2020 Phillies Spring Training News, Notes & Discussion

[andyb]

Fangraphs not a fan of our DH options. We rank 23rd.

2020 Positional Power Rankings: Designated Hitter

This is a pessimistic enough look at Bruce that one might wonder if Bohm should be given an extended look at DH if Segura, Kingery, and Gregorius are all playing well in the infield.

[zambonir]

Quinn's got more power than Ben Revere though (whether you're talking SLG or HRs). In any case if Quinn plays regularly it will be because they think he can generate more WAR than Haseley overall, with his baserunning and defense (could also play them both when Cutch is the DH as has been discussed). Whether he should hit #2 is a separate discussion. In some ways it would be easiest to put both the CFs in the same batting order spot, but it's hardly unusual to not do that. On days Haseley plays Kingery or Segura bat 2nd (or third if you want Harper or JT up there) on days Quinn plays, those guys bat 6/7.

[bkeich]

It is a short season, I think I would be tempted to bat Realmuto 2nd. He wont have the issue of "wearing down catching 140 games", give him a day off every week and let him DH or take the day off and (unfortunately) let Knapp screw up .... errr.... play.

In a normal season it is better to let your catcher bat further down in the order, but this is a sprint and I dont think Realmuto will be exhausted in the same way at the end of the year. Besides, apparently we are letting him be a FA, so we kinda want him not to have a great year.

[allentown]

Speaking of luxury tax and Phillies personnel moves of recent years, guess who had more bWAR in 2019 than Gregorius and Segura combine. Answer: our old friend Freddy Galvis, for one heck of a lot less $. Bad years last season for Gregorius and Segura. Hopefully they bounce back. About normal performance for Galvis. I think our IF, as much as the pitching, tells the tale of our 2020 season. Each of our 4 starting IFs had problems last season, and need a rebound/step up this year. The OF is a sure thing in comparison to all of the issues in the IF.

[zambonir]

I don't think anyone would have liked it if they'd kept Galvis instead of Cesar at the time, but in retrospect...

And I still expect Crawford to out-WAR Segura between 2019 and 2022. I do think Didi is a decent gamble, but it was also because they couldn't afford any of the better CF or 3B options (and, to be fair, have Bohm).

The path of the season is going to be more or less set after 20 games but if one of the infielders is weak at least Bohm is in reserve, and if Haseley is weak and the IFs aren't, Kingery could still play CF (regardless of what they keep saying about making him the 2B. You can't tell me Segura isn't going to play some 2B if Bohm does start playing regularly, even with the DH option).

[Lawman]

I do think Didi is a decent gamble, but it was also because they couldn't afford any of the better CF or 3B options (and, to be fair, have Bohm).

And, also, it's only for one year.

[zambonir]

Which was part of the affordability.

It seems like a million years ago that Moustakas was someone we discussed. Mostly 'cause it was!

[el-pietro]

Our old friend Ruben is doing the broadcast with Murph tonight. Very different feeling to the chemistry between TMc and Frandsen.
Ruben has a different kind of enthusiasm to Frandsen. Much more reserved but hes still postive.
Hes going to be doing pre and post game analysis this year I believe so I wont get to see how he does but from this short outing I'd prefer him to Kruk, Davis and Schmidt.

[allentown]

$14 million isn't really all that affordable. It is an almost $3 million increase coming off a crap season.

[zambonir]

It's affordable compared to $64 million four years (what Moustakas got, and he's a year older). To say nothing of Rendon. Or the guys we signed/traded for last year, even. I would have been happy with a cheaper guy but obviously they wanted to throw Girardi a bone. If he hadn't had a bad season/injury, he wouldn't have been available on a one-year deal.

I bet Ruben will be good at broadcasting, yeah.

[andyb]

I will say that Didi is a great teammate. He is playing with a condition where most would opt out. He is wearing a mask on the field. And saying he does not care where he bats in the lineup. There are reasons Girardi wanted him in the clubhouse besides whether he should be paid $14 million a year (and even that dollar figure is not outlandish if you think his defense is a win or two better than Segura or Kingery at SS.

[zambonir]

Not a purely selfless decision of course, he'd certainly get stuck signing another one-year deal for a lot less money if he didn't play, given all the other factors. Even as it is, who knows what he'll get (which might also work out good for the Phillies if they want to keep him around. Of course he could also be traded).

[LoneStarPhan]

Although we see the subheadline

Watch live on MLB.TV or listen live as likely Opening Day starter Aaron Nola takes the hill tonight

upon checking, we see that the game is not on TV from Washington. Evidently the bush league team in Washington is not televising the game and this season, only the home team does TV and the visiting team will use that feed with their own not in the ballpark announcers.

Thanks Nationals.

Looks like there is a radio feed from the Nationals but of course, no Phillies broadcasters giving us the action for this game. There is a Gameday preview page so it looks like they plan to have Gameday for the exhibition game in Washington tonight. I expect it will be the spring training type Gameday where they really only show results, not pitch by pitch play. I sure hope that once they start the "season" next weekend, they will have real Gameday operational.

[Squire]

Phillies have released INF Logan Forsythe

[julio]

Phillies have released INF Logan Forsythe

The above per Ken Rosenthal:

The Phillies have released Logan Forsythe, a source says.

— Ken Rosenthal ( @Ken_Rosenthal ) July 18, 2020

[zambonir]

Saves them $100K

Evidently the bush league team in Washington is not televising the game and this season, only the home team does TV and the visiting team will use that feed with their own not in the ballpark announcers.

We already had very few spring training broadcasts this year. MASN initially wasn't going to broadcast any of the Nats games, even with two of them being against the Orioles. I imagine it's gonna be a huge pain for them if the regular season games aren't played in DC too.

MASN will not televise Nationals or Orioles home exhibition games

[zambonir]

Now we're getting the news

INF Neil Walker has made the #Phillies Opening Day roster. INF Logan Forsythe and LHP Francisco Liriano have been granted their release. #Phillies option RHP Victor Arano to Triple-A. C Henri Lartigue removed from player pool.

— Todd Zolecki ( @ToddZolecki ) July 18, 2020

So I wonder if the FDR fields are now closed, and the guys who have been optioned actually are heading to Allentown without playing in any of the exhibition games.

They were never gonna be able to afford more than 1 minor league vet with a seven-figure deal, ditto the relievers. I imagine players 27-30 will be cheap guys who are (most likely) already on the 40, with Bohm and Howard (who are also cheap) ready to slot in after a week or two.

[LoneStarPhan]

Phillies vs. Nationals | 07/18/20

[julio]

Roman Quinn was hit by a pitch in the right hand. Trainer came out to look at him, but Quinn is staying in the game.

— Matt Breen ( @matt_breen ) July 18, 2020

...and so it begins.

[teabag259]

ugh. Come on baseball Gods..