2020 Philadelphia Phillies Season News/Notes/Discussion

[bkeich]

I wonder if any other team that has their opponent test positive will have to take a week off. I bet not. This was just simply ridiculous, how could MLB not been ready for this?

We restart against one of the best pitchers in baseball and we send out... Jake Arrieta. I guess we are conceding game 1. Wny not Nola and try and win? I know the argument of these guys need work, but this is going to be a very short season (if it actually makes it to the end) and we cannot try and take every advantage. Sending out our #3 starter, who was just horrendous last year, doesnt make any sense at all.

[bkeich]

Good news.... the Phils are 2nd in ML baseball in giving up the fewest runs. That is really impressive since we have the 29th best ERA.

[LoneStarPhan]

Well if they were to send Nola out against Cole and they lose, then they are weaker going forward. I certainly don't concede any game, but I don't fault Joe for his selection of starters. Clearly, (I hope) he knows more about the readiness of the starters and other factors we don't know.

The Yankees are hot and they have a very good team. These four games were never going to be easy and certainly coming off an off-week, the Phillies could be put deep into the cellar of the NL East by the coming weekend.

Then there is the chance of one or more rainouts.

[andyb]

Then there is the chance of one or more rainouts

Tuesday is Tropical Storm Isaias day on the east coast. Supposed to be 3-6 inches of rain here in DC through mid-afternoon. Hard to believe it will clear out of Philly and New York Tuesday afternoon in time to get the field ready to play that night. Most likely get a DH Wednesday or Thursday to keep on schedule.

[fish]

I'll be shocked if the Phillies come out of the next 2 weeks with a record better than 3-11. They are setup to get beat up on.

[andyb]

Then are we tanking for a draft pick and trading JT before the deadline?

[zambonir]

I think Girardi must have a big picture in mind for the rotation, possibly even including using two starters today. Last week it was reasonable to have Arrieta skip a turn but now he really needs the work. All that really matters at this point is that Nola and Wheeler each get a game against the Yankees, which they will.

And based on how our bullpen looked last weekend and how the Yankees have been playing since, we were probably going to be 1-6 or 2-5 after these four games even on normal rest.

Given the circumstances would they actually move a postponed game to Philly (Yankees could still bat last), but for a doubleheader? It still creates TV and sponsorship $ issues but I guess they've already been doing it with some of the other affected teams.

[andyb]

Given the circumstances would they actually move a postponed game to Philly (Yankees could still bat last), but for a doubleheader? It still creates TV and sponsorship $ issues but I guess they've already been doing it with some of the other affected teams.

I would hope they do or the game may not get played. They really should be playing 2 today because tomorrow will be terrible and playing the DH today would be easier for the team bullpens.

[Lucky_Beagle]

Agree with playing 2 today, on the otherside will they make up the game Wed/Thur in Philly? Will each team get to be home for one of the games in a DH?

It does make a lot of sense to play a scheduled 14 innings today and an off day tomorrow instead of playing 14 innings W/Th without off days planned.

[zambonir]

Alternately, if we're not going to play 60 games I'm fine with deleting one against the Yankees from the schedule, especially this week. Supposedly the Phillies didn't even want to play today, they wanted one more day of workouts, which might have meant a scheduled DH tomorrow. The hurricane forced their hand.

That might also be why Arrieta is starting, maybe they already had Nola and Wheeler's off-day throwing timed for Tuesday, since they were originally supposed to go Friday/Saturday (and then just Saturday). Arrieta was meant to pitch Sunday so he only had to wait one more day this time.

[allentown]

Then are we tanking for a draft pick and trading JT before the deadline?

Probably not. We should be, but it's hard to do that, when those who have to do that are unlikely to be back next season if that turns out to be the tale of this season. JT isn't the only guy we should be trading. It's not going to be a big return on the trades, because the other teams aren't sure this season will end with playoffs. With each of these guys, the question should be: are we willing to QO and will a trade bring better value than a comp pick?

Just to be clear: I'm not predicting a 3-11 start. I eexpect we'll be better than that, perhaps 6-8, more likely 5-7. If it really is 3-11, then I would keep Girardi and Harper and clean out the rest of the older players, Klentak, and MacPhail. If there is anyone out there they value as a GM or President, who is available now, I'd fire MacPhail/Klentak as soon as we hit that 3-11 and allow the new guy(s) to evaluate everyone else in the organization during this short season, so that we go into the off-season and next season hot, and not the painfully meandering change of MacPhail/Klentak.

