was never good enough. It’s that a very good roster repeatedly failed to play its best baseball when it mattered most.

        Like

    3. no room for nuance here, Max. Lots of GM’s in waiting just ready to belittle an opinion they don’t agree with

      Like

  52. If I had to boil down the blame into one question it would be…

    Who would you have rather started last night, Ranger Suarez or Aaron Nola?

    That was DD’s decision. He chose poorly.

    Like

    1. I didn’t want to re-sign Ranger either but if I had to choose between the 2, it would have been an easy decision:

      Suarez, age 30, 5/140

      Nola, age 30/31, 7/172

      Like

      1. True, but as I explained, that’s a false choice. At the time Nola was signed it wasn’t Nola versus Suarez – they could have done both. The choice of keeping Suarez only arose later, when Luzardo was acquired and it became possible to only keep Luzardo or Suarez and they DID make the right choice between those two.

        Like

        1. That’s correct. We live in the present and have the gift of hindsight. It wasn’t a cut and dry decision when it happened and we also have/had no SP depth.

          Also, Nola had a better Baseball Reference War than Ranger this year . . .

          Other FA starting pitchers that year (because they would’ve signed someone) and their 3 year WAR totals

          Yamamoto – 12.7
          Wacha – 10.2
          Gray – 7.2
          Fedde 6.9 (most of that was in 2024)
          Nola – 6.8
          Imanaga – 6.5
          Lugo – 6.3
          Snell 5.3
          Rodriguez – 5.3
          Martin Perez – 5.1

          I’m not saying the Nola contract is good or will age less poorly but I think we’re a little ahead of ourselves. I think the new CBA will include an amnesty clause and unless it is a “use it or lose it” in 2026/2027, I think they’ll save it and it may be a toss up between Nola and Turner.

          Like

    2. Do we really think this team wins yesterday with Ranger instead of Nola? The lineup scored 2 runs in a bullpen game by the Braves.

      As I mentioned in an earlier post, Nola’s performance in the 2H was one of the biggest factors that helped them make the playoffs this year. My bigger issue is if you’re going to start him yesterday, why not pair him with Stubbs? His ERA with Stubbs catching this year was sub-2.7 vs 5+ with everyone else. Then you replace Stubbs / Nola with JT / Wheeler after 2-3 innings. Just bad management by Mattingly.

      Like

  53. 2026 Season Summary: Bad Bats, Bad BP, Bad Contracts = Disappointing Year. Saw things this year I never saw before and quite frankly they didn’t make much sense nor did they bear fruit. Well, DD has his work cutout for him unfortunately@

    Like

  54. Mattingly is a baseball lifer. Strategist? Ehh. With a more cohesive roster we’re probably not talking about his job status. Uncle Charlie was proof you don’t need a genius as skipper, just the talent. But I suppose Donnie Baseball will be gone.

    Likely or not, I would entertain the idea of trading Harper to Vegas. Maybe package him with Stott. See what prospects they can get.

    Unfortunately we’re stuck with Turner’s and Nola’s contracts. Assume Painter, Sanchez, Luzardo and Wheeler are your rotation with a 5th starter up from the farm. Lots of luck with the bullpen.

    Realmuto is clearly on the downside of his career. Let him play out his contract, competent behind the plate if nothing else.

    Otherwise, start phasing in the top talent on the farm. I still like Rincones as a platoon in the OF. I wouldn’t try to re-sign Arraez or Bohm. The clubhouse needs a fresh makeover, along with the coaching staff. It should no longer be Harper’s team after 8 years of pressing the post season peddle. Dombrowski? Just give the keys to Preston Mattingly and get the next chapter of Phillies baseball underway. Who knows?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. All this with no CBA in sight will be difficult to pull off.

      Middleton put his neck out on the line with BH. He did so in very grandiose fashion. He was very public, front and center that they were going to spend stupid money. And they did.

      I don’t think DD is a great GM. I do think he is really good at impressing owners with big check books. He did it to Illitch and he did it to Henry. Henry at least got a ring out of it.

      The difference was Henry had enough people around him telling him that’s it. The party is over, time to cut bait.

      When the Monty era ended I thought things would be different with JM but they are not. Its still the same family run business.

