2017-18 Off-season Trade/Free Agent Speculation

[andyb]

FWIW Franco should definitely have options left, likely 2 of them. In 2014 he was a September call-up so 2015 is probably the only option he has used. He was not sent down in either 2016 or 2017, so one could conceivably justify sending him down if he has a slow start. I imagine he will start the season at 3B regardless of what they do with Kingery but after the season starts all bets are off.

[zambonir]

Yeah, Franco loses all remaining modest trade value - see also Asche or Brown - if he goes to AAA but it could certainly be done. He can't/won't be lost on waivers (and even if he could be, you'd get something for him during the assignment period, just not much). The Phillies have every reason to want to fix him though. Even if it's to trade him, or if he ends up as a bench player.

I think that's mostly just bad analysis from MLBTR, particularly regarding Joseph and the size of the bench. If the Phillies ever asked about Walker that was probably back when trading Hernandez seemed more possible, and also before It became more likely that Kingery will be up in May rather than July. Or just under the "exploring all options" category. He does fit the profile (switch-hitter, flexible, high OBP).

[bkeich]

Part of the issue with Franco is our last inept manager miscast him as a cleanup hitter. That was just foolish and showed a lack of understanding of what Franco is.

He is a guy that NEEDS a batting coach to reach him. He needs to understand that no matter how hard he tries, he will never hit a 700 foot HR so stop trying. He has more than enough power to pop the ball over the fence without swinging like a 4 year old. He has genuine, pure power in his hands and body, he just needs to keep calm. You can watch him in his 1st AB in a game and see where his head is, last year sometimes he really did not swing from his heels sometimes and generate power, and sometimes (too often) he forgot what he was taught and tried to hit the ball over the fence, OF seats and onto the interstate.

I really think he is saveable, I hate the idea of some other team getting through and getting him to relax at the plate.

[julio]

The Phils are set to carry Tommy Joseph on their bench despite his defensive limitations and his skill set’s redundancies with Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana on the roster.

This is just wrong IMO.

Bingo. The whole premise of the discussion was wrong. Tommy Joseph is almost certainly NOT going to be on the 25-man roster. You've got the second catcher (Knapp or Alfaro - Rupp is in some trouble here!), the backup middle infielder (pick one), the fourth outfielder (Williams? Altherr?) and one other guy. A right-handed slugger with low BA, abysmal OBP, no speed, and no position other than 1B? On a four-man bench?

I may be wrong, but I think Klentak is more intelligent than that.

[andyb]

Joseph only makes sense on a 5-man bench and even then barely. Most likely this is posturing by the club. I would say there is a chance that Joseph (or any 5th bench player) could make the team on opening day if they decide to wait a week or two to call up the 5th starter. We have off days Sunday and Friday that first week so we would not need a 5th starter until April 8th.

5th starter usage will be interesting this year. With the extra off days in the schedule one could really limit a 5th starter's starts if you wanted to. I suspect though that most teams will just give their entire 5-man rotation the extra day of rest starting them on 5 days rest whenever the calendar allows. How this works into our use of the 10-day DL midseason will also be interesting.

[zambonir]

Part of the issue with Franco is our last inept manager miscast him as a cleanup hitter. That was just foolish and showed a lack of understanding of what Franco is.

Not really. He's only hit 4th in 400 of his more than 1600 PAs and nearly all of those were for the same manager. 184 ABs out of 575 last year.

That was a roster problem not a manager or player problem in any case. The Phillies haven't had anyone else for that spot the entire time he's been here really - just a diminished Ryan Howard and Tommy Joseph. Hopefully the emergence of Hoskins and the addition of Williams will indeed help the middle of the order though in the end I'm not sure it matters where Franco (or anyone) hits.

This will also be his third batting coach in three years so we shall see.

[David_Criss]

(Knapp or Alfaro - Rupp is in some trouble here!),

Is Knapp out of options, too? With LuCroy still available, I don't see anyone trading for Rupp, but he'd be a decent backup option for a number of teams. I could see Oakland as a possible landing spot for Rupp. Baltimore has a rookie with all of 10-games under his belt inked in as the starting catcher, Rupp would make sense there, too.

But with free agents taking less money, and with Rupp and Joseph having very limited trade value to begin with, I just don't see a really good outcome here for the Phillies. Joseph to AAA is easily explained. Losing Rupp for nothing, not so much.

