Discussion

allentown 2018-02-08 01:05:28 UTC #742

Obviously not. I've never advocated spending money for the sake of spending money. Crawford is certainly the future and may have a better 2018 than Galvis, so it made sense to trade Galvis for prospect value. Despite your strawman, I've always been very clear about what I support: the signing of a quality FA SP, who can benefit the team for several seasons. I say FA, rather than trade, because my goal is both to increase the strength of the MLB Phillies and fill a key hole on the 25-man roster, but also to increase the total level of talent in the organization, not trade future major leaguers for a current major leaguer, which simply shuffles the deck chairs. The Phillies can very afford, now and in the future, a 4 year, $130 million deal to Darvish ($30 million per year plus a $10 mill signing bonus). This will not impede our ability to sign a couple FAs next season and re-sign our own players when need be.

The extra $ profit pocketed by ownership this year is not money which can be used to improve the team in future seasons.

schillingfan 2018-02-08 03:10:25 UTC #743

What matters is whether Middleton and the Bucks are willing to gamble $30 million this year and four more years into the future on a player who may or may not help us into the playoffs this year or more likely than not will not be worth the money we are paying him in years 4 and 5.

Yes, it's easy for us to say it's only the owners' money. But the real question is whether the owners are willing to roll the dice on Darvish and outbid everyone else in order to win more in 2018. There are issues other than money, including ego, fandom and glory that can motivate owners.

allentown 2018-02-08 04:28:15 UTC #744

I didn't propose a 5-year deal; I proposed a 4-year deal. I wouldn't propose this if I believed this involved only extra wins in 2018. I think it can add extra wins in all 4 years of the contract and that, although all pitchers are a risk, the relatively young for a 4-year contract Darvish is no more of a risk of injury than Nola and less a risk of injury and fading performance than other starters we are counting upon, such as Eickhoff and Velasquez. It still leaves plenty of opportunities for our young SPs.

Even with this proposed signing, the Phillies will be in the lower half of team salaries. The Phillies should take a shot at a wild card berth in 2018.

zambonir 2018-02-08 18:09:04 UTC #745

andyb 2018-02-08 18:15:06 UTC #746

I do find this a bit interesting paired with the Rosales signing. Rosales is the opposite of Flaherty in offering some offense (at least in 2016) and not as much glove. They clearly want options here for the utility slot and probably are signaling that they don't think Valentin is quite ready.

The interesting thing to me though is that this is potentially a hedge that would make it plausible for them to trade Hernandez. Cesar could be the piece that helps them get a younger controllable starter. Then in Spring Training you could give Kingery the chance to win the job, but also have the fallback of a Rosales (RH)/Flaherty (LH) platoon that could survive till whenever they do callup Kingery. I don't think they want to have to do that, but now it is at least a viable option.

Realistically they probably keep Hernandez, leave Kingery in the minors for 2 months, and now have a 4-way competition for the utility spot (Rosales, Flaherty, Florimon, Valentin). I kind of wish the LH bat (Flaherty) was better offensively because that might push Franco a bit. The Phillies clearly can attract decent candidates for the job as guaranteeing $1.9 million is easy for them and they DO have a spot available to be won in Spring Training no matter what.

allentown 2018-02-08 18:33:17 UTC #747

Seems to be a very early opt-out date.

Austinfan 2018-02-08 22:47:46 UTC #748

And if you audition a bunch of guys, never know when you'll find the next Andres Blanco.

zambonir 2018-02-09 00:03:16 UTC #749

The Orioles connection combined with the opt-out makes it look like Flaherty has the edge, but then, I thought that about Chris Coghlan too and he couldn't even beat out Stassi.It's possible both Florimon and Valentin will be better off in the minors for at least a little while, coming off their injuries. But that's a very good point about Hernandez. Unlikely, but gives them options, especially if the trade market is active for another month as it apparently might be.

julio 2018-02-09 03:35:39 UTC #750

zambonir 2018-02-09 07:23:00 UTC #751

I don't imagine he has an opt-out.

allentown 2018-02-09 12:04:00 UTC #752

Given his stats in recent years, even discounting injury, this seems a strange signing.

andyb 2018-02-09 13:47:44 UTC #753

Seems AAA depth and not much more. Maybe a hedge on Tocci's spot if Tocci is lost. Decent defense and not much more and imagine the defense is slipping in his early 30s too.

Lawman 2018-02-09 15:13:14 UTC #754

Happy Truck Day to all.

Austinfan 2018-02-09 18:14:13 UTC #755

You also have a lot of ST games, once you send the kids to minor league camp, you still need to fill out rosters without getting your starters overworked or injured.
So they give veterans a look-see, keep some in AAA to fill out that roster (remember, Kingery, maybe one of the outfielders could be up in June or July), cut the rest.

zambonir 2018-02-09 18:32:27 UTC #756

Seems like a 4th or 5th OF for the Iron Pigs is all. There's probably a reason. Kapler probably saw a lot of PCL games, maybe he liked him. Or some scout does.

Lawman 2018-02-09 18:45:34 UTC #757

14 days until baseball is back on the radio.

Philsmania 2018-02-09 20:22:32 UTC #758

zambonir 2018-02-10 04:39:15 UTC #759

At this point my prediction is the Phillies will sign a pitcher, but it won't happen until early March. We shall see I guess. Here's Montemurro on that and other things.

with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp on Feb. 14, the Phillies appear content to let their young starters battle for spots. That's not to say the Phillies won't add another starting pitcher before opening the regular season March 29 in Atlanta.

However, the Phillies' stance has been clear. They aren't willing to sign a free-agent starting pitcher unless it's on their terms, regardless of the fact that their current payroll situation would allow them to add one with ease. So, if you haven't already, it's time to re-calibrate your hopes and expectations for an upgrade. It remains unlikely the Phillies will sign one of the top-tier starters (Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn).

That sets up an Opening Day rotation featuring Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta with Ben Lively and Zach Eflin as the frontrunners for the final spot. Mark Leiter Jr. profiles as a long reliever and spot starter.

tom81 2018-02-10 10:37:56 UTC #760

My prediction is that they will sigh a veteran pitcher too and that they do it before Thursday. With a young team and a new coaching staff I think they want a stable veteran presence from the beginning of spring training. I think they make one more push this weekend to sign the top tier guys to a high AAV one or two year deal and if they don’t get one turn to a next tier guy who will take it. Their is also a small chance they make a trade in that time frame too. I think the most likely outcome is signing Jason Vargas on a one year deal by Thursday.

fish 2018-02-10 13:16:32 UTC #761

I know when players do it it’s not collusion, but it seems to me that might be going on. The new system of valuation that all, at least all the spending clubs, seem to be utilizing recognizes that over 30 guys available aren’t valuable long term investments. Players, rightfully so, seem to recognize they aren’t getting their fair share cut of the pie. As many have said, the only way this feels like it’s going to get resolved is for the big guys in this market to realize the shorter contract and higher annual value is what is fair to both sides. Also for JD Martinez to realize guys who can’t play the field don’t have the same value as guys who do.