201 thoughts on “2026-27 Offseason Roster and Payroll Information”

1. Jim. This is absolutely great information. You do so much. Thank you. I have mentioned to Romus and Ruff it is going to be really difficult to change the makeup of the roster too much unless some of the no trade guys accept trades. $220M for 9 players is crazy.

   Again, awesome job on the information. I will see what others think.

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2. Ditto Don53, nice body of work for sure! I need to sit and digest this for awhile. Echo Don’s sentiment that $220 mil, what a waste of money in most cases, some certainly qualifies as “crazy money”! Other lists certainly have names we can jetison, just need to sort out the potential value that might exist. Thanks Jim, for all you do and bearing the aggravation for all of us, sincerely!

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3. Great information. Let’s assume there is going to be either a hard salary cap that sits below the Phillies 2026 total player payroll, or a very painful threshold level that if exceeded will impose significant penalties. I think one of those scenarios is very likely and the Phillies will be forced to lower payroll beyond what’s organically coming off the books. So the question to me will be who do you trade from your current roster to cut enough payroll so that you can add the additional roster pieces you need to complete the team? This is going to get much harder to do for the POBO that has struggled to do the job when there were few guardrails and rules.

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   1. Its Wheeler. Your best player. His contract is up, im sure he still has good years left in him, but you can’t keep him at 42mil, if the new CBA is what you say it is. He’s gone…unless they can amnesty a few contracts much like the NHL did. In that case, it’s Nola & Turner. I bet they know it too.

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4. Boy the payroll analysis is depressing (but thank you for doing this!). So, basically, before they do anything new, really, they are into the second CBT threshold, nearly at the third and not far at all from the fourth. Thanks again, DD! This team essentially has no room for any free agents. Ugh!

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   1. The team can sign the tier B, at the margin, free agents. The 4th OFers……BP arm types. The cost will not be prohibitive. And contracts are usually one year or two. Though still have to see what they will do with Luis Arraez.

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      1. You’re making my point. Those are not the types of new players this team needs. They need to overhaul the position player roster. Some of those changes will come from the minors, but most of those contributions will take a little time. I am so disgusted with this team – it has that awful pre-Gansey 76ers hopeless feel to it. Wake me up when something changes because, right now, they are not on the road to putting together a team that can contend for a championship – absolutely not.

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         1. For me….just not a fun team to watch.

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            1. That too – they are NOT fun to watch. They are painful to watch!

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5. Miller in AFL Saturday: 1/4, 2 BB. Nori 2/5, incl triple.

   Phillies seem to be focussing on Miller at 3B.

   Thanks for the great work, Jim. You do the work so we don’t have to! Not that I know even where to look.

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6. Hope the new CBA puts a better perspective on the Phillies financial situation. ……..as depressing as it currently stands.

   Have to assume if MLB wants a Hard Cap…..it will be fairly high, perhaps $300M to start….with a floor of $125M. Tough to sell the MLBPA on a hard cap without a high ceiling to start….and even a higher floor—small market teasm will not like that, but got to take a hit for the team..

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7. Awesome info Jim! Alright, hear me out since money is tight.

   Trade Wheeler. Hear me out. He’s making 42 mil. This team didnt even utilize their best player in a must win game. Crazy. So, bring on the future!

   Trade Wheeler, Marsh, and Possibly Duran. Retool and move forward with a beef’d up offense that doesn’t’ rely on 2 bats to score. Hopefuly improve the defense… Spread the SR strength to fortify the rest of the team..

   Im assuming Nola & Turner can’t be moved or waived with the new CBA… even then… I might still entertain the idea, but if so, see ya! I keep Wheeler at that point.

   Your future is Sanchez, Luzardo, and Painter in 2028.

   Bullpen: its always Peace mealed but McFarlane, Keller, Kilian, Banks, Bowlan… you likely put Wood in there & add some arms

   With the money you save from Wheeler & Marsh & 23mil free’d up… go sign Randy Azorena & Ward. Bring back Arraez & Sosa. Id also look for a better backup or full time catcher (V1’s idea) Ultimalely… Have an OF again that can actually hit!

   Bring up Miller and Rincon fast… wait for Renteria to push someone out the following year or 2.

   Arraez, Harper, Schwarber, Azorena,Ward, Turner, Stott, Sosa, Realmuto…

   Miller or Rincon forces Sosa out… possibly Stott if he never picks up his hitting. Renteria. If Turner is exiled, keep Crawford. If not.. im not really sold on him. That pop up still gets me.

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   1. um, no.

      Trading good players doesnt guarantee good players in return. The Phillies, with the players under contract, should be competitive bc there rotation is that good. World series good? I think we can definitely say no at this point.

      trading those who you don’t think sure good enough? Sure. Trade marsh if you can get a reliever. But wheeler and duran? They have no depth as it is. Plus he is a champiomship level player.

      trade duran? Our bullpen sucks as it is. We gave up a sp who got hurt and a catcher who might not catch and struggled.

      unless you think the phillies are non competitive, you camt trade them.

      I’m all for creativity (Catch mentioned the cubs as a trade partner which would make sense) but the value of the players coming back rarely exceeds those you send out when you trade for a star

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      1. Sure, but… the reality is he’s only signed for 1 more year. He cost 42 mil a year. 42+ Marsh’s salary+ freed up money … is enoguh to get 2 everyday players.. maybe one of these Japanese players & Azorena… Would those 2 bats not improve this team offensively? Which is ultimately what they need…to hit other teams top tier pitching in the playoffs. Add a rising Aiden Miller (let’s say he’s ready) thats a much more well rounded team. I think Sanchez & Luzardo could win their playoff games with that lineup… add in a rising Painter… you have to consider it.

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         1. I might have misconstrued your initial post. On Wheeler specifically – if you can flip pitching for ready made hitting then I’d consider it. I’m just not sure what the fit would be. Offense is down across the league – what team has a good offensive player they are willing to trade? I’m not trying to be difficult -legit trying to think of a “contending” team that would be willing to trade offense for pitching. Well, maybe the Mets. . . .

            Duran – if you’re just retooling then you’ll need a decent bullpen and the Phillies already have a trash bullpen. I feel like you do this move if you are incredibly confident that McFarlane is gonna be an all star closer – I’m not there yet.

            Marsh – sure. To a lesser extent, Stott. I just don’t know what their value is. Broadly speaking, I’d love it if they can swing a trade with the Royals and try to get a young catcher. Carter Jensen has sewn up their catching position – maybe they trade Blake Mitchell? Can they convince Texas to move Josh Jung? Probably not but maybe Texas thinks Walcott is going to play 3rd?

            Maybe you can convince the Athletics to open up their new park with a bang? But man, I doubt it. The Orioles?

            A Wheeler trade is just so hard becuase you need an offensive team with a lot of young talent on the fringes who thinks they are a contender with more pitching or a new ownership group/situation looking to make a big splash.

