2020 Phillies Spring Training News, Notes & Discussion

[andyb]

And the Ringer includes the Phillies infielders in their roundup of non-Astros Spring stories:

Five Non-Astros, Non–Mookie Betts Story Lines to Watch in MLB Spring Training

[zambonir]

Ah, well, I wasn't quite ready to make the leap from forearm tighness/flexor tendon to TJ (though I realize it's all literally connected and even flexor tendon surgery would probably put him on the 60-Day).

[zambonir]

Interesting game today. 12-5 on 20 hits. Nick Williams in CF. Muzziotti went 3-3 (and also played CF, as did Vierling). Harrison LF Walker 3B Forsythe 2B (auditions have begun). Kingery SS. Looks like Pivetta did okay while Irvin soaked up three innings (during which he gave up three runs to blow the lead, then became the winning pitcher).

Phillies vs. Red Sox | 02/27/20

[schooldoc]

How much game time do you think McCutchen needs in order to be ready for the season? I don't know exactly why, but I'm beginning to get a vibe that he won't be. I suppose we'll know more in another 7-10 days. To me, if he isn't playing by about March 10, he's not starting the season in the lineup.

[zambonir]

10 days to two weeks still seems like it would be enough. Maybe he starts on the bench if need be. I mean, it's Thursday, and Harper didn't play his first game until Tuesday. Wheeler hasn't made his first start. Neris hasn't thrown a pitch. If Cutch is just a couple of weeks behind and we get a look at Garlick it's probably not the end of the world. If he's a month behind and a shadow of his former self, that'd be trouble. But hey we got a former all-star CF in minor league camp if Haseley needs to play some LF

[phillychuck]

What I don't want is McCutchen doing his "preparation" in major league games. get him fully ready before bringing him back. McCutchen at 50% is worse than every other option.

[Austinfan]

As long as Bruce and Quinn are healthy, Cutch can take his time.
Haseley/Quinn, Bruce/Haseley and Bruce/Quinn all work.

[andyb]

Not on TV today, but apparently Stott and Bohm are both scheduled to play the back half of the Braves game this afternoon in the field next to each other. Not sure they have played together too much yet.

[zambonir]

Who knows what that entails. He's either cleared to play or he isn't and he either needs extra time to be ready (i.e. extended spring training or AAA rehab) or he doesn't. But these guys don't really need five weeks of spring training anymore like the old days when nobody trained in the off-season. If he still needs to work on his timing than yeah, just being a PH or throwing him to the wolves when the Phillies desperately need to win their opening series (four games @ Miami) would be foolish.

The injury was when, June 4? Would not be crazy if he wound up needing 10 months. Some guys might need a year. The bigger concern to me is that the first season after injury is often a dud (just ask Didi).

[mdougherty12]

McCutchen won't be ready for Opening Day:

Cutch won't be ready for Opening Day

[zambonir]

ha, there we go. funny, he showed up on Game Day line-up today as being on the bench, has he actually been in uniform and in the dugout?

[schooldoc]

I knew it. Talk about a Friday night news dump.

[zambonir]

They can actually back-date him on the 60-day if they want, right? Unless they think he'll be ready closer to April 1 than April 15. I guess they also don't have to do that until they need to (and in fact, can't).

[Patchmk88]

I know it is spring training, but Bohm (at least from looking at box scores) has looked great so far.

[bkeich]

Anyone else getting nervous that we are going to let Realmuto get to the open market?

How we don’t really have a plan for McCutcheon is baffling. Jay Bruce as a starter is pretty scary if you are a pitcher. After Bruce? No iidea. (Please don’t say Quinn)

Hopefully we can sign or make a minor trade to fill this spot and not some crazy plan like having Harrison actually make the team.

[tom81]

How we don’t really have a plan for McCutcheon is baffling. Jay Bruce as a starter is pretty scary if you are a pitcher. After Bruce? No iidea. (Please don’t say Quinn)

If Williams or Herrera can’t be counted upon as the 5th OF for two weeks just give up.

[bkeich]

Well, it obviously won’t be Herrera. Williams as a 4th OF isn’t terrible until there is another injury and he is a starter.

Without McCutcheon we have to (laugh laugh) count on Quinn to be available as a backup CF or move Kingery back to a Utility Role (which frankly should be his role anyway to maximize his usefulness).

[zambonir]

Corey Dickerson?

They obviously do have a plan. They kept Williams, they traded for Garlick and there's a bunch of other OFs in camp. Jay Bruce was a starting LF when we got him and makes $14 million (luckily not from us). You don't just go out and get an extra starting-caliber player for your bench as injury insurance unless you get a deal like that (which they also got on Dickerson last year).

Arguably Williams is much better as a starter than coming off the bench. The one thing he's shown is he does better as a regular.

Tom, your commitment to Odubel is admirable.

Now, the problem is Bruce is still injured himself (his arm's not ready). So if the season started tomorrow Quinn is probably your starting LF (unless Haseley is), Williams and Garlick on the bench, Bruce 26th man since he can't play the field. Any of Harrison, Walker or Forysthe can also play LF (or allow Kingery to play OF, perhaps).

If Cutch is out for all of April, or worse, then you've got a problem (which probably would get solved by Bohm coming up and Kingery playing OF, at least until the deadline).

[tom81]

Tom, your commitment to Odubel is admirable.

Thanks

[andyb]

Well, it obviously won’t be Herrera. Williams as a 4th OF isn’t terrible until there is another injury and he is a starter.

Garlick would be a better fit than Williams because he is right-handed and could platoon with Bruce. Williams only fits if the team wanted to play him over Bruce (perhaps to give him a few weeks to see what they have in him in order to raise his trade value).