2020 Philadelphia Phillies Season News/Notes/Discussion

[andyb]

They probably also use EDLS today if they have to (i.e. if the Phillies are losing and they need someone to eat innings) and then he goes down when McClain is back. Not that McClain is in any way secure of a job. The only pure bullpen arms likely safe are Neris, Morgan, Alvarez, and probably Hunter. Then 6 more fungible arms hopefully on somewhat of a hot streak the rest of the season.

[zambonir]

Just a question of how long the leash is on the guys who can't be optioned (McLain, Guera, Kelley). Girardi has said he wants to see guys 3-4 times. I don't really blame the bullpen for our losses so far (offense was minimal in two of them and Velasquez shouldered much of the other) but he might not have that luxury.

I do think Hunter is probably still one of our better relievers for as long as his body works, and if he's cut the Phillies have to pay him (at least unless/until he's on another major league roster).

Who knows what constitutes a hot streak right now. The trick is knowing when it is about to end, or when a new guy gets exposed (like, for someone like J.D. Hammer last year, or Austin Davis the year before).

[kmc1019]

Phillies bullpen has given up 17 runs in 16 innings so far this young but not-so-young season.

[zambonir]

To be fair, 8 of those were by two guys who probably shouldn't be here (and wouldn't be on a 26-man team, though Irvin is taking Suarez's spot I guess) and another 3 were by Guerra (had he not looked so good in his first appearance I don't know that he'd get a third).

And our best reliever still hasn't pitched a meaningful inning (even if he got a save today), and Alvarez has yet to be appear in a second game.

What's crazy is we still haven't even been through the entire starting rotation.

[LoneStarPhan]

Rosters go to 28 but remain there for remainder of the season and the post season. Not going to cut to 26 in a couple weeks as was the original announcement.

Phillies cuts are

https://twitter.com/AlexCarrMLB/status/1291219157883772934

The Phillies have optioned OF Kyle Garlick and RHP Enyel De Los Santos to Lehigh Valley.

Davis still on the active roster ??? Guess so. Really, with all the disruptions this past week, it is hard to get the pitchers ready. Yet with a short season, they must stay close to .500 in this early going to have a chance for the playoffs.

[zambonir]

I gotta think Davis is still going down. In any case someone still is, if McLain is coming back. It only makes sense to send down DLS if the rule says you have to return the same guy you called up for the paternity leave. I can't imagine they would play tomorrow's game with McLain gone and Davis unavailable, and if McClain is back they are still at 27.

They are also going to have to open up a 40-man spot for Howard, that could be Davis too.

[andyb]

Gosselin moving up to 5th in the lineup today against another LHP. Also Segura gets a day off for Walker. Kingery really needs a day off too though not against a LHP I guess.

[zambonir]

They all just had a day off Tuesday! (And for many days before that!).

I'm sure there will be the usual breathers between Saturday and Sunday. But I would think Kingery, Hoskins and Harper play 55 games, even if the schedule is only 57.

[andyb]

Day off is true. Rest is not the reason. The need for a day off is code for not playing well. Both Segura and Kingery have been mediocre so far. If this continues, one of them will get benched for Bohm. Unfortunately Cutch is in that category too. More playing time for Haseley or Bruce would be the answer in the OF for continued slumps.

[zambonir]

I think even in a normal season if they'd played 14 games it would be a little early for a day off to be the answer to slump. How many times did we hear Charlie or Kapler or specific players reject that as a thing that even works? Sometimes still playing is the answer.

Sure, if we're trying to win ball games with the best possible line-up, that's another story. Clearly if Gosselin stays hot he'll play anywhere.

And yes, bring up Bohm. It's not like our 1B is doing that well either, much as I'll defend any high-OBP guy.

Worst-case, are we really going to have a $23 million 4th OF (including his buyout) next season? And a $14.25 million bench IF? If Kingery and Hoskins aren't cornerstones (if not stars) you barely have a line-up. They're definitely a bigger problem than Tommy Hunter right now.

[Lawman]

If Kingery and Hoskins aren't cornerstones (if not stars) you barely have a line-up.

I don't know about Kingery, but I really have soured on Hoskins. I just don't see that he's been able to make any adjustments to ML pitching, and that they've figured him out.

[zambonir]

I would have preferred to have 162 games to find out for sure. Now you probably have to run him back unless you start making some more creative trades (though you do have Bohm, if you keep Segura).

Even when he was good he wasn't great, given his position and righthandedness. His best-case is major league regular, not All-Star, and there will always be equal or better options at that position.