            I’m warming to the small tinkers and lean on player development. Offense is just so down across the sport and the free agency class is light. Without knowing CBA and what contracts look like:
            – trade Marsh for bullpen help or backup catcher.
            – trade Dante Nori for Blake Mitchell (or some sort of similar swap)
            – Sign Arozerana or Suzuki on a reasonable deal.
            – take a run at Sato.
            – upgrade bullpen

            Try to stay competitive and catch a few breaks in 2027. Hope Crawford improves, Painter improves, and Miller makes a splash. Bridge the gap with young players and development while keeping an eye at the 2028 FA class. 2026 and 2027 FA class mostly suck. 2028 – Greene, Langeliers, Clement, Josh Jung (he’s 28 already?!), Henderson, Abrams, Buxton, Hunter Brown. Essentially, bridge the gap.

            In 2029, hopefully:

            1B – Harper
            DH- Schwarber
            SS – Miller
            CF – Renteria
            OF – Crawford/Nori
            OF/2B – Turner
            2B/3B/SS – Stott (maybe)

            With offense being down, that’s not a terrible core. And I still have hope that the farm can produce another piece or two. Escobar, Villancia, Spangler, Ferrabus, Bowker, Graves, Pan, Parra. and who knows who the Phillies will draft.

            Rotation:
            Sanchez
            Luzardo
            Painter
            Wood
            Nola?/Bowker/FA/

            CBA will be interesting. Currently, the Phillies are in a tough spot (self made) but 1) prospect evaluation and development havent’ been great 2) FA signings haven’t been great and 3) they don’t have the crazy money to wallpaper over it.

            They aren’t the Breweres (great internal development) or the Dodgers (internal development but just money oozing out). They are in between which is kinda reflected in the standings. Like, the Phillies miss on a big signing and it really hurts. THe Dodgers just spend over it and develop over it (Kyle Tucker)

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            1. It’s funny that we are thinking about the Phillies as a “tweener” team – not big or small market. The Phillies certainly want you to think that, but it’s not true. Sure, they are not the Dodgers, but nobody else is the Dodgers either. The truth is that the Phillies are a big market team, with lots of fans and revenues – they are in the top 5 or 6 in those areas I believe. The only reason they feel like a “tweener” team is that they have foolishly maxed out on their contracts because they haven’t developed players well enough and have agreed to deals that are far too long for aging players. But don’t buy the “tweener” narrative – it’s false and it gives them a free pass they don’t deserve. Argh! Catch out.

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               1. Oh for sure. I’m not suggesting they are a tweener team market wise – simply they aren’t the Mets or Dodgers where they can just pay over their mistakes. And they aren’t good enough at player development to simply develop. They aren’t A tier in terms of money but that tier only has the Dodgers and Mets in it. Phillies are in the next tier. However, not sure the A tier will exist with new CBA

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            2. Wheeler is one of my favorite Phils of all time. Confidence inspiring for the playoffs. That said, this teams offense is so bad, they can’t win games if their opponents score 3 runs. The only way to fix that, is to beef up the defense and obviously the hitting. Wheeler & Marsh 42+5=47mil. Then add the 23mil, you’re is 70mil. Trade them for young BP arms. Then sign FA, 25mil, 20mil, 15mil, 10mil player with 2 bullpen pieces added from trades, maybe a backup catcher. Bring up Aiden Miller. Thats drastic enough to change the team, especially is one of them Sato and Arorenza (sp)

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8. In my tiny brain I’m not so sure a salary cap happens for two reasons.

   1. The teams that can spend that kind of coin want to continue spending that kind of coin.
   2. The teams that don’t spend that kind of coin enjoy being the beneficiary of the handout. From which they can build pretty competitive low budget winners.

   Obviously owners will posture for it in the hopes they get some other concessions

   And Jim I hope you don’t get tired of hearing how exceptionally lucky we are to have you pull this kind of information together 🙂

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   1. ive mentioned this before, but I think part of the answer lies in how the team payroll is calculated. Team benefits should not count towards the CBA threshold. That’s a 18 mil raise for the players. Nor should they count minor league & it really shouldn’t count the full 40 man roster for the CBA total. Pay everyone, just reconfigure the number as what counts as the CBA. This frees up the money the players want, and then put in a salary floor, no cap… just tiered pentalties again…and lastly, players give a percentage of postseason game revenue to the owners. Owners need something too. Having a salary floor will hurt the top teams as now support players will be harder to get. They will all be bargain shopping to meet the minimum.

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      1. o … and cut out that deferred money loophole. Really stick it to the dodgers.

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      2. ‘…..shouldn’t count the full 40 man roster for the CBA total.‘

         That may not fly. You cannot just count the active game rosters…..those players on the 40 get called up to the majors thru-out the season for different lengths of service time.

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         1. I hear that…I would counter that only players on the active roster count towards the CBA threshold. This way when a player gets injured, or shutttled back and forth between the minors, it’s prorated. Ultimately , it would likely lower the CBA payroll or keep it the same. It’s a shadow game that should make the players happy… the owners, well they should share in their TV Contracts, maybe some potential concession & parking revenue.

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9. Jim, thanks for all the work and information. Just hoping there is a 2027 season and it opens on schedule. FWIW, I’m in favor of a full tear-down and start over.

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   1. Eventually on your start over……Crawford-LF,,,,,,Nori-CF,,,,,Renteria-RF……Miller-3B…..Spangler-ss……Escobar-2B……HARPER-1B……..Ferrebus-catcher.

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      1. Some of those guys might make it. I am not buying Crawford and Nori in the same outfield – not enough power for sure even if they both become league average (which is not clear right now) and, frankly, I think Crawford’s ceiling is not that high especially since his fielding hasn’t been all that great. He’s still young, and he makes contact, but so far, he’s been a very limited player, again due in part to his fielding not even being league average – and he must become at least above average in the field to be a productive major leaguer.

         Anyway, of the guys you mentioned, I think Miller, if healthy, will be there, Renteria is entirely on track to be in the outfielder in 2-3 years, one of Crawford or Nori (probably not both) will remain, and for Spangler and Escobar we’ll have to see. Ferrebus is just too far away to guess if he can become a first division catcher.

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10. Y’all seem to need some good news. Miller’s second AFL game: at DH, 2/3 2 BB. Off to a great start.

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11. Odds Phillies sign Sato?

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sato–000ter

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    1. And: https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-japan-seiya-suzuki-teruaki-sato-offseason/756648/

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       1. Its about time they sign a Japanese star.

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          1. I think the odds are better than ever that, one way or another, they sign a Japanese star – it wouldn’t surprise me at all. They also desperately need help from the minors, but most of the prospects just aren’t ready yet (including Rincon and DeMartini). It’s a big jump from AA to AAA and most of their guys are going to need some time – and promoting a player when he isn’t ready essentially never works and is often counterproductive. However, Aidan Miller might be the exception as I believe, if he is healthy, he is nearly ready to contribute and what a huge shot in the arm he could be. He essentially does everything well as a hitter and a fielder. He’s our best position prospect probably since the mid-2000s (you could argue since Dom Brown, but Brown didn’t pan out, so I’m going back farther than that) .

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    2. There will be a heavy market for Sato and I think a lot of teams will be going after him like the Mets and Blue Jays. The Blue Jays want Sato bad. I doubt the Phillies will get him because the price will be plenty high.

       The Phillies had their chance to take a flyer on Murakami.

