2020 Philadelphia Phillies Season News/Notes/Discussion

[zambonir]

They don't have another body.

[Jeff05]

Try the morgue.

[bkox]

Try the morgue

where do you think we got our bullpen

[Jeff05]

[zambonir]

Well, heck, let's call up Robin Roberts

[LoneStarPhan]

My first ever favorite Phillie player: Robin Roberts.

I still have the 1952 Topps baseball card, but having displayed cards on my bedroom wall with thumbtacks doesn't do much for their value.

[Philsmania]

I'm generally not a fan of this publication but this article pretty sums up why the Phillies need to move on from McPhail and Klentak. They've become toxic to the phan base and trying to sell tickets with them involved will be a herculean task. And, McPhail--when he hasn't been invisible--has been remarkably tone deaf.

Kevin Cooney: Matt Klentak, Andy MacPhail need to go if Phillies hope to turn...

[flyers19rw]

From an article by Salisbury on Bryan Price earlier this year:
“I’m not shunning the analytics or technology at all. I’m for using it as a tool to make something good even better. I still believe fundamentally that pitchers have to command the strike zone, pitch aggressively, control the count, and they have to pitch to their strengths. The game has evolved to where I think, at times, we have all this data but we’ve oversimplified pitching. Let’s get four-pitch starters back out there that command the strike zone. Ninety-five-plus (mph) is great but if you can’t manage the strike zone you’re not going to be effective.”
It sounded like a recipe for success. Its been unbelievable to watch the Phillies pitchers, aside from Nola and Wheeler, flail around on the mound like they have this season. The inability for some of these pitchers to command the strike zone and use more than two pitches has been stunning. Its totally out of character with a staff under Bryan Price. Maybe the process was started in ST but then shut down when the league went into a hiatus. Again, BP was taken away when play resumed because of Covid.

[Austinfan]

Eflin has made nice progress, 2 seamer, show me 4 seamer, curve, slider and working on a changup.
He's establishing himself as a #3 to go with Nola and Wheeler, just need Howard to fill out a solid starting core.

I think some pitchers just don't have "it".
Which is why Pivetta is gone.

[zambonir]

Our rotation has been a strength! Relievers never have more than two pitches (certainly not two good ones).

I don't give the coaching much credit either way but obviously Eflin has been able to continue doing what he did after re-orienting himself last year, Arrieta has pitched about as well as you could expect for someone with his age and injury history (and if the Phillies actually thought they were getting an ace when they signed him they probably should have thought harder about why the Cubs didn't). And Howard really wasn't ready to pitch in the majors. He presumably would have been with a few more months, and with actual AAA not fake games.

Vince was supposedly the ones the pitching coaches had a breakthrough with, though it was Lundquist not Price. We've seen glimpses, but what else is new.

At this point there's barely anyone in the bullpen who was here for spring training, let alone summer camp, they've had no time to really work with the coaches at all except on game days, and even that is not happening like it would be with distancing.

[David_Criss]

And who's he bidding against for Hunter in 2018 and Robertson in 2019?

[phillychuck]

Yeah, I think all the coaches get a free do-over because of the weird season. Almost no chance to work with the players.

[andyb]

And the season gets a little more crazy. Listed starter tomorrow - Adonis Medina.

[Austinfan]

Funny thing, due to injuries, this is almost a rebuilding season, Bohm, Haseley, Howard playing major roles, Moniak, Marchan getting cameos, Romero, Brogdon, getting looks. Next season, they'll have a better feel for what the young players can do.

[David_Criss]

https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1307496066892394498
Medina to debut, adding to the AA rookie train in Philly.

[Squire]

Acquired AA reliever RHP Joel Cesar from the Pirates to complete the Austin Davis trade.

[andyb]

Seems like a late developing guy (signed initially at 20) that throws hard but with pretty mediocre results.
https://www.piratesprospects.com/joel-cesar

Probably not at the level of a Russ in terms of likelihood to make a major league roster, but at least a little velocity to work with.

[zambonir]

Seems like important news

Harper's status after injury exit: 'We'll see'

[zambonir]

Also of note

Phillies set 40-man postseason player pool

Lucroy, Mahtook, Maton and Torreyes all make the playoff pool, though they'd still have to be added to the 40-man roster to actually play.

[el-pietro]

Playoff odds are fluctuating massively day to day. Currently at 72.9%.
With 7 games left we could theoretically still win the division or miss out entirely. I think making up the 3 games to win the division is unlikely as they have a pretty soft schedule remaining but its not out of the question.

Braves remaining games are 4 vs Miami and 3 vs Boston. The Marlins remaining games are 4 vs Atlanta and 3 vs the Yankees. The Phillies last 7 games are 4 vs Washington and 3 vs Tampa.
If we get JT back or if Bryce is healthy then I think there is a good chance we can over take Miami in the next four games, or alternatively that we close the gap on Atlanta. Its baseball so who knows, maybe the Nats look good this week and we're out of it, but the schedule over the next four games appears to be in our favour, especially with Wheeler, Nola and Eflin taking the ball in 3 of those four games.

Those last three games in Tampa are tricky. They are a very good baseball team and Nola and Wheeler will be available for the final two games of the season. There is only one day between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs so if you use them for the Tampa series then they likely aren't pitching in the first round.

If the Phillies go 3 of 4 vs the Nats, do you hold back Nola and Wheeler and hope to maybe go 1 of 3 in Tampa and that a 31-29 record is good enough? Or wait and see how the wild card race is playing out and use them if necessary?

The other wild card contenders and their remaining games:
Cardinals 0.5 games ahead - 3 vs Royals, 5 (including back to back Double Headers) vs Brewers
Reds 0.5 games back - 3 vs Brewers, 3 vs Twins
Brewers 0.5 GB 3 vs Reds, 5 vs Cardinals
Giants 0.5 GB 4 vs Rockies, 4 vs Padres.

The fact that the Braves and Marlins, and Cardinals, Reds and Brewers all play each other has to be a bonus for us. On the other hand, Marlins vs Yankees, Reds vs Twins, Giants vs Padres are all sort of meaningless for the Yankees, Twins and Padres who likely will be more preoccupied with setting themselves up for the playoffs. The same of course applies to the Rays.