[allentown]

And now Kingery's D costs Eflin two runs.

[zambonir]

Lots of schedule news

Doubleheaders, Buffalo on updated sked

If the team actually gets better as the season goes along this might not be a bad thing. If we can beat the Marlins that is.

The Phillies and Blue Jays will play a doubleheader on Aug. 20 at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET. For travel purposes, the Phillies’ Aug. 19 game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park has been moved up to 1:35 p.m.

• The Phillies and Blue Jays will also play a doubleheader on Sept. 18 at Citizens Bank Park, beginning at 4:05 p.m. Toronto will be the home team in Game 1. The Phillies will be the home team in Game 2.

• The Phillies had this week’s three-game series in Miami postponed. The teams will play seven games in five days in September to make up those games. They will play one game Sept. 10 at 6:40 p.m., a doubleheader Sept. 11 beginning at 5:10 p.m., one game Sept. 12 at 6:10 p.m., a doubleheader Sept. 13 beginning at 1:10 p.m. and one game Sept. 14 at 4:10 p.m.

• The two-game series between the Phillies and Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park on Sept. 8-9 is now a doubleheader on Sept. 8, beginning at 4:05 p.m. Game 2 will not begin earlier than 7:05 p.m. because it’s an FS1 national telecast. It gives the Phillies a day off Sept. 9.

[nycphils]

Weirdly, a bunch of doubleheaders with 7 inning games may help this team tremendously - starter goes 5 or 6 innings and Alvarez, Morgan and Neris get some combination of 3-6 outs is the way we will need to win.

The rest of the bullpen is too stinky...going to lose games where the starter leaves tied or behind by a lot of runs I fear because you cant use those three guys for everything.

[andyb]

I would not be too happy with the double headers with our bullpen. There are more bullpen innings in a 7-inning doubleheader potentially than in a 9-inning single game. We'll also be going 6 or 7 deep into the rotation, so some of them will be bullpen games. Girardi is also not big on back to backs for relievers. He'll have to do it. I imagine Neris is unavailable today for instance.

[zambonir]

If the doubleheaders in September are meaningful we can at least assume the Phillies will have some different players on the roster. The trade deadline might not be active/glamorous, but you're still gonna have 10 teams ready to just dump $.

In the meantime I think Joe will have to be flexible about his bullpen usage, especially with Neris. Plenty of relievers are capable of pitching on consecutive days. Just not all the time. Or for three days in a row.

Most bullpens are made, not born. Either three guys will emerge (out of some combination of unproven players, converted starters or returns to form) or they won't. But what we see now after so few games is not exactly what we have.

Our biggest hope might be Suarez, since at least he's not actually injured. Then again if he's been seriously ill he could also not be at full-strength all season. Hopefully Hunter is not wrong about regaining his velocity. Should he actually not break down again it could happen. The problem is they are treating him like a guy who's just ready to go, a known quantity, instead of someone who has to rebuild his stuff after not pitching for nearly a full year.

It would also help a lot of Velasquez if finds it, whether he's in the rotation or the spot/tandem guy.

We'll get a lot of answers this weekend, whether we like them or not!

[andyb]

Clearly we need to give everyone 3 or 4 outings before we write them off. Just hoping the team is near .500 as they do that. There are some fresh arms in Brogdon and Jones to try, as well as still the potential of getting Robertson back in September. I still would work to give Pivetta extra chances back there. His stuff should play up if they ditch the stretched out role he trained for and he still does some good things in outings like yesterday where he made a critical mistake.

In general we should give the arms with the best potential more chances rather than the veteran pedigree (which is doing Hunter nothing if he is sitting 91). Suarez could certainly help. Just worried that for every injured player we get back, we'll lose someone else to injury or COVID. Eflin was decent last night. Still a back end starter but if he can play that role and Howard can come up and approximate a mid-rotation starter, they'll have some more flexibility in the bullpen. Eflin seems the one guy who is worse potentially out of the bullpen, so he really needs to provide innings in the rotation.

Big series against the Braves (and all on national TV!).

[andyb]

There was no word in those schedule articles, but they really should allow teams to bring up an extra player/starter for those doubleheaders (i.e. a 29th roster spot). 7 games in 5 days means a whole lot of bullpen if they are not allowed to have an extra player start one of the extra games.

[flyers19rw]

The Yankees need SP. Happ looks to be cooked. He’ll be 38 in October. Arietta wasn’t too bad in his outing against them. Since the Phillies are done with him in fifty games, is there a deal to be made there?