Discussion

zambonir 2020-08-15 20:45:50 UTC #341

Given what they are making the Cardinals do, I doubt it would end the Reds' season. But also, they may have actually handled this one properly, though no way to know for now.

tom81 2020-08-17 00:11:59 UTC #342

Ok so we now have 2 CF’er on the DL, Kingery is not hitting, McCutchen is coming off major surgery, so I guess Harper may be the best choice we have but then what do you do in RF?

Oh we are paying a former all star CF and not even letting him compete. I’m fed up with this team for not letting Herrera have a chance to atone for his mistakes and help this team.

zambonir 2020-08-17 00:32:07 UTC #343

If they ever had any intention of letting Herrera play they wouldn't have kept him from major league spring training, or signed Mahtook and Martini and Sczur (at least one of whom is still on the 60 and would be the next guy up).

You want to argue they should have given him a chance, maybe, but that debate was over a long time ago (really when they DFA'ed him). At this point just about any player on the waiver wire would be better than someone who hasn't seen a competitive pitch in over a year, or even been at an organized baseball practice since early March.

I think we forget just how bad Odubel was. It wasn't just the bat either. If you put Cutch or Harper in CF right now it would be less than ideal, but between the rust factor and how he actually fielded his position in 2018-2019, they'd probably be better.

(And I still loved the guy, I swear!)

Also Gosselin can play CF, and probably will, if Segura is out for a bit as well (i.e. he and Kingery could share 2B and CF, with Walker at 2B too).

The Phillies did send down JoJo Romero today so that could mean something, or they might just want a different pitcher in Boston (and could recall Romero for the Toronto doubleheader).

Keep in mind also that Quinn could be back as soon as Tuesday. If he actually tests positive for COVID it will be a totally different situation (and in theory we'd have much bigger problems).

tom81 2020-08-17 03:43:53 UTC #344

Duh, that was my point. They never gave him a chance to show if he had something left and if he had they have a need for him.

andyb 2020-08-17 03:52:11 UTC #345

There is the possibility that Haseley is better also. If there is another IL transaction they don't have to wait the 10 days on him if he is better. Sounded like a minor injury originally.

zambonir 2020-08-17 04:17:54 UTC #346

Is that true, the 10-day limit doesn't apply if they IL another player? I think that's likely if so, it sounded like Haseley's injury was pretty minor and he should come back for Bruce regardless of Quinn's status.

I do think Herrera probably should have been invited to spring training, though it certainly doesn't matter now, and he still wouldn't have been added back to the 40. Regardless, the Phillies either decided they wanted nothing to do with him (technically against MLB rules but I'm fine with it as an overall ethical/PR position) or they decided he had nothing left as a player (which I believe is probably the case)... and 29 other teams obviously felt the same way for one reason or the other.

That he continued to have no trade value even in the current climate - for someone's actual taxi squad, or heck, the Marlins couldn't have used him? - says a lot as well. And if the Phillies were merely worried about bad PR, hiding him in Allentown with no media coverage would have been a pretty easy loophole. They are done with him, just like they were eventually done with Dom Brown and Cody Asche and Franco. That's baseball.

nycphils 2020-08-17 14:36:11 UTC #347

I am rooting for Quinn; I hope he’s fine and gets back in the lineup. He’s 27 years old and if he can stay healthy I’ve always believed he can hit enough to be productive - just stay healthy!

bkeich 2020-08-18 22:03:03 UTC #348

How bad is the Phillies Bullpen?

They need to pitch 51 innings without giving up a run to reach “league average” of 4.41 ERA. That is actually an improvement from a week ago.

LoneStarPhan 2020-08-20 15:51:36 UTC #349

Roster Moves August 20

McClain and Irvin replace Garlick and Rosso, both of whom are optioned to AAA.

JoJo Romero is the extra player for the double header.

andyb 2020-08-20 16:27:05 UTC #350

Those moves make sense. They were carrying the extra hitter for a day. Rosso is also just not ready for a big role. Might as well cycle Irvin back in. Romero only pitches today if we are losing badly.

They had been talking about keeping Nola on a 5-day plan but it looks like they are giving him the extra day and starting Howard and Velasquez in the DH. We'll probably need some bullpen innings.

LoneStarPhan 2020-08-20 16:42:50 UTC #351

With the extra man, the Phillies take an 10 man bullpen into the double header today.

Right handers:
Neris
Hunter
Guerra
McClain
Parker
Brogdon

Left handers:
Alvarez
Morgan
Irvin
Romero

Plus they have six starters active today (Nola, Wheeler, Eflin, Arrieta, Velasquez, and Howard), although I don't see any of them getting action today except for Howard and Velasquez, who will start the games.

el-pietro 2020-08-20 16:48:07 UTC #352

I'm definitely interested to see how Howard does today. Hes gotten hit around a little in his two games so far but theres some indication that hes been a little unlucky.

I'm also excited to see a new stadium. Probably has less bizarre dimensions than Fenway.

bkeich 2020-08-20 18:19:11 UTC #353

It really is horrifying to see that bullpen all listed out like that. There are only 3-4 guys that belong in the majors.

zambonir 2020-08-20 18:38:01 UTC #354

You can't just buy a new bullpen when half your bullpen is injured (Seranthony, Arano, Suarez, Robertson). It's no different than when your shortstop get hurts and you end up starting Pedro Florimon, or your run out of CFs and have to use Haseley. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. Yeah, it would have been nice if Klentak had given himself just a bit more flexibility, or spent past the tax, but then we'd probably just be talking about our next failed $10 million reliever. It would also be nice if they had more ready options in the minors but those are the guys that failed (including Pivetta and Irvin, so far).

Failed starters, journeymen having a good season and green prospects are where relief pitchers come from; the problem is in this short season they don't have the luxury to let it shake out. And yet, they do, because they are .500 and not every loss is on the pen.

Squire 2020-08-20 21:13:57 UTC #355

Some intriguing DFA'd guys in the last couple of days

1B Dan Vogelbach, Mariners
INF Daniel Robertson, Rays
OF Anthony Alford, Blue Jays

zambonir 2020-08-20 21:18:32 UTC #356

Who would you actually cut from this team for any of those guys? Walker has a guaranteed (and not insignifcant) deal and he may yet have to be DFA'd for Haseley. Gosselin isn't going anywhere. Even if they option Kingery for Haseley you still don't have a spot. And there's no room on the 40 either, other than Garlick's spot.

andyb 2020-08-20 21:32:28 UTC #357

Optioning Kingery is probably the move to make when Haseley comes back. He is only playing CF these days with Bohm up and Segura and Gosselin taking all the 2B starts.

zambonir 2020-08-20 22:22:57 UTC #358

Agree, though I'm not convinced they'll do it, nor is he necessarily worse than Walker (in fact he is almost certainly better, even now, but given the COVID it wouldn't hurt to let him get on track for two weeks, and Walker's experience and SH-ing has value).

No room for anyone else though.

andyb 2020-08-20 23:48:58 UTC #359

Kingery just has no bat speed now. Who knows if it is COVID-related, but he just cannot hit good fastballs now. And that flyball to LF he hit on his one good swing would have been out of the park in previous years. I don't know if 10 days to clear his head is worth the option, but Kingery is just hurting the team now.

andyb 2020-08-21 00:15:20 UTC #360

Bowden's trade suggestion for the Phillies is Llovera for Brandon Workman who is having a bit of an off year (4.05 ERA) after a good year last year (1.88 ERA). If that were on the table I would do it in a heartbeat. Plus, we've been wanting Workman since we drafted him in 2007.