      I’ve said it over and over. It didn’t matter who the GM was the Turner deal was going to happen because Harper said it was on live TV. Harper is who JM hitched his wagon to and that’s it end of story.

      I’m certain there were guys JM was willing to listen on (Hoskins/Ranger) and others he was not Nola/JT.

      The swoon might be over and I’m here for it LOL

      Like

      2. Yep, and Bryce and his merry men need to go now before it’s too late and they are all worth nothing. So who/where does he want to go? Vegas/NYC ? No sense playing out the string as it’s frayed and falling apart.. they should have learned that after 2011 and that window… no need to have a 10 year rebuild when they can do it in 3-5 if they do it right

        Like

  55. I think we’re a little doom and gloom because this is the day after. Things are nearly as bad as the look.

    SP: Phillies should have a top 3 rotation next year. I think Luzardo and Painter and trending up. Sanchez to hold steady (not a slight – he won 18 games) and Wheeler even if he isn’t 2024 wheeler is still really good. Nola as a 5th starter, while overpaid, is absolutely fine compared to the vast majority of baseball. I think he’s figured some stuff out and will be serviceable. They’ll make some signing but also might have a little more internal depth than Alan Rangel with Wood but not too far away.

    Bullpen: Yikes. But bullpens are weird. Bowlan was good most of the year and then ran out of gas. Having Duran and McFarlane as the high leverage guys is a great tsart. They’ll tinker around the edges and hopefully Killian can help. Definitely need to do some stuff here but bullpens are also weird.

    Lineup:

    Locks:
    C -Realmuto – I think he’ll be a bit better, hopefully. But ideally, you can float a good defensive catcher who is poor hit. Like, Realmuto hitting 8th or 9th is not that big of a deal if the rest of your lineup doesn’t suck.
    DH -Schwarber – hopefully recovers from his slide but should mostly hold steady
    1b Harper – Still the best hitter on the team. Production should be fine.
    2B/3b/SS Stott – wherever he plays, great on defense. I think he is still getting better as a hitter.
    Turner SS/OF– I’m confident next year will be better because it can’t be much worse. Hopefully it is in an OF spot.
    Crawford CF – Whereas most of our players are trending down, I think Crawford can trend up in a big way. By the end of the season, he was actually 2nd on the team in average. I think an offseason of work makes his defense better and yea, he should progress which is really exciting.

    Probably locks:
    Marsh OF – Woof. I mean, I’d probably check his trade value but probably isn’t much. I think it depends on other oves. For instance, if Turner is in the OF and they sign Arozerena/Suzuki, then you trade Marsh for whatever you can get. Maybe a reliever? If you don’t sign an OFer or keep Turner on the IF, I guess you just ride out his contract?

    That means 1 or 2 open everyday player positions. FA is actually a little better (depending on price) than I thought it was. So much comes down to price. Arraez wasn’t as good as I thought he’d be but I still do like how he changes the lineup dynamics. Last nights roster was essentially our predeadline roster and it did predeadline things.

    Possible FA signings:
    Arraez: shorter term deal would be ideal. I like what he adds to the lineup. Doesn’t cost a draft pick.
    Arozerena: Curious if he gets a QO (or if that is still even a thing). Not sure I want to go more than 3 years
    Suzuki: not sure I want to go more than 4 years, probably more comfortable with 3
    Sato: Big swing. Wish he didn’t K so much and that he hit right handed but he’d be the big swing. Doesn’t really block anyone because I’m assuming if that’s the deal, then probably no Arraez or maybe they’d keep Harper in the OF. They could shuffle.

    Anyone else is mostly bleh to me.

    I mean, the Dodgers have some terrible contracts too but they difference is for now they can just wall(pay)per over it. Kyle Tucker at 57 mill! Like, they are aging fast and have some huge contracts. Betts is slowing down and he’s signed for awhile at 30 mill. They have a relatively old rotation with oft injured players (Glasnow, Snell, Ohtani) and they may pay out the wazzoo to resign Skubal but there ownership situation may prevent that from happening.

    All that to say, the Phillies have to do something during the offseason but it’s not all doom and gloom. I’d be happy with one of the 4 FA’s above but I’m also hopeful because some of our minor league talent is closer to the majors. And Renteria. Happy about Renteria.

