Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• Aaron Nola tossed 5 scoreless innings Saturday against the Nationals.  It became his last start of the season when the Phillies decided to shutdown Nola for the rest of the season.  Nola scattered 6 singles and struck out five while walking none.  In 2015, Nola threw a career high 187 innings.  He started 13 games with the Phillies and pitched 77.2 innings (there goes his prospect status).  Nola posted a 6-2 record with a 3.59 ERA.  He struck out 68 and walked 19.
• With Nola and Adam Morgan both shut down, the Phillies will go into the final week of the season with David Buchanan and Alec Asher starting the first two games of the Mets series.  Jerad Eickhoff will likely start the third game.  After a bullpen game in the series opener with the Marlins (in Nola’s spot), the Phillies will probably finish the season with Aaron Harang and Buchanan on the mound.
• The Phillies are in good shape in their drive for the top pick in the draft.  They have 97 losses with 6 games to play.  Their “magic” number is 4 over the Atlanta Braves. Any combination of 4 Phillies’ losses and Braves’ wins should lock up the pick.
• The only other team that can pass the Phillies is the Cincinnati Reds.  The Reds have 92 losses with 7 games left.  The Phillies hold the tie-breaker with both teams (lower 2014 winning percentage).
• The first Intructs game is tomorrow in Dunedin.  If anything interesting occurs, I’ll post a story.
• I’ll post the Weekly Prospects Discussion tomorrow.

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• Adam Morgan, Jerad Eickhoff, and Aaron Nola all pitched well against the Atlanta Braves this weekend.  Things are looking good for the pitching staff in 2016.
• The Phillies pulled off a major coup with a three-game, reverse-sweep in Atlanta this weekend.  In spite of the great pitching from their young starters, they managed to lose 2-1, 2-1, and 2-1.  Plus, Eickhoff and Nola managed to avoid taking losses.
• The three-game sweep and their current six-game losing streak have put the Phillies back in the driver’s seat in their drive for the number one pick.  They now have a four game lead, plus tie-breaker, over the Braves with 12 games remaining in the season.
• With 94 losses, it’s a cinch that the Phillies reach 100 losses just four seasons after posting a 102-win season.
• The Phillies have shutdown Adam Morgan for the remainder of the season.  Aaron Nola may remain in the rotation for the rest of the season.
• One GM candidate is off the market as the Brewers are expected to announce that they will hire Astros 30-year old, Assistant GM, David Stearns, as their GM.
• I’ll post the Weekly Prospects Discussion tomorrow.

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• Now that there is no more national discussion about the Phillies trade pieces, the only discussion seems to be speculation on the choice for the new GM.  Go!
• Or, continue discussion about the play of the young guys, Eickhoff pitched a nice game this weekend.
• Or, the chase for the #1 pick. (stupid Cubs, stupid Cubs, stupid Cubs!)
• Or, anything else …
• With the end of the minor league season, I think I’ll post a Weekly Prospects Discussion so that you will still have a place to talk about prospects without talk about the big club interspersed.

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• The play of the young guys.
• The chase for the #1 pick.
• Or, anything else …
• How about this observation.  Delmon Young’s 6-year streak of playing in the playoffs is likely to come to an end.

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• The play of the young guys.
• The chase for the #1 pick.
• Or, anything else …

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• “How ’bout dem Phils!”  After Sunday’s win they are 21-12 since the All Star break.  Their “Kiddie Korps” Morgan, Eickhoff, Araujo, and Nola have collected their last four wins.
• The Phillies have seen Colorado drop into the lead for the #1 pick in the draft.  What once was a 2 or 3 team race has become a 7 team race.  And, lets face it, with so many games against the NL East remaining, the Phillies face the weakest strength of schedule of the contenders for the top pick.  It is conceivable that they drop out of the top three.
• Since being activated by the Nationals on July 29th, Jonathan Papelbon has made 7 appearances games.  He is 3 for 3 in save situations.  In the same span, Ken Giles has 11 appearances and is 10 for 10 in save situations.
• Aaron Altherr.  Good start after the recall.
• ICYMI, I saw Jorge Alfaro take some swings against a rehabbing minor league pitcher in a sim inning.  Wow!  Crushed a home run over the left field fence into the handicapped/coaches parking lot at the Complex.  Just missed Roly de Armas’ car.  And he’s big, like Kyle Schwarber big.
• I heard that the Phillies intend to stretch out Clearwater reliever Alexis Rivero as a starter during Instructs.
• Carlos Tocci turned 20 Sunday.  I took him out for a beer, and I drank his. jk
• Jerad Eickhoff.  Great start.  Ditto Aaron Nola.
• Look at all the guys we’re talking about right now.  And have been talking about for months. Who is responsible for their acquisition?  I know several readers feel that there have been “fire-able” offenses committed.  But the fact of the matter is the firing didn’t take place when the offenses were committed.  And, in a world where “What have you done lately” matters most, can you see that the firing that most wish to see, may not happen?  Hmmm.  (And, technically, I guess it would be a “non-rehiring”.)

Due to the many changes this week, here’s an open discussion thread to deal with the updates in topics since the beginning of the week.  This will also avoid the long comment threads in the earlier post.

In review, Continue reading Open Discussion: Mid-Week Special, August 20th →

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

• The Phillies were swept in a key series by the Milwaukee Brewers.  They have re-taken the lead for the number one pick, for now.
• Since being activated by the Nationals on July 29th, Jonathan Papelbon has made 5 appearances in 18 games.  Only two were in save situations.  The Nats are 5-13 in those 18 games.
• Chase Utley has cleared waivers and waits for a deal that suits him before rescinding his 5-10 rights.  (As is his right.)

Finding a suitor for Utley will be difficult.  He wants a guarantee of playing time.  He wants to play next season.  He wants to play for a contender this season.  He wants to play in southern California.  That greatly limits the field of eligible teams.  Even without a guarantee regarding playing time next season, Utley’s contract provides for a $2M buyout on top whatever portion of this season’s $15M remains to be paid.

In 2013, the Phillies flipped John McDonald for Nefi Ogando.  This should establish the floor for any trade, I suppose.  With all the baggage attached to a trade the ceiling might not be for very much higher.  If Utley accepts the fact that he might not get next season guaranteed, kicking in some money (the buyout at the very least) should increase the value of the return.  But not by much if Utley becomes just a rental.

Now, I like Utley as much as the next person.  Unless the next person is one of those fanatic Utley lovers.  I’m a member of a group where the female members all LOVE Utley and can’t bear even talk of his being traded.  I’ve seen some of the bloggers I follow lose their objectivity over the subject of an Utley trade too.

Trading Utley is not some vindictive move by the team.  It’s an effort to get some value back for a guy who shouldn’t return next season.  You sugar coat the trade with the sentiment that he can play for a contender one more time, while avoiding the unpopular decision of not picking up his option next year.

I think a fair return would be a pitcher similar to several we have recently brought into the organization – Eflin, Lively, Pivetta, Eickhoff, Tirado, Windle.  Plus whatever else we could get.  If the roles were reversed, I certainly wouldn’t give up one of our top 8 prospects for a player like him.