2021 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[Austinfan]

Maton is a big surprise so far.

One thing I've noticed is hitters are using the whole field, Harper may have more hits to LF this season than his whole Phillies career to date, Hoskins HR to CF and right CF, Bohm, Maton use the whole field. Then there's Didi.

The real problem is Moniak, Kingery, Haseley, Randolph, you need to get something out of top picks. Moniak really needs to go to Lehigh and get a couple hundred PAs

[zambonir]

They have even raised the possibility of trying Maton in CF, since he's obviously outplayed every other CF and utility middle IF.

[andyb]

Which would be misguided. You don't take a player with no experience at a position and throw him in there especially when his physical tools for the position (average speed) are not ideal. Maton is earning his place on the roster. Didi and Segura are not super young any more and Bohm will need days off. He'll get enough playing time to justify his place on the team and he is old enough where playing every day is a little less important. Now if Kingery came back it would complicate things, though with his speed, Kingery IS a better fit for CF.

[zambonir]

I'm not sure it's a serious plan, and if it was it would surely only be on a utility basis. But if he stays this hot after Segura returns you probably want to put him out there wherever you can for as long as you can until he cools. And physical tools aside the list of 2B and SS who also played CF is long (including Herrera and Kingery a lot and Galvis and Cesar and Torreyes a little). Ill-advised as a long-term thing, certainly (both for the Phillies and for Maton).

[bkox]

Bad offense and defense from Cutch... gotta wonder if hes done

[zambonir]

From the day we signed him:

Phillies sign Andrew McCutchen

Yeah Brantley was more tantalizing but this is about defense too. Problem is I don't know that McCutchen acutally plays good defense, and it's not likely to get better. Good player though. Gets on base. Probably better than Williams. Presumably won't be good enough to start by Year 3.

[zambonir]

Well I guess the media's running with it

Phillies rookie Nick Maton picks up two more hits. Could he be an option in...

Phillies haven't won a series in Colorado since 2012. Of course they've also been bad every one of those years.

[LoneStarPhan]

Yes, the Phillies go into Colorado to play the team playing the worst baseball (based on W-L record) so far this season and leave 3 games later with the Rockies now better than two other teams in MLB, although still the worst in the NL. Phillies manage to lose 2 of 3 to the team that was only winning 1 of 3 for the season.

It is looking now that the 4 and 5 starters are weak links. Maybe one or both can get on track. Howard and Velasquez really have not shown that they are the answer either.

[Philsmania]

I can see that Matonmania is building because, well, phans got to get excited about something. But, it's entirely possible that this is just another case of a guy having a good first week. How many times have we seen that happen?

[zambonir]

Best case he's Kevin Stocker, worst case he goes back to Allentown when he cools. But his "emergence" also opens another 40-man spot if needed (should they DFA Torreyes at any point). If his future is still bench player he can just step into the role, he doesn't need ABs in Allentown.

I'm not sure the pitching is that much worse than expected. Moore is, yes, but they knew it was possible - even likely - that only one of those guys would work out. If there's a list of expected WAR in the GM's office I'm sure it included getting 0.5-1.0 from the 6th starter and then upgrading in July.

Whereas I think the defense is a much bigger concern than expected. Nobody expected it to be good and nobody expected Gold Glove work at SS or CF, but they didn't expect Didi to be an active negative. Nor Cutch.

Either way, the offense and bullpen needs to be able to win some of those starts. Bats couldn't do it this weekend, and 'pen is a bit thin. Should have had it Friday though.

[David_Criss]

Lets not get to excited and think Maton is the CF solution. In fact, please don't screw with him and try and make him one, just because they can't find one out of Moniak, Hasley, Herrera, Kingery and Quinn. Maton has always played a year ahead in his brief minor career. He is fast and athletic, but I don't get the put him anywhere and let him learn at the highest level there is mentality.

At this point, put Velasquez in center and Didi in left if that is the thinking. I'm joking here.

It isn't just centerfield. Didi has been awful at SS as has McCutchen in left. Hoskins isn't exactly a gold glove winner at 1B, either. There have been a lot of defensive weaknesses exposed, so why move Maton where he is a positive glove?

Maton should be allowed to do what he does best and be the steady glove and bat at SS or 2B.

[BostonRoss]

If the Phillies are contending this season (while they’ve been playing poorly the last couple of week, they are a game out of first place), they should play whoever is the best option in CF. If that is Maton at some point, so be it. If someone else emerges, then great.

[zambonir]

Maton should not be a serious option in CF, but you can't rule it out either. When Segura comes back and Kingery returns to Allentown he will merely be replacing Torreyes, which means very few starts, and the success he is having right now probably won't continue as a lightly-used PH. If he's still hot he needs to keep playing, wherever. And if it turns out Maton is the player who least needs to be in AAA between himself, Kingery and Moniak, all the more reason.

I also don't buy the notion that position switching is the reason some of these players haven't worked out. Doing whatever you can to get a rising young player in the line-up is hardly new. And if Kingery fails I don't think it's going to be because the Phillies tried to make him into Chris Taylor, but, rather, that Chris Taylor is better. And if the failure is on the Phillies it's because they're so bad at development in general, not because the multi-tool philosophy is invalid.

Alas it's just as likely he cools off in two weeks and goes back to LV himself, because Joe likes Torreyes and we don't need a third LHB on the bench.

[andyb]

Alvarado supposed to be back tonight, so it appears he did not have COVID which would have put him out longer. Falter probably gets sent down, which is to be expected after getting 1 IP out of him yesterday. He seemed Cole Irvin part two yesterday. Not enough velocity to be great if his location and command are not close to perfect. Hopefully he can get back in that 93-94 range over time.

[David_Criss]

Let Maton learn CF at AAA if that is his future. At this point, we need to thank God above that this team is somehow in second place and 1 game out of first after Colorado and the San Fran series) When Segura returns if Maton is not going to play everyday at SS, then he needs to be playing everyday at AAA.

In other thoughts - how much longer does McCutchen lead off and play everyday? I'm ready to see Realmuto and Maton bat first and second.

[andyb]

Segura leading off is the move that probably makes the most sense if they demote Cutch (though Cutch still has a 300 OBP so it has not quite been the disaster his batting average implies).

There is no easy solution if Cutch is not going to recover to 90% of what he was last year. I think there is still a strong chance he might (think 750 OPS, not 800), but he is also at the age where things can fall apart quickly. Just not sure Miller or Joyce or Maton would really be that much better.

[David_Criss]

I was thinking now before Segura comes back just to get something going.

[andyb]

I'd definitely get Miller in there more (not sure Joyce adds much), but in general I am waiting a couple of weeks for major switches with the whole division struggling. We are one game out in second place. It looks ugly, but so does everybody at this point.

[zambonir]

He likes Joyce as a lead-off hitter though.

There's something to be said for just sticking with Cutch when the other options aren't great. Obviously there's a reluctance to move Harper, JT or Hoskins (plus you don't want to rely on Hoskins as a runner).

Even though you don't want your worst hitter leading off, I could also see having Quinn do it when he starts. Challenge him to just get on base.

PItcher hitting eight might not be the worst idea on a couple of days either.

[andyb]

Which is all why there is really no good leadoff solution at the moment, especially if Segura is out.

In other tweaks I might also slide Bohm down a spot or two. He just is not hitting consistently and they should probably take some pressure off him being in the middle of the lineup.