    Like

  56. It is definitely not a family run business like it was under Mr. Giles and Mr. Montgomery – it’s very much run and has the feel of a corporate machine now under Mr. Middleton. I’ve seen that firsthand in how day to day business is conducted. The bottom line is that the team wasn’t good enough to win the ultimate prize once again.

    The venting of frustration is a good thing to get out of your system. It’s the life of a Phillies fan to seemingly always end up disappointed at end of season.

    There have been contract extensions already made that have yet to be announced which will seemingly make most of the commentors on this site unhappy. Is what it is – can always just not watch or buy tickets but most every Phillies fan (including myself) is addicted and will be back again in Spring Training.

    In the interim there’s minor league High Performance Camp starting mid October, AFL, Dominican Instructs (have already started) and Winter League ball. Some baseball folks have told me they expect a flurry of transactions before the CBA expires league wide.

    I’m bummed out the same as everyone but for me it’s a bit different than most with the loss of my son this summer overriding everything else in my sorrow. That coupled with knowing a good many players personally makes yet another failure at season end hit even harder – they really do care for those that don’t think so but sometimes the other team is just better.

    Steve Potter

    ⚾️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Off the top of my head, extensions/signing possibilities would be Bohm or Arraez. um, well, um. I assume Arraez and it comes down to the numbers.

      Bohm actually could make sense if you don’t think your signing Sato and it’s a short deal but the optics of it . . .

      Like

      1. Sorry, no, it doesn’t make sense and it will never make sense. Signing guys like Alec Bohm to free agent contracts is what loser organizations do. You don’t commit big dollars to players who are not even league average. If the Phillies sign Bohm, it’s a sign they are lost and you can pretty much give up hope that they will be regular contenders because, when it comes to position players they can’t tell _hit from shinola.

        Like

        1. only makes sense on like a QO bc they need a 3b and he is probably the 2nd best 3b on the market? Really slim pickings. Like, we know what he is and cam bare it for another year rather than sign x player who sucks worse. Like, its not a good move but could be better than worse moves. Very low bar. That could be the DD on truth serium justification.

          i would have to strike out everywhere else to even consider it

          Like

    2. There have been contract extensions already made that have yet to be announced which will seemingly make most of the commentors on this site unhappy.

      Oh no….Alec is coming back!

      Like

      1. rocco……..I am willing to bet the Dodgers come 5 days after the World Series…..and most definitely prior to Dec 1st…will announce they have signed Skubal for some outlandish $300M contract……deferred no less like Ohtani’s. They have to do it fast before the CBA cracks down on those type contracts. Their window is only a few weeks.

        Like

  59. On the Phillies show today, Zolecki, Salisbury and Amaro agreed that moving Turner to the OF would likely help his hitting. He might be upset enough about this year to agree now.

    Like

    1. I think the Phillies need to approach this with Turner because 2026 was his worst dWar ever (-0.8) and Miller, Rincon will need opportunities soon enough.

      Like

      1. yeah trea needs to play somewhere besides SS so RF or LF it is, can’t move that horrible contract so it’s stuck.

        bryce has value, maybe he would be willing to go elsewhere?

        Like

    2. Really why be concerned if he agrees……just tell him and if he dosen’t like it he can sit out….which they all will be dong anyways.

      Turner is a no-nonsense guy….so have to take a no-nonsense approach with him……better for him to play mad next season if the season actually happens.

      At some point you have to piss off some highly paid vets to get them to reassess their careers……tell them they are not elite. Dallas Green was the best at it…especially with that ’80s team..

      Liked by 1 person

      1. NOW YOU ARE TALKING “SMACK” … …. Love your stuff …. no more Mr. Nice Guy ….. don’t like it “ass to pine”!

        Like

      2. Always liked Dallas Green, the reporters said you didn’t need access to closed door sessions because you could hear Dallas through the closed door, heh, heh!

        Like

  60. There’s talk about a bidding war for Teruaki Sato (will be 28 before the start of next season) and that the Blue Jays will be heavily involved even though they still have Kazuma Okamoto (2.5 WAR) at 3B. The Blue Jays will also be in the running for Seiya Suzuki for RF. The Blue Jays want their their team to be a destination for Japanese players.

