Here’s the last open discussion thread for 2015.  Slow week, no transactions.   Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of December 28th →

Here’s the open discussion thread for Phillies’ talk and other topics.  Slow week as we head into the week before Christmas.  Or should I say the week before the holiday we aren’t supposed to acknowledge lest we upset somebody.  Well, screw that.  I would like to wish all visitors to the site a “Merry Christmas!”.   Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of December 21st →

Baseball’s Winter Meetings are over.  The Phillies showed up with the worst record in baseball, one trade chip, and the number one pick in the Rule 5 Draft.  They made the most of their meager pre-meeting assets. Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of December 14th →

The Phillies made a major trade Wednesday when they sent Ken Giles to the Astros.  I figured that we would need a thread to discuss the impending Rule 5 Draft and had intended to post this tomorrow, but the Giles trade has accelerated the publishing of this post.  I’ll include the draft news as it occurs tomorrow. Continue reading Winter Meetings and Rule 5 Draft Discussion: Mid-Week, December 9th (updated post-Giles trade) →

Baseball’s Winter Meetings start Monday, December 7th.  The much awaited Rule 5 Draft will be held on Thursday, December 10th.  I have entered the 6 most recent transactions to the list below.   Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of December 7th →

Not much on the Phillies’ front this week.  Next week they’ll be prepping for Matt Klentak’s first Winter Baseball Meeting as the GM of the Phillies.

MLBTR’s Brad Johnson profiled several possible top Rule 5 picks by the Phillies in a recent article.  Interestingly enough they are all outfielders or first basemen. Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of November 30th →

How quickly things change.  In less than 4 weeks, could the fans’ honeymoon with new GM Matt Klentak be over?

Not too long ago, the Phillies introduced Klentak to the media at a news conference on October 26th.  Since then the GM has been involved in only a few publicly observed team decisions and a couple of press conferences that revealed some of his thoughts – Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of November 23rd →

Phillies’ General Manager, Matt Klentak, continued adding to the organization in the second week of the off season.  Following the waiver acquisition of RHP Dan Otero on November 2nd, the Phillies FA LHP James Russell on November 12th and traded for Arizona Diambacks’ RHP Jeremy Hellickson.  True to his word (and remarkably similar to his predecessor), Klentak is proving that his emphasis will be adding to (improving?)  the pitching depth in the organization. Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of November 16th →

The Phillies’ first week of the hot stove season started just as we anticipated.  Aaron Harang, Jerome Wiliams, Chad Billingsley, and Jeff Francoeur became free agents. The Phillies activated Cliff Lee from the 60-Day DL then declined their $27.5M team option, deciding to pay the $12.5M buyout and making Lee a free agent.  The Phillies activated the remaining players on the 60-Day DL – Elvis Araujo, Mario Hollands, Matt Harrison, and Cesar Hernandez.  And finally, the Phillies took advantage of their waiver position when they claimed RHP Dan Otero off waivers from the Oakland A’s.  This first addition of the Klentak era brings the 40-Man Roster to 32 players. Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of November 9th →

The 2015 Championship Season ended last night when the Kansas City Royals came from behind in game five to beat the New York Mets four games to one.  The victory triggers a series of important dates that relied on the end of the World Series.  Now, the off season can officially begin. Continue reading Open Discussion: Week of November 2nd →