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    3. im going to say … they don’t even get a seat at the table. Im not being negative, it’s just the reality of the situation. Japanese players are not going to pick Philadelphia over LA…TOR, NYC… they just aren’t. LA holds such a strategic edge in location… the only Japanese player that can trickle through to Philly…. Will be the crappy ones.

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       1. LA and NYC are tough to deal with, but Toronto? Toronto is no bigger of a city than Philadelphia. The only advantage is the existence of another Japanese player on the Blue Jays and that definitely is one issue they will have to deal with. But there has to be a first time sometime, and I suspect that this day is coming sooner rather than later.

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          1. not disagreeing but isn’t Toronto regarded as a very international city? For what that’s worth. I dunno, I haven’t been there.

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             1. Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the 4rd largest in North America (behind Mexico City, NYC, LA). It has a very diverse population and a true international city. My sister lives in Toronto so I visit my fair share. If you visit, you will be surprised at what you will see.

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                1. Yeah, I’ve been there, a couple of times – great place.

                   But it’s not in a different class than Philadelphia – the metro areas are comparable and the taxes are far better in the U.S. Toronto has no inherent advantage over Philadelphia. Over Pittsburgh and Cleveland? Yes. But Philadelphia? No, I don’t think so.

                   https://www.google.com/search?q=size+of+Philadelphia+and+toronto+metropolitan+areas&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1220US1220&oq=size+of+Philadelphia+and+toronto+metropolitan+areas&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCjE3NDgxajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBfkj_hIh7e878QX5I_4SIe3vOw&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8

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                2. I sent a reply but it didn’t go through. Toronto is great – I’ve been there. Toronto and Philadelphia metro areas are comparable in terms of size and the taxes are much lower here. Toronto really has no inherent advantage over Philadelphia from a recruiting standpoint.

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                3. I think what he is saying….Philly is not really known as an international city compared to other US cities like NYC, LA , Chicago, SF……and may not compare to Toronto in that same regards. Virtually all air traffic from Euro cities to Canada go thru Pearson….and from the Far East it is Vancouver.

                   To get Sato Middleton will have to open up SMB again…..the stupid money bank

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                4. Yeah, I get it. Toronto is the London/Paris of Canada and we’re like the Lyon of the United States. But does that really change the analysis, especially with the crappy tax situation? Yeah, I don’t know but I get it.

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                5. While money/taxes obviously matters, I would argue that comfort level matters more for Japanese players. The reason why Japanese players keep on going back to those teams is because of the way previous players were treated. And proximity to home is part of the equation too. Yes, I do believe that Philadelphia will eventually get a Japanese player but I don’t think it will be Sato because there’s going to be a bidding war and his salary is going to surprise some people. The White Sox got Murakami for cheap and teams learned their lesson and won’t give lowball offers for Sato.

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                6. Japanese players seem to value comfort and prestige (which, I think is a very significant thing in their culture – which is why the Dodgers can sign and hoard these players – the prestige of the Dodgers and the prestige of Los Angeles cannot be beat – and the closer proximity to Japan doesn’t hurt either).

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12. way more culture for them and families in toronto over philly and it’s not even close or debatable, and that goes for every nationality, it’s a stew up there and it’s a very clean city, foods better too

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    1. Yeah I get it….but we are the City of Brotherly Love….and who doesn’t want to be loved……..rocco will vouch for me on that.

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       1. I 💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 you man

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       2. the best chance… pay the most & have the Japanese player be a huge basketball fan…. Hopefuly LeBron can pull him in. Other than that… Philly is on the outside looking in. Athletes Apparenlty don’t eat cheesesteaks.

          BTW, TOR… has a super bougie baseball facility. Middleton might want to catch up there.

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    2. I understand Philadelphia’s hurdles in attracting a Japanese star. Maybe the Phillies should try a different approach, perhaps hire a Japanese coach. That would provide an immediate familiarity for any prospective player considering the Phils. It would provide a fellow countryman who can be the team’s ambassador among Japanese prospects. Even if it just led to a couple AAA quality players signing, the team would have made a start.

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13. Lifetime contract. Thats nuts

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14. Cora no longer an option it appears.

    Assume the list of people will be revealed soon.

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    1. Might we end up with Mattingly again? Evidently Cora finds retirement agreeable or perhaps has said to himself, “you know what, I’m not getting in the middle of that mess, with that group of hard-headed prima donna’s” and who could blame him!

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       1. The Phillies are an older team with a lot of long term contracts that won’t be easy to get rid of. And any prospective coach will know this. It’s not a plum job.

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          1. I guess you’re right and, at any given time, there might be 3 or 4 “famous” managers who can pick and choose their spots, like Cora. That said, there are 30 of these jobs in the entire world, almost all of which are taken, and the Phillies are flush with cash and one of the better franchises in baseball, warts and all. So it’s not THAT difficult to get people to apply.

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             1. I’d have to think that the teams who are primed to confidently win in the near term have their coaches locked up. The Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs, Rays, Braves and Padres all don’t appear to be making moves anytime soon. After that, I think it’s hard to argue the Phillies are worse than any other jobs out there. We live in the Phillies bubble so everything seems awful but it’s really not. High market team with stars that has been in the playoffs consistently. An owner willing to spend stupid money and not interfere. That’s a good job

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                1. If you’re an established coach or an in demand up and comer, there are better jobs than Philadelphia (because of the contracts and the lack of flexibility in the roster). The Phillies are perfect for an older coach who wants another crack at coaching (like Mattingly).

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15. Rocco …… nows your chance, hurry get your resume ready ….. Romus your bench coach ….. Don53 will handle the pitching coach …. I’ll straighten the idiots from MIT out that make out the lineup cards everday!😇

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16. Great analysis Jim. Thank you for laying out the facts for us to collectively build from.

    My take, it seems more likely to me that we will have to shed salary, not add to it. hard to see a scenario in which there isn’t a cap well below our current payroll of $278 mil. I would be shocked if they agreed to a cap at $300 mil.

    If that is the case, that a new cap is at or below our current $278 payroll, then that opens the door for both Miller (3B) and Rincon (SS). We may be forced to play both and move Trae to OF. The Phillies should have a very good assessment of both players. Rincon seems the most risky to me because he just popped this year. But the defense alone would be an upgrade over Trae at SS. So they may feel that they have to live growing pains with the bat and play Rincon as SS.

    CF: Trae

    RF platoon: Crawford/De La Cruz

    LF platoon: Marsh/Hill

    1B: Harper

    2B: Stott:

    SS: Rincon

    3B: Miller

    C: JT (ugh)

    DH: Schwarbs

    that’s a big gamble on 2 unproven kids and I am sure they would want to bring Sosa back as insurance. and maybe another vet who can play IF.

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    1. If MLB goes to a hard cap under $275M, they’ll need some type of amnesty or transition relief for existing contracts,

       If the players agree to a cap, they’ll almost certainly demand a high salary floor in return. That IMHO will create another problem: Cheapskate teams overpaying players on short-term deals just to reach the floor, while contending teams get squeezed trying to fill out their rosters under the new cap.

       Also, I see the international FA market get reeled in. A draft has to happen there, or LAD basically has a feeder league.