    Like

  61. If the Phillies really want to compete next year, of course, they’ll need to upgrade the bullpen, but they are really going to need to make huge changes to the line-up. We’ve all said this over and over again and it’s so true – this is a very poorly constructed roster. A nice handful of stars or near-stars and then just a lot of junk.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What really bothers me a lot is how badly they wasted elite starting pitching, just the way the Chicago Cubs wasted elite hitting.

      Again, the Phillies were the first team in over 110 years to have 3 starting pitchers with at least 6 bWAR. This is incredible! Basically, they had three legit aces in their rotation – and they couldn’t go anywhere because this year and for the last 4 years, their hitting (and fielding, by the way) sucks and it’s not going to get any better without making huge changes. Just a total wasted opportunity. I hate it.

      Liked by 2 people

  62. I feel we have home run hitters for the regular season, for the playoffs we need more contact, this is garbage.

    But at least we can talk about prospects :$

    Like

  64. Interesting, I think, Schwarber has 385 career homeruns, 233 have been solo shots. This year he has 45 home runs of which 35 have been solo shots.

    I ask this question earlier in the year. I was hping Jim or Potter might answer it. Qualified it by asking whoever it might be, that only someone who actually knows answer it.

    Who actually makes up the lineup and batting order for the days game?

    The manager;

    The bench coach;

    The analytics department;

    A special group committee comprising of people listed above.

    Seems ridiculous to me to have Schwarber leading off most of the time and co-leader of home runs for the regular season and 35 of 45 are solo shots.

    Like

    1. I hope, as they development, that Stott or Crawford win that spot. Find a rh hitter to hit cleanup. Crawford not ready for that now but howpfully eventually

      Stott/crawford

      Turner

      Harper

      Rh hitter

      Achwarber

      Arraez

      Crawford

      Realmuto

      Like

    2. The lead-off batter and 2nd spot batter get more ABs per game than the other order guys….based on analytical studies.

      The other factor now, the inclusion of the DH makes those 8-9 hitters likely to be on base more so now than pre-DH era with the pitcher hitting in the 9 hole. not sure it works for the Phillies however.

      So still…all those Schwarber solo shots are concerning.

      Like

      1. Romus ….. understand, but then you can’t put Stubbs, JT and Marsh when he’s struggling down at the 8 — 9 spot and expect results.

        Like

    3. Yeah, and singles hitter Arraez bats clean up.

      Apparently every other team in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball had it backwards.

      Like

      1. You got a point Frank. I don’t think at my age I’m ready for the Phillies to go back to the Ben Revere era. At about 1956 I started following the Phils they had records of 71-83 in 56, 77-77 in 57,69-85in 58,64-90 in 59, 59-95 in 60, and 47-107 in 61. Those were a 154 game seasons.

        I certainly don’t want them to go back to that. Getting tossed in the first Wild Card series is frustrating. I get it but being as far away from decent as possible is down right crushing. I think I suffered childhood trauma. Even then I couldn’t understand why fans bothered to show up for the game.

        Like

          1. Brings back memories Frank of Bobby Malkmus, Ted Lepcio, Choo Choo Coleman and Chico Fernandez . Not good memories, but when Tony Gonzalez in 1960 joined the ballclub he looked like a superstar compared to those guys.

            Like

            2. Lepcio, Malkmus, Choo Choo Coleman. Sounds like the makings of a good trivia question.

              One of my favorite memories of that era was the Phillies plane landing at the airport after they had just snapped a 23-game losing streak. Several hundred fans had gathered to show their support to the beleaguered players. Pitcher Frank Sullivan, fearing the fans had gathered, in anger, cracked to his teammates that they should leave the plane one at a time so the fans couldn’t attack them all at once.

              Like

  65. National buzz is that Mattingly and Phillies have mutually parted. He won’t be returning to manage the team in 2027.

    Replacements?

    Like

  66. Here’s my offseason:

    – Every free agent kicks rocks 

    – Move Turner to LF

    – Miller to SS, keep Stott at 2B

    – Sign Sato for 3B (3 years $50M)

    – Sign Seiya Suzuki (4 years $80M)

    – Trade Marsh for bullpen arm (maybe to HOU w/ prospects for Hader + cash?)

