2020 Philadelphia Phillies Season News/Notes/Discussion

[Philsmania]

So when do we start looking at who the #1 pick might be?

LOL

I'm probably kidding.

We'ld find a way to muck up the pick anyway.

[zambonir]

Or if there's five sure-thing players in this draft we'll pick sixth.

[zambonir]

Side note about the draft:

Another factor might be draft position, but no one knows what the 2021 draft will look like. The March agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association states if each club plays fewer than 81 regular-season games in ’20, “the Office of the Commissioner shall have the right, after conferring in good faith with MLBPA, to modify the draft order.”

Rosenthal: How will the 2020 trade deadline be different? Let us count the ways

[zambonir]

I assume this was all discussed on the broadcast. Waiting on news about Williams I guess.

08/14/20 Philadelphia Phillies recalled LHP JoJo Romero from Phillies Alternate Training Site.
08/14/20 Philadelphia Phillies sent RHP Trevor Kelley outright to Phillies Alternate Training Site.
08/14/20 Philadelphia Phillies sent RHP Enyel De Los Santos outright to Phillies Alternate Training Site.
08/14/20 Philadelphia Phillies optioned LHP Austin Davis to Phillies Alternate Training Site.

[andyb]

Interesting. Or a little desperate?

[zambonir]

Well, he can't be worse than Davis! Or some of the other guys. Article mentioned that he was stretched out and they probably still want VV to be on track for the doubleheader, though he could certainly still relieve on this throw day. Let's hope Howard is all right.

I think if you're on the 40 you are pitching this year, but hopefully this also means he looked good in Allentown.

[andyb]

We know JoJo's velocity comes and goes. Hopefully he has been more 94 in LHV than 90. A 2-inning LHP behind all the RH starters could be a pretty valuable thing to turn lineups around. Suarez and Irvin were supposed to be in that role but nobody has filled it yet.

[Philsmania]

We know JoJo's velocity comes and goes. Hopefully he has been more 94 in LHV than 90. A 2-inning LHP behind all the RH starters could be a pretty valuable thing to turn lineups around. Suarez and Irvin were supposed to be in that role but nobody has filled it yet.

And, it would be nice to salvage something from the otherwise cataclysmic 2016 draft.

[zambonir]

hey, it's still early and according to @gmwannabe our 1B of the future is in there

[gmwannabe]

yes he is Zamby. and i really like hoskins, nice kid. had a great start to his career, that very few have had. what happened? i hope he makes it, but when i saw last night when he missed that fastball right down Broadway, in the 9th (even though at 96), maybe he doesn't have it. on another note, i see baseball is discussing adding 15 more players to each team's taxi squad. Anyone have any suggestions as to who the phils should add?
gm

[zambonir]

on another note, i see baseball is discussing adding 15 more players to each team's taxi squad.

Where did you see that?

By the way, julio, judging from a quick Google search I think the rhetorical battle to not call the "alternate site roster" the "taxi squad" has been lost. I've even seen some of our own players reference playing in the taxi squad games.

Meanwhile, with zero actual road games played we still don't have an actual taxi squad, wonder if they'll take one on this trip, and if so, will we even learn who's on it?

(Ah, found BA link. I don't subscribe unfortunately)

MLB Mulls Plan For Teams To Add 15 More Players To Alternate Site

[gmwannabe]

Sorry, should have referenced BA. Should Abel be put on it to gain instruction?
gm

[gmwannabe]

Morales, Gowdy, Seabold?? they need to develop arms badly.
gm

[julio]

By the way, julio, judging from a quick Google search I think the rhetorical battle to not call the "alternate site roster" the "taxi squad" has been lost. I've even seen some of our own players reference playing in the taxi squad games.

What can I say? MLB designated something, in writing, as "taxi squad." People are using the term for something else. Not much to be done about it; at least in most cases context helps sort it out.

Still, the first time I read "add 15 players to the taxi squad" my reaction was not "oh, he means the Alt Site." It was "Huh? 18 guys dragged along on road trips? Invitation to COVID trouble!"

All this shall pass, when this farce of a "season" recedes into memory.

[LoneStarPhan]

Yes, the term taxi squad was defined in the operation regulations that MLB put out but the term has and continues to be misused to apply to the group at the Alternate Training Site. Originally, the taxi squad was 3, one of whom had to be a catcher. It is now 5, if I remember the latest I've read on it.

I suppose that if they expand, they might add a few more players from the system to give them the chance to work out and play intersquad games at Coca-Cola park. They also could sign a couple players who have been cut and are looking to hook on somewhere.

Players like Roberston, when he is getting closer to coming off the IL (if that happens this year), could also end up at the ATS.

I noticed that the Cardinals only had 5 games played going into today. They must have a ton of double headers coming up.

[zambonir]

Robertson and Suarez are both supposed to move from Clearwater to Allentown soon, and I think Robertson is already on the 60-man roster (but not counting against the limit until off the IL?) Just a normal 21 day rehab stat would bring them well into September at this point.

The expansion makes sense for all reasons: more depth in general, more emergency depth for teams with outbreaks, a few spots you could "waste" on prospects who won't actually play for you. I would think most teams would want 7-8 or even as many as 10 of the 15 to be minor league free agents though, not lower-level prospects. More useful if you actually need them and also more useful for the overall quality of the intrasquad games. I was thinking cheap teams would be against it but the cheap teams can just stick to their prospects, who are already getting paid anyway.

I guess Herrera is still five or six more injuries away from getting his chance.

[LoneStarPhan]

I think we will all be surprised if and when Herrera is called to the ATS.

[zambonir]

Entirely kidding, though if what I said actually happened...

Truth is, if the pandemic trade deadline pool is as shallow and inactive as some people think, it might be possible to sneak him into another organization. But we'd have to include a prospect or take someone else's dead money back to really get anything out of the transaction. His straight-up value as a player is no higher than Nick Williams or Phil Gosselin (lower, at this point).

Btw:

Cincinnati Reds claim OF Nick Williams from Philadelphia Phillies

[andyb]

And if the Reds have more positive covid tests he might actually get to play

[julio]

And if the Reds have more positive covid tests he might actually get to play

If the Reds have more positive tests among players, nobody will be playing for that team for a while. It’s mid-August; something like six weeks left. A Reds shutdown could easily chew up one of those.