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       1. Yes, that is exactly what will happen. Second tier players will get a bump in their salaries so that teams can reach the floor. The elite players will still get seriously paid (but maybe $400M instead of $500M). This is what the union doesn’t understand, since there are way more second tier players than elite players. Yes, Maybe Skubal only gets $400M, but perhaps Edmundo Sosa gets his $30M, Arraez gets $80M (not from the Phillies I hope), and Alvarado gets $40M.

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       2. It never made sense to me that the international players aren’t included in the regular draft. Like in the NBA

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    2. C: JT (ugh)

       Perhaps Rangers would be interested in trading O’Hoppe for JT……O’Hoppe (27) still has to live up to his potential, but he has mLB experience now….I saw how it took Shea Langeliers to come around—2/3 years, so LOH may still reach his potential……and how does a MLB player even survive in Anaheim this last decade.

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       1. Unfortunately Logan really struggled with his defense and hitting. I think that he is seen as a backup at this point.

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17. The way I look at it……..with a Hard cap also comes the Floor requirement cap.

    Meaning Guardians, Nats, Rays, Marlins, As, and WSox…all under $100M pay rolls will need to get in gear with a floor restriction imposed on them. That is the time when the Phillies could move a Turner or JTR, so those teams can reach their respective floors. Plus LTCs will no doubt be grandfathers and there may be an avenue of relief to get those LTCs under future hard caps..

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    1. that’s a good point Romus, a cap floor will allow for bad contracts to be traded. For example, I bet Castellanos wouldve been able to have been moved…. in a way that Middleton didn’t need to eat it all. Walker probably gets moved, where possibly the salary is split. That would be a nice wrinkle.

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    2. Can they also say we will have a cap starting in 2029 (or pick whatever year)? This allows teams to plan appropriately while also probably grandfathering in contracts or at least a few contracts.

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    3. Yes. A cap and a floor. They can structure it to total money paid by the clubs in 2027 is higher than in 2026. Just distributed more evenly. That’s the point.

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18. Shoot, with the Phillies looking feeble, the Mets in last place and teams like the White Sox, Brewers, and Ray’s kicking butt in the post-season, looks like the competitive balance is just fine.

    Although my above statement is obviously flawed, there will be no cap.

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19. interesting article on the Phillies main site for the winning hitting approach. Says, teams that out homer opponents in the playoffs win 80% of their games. Then you have the brewers, small balling teams into submission. The brewers don’t chase, which is crazy to me. Phils hack all day long. If they could get Arraez, Crawford, Stott, to be their small ball players, with a few more power bats to add to Schwarber & harper… that’s likely the mix with this teams pitching that could get it done.

    Maybe my eyes deceived me… but did I see 2 bunt attempts during the Phils/Braves series?

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    1. The other way in which the Brewers don’t chase is their FA’s. They traded Burnes two seasons back and Peralta last season.

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       1. They also draft well. The Top 100 is littered with SS… they have the top SS in the minors. For some reason he doesn’t work out like a Dom Brown… they have another SS ranked at #19. Both ahead of anything on the Phillies currently… while being 1 win away from the NLCS. They are a poor mans’ dodger team right now.. That;s likely never happened in Phillies History. To be winning in the playoffs with a top young player ready to take one of those guys spots next year. I don’t like them…

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       2. And Woodruff would have been the third ace to go….but he got hurt before they could pull the trigger.

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20. In case you have some hope there will be a season next year, the owner of the Orioles has started laying off employees, including their mascots.

    Phillies, I think, won’t be hiring a new manager with this much uncertainty.

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    1. Phillie Phanatic is safe…..he is booked thru the whole off-season….special events, weddings, holiday parties, bar mitxvahs, et al. Even AI cannot touch him.

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       1. Romus doesn’t he do your annual ladies night party, at Delilah Den?

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          1. Is that place still open!

             Three teams I did not want to see in the World Series……Dodgers, Yankees and Braves……now it is up to the Brewers to finish it.

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             1. It is. It’s Throwback Thursday this week, meaning the ladies you saw in your heyday are back for night only…. looking for them dollars! Make’em Romus! Or was it nickels back then? 🙂

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                1. Hah….it was dollars…Washingtons. I remember a time I was there with a bud named Harry….he liked to eat his dinner on the runway as the gals pranced down to the New Radicals -You Get What You Give….I was not too keen on that.

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                2. Now rocco was a big Cheerleaders guy….after the Wing Bowl every year he was down there for their Legs and Eggs Breakfast Specials.

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21. Well… I can’t say I’m sad about the Braves getting knocked off. I do think the Phils were a better matchup for the Dodgers, but either team needs to be at full strength to get by them. As for the Padres, I’m surprised with their ownership issues they were able to keep their team this competitive. Well.. Onto the Brewers vs Dodgers. I do believe the Brewers can beat the Dodgers. Dodgers haven’t really faced a pesky team like this in the playoffs. We’re going to see … Small ball vs $$$ team, who wins.

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22. If there is a 2027 season, I would be fine with the following, assuming the financial restraints that may be contractually in place:

    c Realmuto

    1b Harper

    2b Stott

    ss Sosa

    3b Miller

    lf Turner

    cf Crawford/Hill

    rf Rincones/de la Cruz

    sp: Sanchez, Wheeler, Luzardo, Painter, Nola

    bullpen: good luck

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    1. …and of course dh Schwarber, with this lineup…

       Turner

       Harper

       Miller (protect him between 2 & 3)

       Schwarber

       Realmuto

       Stott

       Sosa

       Rincones/de la Cruz

       Crawford/Hill

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       1. 8mark….you forgot Luis Arraez!

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    2. Sosa is entering FA for the first time and looking to get paid AND he wants to start. Even though you have Sosa as a starter, I don’t think he will start for the Phillies, which means he’s likely headed elsewhere. I think Sosa can get a multi year deal like 2/18 or 3/25 from somebody. I can easily see Sosa playing 3B for the Reds for example.

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       1. Agree, I don’t quite feel the love for Sosa that others on here express. I believe he is a bench player and will always be that. Also, injury prone. Get’s hot, but cools off quickly. Somewhat of a wild swinger and average at best in the field. Not a great loss if moved and replaceable IMO.

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       2. Sosa could be a player in the mold of a versatile Kike Hernandez.

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23. My first wing bowl, Egypt club on Delaware Ave. Bid Kenny ate 284 wings

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    1. Did he “fly away” or have trouble lifting off after 284?

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       1. He went to breakfast right after

          LikeLiked by 1 person

24. I saw Cora turned down DD again and some other mentions were possibly Brad Ausmus and Quentin Berry.

    For Berry it would be a cool full circle moment of sorts.

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25. My dream of Rays vs. Brewers WS is another step closer. The Rays at this point I give better than a 50/50 chance of getting by either the Guardians or White Sox

    The Brewers OTOH will have their work cut out for them

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    1. I’d like the Southsiders vs the Brewers……can you believe the turnaround for them after 100 loss seasons.

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       1. Getz has either done a nice job or was pretty lucky. His deal for Crochet included better players than they got when the Sox traded Sale to Boston.

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       2. Agree. I know a number of White Sox fans. Great folks and they deserve it. Brewers deserve it just on style of play. So tired of three true outcomes. It’ll ruin MLB’s appeal. Finally, what a great regional World Series that would be for that part of the country.