    – Sign a 6th starter (someone like David Peterson)

    – Sign 1 bullpen arm (Minter, Fairbanks, Puk, Morejon)

    -Sign a catcher to split duties w/ JT (Higashioka)

    -resign Sosa or another utility IF (Lux/Dubon)

    -sign bench good defensive OF (Laureano/Varsho)

    Lineup

    Turner

    Schwarber 

    Harper 

    Suzuki

    Sato

    Stott

    Miller 

    Realmuto

    Crawford 

    Rotation: Luzardo, Sanchez, Wheeler, Painter, Nola, Peterson

    Bullpen: Duran, Hader, Bowlan, Keller, McFarlane, Minter, Kilian

    Bench: Hill, Higgy, Laureano, Sosa/Lux

    Liked by 1 person

  67. I would bet significant money that the following is going to happen for next season:
    1. Arraez is resigned and is our second baseman
    2. Stott moves to SS
    3. Miller is our starting 3B with Sosa re-signed as insurance at 3B and backup MI
    4. Trae goes to CF or RF.

    I think those moves are a lock. Here are the additional moves I would like to see happen.
    1. Sign Ryan Jeffers as a FA. He is my top target. He gets 60% of games. JT gets 40%. I personally thought catcher was our weakest spot on the team. JT is definitely not an every day catcher anymore. But an excellent back up.
    2. Trade Marsh for a bullpen arm
    3. Sign a top BP arm. A closer who can pitch the 8th.
    4. Fix Kerkering.
    5. Extend Johan.

    Like

      1. Romus I got 3xl red October shirt.i give it to you. Funny two months ago talked about his defense people said he was good . Middleton really 3 million fans. 5 playoff yrs. Losing and you are extending DD?

        Like

    2. agree with a lot of your thoughts. Too many folks advocating that we let Arrauz go. Don’t understand this because he is exactly what the Phils are missing. Low strikeout, high average contact hitter. To me a priority to resign,

      I know Trae must go to OF, however I don’t want to take opportunities away from Crawford, who in my estimation could be special.

      Reducing JT play and getting good, not adequate BP arms are an absolute must

      Liked by 1 person

    3. you think miller will start in thr majors? Id love to see it.

      will they tie up that much money on catchers? Not a bad idea but i guess they could.

      if theybtrade Marsh, id love suzuki or Arozerena on a short term deal. Probably not gonna happen but id love to see it

      Like

    4. Agreed on the 1-4 locks. That’s the base design of the offseason plans. That said, the offense continues to be playoff issue. They either need more power (aka 2022) or they need to be able to manufacture runs. Arraez, Crawford, and Turner should be able to do that. If they can’t, I need more power in this lineup. Having Arraez & Crawford is 2 spots basically guaranteed to not be able to lift one…. But if they can both not SO a lot… play small ball I take it

      of all the points, I like the idea of letting Bohm walk, having Sosa hold the fort until Miller and/or Rincon are ready. Hopefully they throw them in the deep end a little early. They can learn that big league level.

      Like

    5. I’d take a bet that those top 4 don’t all happen, but we’d have to define specific parameters on each…

      Like

  70. Besides Aidan Miller, do u guys see Gave Wood or Bryan Rincon helping the team next year?

    Or maybe someone else…

    Like

    1. maybe mid to end of year for both of them? I do like Heredia being an option. Maybe they can fix Colby Thomas

      Like

    2. I think they will let Rincon first get 150 or so ABs at LHV vs Triple A pitching and see if he can handle it. If he does well he may be a call up when someone gets injured.

      Wood could be a call-up in the second half when arms start to go dead.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I’m almost positive Wood will see time with the big club next season (excepting for major injury).

      I’m not personally a believer in Rincon, so I don’t expect to see him. But there’s definitely a clear path if he keeps hitting at AAA.

      As for others we might see, I think one or both of Pan or Bowker will have a strong year and be added to our ‘pen by the second half.

      Like

      1. Any thoughts on Mavis Graves(tall lefty out of the pen). Good stats, small sample size at Reading. I honestly don’t know much about him.

