2020 Phillies Spring Training News, Notes & Discussion

[andyb]

I wonder if we will look at Jared Hughes again. He opted out of his Astros deal and is a free agent. In this crazy season he might be exactly the type of rubber-armed vet that it would be nice to have around. It is not like he was very bad last year. His home run rate doubled but that is really an anomaly compared to the rest of his career.

Jared Hughes Stats | Baseball-Reference.com

[zambonir]

I kind of feel like they didn't bring him back because they had some insight into his arm health/age. Because otherwise you would definitely think a fresh start and new pitching coach could get him back to his previous form. And Price also managed him.

Of course the situation is very different now than it was in March, he may be able to get a guaranteed deal. Also if players can start exercising their opt-outs as soon as the roster freeze ends we might just have to guarantee a few of the guys we already have.

[andyb]

I guess in that vein it is fair to say we have little room under the luxury tax. And we have to carry the equivalent of at least $700K more (and that is a low estimate) due to the expanded roster. We have 12 extra man weeks of extra roster spots to fit under the threshold and since the season is 9.5 weeks long (66 days) that is $700K for a minimum salary person but well over a million for many of the non-roster options.

The penalty in dollars would be tiny in a pro-rated short season, but they may figure Realmuto and a pitching addition next year will take care of all the savings they will have this offseason.

[zambonir]

Yeah if memory serves just converting one reliever and one bench player to a major league contract was going to finish the job, unless they opted for the cheapest possible players.

I wonder if the 27-30th salaries might not count against the tax?

[LoneStarPhan]

I was checking the Phillies roster for first time since the March shutdown and see that the nonroster invitee roster is gone. I was going to review the players that may make the roster this season and MLB has deleted the information.

I expect that new rosters will be available soon that will show the 40 man roster plus the satellite roster, but I would have appreciated MLB keeping useful information available during the shutdown.

[zambonir]

Non-Roster Invitees

Still showing up for me. But sure, you'd think it would be updated eventually. The spring training invites who have not yet been cut or returned to minor-league camp still exceeds 60 at the moment, but they probably don't have to get down to 60 until spring training is over. Until then it will be almost more like work groups (both timing and location).

The 40-man is still there too (and obvioulsly unchanged for now).

[andyb]

Gelb does a good job of laying out a strategy for filling out the 60-man roster:

Roster-building, 2020-style: How the Phillies might fill...

[zambonir]

I wonder if we'll see Moniak on the major league roster at some point this year. I guess it will not have been a successful season if so, but it doesn't really make sense to hang on to all those AAAA OFs.

It's slightly tantalizing to wonder about Herrera but if he couldn't make the 72-man roster I doubt he's gonna make the 60. Maybe he's got some trade value now (if not immediately, well, the trade deadline will arrive soon enough).

[tom81]

It's slightly tantalizing to wonder about Herrera but if he couldn't make the 72-man roster I doubt he's gonna make the 60. Maybe he's got some trade value now (if not immediately, well, the trade deadline will arrive soon enough).

With all that this country has been through this past year and without fans in the seats would there even be much of an outcry if Herrera played for someone this year?

[LoneStarPhan]

Thanks for showing me the link to the non-roster invitees. I see it now. Sometime in the past, maybe last season, the drop down from the top had a link to the non-roster list, but I see now that it is on the page of the 40 man roster.

From what I have read, the 60 man list is due to be set this weekend and changes after will involve normal player moves such as direct assignment, waivers, or release to free up space to add someone else. I think I read somewhere that they cannot add anyone from within the organization to the 60 after the list is set, but that doesn't sound right. Of course, if a player is not on a 60 list with some club, they probably would require a couple weeks of isolation and work outs before being allowed to join a club.

There is also the Nashville plan which MLB is working on. This would be a group of 60 or so free agent players working out and playing games against each other at the Souinds' facility in Nashville. Teams could sign players from this group as needed during the 60 game season.

Still much to learn about how it will actually play out.

[zambonir]

With all that this country has been through this past year and without fans in the seats would there even be much of an outcry if Herrera played for someone this year?

No, but that would make it even more wrong.

(However, officially, his status has nothing to do with his domestic violence history, so...)

[LoneStarPhan]

With all that this country has been through this past year and without fans in the seats would there even be much of an outcry if Herrera played for someone this year?

No, but that would make it even more wrong.

(However, officially, his status has nothing to do with his domestic violence history, so...)

If Herrera has paid his punishment debt to the law and to MLB, does he not deserve a chance to return to his work? He may well not be able to return to a level of play where he would be wanted, but if he can, I do not object to him being given a chance.