          LikeLiked by 1 person

26. Just spitballing here…considering his age and remaining contract versus his marketability, which teams might bite for his services and name on the trade market, and what might he fetch in return?

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    1. sorry….I’m referring to Harper

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    2. Harper, I meant to say, sorry

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       1. Harper will be 34 and he’s still owed approximately 5/125.5. He’s more or less a 2.5-3.5 WAR player right now so he’s delivering on his contract, no more no less. He’s probably best suited to be a DH for his new team. At best, maybe the Phillies can snag 1 50-100 prospect and a change of scenery guy. The reason why it’s not more is that he’ll be 34 next season and the threat of regression is very real.

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27. MLB wants to go a 154 game schedule (less games) so I’m sure that the union will be ok with that, as long as there’s no reduction in salary. They want to increase playoff games to best of 7.

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    1. Assume they only mean 7 games vs the 5 games for the AL/NLDS series. If they go 7 games for the Wild Card also, then you might as well start the season on St Patty’s day, unless they want to go deeper into Nov The network . TV contracts elongate the play-offs even further.

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28. Only one of the four final teams is one of the big spenders. The Phillies and NYY have been exposed. The Mets weren’t a factor this year. If the WS is Milwaukee vs Cleveland/Tampa, the case for a lockout is significantly weakened.

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    1. You need to draft well we dont

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    2. In the last 10 years, there has been only 1 WS winner with a payroll under $150M: the 2017 Houston Astros. So if a small payroll team wins it all, you can argue that it’s not the norm.

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       1. There are 12 teams now with a payroll under $150M

          The bottom team , ironically, are the Rays at $40M….top team Dodgers at $371M. They could meet up soon.

          https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll

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    3. Big market clubs that spend stupid money are just that. Talent evaluation and coaching acumen are what sets teams apart from the rest. The Dodgers historically have shown they’re one organization that falls under both categories.

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       1. The fear with giving big money contracts is that for whatever reason (performance, injuries) the player doesn’t deliver:

          Anthony Rendon, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Andrew Benintendi, Yu Darvish, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Trevor Story, Masataka Yoshida, most of the Phillies…

          And now you’re just stuck with the contract because nobody wants it

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          1. That is why the Braves’ Alex Anthopoulos is a fav of mine. He knows when to suck it up and let the guy go…….is that loyalty one could ask, maybe not….but it is good business. Players will go to the highest bidder……where is that loyalty!

             LikeLiked by 2 people

29. “And at 3rd base, batting 5th for the Philadelphia Phillies…Aidan Miller”

    https://x.com/mlbazfallleague/status/2108689753927528883?s=46&t=-U_MfMB4sZDD0dW6wRaryg

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    1. On his way.

       Wonder if they will let him go to LHV after spring training. Of course he may not even experience a spring training this upcoming season.

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30. My dream (read unlikely lineup) for 2026:
    1. Arraez 2B
    2. Harper 1B
    3. Schwarber DH
    4. Arozarena LF
    5. Trea CF
    6. Stott SS
    7. Miller 3B
    8. Crawford RF
    9. JT catcher

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    1. Crawford’s arm strength is below average for CF, I wouldn’t move him to RF. My dream lineup wouldn’t have 3 consecutive LH bats at the top either, or JT as the starting catcher – he should be platooning next year if anyone in this org has the guts to tell Kyle he’s batting third, Trea isn’t playing SS, JT doesn’t get to decide anymore how many games he plays – results will decide that, etc

       LikeLiked by 1 person

       1. Schwarber and Arraez both hit LHP well. I could swap Arozarena to 3rd in lineup and Harper 4th.

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    2. Obviously we don’t know how the CBA will exactly change the rules/roster building, but I think is DD’s preferred lineup given the current “knowns”. Now can they sign Arraez & Aronzena? Yes, they gotta weaken the pitching though, reallocate resources to the lineup. Turner to the OF, Bryce locking up 1B, this is the route.

       Plan B, is to sign a 3B FA from Japan. If Miller is that good, they will put him in the OF over Crawford, and or trade one of them.

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       1. Man I hope they don’t put Miller in the OF and keep Trea at SS. IMO Miller will either be the 3B or SS next year.

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31. V1’s post ………. And at 3rd base, …… brings up a valid point on Kevin Long …… is he a hitting Guru or an imposter? His body of work doesn’t show it with the Phillies. Only .300 hitter was that when he arrived or maybe his students can’t apply the instruction. When they slice and dice the staff, should he be left go?

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    1. Imo KLong is one of the best hitting instructors in MLB. But he has limits on what he can do. He cannot train a hitter to not swing at balls outside the zone. This is not within a hitting coach’s control. He can talk about it until his is blue in the face. But ultimately it is up to the hitter to recognize spin early and project where the ball will be when it crosses home plate. It is a combination of vision and visual processing speed.

       The Phillies hitters swing at a lot of pitches outside the zone. There is no fix for that. A hitter either has plate discipline or he doesn’t. That is on DD and the players he signs.

       LikeLiked by 1 person

       1. What hitters have we acquired where we saw significant improvement under his tutelage? Most of the WAR generated by our hitters during his tenure were accomplished hitters when he/they arrived here and for those we’ve brought up, the improvement has been non existent or minimal at best – Stott, Bohm, Rojas. Those we bring in never seem to do well – Garcia, Kepler, Whit, Hays, etc (Bader was having a career year before arrived). And then you have guys like Trea who has skills but can basically go through the majority of 2 different seasons where he was in a season long slump and nothing he did helped, ala 2nd half Marsh…I’m truly open to learning how he is so good at what he does, I’m just not smart enough to see it…

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          1. Imo an MLB hitting coach can’t teach a guy how to hit. What he can do is identify if a hitter is slumping because of a mechanical issue and help him fix it. So take Bohm this year as an example. Starter the season terribly. Well below his career year. He made an adjustment with his hands and started raking. He helps Harper get out of slumps too.

             Rincon credits his turnaround season to his work with KLong.

             Schwarber has improved tremendously against LHP under Long.

             Crawford improved after an early season slump.

             He isn’t a miracle worker. Again he can’t make a guy take a pitch out of the zone instead of swing. But he is really good with mechanical adjustments.

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             1. All fair and strong points

                LikeLiked by 1 person

32. He turns 60 soon….he may want to move on, do not think he would want to retire. He is signed thru Oct 2028, from an extension he signed last year. My guess he sticks around for at least another year.

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33. Romus how much more can I take? Flyers stink. Phillies stink, eagles are bad. Pennstate is terrible. Sixers I don’t know. Now they sold delhi on Delaware ave. Kathey iman and all those girls, I cheered for have no job

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    1. LOL…..life comes at us hard at times. Push forward-stay the course. Poor Kathy.

       LikeLiked by 1 person

34. My dream offseason:

    1. Kwan LF (I know it’s not happening, would trade anyone in minors not named Miller)
    2. Harper 1B
    3. Suzuki RF
    4. Schwarbs DH
    5. Lowe 2B
    6. Turner LF
    7. Miller SS
    8. Crawford CF
    9. JT C

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    1. Well I messed that up. Turner 2B, Stott 3B

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    2. Kwan doesn’t hit LHP.