        Like

        1. I’m certainly no scout, but to my eye he’s a fringe prospect. From what little I’ve seen of him, he’s only got one average-or-better pitch (his slider). And the biggest problem is his fastball just isn’t good enough to succeed in the majors.

          Basically he looks like a finesse pitcher without the finesse. I suspect what’s happening right now is he’s just working completely outside of the zone to get guys to chase (hence both his high K rate AND BB rate). But major league guys won’t chase nearly as often since they know he can’t beat them in the zone.

          Developing another secondary pitch could help him be a long-man/AAAA type starter in the long run. But if he’s going to stick in the majors, I suspect he needs to move to the bullpen and see an uptick in his fastball velocity.

          Like

  71. If Diamondbacks ate a little less than half his salary and didn’t expect much in return, would we be willing to take a chance on Ketel Marte? I think there is a lot going on behind the scenes in Arizona and I’m sure he gets moved. Schwarber runs the locker-room and I imagine he would be just fine in Philly.

    Jean Segura was seen (unfairly imo) as a “problem” when we traded for him and I think it was nothing but positive with him here.

    I’m looking at guys that we could maybe target without costing an arm and a leg and I’d like to see him hitting in front of Schwarber.

    Like

    1. If it essentially only cost us money, I’d absolutely take a shot on Marte.

      That being said, from the outside looking in it seems like he has mental issues (not saying this to be derogatory), and playing in Philadelphia could easily exacerbate those. It’s possible our FO could get him a better support network than he has in Arizona, but it could also easily backfire into him spiraling.

      Like

    2. Why wouldn’t the DBacks expect a lot in return? Yes, Marte has not been good this past year but his contract is decent for a player of his skill level. Not only that, if the Dbacks ate some of the money, they would be expecting a lot more in prospect capital. If I was the GM of the Dbacks, I’m expecting at least 1 top 100 prospect without eating any money. And if Marte was available, a lot of teams would be interested. You have to give talent to get talent.

      And by the way, all teams are looking for targets that won’t cost an arm and a leg.

      Like

      1. If reports are to be believed, Marte has been shopped to other clubs on-and-off for a few years now. So the fact he hasn’t been traded means either there’s been no interest or the Snakes have been asking for too much in return.

        I’m with you that I think just about every team would be interested in having him, so it’s most likely a high asking price. But I suppose it IS a non-zero chance that the market for him just hasn’t existed. In which case, a potential lockout could be motivation to move him now for whatever they can get. And the Phillies have to be getting desperate enough to take a shot on a guy most other teams would pass on.

        I’d be shocked, but I guess it’s theoretically possible.

        Like

        1. One thing I think we can all agree on is that this team will not be fixed by just spending money. I think adding Morejon would be a huge get, but what would that cost? Probably close to $20M per. But then what? The free agents just aren’t out there. Trades for impact players are going to have to happen. And it’s going to hurt.

          Like

  72. Now … I will humbly admit that LAST offseason, I was 0 for 100 on all my moves! My lord, I wanted Tucker out there in RF, I was for Bichette, and ina few SP I wanted … everyone now has an abatross deal… and the 3B from Japan who I thought wouldn’t translate… is now crushing home runs in the freaking playoffs for a team that was dead last. On top of that I also thought Harper could play RF, and put Alonso at 1B if needed lol … well … Yeah. I also liked the Garcia signing. I’m sure he’ll tear the league up now much like Hayes did

    whatever offseason moves I suggest this year, I can throw no stones. That admitted, I want Randy Azoreana in LF. Turner in CF, and I guess Crawford in RF.

    Btw .. Do you think Bichette ops out? He had to be miserable in NY hitting as bad as he did compared to the money.

    Like

  73. Money will be tight, according to fangraphs roster resource the Phils have about $38 million less on the books going into 2027, including arb raises. Not much to make multiple big impact signings.