[zambonir]

Nope, neither Rupp nor Knapp are out of options. They'll likely both stick around unless or until the Phillies get a reasonable offer, you need three catchers on the 40 anyway so that won't be an issue.

[andyb]

The time has probably passed where we could get much for Rupp unfortunately. He is not an awful backup catcher though and some team might have a need. I don't think Knapp is really better at this point, just younger with the small advantage of being a switch hitter which would help with late inning pinch hitting flexibility.

[julio]

Is Knapp out of options, too?

Nope. Knapp has 3 options remaining.

But Cameron Rupp has 2 options - I'm merely suggesting that they keep the better catcher on the roster.

The only one of the three that's out of options is Alfaro. I'd prefer to pair him with Knapp than with Rupp.

Knapp is younger than Rupp, he put up a better OPS last season than Rupp, he's a switch-hitter (which is valuable off the bench), and I think he's better defensively as well.

[zambonir]

Agreed, Rupp has little chance of winning the spot, and little trade value. Teams would rather have a lighter-hitting, better-defensively veteran back-up in most cases. But he's still a competent major league catcher with some positive attributes. He's someone the Phillies could conceivably trade to replenish a bit of their lost depth from the upcoming draft (assuming they give up their third as well) but given Alfaro's injury history and Knapp's relative inexperience I'd still rather have Rupp stashed as the first call-up in Allentown than Moore or Matt McBride.

But who knows, maybe an injury comes up and some team comes calling.

Also, if Knapp and Alfaro both look like starters the Phillies could decide to trade Knapp, for real value, in which case Rupp remains controllable for three more seasons.

[allentown]

I also see Rupp's role as catching in AAA and serving as injury insurance for the Phillies. He's not a good defensive catcher, he's a .710 OPS guy over both his minor and MLB careers, he's 29 this season, he doesn't have a great body, and his current trade value is minimal, perhaps as a throw-in part of a deal. He had a fairly thorough audition in Philly and he didn't pass. Knapp was the better player last year and this year begins Alfaro's audition in Philly.

[Austinfan]

Knapp can play other positions and is a switch hitter, so Rupp may make the team to free up Knapp to be used other than a backup catcher in the late innings. That would give Rupp the edge over Joseph.

[DurhamBull]

Knapp can play other positions and is a switch hitter, so Rupp may make the team to free up Knapp to be used other than a backup catcher in the late innings. That would give Rupp the edge over Joseph.

I gather that Knapp is relatively athletic for a catcher, but he only has 49 innings at 1B compared to ~2800 at C and no experience at other positions. Alfaro has a lot more experience at 1B (~450 innings), but still none elsewhere on the diamond. The Phils need defensive flexibility from the bench (as do all teams), but IMHO they won't get much from their catchers.

[zambonir]

Knapp can play other positions and is a switch hitter, so Rupp may make the team to free up Knapp to be used other than a backup catcher in the late innings. That would give Rupp the edge over Joseph.

I don't think either of them are in the mix with a four-man bench. Gonna be Knapp, Williams, someone who at minimum can play all three OF positions and someone who at minimum can play SS and 2B. I don't think trying Quinn out at SS in the former sport cancels the need for someone in the latter spot.

But sure, Rupp for DH games or when they add an extra bat during those 5th starter lulls would make more sense than Joseph

[flyers19rw]

Right about Knapp being a multi positional player. At Cal, he caught, did some first base as well as right field because of his strong arm. IDK when he last played the OF and if he could do it in the majors but it's out there. For all of the switching of positions the Kapler has utilized, I'm surprised that Knapp hasn't seen any time in a corner OF position.

[andyb]

No way they even think of 3 catchers on a 4-man bench. And the flexibility possibilities are yet another argument against Rupp and for carrying Knapp if either Knapp and/or Alfaro could swing to 1B or OF in an emergency.

While Alfaro has not played OF it has always been discussed as a position that he is a good athletic match for. He has 45-50 speed which is good for a catcher and obviously the arm for RF. I don't think the Phillies would do a lot of playing the second catcher in the field, but with a 4-man bench you do more of it than with a 5-man bench. If you have to burn the backup catcher as a pinch hitter it might be better to double-switch him onto the field so he is still available behind the plate defensively.

[zambonir]

We might see Santana catch before we see Alfaro or Knapp in RF.

[MattsRiff]

Twins offered Lynn 2-years/20mil.

Twins reportedly offered Lance Lynn two years and $20 million, which is a...

[tom81]

He should have taken the QA.