       Pass for me

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35. I think that, imo I rather lose with the kids, then more vets who stink

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36. When I see the laundry list of potential replacements for Mattingly, it tells me the front office is pulling out their darts, hoping for a bullseye with little if any confidence. I realize some mediaite opinions creep in, but like Slim Pickens asked in Blazing Saddles, “What in the wide world of sports is going on here?!?!”

    John Middleton originally held out some promise for many of us Phillies fans, being the fresh face and voice of the ownership, after some tired years under Montgomery (who was a good man but who only wanted to stick with the familiar good old boy formula). JM made some brash moves, but also allowed some clunkers into the fray (MacPhail, Klentak, Kapler). Dombrowski’s reputation preceded him to the organization, so I can’t blame Middleton for hiring him. But to extend DD at this stage? Time to let Preston and the younger ilk of baseball personnel people take the reins.

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    1. Maybe Topper’s looking for job.

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37. That pitcher for guardians in eighth innin. That’s all I saw. Great stuff

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38. Let’s revisit a popular pot stirring topic – No, it’s not Mike Trout this time:

    Letting Ranger Suarez go last offseason.

    Verdict: 110% Correct move, & ultimately it was a gamble on the youth.

    FO deserves some kudos here. They didn’t get everything right, but now you have Sanchez, Luzardo, and Painter as your SR for 2028. That should be enough to win with an above average BP, adequate defense, and healthy lineup producing 5+ runs a game.

    If they kept Suarez, they’d have to allocate even more money to the SR, further crippling their ability to fill out the offense. If they did resign Ranger, they likely do so by trading Luzardo at the deadline or sooner. Who wouldve wanted that at the deadline? Now you can make some arguments that Luzarado could’ve then be traded for a bat or 2 if they decided to keep Suarez… clearly, this year… Suarez was the one to let go, as it was Suarez or Luzardo. Now, we can certainly argue that Suarez over Nola from the previous offseason. That didnt’ shake out as well even after watching Nola’s meatballs flyover the fence. Suarez imo wouldve faired better in the playoffs vs the Braves, but the Phillies miss the playoffs this year If Ranger is on the roster in place of Nola. Why? Innings pitched. We wouldve had to roll out the 5th starter or Bullpen game another 5 times. It’s unlikely they win 4 or more out of those games. Yes, ideally, you likely take Suarez over Nola long term. Will see how it shakes out in the years after . Thats the decision that can easily get bad real fast. if Nola can’t correct the homerun balls.

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39. I have really come around to the belief that we can’t fix our team with big FA signings and selling prospects for rentals. That model simply doesn’t work unless the rules change. We can’t out Dodger the Dodgers. We have to become great at growing high impact talent and also depth. That is why I was so against the Arraez trade. I believe that both Marquez and Gair have the potential to be high impact MLB players. And we traded them for a rental who was a good, not great player. It is a strategy that creates a death spiral. We simply have to become great better at developing MLB talent and have the discipline to keep it.

    In the meantime, enjoy a Francisco Renteria Home Run and Double in yesterday’s preseason opener for Aguilas del Zulia.

    https://x.com/philstailgate/status/2109288186107072652?s=46&t=-U_MfMB4sZDD0dW6wRaryg

    LikeLiked by 2 people

    1. I agree, but here’s the issue from no less than John Middleton himself:

       “I think the problem the Phillies have had for a hundred years is they don’t evaluate talent well,” Middleton said in a video conference announcing Matt Klentak’s exit from the general manager’s position Saturday.

       “I think it was the problem a hundred years ago. It was the problem 50 years ago.

       “There have been two periods in the Phillies history where we had bursts — kind of the late-60s, early-70s — where we had a bunch of good evaluations that resulted in good drafts, and we had a burst in the late-90s into the early-2000s that resulted in two World Series teams.

       “Other than that, we’ve been hit and miss…”

       https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/john-middleton-looks-to-fix-the-phillies-100-year-old-problem/170273/

       But you’d think we could just hire someone from the Rays or Brewers to rebuild our entire drafting/developing process, right? I don’t know why we’re so bad at this.

       LikeLiked by 1 person

       1. All teams have issues like this, that’s why FA is big because it fills in the gaps. If you want a winning team, you need your prospects to be ready AT THE SAME TIME. Mike Trout is a generational player, but he had no help next to him, that’s why the Angels stink. Aaron Nola was a good pick (38.2 WAR) but again, he had no help next to him. It’s not that the Phillies didn’t try: Hoskins, Kingery, Franco, Herrera, Quinn, Eflin, Pivetta, Velasquez. It’s just not easy.

          And before people say look at the Dodgers, well, take a look at that team if they didn’t have the Japanese pipeline. Ohtani is playing hurt and the lineup doesn’t look the same anymore. I don’t think the Dodgers go back to back without Yamamoto’s heroics in the postseason.

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40. Saw some click bait piece somewhere yesterday on Jarren Duran. Boston’s OF is crowded, and Duran is 30 with potential change of scenery projection. Productive 2024 and 2025, lousy in 2026. The piece suggested Harper to Bosox for him. Not sure how realistic that is, but with younger talent hopefully emerging from the farm, Duran is under control through 2028, by then Renteria should be in the Show.

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    1. Duran can’t hit LHP. He is a platoon OF

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41. Duran is no longer the player he was plus he has a really crappy attitude. I see him play all the time on NESN. I realize it is just “click bait” as 8Mark writes but this would be a horrible trade in my opinion. I’ll take Harper any day.

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42. Here’s one that kills me to say it:

    One year of Zack Wheeler for one year of Ronald Acuna.

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    1. Unfortunately for Acuna….just not the same player at 29 as he was at 25….injuries really have taken their toll and slowed him down.

       Some could say the same for Wheeler also. He was still a number one this season…..and not far from being the ace from years past. But age and mileage could catch up…..but one year from now he should be fine.

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43. How many hot dog rolls will we get back ….. along with the main ingredient? I like wheels alot!

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    1. Oldruff Columbus day, big day for don. He told me he came to Indiana with Columbus on the nina

       LikeLiked by 1 person

44. Jonathan Mayo today with an interview with Miller. Main points: 1) he feels great and 2) he’s only playing 3B in the AFL, which isn’t known for quality pitching, so we can’t get too excited about his success their so far. The big thing is he’s playing regularly with no ill effects. Now, if the pitching is mediocre, Nori’s lack of production so far is very concerning.

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    1. Yeah AFL pitching tends to be team’s relief pitchers from within their respective systems. Occasionally you will get a tier one starting prospect…Painter two years ago coming back from TJ is an example. OTOH, the many relievers from the teams are a bit older and been around a few years in minor league systems so they do have some savvy.

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    2. These sample sizes are very small, but Miller appears to poised to be our best third base prospect since Scott Rolen, which is saying something. Nori is interesting because, frankly, I’m not sure how good Justin Crawford is going to become. The hope is that one of them pans out (no, Justin Crawford hasn’t panned out yet, he did okay, but he was a well-below average major leaguer this year and his future is hazy).

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       1. Justin Crawford is still only 22 and the jury is still out on him. I think he will have to move to LF.