    Hopefully gone: Kevin Long and hitting staff, all FAs

    Trade: Orion, Marsh

    Obtain: offensive back-up catcher, bullpen, at least one all around position player. They don’t need a superstar, just need to upgrade to league average

    The one move that would make me lose all faith: resign Luis Arraez. Sure he hits singles, but his OBP is poor, he led the team in Double Plays, was run for several times and outfielders played so shallow that runners from second couldn’t score on a single. And I don’t have faith in his defensive metrics

    Liked by 1 person

    2. The great thing about Arraez is he almost never strikes out. The bad thing is he’s so obsessed with not striking out, he chases tons of pitches out of the zone when he gets to two strikes, which massively impacts his OBP and encourages pitchers to nibble on the edges against him. His defense will not get any better and likely to decline – Zero interest in resigning him unless maybe a 1 year deal to bridge to A Miller since there have to be doubts about his health going into next season. If not doubts, we certainly can’t plan for him to be a healthy, everyday player next year. But if it happens, great.

      Like

      1. You do realize Arraez’ career OBP is .360……compare that to Trea Turner who sits at .343.

        For some mysterious reason….his OBP with the Phillies over those 46 games was the lowest of his career……perhaps he should not be hitting clean-up!

        Liked by 2 people

        1. He definitely should not hit clean up but that gets to an important point in this multi-year tragedy we are watching play out. Schwarber always gets what he wants. Harper always gets what he wants. Turner always gets what he wants. Realmuto always gets what he wants. The first step in changing and improving this team is having leadership at all levels that aren’t afraid to do what they believe is best for the team. We don’t need Dallas Green / Larry Bowa style leadership with these 2026 delicate flowers, but somebody who can sit them down, have a mature conversation, and execute team-based decisions would be a start.

          WRT Turner’s OBP, he should have been hitting 6th or 7th in this lineup since the All Star Break, not first or second, especially after the Arraez trade.

          WRT to Arraez’ defense, I know what the numbers say but this is an atrocious defensive team and I’d be looking to fix that any place I can because there are places I can’t.

          Like

          1. As I’ve mentioned before, in having their top home run hitter leading off and their top singles hitter batting clean up, the Phillies are doing the opposite of every team in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball. Somehow, I don’t think they are geniuses who have discovered some secret new way to success.

            Like

            2. Correct. And the Dodgers also bat Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez at clean up. All more likely extra-base hitters than Arraez. Phillies put both their biggest slugger first and their leading slap hitter fourth, which might be a first.

              Like

      2. Arraez cost us a young pitcher, has a WAR of 2.9, and is worth keeping around if we can sign him.

        Aidan Miller is also a health risk. He will play in the Arizona Fall League and get traded soon after.

        Like

        1. Why would he get traded? I doubt it very much. This team needs to get younger and they’re hoping something good will come from Miller, Rincon and/or DeMartini as soon as mid season next year. The salary negotiations will have an impact.

          Like

          1. It was just a snarky comment.

            Was it O’Hoppe that went to the Arizona Fall League, dominated, and was traded shortly thereafter?

            I would not put it past DD to trade him.

            Like

            1. OHoppe was traded because he was blocked by JT and they needed a CF, which they thought Marsh would be. Miller could play multiple positions making him more valuable.

              Like

      3. His defense actually has been improving. League average for 2nd basemen is .987 his average with the Phillies was .984, he had just 3 errors in 186 chances.

        Like

  74. Thought this was interesting in Matt Gelb’s season recap in the Athletic:

    “Every Phillies hitter not named Harper or Kyle Schwarber produced a .237/.295/.367 slash line in the regular season and postseason combined.

    Harper had a 135 wRC+, meaning he was 35 percent better than league average. Schwarber was at 130.The other Phillies hitters combined for an 80 wRC+.”

    Kevin Long should be fired.

    Like

    1. Besides Bohm being let go…..they could move Marsh.

      Harper and Scwarbs are here to stay…Turner’s contract makes him cemented in Philly.

      Though I do think push comes to shove…JT could be moved to an AL play-off team that could use a catcher for a year or two. but who do the Phillies get to catch!

      Like

  75. going to throw this out there .. lol … I’m sure I’ll get tomatoes … but hear me out.

    Phillies SR is awesome. The bullpen could’ve been better if health my, and the offense remains the issue. Defense not far behind, as it gets scary in the playoffs

    team payroll is the same as last last year, already with wlaker& calsteellanos officially off the books.

    the best value contracts on the team are likely Sanchez & Harper. Painter & Miller could be next year.

