2019 Phillies Season Discussion

andyb 2019-06-16 01:31:31 UTC #743

zambonir 2019-06-16 06:21:19 UTC #744

Lauber says Neshek could pitch today. (He also speculates they could go with a righty opener before Irving, hmmh.)

Austinfan 2019-06-16 14:20:08 UTC #745

At that point you'd rather have him on ice until the FIL in the fall where they can ease him back in and get him ready for 2021.

julio 2019-06-16 16:59:08 UTC #746

All this just appeared on mlb.com:

Philadelphia Phillies recalled LHP Cole Irvin from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies activated RHP Pat Neshek from the 10-day injured list.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned LHP Ranger Suarez to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Edgar Garcia to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

julio 2019-06-16 17:05:14 UTC #747

Also... the milb.com transactions page says that Nick Matera was reassigned from Williamsport to Lehigh Velley (Summer-A to AAA) - and this too just appeared a couple of minutes ago. The only reason I can imagine why this would have been done is if Deivy Grullon is going to be called up - which would only happen if JT Realmuto is headed to the Injured List.

Either that, or milb.com made a mistake...

andyb 2019-06-17 13:35:46 UTC #748

Matt Breen in his Extra Innings email is arguing to start Medina on Friday. Seems a bit soon to me though I guess it is not the worst idea since he is currently pitching well and it is the Marlins at home (so a relatively easy game). The option has already been used, so there is that.

I guess the one alternative that the team should also discuss is that short of a trade, should we really think of putting Velasquez back in the rotation because he is better than what we are rolling out in the 5th spot these days. I know they want him to help the bullpen, but the starter slot might be the bigger need especially as some relievers get healthy.

David_Criss 2019-06-17 14:48:03 UTC #749

Rosso and Parkinson have thrown about as well as Medina at Reading. Medina is on the 40-man. They already started the clock on Heisely for his three game contribution, so who knows? I like VV in the pen, but was he moved there out of necessity? DLS, Eickhoff, Irvin, Suarez for Friday - doesn't really excited me, but it is what it is. I am still hoping Arrieta and Nola return to form. Who knew that signing Harper this year and Arrieta last year, that we'd be excited to see Eflin grow into the team ace and Kingery grow into an all star CFer......seriously this is almost to much to keep up with.

I still remember the days, before all the advances in medicine and exercise when pitchers would throw 300 innings a year and could throw more than 5 innings a week. I remember when injuries weren't that uncommon and I don't think I am that old lol.

Austinfan 2019-06-17 15:38:51 UTC #750

Pitchers threw 300 innings because they were throwing 88-90 MPH, not 95.
Did Moyer ever have a sore arm?

I think a big problem is they've been jacking around the young starters in AAA with this "come up and sit in the bullpen" crap - starters need to get in a rhythm which means pitching every five days, with your throwing day inbetween. Someone like DLS should be used in the same slot he'd pitch in AAA.

VV should stay in the pen, his problem isn't just effectiveness, it's even when he's effective, his pitch count is so high he's not going deeper than 5 innings.

andyb 2019-06-17 16:01:39 UTC #751

They are not seen as that good though. Major league stuff does much better in the major leagues than non-major league stuff (see Cole Irvin). This would likely be a 1-start cameo. And the 40-man slot matters of course.

Squire 2019-06-17 19:33:51 UTC #752

RHP Jerad Eickhoff to the 10 DL
OF Nick Williams Optioned to LHV
RHP Edgar Garcia recalled
OF Roman Quinn reinstated off the IL

David_Criss 2019-06-17 21:04:46 UTC #753

That is one name we can cross off the list of we gonna start on Friday.........Hopefully he gets well and rehabs in the rotation at AAA.

andyb 2019-06-17 21:05:20 UTC #754

Probably time for a formal trade deadline thread:

Bowden suggestion - Matthew Boyd from Detroit for Haseley and a second tier pitching prospect like Francisco Morales.

Boyd is controllable through 2022. Arbitration next year. Having his career year. Is it real?

allentown 2019-06-17 21:19:09 UTC #755

Since when did Francisco Morales become a second-tier pitching prospect? He was our biggest LA bonus for a pitcher in a while -- ever? He certainly needs to improve his control, but he averaging 14Ks/9 IP as a 19-year old in A ball. More development needed, but definitely not second-tier in my eyes.

Boyd may well be for real. A career year, but he also improved quite a bit last season.

andyb 2019-06-17 22:50:40 UTC #757

Second tier means not Medina or Howard. More about proximity and risk than ceiling. He has less trade value than those guys.

LoneStarPhan 2019-06-18 02:13:38 UTC #758

Hunter pitches an inning for Clearwater. Gives up a home run and strikes out two.

Lucky_Beagle 2019-06-18 12:02:45 UTC #759

looks like he is ready, all Philly pitchers give up HR's this year right!

Austinfan 2019-06-18 13:12:25 UTC #760

They have DLS on schedule to start Friday, at some point you just give him 3-4 starts and see if he's ready. Most teams have crap as their 5th starter, Phillies need to give their young starters real auditions like they did with Irvin and see if someone can step up.

No trade is going to make a difference if Nola and Arrieta don't turn it around, it's not like they had this deep farm system they can mine, at some point if they want to sustain success they need to build talent depth in the system. They haven't opened the window yet, too early to be trading to keep it open.

zambonir 2019-06-18 14:02:04 UTC #761

But the window is open, and it's not open that wide. That's not to say it would be smart or sustainable to just keep trading for short-term success, but they have already done that with the Realmuto deal, and actuarially speaking there's only 2 or 3 years of Harper and Hoskins' prime (assuming Harper hasn't already peaked). Any three or four year-plan could be sidetracked by one Nola injury. And the Braves are't gonna get worse either. If you have a chance to win the division and 90-93 games, which they still do, they have to go for it.

But sure, if they slip, and it's only about the wild card, you don't go crazy, and you take a write-off on a season where those two pitchers weren't great and you lost half your bullpen and 2/3 of your outfield (even if Herrera wasn't a loss).

But by "slip" I mean total collapse. If things go mostly as they have we'll see at least three new players on the team August 1 who aren't here now. The only way that won't be the case is if Haseley and Quinn somehow remove CF as a problem area (seems like a lot to ask) and all the relievers come back strong (even then they'll add relief depth, but maybe not someone pricey).

Trading for the pitchers is all about price and control - can you get the FA to-be for cheap and have it be a purely short-term move or do you give up more to get someone who will be here for another year or two?

The system is still thin but I would do the 2019 version of the Lee, Oswalt or Pence trades every single time, never mind the specifics of those particular deals. If it's just a Lohse/Blanton or Romero-type move that's okay too (technically that's where this team is in the cycle but pressure/expectations are clearly higher now).

David_Criss 2019-06-18 14:42:26 UTC #762

Reading the tea leaves it is DLS or VV to start Friday.

andyb 2019-06-18 14:45:56 UTC #763

And they may not decide that until whether they see if they need VV for major innings in the double-header on Wednesday. I would say it is likely that both pitch on Friday. Whether VV goes 2 or 4-5 depends on Wednesday.