          Chandler Simpson split time between CF/LF as a rookie 24 year old and posted 0.3 WAR (-0.9 dWAR). This year, he moved to LF full time and posted 2.5 WAR (0.4 dWAR).

          If Crawford posts 2+ WAR in his sophomore season, I think a lot of people here will be happy with that.

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          1. Crawford is young, as he seasons he will become a better player, his first year of developing in the bigs was satisfactory IMO. Especially considering some of the stiffs surrounding him! I liked his attitude, his energy, and his enthusiasm. If some of his teammates possessed those traits they wouldn’t have struggled as much.

             Miller has already been annointed on here, hasn’t been to AAA, barely been to AA, bad back and all ………. not to mention a new position and a great many errors, some which I saw in person at Reading. Many told me on here I was full of it concerning Rhys’ error rate! Well, Miller is not Hoskins, granted ……. we’ll just have to see how that pans. Spring training will be the litmus test, if there is one!

             LikeLiked by 1 person

             1. If Miller can make the ordinary throws and making errors on the tougher throws, I can live with that ONLY if his range is above average.

                The Phillies are moving him to 3B as that is the easiest path to the bigs (with the impending FA of Bohm). It will be up to Miller to prove he can do it.

                The Phillies don’t have to put Miller on the 40 man so worst case, he starts 2027 at Lehigh, 2027 season or not.

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45. Maybe a Brewers-Guardians World Series….I can like that.

    Weather could be a factor up there n the Midwest in late October….though Brewers can close their roof.

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    1. Really enjoyed the last Brewers/Dodgers game …. good baseball game! Milwaukee/Cleveland might make a good WS.

       LikeLiked by 1 person

46. Phillies …stay or go….Stott…80% want him to stay.

    https://www.phillyvoice.com/phillies-stay-or-go-2b-3b-ss-infielder-bryson-stott-mlb-trade-rumors-news-analysis/

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    1. Stott should stay. He’s not blocking anybody and he might be motivated to deliver since he’ll be in his walk year. Either way, he will likely sign with another team in FA. Why? If he sucks in 2027, the Phillies will let him walk. If he has a 4 WAR year, Scott Boras will ask for a crazy deal that the Phillies shouldn’t match.

       LikeLiked by 2 people

       1. It makes complete sense to keep him. I agree with Guru’s analysis, but most importantly, as they look to turn over the roster they are going to need players who are position flexible. Nobody on that team is as position flexible – at least at important positions and in the sense that he can be a starter – than Stott. He’s a keeper for this year.

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47. I am changing the question. Your new GM. Of phillies no one under contract. Who do y offer. Me it’s Sanchez, Larazoo, Wheeler,Painter. McFarlane, maybe Sosa that’s it

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    1. Agree with your list but I add Harper, Schwarber, and Stott. Each get a contract for me. Harper at 26mil is pretty reasonable for what he brings. Schwarber… I still do it. Need his power, but hate how he clogs up the DH. In the future, need a DH who can actually play the field occasionally. Stott for his defense, paid accordingly. Everyone else, gonna need to beg for a spot on the roster!

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48. First, you need to field a 26 man roster. Second, the length of the contract matters. Turner’s contract stinks but you might reconsider on a 3 year deal and hoping for him to rebound. Luzardo’s upcoming 5 year extension is looking great but how about a 9 year deal? You might pause on that.

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    1. Mt point is if you had a choice. Only 6 or 7 are worth coming back. If y could y would get three outfielder, three infielders 2catcher. 6 bullpen arms. A starter just shows, lack of offensive talent on this team, lack of bullpen arms. Watching the playoffs. You really see how far off this team is right now

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49. Mattingly back as Manager for 2 years. LOL How did all that Cora hype workout?

    A few thoughts on this:

    Curious if Cora rejected the opportunity because he didn’t want to embarrass Mattingly. Those press conferences were pretty disrespectful in a way, having to answer questions bout Cora.

    Cora is smart to take the year off. Who wants job responsibilities when you have no idea whats going to happen with the CBA? He can just relax, im sure he has enough money to not even blink. Then once the dust settles from the CBA, he can likley hand pick which job he wants based on how the team is positioned after the CNA changes. Smart on his part.

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    1. Yep, meanwhile back at the ranch, Mattingly gets two years to make something out of the same herd that is another year older with the addition of some young blood that should be at AAA! Notwithstanding of course, all the miracles that the boss of the roundup can work down at the stockyards this fall n spring in acquiring fattened retreads and critters saved by the veterinarian corps. Well, now you have the state of the roundup …….. yai yippie Kai hippie …. get along little doggies!

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       1. There wasting wherler.

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          1. rocco…how so are they wasting Wheeler?

             He turns 37 years old next spring. I appreciate what he has done, especially last season, but his shelf-life is right around the corner now. He could fall off the cliff anytime now…like Roy did with his labrum injury. Phillies are playing with house money now with Wheels.

             LikeLiked by 1 person

             1. Wheeler at his prime and imo has no chance to win a title

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50. “We are not running it back…we didn’t have Arraez or Miller at the beginning of last season or for the playoffs. I consider those two big additions to last year’s playoff roster.” – Dave Dombrowski at the 2027 pre-season press conference

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    1. By those words….Miller will be in the show one way or another when the next season ever gets under way…….the silver lining, if the season is delayed a few months, Miller gets minor league time at LHV for awhile.

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       1. It certainly sounds like he’s going to be in the big leagues with at least a solid ST. The kid is such a damned good prospect if can stay healthy.

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       2. Yeah, that is one of my default assumptions. I also think:
          – DD is going to resign Arraez
          – That moves Stott to SS
          – Trae to CF or RF
          – Sosa likely resigning here too

          I think the 2027 team will look a lot like this team. a few tweaks on the edge. “Guys just need to step up” will be the phrase.

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51. At 22 I say let it fly and get as much as you can from Aidan. When I think of Aidan I think of how good David Wright and Kris Bryant were.

    Wright from 21-32 was excellent. Bryant from 23-30 was pretty darn good.

    Now’s the time.

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    1. Sure, if he’s ready to play in the major leagues – there is that.

       But overall, I’m a huge fan of this guy. The potential is incredible. Perennial all-star potential.

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       1. I know he was on the hated Mets, but it was a damned shame what happened with David Wright. He wasn’t just a good player, he was a great player and on a complete HOF trajectory until his back gave out.

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52. DD plan seems to be to reload for the 2029 season.

    Active Contracts for 2029:
    Schwarber: 33 mil (for 2 more years)
    Harper: 27.5 mil (3 more years)
    Turner: 27.2 mil (5 more yeras)
    Sanchez: 10 – 28 mill contract increasing (4 to 5 years)
    Luzardo: 27mill (3 years + 1 extra club option)
    Nola: 24.57 years (2 more years)

    Relevant Control 2029: Hill
    Relevant control 2030: Shugart
    relevant Control 2031: Bowlan, Backhus, Colby Thomas

    Unsure but under control for a while: Killian, Painter, Crawford, McFarlane

    2029 Lineup/Rotation/Bullpen
    DH – Schwarber – twilight
    C – ?
    1B – Harper – twighilight
    2B – Turner – twighlight
    SS – Rincon – maybe entering prime
    3B – Miller – maybe entering prime
    RF – Renteria – rookie?
    CF – Crawford – prime
    LF – ?