[zambonir]

I seriously doubt Klentak and MacPhail are on the hot seat this year. In a normal season they certainly were, but given how much money the team is going to lose - and next year won't be normal revenues either - they won't be ready to pony up for a new guy, let alone a great (and therefore expensive) candidate or several new assistant GMs. Though you'd save some money if you hired one guy for the top jobs.

Pretty much impossible to evaluate the roster now. The theory was they had the talent, given health and better coaching, and that Bohm and Howard and Kingery playing every day at one position would start to make Klentak's drafts look better. Even if they did go 3-11 that wouldn't get them fired in a normal season (that kind of thing sometimes get a manager fired), and if they finish with 25 or 28 wins instead of 30 or 32 it's still hard to pass judgment. The past week makes it even harder.

I think you keep JT no matter what, if he won't take a deal in-season you just hope you still sign him or else take the QO. Gonna be impossible to trade almost anyone else for any real value given the situation. Arrieta and Didi maybe with some cash. Neris but given the state of the bullpen I'd still want him around next year. Cutch and Segura would have to be off-season moves I'd think (and they might still need one or both of them).

[andyb]

The comment about trading JT was a little bit dark humor given the current situation. Teams are not going to be trading much this year for rentals with the expanded playoffs and the reality that the season could get shut down at any point (making any short term trade worthless).

It is just strange that the team has played 3 games and we are now 4 weeks to the day from the August 31st trade deadline.

[zambonir]

I assume it wouldn't stop the Yankees from making an offer, but yeah.

I wonder, for a team like the Phillies that is built to win now, what's the real line? Even if they are 10-20 on August 31, they could still go 18-12 in September and get in. And the opposite might also be true. It only takes a few streaks and injuries/health either way.

[andyb]

Knock on wood but the Phillies are pretty healthy at the moment. Suarez seems their only current COVID positive and pitching injuries are widespread around all of baseball. No season opt outs either. They probably are among the healthiest teams in baseball if one is considering how much of their projected lineup is currently available.

This is a team that should be able to play .500 ball and be in the playoff race.

[andyb]

Looking at the current weather forecast they really should have tried for a 4:00 start today. Rain is just starting here in DC and it looks like it is the outer band of the tropical storm. Just drizzling for the moment, but imagine NYC will get the same by around 5:00 or 6:00. No serious rain till after midnight, so they probably get one game in today. The grounds crew will have their work cut out for Tuesday.

If I am Girardi I might keep Roman Quinn's hamstrings on the sidelines the next couple of days.

And in out of town TV updates, the Tuesday game against the Yankees is on FS1 if it happens and then from the 7th through the 10th 4 straight games against the Braves are on national TV. Friday on ESPN+, Saturday MLB Network, Sunday TBS, Monday FS1.

[zambonir]

Well we haven't played enough games yet to lose a pitcher, so knock wood, especially after this interruption.

Like I said it could go either way. We got Cutch back, Quinn might be useful. But lose any significant pitcher for 2-3 weeks or hitter for 4-6 weeks and it will be a big loss.

Similarly, four weeks of a slumping Hoskins could be deadly, but four weeks of peak Hoskins could carry a team.

I think we had the talent on paper to make a run at the division with mid-season upgrades (particularly bullpen). It's certainly still a team that can make the playoffs, even more so now. Just not World Series material quite yet.

[LoneStarPhan]

With all that has happened since the last game, it is not hard to anticipate a team that struggles in the coming four games with the Yankees. I don't know what to expect but likely everyone will be rusty. Wins vs. NYY are hard in the best of times. I hope for the best and cannot be too critical if they struggle.

Maybe the commish will realize how unfairly the Phillies have been treated and award them a competitive balance pick after each of the rounds where there are competitive balance picks. Probably more likely that the Phillies win it all in this strange 2020 season.

[zambonir]

The Marlins would be no less deserving of a competitive balance pick at this point. The virus isn't fair. That we may blame players from those teams for the outbreak is still besides the point, the failure is entirely with MLB. They let the Marlins play (both Friday/Saturday and Sunday), and as a league they failed to actually have rules or a realistic enforcement/compliance mechanism. And at this point nobody is really to blame for the false positives that shut things down for another five days.

At least it's not another team in our division benefitting from playing the Marlins this week (until Friday, anyway).

[zambonir]

08/03/20 Philadelphia Phillies placed RHP Reggie McClain on the paternity list.
08/03/20 Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Enyel De Los Santos from Phillies Alternate Training Site

A convenient opening to add a pitcher who has actually been able to keep training for the past week.