2020 Phillies Spring Training News, Notes & Discussion

BostonRoss 2020-02-17 18:46:15 UTC #41

Ruben does have TV experience (“The Goldbergs”).

andyb 2020-02-17 18:48:19 UTC #42

The more I think about Garlick the more he looks like insurance for McCutchen. This does not mean that he could not be on the bench, though with our current starters (Cutch, Haseley, Harper) and Bruce currently on the bench our 5th OF should really be able to play CF. That is not Garlick.

On the plus side is that he should have at least 2 options left. Seems to be a late developer (which is rare among 23-year-old college seniors) with a legit power tool. His defense is limited though. We do not have great right-handed power off the bench currently, but keeping Quinn's speed is probably a bit higher priority at the moment. He probably is a better hitter than guys like Gosselin though so that is a plus.

Good pickup taking advantage of the Dodgers' various deals which left them with too many players on their 40. This deal does not happen if the Pederson deal had gone through (and it is a bit strange the Dodgers have not dealt Pederson yet).

zambonir 2020-02-17 19:34:17 UTC #43

I think Quinn's bench spot is a lock, as is Bruce of course. And then a C and an IF. But that still leaves a 5th spot. It could go to an all-around IF guy who can hopefully provide a little offense, it could go to a SS who can't hit or it could go to a bat regardless of position. I also think it might need to go to someone making major league minimum (i.e. they can't afford both Harrison and Walker or Harrison and Forsythe). So Garlick could be in the mix there.

And of course he probably gets a look if Quinn gets hurt. Kingery would just have to be available for CF, plenty of other guys who can play 3B. It would also still be useful, if unlikely, for Cutch to play CF again in a pinch.

andyb 2020-02-18 19:07:05 UTC #44

Pivetta starting the Spring opener on Saturday. While one could say that Girardi is rewarding him for looking good this Spring, one also could note that the first Spring start often goes to a pitcher outside of the projected rotation like Cole Irvin last year.

phillychuck 2020-02-18 19:39:57 UTC #45

To me, one swing stands out in this video as being different. Do y'all agree?

From the left side. pic.twitter.com/Vy75feJdsU
— Philadelphia Phillies ( @Phillies ) February 17, 2020

andyb 2020-02-18 19:51:14 UTC #46

Other than Quinn definitely hitting from the left side this year, I'd also say there is not a whole lot of bat speed on that Jay Bruce swing. Of course he is probably working on taking BP fastballs the other way so not sure what that really means.

phillychuck 2020-02-18 19:55:12 UTC #47

Look at Nick Williams' swing -- even slower than Bruce's, and Bruce was extending to get a low pitch, Williams wasn't. Also, Harper's bat speed is obviously higher than the rest of 'em, too.

zambonir 2020-02-18 20:05:07 UTC #48

Didn't they have some weird plan to not use any of the starters for a week last year. But I see your point!

andyb 2020-02-18 20:05:42 UTC #49

I will say that Williams is the player that I have the least clue about regarding the Phillies' depth chart. Even Odubel has a better path towards playing time. I guess Williams is the injury insurance against Harper getting hurt though he is behind Bruce and a lesser fit for the major league roster as a reserve. Garlick has a cleaner path too as the insurance against Cutch getting hurt.

I imagine he goes to AAA and Phillies hope he hits well enough that he can be traded for a B-level prospect. It would be a C-level prospect now unfortunately. I would also say there is probably something like a 30% chance that Williams would put up an 850+ OPS or better if given full playing time. He probably has a better chance of doing it than Haseley though the defense is obviously much better for Haseley.

andyb 2020-02-18 20:11:35 UTC #50

Yeah. I think they did controlled minor league workout games the first time around. Looking now and it was Irvin, ELDS, Anderson, Romero, rainout, Suarez, Medina/ELDS, Anderson, Eflin (3/2), Arrieta. So it took them till 3/3 to give a start to someone certain to be in the rotation (Eflin being in a competition at that point).

That did strike me as odd and a lack of respect for Phillies fans to not even do the short 2-inning outings for the starters in home games. Time will tell if Girardi likes to do it that way.

Edit - Looks like Girardi is different. Nola on Sunday, Velasquez on Monday. If there is competition between Pivetta and Velasquez it looks like he wants to see it on the big stage rather than in the minor league complex.

tom81 2020-02-19 01:30:18 UTC #51

Encouraging quote on Eflin.

Arrieta said. "He's got beautiful mechanics. He's got really good command and action on everything. It's real stuff.

"This is nothing against (Zack) Wheeler or Nola because they're both great, but Eflin is just as good. There should be excitement about this guy."

schooldoc 2020-02-19 02:02:37 UTC #52

Tomorrow's arbitration day for JT Realmuto and the Phils. Although I suppose it helps the Phils a bit from a luxury tax perspective if they win the hearing, I actually hope JT wins. I think he deserves it.

zambonir 2020-02-19 02:11:47 UTC #53

My guess is he won't win. On paper he deserves it, but even if he loses he'll be almost doubling his salary and setting a record for the highest salary ever by a catcher.

It's also silly they can't just settle, but both sides are following orders.

I don't think it matters that much with regards to the current CBT (even though $2 million is still something) but it would set a baseline for an even higher multi-year contract. Which, y'know... my heart say JT should get paid, my head says I don't want it to be any harder than it may already be to sign him.

Austinfan 2020-02-19 04:54:29 UTC #54

The problem with analytics is that many of the kids pushing it don't really understand statistics, they know numbers, but don't understand the importance of stories. You have to understand the mechanics behind a correlation, if A causes B, how and why does A cause B? Is it A to B, or is there a C factor left out of the data. And in a repeated game, just because A caused B last year, are the underlying parameters of the model stable?

The high FB is a good pitch if you have the right stuff, for Velasquez it's a killer, for Pivetta not so much, for Eflin it should be a "show me" pitch b/c he's not going to pull it off if batters look for it.

kmc1019 2020-02-19 16:48:18 UTC #55

Fawning treatment of Damon Jones in this article, including praise from Girardi and Tommy Hunter for how Jones is throwing this Spring:

bigegypt0417 2020-02-19 16:57:11 UTC #56

This doesn't make sense since the premise of the conversation is about location and not velocity.

No fastball is that good if you don't know where to throw it. Eflin can have a very effective FB if he knows how to locate it and situational awareness.

Austinfan 2020-02-19 17:19:38 UTC #57

Eflin (nor PIvetta) doesn't have the explosive FB that can beat hitters looking for it, Velasquez does.
So Velasquez can pound the top of the K zone with FBs and use secondary pitches to keep hitters off balance.
Eflin needs to use his 2 seamer to set up his 4 seamer, and the slider/changeup combo to pitch to both sides of the plate.

Different strokes for different folks.

andyb 2020-02-19 19:38:42 UTC #58

Nick Martini clears waivers and stays with the Phillies:

Squire 2020-02-19 20:00:29 UTC #59

Man it feels like we have a thousand outfielders

Harper
Haseley
McCutchen
Bruce
Garlick
Williams
Quinn
Herrera
Martini
Mahtook
Szczur

zambonir 2020-02-19 20:08:29 UTC #60

That makes 72 guys in camp (but not Herrera).

And still only seven OFs on the 40. Hard to see how any of the non-roster guys sniff the big leagues (and Williams and Garlick probably won't either initially).

This article suggested that if the Phillies wanted to use their 26th spot on a unitasker, as it were, Martini and Gosselin are both candidates as PH specialists, and Quinn as a pinch-runner/defensive sub. Garlick could now be a PH specialist too. But to me Quinn is already one of the first four bench players, and the extra guy will also probably be well-rounded.