    Rotation:
    Sanchez
    Luzardo
    Painter
    Wood
    Nola

    Bullpen:
    McFarlane
    Bowlan
    Killian
    who knows because bullpens are fickle

    I only included Wood, Renteria, Rincon, and Miller because those are the top guys at the moment. I think Renteria, Painter and Miller are the core building blocks. The hope would be the vets add support while the young players are more the stars.

    Seems like it’s a lets try to squeeze whatever juice we can get out for hte next two years. Try to compete. Maybe get lucky. Reload for the next generation in 2029 with a new manager (Cora) and a contracts that are getting closer to being done. Also, I’m guessing there will be an amnesty clause in the new CBA so the Nola or Turner contract might not even be here.

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    1. if the Phillies can hit on Miller, Rincon, & Renteria, While Harper & Schwarber still have some magic … with this Rotation…. They have a very good chance of winning a WS. That said, rhe Brewers & Dodgers are the new measuring stick. Not a bad take but I personally hope they can add Randy Arorenza (sp), he’d solve the OF bat problem

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53. The Phillies website has an article about possible players being added to the 40 man. For the Phillies, it’ll be Aroon Escobar amd Estibenzon Jimenez and I think both get added which is unfortunate since they will get locked out with the rest of the big leaguers.

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54. Romus as a realtor, I guess y heard. Wheeler sold his SOHO apartment for 26 million. A new record.

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55. Speculating, but I’m guessing the CBA is going to allow 1 contract to be taken off the CBA calculation per team. For the Phillies that’s likely Turner or Nola.

    Which player are you using it on? It’s a bit of a tough call … I probably exile Turner first, mainly because Nola’s deal is up 1st.

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    1. Turner, Turner, Turner.

       For all of his fits and starts, Nola pitched to a 3 WAR this year – he was actually a legit #3 starter and worth near his salary.

       Turner tanked and has 7 years left – his contract is much, much worse than Nola’s and it’s not even close. Turner was bad in his age 33 year, but his contract goes through his age 40 year. What a disaster!

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56. It’s one thing to have the type of small market team, like the Brewers or Indians, who almost never do a long-term contract, because they can’t afford it. But think about a team that does spend money, like the Braves who almost never, ever do a stupid long-term contract. The Phillies could still learn a thing or two from the Braves.

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    1. Well they should thank the Phillies because they apparently had Nola signed, but he gave the phils the opportunity to match or beat it. Imagine the bombs schwarber could hit off Nola 🙂

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    2. Riley, strider, murphy, profar

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       1. Strider (6/75) was a team friendly deal. Imagine if the Phillies gave that to Andrew Painter in 2028.

          Profar (3/42) was not a long term deal, it just blew up in their face when he got busted for PEDs.

          Murphy (6/73) was a decent deal since he was 28 and coming off 3.7 WAR.

          Riley (10/212) was looking like a superstar coming off back to back 6+ WAR seasons, and he was only 26. If you’re going to give crazy money to somebody, it might as well be your guy who’s young (Trea Turner got his deal at age 30).

          All these 4 deals are defensible to some degree.

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          1. Riley’s career really went off in another direction. I thought he was ready for that yearly superstar label…like Chipper from the past. . Last three years barely replacement level player….and turns 30 next spring. Braves need him to turn it around. Baseball is funny at times

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57. Press conference tomorrow, staff changes coming. Suggested Long & Dickerson on way out, maybe confirmed tomorrow……. the purge begins?

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    1. https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-kevin-long-bobby-dickerson-coaching-staff/758729/?partner=yahoo&amp=1

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58. Here’s a difference between the Phillies and the Rays. Tampa Bay had Randy Arozarena when he was young, inexpensive, and was producing. They let him move on as they usually do.

    If the Phillies sign him as a free agent, he will be older (33?), very expensive (3-4 years at ?$), and probably past his prime. I don’t believe he’ll be worth what they’ll pay him but what the hell do I know?

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59. Brewers can draft. We cant

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60. Miller still hitting .500 in AFl. Obp of .720. Obps of over 1500

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61. Jayson Stark says Dombo reached out to Utley and Ibanez – both of whom said no thanks – before pivoting back to Mattingly. Hmmm.

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    1. Very odd. What makes anyone think Chase Utley would be a good manager? Yeah, he was a great player and understood the game. So did Ted Williams and Ryne Sandberg and they were terrible managers. It’s a completely different skill set. Completely different and Utley has no managerial experience, which is important. Most, but not all, great managers were minor leaguers or middling major league players.

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       1. He doesn’t look like he has good people skills

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       2. Many also were catchers…..which makes sense.

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          1. Beat me to it!

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       3. Very well could be right. However, I need more Utley.

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          1. Trust me, you don’t.

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    2. MLB is a business…saying that, Phillies may have been leaning Don M anyways. It may have been his call to come back or move on

       And having Preston in the org chain may also been a factor for Middleton and Dombrowski….of course not for the Mattingly’s…..they know it is strictly business and not personal and accepted whatever which way it went..

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       1. Sure they do. Tell that to the Ripkens or the Colangelos. When Dad gets fired it gets personal, and sensitive, awfully fast.

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62. Mendoza eh.. lets hope he can keep guys over the line his name represents

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63. Sounds like Trea Turner is on the hot seat to prove that he can play SS for 2027, which is a good thing.

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64. Heard DD’s presser …

    Super disappointed that Trea is not going to the outfield. Turner said his preference is SS, but C’mon… someone has to have the stones to tell him… you’re going to the OF. Go get a new glove. Be ready for whenever the season starts. It fixes multiple problems with one stone. Now, apparently it’s not guaranteed, so hopefully it’s just PR talk but that’s gonna get messy, and really does make the offseason plan blurry.

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    1. You figure that Trea will have 2027 to prove that he can play SS. Or best case, he proves he can’t, the Phillies ask him to move to the OF for 2028, he gets angry and demands a trade (waiving his no trade clause).

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       1. We need to give him all of next year to prove something we already know?

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       2. If he stinks that bad, who will want him? Especially, for that kind of money ….. no, only hope now is that he bounces back and then we move him before he goes south again. Leave the other dumb sucker with the gamble!

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       3. And if the new CBA does have a higher floor….maybe, just maybe a small market team will pick up his salary in order to meet the requirement. And the Phillies can take a low tier prospect in return. I would say the Rays, but after watching Walls…he is a gold glove guy it appears.

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65. So Realmuto (still owed 2/30) will now play less than 120 games next year. I guess that’s a good thing since his WAR this season was zero, but giving him that extra year is looking mighty bad already (history repeats itself). So if the backup is not Stubbs or Marchan, who would be willing to sign with the Phillies knowing that they won’t start 70 games? I’ll give you a hint, it won’t be anyone good. What about the catchers at Lehigh? Can Paul McIntosh do it?

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    1. They’re not bringing in a catcher from outside the organization who’s worth a shite because one they can’t afford them due to JTs ridiculous contract, and two because there is no one in the organization worth a shite because they can’t draft and develop catchers, as well as outfielders and pitchers and on and on.

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66. New discussion at https://phuturephillies.com/2026/10/16/phillies-discussion-10-15-2026/

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