Phillies 2018 Season News/Notes/Discussion

[zambonir]

In theory Harvey should be tradeable by Mets, or could be claimed. If you're willing to put him on your 40, paying him $5 million shouldn't be that big an obstacle, even if he's just depth or a reliever. But what use is he to anyone really? He's unlikely to help you this season and if he does turn it around you don't get to keep him (whether you get him in a trade, on waivers or as a minor league FA). He makes more sense for a true 2018 contender, as someone who might be handy to have around in August and September should the need arise. Granted, maybe the Phillies are a contender, and it's only money.

[allentown]

He was bad last year and has been bad this year. The Ks are down substantially from his good seasons. He seems still injured. The $5 million may not be a huge deal for us, but why relieve the Mets of that cost.

[Lawman]

Not to mention he seems petulant and with a poor attitude. No.

[bkeich]

He makes more sense for a true 2018 contender, as someone who might be handy to have around in August and September should the need arise. Granted, maybe the Phillies are a contender, and it's only money.

My guess is that he is not claimed, but we will see. He really isnt worth the $5M gamble when you know you are going to have to send him to the minors to get his act together and give him and attitude adjustment. Each team only has 15 slots for prospects in the minors that need to be on the 40 man and some of them are used by AAAA guys needed to backup the players in the majors. My guess is that he will eventually have to take a minor league deal once he gets a payout from the Mets to make him go away.

Who knows, maybe someone takes this risk, but bad pitching for more than a season and a bad attitude arent really going to help him very much.

[Philsmania]

He makes more sense for a true 2018 contender, as someone who might be handy to have around in August and September should the need arise. Granted, maybe the Phillies are a contender, and it's only money.

My guess is that he is not claimed, but we will see. He really isnt worth the $5M gamble when you know you are going to have to send him to the minors to get his act together and give him and attitude adjustment. Each team only has 15 slots for prospects in the minors that need to be on the 40 man and some of them are used by AAAA guys needed to backup the players in the majors. My guess is that he will eventually have to take a minor league deal once he gets a payout from the Mets to make him go away.

Who knows, maybe someone takes this risk, but bad pitching for more than a season and a bad attitude arent really going to help him very much.

I too think that he doesn't get claimed and a starting-pitching challenged contender (the Braves, Mariners or Angels?) sign him to a minor league look-see with a thirty-day opt out and, if he does opt out, then he can go to a bottom-feeder who would put him on the fast track to being back in the majors (Reds or Marlins?).

[EastFallowfield]

May 2018 Minor League Transactions

Phillies have recalled RHP Seranthony Domínguez from Lehigh Valley (AAA).

A corresponding move will be made before tonight's game.

1:17 PM - 7 May 2018

From minor league thread, posted by Lawman there

[andyb]

Sooner than I thought, but the move was clearly coming. Can't imagine he will close at first. It will be interesting how they navigate the late innings and whenever Neshek is back it will complicate that further.

[David_Criss]

Very interesting. Moving him to the pen was the best thing the team could have done for him last year. But still we are talking about a guy who pitched for four-seasons in rookie ball and has all of 13 games (starts) at High A, 8 games at AA and only 3 games at AAA.

[Austinfan]

Sounds more like an injury call up and a look-see.
See if someone goes on IR.

[zambonir]

By definition someone had to go on IR (or get sent down). It was Morgan. But as long as the kid pitches well he'll probably stay. And if he's just okay he'll still probably be back.

[LoneStarPhan]

With the inning pitched tonight, Dominquez enters the stats for the year. As a result, Neris moves to 10th best among the non-starting pitchers used this year in terms of WHIP. Perhaps an unfair inference, but clearly Neris has not pitched all that well this season and many of the others in the bullpen are doing better. I would not put Dominquez in the starting role but I would not object to a policy that did not use a designated closer in most save situations. I'd like to see several of the bull pen get shots at closing out games for the foreseeable future.

[Philsmania]

I am delighted to see Dominguez up but am bummed that Morgan is hurt. Hopefully, he won't be out long.

[David_Criss]

If Dominquez has a couple more outings like last night, this will be more than just a look see. I still wonder why they paid Hunter 9 million per for two-seasons, but the pen, even with the injuries is stacked right now. What happens when Neshek is activated and if Dominquez is throwing really well? Hutchison to AAA to stretch back out as a starter? Same thing with Arano.

Regarding Morgan, when pitchers have balky backs, I get worried. Hopefully they find the right stretches, therapy, etc. for him. Morgan is someone I have always rooted for seems to have a great attitude and willing to do what coaches and the team ask of him.

Milner and Morgan make the team and it is Curtis who is the lefty in the pen right now.

[andyb]

Leiter is actually closest to coming back. Assume he takes Hutchison's spot though with our new game of 10-day DL roulette I think they are going to be rotating 3 or 4 extra arms all season and if they really like the guy with no options (Hutchison) they actually need to keep him in the majors. All the guys with options are going to be going back and forth to LHV all year.

[zambonir]

Hutchison is certainly useful but with Leiter coming back and Thompson also around and Eflin looking promising as starter depth (with Lively and Eickhoff on DL), they could probably gamble on Hutchison clearing waivers if they wanted to.

[David_Criss]

Has Leiter appeared in any rehab games?

[EastFallowfield]

In case you haven't noticed, the Phils will be one of the teams on this week's "Only On Facebook" Debacle for the 3rd time in 6 opportunites, so we lead the majors in something.

[California_Dreamin]

I mentioned a couple of years ago that I thought Herrera would win a batting title before he was done playing and I still believe it. Truth be told, we may be witnessing the growth of a player who will someday be considered one of the better hitters in Phillies annuals. He is that talented, still young and learning about the advantages of patience.

Interesting that many viewed him as a complimentary piece to a future talent laden team featuring Hoskins, Kingery, Crawford and Alfaro. Might still be the case but if so this means that future Phillie teams are going to be quite talented because Herrera is headed for a very, very impressive career if he stays healthy. The guy is right before our very eyes becoming a 5 tool player.

[Philsmania]

In case you haven't noticed, the Phils will be one of the teams on this week's "Only On Facebook" Debacle for the 3rd time in 6 opportunites, so we lead the majors in something.

The problem is that the Phillies are in that worst kind of grey area with regard to these Facebook games. They have a big enough fan following to draw eyeballs to Facebook. But, at the same time, as a team that's not expected to be a contender, their game is not a marquee game that a traditional broadcaster would have to sacrifice.

[zambonir]

It is, I think, equally instructive to note that it has taken Herrera four years to become a star, if in fact that's the case. And it's also taken Hernandez three years to fully develop. It won't be practical for the Phillies to wait on all their young players to go through that curve, assuming they all need it (some of them will move faster and some might not succeed at all), which is why we could be watching a different SS (or 3B) or C or RF next year too.

The Facebook games are taken away from local broadcasters, not national broadcasters, they are always weekday day games.