[zambonir]

In theory he does. And, in theory, the Phillies already decided he was not one of their 72 best players, let alone 60 or 40. And they obviously offered him to all 29 teams, though we don't know what terms they might have been willing to accept.

I think it's all largely moot now. From a practical level, it may seem tempting to have an experienced all-star OF sitting in reserve. But on a practical level he's also a steadily declining -and in the past two seasons, below replacement-level - player who now hasn't played a live game in over a year.

[LoneStarPhan]

As I understand it, teams can now make roster transactions. (after noon ET today)

From the Gelb link above, he clarifies the 60 man pool timing.

> The Phillies must submit a list of 60 names eligible to participate in the 2020 season by 4 p.m. ET on Sunday,

So it seems that decisions have to be made now on which non-roster players and which minor leaguers to add to the pool from which the active roster will come for the upcoming season.

Another thing I learned from the Gelb article:

> When the Phillies form their 60-man pool, they do not have to include all of their 40-man roster players.

As an example, he points out Dominguez can go on the 45 day DL and open a space in the pool as well as a 40 man roster space should they need it to add someone later.

He also points out that some may opt out of their contracts is not on the opening active roster. They can be replaced from within the organization.

> ....once some veteran players on minor-league deals realize they will not make the 30-man roster for New Opening Day, they might ask for their release. Then, the Phillies can add some younger players from within the organization to the 60-player pool.

[tom81]

From a practical level, Herrera is owed by the Phillies $7,350,000 this year and $10,2350,000 next with a buyout after that even if he doesn't play a single game. It might be fiscally prudent to see if he has something left.

[zambonir]

They are getting off easy this year now. Plus his tax hit is not nearly as high as his actual salary. Technically they already decided he has nothing left. I'm still not convinced he wasn't going to be released, though now they don't have to do that. Otherwise, the play was to send him to AAA and hope another team came asking later if they had some injuries. Now, maybe, he could be included in a deadline deal if the Phillies are competing, and want to acquire a high-paid player from a low-budget team (he'd be the Matt Harrison in such a deal). To get anything for him without paying all his salary you'd have to include prospects (and it could have come to that, but now the odds of the Phillies spending past the tax next year seem pretty low, IMO).

I feel slightly bad for him, in that it kind of seems like he's being blackballed, but he can't file a grievance because then it looks like he's not repentant. OTOH I think the Phillies have two years of data that says he can't play, and so do all the other teams. The defense went away first, the offense has steadily declined his entire career and now he'll be on the downside of the age curve too. We already know the game welcomes players who commit domestic violence back with open arms if they're good.

[Philsmania]

Movement toward a Realmuto extension?

Report: Realmuto Deal "Could Come Quickly"

Talking baseball. What a concept!

[zambonir]

I'm baffled by all the Realmuto reporting - every day in March we heard they weren't going to sign him until after the season started because an extension would put them into the luxury tax. So what's changed? Granted, they could come to terms tomorrow and still not announce until after the season starts. But it seems to me the urgency is not really there - and it's hard to imagine these numbers are true.

On our ‘Phillies Return to Play’ show, @JSalisburyNBCS said the Phillies are willing to pay J.T. Realmuto more than $23M per year over a 4-6 year contract. I’d think that type of offer would lead to an agreement. Transaction freeze ends Friday. Deal could come together quickly.

— Sean Kane ( @SKaneNBCS ) June 25, 2020

[andyb]

If I were Realmuto and I got a 5 year/$115-$120 million offer in this environment I'd probably say yes.

Plus, if the Phillies are not above .500 this year and there is no extension signed (and if the playoffs are not expanded), he'll likely be traded before the deadline. Not sure he wants any part of that.

Since the season is starting late, is this next contract not going to affect the 2020 luxury tax even if he signs before game 1? Possible everything after April 1 or the original season starting date is just a new contract with the AAV starting next season.

[zambonir]

Well, that would be good information for one of the writers to acquire. But I would think the tax doesn't kick in until the players get their first check, and the players don't get their first check until the season starts. Unless the arcana of the cancellation advance $ does indeed mean the season has already started, financially.

If I were Realmuto I'd say yes to anything longer than three years within reason. I don't know that I'd worry about getting traded though. That's too many chess moves ahead. And if would be risky for the Phillies do that, as it makes it a lot less likely they could re-sign him in the off-season. I think given how short the season is they'd just leave the trade return on the table (assuming the QO still exists).

They could also end up signing him on August 30th, a la Hamels in 2012.