2019-2020 MLB Non-Phillies News/Notes Discussion

[LoneStarPhan]

Actually, bringing more people into the dugouts with the players doesn't seem like a wise decision.

[Lawman]

I don't think the dugouts are especially safe though. There's no distancing - they aren't even avoiding high-fives and there's a roof and walls on three sides. When they first released the tentative protocols it was suggsted a lot more players would sit in the stands.

I thought players were sitting in the stands?

[zambonir]

Some of them might be but it has looked like a pretty normal dugout to me, especially when someone hits a home run and comes back to be greeted by their teammates. Of course during a normal game your starting pitchers aren't all there and your relievers are split between the clubhouse and the bullpen, so you're really only putting 14 or 15 players in there plus coaches and a few strays. Seems like that is still the case - the active players don't ever go into the stands. So 13 is probably the lowest possible number (including the three coaches) and I don't know that the bench players are in the stands?

Players also go to the use cages and video and exercise bikes of course, even though that's supposed to be discouraged indoors. Dunno if they've set up any of that stuff (besides the exercise equipment) on an outdoor concourse.

[allentown]

Too true and more evidence about how much unserious magical thinking is pervading baseball at this time. That and PR stunts like shutting down two teams with no positive tests for almost a week after allowing a team with multiple positives to play and then deciding that this gaffe required the shutdown of other teams to be safe. Nonsense!

[andyb]

Braves just got a little better:

Nick Markakis changes mind, returns to Braves three weeks after opting out

[el-pietro]

Bonkers. How can you sit out with justifiable Covid-19 health concerns and look at this first week and think its being handled so well that I should come back and play.

[zambonir]

Alternately, you see that 29 teams don't have a single positive test and one team may have screwed it up by not being careful, and you decide to take the risk. Obviously David Price feels differently. But it's also probably not a rational decision - players want to play.

He had to file appeal, other players won't be able to do that after Saturday.

Markakis felt as if he had let the team down, particularly as he watched the Braves on TV during their opening 2-3 road trip.

Also the Braves tried to replace him with Puig and that didn't work out.

[andyb]

FWIW Sixto Sanchez is not on the immediate list of Marlins replacement starters. He came into camp overweight and is now "down to about 225". Clearly not the kid who was listed at 185 through his Phillies career. He is healthy though in the minor league camp and regularly hitting triple digits, so he probably makes his debut in a few weeks.

[el-pietro]

Hopefully that is the more accurate way of looking at things, I'm probably too pessimistic but thats what the evidence of how this virus has been handled in the US tells me. Hopefully this outbreak is the scare teams need to truly understand how serious this is and that they need to stay inside for the next 2-3 months. Selfishly I want to watch Phillies baseball.

[Philsmania]

FWIW Sixto Sanchez is not on the immediate list of Marlins replacement starters. He came into camp overweight and is now "down to about 225". Clearly not the kid who was listed at 185 through his Phillies career. He is healthy though in the minor league camp and regularly hitting triple digits, so he probably makes his debut in a few weeks.

I have a feeling that Sixto ends up as a elite closer at some point. His lack of conditioning and lack of secondary or tertiary pitches will make it difficult for him to succeed as a starter. How often do you see guys show up for ST overweight and it never happens again after that spring? It's a matter of making a leopard change his spots. But, if he's a guy you bring in just to throw heat for just one inning, that could end up being his ideal role.

[andyb]

Looks like 7-inning double-headers and a 30-man roster are here for the duration. Wonder if that alone will throw the Phillies over the competitive balance tax threshold.

MLB, union expected to announce 7-inning doubleheaders

[zambonir]

Maybe the salaries for games they didn't actually play shouldn't count against the tax.

[zambonir]

2020 Philadelphia Phillies Season News/Notes/Discussion

True, it simply isn't fair. Truly impoverished teams need help, but the system is rigged. The Cardinals invariably are near the top in annual attendance. They've cut back big league salary budget this season, but since 2008, they'd been below $100 million end-of-year salary budget of $100 million only once (and that wa $98 million). Since 2003, they've been below $90 million once (and that was $87 million). They are a big market team given a big competitive advantage.

All teams lie about their revenue of course. And the Cardinals are obviously in better shape than Kansas City or Cleveland. But it's still a very small market (and even smaller city) and their TV deal isn't close to what the Phillies have (15 years, $1 billion vs 25 years, $2.5 billion plus that equity stake). If the formula says they are one of the 10 lowest-revenue teams the only people who should really care are the 11th and 12th teams. It bugs me a lot more when big-market tanking teams (including the Astros) get it.

The Cardinals are just sui generis, because of their historic regional fan base, but also because they actually run their organization better than so many other teams, big and small.

[bkox]

But it's still a very small market (

I disagree about stl being a very small market. I live in decatur illinois. Its 135 ne of st Louis. This is cards country. Way more than cubs. (And I never see anything white sox). Cards market pretty much includes all of southern and central illinois.

[zambonir]

Which is a historical quirk of KMOX too, they also have fans in Indiana and Kentucky and TN. But it still doesn't change the size of the city and metro area, or the fact that there is another team in the same state, which surely balances out some of the Southern Illinois support. In any case the value of the Cardinals' media reach is reflected in its television and radio deals. The revenue is the revenue, and if they have some loopholes that's no different from any other team (including - especially - the rich ones).

[andyb]

Nick Madrigal being called up by the White Sox. It is prospect call-up time now that another season of control is guaranteed. BTW Nate Pearson was really good in his debut with Toronto. Number one starter stuff.

Borrowed from Keith Law's article at the Athletic on Pearson:
https://twitter.com/ProspectJesus/status/1288613863265579013

[Squire]

Kyle Lewis' success is really gong to bother me.

[kmc1019]

Insult to injury, Squire: I remember the Phillies had Kyle Lewis in for a workout where he supposedly impressed, and then they drafted Moniak anyway. And now I found the link:

".....there was late buzz that Kyle Lewis, from Mercer, had become a more serious candidate. The reason? A very impressive workout for the Phillies' decision-makers on Monday."

Draft Buzz: What Callis and Mayo are hearing

[LoneStarPhan]

I hope the Phillies get to play more games this season. Good news that they are returning to workouts today and (hopefully) tomorrow.

Meanwhile, around the league

Another Cardinal Player Tests Positive for COVID.

Also 3 more staff members of the Cardinals test positive. Total of 3 players have had positive tests.

[Philsmania]

People are going to blame Moniak but that whole draft was a disaster. The Astros blew two 1-1's during their tanking years (Aiken and Appel, both of whom may never make The Show) but they still profited from the rest of those drafts. I would not be surprised if the Phillies 2016 draft ends up being the worst performance ever by a team with the first pick. When he was first hired, the best thing we could say about Almaraz was that he wasn't Wolever. But was he really any better? And, the best thing about Klentak was that he wasn't Amaro, Jr.. But, was he any better?