    Wheeler is their best player, but if you can’t move Turner or Nola, or the CBA gives them a buyout. Would you trade Wheeler & Marsh, freeing up money to go after 2 everyday bats? I love wheeler, he’s making 42mil, and might see this as a dumpster fire anyways. This of course assumes some type of season or lost season carries over current contracts

    the future is – Sanchez, Luzardo, & Painter with McFarlane, Wood, and possibly Duran (if not traded)

    offense – it’s Harper,Schwarber, Miller, Rincon, and Renteria Yup, their is a lot of “hope” in there

    this team arguably doesn’t shouldn’t have Wheeler & Duran as they are likely too far away from beating the Dodgers, Brewers, Braves, Yankees, & Rays of the Basbeall world. Heck, they’d probably still lose to the Padres & DBacks .

    Like

    1. I have also wondered about a potential Wheeler trade. But I don’t think he accepts. I think he, and more importantly, his wife enjoy being here. I see Wheeler finishing his contract here and then doing the “Charlie Morton…” I’m retired, but I guess I’ll come back for a 1/$30M and be good. And then do that 3 or 4 more times.

      Like

    2. I seriously doubt that happens. Wheeler has 10-5 rights and he seems happy in Philadephia. And the Phillies made the playoffs this season so for the players, perhaps they think they can do it again next season (regardless of the fact that it’ll be mostly the same team).

      Like

  76. If I’m the Phillies, I’m exploring a trade with the Cubs for Aaron Nola in exchange for some prospects, especially position player prospects. You may think that’s crazy, but Nola could be a big upgrade over what the Cubs currently have in their rotation.

    I’m then using the money saved to pour it into free agents who can hit while I also develop the position prospect(s) I receive in the deal. I’m also probably taking a flyer on a few guys who could round out the rotation with the expectation that Painter is your #4.

    It could be a win/win for both teams who have opposite glaring problems – Cubs have no starting pitching and the Phillies have a crappy offense.

    Like

      1. True – he certainly could do that. They would need to make accepting a trade worth his while. But if you had to trade anyone in the rotation, he’s the right guy to trade at the right time, after he had a pretty good season.

        Like

  77. Looks like Cots has updated their 2027 payrolls and the Phillies are projected to have an opening day payroll of $256M. This past season, the Phillies were 4th at $283M.

    Because the Phillies has re-signed most of their own players, they either have 10-5 rights or a no trade clause. The only players that DON’T have that are Luzardo and Sanchez, and the Phillies don’t want to trade those guys.

    The only guys the Phillies can realistically trade are Stott and Marsh, and the Phillies won’t get much for them, especially since they were replacement level last season.

    Like

    1. Stott is probably going to be around because he’s position flexible, they have no commitment to him after this year and Sosa will probably be leaving. Stott isn’t really a problem – he’s just not quite the player everyone thought he could become.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I hear you but my feeling is there is no reason whatsoever to extend Stott now. He’s an okay player. If you need to sign him when his contract is up, fine, you can consider it if the price is right. But they have a lot of good infielders in the upper minors and the best outcome is to be able to replace him with someone cheaper, so, to me, you wait it out and see what your options are when he’s eligible for free agency.

          Like

  78. This is 2 years in a row that Duran has blown a save in the playoffs. If he doesn’t give up the homer to Riley the Phils wouldn’t of needed to pitch Nola.

    40% BS rate, 2 of 5 games.

    Like

    1. Okay, but let’s be real, it’s a very SSS and he’s not the real problem. If anything, other problems are what caused him to have to be out of his comfort zone and have to get a 6 inning hold this year, which is something he never does during the season.

      Like

      1. Mason Miller suffered the same fate last night.

        Managers are increasingly becoming afraid of losing a game in the 8th instead of the ninth.

        Like

        1. I don’t think they are becoming increasingly afraid, I think the analytics are telling them that certain times are better than others to use their best bullpen arm or arms – whether you believe or trust the analytics is another question.

          Like

          1. Although, not taking him out was an issue, you can”t use your closer for two innings and have him at 100 percent too. So keeping him there longer than he should be in, yeah, I could see that a scared or panic move.

            Like

Comments are closed.